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TOP STORIES:
OBAMA
WASHINGTON In an unsparing critique of Republicans, President Barack Obama on Friday said the GOP is threatening voting rights in America more than at any point since the passage of the historic 1965 law expanding rights at the ballot box to millions of black Americans and other minorities. "The stark, simple truth is this: The right to vote is threatened today in a way that it has not been since the Voting Rights Act became law nearly five decades ago," Obama said in a fiery speech at civil rights activist and television talk host Al Sharpton's National Action Network conference. By Jim Kuhnhenn. SENT: 797 words, photos, audio, video.
With: VOTER ID LAWS, AP Graphic.
POLK AWARDS
NEW YORK — Two reporters central to revealing the massive U.S. government surveillance effort have come to the United States for the first time since the story broke. Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras of The Guardian came to New York on Friday to receive a George Polk Award for national security reporting. Greenwald said at Kennedy Airport that they were not "100 percent sure" that they could enter the U.S. without being arrested for their reporting on National Security Agency surveillance. By Frank Eltman and Tom Hays. SENT: 465 words, photos, video.
GOOGLE-BOOK-BATTLE
NEW YORK— Saying Google Inc. is stealing business from online book retailers, the Authors Guild asked a federal appeals court Friday to reinstate its lawsuit contending that the Internet giant is violating copyright laws with its massive book digitization project. The Guild filed papers with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, saying that Google's effort to create the world's largest digital library was violating the rights of authors and stifling competition in the busy Internet book sales market. Google declined to comment on the Authors Guild's effort to reverse a November ruling in favor of the Mountain View, Calif.-based company. By Larry Neumeister. SENT: 406 words.
OCCUPY WALL STREET-TRIAL
NEW YORK— An Occupy Wall Street activist charged with assaulting a police officer went on trial Friday, with her lawyers saying she was wrongly accused in one of few still-lingering criminal cases that sprang from the protest movement. Cecily McMillan is charged with deliberately elbowing an officer in the eye as police cleared people out of the movement's home base, Zuccotti Park, at Occupy's six-month observance in March 2012. But her defense says McMillan was startled and knocked the officer accidentally after he grabbed her left breast from behind, leaving her bruised. By Jennifer Peltz. SENT: 423 words.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
ALBANY, N.Y.— New York is inching toward a medical marijuana program as support for the measure grows in the state Legislature and is likely to become one of a handful of issues that will be hotly debated when the second half of the legislative session resumes at the end of April. While at least two proposals are on the table, it is unclear where the marijuana will come from. By Josefa Velasquez. SENT: 528.
POLICE OFFICERS-FATAL FIRE
NEW YORK— A 16-year-old boy has been indicted on a murder charge in the fire-related death of a veteran New York Police Department officer. Prosecutors say Marcell Dockery faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted. By Michael R. Sisak. SENT: 309 words, photo.
TEST PROTESTS-NY
NEW YORK — Educators at nearly three dozen New York City schools led protests Friday against this year's statewide English tests, which they said were poorly written and confusing. By Karen Matthews. SENT: 425 words.
HILLARY CLINTON-VEGAS
LAS VEGAS — Hillary Rodham Clinton ducked a thrown shoe, expressed surprise, cracked a couple of jokes that drew applause and continued her keynote speech on stage in front of a Las Vegas convention audience. Moments later, still in the stage spotlight, the former secretary of state reflected calmly on what she called "an atmosphere and attitude in politics" that she said rewards inflexibility and extremism. By Ken Ritter. SENT: 573 words, photos, video.
KIDNAP VICTIM RESCUED
WAKE FOREST, N.C. — A North Carolina inmate described as a high-ranking member of the Bloods street gang faces a federal kidnapping charge after authorities say he used a mobile phone to help orchestrate the abduction of a prosecutor's father. An arrest warrant was issued Friday for Kelvin Melton, who is serving a life sentence for ordering the shooting of a Raleigh man in 2011. Melton is accused in the Saturday kidnapping of Frank Arthur Janssen of Wake Forest. Janssen, 63, was rescued Wednesday by the FBI at an Atlanta apartment. Five others have also been arrested and charged. By Michael Biesecker. SENT: 898 words, photos, audio, video.
