Mike Tyson to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

Boxing legend and pop culture icon ?Iron? Mike Tyson will be inducted into the WWE's 2012 Hall of Fame class on March 31 in Miami, WWE announced to major media markets throughout the nation Monday. Among the most decorated pugilists in history, Tyson established his place in WWE lore in 1998 when he served as a special ?outside enforcer? for the WWE Championship main event of WrestleMania XIV between Shawn Michaels and ?Stone Cold? Steve Austin. (TYSON HALL OF FAME BIO)

Long before his appearance on The Grandest Stage of Them All, however, Tyson made his name in boxing, initially taking the sport by storm in the 1980s. Within the first two years of his professional career, Tyson amassed a 22-0 record, winning 21 of those contests by knockout.

In 1986, at age 20, ?The Baddest Man on the Planet? captured the World Boxing Council title to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history ? a distinction that stands today. The very next year he became the sport?s first Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, winning the top prizes in both the World Boxing Association and the International Boxing Federation.

Tyson?s first foray into sports-entertainment ? a memorable appearance on Raw in January 1998 ? produced one of the most indelibly chaotic scenes in WWE's history, as an icy staredown with ?Stone Cold? Steve Austin dissolved into a wild pull-apart brawl (WATCH). Often credited with ushering in WWE?s Attitude Era, that incident led to Tyson?s involvement in the WrestleMania XIV main event between Austin and then-champion Shawn Michaels.

Although all signs heading into the championship bout suggested Tyson would align with Michaels (WATCH), the boxing great defied expectations, counting the pinfall that made Austin a WWE Champion for the first time. When Michaels disputed the decision, ?Iron Mike? floored The Showstopper with a knockout right. (PHOTOS | WATCH)

Upon his return to WWE in January 2010 as a special guest on Raw, Tyson officially competed for the first time in a WWE ring. Teaming with Chris Jericho against Michaels and his D-Generation X cohort, Triple H, Tyson surprised his teammate and revealed himself as an honorary member of DX. That night, it was Jericho who wound up on the wrong end of Tyson?s staggering punching power. (PHOTOS | WATCH)

In recent years, ?The Baddest Man on the Planet? has emerged as a looming figure away from the squared circle, performing scene-stealing cameos in The Hangover series in addition to running a clothing line and starring in a gaming app.

The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on March 31, the eve of WrestleMania XXVIII, at the American Airlines Arena. Alongside Tyson, WWE legends Edge, The Four Horsemen and Mil Mascaras have already been announced as inductees. (INDUCTION CEREMONY TICKETS NOW ON SALE)

For more on ?Iron Mike,? visit his website and be sure to follow him on Twitter (@MikeTyson). Also, don?t forget to check out his clothing line, as well as his new app, Mike Tyson: Main Event, which is currently available on iTunes.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/inside/Mike-Tyson-Hall-of-Fame

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Picture of the Day (talking-points-memo)

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Another 'American Idol' alum heading to Broadway (AP)

NEW YORK ? A former "American Idol" contestant is heading to Broadway with a character who, it's safe to say, is truly two-faced.

Constantine Maroulis will play the title dual role in a revival of the musical "Jekyll & Hyde" that's slated to come to New York in spring 2013 after a 25-week national tour that starts in San Diego on Oct. 2, Nederlander Presentations Inc. announced Sunday.

Maroulis, who was a finalist on the fourth season of "American Idol," had a three-year run in Broadway's "Rock of Ages" and received a best actor Tony nomination and a Drama League nomination for his performance. He also played the role of Roger Davis in a recent national tour of "Rent."

Maroulis made his Broadway debut in "The Wedding Singer" and is currently in the title role of "Toxic Avenger" at the Alley Theatre in Houston. His debut album, "Constantine," was released on his own label, Sixth Place Records.

"Jekyll & Hyde" features a story and lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn, who co-conceived the musical. It will be directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun.

Additional cast and creative team, as well as tour cities, will be announced later.

Wildhorn has had a tough time on Broadway recently, with back-to-back shows that have failed. His show this spring called "Wonderland," an updated telling of "Alice in Wonderland," was poorly reviewed and his "Bonnie & Clyde" recently closed early this season.

"Jekyll & Hyde" made its Broadway debut in 1997 with such songs as "This is the Moment," "A New Life" and "Someone Like You," earning four Tony nominations. It tells the story of a London doctor who accidentally unleashes his evil alternate personality in his quest to cure his father's mental illness.

