Jackson (1-5) retired 12 of Washington's first 13 batters and allowed two runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings. He earned his first win under a $52 million, four-year contract he signed after leaving Washington as a free agent, ended the Nationals' five-game winning streak.

Strasburg (1-5) set down Chicago's first 11 hitters, six via strikeout. But with two outs in the fifth, third baseman Zimmerman's off-target throw put a runner on. Turned out to be Strasburg's last inning, making for his shortest outing of 2013.

The NL All-Star's only win this season came April 1 on opening day against the lowly Miami Marlins, but he entered Saturday with a 3.45 ERA and was averaging 6 1-3 innings per start. This time, Strasburg needed 42 pitches in the fifth alone and, to think, he actually got some defensive help before the problems arrived.

With one out in a scoreless game, Luis Valbuena laced a shot into the right-field corner for what should have been a stand-up double. Valbuena tried to stretch it into a triple and was thrown out at third, with right fielder Roger Bernadina hitting cutoff man Danny Espinosa, whose relay got there in time. Strasburg, backing up third base on the play, pumped his right fist to celebrate.

Moments later, his body language was rather negative, all slumped shoulders and bowed head.

The next batter, Welington Castillo, hit a grounder to Zimmerman, whose throw pulled first baseman Adam LaRoche off the bag (Zimmerman also made a fielding error in the seventh).

Strasburg followed with his first walk, to No. 8 hitter Darwin Barney, before serving up Jackson's two-out, full-count double to right-center that made it 2-0. That accounted for Jackson's first hit and RBIs of the season; he'd been 0 for 10.

Unraveling, Strasburg walked another batter and gave up Starlin Castro's single to load the bases. Anthony Rizzo grounded a single up the middle, the ball bounding into center to score two more runs. Instead of backing up home plate on the play, Strasburg ambled around on the infield grass and looked into the dugout.

All four runs were unearned, and Strasburg's ERA actually dipped to 3.10.

David DeJesus' two-run single was the highlight as Chicago scored four more in the sixth against reliever Zach Duke. Washington's lone lefty in the bullpen got only two outs and gave up four hits and a wild pitch. He also hit a batter.

Ian Desmond drove in both of Washington's runs off Jackson and had three hits a homer, double and single for the second game in a row. But it wasn't nearly enough to prevent Chicago from prolonging Strasburg's woes.

NOTES: In the eighth, Cubs 1B Rizzo made a juggling catch of Zimmerman's popup to shallow right, tumbling head-over-heels and barely avoiding a collision with a teammate. ... Before the game, the Nationals put RF Jayson Werth on the DL and recalled OF Eury Perez from Triple-A Syracuse. They also were without LF Bryce Harper (ingrown toenail) for a second straight game. ... Zimmerman has seven errors this season. ... Desmond's homer was his sixth. ... RHP Matt Garza, rehabbing in the minors from a strained back muscle, was scheduled to throw 65 to 70 pitches at Double-A Tennessee on Saturday night, Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. ... In Sunday's series finale, Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.97 ERA) will start on six days' rest against Cubs RHP Scott Feldman (3-3, 2.70).

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

I was in her shoes once. With diet and exercise I lost more than 60 pounds, and I've kept it off. But I was never ridiculed as she was. On the contrary, one day after I had just begun a daily 1-mile jog and was struggling to keep going, I passed by a man who cheerfully called out to me to "keep at it, and one day you'll be a 10!"

Abby, I can't tell you what that meant to me. I thought about his encouragement whenever I felt hopeless and was thinking of giving up. The memory of his kind words inspired me to go on. Thirty years later, I still think about his encouragement with amazement and gratitude.

We all have a choice: We can be kind to each other and offer friends and strangers alike support for the challenges we all face, or we can make ourselves feel superior by being cruel and demeaning. In the end, our choice shapes our character and we receive what we give, so we must choose wisely.

I'm sorry that "Losing" has met with only ignorant jerks so far. I would be honored to pay it forward and tell her how incredibly brave she is, and to encourage her to stick with it. Because she has the courage to keep exercising in the face of constant humiliation, I know without a doubt that she will reach her goals. -- WENDY IN COLORADO

DEAR WENDY: Thank you for your upbeat response. Many other readers were quick to "weigh in" with letters of support for "Losing Slowly":

DEAR ABBY: I, too, have a weight problem, which I am working to resolve. But I can tell you from experience that the worst kind of discrimination is directed against people with weight problems. I have been insulted in the workplace, in restaurants and doctor's offices. I have not been hired for jobs because I am perceived as fat and lazy.

