Christmas Tornadoes Tear Across South

A nasty Christmastime storm system spawned blizzard conditions in some states and at least 15 reported tornadoes in the South, damaging homes, taking out power lines and dangerously snarling holiday travel.Severe weather swept across the United States during the Christmas holiday, bringing tornadoes and intense thunderstorms to the Gulf Coast, while dumping heavy snow and freezing...

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New Scientist 2012 holiday quiz

Continue reading page |1 |2 THIS was the year we held our breath in almost unbearable anticipation while we waited to see whether physicists at the Large Hadron Collider would finally get a clear view of the Higgs boson, so tantalisingly hinted at last December. Going a bit blue, we held on through March when one of the...

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Zelizer: Six political lessons of 2012

2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The...

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Extreme weather worries across U.S. on Christmas Day

Updated 8:04 p.m. ETBoth coasts of the country are dealing with unusual weather this week during an especially challenging time. An estimated 93 million Americans are expected to drive or fly more than 50 miles from home for the holidays. In the Sierra Mountains, they're dealing with three feet of snow in some spots. From the possibility of tornados to heavy snowfall, there is great potential for...

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Newtown Christmas: 'We Know They'll Feel Loved'

People drawn to Newtown to share in its mourning brought cards and handmade snowflakes to town Monday while residents prepared to observe Christmas less than two weeks after a gunman killed 20 children and six educators at an elementary school.On Christmas Eve, residents said they would light luminaries outside their homes in memory of the victims. Tiny empty Christmas stockings...

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Today on New Scientist: 21 December 2012

Cadaver stem cells offer new hope of life after death Stem cells can be extracted from bone marrow five days after death to be used in life-saving treatmentsApple's patents under fire at US patent office The tech firm is skating on thin ice with some of the patents that won it a $1 billion settlement against SamsungHimalayan dam-building threatens endemic species The world's highest mountains...

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"Bleach" creator Tite Kubo weds

TOKYO: The creator of the popular Japanese manga series "Bleach", Tite Kubo, revealed Saturday during the "Jump Festa 2013" anime and manga convention held in Tokyo that he has gotten married, reported Japanese media.The 35-year-old manga artiste, whose real name is Noriaki Kubo, simply said "I got married", in handouts that contained notes from various manga authors, which were distributed...

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Indian PM calls for peace amid outrage over gang rape

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: India's prime minister says the public anger is "genuine and justified"NEW: Authorities are working to "ensure security and safety" for women, he saysFor a second day, protesters are blasted with water cannons in New Delhi Police say a woman was gang-raped and badly beaten on a busNew Delhi (CNN) -- India's prime minister called for calm Sunday after clashes erupted between police...

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Sen. Michael Crapo arrested on DUI in Virginia

Sen. Michael Crapo, R.-Idaho, was arrested in Virginia early Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence, Alexandria police say. Police spokesman Craig T. Fifer said an officer was on routine patrol when he saw Sen. Crapo's vehicle run a red light. It was stopped at Hume Avenue and Mount Vernon at 12:45 a.m. Crapo then underwent several field sobriety tests, which he failed, Fifer...

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Get 'em While You Can? Gun Sales Soar

The National Rifle Association may still get its way and defeat the lawmakers calling for a ban on the sale of assault ridles, but some gun store owners say it seems their customers aren't taking any chances."We have never seen anything like this," said Larry Hyatt, who owns a gun shop in Charlotte, N.C. "We have the Christmas business, the hunting season business, and now we...

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