Police clash with protesters after May Day rally in Seattle

By Eric M. Johnson

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Eight police officers were hurt and 18 protesters arrested in Seattle on Wednesday when a May Day rally that began peacefully turned violent after dark, with crowds hurling rocks and bottles at police who responded with pepper spray grenades.

Protesters threw rocks, bottles and chunks of asphalt at officers, officials said, smashing store and car windows, overturning trash cans and lining up newspaper display racks to block streets.

Police in riot gear, some riding in armored SWAT vehicles, responded by repeatedly firing "blast ball" grenades, which emit smoke tinged with pepper spray.

"We're a bigger, better city than this," Mayor Mike McGinn said at a news conference. "I'm disappointed that this is the picture the world sees of us."

Most of the 150-200 protesters who had stayed on the street after darkness fell for a "non-permitted" protest had dispersed by midnight.

"We did not start to take action until that group itself started to act violently towards the officers and the community at large," Assistant Police Chief Paul McDonagh said.

The day started with a peaceful march in support of immigrant rights, part of May Day rallies in cities across the U.S. West planned by a coalition of organized labor activists, students, civil rights advocates and members of the clergy.

In Los Angeles, thousands of protesters marched through downtown waving American flags and carrying signs with the slogan, "Stop deportations."

One police officer told Reuters that unofficial estimates put the size of the crowd in Los Angeles at roughly 3,500 people. No arrests were reported.

In Arizona, where a state crackdown against illegal immigration was signed into law three years ago, several hundred people joined a late-afternoon rally outside the state Capitol in Phoenix, ahead of a march through downtown.

McGinn said Seattle officials had not expected violence but had wanted police to maintain a visible presence for the rally following the Boston Marathon bombing two weeks ago.

"The Boston situation is really on all of our minds," McGinn said. "I thought it was important to ... be in a position to move promptly if there were law breaking."

Of the eight officers who were hurt most suffered only scrapes and bruises, police officials said, although a policewoman was hit in the knee by a large chunk of asphalt.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators in April introduced an 844-page bill, backed by President Barack Obama, that would rewrite many of America's immigration laws.

A centerpiece of the measure would create a path to legal status and ultimately citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

It also aims to secure the U.S. border with Mexico against illegal entry and to make it easier for industry, particularly high-tech businesses and agriculture, to hire workers from abroad when needed.

(Additional reporting by Richard Cowan in Washington, D.C., Tim Gaynor in Phoenix, Elaine Porterfield in Seattle and Alex Dobuzinskis, Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Philip Barbara and Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-call-immigration-reform-los-angeles-may-day-002300781.html

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IOC, WADA condemn ruling on Puerto blood bags

LONDON (AP) ? Olympic and anti-doping officials condemned a Spanish court's decision to destroy the blood bags seized in the Operation Puerto case, saying it undermines efforts to catch the cheaters and uncover the full extent of one of the biggest drug scandals in sports.

"It's fundamentally wrong from the point of view of conducting an efficient fight against doping," IOC medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering a possible appeal of Tuesday's ruling by Judge Julia Santamaria, who ordered the destruction of more than 200 bags of blood and other evidence gathered in police raids on Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes in 2006.

Santamaria cited Spanish privacy laws for her decision not to turn over the evidence to anti-doping authorities. The ruling, unless overturned on appeal, would prevent officials from identifying the doctor's blood-doping clients and pursuing disciplinary cases against them.

Several prominent cyclists have been identified in the scandal. Fuentes testified he had clients from other sports, including soccer, tennis, boxing and track, but they were not identified.

WADA director general David Howman called the decision "particularly disappointing and unsatisfactory" for the entire anti-doping movement.

"Access to this evidence motivated WADA's involvement in the case," Howman said in a statement. "This would ensure appropriate sports sanction processes against the cheats who used Dr. Fuentes' services."

The Madrid court found Fuentes guilty of endangering public health and handed him a one-year suspended jail sentence. He was barred from medical practice in sports for four years and ordered to pay a $6,000 fine.

"This goes against the principles of the anti-doping code," Ljungqvist told the AP in a telephone interview. "We've been waiting for the information for years now. Every possibility we have to gain more knowledge as to what has happened and how people behaved is of great importance to us."

