Newton: Jan Perry's path to power

An essential element of a successful political campaign, whether for U.S. president or mayor of Los Angeles, is that it identifies a path to victory. Candidates have to differentiate themselves from competitors and appeal to constituencies sympathetic to their message.At this point in the Los Angeles mayor's race, Councilwoman Jan Perry lags behind...

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Facebook Says Lawsuit Claiming Half Ownership of Site Is a 'Farce'

Declaring it a “massive fraud” and a “farce,” Facebook is demanding a federal judge dismiss a lawsuit that claims a New York man owns half of the social-networking service.In documents filed late Friday, Facebook noted for the first time that the plaintiff in the suit was arrested last month and has been charged with a multi-billion-dollar scheme to defraud the social-networking site...

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U2′s Bono to urge U.S. politicians not to cut aid programs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Irish rocker and anti-poverty campaigner Bono will appeal to Democrats and Republicans during a visit to Washington this week to spare U.S. development assistance programs from cuts as Congress tries to avert the looming “fiscal cliff” of tax hikes and spending reductions early next year.The U2 lead singer’s visit comes as the Obama...

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Letters: Flu and the Numbers (1 Letter)

To the Editor: “Reassessing Flu Shots as the Season Draws Near” (The Consumer, Nov. 6) implies that since the flu vaccine does not as work as well as expected — preventing one case for dozens of patients injected — we should not be as aggressive in promoting it. I disagree. By that logic, one might conclude that treating blood pressure in diabetics is not a good idea because it prevents...

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Report Sees U.S. as Top Oil Producer, Overtaking Saudi Arabia, in 5 Years

Charlie Riedel/Associated PressA pump jack near Greensburg, Kan. Increased oil production and new policies to improve energy efficiency mean that the United States will become “all but self-sufficient” in energy in about two decades, the International Energy Agency predicted. The United States will overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s leading oil producer by about 2017 and will become a net oil exporter...

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Times investigation: Legal drugs, deadly outcomes

Terry Smith collapsed face-down in a pool of his own vomit.Lynn Blunt snored loudly as her lungs slowly filled with fluid.Summer...

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Confidential Agreement Ends Apple and HTC's Patent Feud

Apple and HTC ended their 32-month intellectual property battle Saturday, dismissing all lawsuits and announcing a confidential, 10-year license agreement that extends to current and future patents held by the tech giants.“The most significant aspect of this deal is that it’s the first patent license Apple extended to an Android device maker,” intellectual property expert Florian Mueller told...

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Bond soars with record $87.8M ‘Skyfall’ debut

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Bond‘s “Skyfall” has extended its worldwide box-office rule to North America, hauling in a franchise-record $ 87.8 million in its first weekend at U.S. theaters.Adding in $ 2.2 million from Thursday night previews at IMAX and other large-format theaters, “Skyfall” has taken in $ 90 million domestically, according to studio estimates...

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Mind Faded, Darrell Royal’s Wisdom and Humor Intact Till End

Three days before his death last week at 88, Darrell Royal told his wife, Edith: “We need to go back to Hollis” — in Oklahoma. “Uncle Otis died.” “Oh, Darrell,” she said, “Uncle Otis didn’t die.” Royal, a former University of Texas football coach, chuckled and said, “Well, Uncle Otis will be glad to hear that.” The Royal humor never faded, even as he sank deeper into Alzheimer’s...

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Hurricane Sandy and the Disaster-Preparedness Economy

Jeffrey Phelps for The New York TimesAn assembly line at a Generac Power Systems plant. Generac makes residential generators, coveted items in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. FOLKS here don’t wish disaster on their fellow Americans. They didn’t pray for Hurricane Sandy to come grinding up the East Coast, tearing lives apart and plunging millions into darkness. But the fact is, disasters are good...

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