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Climber dies in 1,100-foot fall on Alaska's Mount McKinley

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A climber on Alaska's Mount McKinley died in a 1,100-foot fall that started with an effort to retrieve a sliding backpack during an attempt to ascend North America's tallest peak, the National Park Service said on Saturday. The Friday afternoon fall was the first serious accident in this year's climbing season, the service said. The climber - who was not from the United States - was in a three-person party that was not roped together. At the time of the accident, the group was heading up from the 16,200-foot level of the 20,320-foot mountain, officials said. ...

Civil rights group NAACP endorses gay marriage

(Reuters) - The nation's largest civil rights group, the NAACP, endorsed gay marriage on Saturday, giving a boost to the movement to legalize same-sex nuptials despite reservations expressed by some black ministers. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed the resolution at its board meeting in Miami "as a continuation of its historic commitment to equal protection under the law," the organization said. "Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. ...

Weather helps battle against Southwest wildfires

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Improving weather helped firefighters in Arizona make progress on Saturday against wildfires that have charred more than 65 square miles (168 square km) of forest, brush and grass in the U.S. Southwest and forced the evacuation of several small towns. More than 2,000 firefighters were battling five blazes in Arizona and Colorado from the ground and air. Meanwhile, a small blaze in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness area ballooned in size as wind whipped the flames. ...

Weather helps battle against Southwest wildfires

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Improving weather helped firefighters in Arizona make progress on Saturday against wildfires that have charred more than 65 square miles (168 square km) of forest, brush and grass in the U.S. Southwest and forced the evacuation of several small towns. More than 2,000 firefighters were battling five blazes in Arizona and Colorado from the ground and air. Meanwhile, a small blaze in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness area ballooned in size as wind whipped the flames. ...

World leaders back Greece, vow to combat financial turmoil

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - World leaders backed keeping Greece in the euro zone on Saturday and vowed to take all steps necessary to combat financial turmoil while revitalizing a global economy increasingly threatened by Europe's debt crisis. A summit of the G8 leading industrialized nations came down solidly in favor of a push to balance European austerity - an approach long driven by German Chancellor Angela Merkel - with a new dose of U.S.-style stimulus seen as vital to healing ailing euro-zone economies. But it was clear that divisions remained. ...

City Commission agenda for May 22

City commissioners will consider closing a portion of the 600 block of Massachusetts Street on June 22 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Liberty Hall building.

New York City's most senior openly gay official weds

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Christine Quinn, New York's highest-ranking openly gay official and the leading candidate to be the city's next mayor, married her longtime girlfriend on Saturday, walking down the aisle to Beyonce's "Ave Maria." The wedding came less than a year after New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, whose first same-sex nuptials were held July 24. ...

New York City's most senior openly gay official weds

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Christine Quinn, New York's highest-ranking openly gay official and the leading candidate to be the city's next mayor, married her longtime girlfriend on Saturday, walking down the aisle to Beyonce's "Ave Maria." The wedding came less than a year after New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, whose first same-sex nuptials were held July 24. ...

Obama warns of euro zone threat, welcomes growth focus

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, wrapping up the G8 summit he hosted at Camp David, welcomed Europe's focus on rekindling growth and warned the crisis in the euro zone was dangerous for the world. Obama, whose re-election chances in November depend heavily on the U.S. economy continuing to shake off recession, said there was now "an emerging consensus" that Europe ought to invest in job-creating infrastructure and other programs at the same time as it tackles its deficits and debt. "As all the leaders here today agreed, growth and jobs must be our top priority. ...

U.S. marks 150th anniversary of Homestead Act offering free land

OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) - The United States on Sunday marks the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the Homestead Act, the law that gave away 270 million acres of land and transformed the vast American interior. Representatives from 30 states will take part in a ceremony at the National Monument of America in the Nebraska town of Beatrice, representing the states where nearly 2 million people each received 160 acres of free land under the program. ...

U.S. marks 150th anniversary of Homestead Act offering free land

OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) - The United States on Sunday marks the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the Homestead Act, the law that gave away 270 million acres of land and transformed the vast American interior. Representatives from 30 states will take part in a ceremony at the National Monument of America in the Nebraska town of Beatrice, representing the states where nearly 2 million people each received 160 acres of free land under the program. ...

Season's first Atlantic tropical storm forms off South Carolina

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Alberto formed off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, bringing an early start to the Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Alberto was in the Atlantic about 140 miles east-southeast of Charleston. Forecasters initially estimated its top sustained winds at 45 miles per hour but raised that to 60 mph when data from a ship in the area showed the storm was stronger than first thought. ...