More than 50 cyclists were implicated in the Puerto case and several were identified by name as having worked with Fuentes.

Howman said WADA is reviewing the court decision and is in contact with the Spanish anti-doping agency about whether to appeal. The deadline is May 17.

Ana Munoz, head of the Spanish agency, said earlier she would appeal.

"For the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency it is very important to know the whole truth and, with this sentence, we only know a part of the truth," she said.

The International Olympic Committee has long been calling for all the evidence to be turned over.

"It is unfortunate that the evidence used in this proceeding is not now being made available to anti-doping organizations to further the fight against doping," the IOC said in a statement.

The IOC stores doping samples from the Olympics for eight years so they can re-tested when new methods become available.

Several drug cheats from the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Games have been caught and stripped of medals in IOC retests conducted years later. Under proposals for the new WADA code, the storage period for samples would be extended to 10 years.

Ljungqvist, who is also a vice president of WADA, said the Puerto case will be addressed at the next WADA executive committee meeting in Montreal on May 11.

The decision to destroy the blood samples also drew criticism in Britain from the chief executive of UK Anti-Doping.

"Dr. Fuentes has admitted to having been involved in multiple prohibited doping activities, and linked with multiple unnamed athletes," Andy Parkinson said. "It therefore cannot be right that these names will remain unknown and that no immediate action can be taken by the anti-doping community to protect our clean athletes."

British tennis star Andy Murray, the U.S. Open champion and No. 3-ranked player, expressed outrage on Twitter: "Operation Puerto case is beyond a joke ... biggest coverup in sports history? Why would court order blood bags to be destroyed? (hashtag)coverup."

Spain has been trying to shake its reputation as being soft in the fight against doping. With Madrid bidding to host the 2020 Olympics, the government recently announced that a new anti-doping bill will be submitted to parliament this summer, ahead of the IOC vote in September.

"We understand ... that the Spanish government is moving to approve anti-doping legislation in parliament that would bring Spain in line with the principles of the World Anti-Doping Code and the UNESCO Convention against doping in sport and we express hope that this will lead to greater cooperation with anti-doping organizations in the future," the IOC said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ioc-wada-condemn-ruling-puerto-blood-bags-173914379.html

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US economic fears weigh on markets ahead of Fed

LONDON (AP) ? With a large chunk of Europe on holiday, financial markets were muted Wednesday ahead of a policy statement from the Federal Reserve.

A couple of soft economic reports raised concerns over the state of the U.S. economy but reinforced market expectations that the Fed will persevere with its super-easy and cheap monetary policy for a bit longer than had been anticipated.

The Fed finishes its two-day meeting later Wednesday and a statement will be published with investors keen to see if there is any change in tone over the central bank's view of the economic outlook.

Wednesday's data dump will likely have strengthened the hand of the most dovish members of the Federal Open Market Committee.

First, ADP reported that private employers in the U.S. added only 119,000 jobs last month, down from March's gain of 131,000 and below market expectations for a 150,000 increase.

That was followed by a fall in the Institute for Supply Management's main manufacturing index to 50.7 in April from 51.3 in March. Though that was marginally ahead of market expectations for a fall to 50.5, the index is just above the 50 threshold that indicates an expansion in activity. Particularly concerning was a sharp fall in the employment component of the index, all the more so after the weak ADP figures and ahead of Friday's nonfarm payrolls data for April.

"The spring lull continues....and it is just April," said Jennifer Lee, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets.

As a result, U.S. shares drifted lower, with the Dow Jones industrial average down 0.4 percent at 14,775 while the S&P 500 index fell 0.5 percent to 1,589.

In Europe, there was little going on with most markets closed for the May Day holiday. Of the major indexes, only Britain's FTSE 100 was trading and it was 0.2 percent higher at 6,439.

Earlier in Asia, the yen's appreciation weighed on the Nikkei 225 index, which fell 0.4 percent to close at 13,799.35. Japan's exporters have seen their share prices shoot up over the past few weeks on the back of the yen's fall which makes their products more competitive in international markets. The U.S. data added to the dollar's soft tone and it was trading 0.3 percent at 97.14 yen.

The tone in Asia was generally subdued after a survey showed the pace of China's manufacturing growth slowed in April, raising fears of a weaker recovery in the world's second-largest economy. Chinese markets were closed though so couldn't react to the news.

