Algeria reports deadly raid on gas installation

This photo released by EADS' Astrium Press shows a satellite view of the town of In Amenas in the Sahara desert. ...

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Wired Science Space Photo of the Day: Sunset on Mars

On May 19th, 2005, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this stunning view as the Sun sank below the rim of Gusev crater on Mars. This Panoramic Camera (Pancam) mosaic was taken around 6:07 in the evening of the rover's 489th martian day, or sol. Spirit was commanded to stay awake briefly after sending that sol's data to the Mars Odyssey orbiter just before sunset. This small panorama of...

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Joshua Tree spider species named for U2′s Bono

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — It appeared Bono and arachnids didn’t mix when his “Spider-Man” musical had a rough Broadway run, but that didn’t keep a biologist from naming an actual spider species after the U2 singer.Jason Bond of Alabama’s Auburn University has identified 33 new species of trapdoor spider, including three of them in the California desert at Joshua Tree National Park....

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Business Briefing | Medicine: F.D.A. Clears Botox to Help Bladder Control

Botox, the wrinkle treatment made by Allergan, has been approved to treat adults with overactive bladders who cannot tolerate or were not helped by other drugs, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. Botox injected into the bladder muscle causes the bladder to relax, increasing its storage capacity. “Clinical studies have demonstrated Botox’s ability to significantly reduce the frequency...

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Analysis: Amid Tears Lance Armstrong Leaves Unanswered Questions in Oprah Winfrey Interview

In an extensive interview with Oprah Winfrey that was shown over two nights, Lance Armstrong admitted publicly for the first time that he doped throughout his cycling career. He revealed that all seven of his Tour de France victories were fueled by doping, that he never felt bad about cheating, and that he had covered up a positive drug test at the 1999 Tour with a backdated doctor’s prescription...

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Reactions to Lance Armstrong's confession not favorable

Lance Armstrong called himself a lot of names -- liar, bully, jerk and even humanitarian -- in the first part of his taped interview...

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Turn Your Facebook Data Into a 3-D Printed Desktop Ornament

Your Facebook profile contains some of your most private photos and communications. It traces your past and current relationships and has become the focus for an ongoing debate about privacy, advertising, and security in the time of social media. But is it art?In a new partnership announced yesterday between Shapeways and The Creators Project, it has the potential to be. Three artists have...

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Armstrong admits doping: ‘I’m a flawed character’

CHICAGO (AP) — He did it. He finally admitted it. Lance Armstrong doped.He was light on the details and didn’t name names. He mused that he might not have been caught if not for his comeback in 2009. And he was certain his “fate was sealed” when longtime friend, training partner and trusted lieutenant George Hincapie, who was along for the ride on all seven of Armstrong’s Tour de France wins from...

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The Neediest Cases: Medical Bills Crush Brooklyn Man’s Hope of Retiring

Andrea Mohin/The New York TimesJohn Concepcion and his wife, Maria, in their home in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. They are awaiting even more medical bills. Retirement was just about a year away, or so John Concepcion thought, when a sudden health crisis put his plans in doubt. For the past 100 years, The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund has provided direct assistance to children, families...

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DealBook: Morgan Stanley's $481 Million 4th-Quarter Profit Beats Estimates

8:23 a.m. | Updated Morgan Stanley reported adjusted earnings for the fourth quarter on Friday that beat analyst estimates, driven by gains in wealth management and stock trading.Including charges, the firm had a fourth-quarter profit of $481 million, or 25 cents a share. That compares with a per-share loss of 15 cents in the year-ago period. The results seem to please investors. Morgan Stanley shares...

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Group of hostages reportedly escapes Islamist captors in Algeria

CAIRO -- The Algerian news agency reported Thursday that as many as 45 hostages, including Americans, had escaped from a natural...

