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Texan in her 30s sentenced to jail for posing as teenage student

A 31-year-old woman who posed for several months as a teenage student at a private high school in east Texas pleaded guilty on Tuesday to failure to properly identify herself. _0"> Charity Johnson, also convicted of giving false information, was sentenced to 85 days in jail, according to online court records. Johnson posed as a teenage orphan and was taken in by an area woman who helped enroll her as a sophomore at New Life Christian School in Longview. The woman called police after discovering Johnson was not the person she pretended to be, court records said. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Writing by Jon Herskovitz ; Editing by James Dalgleish )

California mayor apparently tossed dog feces on to neighbor's lawn

The mayor of the wealthy Southern California city of San Marino was under fire on Tuesday after police said he was caught on camera apparently leaving a bag of dog feces in his neighbor’s walkway. Surveillance tape monitoring the exterior of the residence captured Mayor Dennis Kneier leaving what was said to be a bag of dog feces on a private walkway leading to his neighbor’s home on Saturday evening, San Marino Police said in a statement. The owner of the home, who claimed to identify Kneier and his wife in the footage, called the police but does not intend to press any littering charges, police said. The department is still considering the incident open for investigation.   Kneier and his representatives did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment on the matter. But the Whittier Daily News said the mayor later sent a letter to his neighbor apologizing for the incident. “Late in the day this past Saturday, June 7, Liz and I were returning from a walk in Lacy

Arizona police arrest man for shooting at the moon

A marijuana smoker was arrested in Arizona after shooting at the moon with a handgun and wrestling with officers who were called by his girlfriend to subdue him, authorities said on Wednesday. _0"> Police went to a home in Prescott Valley, about 85 miles north of Phoenix, late last Friday where the woman told them her partner had fired several shots into the air after telling her and her teenage son he had seen Halley's Comet. Prescott Valley police spokesman Sergeant Brandon Bonney said Cameron Read, 39, was arrested after a struggle and admitted firing multiple times and "trying to shoot the moon." Bonney said Read also confessed to smoking marijuana before the incident, and told officers he had not wanted to hurt anyone. He is being held in Yavapai County Jail on felony charges of unlawful discharge of a firearm, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and endangerment, and a misdemeanor count of criminal damage. It was not immediately clear if he has an att

U.S. sues N.Y. company that workers say made them pray, say 'I love you'

A federal agency sued a New York customer service provider on Wednesday after allegations the company forced employees to pray, thank God for their jobs and say "I love you" to managers and colleagues at work, and fired those who protested. _0"> The Long Island-based United Health Programs of America and its parent company, Cost Containment Group, required workers to practice a spiritual belief system called Onionhead while on the job, in violation of their civil and religious rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in the complaint. The company fired several employees who refused to adhere to the Onionhead doctrine, which was created by the aunt of the company's owner, the complaint said.   true       In one case, an IT project and account manager was disciplined after she complained to management in 2010 that she was Catholic and did not want to participate in the spiritual activities, according to the complaint. A month after she com

Canada gold mine on sale for $2 million in bitcoin

Gold, the hard asset long seen as the ultimate hedge against risk, has fallen so much out of favor in recent years that the owner of a mine in Canada's historic Yukon gold belt wants to sell the property for $2 million in bitcoin, a virtual currency. _0"> The tiny, producing mine is being offered for sale by an unidentified seller on BitPremier, a self-described bitcoin marketplace for "luxury items and opportunities". The mine, located right in Dawson City, the heart of the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, has the potential to produce up to 4,000 ounces of gold a year, worth $5.9 million at current prices. The sale includes $1 million worth of equipment. "A well-respected, fully compliant and profitable company, any new buyer could recoup their initial investment in as little as two mining seasons," the sales advertisement says. It does not say whether the owner would consider any other form of payment besides bitcoins. Prices for gold have slumped by a

