C. Everett Koop, 'rock star' surgeon general, dies

NEW YORK (AP) — Dr. C. Everett Koop has long been regarded as the nation's doctor— even though it has been nearly a quarter-century since he was surgeon general.Koop, who died Monday at his home in Hanover, N.H., at age 96, was by far the best known and most influential person to carry that title. Koop, a 6-foot-1 evangelical Presbyterian with a biblical prophet's beard, donned a public health uniform...

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Does Eric Garcetti keep his word? Accounts vary

Santiago Perez and his neighbors went straight to Councilman Eric Garcetti when they heard that a developer planned to build...

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Skepticism Surrounds Resumption of Nuclear Talks With Iran

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Talks between Iran and six world powers over its nuclear program resume here on Tuesday after a break of eight months, but there is a general atmosphere of gloom about their prospects for success, even if narrowly defined. Since talks in Moscow last June, Iran has continued to increase its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 percent purity, has begun to install a new...

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Oscar Gowns: The 12 Best Dresses of the Night

02/25/2013 at 05:50 PM EST Jason Merritt/Getty; John Shearer/AP; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic In order to earn a spot in the PEOPLE.com Oscars Best Dressed gallery, a gown must do one of two things: get the unanimous approval of the entire PEOPLE.com style staff…or wow one editor so much that...

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Koop, who transformed surgeon general post, dies

With his long silver beard and uniform with braided trim, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop became one of the most recognizable figures of the Reagan era — and one of the most unexpectedly enduring.His nomination in 1981 met a wall of opposition from women's groups and liberal politicians, who complained President Ronald Reagan selected Koop, a pediatric surgeon and evangelical Christian from...

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Cops wear face masks due to TB outbreak in downtown L.A.

Los Angeles police over the weekend warned officers who patrol the skid row area to wear protective masks and minimize face-to-face contact with suspects or the public if there is reason to believe that they are infected with tuberculosis.The warning, contained in an internal communication to officers and employees in the department's Central Division, comes after The Times reported that...

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World Briefing | Middle East: Iran: News Agency Clarifies Drone Report

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had conducted tests aimed at bringing down a “hypothetical” foreign surveillance drone during a military exercise, the official Fars news agency said late Saturday, and did not actually shoot down or capture a foreign drone. The Islamic Republic News Agency, another official news agency, also reported on the exercise, but omitted the word hypothetical,...

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Channing Tatum & Jenna Dewan-Tatum Show Off Baby Bump at Oscars

By Maggie Coughlan 02/24/2013 at 06:45 PM EST Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum Jason Merritt/Getty Who is your bump wearing?Parents-to-be Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum brought a very special guest to Sunday night's 85th Annual Academy Awards – wearing a black lace, backless dress,...

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FDA approves new targeted breast cancer drug

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-a-kind breast cancer medication that targets tumor cells while sparing healthy ones.The drug Kadcyla from Roche combines the established drug Herceptin with a powerful chemotherapy drug and a third chemical linking the medicines together. The chemical keeps the cocktail intact until it binds to a cancer cell, delivering a potent...

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LAPD snipers with 50-caliber rifles, undercover cops in tuxedos at Oscars

The Los Angeles Police Department will be on high alert during the Academy Awards, and numerous streets around the show's Hollywood venue will be closed Sunday.The LAPD has not released any details of its security plans. A law enforcement source told The Times Sunday that security will be heavy but that there are no extra precautions being taken this year. The source spoke on the condition...

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