Manti Te'o Hoax Incredibly Detailed and Complex

Fresh details have emerged about how complex and layered was the hoax involving Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o and his fake girlfriend, "Lennay Kekua."According to ABC News interviews and published reports, Te'o received phone calls, text messages and letters before every football game from his "girlfriend." He was in contact with her family, including a twin brother,...

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Did Scientology ad cross line?

The Church of Scientology is also at fault for thinking the advertorial would survive The Atlantic readers' scrutiny, Ian Schafer says.STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe Atlantic published and pulled a sponsored Scientology "story"Ian Schafer: On several levels, the ad was a mistakeHe says the content was heavy-handed and comments were being moderatedSchafer: Experimenting to raise revenue makes sense, but standards...

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Lagarde warns more global recovery work needed

WASHINGTON: International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde warned Thursday that more efforts were needed to get the global economy back on track."We stopped the collapse, we should avoid the relapse, and it's not time to relax," Lagarde said at a news conference at the multilateral institution's Washington headquarters."There's still a lot of work to be done."The IMF managing director,...

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His 2nd term, America's 2nd chance?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSReeling from the turmoil of the last four years, the country may be ready to regroupPresident Obama, adopting a more assertive posture, will need to still persuade a divided country to get things doneThe economy is improving, the nation's demographics are shifting and a new America is emergingWashington (CNN) -- On the eve of the inauguration, President Barack Obama's second term may...

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American Airlines introduces new logo

NEW YORK American Airlines is getting a new look.The airline showed off the first plane bearing a new logo and paint job at Dallas--Fort Worth International Airport on Thursday.American's new look/American Airlines/AP The familiar red, white and blue stripes along the side of the fuselage are gone, replaced by a new logo and "American" in large letters on the silver body. Red and blue horizontal...

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'Catfish' Star Reaches Out to Manti Te'o

Nev Schulman, the star and creator of the MTV show "Catfish" that follows Internet dating hoaxes, has reached out to Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o and offered to help solve his girlfriend hoax.Te'o and Notre Dame claim he was a "catfish" victim when it was revealed that the woman he said was his girlfriend and died of leukemia never existed.The "Catfish" television show...

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Gruesome toll of cluster bombs in Syria

STORY HIGHLIGHTSHuman Rights Watch says cluster bombs were used on Syrian town of LatamnehCluster bombs release dozens of smaller bombs, which can maim or kill long after impactSyrian regime has previously denied cluster bombs on civiliansEditor's note: Mary Wareham is the Arms Division's Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch and chief editor of 'Cluster Munition Monitor 2012.' (CNN) -- It was...

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US to recognise first Somali government in 20 years

WASHINGTON: The United States will on Thursday recognise the first Somali government in two decades, heralding a significant shift in ties since the deadly 1993 attack on US helicopters over Mogadishu.The beginning of the new chapter will come when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchanges diplomatic notes with visiting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a top US official said...

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Opinion: Real hypocrites are at NRA

The National Rifle Association has released a video game, "Practice Range," a month after the Newtown, Connecticut, massacre.STORY HIGHLIGHTSNRA releases shooting video game rated for ages 4 and up for free downloadChristopher Ferguson: NRA condemned video game industry less than a month ago Ferguson says the NRA doesn't even take its own claims seriously As queasy as the app is, video games do not...

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13 home buying tips for 2013

(MoneyWatch) Although housing prices started to rebound last year and are expected to continue rising in 2013, it's still a buyer's market. Prices remain 30 percent below their peak before the housing crash and mortgage rates hovering at all-time lows. If you are ready to jump in to the real estate market, here are 13 house-hunting tips for 2013.1. Run the numbers. Put together a financial plan to...

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