Robert Cuccioli played the lead, and Sebastian Bach and David Hasselhoff later took over. After 1,543 performances, the production played its final performance on Jan. 7, 2001.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_en_tv/us_theater_jekyll_and_hyde

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Meet a Super PAC Donor (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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Gingrich, Romney play for cheers in Florida debate (Reuters)

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Reuters) ? Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney opened a debate on Thursday night that had the makings of a raucous encounter between increasingly bitter rivals five days before Florida's pivotal Republican presidential primary vote.

Unlike Monday's subdued debate in Tampa, in which the crowd was urged to remain silent and not cheer candidates' answers, this debate will allow cheering.

Gingrich, the former House of Representatives speaker who in previous debates seemed to feed off the energy from vibrant crowds, said after Monday's debate he did not want to attend any more debates in which there was no cheering.

Gingrich and Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and private equity executive, are in a close race in a politically divided state whose primary may set the tone for the rest of the state-by-state campaign to pick a Republican challenger to Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6 election.

Increasingly, establishment Republicans are trying to stop Gingrich, believing the party would have little chance of capturing the White House with him at the top of the ticket.

Striking a blow on Thursday was former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, who served in Congress when Gingrich was House speaker.

"Gingrich had a new idea every minute and most of them were off the wall," Dole told National Review Online.

If Gingrich pulls off a second straight victory after his decisive triumph in last Saturday's primary in South Carolina, he would be seen as the front-runner in the race despite Romney's advantages in fundraising and organization.

It would be another improbable turn for Gingrich, whose campaign collapsed last summer only to come back to life on the strength of strong performances in debates.

A Romney victory could resurrect his status as the man to beat in the Republican field, which also includes former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Texas Representative Ron Paul.

UP FOR GRABS

Recent polls suggest Florida is up for grabs between Romney and Gingrich.

Gingrich surged into the lead in some polls in Florida after his South Carolina win, but Romney in recent days has climbed back on top, barely, on the strength of a string of negative attacks against Gingrich.

That makes the debate, a two-hour affair sponsored by CNN, particularly important. A solid performance by Gingrich could give him a burst of momentum heading into a busy final weekend of campaigning.

Gingrich's strong showing in a South Carolina debate was fueled by a conservative audience that cheered when Gingrich blasted CNN moderator John King over a question about Gingrich's personal life.

King had asked him about allegations made by Gingrich's second wife that he had asked her to have an "open marriage" so Gingrich could continue an affair with another woman. Gingrich turned the question into a strident attack on the news media, which he said was trying to shoot down Republican candidates.

In Thursday's debate, "it's important for Romney to have another good debate and for Newt not to score one of his 'drama queen' moments again," said Republican strategist Charlie Black, a Romney supporter.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/pl_nm/us_usa_campaign_debate

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Animal Shelter Employees Abandon Pets, Leave Them Starving And ...

When the owners of the?Purple Hearted Puppies Animal Rescue Center in Summerdale, Alabama took a long vacation, they hired outside help to care for nearly two hundred animals. Unfortunately, that hired help never arrived, and an outside agency was forced to take over the operation.

Speaking to WKRG, animal control expert?Deneen Balistere, who has worked with rescue animals for twenty years, said of the shelters conditions, ?They warned me what it was going to?be like.? It?s the worst I?ve ever seen.? ?Among the animals left to die were more than two hundred dogs, various cats, and two horses.

According to authorities, at least twenty animals were found dead when the shelter was raided, and Deneen says they are now in need of ?food, blankets, help, donations anything to save these dogs.?

The animals were left without food or water for nearly two weeks, and authorities say some of the dogs resorted to cannibalism to stay alive.

At this time, Roberta and Sharon Dueitt have been charged with twenty counts each of animal cruelty with dozens of more charges pending.

After hearing about the incident, more that fifty volunteers arrived at the?Purple Hearted Puppies Animal Rescue Center to help care for the sick animals.

In the meantime, animal adoptions are urgently needed at the center with officials ready to adopt out pets starting at eight o?clock on Friday morning.

Police, in the meanwhile, are still searching for other employees who work at the center with an ongoing investigation still underway.

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/187276/animal-shelter-employees-abandon-pets-leave-them-starving-and-dead/

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AT&T posts 4Q loss on charges, revenue increases (AP)

NEW YORK ? AT&T is reporting a fourth-quarter loss due to some hefty charges, but strong smartphone sales led to the company's best-ever quarter in activations.

Smartphone activations rose nearly 60 percent year over year, including 7.6 million iPhone activations.

The net loss amounts to $6.68 billion, or $1.12 per share, compared with year-earlier net income of $1.09 billion, or 18 cents per share. Adjusted profit was 42 cents per share.

Revenue rose 3.6 percent to $32.5 billion.

