State of the Union: Obama Pushes Job Creation

Feb 12, 2013 5:40pm Tonight President Obama will gives his annual assessment to the nation of the State of the Union at 9 p.m., followed by a Republican response from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Tea Party response from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. The president has said he will focus on the economy, and there are seven things we’re pretty certain he will say.Refresh here for updates...

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Pope's sudden resignation sends shockwaves through Church

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict stunned the Roman Catholic Church on Monday when he announced he would stand down, the first pope to do so in 700 years, saying he no longer had the mental and physical strength to carry on. Church officials tried to relay a climate of calm confidence in the running of a 2,000-year-old institution, but the decision could lead to uncertainty in a...

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Australia central bank sells scandal-hit note firm stake

SYDNEY: Australia's central bank on Tuesday announced the sale of its stake in scandal-hit note printing firm Securency and said an independent governance review had cleared it of "inappropriate" insight.The Reserve Bank of Australia sold its 50 per cent holding in Securency, accused of taking bribes to win contracts in Asia, to British venture partner Innovia Films for A$65 million (US$66.7...

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Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen: 'I don't want to kill ads'

Dish Network founder and Chairman Charlie Ergen (Credit: Dan Farber)DANA POINT, Calif.--You might think that Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen wants to kill TV advertising. With the introduction of the Dish Hopper with Sling HD DVR nationwide this week, the company ironically launched a new series of commercials to promote the latest version of its ad-skipping product. In one commercial, the "Boston...

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State of the Union guests reflect nation's hot-button issues

Several lawmakers are bringing special guests to President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night in order to make a statement. Several lawmakers are bringing guests to help underscore the importance of gun control. More than 20 House Democrats are bringing guests who have been personally affected by gun violence. A bipartisan pair of Arizona lawmakers, meanwhile, will host former Rep....

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Who's Next? A Look at Likely Successors to Benedict

With 1 billion Catholics worldwide, the face of the church is changing.It's something the cardinal electors may keep in mind when the conclave to elect a new pontiff begins in late March, said Matthew Bunson, general editor of the Catholic Almanac and author of "We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI."RELATED: Pope Benedict XVI Resigns: The StatementThe 117 cardinals who are eligible to vote for the new...

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Gunbattle rocks Gao after rebels surprise French, Malians

GAO, Mali (Reuters) - Islamist insurgents launched a surprise raid in the heart of the Malian town of Gao on Sunday, battling French and local troops in a blow to efforts to secure Mali's recaptured north. Local residents hid in their homes or crouched behind walls as the crackle of gunfire from running street battles resounded through the sandy streets and mud-brick houses of the ancient...

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Missing 13-year-old-boy found

SINGAPORE: The 13-year-old boy who went missing on Friday has been reunited with his parents.Aminiasi Tiritabuanira Shaw, a student of the Singapore American School (SAS), was found on Sunday night.The school had earlier said that it's believed the boy had left on his own accord after a disagreement with his parents. In its update on Monday, the school said: "The Shaw family would...

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Twitter bumps the price of Promoted Trends to $200K

In a sign that suggests healthy demand for Twitter's advertising, the microblogging site has reportedly increased the daily price of its Promoted Trends to $200,000.The new price, which is a 33 percent increase over the previous price, went into effect earlier this year, according to an All Things D report. The price has increased 150 percent since the program launched in 2010 with a daily price of...

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Tornado rips through Miss. city, causes major damage

HATTIESBURG, Miss. An apparent tornado tore through Hattiesburg on Sunday as part of a wave of severe storms that downed trees, damaged buildings and caused at least several injuries. The twister traveled down one of Hattiesburg's main streets and caused what officials described as major damage, officials said, hitting several buildings on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. Kyle...

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