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Showing posts from March 26, 2013

New details as FBI probes death on cruise ship from Baltimore

Enchantment of the Seas, a 2,252 guest Royal Caribbean cruise ship, is shown in a Baltimore Sun file photo. (Kim Hairston / Baltimore Sun / June 18, 2010) he woman who died onboard a cruise ship that originated out of Baltimore was 64 years old and from central Virginia, the FBI said Tuesday as the agency continued to investigate her death as suspicious. The passenger from Midlothian, Va., outside of Richmond, was found dead in her cabin onboard the Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas on Sunday. She was on a six-night, seven-day Bahamas cruise that left Baltimore March 18, the FBI said. "It's a death of undetermined causes," FBI spokesman and Special Agent Rich Wolf said. The woman's husband discovered her unresponsive Sunday, and FBI officials suspect the death occurred somewhere off the coast of North Carolina, Wolf said. Cruise security and medical personnel notified the FBI immediately after the death was reported, and the ship continued its regular sched

Actor ear bitten

Clive Mantle, the Game of Thrones actor who also had a longstanding role in Casualty. Photograph: Nils Jorgensen/Rex Features An actor from the hit TV series Game of Thrones has had part of his ear bitten off, it has emerged. Clive Mantle, who was also a longstanding cast member on the BBC medical drama Casualty, was attacked at the Travelodge in Foster Street in Newcastle after a dispute over noise, according to his agent. Following the attack, which happened in the early hours of Sunday morning, Mantle underwent emergency surgery to have his ear sewn back on. The 55-year-old actor had finished a run in The Ladykillers at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle when the attack occurred. It is believed that Mantle asked a group of men to keep the noise down outside his hotel room before he was attacked. A 32-year-old man from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire has been charged with wounding with intent and will appear before magistrates next month. Mantle's agents, the London-based Sarahban

Duggars adoption

Duggars adoption, Michelle Duggar of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" says she and husband Jim Bob are "open to the idea of adoption," more than a year after she suffered a miscarriage after becoming pregnant with their 20th baby. The 45-year-old reality show matriarch made her comments to People magazine in an interview published on Tuesday, March 26, ahead of the finale of the cable channel's three-part special "19 Kids & Counting: Duggars Do Asia." "We are open to the idea of adoption," Michelle told the outlet. "We are praying about it, and we will see what God has in store. Love for children has been placed on our hearts." On Tuesday's episode of 19 Kids & Counting: Duggars Do Asia," the Arkansas-based pair and most of their children visit an orphanage in China. The show airs at 9 p.m. ET. The Duggars are parents to 19 children -- Josh, 25; fraternal twins Jana Marie and John-David, 23; Jill Michelle, 21; Jess

Kellie Pickler DWTS

Kellie Pickler DWTS, Kellie Dawn Pickler is an American country music artist and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol. Kellie Pickler is currently competing on 'DWTS' with partner Derek Hough On the newest “Dancing with the Stars” episode, contestant Kellie Pickler and her partner Derek Hough performed a jazz routine that seemed to win over the judges and put Pickler and Hough in second place among the contestants. The dance was set to the song “Lights” by Ellie Goulding and the set included thin green lights that glowed behind the couple as they performed the routine. Because there wasn’t an elimination round during the first week of competition, contestants currently hold a score out of 60 rather than the usual 30, combining the scores of the first two weeks. Pickler and Hough currently stand at 47 out of 60, behind Disney Channel star Zendaya and her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy, who ho

Justin Bieber Investigated for Battery Against Neighbor

UPDATE 1:34 PM PT -- One of Justin's neighbors tells TMZ ... the argument between Bieber and the accuser was NOT over a party ... it had to do with a Ferrari. We're told Bieber had the car delivered to his home last night on a flatbed truck ... and this morning, he was racing the vehicle up and down the streets. Neighborhood sources tell us ... the neighbor was furious about the deafening noise AND felt Justin was endangering the community by tearing through the streets at breakneck speeds. We're told the neighbor went over to confront Justin about the situation ... and that's when the two sides got into a screaming match. Justin Bieber has been accused of battery by a neighbor ... and cops are at the singer's home in Calabasas, CA investigating ... TMZ has learned. Sources tell TMZ .... Justin and one of his male neighbors got into a verbal altercation just after 9 AM. We're told the argument was intense. We've confirmed Justin has returned from his over

