U.S. boss held hostage now free

BEIJING (AP) ? An American boss detained nearly a week by his company's Chinese workers left the Beijing factory Thursday after he and a labor representative said the two sides reached agreement in a pay dispute.

Chip Starnes, who said he was "saddened" by the experience, told The Associated Press a deal was reached overnight to pay the scores of workers who had demanded severance packages similar to ones given to laid-off co-workers in a phased-out division, even though the company said the remaining workers weren't being laid off.

Remaining workers at the medical supply plant in Huairou district, on the outskirts of Beijing, had said they believed the entire factory was shutting down, that the company owed unpaid salary and that they saw equipment being packed and itemized for shipping to India.

Starnes said the workers' demands were unjustified. Neither he nor district labor official Chu Lixiang gave details of the agreed compensation. Chu said all the workers would be terminated, and Starnes said some of them would be rehired later.

"It has been resolved to each side's satisfaction," Chu told reporters at a conference room at the plant in late morning. She said they had been sorting out paperwork until 5 a.m. and that 97 workers had signed settlement agreements.

Starnes, a co-owner of Florida-based Specialty Medical Supplies, had quietly departed the factory grounds by the time Chu spoke, returning to his hotel in Beijing.

"Yes!! Out and back at hotel," Starnes wrote in a text message. "Showered... 9 pounds lost during the ordeal!!!!!!"

Police in Huairou district had made no moves to halt the labor action but guarded the plant and said they were guaranteeing Starnes' safety while local labor officials brokered negotiations.

It is not rare in China for managers to be held by workers demanding back pay or other benefits, often from their Chinese owners. Police are reluctant to intervene, as they consider it a business dispute, and local officials typically are eager to see the matter resolved in the way least likely to fuel unrest.

The labor action reflected growing uneasiness among workers about their jobs amid China's slowing economic growth and the sense that growing labor costs make the country less attractive for some foreign-owned factories.

About 80 workers had started blocking all exits starting last Friday, and Starnes had spoken to reporters in recent days through the barred window of his factory office.

Earlier Thursday, he said in a telephone interview that he had been forced to give in to what he considered unjustified demands. He summed up the past several days as "humiliating, embarrassing." At the beginning of his captivity, workers had deprived him of sleep by shining bright lights and banging on windows of his office, he said.

"We have transferred our funds from the U.S.," he said. "I am basically free to go when the funds hit the account here of the company."

Starnes told the AP he planned to get back to business, and even rehire some of the workers who had been holding him. "We're going to take Thursday off to let the dust settle, and we're going to be rehiring a lot of the previous workers on new contracts as of Friday," he said.

Starnes previously said the company had been winding down its plastics division, with plans to move it to Mumbai. When he arrived in Beijing last week to lay off the last 30 people, workers in other divisions started demanding similar severance packages.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-boss-held-china-leaves-plant-payout-044656354.html

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Clinton, Obama Slip in Popularity; Uncertainty About Rubio Stays High

President Obama and Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton has lost some ground in personal favorability this year, but continues to outpace both Barack Obama and, by a wide margin, Marco Rubio - like Clinton, a possible successor to Obama - in this basic measure of public popularity.

Six in 10 Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll see Clinton favorably, down 6 percentage points from her career high in January. Obama's seen favorably by 53 percent, down 7 points from January and back to his pre-re-election level across most of 2012.

See PDF with full results, charts and tables here.

Rubio, a Republican U.S. senator from Florida involved in the immigration reform effort, is far less known on the national stage. Half of Americans express no opinion of him at all, similar to its level last August, when he first was being mooted as a possible presidential candidate. The rest divide evenly on Rubio in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates.

The single-digit comedowns for Obama and Clinton are unsurprising. Since his re-election, the president's waded into contentious policy areas such as gun control and immigration, while dealing with the Internal Revenue Service and National Security Administration controversies. Obama's job approval likewise is off from his post-election high in ABC/Post polls.

Clinton, for her part, has stepped away from her popular role as secretary of state and may be seen in an increasingly partisan light given wide discussion of her possible candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. Last week she said she hopes to see a woman president, and, even without being a formal candidate, was endorsed by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri). A campaign fundraising committee has been created to support Clinton (without her endorsement), as has one to oppose her.

GROUPS - Indicating increased partisanship, Clinton's popularity since January has dropped by 10 points among Republicans and among "somewhat" conservative Americans; she's also lost 9 points among whites, 10 points among seniors and 11 points among college graduates.

Obama, on the other hand, has lost ground disproportionately among some key Democratic-leaning groups, down 12 points in favorability among liberals, 10 points among those without a college degree, and 9 points each among nonwhites and people with household incomes less than $50,000 a year. His favorable rating also is down 11 points among independents, dipping just below the halfway mark.

While Rubio retains a broad recognition deficit, partisan divisions about him have lessened from last August, with negative views among Democrats down by 13 points and positive views among Republicans down by 11 points. His support for immigration reform - a cause more popular among Democrats than among Republicans - may be a factor.

METHODOLOGY - This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cell phone June 19-23, 2013, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 1,010 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points. The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by SSRS/Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pa.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-obama-slip-popularity-uncertainty-rubio-stays-high-111054219--abc-news-politics.html

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Paparazzo sues Justin Bieber for alleged assault

FILE - In this March 28, 2013 file photo, singer Justin Bieber performs on stage during the "I Believe" tour in Munich, southern Germany. Bieber has been sued by a paparazzo who claims the singer kicked and punched him last year at a Southern California shopping center. A lawsuit filed Wednesday, June 26, 2013 alleges the "Baby" crooner attacked Jose Osmin Hernandez Duran after Bieber and his then-girlfriend went to the movies at The Commons in Calabasas. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Justin Bieber has been sued by a paparazzo who claims the singer kicked and punched him last year at a Southern California shopping center.

A lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges the "Baby" crooner attacked Jose Osmin Hernandez Duran after Bieber and his then-girlfriend went to the movies at The Commons in Calabasas.

Bieber's representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

Duran claims Bieber started to leave the shopping center in his Mercedes, but got out of his car and sprinted toward him.

Duran says Bieber jumped into the air from 6 to 8 feet away to deliver a martial-arts-type kick to the photographer's gut before punching him in the face.

The suit seeks unspecified damages for "severe and extreme emotional distress" and negligence.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/paparazzo-sues-justin-bieber-alleged-assault-023647768.html

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Gas prices down 4 cents in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Gasoline prices have dropped 4 cents over the past week in West Virginia.

AAA East Central says the average price for a gallon of regular gas is $3.55. That's the same as the national average and 9 cents higher than the same week last year in the state.

Current prices range from $3.43 in Clarksburg to $3.64 in Charleston and Huntington.

Nationally, gas prices dropped 6 cents in the past week.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gas-prices-down-4-cents-150555778.html

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Minn. lawmaker apologizes for 'Uncle Thomas' tweet (The Arizona Republic)

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Channing Tatum: Why We Released Our Daughter?s First Photo

"We didn't want to go through a tabloid, we just wanted to let it out so paparazzi would ... stop trying to hound us," Tatum explains.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/jfuFjoes_wk/

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Carrie Underwood Wins CMT Music Awards Video Of The Year, Others Impress As Well

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood, center, performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood, right, performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Charles Kelley, Darius Rucker

Charles Kelley, of Lady Antebellum, left, and Darius Rucker perform at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Dustin Lynch

Dustin Lynch performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Randy Travis, Mary Beougher

Randy Travis, left, and Mary Beougher pose backstage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Jason Aldean, Eric Church

Jason Aldean, right, and Eric Church accept the award for collaborative video of the year for "The Only Way I Know" from "2012 CMA Awards" at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Mike Fisher, Carrie Underwood

Mike Fisher, left, and Carrie Underwood laugh in the audience at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Keith Urban

Jimi Westbrook, left, and Karen Fairchild, right, of Little Big Town, and Keith Urban, center, perform at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Dustin Lynch

Dustin Lynch arrives at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert accepts the award for female video of the year for "Mama's Broken Heart" at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Miranda Lambert, Lenny Kravitz

Miranda Lambert accepts the award for female video of the year for "Mama's Broken Heart" at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Pictured in background is presenter Lenny Kravitz. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Gary LeVox, Big Kenny, Sheryl Crow

Gary LeVox, of Rascal Flatts, from left, Big Kenny, of Big & Rich, and Sheryl Crow pose backstage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Ashley Monroe

Ashley Monroe performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Joe Don Rooney, Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox

Members of Rascal Flatts, from left, Joe Don Rooney, Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox speak on stage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Hunter Hayes

Hunter Hayes performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP)

Hunter Hayes

Hunter Hayes performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP)

Nelly

Nelly performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Ed Sheeran, Hunter Hayes

Ed Sheeran, left, and Hunter Hayes pose backstage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Hunter Hayes

Hunter Hayes performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP)

Reid Perry, Kimberly Perry, Neil Perry

Reid Perry, from left, Kimberly Perry and Neil Perry, of The Band Perry, speak on stage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood, center, performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP)

Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood, Kevin Bacon

Members of Lady Antebellum, from left, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood accept the award for group video of the year for "Downtown" at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Looking on at right is presenter Kevin Bacon. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP)

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood pauses on stage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman

Keith Urban, left, and Nicole Kidman appear in the audience at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Hillary Scott, Taylor Swift

Hillary Scott, left, and Taylor Swift pose in the audience at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley

Dave Haywood, left, and Charles Kelley, of musical group Lady Antebellum, perform at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood stands on stage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Brian Kelley, Tyler Hubbard, Nelly

Brian Kelley, left, and Tyler Hubbard, right, of Florida Georgia Line, and Nelly perform at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Nelly

Nelly performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Brian Kelley, Tyler Hubbard, Nelly

Brian Kelley, left, and Tyler Hubbard, right, of musical group Florida Georgia Line, and Nelly perform at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Nelly

Nelly performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Brian Kelley, Tyler Hubbard, Nelly

Brian Kelley, left, and Tyler Hubbard, right, of musical group Florida Georgia Line, and Nelly perform at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Carrie Underwood, Kenny Rogers

Carrie Underwood, left, accepts the award for video of the year for "Blown Away" at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Looking on at right is presenter Kenny Rogers. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Sheryl Crow, Kenny Rogers

Sheryl Crow, left, and Kenny Rogers present the award for video of the year at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Jana Kramer, Chip Esten

Jana Kramer, left, and Chip Esten present the award for duo video of the year at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Keith Urban

Keith Urban performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Taylor Swift, Austin Swift

Taylor Swift, left, and Austin Swift dance in the audience at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Jana Kramer, Brantley Gilbert

Jana Kramer, left, and Brantley Gilbert pose backstage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Lisa Marie Presley, Kenny Rogers

Lisa Marie Presley, left, and Kenny Rogers pose backstage at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman

Keith Urban, left, and Nicole Kidman appear in the audience at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

Jason Aldean, Kristen Bell

Jason Aldean, left, and Kristen Bell speak in the audience at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift, right, performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves performs at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/carrie-underwood-wins-cmt-music-awards-video-of-the-year_n_3394015.html

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