UPDATE 2-Intel raises outlook on stronger PC demand, shares jump

Chipmaker class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Intel Corp on Thursday raised its outlook for the second quarter and the full year, citing stronger-than-expected demand for personal class="mandelbrot_refrag"> computers used by businesses. Shares of Intel jumped more than 4 percent in extended trade as the chipmaker's improved forecast lifted hopes for a PC industry that been shrinking due to consumers' preferences for tablets and smartphones.   true       Intel said it now expects second-quarter revenue of $13.7 billion, plus or minus $300 million. Intel had previously forecast revenue of $13 billion, plus or minus $500 million. The chipmaker said it expects "some" revenue growth for the full year, compared with its previous forecast of flat revenue. The Santa Clara, California company also raised the mid-point of its gross margin forecast range for the second quarter, which ends at the end of June, by 1 point to 64 percent. With personal com

Priest killed, another injured, in Phoenix church burglary

A 29-year-old priest was shot to death and his pastor badly beaten during what police described as a burglary at a Catholic church in Phoenix, authorities said on Thursday. Phoenix Police Chief Daniel Garcia said officers were notified of a break-in late on Wednesday at the Mater Misericordiae (Mother of Mercy) Mission church. He said the crime occurred in the living quarters attached to the church, and that investigators had found "strong physical evidence." "The Phoenix Police Department will exhaust our resources in bringing to justice the individuals who committed this crime," Garcia said. "We need to bring closure to this offense." He said detectives were canvassing the surrounding area and asking local businesses to hand over any security camera footage that might help the search for suspects. Garcia said that while the crime was initially reported as a burglary, it was too early to determine the motive behind the attacks on the priests. He ur

Wall St. slides on concerns about Iraq

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as concerns escalated about Iraq and after disappointing economic data on retail sales and jobless claims. The three major U.S. stock indexes ended off their session lows. With the day's decline, though, the S&P 500 was down for three straight sessions for the first time since early April. The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 100 points for the second day in a row.   true       Hours after ethnic Kurdish forces took control of the oil hub of Kirkuk after the Shi'ite-led government's troops abandoned their posts, President class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Barack Obama was asked if he might order drone strikes or other action to halt the insurgency that has seized much of northern Iraq this week. Obama told reporters that he refused to rule out U.S. action in Iraq against Sunni Islamist militants who have surged out of the north toward Baghdad, threatening to divide the country and establish their own jihadist state.

Cuban ballet defectors appear in Miami, seek U.S. careers

Six dancers who defected over the weekend from the famed National Ballet of class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Cuba appeared in Miami on Tuesday and said they planned to pursue careers in the United States. "The dancers defected because they need personal freedom and opportunity in their career," said Pedro Pablo Peña, founder of the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, a nonprofit dance organization. "It's a short career. Here they'll at least get paid more than they do in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Cuba ," he added. It was the second major defection of Cuban ballet dancers in the United States in a little more than 12 months, though none are principals or soloists. Cuba is one of the world’s top producers of ballet talent but dancers are restricted from working abroad and some leave the island frustrated by lack of opportunity, and high paying salaries. At a press conference in Miami on Tuesday, the six dancers, aged between 21 and

Photos of Albert of Monaco's illegitimate son legal: court

A French court breached freedom of expression laws when it censured the glossy magazine Paris Match in 2005 for class="mandelbrot_refrag"> publishing photos and an article about the illegitimate son of Prince Albert of Monaco, Europe's human rights court ruled on Thursday. _0"> The Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights ruled that the article in which "Ms C" alleged that the ruler of Monaco had fathered her son, and photos of the prince with the child, fell outside the sphere of private life protected by French law. "As this was an issue of political significance, the court found that the public had a legitimate interest in knowing of the child's existence and being able to conduct a debate on the possible implications for political life in the Principality of Monaco," the court wrote.   true       Prince Albert II is the head of the centuries-old House of Grimaldi and son of the late Prince Rainier III and actress Grace

