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AP Top News at 2:00 p.m. EDT -Tuesday, July 13, 2010

New BP cap set for slow tests of how it holds oil

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - With a tight new cap freshly installed on its leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico, BP planned gradual tests starting Tuesday to see if the device can stop oil from pouring into the sea for the first time in nearly three months. The cap would be just a temporary solution, but it offers the best hope yet for cutting off the crude that has fouled the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner dies at 80

NEW YORK (AP) - George Steinbrenner, whose big wallet and win-at-all-cost attitude whipped the New York Yankees into a billion-dollar sports empire, died Tuesday morning. He had just celebrated his 80th birthday July 4. Steinbrenner had a heart attack, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and died at about 6:30 a.m, a person close to the owner told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not disclosed those details.

Trade gap widens as imports and exports both rise

WASHINGTON (AP) - The trade deficit rose in May to an 18-month peak as rising imports offset another solid gain in U.S. exports. The surge in imports was a hopeful sign for the economic recovery because it suggested businesses are optimistic that U.S. consumers will spend more in coming months. The trade gap grew 4.8 percent to $42.3 billion, the largest deficit since November 2008, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

Quick guilty plea in 'Barefoot' case in Bahamas

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) - The teenage fugitive police have dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" pleaded guilty to a minor offense in the Bahamas on Tuesday and is expected to be deported soon to the United States to face prosecution. Colton Harris-Moore pleaded guilty to illegal entry into the country at his first court appearance in the Bahamas, where police ended the 19-year-old convict's alleged two-year crime spree by capturing him following a high-speed boat chase.

Obama nominates Jacob Lew as budget director

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama nominated Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget Tuesday, charging him with putting the nation on a fiscally responsible path. "At a time when so many families are tightening their belts, he's going to make sure the government continues to tighten its own," Obama said in announcing Lew's selection at the White House.

French parliament approves ban on face veils

PARIS (AP) - France's lower house of parliament overwhelmingly approved a ban on wearing burqa-style Islamic veils Tuesday, part of a concerted effort to define and protect French values that has disconcerted many in the country's large Muslim community. Proponents of the law say face-covering veils don't square with the French ideal of women's equality or its secular tradition. The bill is controversial abroad but popular in France, where its relatively few outspoken critics say conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy has resorted to xenophobia to attract far-right voters.

Missing Iranian scientist surfaces in Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) - A missing Iranian nuclear scientist, who has sought refuge at a Pakistani embassy office in Washington and who Iran claims was abducted, is free to return to his homeland, the State Department said Tuesday. It was the latest development in a murky case that has been shrouded in mystery since the scientist, Shahram Amiri, disappeared while on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in June 2009.

UK: Anna Chapman's citizenship, passport revoked

LONDON (AP) - A redheaded sleeper agent who became the most high-profile figure in the U.S.-Russia spy case has had her British citizenship revoked, the government announced Tuesday. Anna Chapman, 28, was among 10 suspects who pleaded guilty in New York last week to a charge of procuring information for a foreign government. The undercover agents were sent to Russia from the United States on Friday in a swap for four Russians accused of spying for the West.

NYC court tosses US fleeting expletives policy

NEW YORK (AP) - A federal appeals court on Tuesday found that a government policy that can lead to broadcasters being fined for allowing even a single curse word on live television is unconstitutionally vague. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan tossed out the Federal Communications Commission's policy after finding that it violates the First Amendment.

Stamos testifies in extortion trial of Mich. pair

MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) - Actor John Stamos testified Tuesday that he was "heartbroken" over the separation from his wife six years ago when he met a woman now charged with conspiring to extort $680,000 from him. The "Full House" and "ER" star took the stand during the federal trial of Allison Coss and Scott Sippola, who are accused of demanding money from Stamos, saying they had photos of him with cocaine and strippers they could sell to a magazine.

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