Analysts expected earnings per share of 43 cents on revenue of $31.99 billion, on average.

The Dallas company says it plans to resume share repurchases this year.

In premarket trading Thursday, shares of AT&T Inc. fell 51 cents to $29.70.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_hi_te/us_earns_at_t

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ShoeBox App Now Integrates With Facebook Timeline, Lets You Add Photos To Years Past

ShoeBox, the mobile app that lets you scan old photos and post them online, is today announcing Facebook Timeline integration. Using the newly released version of the ShoeBox iOS application, users will be able to scan photographs of family and friends using their smartphone, tag users by name, and then share those photos to Facebook. But here's the really cool part: ShoeBox is one of the first Timeline-integrated apps that's letting you post photos into the past. By that, I mean you can edit the date on your photo, and it will post to the correct place on your Facebook Timeline. Nifty!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/GLe1Rc2p_n8/

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Fifth Megaupload Arrest; No Bail for Kim Dotcom (Mashable)

Authorities appear to be giving no quarter in their case against file-sharing website Megaupload. A New Zealand judge denied bail to the website's founder, Kim Dotcom, on Wednesday. Authorities in the Netherlands also arrested a fifth suspect in the case.

Multiple news reports have identified the latest arrestee as programmer Andrus Nomm, a 32-year-old Estonian citizen.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) last week charged Dotcom and six others with running Megaupload as a "massive worldwide online piracy" operation. American authorities have been able to lead the charge because Megaupload was run in part from servers in the United States. The DOJ accuses Megaupload's operators of enabling the illegal downloads of millions of films, music, TV shows, software and other content to earn more than $175 million for themselves while costing more than $500 million in damages to copyright holders.

The first wave of arrests of Dotcom and three other alleged accomplices came last week, days after major websites including Wikipedia and Google blacked-out all or parts of their content in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Soon after the arrests, the hacker group Anonymous claimed credit for attacks that temporarily disabled the DOJ website.

Dotcom was denied bail on Wednesday pending his first extradition hearing on Feb. 22 because he is believed to pose a flight risk. Prosecutors said that has access to large monetary funds and a history of avoiding criminal charges.

Dotcom was arrested after authorities forced him out of a safe-room in his New Zealand mansion.

Born in Germany as Kim Schmitz, Dotcom has led an extravagant life as an Internet rogue, according to widespread news reports.

He was accused of a major insider-trading case in Germany at the peak of the Internet boom in 2001. He fled the country but was arrested in Thailand, then extradited and convicted in Germany, where he spent five months in jail after appearing on a popular late-night talk show to publicly defend himself, according to The New York Times.

Multiple photos posted online show him with beautiful women, jetliners and fancy automobiles while decked out in his trademark sunglasses and black garb. He flew helicopters and paid for the city of Aukland's 2010 New Year's fireworks celebration, according to the Wall Street Journal. Authorities reportedly seized more than a dozen luxury cars when they arrested him last week.

What do you think? Is Kim Dotcom up the creek without a paddle? Or can he wiggle out of this? Let us know in the comments.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20120125/tc_mashable/fifth_megaupload_arrest_no_bail_for_kim_dotcom

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Giveaway: Inside Apple: New book aims to expose old secrets

Inside Apple is a new book from Fortune's Adam Lashinsky that aims to reveal some of the secrets behind the success of America's premiere consumer electronics company -- Apple.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/swzqCu-3Zlg/story01.htm

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Comet's fiery plunge may tell us how planets form

For the first time, scientists have caught a glimpse of a comet's final minutes before it was vaporized by the sun.?The comet was flying at about 1.4 million miles an hour.

For the first time, scientists have caught a comet in the Icarus-like act of zipping too close to the sun ? and watched as it paid the ultimate price.

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In catching a glimpse of the comet's final vaporization, researchers not only have been able to piece together a detailed picture of the comet itself ? something usually reserved for spacecraft fly-bys. They also may have a found a way to use similar comets as test dummies for making key measurements of the sun's atmosphere, or corona.

And by throwing the break-up process into reverse, they may be able to answer a nagging question tied to the formation of planets in the solar system some 4.5 billion years ago: How does the clumping process that gathers tiny dust grains into ever bigger lumps and finally to planet-size objects really work?

The comet observations, published in the Jan. 20 issue of the journal Science, "are pioneering a new form of cometary study," writes Carey Lisse, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.

The comet, C/2011 N3, was discovered July 4, 2011, a scant two days before its demise, as researchers looked at data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, a joint NASA-European Space Agency project.

Sun-grazing comets, such as C/2011 N3, are nothing new to SOHO. It has observed more than 2,100 of them, according to NASA. It finds them with an instrument designed to mask the sun's disk so the instrument can observe the glowing corona.