Kordell Stewart divorce

Kordell Stewart divorce, Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Stewart and former NFL star Kordell Stewart are reportedly headed for divorce. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Kordell filed for divorce from Porsha on March 22 after less than two years of marriage. The petition reads, "Petitioner, after marrying respondent, a cast member on the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta,' on May 21, 2011, is seeking divorce as the marriage is irretrievably broken." TMZ claims to have obtained the legal documents, in which Kordell states he and Porsha are separated. He also insists he shouldn't have to pay spousal support because "[she's] an able-bodied person, earning income and is capable of supporting herself." The 41-year-old former Pittsburgh Steelers player, nicknamed "Slash," met Porsha, granddaughter of Civil Rights leader and philanthropist Rev. Hosea Williams, in 2009. The two married in 2011. She joined the "RHOA" cast in Season

Stabbings at Target, 4 Person stabbed

Stabbings at Target, The shopping trip of people to Target turned into a nightmare for East Liberty, Pa., residents on Monday afternoon when a man holding a knife was chased into the superstore, stabbing three men and a teenage customer in the process. The suspect, whose identity is unknown, ran into the store after fighting with several men down the street in an effort to lose his attackers, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. Police spokeswoman Diane Richard said upon entering the store the man ran to checkout lanes were he grabbed a 16-year-old customer standing with her family, using her as a human shield against his attackers. The teen suffered a cut on her back and arm. She was listed in critical condition at Children’s Hospital, but has since been upgraded to serious condition. Pittsburgh Police Sgt. Thomas Huerbin said the teen underwent surgery for stab wounds. Dominique Gomez, 21, of Wilkinsburg, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the man was yelling that he ha

Judge Judy's son

Judge Judy's son, The former live-in trainer for Judge Judy's district attorney son has been accused of raping a 12-year-old girl and bragging about his connections to the family. Arrest: Alexandru Hossu, an illegal immigrant, has been accused of raping a 12-year-old girl It has also emerged that Alexandru Hossu, who is originally from Romania, is allegedly an illegal immigrant after outstaying his visa - despite working for one of New York's top lawyers. Adam Levy, the son of television personality 'Judge Judy' Scheindlin, has come under fire for employing Hossu, 35, and giving him accommodation at his million-dollar house in Putnam, New York. He has vehemently denied knowing about Hossu's immigration status and has become embroiled in a public scrap over the accusations with the sheriff of the county. Hossu was charged last week with two counts of first-degree rape after the 15-year-old daughter of a friend told a school counselor she had been s

Cruise ship death FBI

Cruise ship death FBI, The FBI spokeperson said a death aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has been classified as suspicious. The FBI is investigating the death of a 62-year-old Virginia woman who traveled on the Enchantment of the Seas. Royal Caribbean says the woman's husband found her body Sunday inside her cabin. FBI Baltimore field office spokesman Rich Wolf says agents boarded the ship Monday after it returned to Baltimore as scheduled. He says an autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause and manner of death, and agents are interviewing the unidentified woman's husband. Wolf declined to say whether the woman suffered any trauma. The Enchantment of the Seas sailed to Florida and the Bahamas on a seven-night trip.

Tiger Woods had some interesting advice for Rory McIlroy for this week’s Shell Houston Open

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy — Getty ImagesIf you've ever read stories, or books, about Tiger Woods you've heard that the guy has a pretty crude sense of humor. He comes off like a locker room guy that likes messing with his buddies on tour just like we do with our friends during a round of 18 holes on a random Saturday. So it shouldn't surprise you that Woods texted his new best buddy, Rory McIlroy, after the Arnold Palmer Invitational. McIlroy, who spent the weekend at a municipal golf course in Miami instead of playing at Bay Hill, is in the field this week at the Shell Houston Open and mentioned that he got an interesting text from Woods. How interesting? It's NSFW-y interesting. The quote is below, courtesy of the Houston Chronicle's Jerome Solomon. Yep, that's Tiger's advice this week to the now world No. 2. The best part about his push for Rory to get it together and win the week after Tiger took back world No. 1? If Rory actually took the advice,