I am not lazy! I keep a clean house, work hard at my job as a secretary every day, and I am a good wife and parent. We may ignore it and pretend that it doesn't hurt us or matter, but I can tell you it is painful, demeaning, and it doesn't go away. I have been in meetings or at social functions and have had to excuse myself to have a good cry. -- STILL SUFFERING IN KENTUCKY

DEAR ABBY: Please let "Losing Slowly" know she has another option to continue her new, healthy lifestyle in a safe environment. I have worked in malls for years, and they have all had a mall walkers' club.

The mall allows people in to walk, including many seniors, before it opens in the morning. There she will have access to a place where everyone is on the same page. The walkers are safe from traffic, the climate, and morons who have the manners of a junkyard dog. The regulars there can tell her how many miles they can cover. It's a great society of people who support and root for each other. -- NEVER GIVING UP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

DEAR ABBY: I would suggest the two ladies create T-shirts that read "At Least We're Trying!" and watch the jeers turn into cheers. -- CAROL IN WISCONSIN

DEAR ABBY: I applaud her effort and your response, but may I raise the issue of people like myself who are ridiculed about being too thin? Strangers say things like "Eat something, or the wind will blow you away!" Please remind your readers that making fun of very thin people is just as hurtful as doing it to overweight individuals. -- WISP OF A WOMAN IN THE WEST

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

To order "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

The main pack was split into two groups Saturday when riders went down with just more than a mile to go in the 81-mile leg and less than a dozen riders left in front to contest the sprint.

Cavendish, who rides for the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team, finished in 2 hours, 58 minutes, 38 seconds on the circuit in downtown Naples, which featured a long, flat finishing straightaway. He has won a combined 37 stages at the Giro, Tour and Vuelta - cycling's three Grand Tours.

Elia Viviani, an Italian with Cannondale, was second and Nacer Bouhanni, a Frenchman with FDJ, was third.

Overall favorites Bradley Wiggins and Vincenzo Nibali, along with defending champion Ryder Hesjedal, finished safely in the main pack. All the riders who finished in the main pack were given the same time as the winner courtesy of the neutralizing rule for crashes in the final miles.

It was the 11th Giro stage win of Cavendish's career and his 98th victory overall. He'll wear the overall leader's pink jersey in Sunday's second stage, a team time trial on the nearby island of Ischia.

With time bonuses to the top three finishers, Cavendish took an eight-second lead on Viviani in the overall standings.

It will mark the fourth time Cavendish wears the pink jersey. He wore it for two days in 2009 when his former team Columbia won the opening team time trial and for one day in 2011 after a stage win.

''I've worn it before at the start but that was thanks to my team,'' Cavendish said. ''I really wanted to win this here in Napoli. ... Now I want to go for a pizza.''

Cavendish didn't have teammates helping him in the finish, but he used the crosswind to good effect and burst in front just before the line.

''I'm lucky I have the speed to be able to come like that in the final,'' he said.

The course featured two mild climbs in the Posillipo neighborhood and several loops down the finishing straight alongside the bay.

On a warm spring day, fans came out en masse. Some brought dogs, and one slipped under a barrier lining the road, nearly tripping some riders on a sharp corner.

With the roads narrow in areas and stretches of cobblestones, there were several crashes. Among those who hit the asphalt early on were Laurent Pichon of France, Matteo Rabottini of Italy and Miguel Minguez Ayala of Spain.

Italians Mattia Gavazzi and Davide Apollonio, plus Belgian Klaas Lodewyck, were involved in the crash near the end that split the group, although they appeared to escape serious injury.

''Circuit races always have crashes but it's nice to have circuit races for the fans,'' Cavendish said. ''This is probably the most chaotic city I've been to, so to clear the traffic from the city center I've really got to take my hat off to the organizers.''

Sunday's team time trial from Ischia to Forio is 10.8 miles. While Omega is without time trial specialist Tony Martin, Cavendish is intent on keeping the pink jersey.

''We're going to do everything we can,'' he said.

The race ends May 26 in Brescia.

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration may seek to end a long-running debate over Internet wiretaps with proposed legislation that would enable law-enforcement agencies to tap into many types of Internet communications, U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter said.

The proposal is aimed at getting past the technical and legal obstacles that make it difficult for the FBI and other agencies with court orders to check so-called voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) services such as those offered by Microsoft Corp's Skype.

It would also apply to real-time chat services offered by Facebook, Google and others.