Recife steps up shark warnings for unwary World Cup fans

Soccer fans visiting Recife for the World Cup may be unaware that the city is not just famous for football - it is also one of the most dangerous places in the world to swim due to the risk of shark attacks. Supporters strolling on the sandy beaches of the city, which will host five World Cup matches, are being met by a forest of warning signs in English and Portuguese, and newly-built watchtowers where lifeguards keep a close eye on bathers. The Boa Viagem beach suffers a high number of shark attacks and an above-average number of fatalities, and local authorities are keen to avoid any incidents with unsuspecting soccer fans during the World Cup. "In the 20 kilometers of beach we have in the state of Pernambuco, we have an atypical concentration of sharks, above the world average," local lifeguard captain Helder Silva told Reuters in an interview at one of the many watchtowers along the shore. "Across these 20 kilometers of coastline we’ve had 59 incidents over 21

Hollywood duo Pitt, Jolie put spotlight on sexual violence in war

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie appeared together on Thursday at a global summit on ending sexual violence in conflict, in a show of celebrity power that British Foreign Secretary William Hague said was helping put a spotlight on the issue of rape as a weapon of war. Dressed in black, Pitt and Jolie flanked Hague at the opening of the third day of a four-day summit in London that is the culmination of two years' joint work by the actress and Hague. Up to 1,200 government ministers, officials, activists and members of judiciaries and militaries from more than 120 countries are at the summit that aims to find practical steps to punish those responsible for sex violence and help victims.   true       Hague said his partnership with Oscar-winning Jolie, special envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), had put the issue of sexual violence in conflict on the world agenda and was an example of how foreign policy could be conducted in the future. "She brings what gov

Some turn to bullet-resistant blankets after U.S. school shootings

An Oklahoma company that sells a blanket to protect children from gunfire has seen its business grow after a spate of U.S. school shootings has left parents and educators on edge. ProTecht of Oklahoma originally developed its "Body Guard" blanket product to keep children safe from high-speed debris flying through the air from the tornadoes that frequently hit the state, but many parents see it as armor against bullets, the company said on Thursday. "The government is not going to do anything in law about guns, and there is nothing else out there to protect the children," said Stan Schone, who helped develop the blanket. The 5/16th-inch (7.9 millimeter) pad is made from bullet-resistant materials that can be folded and strapped on the back and then unfurled to hide under in emergency situations. The blankets sell for about $1,000. The company declined to provide sales figures. Co-developer Steve Walker, an Oklahoma podiatrist, came up with the idea of a protec

In Miami, expat Brazilians crowd cafes, bars to cheer national team

Elie Iskandar, a Brazilian who lives in the United States, could not afford to travel home to see the World Cup. So he opted for what he called the next best thing - his favorite Brazilian hangout in Miami. Expatriate Brazilians packed Miami-area bars and class="mandelbrot_refrag"> restaurants as the World Cup kicked off on Thursday, chanting, dancing and cheering on their national team in its opening 3-1 victory over Croatia. At the Brazilian bar and restaurant Boteco, a party atmosphere took hold, with virtually everyone dressed in Brazil's famed yellow and green jersey. Those not wearing the jersey drew the occasional cold stare.   true       Some fans sipped Caipirinhas, Brazil's national cocktail, while others nibbled on Brazilian cheese bread rolls known as pao de queijo. Iskandar said it was like a slice of home. "It's beautiful," he said. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, at least 325,000 Brazilians live in the United States, with si

Jamaica to decriminalize personal marijuana possession

The Jamaican government has decided to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, joining the trickle of countries moving to soften laws on the drug known on the Caribbean island as "ganja." Minister of Justice Mark Golding made the announcement at an afternoon news conference on Thursday saying that Jamaica's Dangerous Drugs Act would be formally amended this summer. The cabinet of Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller made the decision on June 2, he said.   true       "Cabinet approved certain changes to the law relating to ganja. These relate to possession of small quantities of ganja for personal use, the smoking of ganja in private places and the use of ganja for medical-medicinal purposes," he said. "Approval has been given also to a proposal for the decriminalization of the use of ganja for religious purposes," he said. Uruguay recently became the latest country to legalize marijuana use, joining several countries in Europ