Oil prices dipped following a strong run and the downbeat U.S. data, with the benchmark New York rate down $2.55 at $90.91 a barrel.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-economic-fears-weigh-markets-ahead-fed-144548261.html

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MasterCard 1Q profit rises, but economy 'choppy'

NEW YORK (AP) ? Payments processor MasterCard Inc. said that its profit and revenue rose in the first quarter as card users spent more. Profit beat the forecasts of Wall Street analysts, though revenue missed slightly and the company's stock fell in midday trading.

Company executives sketched a picture of a mixed global economy and a U.S. consumer suffering from the payroll tax hike that took effect in January. The results showed stronger growth outside the U.S. than at home, with purchases in Asia, the Middle East and Africa growing the most.

The Purchase, N.Y., company does business all over the world, and its results are a window into how people are spending ? and how they're feeling about the economy ? on all different income levels.

In the U.S., consumer spending was relatively strong in January after a weak holiday season, MasterCard executives said. But it slowed in February and March, and MasterCard leaders guessed that was because consumers were registering the effect of the higher payroll taxes, a result of negotiations over the federal budget in Washington.

The U.S. economy in the first quarter "was definitely very choppy," MasterCard Chief Financial Officer Martina Hund-Mejean said in an interview with The Associated Press. She expects the current quarter to be muted as well.

"We have still a very high unemployment rate, housing is just starting to get better, all the discussion in Washington about the fiscal debt ? that makes people feel uncomfortable," Hund-Mejean said. "So there are a number of things that are not resolved."

CEO Ajay Banga said he was pleased that the first-quarter results met the company's own expectations, despite the "challenging economic conditions." He said U.S. consumers had also been hurt in the first quarter by high prices for food and gas, as well as winter storms in March.

Sterne Agee analyst Greg Smith described the quarter as "a slow start," with some measures of revenue lighter than he expected. Overall, though, results were in line with expectations, Smith said in a note to clients. A lower-than-expected tax rate helped, and he noted that the year-ago quarter was particular strong, meaning the company had a tough comparison to meet.

MasterCard is trying to elbow its bigger rival Visa out of the way for market share in the debit card business, but Visa has stepped up efforts to regain lost ground. Spending on MasterCard-branded debit cards rose more than spending on credit and charge cards.

MasterCard is also focusing on developing countries, where most transactions are still done in cash. The company has been expanding in the region that includes Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and signed an agreement to "explore opportunities" in China.

Purchases in Asia, the Middle East and Africa grew 20 percent over the year measured in U.S. dollars, 13 percent in Europe and almost 11 percent in Latin America. In the U.S., growth was just 4 percent.

MasterCard earned $766 million in the first three months of the year, up 12 percent from the same period a year ago, the company reported Wednesday. That worked out to $6.23 per share, beating the $6.18 per share expected, on average, by analysts polled by FactSet.

Revenue rose 8 percent to $1.9 billion, slightly less than the $1.93 billion forecast by financial analysts who follow the company.

MasterCard's stock fell $13.11, or 2.4 percent, to close at $539.82 Wednesday. Shares have traded between $389.90 and $552.93 in the past 52 weeks, and are up about 10 percent since the start of the year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mastercard-1q-profit-rises-economy-choppy-162536399.html

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Exclusive: Big Time Rush Land Austin Mahone, Nick Cannon For Season Finale

Karmin and Alexa Vega will also be on hand for the finale of season four, kicking off tonight at 8 p.m. on Nickelodeon.
By Jocelyn Vena

Nick Cannon and Austin Mahone
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706668/big-time-rush-austin-mahone-nick-cannon-season-finale.jhtml

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The Moneysaver: Your New Router & Gaming Headset, Plus Infinite ...

This router is known colloquially as the "Dark Knight." Sold.

If you're in the market for a new router, or think you should be, we're here to recommend the ASUS RT-N66U. For the average person, I'd recommend just grabbing an Apple Airport Express or Airport Extreme, setting up your network, and never thinking about it again. But if you're a power user, the ASUS is the way to go.