But that's also a problem. Sun-grazers SOHO sees vanish behind this mask. And like Las Vegas, what goes on behind the mask stays behind the mask.

It took data from three craft ? SOHO, as well as NASA's STEREO and Solar Dynamics Observatory ? to piece together the full picture of C/2011 N3's final 20 minutes.

The C/2011 N3 belongs to a family known as Kreutz sungrazers ? a vast collection of comet fragments thought to have come from the break-up of a larger comet around 2,500 years ago. Scientists estimate that the parent object's nucleus was as large as 60 miles across. Comet Halley, which makes its closest approach to the sun every 75 years, has a nucleus roughly 7 miles across.

Based on its observations, the team, led by Lockheed Martin Corporation solar physicist Karel Schrijver, estimates that C/2011 N3 was hurtling toward the sun at about 1.4 million miles an hour ? fast enough to turn a three-day trip to the moon into a four-hour sprint. When it vanished, it had closed within 62,000 miles of the sun's surface.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/vVYBZ8PIa4U/Comet-s-fiery-plunge-may-tell-us-how-planets-form

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PFT: Dolphins will first focus on QB

Getty Images

The pursuit of public funds for football stadiums carries with it certain obligations that wouldn?t apply if football teams would simply build their own buildings.? In Florida, the powers-that-be previously passed a law requiring venues that receive public funds to discharge an important public duty:? provide shelter to the homeless when the buildings are otherwise not in use.

To date, the three NFL stadiums located in Florida, along with numerous other facilities, have failed to comply.? Now, a pair of Republican legislators hope to force the stadiums to comply ? or to refund the public money previously received.

?These organizations have failed to follow the law for over 20 years,? Representative Frank Artiles (R-Miami) said in a statement, via the Tampa Bay Times.? ?This is the simply the State of Florida holding them accountable.?

Per the Palm Beach Post, Senator Mike Bennett claims that none of the 17 facilities that have received public assistance have complied with the law.? This includes Tampa?s Raymond James Stadium, Jacksonville?s EverBank Field, and Miami?s SunLife Stadium.

Under a measure introduced by Bennett, counties and/or franchises that have received state money would have to prove the existence of a homeless shelter for use on non-event evenings or refund the money.

According to the Times, SunLife Stadium has received $37 million, Everbank Field has received $35.1 million, and Raymond James Stadium has received $30 million.

It?s a great move.? Florida has subsidized pro sports franchises with a clear expectation that the pro sports franchises will help the homeless.? The pro sports franchises have pocketed the money while ignoring their obligations.

Here?s hoping that Stephen Ross, the Glazers, and Shad Khan will make this right without having to be forced to do so.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/22/philbin-ross-say-quarterback-is-dolphins-highest-priority/related/

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Equatorial Guinea gets $1M win over Libya

Co-host of African Cup of Nations earns bonus with 1-0 upset

By MARK WALSH

updated 4:57 p.m. ET Jan. 21, 2012

BATA, Equatorial Guinea - Equatorial Guinea made a dramatic and rich debut in the African Cup of Nations with a stunning 1-0 win over Libya in the tournament opener on Saturday.

Equatorial Guinea qualified for the first time only because it's the co-host with Gabon, but it gave Africa's showpiece event a terrific start despite police having to tear gas some of the thousands of fans who overcame the security at Bata Stadium to force their way in.

In a game in which Equatorial Guinea deserved to win, it threatened the upset throughout and finally delivered when Javier-Angel Balboa scored after racing onto a throughball and slotting past Libya goalkeeper Samir Aboud into the top corner in the 87th minute.

"We played a good game. We had trained so little time, but the tactical dedication of our players was great," said Equatorial Guinea coach Gilson Paulo.

Paulo had only a few weeks to get to know his squad after replacing predecessor Henri Michel, who resigned just before the tournament.

This week, the team was promised a $1 million bonus from the son of the country's president if the team won the match.

"It's the famous $1 million," midfielder Juvenal Edjogo-Owono said a grin. "For us the money is not very important, the most important thing is to start the competition with a win.

"Now we will see the future more optimistically."

Edjogo-Owono missed a chance in the first half when his deflected shot rebounded off a post. Ivan Bolado put the rebound into the net, but the effort was disallowed for offside.

Despite injured captain Rodolfo Bodipo managing only a 15-minute substitute role, Equatorial Guinea belied its billing as the tournament's lowest-ranked team by matching Libya and creating opportunities.

