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President Obama, First Lady to host dinner for Iraq war vets

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Tejinder Singh – AHN News Correspondent

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will honor Iraq War veterans and their families at the White House on Feb. 29, according to Jay Carney, the White House spokesman.

Addressing journalists at the daily briefing, Carney said, “The White House has been working with military and civilian leaders from the Department of Defense on this tribute, and we will release more details regarding the dinner when they become available.”

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a Facebook post, “We will be honored to be a part of ‘A Nation’s Gratitude’ hosted by President and Mrs. Obama to recognize the significant contributions of the U.S. military and military families to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.”

“These heroes and those they represent have sacrificed to defend our nation and provide the Iraqi people an opportunity for a peaceful and secure future,” he said, adding, “I’m proud of their courage and appreciate this appropriate recognition of their service.”

Carney announced that guests will include men and women in uniform from all ranks, services, states and backgrounds.

He cited the dinner as “an expression of the nation’s gratitude for the achievements and enormous sacrifices of the brave Americans who served in the Iraq war, and of the families who supported them.”

With First Lady Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, launching a project to provide assistance to military personnel and their families, the president recently announced new steps to help find jobs for post-9/11 military personnel who have left the service or plan to do so.

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Laura Kaeppeler, Miss Wisconsin, named Miss America 2012

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Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Las Vegas, NV, United States (AHN) – There she is! Laura Kaeppeler, Miss America 2012.

The beauty from Wisconsin was crowned Saturday night at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Hosted by Chris Harrison of The Bachelor and Brooke Burke-Charvet of Dancing With the Stars, the event featured blinding pearly white smiles, sparkling floor-length gowns and Barbie-doll figures.

Judges included “Dancing With the Stars” pro Mark Ballas; ABC reality honcho Mike Fleiss; Kris Jenner, matriarch of the Kardasian clan; actress Teri Polo; and “Good Morning America” anchor Lara Spencer.

Kaeppeler, 23, majored in music and vocal performance at a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Kenosha. She said she originally wanted to become a speech therapist. For the talent competition, Kaeppler sang an operatic piece.

After winning the $50,000 scholarship and the title, Kaeppeler said she plans to pursue a career specializing in helping children of incarcerated adults.

The fourth runner-up was Miss California; third was Miss Arizona; and second was Miss New York. Taking the spot as first runner-up was Miss Oklahoma, Betty Thompson.

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Tucson marks one-year annivesary of Giffords shooting

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Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Tucson, AZ, United States (AHN) – A resounding chorus of bells resonated across Tucson Sunday as the southern Arizona city marked the one-year anniversary of a shooting rampage that claimed six lives and nearly killed Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Church bells rang at 10:11 a.m., the precise time authorities received the first 911 call reporting the deadly shootings at a local Safeway supermarket on Jan. 8, 2011. The city planned a full day of events to commemorate the tragedy with reverence and respect.

Rep. Giffords returned to her hometown Friday with husband Mark Kelly. She made a surprise appearance Saturday at a local trailhead named in honor of Gabe Zimmerman, a close aide who was one of the six killed in the attacks. She spent the rest of the day visiting the scene of the shooting, and then stopped at the intensive care unit of the University of Arizona Medical Center.

On Sunday, Giffords was scheduled to attend a vigil on the University of Arizona campus.

Dozens of events around Tucson over the weekend also paid homage to the victims.

The alleged shooter, Jared Loughner, remains in custody as his mental state is evaluated and he awaits trial.

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U2, Taylor Swift lead top grossing tours of 2011

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Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – A little bit of country and lots of rock and roll made up the highest grossing tours of 2011 in North America.

U2 took in $156 million from 25 shows in 21 North American cities in 2011, making the band the highest grossing tour act of the year, Pollstar reports. Worldwide, the group raked in $231.9 million for 2011.

Taylor Swift just missed breaking the $100 million mark in North America. The pop-country beauty earned $97.7 million over 80 dates in 59 cities on her “Speak Now” tour.

Kenny Chesney was third with $84.6 million, followed by Lady Gaga with $63.7 million and Bon Jovi with $57.1 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were Elton John, Sade, Jay-Z, Kayne West’s “Watch the Throne” tour, Lil Wayne and Celine.

Worldwide, the reunion tour of the British teen pop act Take That finished second, just behind U2, with $224 million. Bon Jovi took the number three slot, followed by Taylor Swift and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame.

The top 25 acts in North America for 2011 grossed $1.19 billion, down slightly from the $1.24 billion earned in 2010.

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Highest ranking woman plans to leave Pentagon

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Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Washingotn, D.C., United States (AHN) – Michele Flournoy, the Undersecretary of Defense and the highest ranking female civilian to hold a Defense Department position, announced Monday she will step down.

Flournoy said Monday that after serving three years as the top adviser to the Secretary of Defense she is quitting in February to spend more time with her family.

Flournoy, who turns 51 on Wednesday, has three children aged 9,12 and 14. Her husband, W. Scott Gould, is deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Flournoy said she will continue to support President Obama and his reelection campaign as a possible informal advisor on national security.

