Venezuela Devalues Currency Amid Shortages and Inflation

CARACAS — Venezuela announced Friday that it was devaluing its currency, a step that had long been deemed necessary but could push the spiking inflation even higher. The devaluation, which lowered the currency’s value against the dollar by nearly 50 percent, was aimed at solidifying government finances and easing a tight market for dollars that has choked back imports and led to shortages...

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World Briefing | Europe: Lasagna Products Test Positive for Horsemeat in Britain

British authorities say beef lasagna products recalled from British supermarkets by the frozen-food company Findus have tested positive for more than 60 percent horsemeat. The revelation comes after millions of burgers were taken off shop shelves this month as it emerged that beef products from three companies in Ireland and Britain contained horse DNA. The Food Standards Agency said Thursday that...

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NCAA wants Pa. gov's Penn State lawsuit dismissed

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The NCAA said Thursday a judge should throw out the federal antitrust lawsuit the governor filed against it over Penn State's $60 million fine and other penalties resulting from the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.College sports' governing body said in a filing that it disagrees with just about every allegation in the complaint against it initiated by Gov. Tom Corbett...

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Well: The 'Monday Morning' Medical Screaming Match

I did not think I would ever see another “morbidity and mortality” conference in which senior doctors publicly attacked their younger colleagues for making medical errors. These types of heated meetings were commonplace when I was a medical student but have largely been abandoned.Yet here they were again on “Monday Mornings,” a new medical drama on the TNT network, based on a novel by Dr. Sanjay Gupta,...

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DealBook: 4 Years After Crisis, Ireland Strikes Deal to Ease a Huge Debt Load

LONDON — The Irish government, trying to lighten the staggering debt burden of bailing out some of its biggest banks four years ago, reached a deal on Thursday with the European Central Bank to give the country more time to repay some of those loans.The agreement, which came after 18 months of negotiations with the central bank, will enable Ireland to swap 28 billion euros ($38 billion) of high-interest...

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Obama Orders Release of Drone Memos to Lawmakers

WASHINGTON — The White House on Wednesday directed the Justice Department to release classified documents discussing the legal justification for the use of drones in targeting American citizens abroad who are considered terrorist to the two Congressional intelligence committees, according to an administration official. The White House announcement appears to refer to a long, detailed 2010...

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Signing Day: Ole Miss muscles in on power programs

Alabama. Ohio State. Michigan. Florida. Notre Dame. Mississippi?Ole Miss muscled in on the powerhouses that usually dominate national signing day, landing some of the most sought-after prospects in the country on college football's annual first-Wednesday-in-February frenzy.The Rebels, coming off a promising 7-6 season in their first season under coach Hugh Freeze, had the experts swooning by signing...

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Personal Health: Effective Addiction Treatment

Countless people addicted to drugs, alcohol or both have managed to get clean and stay clean with the help of organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or the thousands of residential and outpatient clinics devoted to treating addiction.But if you have failed one or more times to achieve lasting sobriety after rehab, perhaps after spending tens of thousands of dollars, you’re not alone. And chances...

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Postal Service Plans to End Saturday Delivery

Christopher Gregory/The New York TimesPatrick R. Donahoe, the postmaster general, announcing the planned service change. WASHINGTON — Faced with billions of dollars in losses, the Postal Service announced on Wednesday that it would seek to stop Saturday delivery of letters, a sweeping change in mail delivery that immediately drew criticism from postal unions, some businesses and lawmakers. ...

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Obama to Visit Israel in Spring

WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to travel to Israel this spring for the first time since taking office, as he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu try to move past the friction of the last four years now that both have won re-election. By making Israel a stop on the first overseas trip of his new term, Mr. Obama hopes to demonstrate support for the Jewish state despite doubts among some...

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