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Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes

Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.
Briefing
How dangerous are near-Earth asteroids? 5 key questions answered.

On Feb. 15, asteroid 2012 DA14, discovered a year ago, cleared Earth by a scant 17,200 miles. The same day, a smaller, unrelated asteroid that no one saw coming exploded 12 to 15 miles above Russia’s Chelyabinsk region. Events that day highlight the risk that near-Earth objects (NEOs) can pose – although to some extent, humans can counter them.
14 acting legends over 70

Some say Hollywood may be ageist, with careers fizzling for most after they become senior citizens, but these actors and actresses buck that trend. Check out our list of 14 actors over 70 who haven't lost their touch.
Julia Child: 10 wonderful quotes on her birthday

Julia Child is a household name when it comes to the art of cooking, but she was also known for her lively wit and bubbly personality. These 10 memorable quotes celebrate the centenary of Child's birth.
Five reasons the world won't end in 2012

Pointing to the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers think that life as we know it on Earth has entered it's final year. NASA begs to differ.

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Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes

Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.
How much water in that snowpack? Scientists seek a better gauge.

More accurate, more frequent measurements of mountain snowpacks will allow water managers to mete out reservoirs with greater confidence. Two watersheds in the western US are testing grounds for a new aerial approach.
What's a monster hurricane doing on top of Saturn? (+video)

A monster hurricane at Saturn's north pole, spotted by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, has an eye 1,250 miles wide and inner eye wall winds of 330 miles an hour. Its energy source is a mystery.
Why did West, Texas, build homes and a school next to a 'time bomb'?

The town of West, Texas, and the West Fertilizer Company grew and prospered together. But profit motives, a sense of civic trust and Catch-22 zoning laws failed to recognize the danger brought to light when the plant exploded this week with the force of a small nuclear bomb.
John Galardi dies, leaves Wienerschnitzel hot dog chain legacy

John Galardi dies: Founder of the Wienerschnitzel hot dog chain, John Galardi built a chain of some 350 restaurants selling more than 120 million hot dogs annually in 10 states.
Curiosity Mars rover suffers another glitch, remains in safe mode

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has put its scientific exploration on hold while it deals with a minor software problem.
Did life on Earth originate on Mars?

Rock samples gathered by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover suggest that the Red Planet could have supported microbial life at about the same time that life first appeared on Earth, meaning that any life on Mars, if there was any, could have predated, and possibly even seeded, life on Earth.
Curiosity hits 'pay dirt': Mars was habitable, evidence suggests (+video)

The Mars rover Curiosity analyzed the inside of a rock it drilled and found that the sample was likely formed in standing water 'so benign' you likely could have drunk it, researchers say.
Ancient Mars could have been habitable, says NASA

A Martian rock sample collected by NASA's Curiosity rover suggests that the Red Planet could have supported living microbes in its ancient past, says NASA.
4.7 California earthquake rattles but no fatalities (+video)

4.7 California earthquake: The epicenter of the 4.7 magnitude earthquake is in southern California, near Anza.
Rover Curiosity may resume operation on Mars soon

NASA said that its Mars rover Curiosity, which halted its exploration on the Red Planet last Thursday due to a memory malfunction, might get back to work this weekend.
How did supermassive black holes get so big? New data give a clue.

Scientists have now measured the spin of a supermassive black hole, describing the rate in terms of the energy needed to sustain the spin. These black holes are thought to occupy the center of virtually every galaxy.
Astronomers clock supermassive black hole's spin for first time

How fast does a supermassive black hole spin? For the first time, scientists have made a reliable measurement of these behemoths, thought to be at the center of most, if not all, galaxies.
Dennis Tito to announce private mission to Mars

Space tourist millionaire Dennis Tito, who in 2001 paid $20 million to visit the International Space Station, is planning a privately funded trip to the Red Planet.
US scientists seek to prevent another meteor explosion

NASA and the Air Force are working together to develop plans to prepare for future meteor strikes like the one in Russia earlier this month.
Little telescope to hunt big game: hard-to-see near-Earth asteroids

Canada's NEOSSat space telescope was launched Monday atop an Indian rocket. It will monitor two groups of asteroids whose proximity to the sun makes them hard to see from Earth.
Briefing
How dangerous are near-Earth asteroids? 5 key questions answered.

On Feb. 15, asteroid 2012 DA14, discovered a year ago, cleared Earth by a scant 17,200 miles. The same day, a smaller, unrelated asteroid that no one saw coming exploded 12 to 15 miles above Russia’s Chelyabinsk region. Events that day highlight the risk that near-Earth objects (NEOs) can pose – although to some extent, humans can counter them.
Mars is red on the outside, gray on the inside, rover discovers

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover completed its very first drilling activity on the Red Planet, yielding a gray powder from inside an ancient rock.
In historic first, Mars Curiosity rover drills into Martian rock

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has sent home photos of samples that it gathered from deep inside a rock on Mars. It is the first time a robot has ever drilled into a rock on any planet other than Earth.
Curiosity makes history with scoop – and begins Mars mission in earnest

NASA's Curiosity rover has successfully drilled into bedrock and scooped the sample – a first for Mars exploration. It was the rover's last systems test, meaning the training wheels are off.
Russian asteroid highlights astronomers' challenge: predicting such space objects

Astronomers have cataloged about 95 percent of the space objects wider than half a mile – those that could destroy civilization. But they have found less than 1 percent of the objects 100 feet across or larger, a class that includes the asteroid that flitted past Earth on Friday.
Russian meteor blast had force of 300-kiloton nuclear warhead (+video)

Using sensors designed to detect rogue nuclear tests, scientists have learned more about the meteor that exploded over Russia. It was much bigger than they first thought.
Huge asteroid won't strike Earth on Friday. But what about the next time?

There's no chance that the 150-foot-wide asteroid 2012 DA14 will strike our planet, but it's only a matter of time before a large space rock does, say scientists.
John Kerr was a Tony-winning actor for 'Tea and Sympathy'

John Kerr starred in the film version of 'South Pacific' and earned a Tony Award for his stage role in 'Tea and Sympathy.' John Kerr reprised his 'Tea' role for the 1956 film.
Supernova alert! Astronomers spot warning sign

Astronomers have identified the early warning sign of an imminent supernova: a stellar belch that could indicate the star will explode within a month or two.