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Los Angeles Passes Condom Mandate for Porn Industry

Los Angeles Passes Condom Mandate for Porn Industry

Voters approve Measure B, requiring actors to wear condoms while shooting sex scenes.

Conjoined Twins Separated at Philadelphia Hospital

Conjoined Twins Separated at Philadelphia Hospital

The 8-month-old girls were joined at the lower chest and abdomen.

Are Gel Manicure Do-It-Yourself Kits Salon-Worthy?

Are Gel Manicure Do-It-Yourself Kits Salon-Worthy?

Paula Faris compares kits within a large price range against manicures from a salon.

Nevada Couple Fights Judge Over Daughter’s Pregnancy

Nevada Couple Fights Judge Over Daughter’s Pregnancy

Parents fear hearings could result in the termination of mentally disabled 32-year-old’s pregnancy.

Cancer Touches Everyone: Dogs and Humans

Cancer Touches Everyone: Dogs and Humans

Two Million Dogs hopes to eradicate cancer through education and research.

Magic Johnson’s HIV Announcement: Nov. 7, 1991

Magic Johnson’s HIV Announcement: Nov. 7, 1991

Los Angeles Lakers’ star holds press conference to say he will retire immediately.

Anorexic Baker Raises Money for Treatment

Anorexic Baker Raises Money for Treatment

Washington woman with an eating disorder sells cookies online to raise funds for medical attention.

Flood Water Test Results

Flood Water Test Results

Dr. Richard Besser shares findings on the safety of the flood waters brought by Sandy.

Superstorm Sandy: Babies from NYU Hospital Rescued

Superstorm Sandy: Babies from NYU Hospital Rescued

The NYU Medical Center in Manhattan was evacuated after a power outage during the storm.

Cooking Without Power after Superstorm Sandy

Cooking Without Power after Superstorm Sandy

A look at what you can make without modern conveniences and if you will have enough to survive.

What is in the Flood Waters Left by Superstorm Sandy?

What is in the Flood Waters Left by Superstorm Sandy?

Dr. Richard Besser explains what exactly is in flood waters and how to stay safe.

Superstorm Sandy: How to Cope when Cooped Up

Superstorm Sandy: How to Cope when Cooped Up

Dr. Janet Taylor discusses various ways to keep your kids and yourself from going stir crazy.

Sexual Health News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Loughner gets life for deadly Ariz. rampage

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, partially blind, her right arm paralyzed and limp, came face to face Thursday with the man who tried to kill her last year, standing beside her husband as he spoke of her struggles to recover from being shot in the head.

"Her life has been forever changed. Plans she had for our family and her career have been immeasurably altered," said astronaut Mark Kelly, both he and his wife staring at the shooter inside a packed courtroom. "Every day is a continuous struggle to do those things she once was so good at."

Jared Lee Loughner, 24, was then ordered to serve seven consecutive life sentences, plus 140 years in federal prison for the January 2011 shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Giffords, outside a grocery store in Tucson, Ariz.

Loughner pleaded guilty under an agreement that guarantees he will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. He avoids a federal death sentence, and local prosecutors said Thursday they would not seek state charges.

One by one, survivors of the attack at a Giffords political event approached the courtroom podium to address Loughner, each turning toward him where he sat stoic and emotionless at a table with his attorneys.

"You took away my life, my love and my reason for living," said Mavanell Stoddard, who was shot three times and cradled her dying husband in her arms as he lay bleeding on the sidewalk after shielding her from the spray of bullets.

Susan Hileman, who was shot, spoke to him, at times visibly shaking.

"We've been told about your demons, about the illness that skewed your thinking," she said. "Your parents, your schools, your community, they all failed you.

"It's all true," Hileman said. "It's not enough."

"You pointed a weapon and shot me three times," she said, staring directly at Loughner. He looked back at her. "And now I will walk out of this courtroom and into the rest of my life and I won't think of you again."

Loughner's parents sat nearby, his mother sobbing.

Some victims, including Giffords, welcomed the plea deal as a way to move on. It spared them and their families from having to go through a potentially lengthy and traumatic trial and locks up the defendant for life.

Giffords didn't speak, but stood by Kelly and kissed her husband when he was done. He grabbed her hand and they walked away, her limping.

Earlier, Loughner told Burns that he would not speak at the hearing.

Both sides reached the deal after a judge declared that Loughner was able to understand the charges against him. After the shooting, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and underwent forcible psychotropic drug treatments.

Christina Pietz, the court-appointed psychologist who treated Loughner, had warned that although Loughner was competent to plead guilty, he remained severely mentally ill and his condition could deteriorate under the stress of a trial.