It's the Wirecutter's favorite router, and highly-regarded on Amazon after over 400 reviews. Those three antennas are removable and upgradeable, and the router supports custom firmware. At $150 with today's deal, it even comes in cheaper than the Airport Extreme. [Amazon]

If you feel 802.11ac is something you must have right now, the ASUS RT-AC66U has you covered for an additional $40.

Need a new gaming mouse? We've got just the cheap ticket.

Wish you had all those Star Wars and Star Trek blu-rays on your shelf? Here you go.

Tech

If you're looking for a gaming headset, this Turtle Beach is an awesome deal. If you're looking for non-gaming cans, and you're looking to spend normal people money, the Audio-Technicas are the ones to beat.
? Turtle Beach Ear Force XP 300 Wireless Gaming Headset ($100) | Amazon via Deals
? Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones [White] ($112) | Amazon via Dealzmodo | $122+ elsewhere, white color rarely goes on sale

? Klipsch Image S4A In-Ear Headphones with Inline Mic ($35) | woot! via 9to5Toys | $45+ elsewhere

? Kindle Paperwhite ($100) | Amazon | Normally $120 | Use code KINDLEPW | There has been some randomness with this code, but I have used it successfully. It is one use per account and does not require Prime.

? 16GB iPad 4th Gen. Wifi ($450) | eBay | Normally $500

? Google Nexus 7 32GB Android 4.2 ($220) | eBay (Adorama) via 9to5Toys | $250 elsewhere

? Xbox 360 Wired Controller ($30) | Amazon via Reddit | $40 elsewhere

? Samsung 40" 1080p LED HDTV + $150 Dell Gift Card ($500) | Dell via Tech Deal Digger | $640+ elsewhere

? Dell UltraSharp 27" 2560x1440 IPS Monitor ($630) | Dell via Tech Deal Digger | $745+ elsewhere | Use code ?K0N8$SDH1ZF0P

? Refurbished Samsung Smart Blu-ray Player with Wifi ($40) | All4Cellular via 9to5Toys

? Canon PowerShot 16.1MP Wifi Digital Camera ($118) | Amazon via Tech Deal Digger | $140+ elsewhere, lowest ever

? Canon PIXMA Wireless Color Photo Printer/Scanner/Copier ($100) | Amazon via Deals | $140+ elsewhere

? Vector SSD + FREE Far Cry 3 (starting at $140) | Newegg via Reddit

Windows/Mac

? Pre-order Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon [UPlay] ($12) | Gamefly via Reddit | Normally $15

? Pre-order Shadowrun Returns [Steam] ($18) | Steam | Normally $20 | Deluxe Edition pre-order also on sale.

? Early Access Blade Symphony [Steam] ($15) | Steam | Normally $20

? Today Only Lone Survivor [Steam] ($2.50) | Steam | Normally $10

? Bundle Helldorado [Steam or DRM-Free] (Pay what you want, min. $1 for two games, min. $5 for 5) | IndieGala | 2 or 5 games including Airline Tycoon Deluxe

? Beware Planet Earth! (Pay what you want/Charity, min. $0.25, min. $1 for Desura key) | IndieGameStand

? Greenlit Receiver [Steam] ($4) | Steam | Normally $5

Green Man Gaming [Steam] | Use code GMG20-GGN5D-FC3NA
? Tomb Raider ($20) | $25+ elsewhere, lowest ever.
? Bundle Tomb Raider Collection ($12) | Normally $60 | 9 games
? Bundle Max Payne 3 + L.A. Noire ($16) | Normally $100
? Bundle Dirt 3 + Dirt Showdown + FUEL + GRID ($27) | Normally $80
? Mafia II Complete Pack ($9) | Normally $53
? Bundle Bully and Manhunt ($5) | Normally $25

? Bioshock: Infinite ($46) | Green Man Gaming | Normally $60

Playstation 3

? Pre-order Metro: Last Light Limited Edition ($50) | Newegg via Dealzon | Normally $60

? Bioshock Infinite ($45) | Best Buy via Daily Game Deals | Normally $60

? Dead Island Riptide Rigor Mortis Edition ($55) | Best Buy via Daily Game Deals
? Dead Island Riptide Special Edition ($35) | Best Buy via Daily Game Deals