Manti Te'o turns down invites to attend 2013 NFL Draft

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o has declined to attend the 2013 NFL Draft, instead opting to not be the center of attention. Manti Te'o has turned down two invitations to attend the 2013 NFL Draft according to Ian Rapoport. Te'o has been the center of attention in the 2013 draft class ever since the Lennay Kekua scandal surfaced, but he has opted not to attend the draft at Radio City Music Hall with the top prospects. More: Mocking the Draft His draft stock has gone up and down since the end of the college football season, but Te'o is still expected to fall somewhere in the latter half of the first round. His performance in the BCS Championship and at the NFL Combine hurt his stock and Mocking the Draft does not have Te'o in their latest first round mock, but many NFL experts still believe he won't slip down to the second. Every step Te'o has made has become headline material, especially since the fake girlfriend story, and he has been at the center

Nike's Tiger Woods Ad Draws Critics

Maybe winning doesn't take care of everything. Nike is causing a social media storm with its latest online ad showing a picture of Tiger Woods overlaid with a quote from him, "Winning takes care of everything." The ad, posted on Facebook and Twitter, is supposed to allude to the fact that the golfer recovered from career stumbles to regain his world No. 1 ranking on Monday, which he lost in October 2010. But some say it's inappropriate in light of Woods' past marital woes. It's the latest controversy from the athletic giant who has recently had to cut ties with biker Lance Armstrong and runner Oscar Pistorius due to separate scandals. Woods has long used the phrase — at least since 2009 — whenever reporters ask him about his or other golfers' rankings. The ad has garnered more than 8,000 likes and 2,000 shares on Facebook, as well as hundreds of comments, many congratulating Woods on the ranking, but others commenting that the ad sends the wrong mess

'Spring Breakers' Director Harmony Korine: 10 Things to Know

Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP After a decade and a half of working in obscurity and occasionally popping up to bemuse the public and impress critics, Harmony Korine, dedicated anti-commercial artist, has found himself in the international spotlight. The 40-year-old writer-director is a new name to many who are just discovering the man responsible for corrupting half a generation of Disney Channel stars in the new neon-nihilism film Spring Breakers. There are quite a few things to discover about this mysterio, and so, here is a guide: 1. He wrote the film Kids at 18: Korine was not much older than the characters he created for his big-screen debut. He wrote the controversial 1995 movie about the sex lives of teenagers for Larry Clark, who discovered him skating in New York City. It gave Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson their starts, as well. 2. His next film, Gummo, won the FIPRESCI prize at the Venice Film Festival. Sure, no one really understood it -- it had no real script and was a s

Review: 'Game of Thrones' gets even more brutal in Season 3

Anyone who has followed "Game of Thrones" over its first two seasons knows all too well that HBO's awesome medieval epic can often resemble a human demolition derby. This is a show, after all, that infamously beheaded beloved warrior Ned Stark and jacked up the body count to an extreme level during the bloody Battle of Blackwater Bay. But those events apparently were just some appetizers leading up to a season that has been widely touted as the show's most brutal and vicious yet. Season 3 covers roughly half of the third book in George R.R. Martin's fantasy series -- a fan favorite that features some major shockers and stunning casualties. It's a key chunk of an ultra-complex, sprawling saga about Peter Dinklage in a scene from "Game of Thrones." (Helen Sloan) power-hungry families vying to control the seven kingdoms of Westeros. But don't expect your jaw to hit the floor right away. The first two episodes, of the four made available for preview

Real Housewives of Atlanta Star Kenya Moore Reacts to Porsha Williams

There's a drama-fueled wind hitting the Real Housewives of Atlanta today, but Kenya Moore isn't twirling away. After the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart filed for divorce from his reality star wife Porsha Williams, the former Miss USA has spoken out in support of the troubled couple. No, seriously. Fans of the hit Bravo show have seen Porsha and Kenya feud throughout the entire season (Moore even made a viral music video mocking their battle), but the outspoken 42-year-old has decided to take the high road when it comes to discussing her costar's impending divorce. "It's no secret that Porsha and I have had our differences," Kenya said in a statement to E! News. "However, I would never want to see anyone go through pain or suffering such as in a divorce. I'm a hopeless romantic and believe in love and hope they can get past their differences. I do wish Porsha well and know she will do what is best for her." Stewart and W

