White House Makeover: McDonough to Chief of Staff

Jan 25, 2013 10:15am Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty ImagesBy ANN COMPTON and MARY BRUCEPresident Obama is giving his West Wing team an extreme make-over for the second term, with the departure of top strategist David Plouffe and the naming of Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough to be his next chief of staff.Once again, the President is keeping...

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Violence flares on anniversary of Egypt uprising

CAIRO/ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Protesters clashed with police across Egypt on Friday on the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak, taking to the streets against the elected Islamist president who they accuse of betraying the revolution. At least 91 civilians and 42 security personnel were hurt in violence across the country, officials said. Street battles erupted...

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Cameron warns companies must 'pay fair share' of taxes

DAVOS: British Prime Minister David Cameron warned Thursday that corporations must "pay their fair share" of taxes and said he would use Britain's G8 chairmanship to counter tax avoidance.Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Cameron said too many global businesses were abusing tax schemes, after Britain last year announced a crackdown on multinationals such as Starbucks, Google...

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AT&T CEO says he likes concept of handset financing

The Verizon and AT&T iPhones carry hefty subsidies, while consumers share the burden with the Virgin iPhone.(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)AT&T has looked at the idea of making consumers pay for their own smartphones in monthly installments, according to CEO Randall Stephenson. The idea of handset financing runs counter to the current model of subsidizing phones at a lower initial price in exchange...

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A question of access? Mental health and gun violence

As President Obama faces opposition from gun rights advocates over his recent proposals to combat gun violence, the challenge he faces of fixing flaws in the mental health care system may prove just as difficult a battle. Mr. Obama outlined plans aimed at preventing mass shootings and reducing broader gun violence in the United States last week, while signing 23 executive actions that did not require...

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Exterminator Charged in Pa. Doctor's Murder

An exterminator named Jason Smith was arrested and charged today in the strangling and burning death of Philadelphia pediatrician Melissa Ketunuti.Smith, 36, had been sent to Ketunuti's home on a service call where the two got into "some kind of argument" in Ketunuti's basement on Monday, Capt. James Clark of the Philadelphia police department said this morning."At her home...

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North Korea to target U.S. with nuclear, rocket tests

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Thursday it would carry out further rocket launches and a nuclear test that would target the United States, dramatically stepping up its threats against a country it called its "sworn enemy". The announcement by the country's top military body came a day after the U.N. Security Council agreed to a U.S.-backed resolution to censure and sanction North...

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'Avatar' director Cameron accused over screenplay

LOS ANGELES: A US judge ordered director James Cameron to hand over drafts of the screenplay for "Avatar" Wednesday, to lawyers for a man claiming he wrote the script on which the 3D blockbuster was based.Eric Ryder is seeking compensation from Cameron and his production company Lightstorm Entertainment, claiming that the 2009 Oscar-nominated film is based on a story he wrote called "K.R.Z....

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Apple shares fall to lowest point in a year after weak quarter

Apple investors wish shares were still moving higher, but that's definitely not the case in after-hours trading today. (Credit:James Martin/CNET) Apple investors hoping for a nice stock boost following fiscal first-quarter earnings are likely pretty disappointed right now. Shares, which have already been under pressure in recent weeks, slid about 10 percent in late trading after the Cupertino, Calif.,...

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Deep freeze to last into weekend in eastern U.S.

Updated 4:02 PM ET PORTLAND, Maine A teeth-chattering cold wave with sub-zero temperatures was expected to keep its icy grip on much of the eastern U.S. into the weekend before seasonable temperatures bring relief. A polar air mass that's been blamed for multiple deaths in the Midwest moved into the Northeast on Wednesday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue wind chill warnings across...

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