Rice Drops Bid for Secretary of State, Citing Opposition

WASHINGTON — Susan E. Rice, the Obama administration’s ambassador to the United Nations, has withdrawn her name from consideration for secretary of state, in the face of relentless opposition from Republicans in Congress over her role in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the American Mission in Benghazi, Libya. In a letter to President Obama, Ms. Rice said she concluded that “the confirmation...

Read More..

iPhone 5 hits China as Apple market share slips

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The China release of its iPhone 5 on Friday should win Apple Inc some respite from a recent slide in its share of what is likely already the world’s biggest smartphone market, but its longer-term hopes may depend on new technology being tested by China‘s top telecoms carrier.Cupertino, California-based Apple has been in talks about a tie-up with China Mobile for four years. A...

Read More..

Documents: Prisoner plotted to kill Justin Bieber

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An imprisoned man whose infatuation with Justin Bieber included a tattoo of the pop star on his leg has told investigators in New Mexico he hatched a plot to kill the singer, according to documents recently filed in a New Mexico court.An affidavit filed in Las Cruces said Dana Martin told investigators he persuaded a man he met in prison and the man's nephew to kill Bieber,...

Read More..

World’s Population Living Longer, New Report Suggests

A sharp decline in deaths from malnutrition and diseases like measles and tuberculosis has caused a shift in global mortality patterns over the past 20 years, according to a new report, with far more of the world’s population now living into old age and dying from diseases more associated with rich countries, like cancer and heart disease. The shift reflects improvements in sanitation, medical...

Read More..

S.&P. Streak Comes to an End on Fiscal Worries

The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index ended its six-day winning streak Thursday, retreating as worries intensified that Washington’s fiscal negotiations were dragging on with little progress. Anxiety about the talks between Democrats and Republicans was enough to offset encouraging data on retail sales and jobless claims. Investors are concerned that tax increases and spending...

Read More..

Climate Change Threatens Ski Industry’s Livelihood

Caleb Kenna for The New York TimesA ski lift at Mount Sunapee in Newbury, N.H., where a burst of cold weather in late November allowed the resort to open shortly after Thanksgiving. NEWBURY, N.H. — Helena Williams had a great day of skiing here at Mount Sunapee shortly after the resort opened at the end of November, but when she came back the next day, the temperatures had warmed and turned patches...

Read More..

‘The Hobbit’: Like One Bad Video Game

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Peter Jackson‘s landmark, blockbuster Lord of the Rings films was that they made fans, through a combination of stunning landscapes and intricate special effects and soaring music and dramatic spectacle, feel as though we were seeing an almost impossible elevation of the potential size and scope of movies. Here was a rich, dense, sprawling series of films that...

Read More..

Shhhh! A new law says TV ads can't blare anymore

NEW YORK (AP) — TV viewing could soon sound a little calmer. The CALM Act, which limits the volume of TV commercials, goes into effect on Thursday.CALM stands for Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation. The act is designed to prevent TV commercials from blaring at louder volumes than the program content they accompany. The rules govern broadcasters as well as cable and satellite operators.The...

Read More..

At Least 1 Dead in Portland-Area Mall Shooting

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A gunman opened fire Tuesday in a Portland, Ore., area shopping mall Tuesday, killing at least one person and wounding an unknown number of others, sheriff's deputies said. "We believe there's at least one deceased and maybe more," said Clackamas County sheriff's Lt. James Rhodes. Rhodes said he was still trying to get more details about the situation at the Clackamas...

Read More..

'Evita' to close in January when Big 3 leave

NEW YORK (AP) — The Broadway revival of "Evita" — faced with trying to replace Ricky Martin, Elena Roger and Michael Cerveris — will instead close when the Big Three leave early next year.Producers of the Tony Award-nominated revival of Tim Rice's and Andrew Lloyd Webber's landmark musical said Tuesday night they have decided against plans for an open-ended run after Martin, Roger and Cerveris leave...

Read More..