Dionne Warwick owes nearly $10 million in back taxes

Dionne Warwick performs during the Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival in Trelawny, January 26, 2013. (Reuters) Singer Dionne Warwick owes nearly $10 million in back taxes and has filed for bankruptcy. In a Chapter 7 petition filed this month in New Jersey, Warwick lists liabilities that include nearly $7 million owed to the Internal Revenue Service for the years 1991 to 1999 and more than $3 million in business taxes owed to the state of California. Warwick lists her current address in South Orange. The singer of classics such as "Walk On By," ''I Say a Little Prayer" and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" also lists about $21,000 in monthly income and about the same amount in monthly expenses. Warwick's publicist says the singer has paid back the actual amount of the taxes but that penalties and interest have accumulated over the years.

N.Y. Auto Show: Buick unveils pair of updated sedans

Looking to capitalize on a wave of strong sales in the last year, Buick on Tuesday unveiled a pair of updated sedans at the N.Y. Auto Show. The refreshed midsize Regal and the larger LaCrosse each are hoped to increase the automaker's momentum. Buick has been on a bit of tear lately, with 10 consecutive months of increasing sales and 2012 ranking as the best sales year since 2006. The changes to each front-wheel-drive car are moderate, but important. The 2014 Regal, which is sold in Europe as the Opel Insignia, gets minor exterior updates including LED daytime lamps and LED taillights. Photos: Buick at the 2013 N.Y. Auto Show The interior gets a more thorough change, the highlight of which is a new 4.2-inch color display in the instrument panel, and a revised center console with fewer buttons and less clutter, Buick says. Photos: Highlights of the 2013 N.Y. Auto Show The Regal's base drivetrain remains Regal eAssist, a mild hybrid system. It uses a direct-injected 2.4-lite

Google Objects To 'Ungoogleable'

Speakers of Swedish who want to say that a search term cannot be found using a search engine will have to think twice about how they express that thought: The Swedish word used to describe searches that return no results -- "ungoogleable," or ogooglebar in Swedish -- has been removed from a list of newly recognized Swedish words following Google's objection to the term. Ogooglebar entered common parlance in Sweden last year, according to the Swedish Language Council, a regulatory body that attempts to define the scope of the Swedish language. As a result, the Council added "ungoogleable" to its annual list of new Swedish words in December. But in a statement published on its website on Tuesday, the Council said Google had asked the organization to refine its definition of "ungoogleable" and to include a disclaimer. Instead of doing that, the Council said it has deleted the word from its list of neologisms as a way to express its "displeasure w

Microsoft Acknowledges Windows Blue Ahead of Build 2013

Microsoft has thus far stayed mum on Windows Blue, the rumored update to Windows 8 that leaked online this weekend. But that changed today, with a blog post that discussed how Redmond plans to "advance" its products in the coming months. Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's corporate vice president of corporate communications, acknowledged that Microsoft employees are "working together on plans to advance our devices and services, a set of plans referred to internally as 'Blue,'" though he stressed that the chances of the final product having that moniker are "slim to none." Shaw said Microsoft is embracing a "continuous development cycle," pointing to this week's Windows 8 apps update, new gadgets, and performance improvements. This, he said, "is the new normal across Microsoft." "Our product groups are also taking a unified planning approach so people get what they want – all of their devices, apps and services working tog

Area home prices post biggest gain in nearly six years

Seattle-area home prices rose 8.7 percent in January from a year earlier -- the biggest gain in nearly six years, according to a new report. The price of a typical home in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties rose 8.7 percent from January 2012, up from an 8.2 percent increase in December, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. The price rose 1.1 percent from December to January, accounting for typical seasonal variation. Median sales prices have been posting larger increases, but some of this was due to a changing mix in the homes that happen to sell. The S&P report looks at repeat sales of the same homes. S&P's 20-city index rose 8.1 percent from a year earlier -- the biggest increase since the housing bubble burst. "Economic data continue to support the housing recovery," David Blitzer, chairman of S&P Dow Jones Indices' Index Committee, said in the report. "Single-family home building permits and housing starts posted double-digi

