U.S. evolves on same-sex marriage

STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe president and the nation have shifted perspectives on same-sex marriageSupreme Court ruling on California's same-sex marriage ban a critical testGrowing public support for gay marriage give proponents hope for changeWashington (CNN) -- The nation's growing acceptance of same-sex marriage has happened in slow and painstaking moves, eventually building into a momentum that is sweeping...

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Thai tourist industry 'driving' elephant smuggling

BANGKOK: Smuggling the world's largest land animal across an international border sounds like a mammoth undertaking, but activists say that does not stop traffickers supplying Asian elephants to Thai tourist attractions.Unlike their heavily-poached African cousins -- whose plight is set to dominate Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) talks in Bangkok next week...

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Obama signs order activating 'dumb' spending cuts

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Obama signs order that is required by law "We will get through this," President Obama says of the forced spending cuts Obama, congressional leaders fail to bridge gaps on cuts, letting them take effect Speaker Boehner says the House will take up a government funding measureWashington (CNN) -- Politics trumped progress on Friday as President Barack Obama and Republican leaders...

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Fla. man presumed dead after sinkhole opens under his bed

SEFFNER, Fla. A man was missing and feared dead early Friday after a large sinkhole opened under the bedroom of a house near Tampa. Jeff Bush is presumed dead after a sinkhole opened under his bed./CBS His brother says Jeff Bush screamed for help before he disappeared. The 36-year-old man's brother, Jeremy Bush, told rescue crews he heard a loud crash around 11 p.m. Thursday, then heard his brother...

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Obama Signs Order to Begin Sequester Cuts

President Obama and congressional leaders today failed to reach a breakthrough to avert a sweeping package of automatic spending cuts, setting into motion $85 billion of across-the-board belt-tightening that neither had wanted to see.President Obama officially initiated the cuts with an order to agencies Friday evening.He had met for just over an hour at the White House Friday...

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Why Syria war is everybody's problem

Syrians search for survivors and bodies after the Syrian regime attacked the city of Aleppo with missiles on February 23.STORY HIGHLIGHTSFrida Ghitis: We are standing by as Syria rips itself apart, thinking it's not our problemBeyond the tragedy in human terms, she says, the war damages global stabilityGhitis: Syria getting more and more radical, jeopardizing forces of democracyGhitis: Peace counts...

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Shark fin-hungry China drives "chaotic" fishing in Indonesia

BENOA, Indonesia: Dozens of weary Indonesian fishermen sail into a busy port on the resort island of Bali celebrating their lucrative and controversial haul that is destined to end up at Chinese banquets.The fishermen show off about 100 shark fins, already sliced off the carcasses, that are ready to be sold to middle-men and then most likely onwards to mainland China or cities around the...

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Racy mag cover features Kim, Kanye

on your computer or on the CNN Apps for iPhone® and iPad®.iPhone, iPad and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.If you get CNN and HLN at home, you can watch them online and on the go for no additional chargeStart watch...

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Man charged in slaying of Miss. mayoral candidate

Updated 8:13 PM ET JACKSON, Miss. A 22-year-old man was charged with murder Thursday in the death of a mayoral candidate in the Mississippi Delta. The Coahoma County Sheriff's Department said in a news release that Lawrence Reed of Shelby was charged in the death of Marco McMillian. McMillian, 34, was a candidate for mayor of Clarksdale and was well-known in the community and beyond. An investigation...

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Arias Recounts Each Moment of Stabbing, Slashing

Accused murderer Jodi Arias was forced to recount today each detail of how she killed her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, including re-enacting how he allegedly tackled her when she shot him, leaving her crying in her hands on the witness stand.During hours of dramatic cross-examination by prosecutor Juan Martinez, Arias bawled as he asked her about stabbing, slashing and shooting...

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