Gustavo Archilla, Whose Wedding Inspired Gay-Marriage Advocates, Dies at 96

Gustavo Archilla, whose marriage in Canada in 2003 after almost six decades of a quiet and committed relationship inspired supporters of same-sex marriage, died on Nov. 27 on Marco Island, Fla., where he lived. He was 96. James Estrin/The New York TimesGustavo Archilla, right, and Elmer Lokkins met in Columbus Circle in New York in 1945 and married in Canada in 2003. ...

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Donald Faison Marries Cacee Cobb

By Lesley Messer 12/15/2012 at 08:25 PM EST Cacee Cobb and Donald Faison Dr. Billy Ingram/WireImage It's official! After six years together, Donald Faison and Cacee Cobb were married Saturday night at the Los Angeles home of his Scrubs costar Zach Braff. Cobb's...

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More than 50 shots fired at Fashion Island mall; suspect held

A gunman at Fashion Island in Newport Beach apparently fired more than 50 rounds in a parking lot at the busy shopping mall...

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Obama Walks a Fine Line With Egyptian President

Tara Todras-Whitehill for The New York TimesEgyptians opposed to President Mohamed Morsi prayed in Tahrir Square, Cairo, on Friday. More Photos »CAIRO — Tanks and barbed wire had surrounded Egypt’s presidential palace and crowds of protesters were swarming around last week when President Obama placed a call to President Mohamed Morsi. Mr. Morsi and his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood stood...

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Games top App Store revenue in 2012

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Gunman's Father and Brother Are 'in Shock,' Says a Source

By Diane Herbst 12/14/2012 at 08:50 PM EST State police personnel lead children to safety away from the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shannon Hicks/Newtown Bee/Reuters/Landov The father and older brother of the gunman who was blamed for the Connecticut school shooting are being questioned by...

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Fewer health care options for illegal immigrants

ALAMO, Texas (AP) — For years, Sonia Limas would drag her daughters to the emergency room whenever they fell sick. As an illegal immigrant, she had no health insurance, and the only place she knew to seek treatment was the hospital — the most expensive setting for those covering the cost.The family's options improved somewhat a decade ago with the expansion of community health clinics, which offered...

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Bellflower High theater program gets a boost from star alumni

Edgar Bullington stood with a slight hunch on the stage of Bellflower High School's Robert Newman Theater, slivers of gray hair...

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Money Woes Could Erode High Hamas Standing in Gaza

Tyler Hicks/The New York TimesGaza residents returned to survey the damage to their homes last month after a cease-fire ended the eight-day clash between Israel and Hamas. GAZA CITY — Hamas has been riding high of late, after its professed victory in the recent conflict with Israel and the overthrow last year of Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, an avowed enemy. Nevertheless, it is facing...

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The X Factor Reveals Season 2 Finalists

TV Watch The X Factor 12/13/2012 at 09:10 PM EST Carly Rose Sonenclar, Emblem3, Tate Stevens and Fifth Harmony Ray Mickshaw/FOX (4) Sparks will fly at the finale! On Thursday, The X Factor revealed its top three acts, who will perform next week in the final night...

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Study: People worldwide living longer, but sicker

LONDON (AP) — Nearly everywhere around the world, people are living longer and fewer children are dying. But increasingly, people are grappling with the diseases and disabilities of modern life, according to the most expansive global look so far at life expectancy and the biggest health threats.The last comprehensive study was in 1990 and the top health problem then was the death of children under...

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State population rises in sign of economic recovery

California's population has grown to 37.8 million, continuing the state's trend of slowing but steady growth — about 1% annually...

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Pro-Assad Alawites Blamed in Killings of Others in Sect

Scores of Syrian civilians belonging to President Bashar al-Assad’s minority Alawite sect were killed Tuesday in the first known Alawite massacre since the Syrian conflict began. But the killings, in the village of Aqrab, happened under circumstances that remain unclear. Rights organizations researching the massacre said Wednesday that members of the shabiha, a pro-government Alawite militia,...

