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3 more plead guilty in scheme tied to truck stop chain owned by Browns owner, Tenn. governor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Three more employees of the truck stop chain owned by the Cleveland Browns' owner and Tennessee's governor have pleaded guilty in what authorities call a scheme to cheat trucking firms out of rebates. Regional sales manager Kevin Clark pleaded guilty to mail fraud in federal court in Knoxville on Tuesday. Knoxville media report that Holly Radford, an account manager, and salesman Jay Stinnett entered similar pleas later in the day.

UN reports highest level of refugees since 1994 as Canada tightens policy

OTTAWA - Refugee numbers around the world are at their highest level since 1994, the United Nations refugee agency reported Tuesday in a sobering look at global displacement. More than 45.2 million people either fled their own countries or were internally displaced in 2012, compared to 42.5 million the year before, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in its annual global trends report. War remained the dominant reason for displacement — 55 per cent of all refugees came from five war-affected countries: Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Sudan.

Maine Democrats scramble after governor blocks Medicaid expansion

By Dave Sherwood BOWDOINHAM, Maine (Reuters) - Democratic legislators in Maine scrambled on Tuesday to muster the votes needed to override Republican Governor Paul LePage's late-night veto of a bill to expand Medicaid coverage to an additional 60,000 people.

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___ NSA director says plot against Wall Street foiled WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. foiled a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange because of the sweeping surveillance programs at the heart of a debate over national security and personal privacy, officials said Tuesday at a rare open hearing on intelligence — a set-piece for supporters of the spying.

Bobsleigh: Jones cheque remark rebounds on her

US hurdles star Lolo Jones, bidding to reach the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in the bobsleigh, has annoyed many of her rivals with a video complaining about her small cheque for her season so far. In the Vine video, Jones mocks the $741.84 cheque from the US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation based on results, saying, "I'm going to be late on my rent this month," after receiving that sum for seven months of bobsled competition.

Moves to limit contractor access to secrets meets resistance

By Mark Hosenball and Andrea Shalal-Esa (Reuters) - Industry executives and some corners of the U.S. intelligence community are pushing back against possible legislative moves to curb contractors' access to classified information. Following leaks by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, Senate Intelligence Chairman Dianne Feinstein is working on legislation intended to restrict spy agencies from assigning contractors like Snowden to sensitive jobs.

Obamacare-like groups tied to lower costs: study

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Large independent doctor practices that focus on primary care tend to spend less money and are more likely to meet guidelines for Americans on Medicare than smaller groups, according to a new study. The findings suggest that the so-called Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) created by the 2010 Affordable Care Act may improve the quality of care while lowering spending, said the study's lead author.

Illinois pension fix headed to legislative conference committee

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Seeking to break a weeks-long impasse in efforts to fix the state's woefully underfunded pension system, Illinois will turn to a rarely used legislative conference committee in hopes of reaching a compromise solution, Governor Pat Quinn's office said on Tuesday.

Federal integrity commissioner probing hirings by Cape Breton development agency

HALIFAX - A letter from the federal integrity commissioner says the chief executive of an economic development agency in Cape Breton is being investigated for alleged patronage appointments. Mario Dion, commissioner of the Office of Public Sector Integrity, wrote that his office launched the inquiry into four hirings by John Lynn, chief executive of Enterprise Cape Breton Corp., following a complaint by Liberal MP Gerry Byrne.

G8 calls for urgent Syria peace talks despite Russia split

G8 leaders called Tuesday for a peace conference on Syria to be held as soon as possible but deep divisions remained as Russia stood by its embattled Middle East ally. At the end of two days of tough talks in Northern Ireland, the leaders agreed to push for a transitional government in Syria that could include members of President Bashar al-Assad's regime who switched sides.
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