Cyprus Fallout: Eurozone Still Making Up Rules on the Fly

Global financial markets were spooked on Thursday by comments from the leader of the Eurogroup that suggested the chaotic and controversial bailout of Cyprus could serve as a prototype for future rescues in the eurozone. While the comments were later walked back, the violent market reaction underscores how nearly four years after the eurozone sovereign debt crisis first began in Greece, European policymakers are still making up the rules as they go, much to the dismay of investors. “They’re trying to make the reform little bit by little bit. The risk there is that these incremental changes get overtaken by events,” said Jack Goldstone, senior fellow at George Mason University. “There’s always something that creeps up in the absence of a comprehensive agreement.” The tiny country of Cyprus seemed to creep up on Europe, going from a little-known banking center to a front-page story that captivated investors around the world almost overnight. "When someone screams fire, you don’t wa

School vouchers: Still a bad idea despite Indiana court ruling

So the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s school voucher program is constitutional. It isn’t the first time a supreme court has made a questionable call but, apart from the legal argument, the decision doesn’t mean that vouchers are a good educational or civic idea. They aren’t. Indiana is one of a growing number of states with school voucher programs. These allow public dollars to be used at private schools, including religious schools, including those religious schools that use creationist materials that teach anti-scientific notions such as the idea that the universe is no more than 10,000 years old, and that humans lived at the very same time as dinosaurs. With Tuesday’s decision by the Indiana Supreme Court, Indiana can now expand its program, in which more than 9,300 low-income students already are enrolled. Under the program, students in grades 1-8 can receive up to $4,500 annually for private school tuition, and high schoolers can get a little bit more. The court

Giffords' husband pulls dog off sea lion in Calif.

The daughter of former astronaut Mark Kelly was walking her dog Shiner on Goff Island Beach when the dog bolted, ripping the leash from her hand and fatally attacking a beached baby sea lion. Video showed the owner and two other women struggling several minutes in vain to pull the dog off the sea lion. As his daughter screamed and cried, Kelly arrived and grabbed the collar. He shook the dog's head until it released the bloodied mammal, which later died. Kelly is married to former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was wounded in a shooting in Tucson, Ariz., in 2011. Laguna police said they wouldn't press charges because the attack Saturday was unintentional and the bulldog mix was leashed and legally on the beach below the exclusive Montage Resort, Capt. Jason Kravetz said Tuesday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also does not expect to take legal action, spokesman Jim Milbury said. "We will have to wait for all the facts to come it, but it appears to

S. Calif. girl who survived crash describes ordeal

9-year-old girl who survived a rollover crash is out of a Southern California hospital and has described on video how she hiked more than a mile to find help for her father, who was later found dead. Celia Renteria spoke from a hospital bed about how she hiked to a nearby house after crawling out of the mangled SUV at the bottom of a rugged canyon. "I climbed out the window, and I went to look at the farmer's house to see if someone was there," she said in footage shot by the family and broadcast on KABC-TV. No one answered the door. With temperatures dipping into the 40s, she hiked in darkness up the rocky embankment and along the remote highway to a commuter rail station where she flagged down a passing motorist early Sunday. "I climbed on top of the other mountain, and then I was waving my hands," Celia said. When officers responded, they found Celia's father, Alejandro Renteria, 35, dead. He was pinned in the driver's seat. In all, she trekked 1 1/2

As China's Xi Jinping visits, Africa asks: What are we getting out of this

Chinese President Xi Jinping is touring parts of Africa this week, celebrating ever-closer economic ties that have made Beijing the continent’s biggest trading partner. But the bloom is off their initial romance, as each side finds previously unseen flaws in its partner. “The honeymoon is over,” says Deborah Brautigam, an expert on China and Africa at Johns Hopkins University. “Now they are working on their relationship. It is not purely harmonious by any means.” Indeed, China and Africa may be going through something of a “seven-year itch,” say some observers. It has been that long since 48 African leaders gathered at an unprecedented summit in Beijing to embrace China, and now some influential African voices are grumbling about whether their continent has benefited sufficiently from that embrace. The figures are startling: Chinese trade with African countries has leapt fourfold in six years to reach nearly $200 billion in 2012. There are now between 1 million and 2 million Chinese

