CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday named Rafael Reif, an electrical engineer born in Venezuela who has been the university's provost since 2005, as its 17th president. Reif, 61, replaces Susan Hockfield, the first female president of MIT, who announced in mid-February that she was stepping down after almost eight years leading one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. Reif will take up his post at the Cambridge, Massachusetts, university on July 2, the first MIT president not to be a native English speaker. ...

(Reuters) - Veteran Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, a liberal stalwart who lost his primary race after redistricting forced him to run against another Democratic incumbent, said on Wednesday he had ruled out a congressional bid in Washington state. Kucinich, 65, had said after he was defeated in March by Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in the U.S. House of Representatives, that he was considering the possibility of relocating to Washington state to run for Congress anew. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Players and coaches with the New York Giants football team gathered at Tiffany & Co.'s flagship store in New York City on Wednesday evening to receive newly designed rings commemorating their Super Bowl victory earlier this year. The white-gold rings feature the Giants' logo in diamonds set in blue enamel and encircled by 37 blue sapphires, and is engraved with the years of the Giants' four Super Bowl victories, the first in 1986. "It's every boy's dream to come to Tiffany's and get a ring. ...

Troy Anderson is a mentally ill inmate in isolation at the Colorado State Penitentiary, deemed for more than a decade too dangerous to be among other offenders.

A failed levy vote in an Oregon county is taking a toll: government workers facing dismissal, a pending prisoner release, and crimes such as misdemeanor domestic assault and shoplifting likely to go unprosecuted.

The activist who was at the center of a diplomatic tussle between Beijing and Washington said Thursday that Chinese officials have told him the passports that he and his family just applied for should be ready within two weeks. A rights group, meanwhile, described more retaliation by authorities against his family.

Armando Rodriguez was warned several times to continue taking his tuberculosis medicine.

Marcello Lippi has been hired to coach big-spending Chinese Super League team Guangzhou Evergrande and plans to bring an Italian style to the club immediately.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Even down late, the Oklahoma City Thunder are showing that they are never out.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Kevin Garnett yapped his way down the court after big baskets and clearly enjoyed taking it to the 76ers.

NEW YORK (AP) The New Jersey Devils quickly changed the game plan: instead of letting the New York Rangers block their shots, they decided to deflect some themselves.

Everything always seemed to come so easily for Larry Bird on a basketball court.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Expectations for Yu Darvish were every bit as big as the contract he signed to move from his native Japan.