In battle against Islamic State, Iraqi tribal chiefs plead for more U.S. aid

In battle against Islamic State, Iraqi tribal chiefs plead for more U.S. aid
Meteorologist offers rare apology on Twitter for ‘big forecast miss’ on snowstorm
Walker forms group to boost possible Walker 2016 bid
Islamic State: Japanese hostage & Jordanian pilot have less than 24 hours
Live updates: Massive snowstorm has millions hunkering down
Bowe Bergdahl to face desertion charges: NBC
Gunmen assault luxury Tripoli hotel, at least nine dead
Gunmen storm Libyan hotel; 4 foreigners, 5 guards dead
Senate blocks swift passage of Keystone XL pipeline bill
Oklahoma man pleads guilty as accessory to murder of Australian student
Blizzard hits U.S. northeast, New York spared its brunt
Gowdy says Obama admin slow-walking documents on Benghazi
Dems accuse GOP of breaking promises on Benghazi panel
Companies try to capitalize on Northeast storm
Millions hunker down for Northeast blizzard
Facebook outage brings jokes, marketing pitches to Twitter

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 07:59 AM PST

At a secret meeting with Obama envoy, Sunni leaders paint bleak picture of U.S.-backed campaign.

Meteorologist offers rare apology on Twitter for ‘big forecast miss’ on snowstorm

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 07:54 AM PST

Gary Szatkowski, chief of the National Weather Service office that serves Mount Holly, N.J., and Philadelphia, apologized on Twitter for his office's "big forecast miss" regarding this week's snowstorm.

Walker forms group to boost possible Walker 2016 bid

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST

The GOP governor of Wisconsin has taken the first formal step toward running for president.

Islamic State: Japanese hostage & Jordanian pilot have less than 24 hours

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 08:49 AM PST

An online message also demands the release of Sajida al-Rishawi.

Live updates: Massive snowstorm has millions hunkering down

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 08:47 AM PST

Day Two of a monster snowstorm has major East Coast cities largely shut down.

Bowe Bergdahl to face desertion charges: NBC

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:10 AM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who disappeared from his base in Afghanistan in 2009 but was released last year in a prisoner swap with the Taliban, will be charged with desertion, according to NBC. The television network, citing senior defense officials, said the charges could come within a week. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Bill Trott)

Gunmen assault luxury Tripoli hotel, at least nine dead

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:08 AM PST

Gunmen stormed a hotel in Tripoli popular with diplomats and officials Tuesday in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group, killing at least nine people including five foreigners before blowing themselves up. After setting off a car bomb outside the luxury Corinthia Hotel in Libya's capital, three armed militants rushed inside and opened fire, Issam al-Naass, a spokesman for the security services, told AFP. They made it to the 24th floor of the hotel, which is a major hub for diplomatic and government activity in Tripoli, before being surrounded by security forces and detonating explosive belts they were wearing, he said. The hotel's 24th floor is normally used by Qatar's mission to Libya but no diplomats or officials were present during the assault, a security source said.

Gunmen storm Libyan hotel; 4 foreigners, 5 guards dead

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 09:16 AM PST

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Tuesday, killing four foreigners and five guards, and triggering an hours-long standoff that ended when two assailants set off a grenade that killed them, officials said.

Senate blocks swift passage of Keystone XL pipeline bill

Posted: 26 Jan 2015 04:14 PM PST

Democrats in the U.S. Senate blocked the Keystone XL pipeline bill from moving forward on Monday, but supporters of the project vowed to push ahead and eventually get a vote on the measure. The Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to limit debate, voting 53 to 39 on the measure. The Keystone bill allows Congress to approve TransCanada Corp's project to link Canada's oil sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast. Democrats, who lost control of the Senate as a result of November's elections, flexed their muscles to deliver a message to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he will have to deal with them even on bills that enjoy some bipartisan support.

Oklahoma man pleads guilty as accessory to murder of Australian student

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST

By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - An Oklahoma man charged as an accessory after the fact in the murder of Australian baseball player Christopher Lane has pled guilty to hiding the gun used to kill the athlete, prosecutors in the state said on Tuesday. Oddesse Barnes, 23, pled guilty in a deal with Stephens County prosecutors and agreed to testify against Chancey Luna and Michael Jones, who are facing first-degree murder charges. Teenagers Luna and Jones will be tried separately in April. The two are accused of tracking Melbourne resident Lane, who police said was shot in the back on Aug. 16, 2013, while jogging in Duncan, Oklahoma, a town about 80 miles (130 km) south of Oklahoma City.

Blizzard hits U.S. northeast, New York spared its brunt

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:37 AM PST

By Scott Malone, Jill Serjeant and Laila Kearney BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A blizzard swept across the northeastern United States on Tuesday, closing schools, cancelling thousands of flights and leaving residents in the hardest-hit parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut digging out as much as 2 feet (60 cm) of snow, though New York City was spared the storm's brunt. The governors of New York and New Jersey lifted travel bans they had imposed a day earlier and New York City's subway system restarted after being closed for 10 hours, but officials urged people to stay off snow-covered roadways. The snow was forecast to continue into early Wednesday morning in eastern New England, which could set a new snowfall record in Boston, where 18 inches (46 cm) of snow was already on the ground by midday, often piled higher by strong winds. "There are drifts now of four, five and six feet in some places," Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker told reporters.

Gowdy says Obama admin slow-walking documents on Benghazi

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 09:44 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of a special House committee investigating the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, said Tuesday that the bipartisan inquiry is being hobbled by resistance from the Obama administration.

Dems accuse GOP of breaking promises on Benghazi panel

Posted: 26 Jan 2015 04:56 PM PST

Democrats on the special House panel investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks have accused Republicans of conducting the committee's work without them and withholding information that would undermine the credibility of the panel itself, according to three letters obtained by Yahoo News.

Companies try to capitalize on Northeast storm

Posted: 26 Jan 2015 01:27 PM PST

Anticipation of the storm has already spawned a few hashtags, as people turn to social media for updates on what's predicted to be one historic blizzard. Unsurprisingly, it was only a matter of time before companies seized on the storm hype, using #Snowmageddon2015 as as an advertising tool.

Millions hunker down for Northeast blizzard

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 09:36 AM PST

Much of the region is shut down but the storm has so far fallen short of predictions.

Facebook outage brings jokes, marketing pitches to Twitter

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:07 AM PST

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — For many, the hour without a Facebook was a golden opportunity for a joke — or a marketing pitch — on other social media sites.