Season's first Atlantic tropical storm forms off South Carolina

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Alberto formed off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, bringing an early start to the Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Alberto was in the Atlantic about 140 miles east-southeast of Charleston. Forecasters initially estimated its top sustained winds at 45 miles per hour but raised that to 60 mph when data from a ship in the area showed the storm was stronger than first thought. ...

Greeks' crisis is personal as well as political

Like many Greeks left unemployed by their country's economic tailspin, Dimitris Spachos finds it easier to talk about his nation's problems than his own.

World leaders back Greece, vow to combat financial turmoil

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - World leaders backed keeping Greece in the euro zone on Saturday and vowed to take all steps necessary to combat financial turmoil while revitalizing a global economy increasingly threatened by Europe's debt crisis. A summit of the G8 leading industrialized nations came down solidly in favor of a push to balance European austerity - an approach long driven by German Chancellor Angela Merkel - with a new dose of U.S.-style stimulus seen as vital to healing ailing euro-zone economies. But it was clear that divisions remained. ...

Latest anti-NATO protest in Chicago small, peaceful

Around 500 demonstrators gathered outside the home of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Saturday to protest the recent closure of mental health clinics as part of a series of rallies and marches timed to coincide with a NATO summit here. But the protest was much smaller than one attended by an estimated 2,500 people at a downtown plaza on Friday. The biggest rally is expected to be on Sunday near the convention center where world leaders will gather. ...

Latest anti-NATO protest in Chicago small, peaceful

Around 500 demonstrators gathered outside the home of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Saturday to protest the recent closure of mental health clinics as part of a series of rallies and marches timed to coincide with a NATO summit here. But the protest was much smaller than one attended by an estimated 2,500 people at a downtown plaza on Friday. The biggest rally is expected to be on Sunday near the convention center where world leaders will gather. ...

Gorilla patriarch of Columbus Zoo surrogacy program dies

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A gorilla known for being the patriarch of a renowned gorilla surrogacy program at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio died on Friday at an estimated age of 47, the zoo said. The popular gorilla, Mumbah, was eating breakfast with his family when he collapsed, the zoo said in a statement. The animal care team was unable to resuscitate him. Mumbah was born in equatorial Africa around 1965 and brought to the Columbus zoo from England in 1984. He was well past a male gorilla's average life expectancy of 31 years. ...

Gorilla patriarch of Columbus Zoo surrogacy program dies

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A gorilla known for being the patriarch of a renowned gorilla surrogacy program at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio died on Friday at an estimated age of 47, the zoo said. The popular gorilla, Mumbah, was eating breakfast with his family when he collapsed, the zoo said in a statement. The animal care team was unable to resuscitate him. Mumbah was born in equatorial Africa around 1965 and brought to the Columbus zoo from England in 1984. He was well past a male gorilla's average life expectancy of 31 years. ...

Georgia woman with flesh-eating disease in "critical" condition

(Reuters) - A Georgia woman fighting a flesh-eating bacterial infection was in critical condition at Augusta Hospital on Saturday, a hospital spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman said she could not comment on whether Aimee Copeland had undergone surgery to remove her hands and right foot, amputations that Copeland's father had said were pending on Friday. Surgeons had amputated the 24-year-old's left leg at the hip. "All I can say is Aimee is still in critical condition," hospital spokeswoman Barclay Bishop said. ...

Georgia woman with flesh-eating disease in "critical" condition

(Reuters) - A Georgia woman fighting a flesh-eating bacterial infection was in critical condition at Augusta Hospital on Saturday, a hospital spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman said she could not comment on whether Aimee Copeland had undergone surgery to remove her hands and right foot, amputations that Copeland's father had said were pending on Friday. Surgeons had amputated the 24-year-old's left leg at the hip. "All I can say is Aimee is still in critical condition," hospital spokeswoman Barclay Bishop said. ...

City rejected free lease negotiation offer

The man who negotiated for the city the last time it needed more downtown office space offered last year to renegotiate all three deals for free — but there were no takers.

Obama, G-8: Recovery takes both growth and cutting

Confronting an economic crisis that threatens them all, President Barack Obama and leaders of other world powers on Saturday declared that their governments must both spark growth and cut the debt that has crippled the European continent and put investors worldwide on edge.

Kennedy clan, celebrities attend Mary Kennedy's funeral

BEDFORD, New York (Reuters) - Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who died in an apparent suicide earlier this week, was recalled Saturday as an "angel" who was ultimately overwhelmed by a lengthy fight with depression. Those remembrances came as members of the Kennedy clan, including Robert F. Kennedy's widow Ethel and late President John F. Kennedy's daughter Caroline, gathered for her funeral here at St. Patrick's, a small Catholic church in this wealthy Westchester County hamlet about 50 miles north of New York City. ...