ENDANGERED BATS
CONCORD, N.H. — While Vermont and New York are reporting some signs of recovery, white nose syndrome continues to devastate New Hampshire's bat population. Biologists surveying caves and mines where bats spend the winter found only 28 bats, dashing hopes that this year might mark a turning point. The disease has killed millions of bats across the northeast, and several species in New Hampshire have declined by nearly 99 percent. By Holly Ramer. UPCOMING: 400 words by 2 p.m.
FIG--FIGURE SKATING IN HARLEM
NEW YORK— Opportunity. Education. Empowerment. Nowhere in its mission statement does Figure Skating in Harlem spotlight, well, skating. Yes, it's a significant part of the inner-city program for girls 6 to 18. It's also just one element of a formula that for more than 17 years has opened horizons for its students. Founded in 1997 by Sharon Cohen, who remains its executive director and guiding force, Figure Skating in Harlem's success story has been built on so much more than getting out on the ice. By Barry Wilner. SENT: 951 words, photos.
IN BRIEF:
—$120 MILLION HOUSE: 50-acre Connecticut estate sells for $120 million.
—JEWELRY ROBBERY: Cops: $54K in jewelry stolen in brazen NYC heist.
—GUILTY FISHERMAN: NY fisherman pleads guilty to illegal fluke haul.
—MUSICIAN MEMORIAL: NYC memorial for pioneering black recording star.
—NYC EXPLOSION-REUNION: Survivor of deadly NYC explosion meets rescuers.
—OBAMA-NIGHT OUT: Obamas and friends take in dinner and play in NYC.
—OFFICER-FATAL CRASH: Former NY cop admits role in fatal DWI crash.
—BUILDING WORKERS-LABOR TALKS: Deal reached in NYC building worker labor talks.
—FATAL APARTMENT FIRE: Police: Death of pregnant NY woman double homicide.
—OBAMA-OUTSIDE GROUP: Pro-Obama group raises $5.88M since January.
—DOUBLE FATAL CRASH: Pa. man withdraws plea in crash that killed twins.
—NYC MAYOR-CARRIAGE HORSES: NYC mayor: Horse-drawn carriage ban by year's end.
—SMARTPHONE THEFT: NY AG, Maffei seeks smartphone 'kill switch' rule.
—CYBER CADETS: West Point wins cyber exercise among the academies.
— POLICE OFFICERS-FATAL FIRE: NYPD adopts new fire response protocols.
— BILLS-STADIUM FALL: Trial set for Bills fan who fell from stadium deck.
— PRISON CLOSINGS: NY proceeds with closing 4 prisons.
— NEW YORK GAMBLING: NY casino hopefuls must attend conference, pay $1M.
— STATE BUDGET-ENVIRONMENT: Silver: NY budget a win for environment.
— STATEN ISLAND FIRE: Staten Island blaze under control.
— COLLEGE-DRUNK BUS: Western NY college to resume 'drunk bus' service.
— FIRE CHIEF-SUPERVISOR: NY fire chief to retire after anti-Semitic remarks.
— CHAPPAQUA FIRE: 5 NY families displaced by Chappaqua fire.
— NASSAU POLICE-WEBSITE: NY Nassau Co. police update website.
— SALARY CAP: NY to appeal ruling against salary cap.
— POSTAL TRUCK-MARIJUANA: NY postal worker accused of selling marijuana.
— ODD--GOD-CREDIT RATING: Man with 1st name 'God' sues credit rating agency.
— METROCARD-SKIMMING DEVICE: Skimming device found on NYC MetroCard machine.
— HISTORIC DOCUMENTS-SALE: Historical documents sell for $1.3M at NYC auction.
— PULASKI SKYWAY CLOSURE: Northbound lanes of Pulaski Skyway to close.
— CAR-BOY KILLED: Boy, 12, killed in accident on western NY road.
— PEDESTRIAN KILLED: NJ woman killed crossing NYC street.
— ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE INDUSTRY: NY alcohol industry gets boost from new rules.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:
MUSIC-ROCK HALL
NEW YORK — Kiss made up, but its music went unheard. Nirvana used four women rockers to sing Kurt Cobain's songs. And Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band — predictably — turned its honor into a marathon. The three acts were ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday in a colorful induction ceremony at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. They were joined by the blue-eyed soul duo Hall & Oates, British rocker Peter Gabriel, 1970s folkie Cat Stevens and the absent Linda Ronstadt. By David Bauder. SENT: 1089 words, photos, video.
THEATER-RAISIN IN THE SUN-OBAMA
NEW YORK— Tickets to watch Denzel Washington on Broadway in "A Raisin in the Sun" are hard to come by, but one man managed it — President Barack Obama. The president and the first lady caught the American masterpiece Friday night at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, where it first opened more than 50 years ago. They took their seats to huge applause. There was a 20-minute delay in the beginning of the show when an alarm flooded the theater with a piercing sound. A huge ovation greeted its end. By Mark Kennedy. SENT: 337 words, photos.
THEATER-JAMES FRANCO
NEW YORK — James Franco insists he's not been nervous at all about making his Broadway debut, not even before his first night in front of more than a thousand people. "Sounds like I'm bragging. I just wasn't," says the actor, writer and student. "I've learned that if you work with people that you trust, that you depend on, then you just flow with it." By Mark Kennedy. SENT: 871 words, photo.
OPERA-OLGA ARRIVES
NEW YORK — For Olga Peretyatko, the past year has seen a dizzying series of debuts that have thrust the 33-year-old Russian soprano into sudden prominence. These have included Berlin and Milan's La Scala, Verona and Zurich and the summer Salzburg Festival. Now she's in New York to face critics and audiences at the Metropolitan Opera, singing a touchstone role of the bel canto repertory, the madness-prone Elvira in Vincenzo Bellini's "I Puritani." By Mike Silverman. UPCOMING: 600 words by 10 a.m., photos.
— PEOPLE-STEPHEN BALDWIN: Actor Stephen Baldwin pays off his back NY taxes.
— HISTORIC DOCUMENTS-SALE: Historic documents sell for $1.3M at NYC auction.
SPORTS:
BBO--CHEATING PITCHERS
NEW YORK— Get a grip. Using a suspicious substance for a better hold of the baseball on cool days is not such a sticky situation. Whether it's the Yankees' Michael Pineda with a mysterious brown goo on his hand, Boston's Jon Lester with a green smudge in his glove or Houston's Josh Zeid spraying something on his forearm before entering a recent game, most major leaguers don't care whether pitchers get a little help — even though it's against the Official Baseball Rules. To some, it's preferable. By Howie Rumberg. SENT: 819 words, photos.
BBO--MANNERS IN BASEBALL
OAKLAND, Calif. — Baseball's new expanded replay rules this season might mean most managers start minding their manners. That seems to be the case so far, with managers calmly leaving the top dugout step to chat with an umpire to either challenge a play or request that the umpire take a second look via review. By Janie McCauley. SENT: 900 words, photos.
BBO--METS-ANGELS
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels return from a successful road trip to take their fourth shot at their first home victory of the season, hosting Dillon Gee and the New York Mets in an interleague series opener. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Starts 7 p.m. PDT.
BBA--RED SOX-YANKEES
NEW YORK— Grady Sizemore hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and the Boston Red Sox finally gave Jon Lester enough run support for his first win of the year, 4-2 over the New York Yankees on Friday night. Jonny Gomes led off the sixth with another long ball off CC Sabathia, and the four-run inning was more runs than Boston had scored for Lester in his first two starts combined. Despite a 2.51 ERA coming in, Lester was at risk of falling to 0-3 for the first time in his career. By Howie Rumberg. SENT: 669 words, photos.
BKN--HAWKS-NETS
NEW YORK — Paul Millsap had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and the Atlanta Hawks moved to the verge of a playoff spot with a 93-88 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. The Hawks could have clinched the final Eastern Conference berth had the Knicks lost in Toronto. Instead, Atlanta remained two games up with three to play, needing just one more win or New York loss to secure its postseason place. By Brian Mahoney. SENT: 638 words, photos.