For Catholics, a new kind of pro-creation

Strap on your sandals, Catholics, during this Holy Week journey into Jerusalem. Pope Francis is guiding the global church towards two major right-to-life issues: poverty and the environment. Take heed: it’s not just about prophylaxis. First, poverty. Francis has called for a “poor church, a church for the poor.” Certainly, the Bible is rife with injunctions to care for the poor, and Catholic social teaching insists on the theological and ethical imperative known as the “preferential option for the poor.” But has any pope ever talked the talk while walking the walk? Enter Francis, who has decided to not live in the papal apartment (he will live in the Vatican guesthouse), who has eschewed highly filigreed garments, and who has constantly spoken of humility and poverty. Might this papacy be less about pontifical pomp and theological rhetoric than about attention to concrete circumstance? That would be theology as praxis: where the word of God hits the ground, and keeps walking. Second

Egyptian Blogger Accused of Violence Released

Egyptian authorities released a prominent Egyptian blogger Tuesday after he refused to cooperate with prosecutors over allegations of instigating violence against the country's most powerful Islamist group in comments posted on social media. The blogger, Alaa Abdel-Fattah, was freed following his demand that an investigative judge take over his case, according to one of his lawyers, Malek Adly. His attorneys are now awaiting a decision on the request, which amounts to a snub to the prosecutor's office by questioning its independence. Abdel-Fattah handed himself in to authorities earlier Tuesday, a day after the country's prosecutor general ordered his arrest along with four other activists also accused of inciting violence. The arrest warrants stoked concerns among Egypt's opposition that Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was using the prosecutor's office to go after political opponents. The allegations against the activists are rooted in clashes between suppor

Arab League grants seat to Syrian opposition

The summit of Arab League on Tuesday granted Damascus' seat to the Syrian opposition and acknowledged the right of the member countries to provide all means of self- defense to the Syrian opposition. Earlier on Tuesday, Moaz al-Khatib, resigned head of exiled Syrian opposition coalition, took up Damascus' seat at the summit, calling for more political and financial support to the Syrian opposition. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in November 2011. Earlier this month, some countries, mainly oil-rich Qatar and Saudi Arabia, led a push to invite the Syrian opposition to occupy the seat of Damascus at the pan-Arab body. The Arab leaders rushed through the summit Tuesday, one day earlier than scheduled. A total of 15 heads of state of Arab countries attended the summit, including Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Algeria, Oman, Sudan and the United Arab

Yankees complete trade for Vernon Wells

Vernon Wells won’t be wearing No. 10 in the Bronx, and he’s starting his Yankees career with No. 56. ‘I’m going to wear Lawrence Taylor for a little bit,’ he joked after his trade to the Yankees was made official. TAMPA — The trade took two days to complete, but Vernon Wells is officially a Yankee. Having passed his physical earlier in the day, Wells arrived at Steinbrenner Field Tuesday afternoon and settled into his new locker. "Just the history and the names that are in this clubhouse, and the guys that are in this clubhouse, this is special," Wells said. "It's obviously a huge commitment to put the pinstripes on, but this is baseball. This is the center of it all and this is a fun way for things to go toward the end of my career." Wells was assigned No. 56 — "I'm going to wear Lawrence Taylor for a little bit," he joked — though he figures to be assigned a lower number once more cuts are made this week. The Yankees sent minor league

T-Mobile's iPhone 5 By The Numbers

With much fanfare and hullaballoo, T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere announced that the company will finally offer Apple's smartphone. The iPhone 5 goes on sale from T-Mobile April 12, but customers can sign up starting April 5. T-Mobile is advertising the iPhone 5 for $99, but that's not necessarily what you'll pay. The $99 is actually a down payment on the iPhone 5. Thereafter, T-Mobile's iPhone 5 customers will make monthly payments of $20 for 24 months until the device is paid off. Between the down payment and the monthly installments, the total amounts to $580 -- that's about $70 less than the iPhone 5's raw $649 selling price. As soon as the iPhone 5 is paid off, you'll own the device, whether or not you stick with T-Mobile USA. Even better, once you own the device, T-Mobile USA will unlock it so it can be used on competing networks. (Yes, new phones will be locked to T-Mobile's network.) The beauty of T-Mobile's new model is that there are no cont