The FBI has long sought new policies that would enable it to eavesdrop on the Internet in the same way that it does on traditional telephone calls. But tech companies have fiercely opposed the idea, and it would likely face stiff opposition in Congress.

Though officials can seek court approval to wiretap almost anything, only traditional telecommunications carriers are required to make it easy.

"The real question here is VoIP," said a former senior U.S. security official familiar with the debate. Microsoft and other VoIP providers have said they are exempt from existing law.

"The U.S. law, Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, does not apply to any of Microsoft's services, including Skype, as Microsoft is not a telecommunications carrier," Microsoft wrote in a March corporate blog post.

Microsoft, Facebook and Google had no comment on the Obama administration's draft proposal, which has been reported with varying details by The Washington Post, The New York Times and others.

As described to Reuters by U.S. officials and outsiders, the proposal would encompass VoIP, chat and other Internet communication services.

It remains unclear whether and how companies could be compelled to help police and intelligence agencies unscramble encrypted communications, in addition to providing access.

Al Gidari Jr., an attorney for Google and other tech companies, said he had been informed of the key provisions in the text and that providers would have to come up with a way to translate encrypted communications when required to do so by a judge, or else face escalating fines.

"It says if you offer a communication service it has to come with wiretapping capabilities or if not, you better be able to get that capability," said Gidari.

SERIES OF COMPROMISES

FBI officials had originally sought a blanket requirement that Internet companies give authorized law enforcement officials the same kind of sweeping, turn-key access to their networks that phone companies do.

Tech companies, civil libertarians and some government officials argued that such a mandate would be impractical for smaller, innovative companies and that "back doors" created for law enforcement present serious security risks.

Over the past year, a task force convened by FBI Director Robert Mueller has offered a series of compromises, said technologist Joe Hall of the Center for Democracy & Technology.

The result would leave specific cases to judges overseeing warrant requests and give companies time to comply.

Evidently that has been enough to overcome objections at the Commerce Department and bring the matter to the White House, which is likely to back the plan, Gidari said. He predicted it would still face a tough fight in the divided Congress. A Commerce Department spokesman declined to comment.

U.S. officials said the legislative proposals are still being studied by an interagency group. It is unclear when the group might finalize it for presentation to President Barack Obama, they said.

Current and former officials said frustration over the difficulty of executing court-approved wiretaps in the Internet era has been building for years as new communications services become invisible to the carriers, often described as "going dark."

"The Department of Justice is working with other agencies on a way forward that protects privacy of Americans, preserves corporate innovation, and provides the tools that our law enforcement and counterterrorism professionals require," a White House statement said. "We have nothing new to announce on that process today."

Dean Boyd, a spokesman for the Justice Department's National Security Division, said that solutions "would not create any new surveillance authority."

Retired General Michael Hayden, a former director of the CIA and the National Security Agency, said in an interview with Reuters that there should be no controversy over proposals to expand wiretap laws "to the extent that this allows the FBI to continue its lawful interception capabilities" with new technologies.

(Reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington and Joseph Menn in San Francisco; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Xavier Briand)

The American former world number one, a 15-times champion on the PGA Tour, twice choked up with tears during his acceptance speech in St. Augustine, Florida on what he described as "the coolest night of my life".

Couples was inducted along with eight-times European Tour order of merit winner Colin Montgomerie, former U.S. Open champion and television broadcaster Ken Venturi, former European Tour executive director Ken Schofield and twice former British Open winner Willie Park Jr.

The first American player to reach number one in the official world rankings, Couples broke down when he described how he had gained motivation to pursue a career in golf while attending a golf clinic in his native Seattle at the age of 14.

"An unbelievable PGA Tour player was doing the clinic, and I got up front and I was staring at him," the 53-year-old Couples recalled.

"I wasn't really the person who said, 'That's what I want to do, I'm going to be a PGA Tour player.' But I knew I wanted to really, really get involved in golf.

"And the gentleman's name was Lee Trevino, who has been a mentor and someone I love."

Couples' golfing journey took him from Seattle to the University of Houston and he went on to become one of the most popular players in the game with a languid swing and prodigious length off the tee which earned him the nickname 'Boom Boom'.

He won his only major title at the 1992 Masters but also clinched the prestigious Players Championship in 1984 and 1996, an event widely regarded as the unofficial fifth major.

VETERAN COUPLES

A veteran of five Ryder Cups, Couples captained the triumphant U.S. Presidents Cup teams in 2009 and 2011, and also has eight wins on the Champions Tour for players aged over 50.