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Tevin Hunte Is 'So Happy' After His Voice Elimination

TV Watch The Voice By Jessica Herndon and Julia Haskins 12/12/2012 at 07:45 PM EST Team Cee Lo's Trevin Hunte was eliminated on Tuesday's episode of The Voice, but the soulful singer isn't letting the end of this journey hold him back. "I feel like the best person on the planet Earth. I am so happy and excited...

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Congress examines science behind HGH test for NFL

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional committee has opened a hearing to examine the science behind a human growth hormone test the NFL wants to start using on its players.Nearly two full seasons have passed since the league and the players' union signed a labor deal that set the stage for HGH testing.The NFL Players Association won't concede the validity of a test that's used by Olympic sports and Major...

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$100-million gift to cover costs for 30-plus UCLA medical students

More than 30 incoming medical school students will get a full ride to UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine thanks to a $100-million...

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In Cairo, Effort to Broaden Support for Charter

Hassan Ammar/Associated PressArmy tanks deployed Tuesday in Cairo during a protest outside the presidential palace against President Mohamed Morsi. CAIRO — President Mohamed Morsi’s advisers struggled Tuesday to work with a panel of politicians and intellectuals in an effort to work out last-minute proposals that might broaden support for an Islamist-backed draft constitution that is set to go before...

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Hugh Hefner's Engagement Ring to Crystal Harris Revealed

By Mike Fleeman 12/11/2012 at 07:00 PM EST The wedding's back on – though it may be a good idea to save that gift receipt. Hugh Hefner, 86, officially confirms that he is once again engaged to Crystal Harris, 26, telling his Twitter followers, "I've given Crystal Harris a ring. I love the girl." And to prove...

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Preventing a tragedy for seniors at the wheel

When my dad's driving deteriorated, I called the California Department of Motor Vehicles and asked about the procedure for having his license revoked. I could fill out a form, I was told, and my dad would be called in to have his driving ability reevaluated.I thought about it, but did nothing. My brother said we should remove the carburetor and tell...

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Euro Watch: Bonds in Spain and Italy Shaken by Italian Politics

ROME — Italian stock and bond prices fell on Monday after a weekend of political turmoil in Italy gave rise to fears that the country was headed for renewed instability. Shares of Italian banks, which are big holders of the government’s bonds, were among the hardest hit. The action occurred in the first day of trading after Prime Minister Mario Monti said over the weekend that he would...

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Hayden Panettiere Splits with Scotty McKnight

12/10/2012 at 07:50 PM EST Hayden Panettiere and Scotty McKnight Splash News Online Is there a tear in her beer?Nashville star Hayden Panettiere has broken up with her boyfriend of more than a year, New York Jets wide receiver Scotty McKnight, a source confirms...

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Surprise: New insurance fee in health overhaul law

WASHINGTON (AP) — Your medical plan is facing an unexpected expense, so you probably are, too. It's a new, $63-per-head fee to cushion the cost of covering people with pre-existing conditions under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.The charge, buried in a recent regulation, works out to tens of millions of dollars for the largest companies, employers say. Most of that is likely to be passed...

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Orange County Catholics welcome new bishop, Kevin W. Vann

Nearly 4,000 people gathered at UC Irvine on Monday to welcome the newest leader of Orange County's nearly 1.3 million Catholics.A...

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Sunni Muslim and Alawite Militias Clash in Lebanon

Omar Ibrahim/ReutersLebanese gunmen fired in Tripoli as bodies arrived from Syria. TRIPOLI, Lebanon — Clashes between Sunni Muslim and Alawite militias have killed at least 17 people here recently in perhaps the worst spillover of violence from the civil war in neighboring Syria. Tripoli, which is Lebanon’s second-largest city and is close to the northern border with Syria, has long been...

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In giant “garage sale”, Japan’s TV giants hawk $3 billion of assets

TOKYO (Reuters) – Panasonic Corp, Japan‘s struggling maker of Viera brand TVs, owns more than 10 million square meters of office and factory space, dormitories for its workers and sports facilities for its rugby, baseball and women’s athletics teams.As it battles for Christmas shoppers’ wallets in the year-end holiday season, the sprawling electronics conglomerate is also seeking buyers for some of...

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