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Secret Nuclear Redesign Will Keep U.S. Subs Running Silently for 50 Years

The U.S. Navy is betting the future of its submarine force on a secret and revolutionary nuclear drive system that aspires to be more efficient and quieter than anything under the water today.The heart of the planned ballistic missile Ohio Replacement (OR) program will be built around a drive that will not need to be refueled for the 50-year life of the boats and cuts out potentially noisy...

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“Gangnam Style” takes top song prize at “K-pop Grammys”

(Reuters) – South Korean rapper Psy‘s quirky viral hit “Gangnam Style” took the prize for top song on Wednesday at the 27th annual Golden Disk Awards, a Korean pop event dubbed the “Korean Grammys.”The two-day celebration of all things K-pop, including performances by superstars such as the boy band Super Junior, was held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur before hordes of screaming fans, a...

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The New Old Age Blog: Officials Say Checks Won't Be in the Mail

The jig is up.Two years ago, the Treasury Department initiated its Go Direct campaign to persuade people still receiving paper checks for their Social Security, Veterans Affairs, S.S.I. and other federal benefits to switch to direct deposit.“At that point, we were issuing approximately 11 million checks each month,” or about 15 percent of the total, Walt Henderson, director of the campaign, told me.After...

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Claims for Jobless Benefits Drop

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits tumbled to a five-year low last week, while housing starts surged, the government said Thursday in a pair of new economic reports. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 37,000 to a seasonally adjusted 335,000, the lowest level since January 2008 and the largest weekly drop since February 2010,...

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Helicopter crashes in central London, killing at least two people

LONDON -- A helicopter apparently crashed into a crane atop a high-rise building in central London during the morning rush hour...

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Here They Are — The Best Comic Books of 2013!

Okay, fine: Comic books aren’t the most predictable things ever. We've seen fantastic comics take a sudden turn and become all but unreadable, and seen comics no one heard of until two seconds ago skyrocket to greatness. But we can still make some pretty good guesses about the most promising comics, graphic novels, and collected editions on the horizon -- or even if we can’t, we’re about to give it...

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Steve Harvey signs long-term, expanded deal with Clear Channel

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Steve Harvey has re-upped with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, entering a five-year contract that will continue his nationally syndicated radio program “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” and add new facets to his relationship with the media giant, Clear Channel said Tuesday.Under the new agreement, Harvey and Clear Channel will work on a number of joint ventures, including...

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The New Old Age Blog: In Flu Season,Use a Mask. But Which One?

Do face masks help prevent people from getting the flu? And if so, how much protection do they give?You might think the answer to this question would be well established. It’s not.In fact, there is considerable uncertainty over how well face masks guard against influenza when people use them outside of hospitals and other health care settings. This has been a topic of discussion and debate in infectious...

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DealBook: Goldman Sachs Earnings Soar

8:36 a.m. | Updated Goldman Sachs on Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter profit of $2.89 billion, or $5.60 a share, a significant jump from the period a year earlier. It was also well ahead of analysts’ expectations of $3.78 a share, according to Thomson Reuters. Analysts had been anticipating a fairly decent quarter for Goldman, and its results were buoyed by strong trading and investment banking...

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SoCal Edison destroyed downed poles before inspection

A state probe into the widespread power outages caused by a furious 2011 windstorm was unable to determine whether toppled utility...

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Software That Gives a Voice to What You Love (and Hate) About Work

Every human-resources manager not trapped in some Mad Men time warp will tell bosses and employees alike to ask for, and offer, feedback on a frequent basis. Of course outside of infrequent performance reviews, it rarely happens. With inspiration from Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, San Francisco-based startup 15Five was founded to make sure it does, and not just once a year, but once a...

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Matt Damon “thrilled” for Ben Affleck’s movie awards triumphs

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Ben Affleck is storming through the Hollywood awards season with his movie “Argo,” and no-one could be happier than his old friend Matt Damon.“Argo,” which Affleck directed, produced and stars in, won best drama movie and best director awards at both the Golden Globes on Sunday and the Critics Choice last week. It is also nominated for seven Oscars.The story of the rescue of...

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