Morning news brief
The diplomatic wrangling that led to a long-awaited ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, reactions to the deal, and how LA and other communities could tighten laws around wildfire safety.
Spelling Bee Winner Conquers 'German Curse'
Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year-old from Bayside, N.Y., won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday after correctly spelling "knaidel." It's a yiddish term of German origin meaning "dumpling." Mahankali had stumbled on German words two years in a row. This year, he said, "the German curse has turned into in a German blessing."
Mired In Recession, EU Eases Some Austerity Measures
This week, the European Union gave some of its member nations more time to meet deficit-reduction targets — in other words, to ease back on austerity. The programs have crushed growth and sent European unemployment to a record high 12 percent.
New Jersey Man Tries To Auction Off A Place In Heaven
There is no heaven on earth - at least, not according to eBay. The site shut down an auction for a spot in heaven. The auction reached $100,000 before it was closed for violating a policy against selling "intangible things."
Sushi Chef Was Confidant To North Korea's Kim Jong Il
Little is known about the men who have led North Korea. But one person with great insights into Kim Jong Il and his successor Kim Jong Un is a Japanese sushi chef. He provided Kim Jong Il both sushi and loyalty for many years. Renee Montagne talks to novelist Adam Johnson about his encounter with the chef, which he writes about in the latest issue of GQ magazine.
Scottish Couple Welcomes Third Set Of Twins
Karen and Colin Rodger already had two sets of boys. When Mom got pregnant this time, the thought of more twins crossed her mind, but a doctor said the odds were 500,000 to 1. Now she's given birth to twin girls, and the family tells the Daily Mirror it's shopping for a van.
Yankees Pay Tribute To 'Lifelong' Fan
Yankees fan Bernando LaPallo says he was born the same year as his team. And Saturday, more than a century after attending his first game, LaPallo was at the new Yankee Stadium for what he called the "greatest day of my life." LaPallo says he is 111.
Fight For Homs Fades From Headlines As War In Syria Rages
The civil war in Syria is expected to become the focus of peace negotiations in the coming weeks. The city of Homs became famous early in the conflict. While not as many reports are being filed from there, the fighting between rebels and government troops continues.
Trial To Start In Apple Price-Fixing Dispute
Apple appears in court Monday to face civil accusations by the Justice Department that it illegally conspired to fix e-book prices with other publishers. The government last year accused Apple of conspiring with five major publishers to raise prices for electronic books — something the government says has cost consumers many millions of dollars.
Intent To Harm At Center Of Bradley Manning's Trial
Prosecutors say the soldier downloaded thousands of diplomatic cables and war field reports and sent them to the website WikiLeaks. His trial, which begins Monday, highlights the U.S. government's aggressive campaign to keep secrets.