BKN--KNICKS-RAPTORS
TORONTO — Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points, Amare Stoudemire had 24 points and 11 rebounds and the New York Knicks kept their slim playoff hopes alive by beating the Toronto Raptors 108-100 on Friday night. J.R. Smith had 15 points, Raymond Felton 12 and Iman Shumpert scored eight of his 11 in the fourth quarter as the Knicks won for the first time in three games. By Ian Harrison. SENT: 613 words, photos.
FIG--DAVIS-WHITE-NO REST
NEW YORK— After years of hard work and outstanding performances culminated in an Olympic gold medal, Meryl Davis and Charlie White would seem to deserve some down time. Instead, and by choice, they are busier than ever — and for the ice dance champions, that's saying something. The pace the couple kept up for more than a decade as they pursued, then won, the first world championship and Olympic titles for American ice dancers has been exhausting. By Barry Wilner. SENT: 657 words, photos.
HKC--NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
PHILADELPHIA — It was just three seasons ago when Union beat Minnesota — in overtime, in Minneapolis — for a win that pretty much put its program on the map. Back then, Union had yet to even appear in an NCAA tournament. Now, it's one victory away from the national championship. By Mike Wisniewski. SENT: 730 words, photos.
HKN--ISLANDERS-DEVILS
NEWARK, N.J. — Frans Nielsen, Josh Bailey and Ryan Strome scored in the shootout, and the New York Islanders beat the New Jersey 3-2 in what might have been Devils goalie Martin Brodeur's final start. Devils coach Pete DeBoer hasn't said whether the soon-to-be 42 year-old Brodeur will start the season finale against Boston at home on Sunday. Brodeur, the NHL career leader in wins (687) and shutouts (124) in a 20-year career with New Jersey, is in the last season of his contract. He won three Stanley Cup titles with the Devils. By Tom Canavan. SENT: 627 words, photos.
HKN--BLUE JACKETS-LIGHTNING
TAMPA, Fla. -- Brendan Shanahan will run the Toronto Maple Leafs after handing out suspensions the last three years. Shanahan became the team president Friday, leaving his job as NHL director of player safety. He took over the disciplinarian job from Colin Campbell and will be replaced by Stephane Quintal. Shanahan, a Toronto native, played 1,524 NHL games in 21 seasons and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year. SENT: 239 words, photos.
HKN--MAPLE-LEAFS-SHANAHAN
TORONTO — Former New York Ranger Brendan Shanahan will run the Toronto Maple Leafs after handing out suspensions the last three years. SENT: 242 words.
SOC--WCUP-ITALY-ROSSI
ROME— Giuseppe Rossi was selected Friday for pre-World Cup fitness tests by Italian national team coach Cesare Prandelli. Prandelli will have athletic tests and medical exams performed on 42 players Monday and Tuesday at the national team's Coverciano training complex in Florence. The tests will be designed to simulate hot and humid match conditions in Brazil, and Prandelli has said the data collected will be factored into selections for his 23-man roster. By Andrew Dampf. SENT: 381 words, photos.
SOC--NWSL-SOPHOMORE SEASON
PORTLAND, Ore.— Paul Riley is in a rare position for a new coach: He has inherited a championship team. Riley is taking over the defending NWSL champion Portland Thorns, who open their second season Saturday night against the expansion Houston Dash. The Thorns' former coach, former U.S. national team midfielder Cindy Parlow Cone, unexpectedly stepped down to spend more time with her family a few months after Portland's 2-0 victory over the Western New York Flash in the league's inaugural title game. Parlow Cone is a tough act to follow, Riley said. By Anne M. Peterson. SENT: 874 words, photos.
—HKN--DEVILS-RESCH RETIREMENT: Devils TV analyst Resch to retire Sunday.
—BKN--NETS-PIERCE: Pierce becomes 18th player to reach 25,000 points.
—BKN--NETS LINEUP: Williams, Lingston out for Nets against Hawks.
—RAC--AQUEDUCT: Trainer Rodriguez finishes 1-2 in Big A feature.
— JETER-HAMILTON COLLEGE: Jeter to give talk at upstate NY college in Dec.
— BKN--PELICANS-MOVES: Pelicans bring in ex Syracuse forward James Southerland
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