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Heroes of HIV: The prison educator

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Port-au-Prince, Haiti (IRIN) – The latest chapter in our Heroes of HIV film series follows former prisoner Jean Julux Alusma as he works to increase awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS among inmates of Haiti’s jails.

“In Haiti, 120,000 people are living with AIDS, of which 67,000 are women, who are always more at risk,” says Alusma. Today, Haiti has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the Caribbean, with 2.2 percent of adults estimated to be HIV positive. Young women are more than twice as likely to be infected as young men.

In Haiti’s only women’s prison, Alusma trains a select group of peer educators, who in turn pass on the information to other prisoners.

“When prisoners are exposed to other prisoners teaching them about HIV, they are much more willing to accept an HIV test, more willing to access medical care and more eager to take their medications and enter into treatment,” says John May of Health Through Walls, an NGO.

In Haiti, stigma, discrimination, a weak health care system and extreme poverty greatly increase the impact of HIV/AIDS.

According to one of Alusma’s trainees, “in Haiti, most women don’t have jobs and depend on men for clothes and food… to keep that relationship they have to have sex with them. I’ve learnt a lot here and when I get out, I’m going to be passing on the information to my son and daughter.”

– Provided by Integrated Regional Information Networks.

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J.R. Martinez wins ‘Dancing With The Stars’

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Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – War hero and Army veteran, 28-year-old J.R. Martinez, and his partner Karina Smirnoff were crowned the winners Tuesday night of Dancing With The Stars season 13.

The three finalists–Ricki Lake, Rob Kardashian, and Martinez–danced one last time before Martinez was awarded the coveted mirror ball trophy and announced the winner.

First to go in the nail-biting elimination was Lake and her partner Derek Hough. That left Martinez and Smirnoff, and Kardashian with his partner Cheryl Burke, to duke it out for the win.

Kardashian and Burke performed an emotional dance that Kardashian dedicated to his late father, and the judges scored them 26 out of a possible 30.

Martinez and Smirnoff danced last and performed a near perfect jive, good for a score of 28.

On his win, Martinez gushed, “Thank you America for believing in us.”

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Arnie Palmer sinks 20th hole-in-one

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Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Orlando, FL, United States (AHN) – Arnold Palmer has done it again. In fact, he now has done it 20 times.

The ace golfer sank his 20th hole-in-one Tuesday on the 7th hole of the Charger Course at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, FL.

Palmer not only claimed that impressive feat, he also shot 79 for the round, three under his age.

Palmer carded his last ace eight years ago, also at Bay Hill, the resort he owns. His first was scored as a mere teenager at Latrobe County Club in Pennsylvania.

According to Golf Digest, the odds of a pro sinking a hole-in-one are 1 in 3,756. For an amateur it is 1 in 12,750.

Palmer became the first golfer to reach $1 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour in 1967. He became a member of the PGA Hall of fame in 1980. His rivalry with Jack Nicklaus during the 1960s is often credited with turning golf into the major spectator sport that it is today.

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IBM promotes Virginia Rometty as first female chief executive

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Vittorio Hernandez – AHN News

New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Virginia Rometty, a senior vice president for International Business Machines, made corporate history on Tuesday by being named the company’s first female chief executive.

The IBM board announced Rometty’s appointment to replace current chief executive Samuel Palmisano, 60, who will become chairman in 2012.

She is currently senior vice president for sales, marketing and strategy. Known as Ginni, the 54-year-old executive was also elected to join IBM’s board of directors. When she assumes her post in January, Rometty will be the ninth chief executive of the 100-year-old technology giant.

Rometty has been named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune Magazine. Palmisano, who had been chief executive since 2002, said Rometty was the board’s choice because she had successfully led several of IBM’s most important businesses in the past 10 years and is the ideal CEO to head the firm into its next 100 years.

A computer science degree holder from Northwestern University, Rometty joined IBM in 1981 as a systems engineer. She rose to executive positions over the years and oversaw the integration of PricewaterhouseCoopers after IBM took over the consulting company in 2002 for $3.5 billion.

She beat out IBM SVP Steven Mills, who leads the company’s software division. Rometty was the board’s choice because Mills turned 60, the standard retirement age of IBM executives.

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Shipwreck of the SS Gairsoppa found with 7 million pounds of silver

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Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Tampa, FL, United States (AHN) – Hi Ho Silver!

The SS Gairsoppa was carrying seven million ounces of silver when it was sunk during World War II. The 412-foot steel-hulled ship was torpedoed while in the service of the Military of War Transport.

On Monday, Odyssey Marine Exploration of Tampa, FL, announced it had confirmed the identity and location of the shipwreck site in the North Atlantic, about 300 miles off the coast of Ireland in international waters. It is the largest shipwreck ever found with precious metals on board.

In 2010, the UK Department for Transport awarded Odyssey Marine the exclusive salvage for the cargo of the ship through a competitive tender process.

Odyssey has begun the process of bringing up the find. Under the salvage agreement, Odyssey Marine will retain 80 percent of the net value of the silver bullion recovered.

On Tuesday, the price of silver was trading at $31.75 an ounce.

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