"Thanks for taking a kid from Seattle and putting him into the Hall of Fame," Couples said as he ended his acceptance speech. "This is the coolest night of my life."

Montgomerie, though he never won a major championship despite several close calls, was delighted to earn his place in the class of 2013 after a career highlighted by 31 victories on the European Tour.

"This has been a humbling experience for me," said the 49-year-old Scot, who also compiled a stellar record in the biennial Ryder Cup team competition where he never lost in eight singles matches.

"I'm very proud to be standing here in front of you this evening."

Known for his natural swing, an aversion to practice and a temperament that could be prickly at times, Montgomerie recorded five runner-up spots in the majors among a total of 10 top-10 finishes.

"I've enjoyed thoroughly my exploits in major championships," Montgomerie said during a news conference. "I just haven't been fortunate or whatever it takes, I've never, ever stood up and made a winner's speech... I never will.

"There's always a time where a bit of fortune comes your way, whether it be for you or against your opponent at the time, and it just so happens with five runner-ups... that I just haven't been so-called fortunate to walk through the door."

Montgomerie twice lost majors in playoffs - the U.S. Open in 1994 and the PGA Championship in 1995 - but his most agonizing near-miss came in the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot where he double-bogeyed the final hole to finish a stroke behind winner Geoff Ogilvy of Australia.

"That's the one that hurts," Montgomerie said. "The four others or five others really, somebody happened to beat me. The 2006 Winged Foot I beat myself, and that's where it hurts most. So that has taken the most to recover from.

"So at the same time, if you're talking about regrets of any part of my golfing career, I have none. Absolutely none. I've done exactly what I've tried to do. I've tried 100 percent on every shot, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)

May 2 (Reuters) - South American Libertadores Cup last 16, first leg summaries on Thursday.

At the Morumbi, Sao PauloSao Paulo (Brazil) 1 - Jadson 9

Red card: Lucio 35Atletico Mineiro (Brazil) 2 - Ronaldinho 42, Diego Tardelli 60

Halftime: 1-1

At the George Capwell, GuayaquilEmelec (Ecuador) 2 - Leandro Euzebio 32og, Fernando Gaibor 87penFluminense (Brazil) 1 - Wagner 43

Halftime: 1-1 (Compiled by Rex Gowar; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

(Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc withdrew an application to market its anti-obesity drug in the European Union, sending its shares down 15 percent in after-hours trading.

The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) said certain "major objections" remain outstanding that preclude the recommendation of approval of the drug, according to the company.

European health regulators raised objections on the marketing of the drug, Belviq, in late-January, following tumors in rats, heart valve disorders and psychiatric events.

The company refused to comment on the objections raised by the CHMP but said it does not anticipate anything beyond the issues reported earlier by the regulator.

The lack of clarity on why Arena withdrew the application meant it was unclear what action the company would take to win approval and that was putting pressure on the stock, WBB Securities LLC analyst Steve Brozak said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration echoed similar concerns on the drug before eventually approving the drug in June 2012, the first anti-obesity drug to be approved in the United States in over a decade.

"We do not believe we can resolve the major objections related to the results of non-clinical studies prior to the CHMP's issuance of its final opinion and therefore decided to withdraw the MAA (marketing authorization application) and are evaluating the best approach for submitting at a later date," the company said in a conference call.

Belviq, known chemically as lorcaserin, is one of the two obesity drugs approved by the FDA, the other being Qsymia, marketed by Vivus Inc.

The drug, which is being developed in partnership with Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co Ltd, is designed to block appetite signals in the brain, to help people feel full after eating smaller amounts of food.

The European regulators' safety concerns are not unfounded after a similar diet-drug combo called the "fen-phen" was pulled off the market in 1997 on being linked to serious heart valve damage.

Arena's first-quarter net loss narrowed to $18.9 million, or 9 cents per share, from $26.6 million, or 18 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts had expected a profit of 9 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Arena shares were down at $7.16 in after-market trading. They closed at $8.40 on the Nasdaq on Thursday.

(Reporting By Adithya Venkatesan in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel)

Participants in the one-hour discussion will include Jules Roman of Tippett Studio in Berkeley; Neishaw Ali of SpinVFX in Toronto; Jeff Barnes founder of the former Cafe FX; Danny Bergeron of Montreals Mokko Studio; Paddy Eason of Londons Nvizible; Phil Feiner of Pac Title in Burbank; and Carl Rosendahl, founder of PDI. Matt Winston will moderate.