When Loughner first arrived at a Missouri prison facility for treatment, he was convinced Giffords was dead, even though he was shown a video of the shooting. He eventually realized she was alive after he was forcibly medicated.

Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall said she reached out to family members, victims and survivors and decided against filing charges and seeking the death penalty.

It's unclear where Loughner will be sent to serve his federal sentence. He could return to a prison medical facility like the one in Springfield, Mo., where he's been treated for more than a year. Or he could end up in a prison such as the federal lockup in Florence, Colo., that houses some of the country's most notorious criminals, including Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols and "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski.

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Merkel says Germany, Britain must work together on EU

LONDON (Reuters) – Germany and Britain must cooperate to work round their differences on the European Union‘s long-term spending plans, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

“Despite differences that we have it is very important for me that the UK and Germany work together,” Merkel said through a translator before a meeting in London with Prime Minister David Cameron to discuss the EU‘s 2014-2020 budget.

“We always have to do something that will stand up to public opinion back home. Not all of the expenditure that has been earmarked has been used with great efficiency … We need to address that,” she said.

EU leaders meet in Brussels on November 22-23 to try to secure a seven-year budget for the 27-nation bloc amid signs of differences of opinion over what action should be taken.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Europe News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Apple slides to five-month low, uncertainty grows

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War Widow’s Lawsuit Says Nat Geo, Fox Depicted Dead Husband’s Body, Aired Family Photo

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – An Army staff sergeant‘s widow says in a lawsuit against National Geographic and Fox that a documentary from the companies depicted her husband’s dead body and showed a private family photo she believes was taken from his laptop after he died.

The suit seeks unspecified damages and to ban Nat Geo and Fox from using military family members’ images, names or likenesses for commercial purposes without their permission.

Nat Geo declined to comment.

Donnice Roberts, of Carthage, Texas, has two children with Staff Sergeant Kevin Casey Roberts. He was killed by an IED in 2008 during what was to be his last mission in Afghanistan, after two tours in Iraq. He enlisted two months after the September 11 2001 attacks, and received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

A year after he died, according to the lawsuit, she learned from another service member that he had seen a documentary called “Inside: Afghan ER” on the Armed Forces Network, broadcast in German, that depicted her husband’s dead body. It also featured a family photo from a trip to Disney World that she believes was taken from his laptop.

“Mrs. Roberts was very disturbed that her image, and more importantly, her children’s image would be broadcast around the world without their knowledge or permission,” the lawsuit said. “This is particularly true given the fanaticism associated with jihadist determined to kill Americans, including American women and children.”

“Moreover, Mrs. Roberts has fears and concerns that her minor children are depicted as the children of a warrior in the war on terror, which is fought by fanatic, radical individuals who have shown a propensity and desire to kill Americans, including women and children,” the lawsuit adds.

The lawsuit said the lawsuit was produced and distributed by the National Geographic Society and further promoted and distributed by Fox Cable Networks, Inc. and Fox Entertainment Group, Inc. through the cable network NatGeo and affiliated websites. The suit said it aired worldwide.

Roberts said when she contacted National Geographic Society seeking a copy of the photo, she was told she would need to sign a waiver. She refused.

(Pamela Chelin contributed to this story)

TV News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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WellPoint keeps outlook despite profit rise; shares off

(Reuters) – Health insurer WellPoint Inc reported forecast-beating third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, but investors were disappointed that the company did not raise its guidance and said the higher earnings had a weak underside.

Shares of WellPoint, the second-largest U.S. health insurer by market value, slumped more than 5 percent, even as the company’s chief financial officer tried to reassure investors over the outlook for the year.

The CFO, Wayne DeVeydt, told analysts on a conference call that the company’s decision not to increase its full-year forecast, despite what it described as strong results, stemmed from a simple desire to maintain a “conservative and cautious outlook.”

Analysts, however, remained unconvinced.

“Earnings per share beat consensus by 13 percent and was ‘favorable’ to management’s expectations,” said David Windley, an analyst at Jefferies & Company. “However, this benefit did not flow through to the year-end.”

Jason Gurda, of Leerink Swann, said the results were not as compelling as those of most WellPoint peers.

“Earnings were ahead of expectations, but it was largely due to a lower-than-expected tax rate and share count,” Gurda said. “On the operating side, they were largely in line with expectations; however, most of their peers came in well ahead this quarter.”

Net income rose 1.17 percent to $ 691.2 million, or $ 2.15 per share, helped by cost-cutting as well as a lower tax rate and share count. Excluding items, the company earned $ 2.09 a share, above the average estimate of $ 1.84 forecast by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

WellPoint’s effective income tax rate was 32.6 percent in the quarter, down from 34.6 percent a year ago.