Kennedy clan, celebrities attend Mary Kennedy's funeral

BEDFORD, New York (Reuters) - Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who died in an apparent suicide earlier this week, was recalled Saturday as an "angel" who was ultimately overwhelmed by a lengthy fight with depression. Those remembrances came as members of the Kennedy clan, including Robert F. Kennedy's widow Ethel and late President John F. Kennedy's daughter Caroline, gathered for her funeral here at St. Patrick's, a small Catholic church in this wealthy Westchester County hamlet about 50 miles north of New York City. ...

Cameron calls for euro contingency plans

CAMP ROUND MEADOW, Maryland (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron urged countries on Saturday to put in place strong contingency plans to deal with fallout from the euro zone debt crisis as fears grow that Greece could be forced out of the European single currency. Cameron, speaking at a summit of the Group of Eight major economies, also appeared to hint that the European Central Bank should follow the example of the Bank of England by embarking on an asset purchase program to try to boost the economy. ...

Anti-NATO activists weighed Obama HQ attack: prosecutors

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Three protesters arrested on terrorism-related charges ahead of the NATO-summit considered targeting U.S. President Barack Obama's re-election campaign headquarters and the home of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, according to court documents released on Saturday. The Chicago Police Department said the men were arrested on Wednesday and were charged on Friday with conspiracy to commit terrorism, providing material support for terrorism, and possession of an explosive incendiary device. ...

Statement by G8 leaders on the global economy

(Reuters) - Following is the text of a statement on the global economy from the Group of Eight leaders gathered at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland. The text was issued by the White House. Our imperative is to promote growth and jobs. The global economic recovery shows signs of promise, but significant headwinds persist. Against this background, we commit to take all necessary steps to strengthen and reinvigorate our economies and combat financial stresses, recognizing that the right measures are not the same for each of us. ...

G8 leaders back Greece in euro zone, call growth "imperative"

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - G8 leaders said Saturday it is their "imperative" to promote growth and jobs to reinvigorate the global economy, and gave their backing to Greece remaining in the euro zone. "We agree on the importance of a strong and cohesive Eurozone for global stability and recovery, and we affirm our interest in Greece remaining in the Eurozone while respecting its commitments," the leaders said in a statement after meeting at this presidential retreat. ...

G8 to call on IEA for "action" on oil if needed: sources

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - Group of Eight leaders agreed on Saturday to call on the International Energy Agency to take "appropriate action" if there are further disruptions to the oil market in the coming months, sources familiar with the G8 draft communiqué said. "There have been increasing disruptions in the supply of oil to the global market over the past several months, which pose a substantial risk to global economic growth. In response, major producers have increased their output while drawing prudently on excess capacity," the statement will say, according to the sources. ...

Atlantic storm could bring early start to hurricane season

MIAMI (Reuters) - A swirling mass of thunderstorms off the South Carolina coast has a 50-percent chance of developing into a tropical depression or a tropical storm and could bring an early start to the Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters said on Saturday. The weather disturbance was in the Atlantic Ocean about 120 miles southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. "Showers and thunderstorms have increased near the circulation center. ...

City demand fan gives title-winning ball back

Manchester City turned to the police to force a teenage fan to return the match ball used in their dramatic Premier League title-clinching victory over QPR.

Merkel says Germany needs European market

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday that Germany's economic health depends on that of the European Union, even though exports to the region are at a 20-year low.

G-8 leaders put focus on European financial crisis

President Barack Obama says he and leaders of seven other major industrial nations are focusing on economic concerns during discussions at Camp David.

Is GOP trying to sabotage economy to hurt Obama?

Are Republican lawmakers deliberately stalling the economic recovery to hurt President Barack Obama's re-election chances? Some top Democrats say yes, pointing to GOP stances on the debt limit and other issues that they claim are causing unnecessary economic anxiety and retarding growth.

Obama pledges tough enforcement of Wall Street reforms

President Barack Obama on Saturday called on the U.S. Congress to back his efforts for tough new financial industry oversight, saying a $2 billion trading loss at JPMorgan underscored the need for such regulation. "We've got to finish the job of implementing this reform and putting these rules in place," Obama said in a weekly radio address that accused some on Wall Street of causing the 2007-2009 economic crisis because they "treated our financial system like a casino. ...

Possible engine problem delays U.S. rocket launch

The launch of a privately owned Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was delayed on Saturday when a computer detected a possible problem with one of the rocket's engines, a Space Exploration Technologies official said. Preparations for the company's trial cargo run to the International Space Station proceeded smoothly until 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT) when an onboard computer aborted the launch. "Liftoff ... we've had a cutoff. ...

Chinese entities world's biggest economic spies: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Friday it believes China spent up to $180 billion on its military buildup last year, a far higher figure than acknowledged by Beijing, and it accused "Chinese actors" of being the world's biggest perpetrators of economic espionage. China rejected the report as irresponsible, saying the United States was spreading a "China military threat" theory. ...