After major surgery, simple ice packs may help reduce pain

Patients given ice packs for the first 24 hours after major abdominal surgeries reported less pain and needed fewer narcotic painkillers, according to a new U.S. study. “We aren’t talking about saying to a patient, here is some ice and then cut off all their pain medication. The ice was only meant to increase the patient care,” Dr. Viraj Master told Reuters Health. Master, a urologist and professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, led the study. He said post-operative pain is an unavoidable consequence of major surgery. Although you can make it better with pain medication, those drugs are not without side effects like constipation, drowsiness and even dependence. “The idea was to keep patients out of pain but not have them suffer from using too many narcotics,” he said. “The physician could give the patient any medication he wanted, we just added the ice.” Using ice as a treatment for surgical wounds, known as cryotherapy, is not new, Master said. The cold reduces pai

Rate of smokeless tobacco use in U.S. unchanged: CDC

While the portion of U.S. working adults smoking class="mandelbrot_refrag"> tobacco shrank appreciably between 2005 and 2010, the use of smokeless tobacco remained steady, according to a new study. In 2005, 2.7 percent of working adults represented in the annual National Health Interview Survey used smokeless class="mandelbrot_refrag"> tobacco and in 2010, it was 3 percent. That’s still about 10 times higher than national public health policy goals, researchers said. “These findings highlight opportunities for reducing the health and economic burdens of tobacco use among U.S. workers, especially those in certain industries (e.g., mining) and occupations (e.g., class="mandelbrot_refrag"> construction and extraction) where use of smokeless tobacco is especially common,” the report’s authors write. Dr. Jacek Mazurek, of the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at the Centers for

Sierra Leone shuts borders, closes schools to fight Ebola

Sierra Leone shut its borders to trade with Guinea and Liberia on Wednesday and closed schools, cinemas and nightclubs in a frontier region in a bid to halt the spread of the Ebola virus. _0"> Sixteen people have died of Ebola in Sierra Leone, a figure that has doubled in the last week, Ministry of Health figures showed. Authorities will also mount health checkpoints in the eastern Kailahun district and mandated that all deaths there be reported before burial. Anyone who dies of the virus must be buried under the supervision of health personnel, the Information Ministry said. The decision to close district schools came after a nine-year-old whose parents died of Ebola tested positive for the virus, Deputy Minister of Information Theo Nicol told Reuters.   true       "There is more contacts between school-going kids than adults hence the closure of schools in the most affected district," he said. The ban exempted churches and mosques but religious leaders should

Skin moles tied to breast cancer risk: studies

The number of moles a woman has may be tied to her risk of developing breast cancer, according to two new studies. The studies don’t prove that moles cause breast cancer or that women with a lot of moles will definitely get breast cancer. Instead, they suggest there may be a small genetic or hormonal link between the two. “This shouldn’t be a concern for women with moles, because we don’t think the relationship is causal,” said Marina Kvaskoff, the lead author of one of the new studies. Kvaskoff is affiliated with INSERM - the French National Institute of Health and class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Medical Research - and the University of Paris 11. Researchers suspected that moles, also known as nevi, and breast cancer might share links to certain hormones and genes. That would mean moles could be used to help predict a woman’s breast cancer risk. “We always need to discover more causes of cancer and breast cancer in particular,” Kvaskoff said. “If more studies wer

New psych ward to open on California's death row : report

Under pressure to improve mental health treatment for inmates in California's massive prison system, officials plan to build a new psychiatric ward to provide inpatient mental health care for prisoners on death row, according to a court-ordered report. The new ward, set to open on Oct. 1, will serve severely mentally ill prisoners on death row at the San Quentin prison near San Francisco, said the report filed late Tuesday. Matthew Lopes, a special master overseeing mental health care in California's prisons, found that 37 severely mentally ill death row inmates at San Quentin prison near San Francisco were entitled to 24-hour inpatient care in a hospital but were not getting it. Lopes, assigned to develop the report by federal Judge Lawrence K. Karlton last December, said he had worked with state officials and lawyers representing inmates to draft plans for a new ward. "They were refusing to transfer them (to a mental hospital) because they said it was too dangerous