The company repurchased 11.3 million shares during the third quarter. It said it bought back another 10.3 million shares during October.

Operating revenue topped $ 15.1 billion, little changed from a year ago. Premium revenue declined 1 percent, and the health benefit-to-expense ratio was 85.4 percent, up from 85.1 percent a year earlier.

WellPoint said enrollment totaled 33.5 million members at the end of September, down 2.5 percent from a year earlier.

Shares of WellPoint, which has a market value of about $ 19.9 billion, fell 5.3 percent to $ 57.94 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

WellPoint is currently being run by an interim chief executive, John Cannon, who took over following the abrupt resignation of Angela Braly in August. Cannon said it would be “inappropriate” to comment in detail on the company’s search for a new CEO, but he said the search could extend into the first quarter of 2013.

PREPARING FOR HEALTHCARE REFORM

Following the re-election of President Barack Obama on Tuesday, which puts Obama’s healthcare reform act on course to be fully implemented, WellPoint said it expects to spend an incremental $ 200 million to $ 300 million in 2013 to get ready.

The law aims to provide coverage for 16 million more Americans through privately run health insurance exchanges. It will expand eligibility for Medicaid, the government’s insurance program for the poor, to an additional 16 million people by raising limits on household income.

WellPoint said about half of its planned spending will go toward preparing for the exchanges, which are scheduled to be operational by January 1, 2014. The other half of the planned spending will cover, among other things, ensuring WellPoint it is able to provide coverage for so-called dual-eligibles, or some 9 million Americans who meet the criteria to receive both Medicaid and Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly.

Care for dual-eligibles is moving to the private sector and could generate billions of dollars in profit for insurance companies.

The reforms, which will give insurers millions of new customers, also imposes conditions under which patients may not be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

On the conference call, Cannon congratulated Obama on his re-election.

“We look forward to continue to work with his administration on ways to improve our nation’s healthcare system,” he said. “Clearly, the need to improve access to, and affordability of, healthcare remains a critical issue.”

The shifting health insurance market place, which is also characterized by a desire by government to curb reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid, has spurred a number of deals in the sector as companies rush to gain scale and market share.

WellPoint in July announced a deal to buy rival Amerigroup Corp for $ 4.46 billion to focus on its Medicaid business. This was closely followed by Aetna announcing the $ 5.6 billion purchase of Coventry Health Care Inc.

(Additional reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore, Caroline Humer in New York and Debra Sherman in Chicago; Editing by John Wallace, Dan Grebler and Leslie Adler)

Seniors/Aging News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Boehner: House GOP will work with Obama

Boehner: No mandate for raising tax rates","date":"Tue, Nov 6, 2012 10:37 PM EST","credit":"","byline":null,"provider":"FOX News Videos","photo_title":"House remains in Republican hands","pivot_alias_id":"house-remains-republican-hands-033725649","plink":"\/video\/house-remains-republican-hands-033725649.html","plink_vita":"http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/video\/house-remains-republican-hands-033725649.html","srchtrm":null,"revsp":"","rev":null,"videoPlayerData":"[{\"id\":\"41fd04e0-cca9-3eb5-bb8a-7fbf3ccea6fd\",\"title\":\"House remains in Republican hands\",\"embedCode\":\"\",\"shareUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/news.yahoo.com\\\/video\\\/house-remains-republican-hands-033725649.html\",\"licenseId\":\"a0770000002lmbdAAA\",\"images\":{\"large\":\"http:\\\/\\\/l2.yimg.com\\\/bt\\\/api\\\/res\\\/1.2\\\/VbZv10JgDqB.WUYs61M0ZA--\\\/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM2MDtxPTg1O3c9NjQw\\\/http:\\\/\\\/media.zenfs.com\\\/en-US\\\/video\\\/video.fbc.news.com\\\/3182cb79246d69cda1c18ec62e829d68\",\"medium\":\"http:\\\/\\\/l.yimg.com\\\/bt\\\/api\\\/res\\\/1.2\\\/fD0KWW3ppnWsmA1uhlINOQ--\\\/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIyMDtxPTg1O3c9MjMw\\\/http:\\\/\\\/media.zenfs.com\\\/en-US\\\/video\\\/video.fbc.news.com\\\/3182cb79246d69cda1c18ec62e829d68\"},\"description\":\"Boehner: No mandate for raising tax rates\",\"embeddable\":false}]","duration":"3:02","surl":"http:\/\/l.yimg.com\/bt\/api\/res\/1.2\/HghKDMkr78sB6LHijfv.NA--\/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD01NjtxPTc5O3c9MTAw\/http:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en-US\/video\/video.fbc.news.com\/3182cb79246d69cda1c18ec62e829d68","swidth":100,"sheight":56}]};

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Officials: New mass graves found in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Up to 10 new mass graves have been discovered near the site of a July attack on a camp for displaced people, officials said Tuesday, amid allegations that initial casualty totals were downplayed to mask killings carried out by the national army.

