Archive By Section - Signal AP
Calif. stem cell agency needs overhaul
LOS ANGELES (AP) - California has transformed into a major player in stem cell research, but the taxpayer-funded institute responsible has "significant deficiencies" in how research dollars are distributed, experts said Thursday.
Gay Washington state couples get marriage licenses
SEATTLE (AP) - Hundreds of same-sex couples across Washington state started picking up marriage licenses Thursday as a voter-approved law legalizing gay marriage took effect.
Chinese Nobel literature winner: censorship a must
STOCKHOLM (AP) - This year's Nobel Prize in literature winner, Mo Yan, who has been criticized for his membership in China's Communist Party and reluctance to speak out against the country's government, defended censorship Thursday as something as necessary as airport security checks.
Gene-altered mosquitoes could be used vs. dengue
KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) - Mosquito control officials in the Florida Keys are waiting for the federal government to sign off on an experiment that would release hundreds of thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes to reduce the risk of dengue fever in the tourist town of Key West.
Japan scientists took utility money
TOKYO (AP) - Influential scientists who help set Japan's radiation exposure limits have for years had trips paid for by the country's nuclear plant operators to attend overseas meetings of the world's top academic group on radiation safety.
Rotting whale is gigantic problem in Malibu
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) - A whale carcass rotting near celebrity homes in Malibu is causing a gigantic cleanup problem as authorities try to decide who's responsible for getting rid of it.
Missing couple found in Sierra; man dead
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A man who left his vehicle in search of help after he and his girlfriend got stuck in a Sierra snowstorm has been found dead, but his girlfriend survived.
Egypt's president offers nothing to defuse crisis
CAIRO (AP) - Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi offered nothing concrete to defuse the country's worst political crisis in nearly two years in a nationally televised speech late Thursday, refusing to rescind a disputed constitution drafted by his allies or his decrees giving him near absolute powers.
US Reps. expect deeper look at NJ derailment
CLARKSBORO, N.J. (AP) - Federal regulations require inspections of rail bridges and other infrastructure and reports on accidents, but leave it to freight railroad owners to do the work themselves.
29 charged in Calif gang indictment
LOS ANGELES (AP) - More than two dozen people were charged Thursday with racketeering conspiracy stemming from an investigation that targeted South Los Angeles gangs controlled by a Mexican Mafia member serving a life sentence for murder.
New Fantasyland opens in Orlando
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - Derrick Weitlich and his friend Leslie Martinez arrived at the Magic Kingdom at 5:40 a.m. Thursday, wanting to be among the first to visit the park's New Fantasyland. Getting up early was worth it, said these Melbourne, Fla., Disney fans, who estimated that they have visited the park some 180 times. "I love Beauty and the Beast," said Martinez, while standing in front of the new Gaston's Tavern restaurant. ...
Maine mall sacks Santa after rudeness complaints
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A mall in Maine has sacked Santa Claus after children and parents complained he was rude, grumpy and wouldn't even let one child sit on his lap. Officials at the Maine Mall in South Portland say they're looking for a jollier Santa and hope to have him in place Thursday. Jessica Mailhiot and her 6-year-old daughter, Chantel, went to see Santa this week. They tell WGME-TV (http://bit.ly/RpPkak ) he was ...
Families of missing Iowa girls await IDs of bodies
EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) - Five months after two young cousins vanished while riding their bikes, residents of the northeast Iowa community where they were last seen are anxiously waiting to hear whether two bodies found by hunters are those of the missing girls.
Transgenders break into Brazil's modeling sector
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Walking the catwalk in a Brazilian bikini is a nerve-racking experience for even the most seasoned of models, but for Felipa Tavares it's nothing short of terrifying.
U.S. unemployment aid applications drop to 370K
WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid fell sharply last week as a temporary spike caused by Superstorm Sandy has faded. Weekly applications have fallen back to a level consistent with modest hiring.
Articles by Section - Signal AP
No central agency oversees, inspects cruise ships
MIAMI (AP) - A byzantine maze of maritime rules and regulations, fragmented oversight and a patchwork quilt of nations that do business with cruise lines make it tough for consumers to assess the health and safety record of the ship they're about to board in what for many is the vacation of a lifetime.
Hunter voted out as head of NBA players' union
HOUSTON (AP) - Billy Hunter was ousted from his job as executive director of the union in a unanimous vote by NBA players who said Saturday they will "no longer be divided, misled, misinformed."
Cruise passengers return home, feds probe fire
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Passengers of the Carnival Triumph tried to put the memories of their nightmarish cruise behind them Friday, boarding buses and planes for home after five harrowing days aboard a vessel adrift at sea without power or working toilets.
Kershaw to start 3rd straight opener for Dodgers
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Clayton Kershaw was selected Saturday as the Los Angeles Dodgers' opening day starter and will become the team's first pitcher to start three straight openers since Derek Lowe from 2005-07.
Dozens of pro-Dorner protesters rally at LAPD HQ
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Dozens of protesters rallied outside Los Angeles police headquarters in support of Christopher Dorner, the ex-LAPD officer and suspected killer of four who died after a shootout and fire this week at a mountain cabin.
Yacht sets record from New York to San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A racing yacht named after one of the world's fastest cars has docked in San Francisco after what organizers said was the fastest passage of a single-hulled sailing vessel from New York to San Francisco.
Afghan leader says he'll ban airstrike requests
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Angry over civilian deaths, President Hamid Karzai announced plans Saturday to ban Afghan security forces from requesting international airstrikes on residential areas.
LA pair plead not guilty in murder-for-hire scheme
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Los Angeles-area mother and a family friend have pleaded not guilty to hiring a hit man to kill her daughter's boyfriend.
Conclave's rituals, oaths and secrecy explained
VATICAN CITY (AP) - It's a ritual as rich in tradition and symbolism as the Catholic Church can muster: secret oaths, hypnotic Gregorian chants, scarlet-decked cardinals filing through the Sistine Chapel - all while the public outside in St. Peter's Square watches for white smoke or black to learn if it has a new pope.
London's glittery fashion week keeps on rolling
LONDON (AP) - London Fashion Week swings into star time with a debut fashion show from pop star Rihanna and other big design names, including Issa and Jasper Conran.
Obama heads to Florida for weekend with the boys
PALM CITY, Fla. (AP) - Faced with a long weekend in an empty White House, President Barack Obama figured he needed a getaway, too, so he put together a golf outing with some buddies.
Grandal apologizes again for drug suspension
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) - Reading from a prepared statement, San Diego Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal apologized for a second time following his 50-game suspension for a positive test for testosterone.
BMW recalls nearly 570,000 cars to fix cables
DETROIT (AP) - BMW is recalling almost 570,000 cars in the U.S. and Canada because a battery cable connector can fail and cause the engines to stall.
TV show with Pistorius' dead girlfriend airs
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Reeva Steenkamp's last wish for her family before she was shot dead at boyfriend Oscar Pistorius' home was for them to watch her in a reality TV show that went on air in South Africa on Saturday night, two days after her killing.
Geography to play larger role in health premiums
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Whether it's the densely populated Southern California coast or the mountains of rural Northern California, geography is going to play a larger role in the cost of health insurance under the federal health care overhaul set to take effect next year.