? Crysis 3 ($40) | Amazon via Daily Game Deals | Normally $60

? Dead Space 3 ($40) | Amazon via Daily Game Deals | Normally $60

? UFC Undisputed 13 ($8) | Best Buy via Daily Dame Deals

? Madden NFL 13 ($25) | Amazon via Dealzon | $60 elsewhere

? NCAA Football 13 ($25) | Amazon via Daily Game Deals

Xbox 360

? Pre-order Metro: Last Light Limited Edition ($50) | Newegg via Dealzon | Normally $60

? Bioshock Infinite ($45) | Best Buy via Daily Game Deals | Normally $60

? Dead Island Riptide Rigor Mortis Edition ($55) | Best Buy via Daily Game Deals
? Dead Island Riptide Special Edition ($35) | Best Buy via Daily Game Deals

? Crysis 3 ($40) | Amazon via Daily Game Deals | Normally $60

? Dead Space 3 ($40) | Amazon via Daily Game Deals | Normally $60

? UFC Undisputed 13 ($8) | Best Buy via Daily Dame Deals

? Madden NFL 13 ($25) | Amazon via Dealzon | $60 elsewhere

? NCAA Football 13 ($25) | Amazon via Daily Game Deals

? Assassin's Creed Revelations | Best Buy via Daily Game Deals

? Xbox 360 Wired Controller ($30) | Amazon via Reddit | $40 elsewhere

Wii U

? ZombiU ($40) | Best Buy via Daily Game Deals | Must be a Reward Zone member, which is free.

? Wii U Basic with Nintendo Land ($280) | Best Buy via Deals

Playstation Vita

? Pre-order Muramasa: Rebirth ($30) | Newegg via Dealzon | Normally $40

? Unit 13 ($15) | Amazon | Normally $30

3DS

? 3DS XL Pink + Crosswords + Accessories ($180) | Walmart via Deals

iOS

? Anomaly: Warzone Earth ($2) | iTunes via Tech Deal Digger | Normally $4

? Star Wars Pinball ($1) | iTunes via Dealzmodo | Originally $2

Android

? Anomaly: Warzone Earth HD ($2) | Google Play via AppSales | Normally $4

Inventory

? Seiko Men's Chronograph Strap Watch ($139) | Amazon via Deals

? 30% off Gilt | Gilt via Dealzmodo | Use code MY30

? Nerf Pryagon Vortex Blaster ($26) | Amazon via Dealzmodo | Normally $40

? Zojirushi Mr. Bento Stainless Lunch Jar ($36) | Amazon via Deals

Interested in more shaving-related deals? Click here for our Moneyshaver.
? Panasonic All-in-One Cordless Hair and Beard Trimmer ($25) | Amazon via Tech Deal Digger | $40 elsewhere

? BustedTees $15 for $30 | Eversave via Dealzmodo

? Kenneth Cole Pea Coats ($36) | Groupon via FatWallet | $250 list price

? North Face RDT 100 Full Zip Jacket ($37.50) | Nordstrom | Was $75

Incoming Mother's Day.
? 1800Flowers $15 for $30 OR $20 for $40 | AmazonLocal via Deals

? Frozen Coke or Frozen Cherry ($0.75) | Burger King

Welcome to the new Moneysaver, now brought to you by the Commerce Team every weekday at 2:15pm EST. We're here to bring Kotaku readers the best gaming deals available, and to be clear, we also make money if you buy. We want your feedback.

Double the max counts, half the price. A gaming mouse will up your game and your enjoyment of your? Read?Videogames and movies. It's the best of both worlds.Read?Shave your face, not your wallet.Read?

Source: http://kotaku.com/the-moneysaver-your-new-router-gaming-headset-plus-485324413

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UK police to track dementia patients using GPS

LONDON (AP) ? A British police force is hoping to save time and money by giving a few dementia patients GPS tracking devices, a move condemned by some campaigners as "barbaric."

Last week, Sussex police announced a plan to buy GPS devices for 15 people with dementia who are at high risk of getting lost.

The device can be worn around the neck or attached to a keychain. It sends the person's GPS location to a website every four minutes.

Chief Inspector Tanya Jones described it as a "cost-effective" strategy, which would save police time and money by not having to frequently search for lost patients.

The National Pensioners Convention on Wednesday slammed the idea as inhumane and said patients could be stigmatized and made to feel like criminals.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-police-track-dementia-patients-using-gps-143841793.html

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