Rights groups claim summary executions were carried out by the Republican Forces of Ivory Coast, known by its French acronym of FRCI. Last month, officials found six bodies in a well close to the former campsite in the western town of Duekoue.

Government, army and U.N. officials toured 10 more graves in the same area on Saturday, said Paul Mondouho, vice-mayor of Duekoue. He said the graves had first been identified by civilians, and that officials did not know the number of bodies they contained because they had not yet been properly exhumed.

“People were suspecting the presence of bodies in these graves because of the smell coming out of them and because of the shoes we saw nearby,” Mondouho said.

Prosecutor Noel Dje Enrike Yahau, who is based in the commercial capital of Abidjan, confirmed that multiple new graves had been discovered but could not provide details. U.N. officials and the local prosecutor in charge of investigating the suspected killings could not be reached Tuesday.

U.N. spokeswoman Sylvie van den Wildenberg confirmed that U.N. forces helped Ivorian authorities secure a perimeter around 10 wells “similar to the one in which six bodies were found,” and that “some of those wells are suspected mass graves.”

She stressed that Ivorian authorities were leading the investigation but that the U.N. was able to provide assistance.

Army spokesmen could not be reached Tuesday. The Justice Ministry has previously vowed to investigate the discovery of the initial grave.

On the morning of July 20, a mob descended on the U.N.-guarded Nahibly camp, which housed 4,500 people displaced by violence in Ivory Coast, burning most of the camp to the ground. Officials said at the time that six people were killed.

The attack was prompted by the shooting deaths of four men and one woman on the night of July 19, according to local officials and residents. In response a mob of some 300 people overran the camp on the morning of July 20 after the perpetrators of the shootings reportedly fled there.

The victims in the July 19 attack lived in a district dominated by the Malinke ethnic group, which largely supported President Alassane Ouattara in the disputed November 2010 election. The camp primarily housed members of the Guere ethnic group, which largely supported former President Laurent Gbagbo.

Gbagbo’s refusal to cede office despite losing the election to Ouattara sparked months of violence that claimed at least 3,000 lives.

Albert Koenders, the top U.N. envoy to Ivory Coast, said one week after the attack that U.N. security forces had been inside and outside the camp at the time but that no Ivorian security forces were present. He said the U.N. forces decided not to fire at a large group of people that were attacking the camp in order to avoid “a massacre.”

Several witnesses have said soldiers and traditional hunters, known as dozos, participated in the attack on the camp. Both military and dozo leaders have denied the claims, saying they had tried to protect the camp.

In a statement released Friday, the International Federation for Human Rights, known by its French acronym of FIDH, said it had information — including the preliminary results of autopsies — confirming that the six bodies found in October were men who had been summarily executed by the army.

“The disappearance of dozens of displaced persons after the attack, as well as confirmation of cases of summary and extra-judicial executions, suggest a much higher victim rate than the official figures report,” said the organization, which counts Ivorian civil society groups among its members.

Duekoue was one of the hardest-hit towns during the post-election violence. The U.N. has established that at least 505 people were killed in and around the town, including during a notorious March 2011 massacre that claimed hundreds of lives and was allegedly carried out by fighters loyal to Ouattara.

Duekoue residents belonging to ethnic groups that supported Gbagbo have long complained about abuses carried out by the FRCI, with some pointing to the direct involvement of the local commander, Kone Daouda. FIDH said in its statement that Daouda had been transferred following the discovery of the grave in October, and called for him to be interrogated over the matter.

The group also said two FRCI members were being “actively sought” after failing to return to their barracks on Oct. 16, noting that they are believed to have fled to neighboring Burkina Faso.

Africa News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Exclusive: Amazon to win e-book tussle with Apple

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union regulators are to end an antitrust probe into e-book prices by accepting an offer by Apple and four publishers to ease price restrictions on Amazon, two sources said on Tuesday.

The decision hands online retailer Amazon victory in its attempt to sell e-books cheaper than its rivals in the fast-growing market that publishers hope will boost revenue and increase customer numbers.

Apple and the publishers offered in September to let retailers set their own prices or discounts for a period of two years, and also to suspend "most-favored nation" contracts for five years.