Obama urges lawmakers to defend Wall Street reform

US President Barack Obama urged members of Congress on Saturday to defend Wall Street reform, arguing the recovering US economy cannot take the risk of lax oversight over the financial sector.

German IG Metall get highest pay rise in 20 years

SINDELFINGEN, Germany (Reuters) - Germany's largest industrial union IG Metall will get its biggest pay rise in 20 years after agreeing to a 4.3-percent pay increase deal with employers at the end of marathon talks that ended just before dawn on Saturday. The wage deal, which is more than double Germany's inflation rate of about 2 percent, will give some 3.6 million engineering workers a 4.3 percent pay rise for 12 months from May 1 and set a high benchmark for other unions in Europe's largest economy. It will be the biggest annual increase since IG Metall won a 5. ...

City releases audio recording in forfeiture case

A city attorney says his office is pursuing a vehicle forfeiture case against the passenger in Scott Owens' latest DWI charge because "everybody in Santa Fe" should know about Owens' DWI history.

G8 leaders to focus on Europe's woes

Leaders of the world's most powerful nations were to focus their attention on Europe's economic woes Saturday after President Barack Obama threw his weight behind French calls for more pro-growth policies.

City's financial forecast is clear

The city of Manhattan Beach will see a budget surplus at the end of the current fiscal year and in the next five years, but must address its waning wastewater fund and growing pension costs.

California police arrest two in killing of Chinese students

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles police said Friday they have arrested two suspects in the killings of two Chinese graduate students slain near the University of Southern California last month. Ming Qu and Ying Wu, both 23, were fatally shot early on April 11 as they were sitting in a parked car outside Wu's rented home, a few blocks from the USC campus. Bryan Barnes, 20, and Javier Bolden, 19, were arrested on Friday without incident in swoops on two homes, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. Both men were charged with murder and are being held without bail. ...

Alabama governor signs bill tweaking immigration law

MOBILE, Alabama (Reuters) - Alabama's governor signed into law revisions to the state's controversial immigration statute on Friday, despite his earlier suggestions he might veto the measure because it did not make enough changes to the toughest state crackdown against illegal immigrants. Republican Governor Robert Bentley had publicly urged lawmakers to modify sections of the law that took effect last year and which sparked lawsuits by the Obama administration and immigrant rights groups that argued it is unconstitutional. ...

California judge allows cremation of remains in paupers' cemetery

FAIRFAX, California (Reuters) - Relatives of a pioneer buried in a paupers' cemetery unearthed by construction crews beneath the parking lot of a California hospital implored a judge on Friday to spare Anna Cardenas from cremation and allow them to give her a Catholic burial. Following a hearing in San Jose on the fate of a long-forgotten cemetery for indigent patients like Cardenas, who died in 1915, Judge Thomas Cain granted Santa Clara County permission to exhume 100 pine coffins buried at the site. ...

Police nab airline pilot with loaded gun in luggage

BUFFALO, New York (Reuters) - An airline pilot was arrested Friday morning at Buffalo Niagara International Airport after security screeners discovered a loaded revolver in his baggage. Brett Dieter, 52, of Barbersville, Virginia, arrived at the upstate New York airport Friday to pilot a flight to New York City's LaGuardia International Airport for Piedmont Airlines, a passenger airline that subcontracts under U.S. Airways. While at a security checkpoint, a scan of Dieter's bag revealed a .357 magnum revolver loaded with five rounds. ...

Arizona towns at risk as wildfires hit U.S. Southwest

PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona wildfire threatened two more towns on Friday, with high winds on the way, even as firefighters made progress against the largest of a string of blazes spreading across the U.S. Southwest. More than 1,000 firefighters in Arizona and Colorado were battling five major blazes that have consumed more than 55 square miles (142 square km) of ponderosa forest, brush and grass, and a new blaze erupted in Utah on Thursday. ...

Arizona elections chief seeks proof of Obama's citizenship

(Reuters) - Arizona's secretary of state said Friday he had asked officials in Hawaii to verify that Barack Obama was born in their state in order for the president's name to appear on the November ballot in Arizona. Ken Bennett, who is Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign co-chairman in Arizona, said he made the request on behalf of a constituent. Earlier this year, hardline Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio announced that an investigation by his office had found that Obama's birth certificate was a forgery. ...

Soldier to stand trial for 2009 Iraq shooting

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier accused of killing five fellow servicemen at a military combat stress center in Baghdad in 2009 has been ordered to stand trial in a U.S. military court, officials said on Friday. Sergeant John Russell, who could face the death penalty if convicted, is accused of going on a shooting spree at Camp Liberty, near the Baghdad airport, in an assault the military said at the time could have been triggered by combat stress. ...