The conversation will be broadcast on YouTube, and speakers will take questions via YouTube and Twitter.

A previous Pi Day Town Hall meeting was held in March. At that meeting, an estimated 250 attendees participated in Los Angeles, which was also streamed live and involved additional group participation from roughly 75 VFX personnel in the Bay area, 25 in Vancouver, five in Austin and 10 in Wellington.

The Visual Effects Society had previously announced that it would organize a VFX Congress to similarly address the subject. But earlier this monthVES said it decided hold back after the Pi Day event was staged for the same purpose.

Below, watch a THRmoderated Q&A with Ang Lee and the people behind his award winning movie Life of Pi.

Everything appeared to be normal in the world of Penske Racing.

Even if that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano arrived at this weekend's race with their full crews while Penske Racing appeals heavy penalties levied by NASCAR for bringing unapproved parts to Texas.

Wolfe and Logano crew chief Todd Gordon were each fined $100,000 and suspended, along with five others in the Penske organization, for six championship points races after NASCAR inspectors found an unapproved rear-end housing on the Nos. 2 and 22 cars before last weekend's race.

The crews are allowed at the track until the appeal is heard.

"I think it's definitely a challenge for us, which isn't necessarily a bad thing," Keselowski said Friday. "It's an opportunity to show how strong a team Penske Racing can be. I think there's a lot of passion inside this group and, you know, the strong will survive."

Logano qualified 22nd for Sunday's race. Keselowski will roll off 33rd.

The move by NASCAR inspectors to confiscate the questionable part just before last weekend's race set off a mad scramble by both teams. Logano was late to the starting grid at Texas and had to start at the back of the field, but recovered to finish fifth. Keselowski ended up ninth.

The penalties dished out to Penske Racing hurt even more.

"I'm thankful there is a process for appeals," Keselowski said, "because obviously we're in an agree-to-disagree stage between Penske Racing and NASCAR, and thankfully, there's a third panel or group to settle those disagreements."

The date for the appeal has not been set.

Richard Petty said Friday that someone in the garage area must have told NASCAR officials about the questionable parts on the Penske cars, and attention drifted to Hendrick Motorsports a team known for pushing the envelope when it comes to research and development.

Last season, Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 car failed the opening day inspection at the Dayton 500. Five-time winning crew chief Chad Knaus and the car chiefs for that Hendrick car were suspended for six races, but the bulk of the penalties were later overturned by NASCAR's chief appellate officer, the highest level of appeal.

Those penalties, which included a $100,000 fine for Knaus, came as a result of issues NASCAR found with the posts that connect the roof to the top of the rear quarter panel and deck lid.

"I've lived through it and good teams survive, good teams and drivers will always survive, but it'll put a lot of stress in their world," Johnson said. "We'll see how they respond to it, but once they get some normalcy back to their life, they'll be at the front of the pack."

Johnson denied having anything to do with last weekend's Penske incident.

"We try to be as smart as we can, conform to the rules and put the best car we can on the track," he said. "In no way, shape or form did anyone in the 48 car walk into that truck."

The penalties were the talk of the garage Friday.

Carl Edwards, who qualified second behind pole-winner Matt Kenseth, said he hadn't been paying much attention to the situation, while Juan Pablo Montoya wasn't offering much sympathy.

"You always want to push the rules. That's what you do," Montoya said. "But if you knowingly go over the rules, it is what it is. I don't think anybody was surprised."

Clint Bowyer took an even more black-and-white approach.

"Who cares how you get caught? If you're cheating, it's wrong, and you're going to get caught," Bowyer said. "Whether you're in a sporting event or life, if you're cheating, you're going to get caught. We're seeing a lot of that this week."

Keselowski, who spent Tuesday celebrating his championship at the White House, got a penalty a week earlier at Martinsville for pitting outside his stall. He still disputes that.

"It's pretty obvious that defining cheating in this sport is something that's been very poorly done," he said, "and I think you all are probably the ones that need to step back and try to figure out how to define that better because, clearly, this garage is having a hard time doing that."

Keselowski said during a post-race rant at Texas that the way the No. 2 team has been "treated over the last seven days is absolutely shameful," and seemed to indicate that there were things going on behind the scenes with NASCAR that haven't been reported.

He refused to get into those issues on Friday.

"I don't think I've been surprised by much of anything the last two or three days, but I think it's really important to let the appeals process work out," he said. "I'll save those comments for when it works out. I don't want to jeopardize our chance to have a clear appeal."