Such clauses bar Simon & Schuster, News Corp. unit HarperCollins, Lagardere SCA's Hachette Livre and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, the owner of German company Macmillan, from making deals with rival retailers to sell e-books more cheaply than Apple.

The agreements, which critics say prevent Amazon and other retailers from undercutting Apple's charges, sparked an investigation by the European Commission in December last year.

Pearson Plc's Penguin group, which is also under investigation, did not take part in the offer.

The EU antitrust authority, which in September asked for feedback from rivals and consumers about the proposal, has not asked for more concessions, said one of sources.

"The Commission is likely to accept the offer and announce its decision next month," the source said on Tuesday.

Antoine Colombani, spokesman for competition policy at the European Commission, said: "We have launched a market test in September and our investigation is still ongoing."

Amazon declined to comment, while Apple did not respond to an email for comments.

Companies found guilty of breaching EU rules could be fined up to 10 percent of their global sales, which in Apple's case could reach $15.6 billion, based on its 2012 fiscal year.

FROWNING ON ONLINE TRADE CURBS

Antitrust regulators tend to frown on restrictions on online trade and the case is a good example of this policy, said Mark Tricker, a partner at Brussels-based law firm Norton Rose.

"This case shows the online world continues to be a major focus for the Commission. They are looking at lots of different aspects of e-commerce, as this can have such a significant impact on consumers, development and innovation," he said.

"These markets change very quickly and if you don't stamp down on potential infringements of competition rules, you can have significant consequences."

UBS analysts estimate that e-books account for about 30 percent of the U.S. book market and 20 percent of sales in Britain but are minuscule elsewhere. Amazon created demand for e-books when it launched its e-Kindle reader, charging $9.99 for each book.

Apple's agency model let publishers set prices in return for a 30 percent cut to the maker of iPhone and iPad.

The U.S. Department of Justice is also investigating e-book prices. HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Hachette recently settled, but Apple, Penguin Group and Macmillan continue to fight the allegations.

(Editing by Rex Merrifield and David Goodman)

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Broadway takes a big hit from Superstorm Sandy

NEW YORK (AP) — Superstorm Sandy, which darkened Broadway for four days, predictably ravaged the box offices around Times Square, with shows losing more than $ 8.5 million from the previous week.

The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, released data Tuesday that showed, as expected, all shows took a hit. One of the hardest hurt was the Matthew Broderick musical “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” which lost $ 538,853.

Since the storm actually affected two weeks of data, the League estimates that grosses managed just $ 33.66 million for that period, a drastic fall from the same time frame last year, where the box offices earned $ 42.2 million. Attendance also plunged 19 percent from the 10-year average.

The storm, which struck last Monday, forced all 40 Broadway theaters to shutter the night before. All shows were up and running by Thursday night, but the damage had been done, though few expect the pain to last.

“It will come back to its former life, there’s no question about it. Broadway is New York and everyone celebrates the theater in this city,” said Barry Weissler, who has been producing work on Broadway since 1982. “It’s catch-up time.”

Most shows on Broadway have eight performances a week, but Sandy forced many, including “The Phantom of the Opera,” ”The Heiress,” ”Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Chicago” to put on just six shows. “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “Evita” only managed five shows. Altogether, 48 individual performances were canceled.

Other shows that took a beating include “Wicked,” which lost $ 490,996, though it still managed to pull in $ 1,166,275. The least hurt was “Rock of Ages,” which lost just $ 59,209.

Sandy joins other recent shocks to have rocked Broadway finances, including the Sept. 11 attacks, which shuttered theaters for two days, and Hurricane Irene in 2011 that wiped away a weekend’s revenue.

“Storms will not stop us, the terrible tragedy of 9/11 will not stop us. Theater will continue. It’s one of the oldest art forms known to man and it will continue,” said Weissler, who together with his wife, Fran, has produced such shows as “Grease,” ”Chicago” and “Annie Get Your Gun.”

The League said that the losses from Hurricane Irene were actually larger than for Sandy. Not only were 66 individual performances scrapped for Irene, but the storm struck during the busy summer, not the slower fall.

But Sandy may have hurt off-Broadway theaters more. The SoHo Rep and The Bank Street Theater lost power and had some flooding, while many other downtown theaters lost power, including the MCC Theatre and SoHo Playhouse. The Canal Park Playhouse canceled all November and December performances.

The infectious drumming show “Blue Man Group” was quieted, the immersive, genre-bending show “Sleep No More” was stilled, and The Public Theater was shut down for almost a week. The lobby at its home at Astor Place is now a collection site for post-Sandy supplies.

Entertainment News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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