FDA aims to develop e-cigarette standards; nicotine policy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working to develop strong product standards for electronic cigarettes and other nicotine delivery devices that will protect public health and enable the agency to withstand legal challenges, its class="mandelbrot_refrag"> tobacco chief said on Wednesday. Mitchell Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Tobacco Products, said the agency is exploring potential product standards in the areas of addiction, toxicity and product appeal as it prepares to gain regulatory authority over electronic cigarettes and other nicotine-delivery devices. The establishment of product standards is one of five priorities for the division over the next few years, Zeller said, outlining them publicly in the most comprehensive manner to date. They include putting in place regulations for approving new products and monitoring them after they reach the market, ensuring that the agency has in place a strong

Saudi MERS response hobbled by institutional failings

When class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Saudi Arabia announced last week it had found 113 more cases of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), it didn't just force a rethink of the threat the virus poses, it exposed institutional failings.     Saudi health sources and international virologists said poor communication and a lack of accountability in government departments, inadequate state oversight and a failure to learn from past mistakes have all hindered Saudi Arabia's battle against the SARS-like virus.     They say it is too soon to tell if reforms introduced by a new acting health minister can overcome what they see as underlying problems.     Some top Saudi health officials say they accept that delays in reporting MERS cases were caused by poor communication between hospitals, laboratories and government departments, but they stress things have improved significantly since the appointment of the new minister in late April.     The health ministr

FDA lifts partial hold on study testing Geron's only drug

class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Geron Corp said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had lifted a partial clinical hold on a study testing its sole drug as a treatment for myelofibrosis, a rare form of blood cancer, sending the company's shares soaring in morning trading. Enrollment in the early-stage trial, sponsored by the Mayo Clinic, was halted in March over concerns about liver toxicity pending followup data from Mayo's investigator on the possible reversibility of the liver damage. Enrollment for the study ceased in January, and about 20 of the 79 patients dropped out. Geron, whose shares rose as much as 33 percent on Thursday, did not then disclose the reason behind the dropouts, but said the remaining enrolled patients would continue to receive the drug, imetelstat.   true       However, in March the FDA also imposed a halt on separate company-sponsored trials evaluating the use of the drug in thrombocythemia and multiple myeloma, citing similar concern

Weight gain differs with various antidepressants

People who take antidepressants tend to put on a few pounds, a new study confirms, and some of the drugs are linked to more weight gain than others. Using health records from one New England healthcare system, researchers studied 19,244 adults treated with antidepressants, recording their weights over the course of a year. The results showed that people taking citalopram (Celexa), from a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, gained more than two and a half pounds, on average. Other SSRIs were associated with weight gain similar to citalopram, with people taking fluoxetine (Prozac) gaining on average a pound and a half and those taking sertraline (Zoloft) gaining nearly two pounds, the authors write in JAMA Psychiatry. On the other hand, people taking bupropion (Wellbutrin) lost on average nearly half a pound. The tricyclic antidepressants nortriptyline and amitriptyline were also linked with significantly less weight gain than th

Shire to test its ADHD drug in 4 to 5-year olds in U.S.

Shire Plc SHP.L has agreed to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration request to study its stimulant Vyvanse in preschool children as concern rises over the diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the drugmaker said on Thursday. _0"> A report last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of children diagnosed with ADHD increased 41 percent from 2003 to 2011 and that 6.4 million children, or 11 percent of those aged 4 to 17, have been diagnosed with that condition. Drugs treatments include Ritalin, Adderall and Vyvanse. Only Adderall, which is also made by Shire, is approved to treat children under the age of 6. Yet children much younger are taking the drugs and the FDA wants additional information to ensure they are safe in this very young population.   true       Gwen Fisher, a spokeswoman for U.K.-based Shire, said the company is designing three clinical trials for children aged 4 to 5. One will examine how the