Obama chooses first woman Secret Service director: officials

WASHINGTON | Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:48pm EDT President Barack Obama has chosen veteran Secret Service agent Julia Pierson as the first woman to become director of the agency that protects the president, two officials told Reuters on Tuesday. Pierson has been chief of staff at the Secret Service, which last year became embroiled in a scandal involving agents taking prostitutes to their hotel rooms in Colombia before Obama visited the country. Pierson is a native of Florida and began her career with the Secret Service as a special agent with the Miami Field Office in 1983. Starting in 1988, she served four years with the Presidential Protective Division. She will replace Mark Sullivan who retired as Secret Service director in February. The position does not require confirmation by the Senate.

Dominican immigrant feels "pure joy" from Powerball win

Pedro Quezada holds up his $338 million Powerball jackpot check on Tuesday, March 26. / CBS News The Dominican immigrant who won the $338 million Powerball jackpot said Tuesday his head wasn't clear enough to decide what to do with his winnings, but knew he was going to help his "humble" family. Pedro Quezada appeared at New Jersey lottery headquarters to officially claim the $338 million Powerball prize, his wife and brothers also in the room. The former shop owner from a working-class suburb of New York City has been in the U.S. for 26 years. "I felt pure joy, just happiness," he said in Spanish, a translator by his side. The numbers drawn Saturday were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31. If Quezada takes a lump-sum payment, it would be worth $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes. It's the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history. Casiano, one of Quezada's five children, said his family plans to keep open the Passaic bodega they have

Supreme court indicates cautious approach to gay marriage rights

The polarisation of the supreme court was laid bare on Tuesday, the first of two days of hearings on gay marriage. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images US supreme court justices tore into a central argument of opponents of same-sex marriage on Tuesday as the court heard for the first time arguments over whether gay couples have a constitutional right to wed. The deep polarisation of the court on social issues was laid bare on the first of two days of hearings on gay marriage, which saw liberal justices shoot down claims that same sex-couples should not be allowed to wed because they cannot procreate, while the conservatives attacked rapid change as undermining centuries of tradition. But none of the parties in the cases under consideration on Tuesday, involving a 2008 California referendum barring gay marriage, may get the definitive rulings they are seeking. One persistent line of questioning raised the prospect that the court will sidestep a decision on the basis that

Kanye West 'I Am God'

Kanye West 'I Am God', He will not name his new album 'i am god' Kanye is a deity of sorts in the rap game, but not quite the creator of the universe. Although BBC News reported that Kim Kardashian's boyfriend was considering calling his upcoming album I Am God, a source tells E! News this is not true. Mr. West has drawn a parallel between himself and Jesus' dad before, though. In 2005, he released the single "Jesus Walks," which openly embraces his faith, and also recreated the prophet's crucifixion on the Jan. 2006 cover of Rolling Stone. Kim strikes a holy pose in Brazil But come on, y'all. 'Ye's ego isn't big enough to claim he is God. Still, should ever decide to make a comparison between himself and the (wo)man upstairs? That's called artistic freedom! Judge not lest ye be judged.

Stabbings at Target

Stabbings at Target, 16-year-old girl and two men were stabbed by a man wielding a knife at a Target in East Liberty, Pittsburgh late Monday afternoon. WTAE reports the attacker, who has not yet been identified, entered the store at around 5:30 p.m. and headed towards the lavatory. The man was followed into the restroom by two others, but he chased them back out with a knife. "I took a peek at the top of the steps, and the guy was chasing the dude around with a long, long knife," a witness told Channel 4 Action News. "It was a long, long knife. He was chasing him around through the aisles." The suspect then ran towards the cash register, grabbed 16-year-old Allison Meadows, and began to stab her. "He had this girl by the top of her hair. He just kept screaming, 'I'll stab her again.' He kept stabbing her," the witness said. According to the witness, he and four other men ran toward the stabber and tackled him. He used a baseball bat to keep th