Libya controlled possession early on, the first half-chance falling to Walid al-Katroushi, who was tackled at full stretch by Rui Da Gracia just before shooting in the opening minutes.

Unexpectedly, the co-host then took control of the match, forcing Libya goalkeeper Samir Aboud into some nervous fumbles.

The game continued its surprise pattern into the second half. Thierry Fidjeu tried an acrobatic finish but hooked his volley wide in the 53rd.

Meanwhile, Libya's players looked sluggish and hesitant - overawed perhaps by the expectations of a nation hoping to cap a year that included the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi with sporting success at the African Cup.

After the final whistle, the fans streamed outside blowing vuvuzelas and dancing with their hands in the air.

Libya coach Marcos Paqueta congratulated Equatorial Guinea.

"The conditions were very difficult facing the Equatorial Guinea team at home," he said.

"We started the game well, we kept the ball well, but the team started after that to get a bit nervous so we missed easy passes and lost control."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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First American EPL hat trick

Clint Dempsey became the first American to score a hat trick in England's Premier League, helping Fulham rally from a halftime deficit to rout Newcastle 5-2 Saturday.

Boris Streubel / Getty Images

Best of the US

Abby Wambach and Clint Dempsey are voted top players by the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46084154/ns/sports-soccer/

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Romney preparing for the long haul in 2012 race (AP)

GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Preparing for the long haul, Mitt Romney said Saturday's South Carolina presidential contest "could be real close" and he agreed to two more debates with his rivals ahead of the Florida primary.

In the face of questions about releasing his tax returns and struggling with a renewed threat from Newt Gingrich, Romney lashed out at the former speaker, calling on the former House speaker to better explain his contractual ties to Freddie Mac, the quasi-government mortgage company. Gingrich served as a consultant to Freddie Mac over a period of eight years.

Romney said he would attend a debate Monday in Tampa, Fla., and his campaign confirmed he would be at one Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla., ahead of the state's primary Jan. 31. His planned appearances are an acknowledgment that the former Massachusetts governor will have to continue the battle with Gingrich longer than expected or hoped.

But Romney avoided confronting Gingrich, his chief rival in South Carolina's first-in-the South vote, at a stop at Tommy's Country Ham House.

Both men had scheduled campaign events for the same time on primary day. Romney stopped by the breakfast restaurant 45 minutes ahead of schedule. When Gingrich arrived at the restaurant ? just minutes after Romney's bus left the parking lot ? he said: "Where's Mitt?"

About an hour earlier, Romney was outside of his Greenville headquarters, launching a new attack on the speaker. He called on Gingrich to further explain his contracts with Freddie and release any advice he had provided. "I'd like to see what he actually told Freddie Mac. Don't you think we ought to see it?" Romney said.

It was another response to pressure on Romney to release his tax returns before Republican voters finish choosing a nominee. A day earlier, Romney had called on Gingrich to release information related to an ethics investigation of Gingrich in the 1990s.

Romney says he will release several years' worth of tax returns in April. Gingrich has called on him to release them much sooner. On Saturday, Romney refused to answer questions from reporters about the returns and whether his refusal to release them had hurt him with South Carolina voters.

Romney still has significant advantages over his three remaining Republican rivals, including an enormous financial edge and a well-organized campaign. But with his Iowa victory now rescinded, losing in South Carolina would be a setback that could draw the primary contest out much longer. Just 10 days ago, Romney's campaign was looking ahead to the general election as they anticipated a quick sweep in early primaries.

"This could be real close," said Romney as he chatted on the phone with a voter he called Saturday morning. He urged the man to go vote.

And as he stood on a chair inside Tommy's, where it was impossible to tell who in the tightly packed crowd was there to see him and who was there to see Gingrich, a woman shouted her thanks for buying breakfast.

"I'm happy to pay for breakfast," Romney responded, "but there's no free lunch."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney

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Lobbying outlays bounce back (Politico)

Lobbying spending by the nation?s most prominent political influencers largely rebounded during last year?s fourth quarter, in part reflecting aggressive special interest campaigns concerning health, trade, employment, energy, telecom and technology issues, a POLITICO analysis of new federal disclosures indicates.

Companies and organizations such as Google, Verizon, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Southern Co., Business Roundtable, National Association of Realtors, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and CTIA-The Wireless Association all posted larger lobbying numbers than they did during both the preceding quarter and the same period one year before.

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Upstart influence operations run by companies such as Facebook, meanwhile, also reported markedly increased federal lobbying investments.

In all, 17 of the nation?s top 50 biggest-spending lobbying entities, as calculated by the Center for Responsive Politics based on third-quarter federal lobbying spending, exceeded their fourth-quarter 2010 and third-quarter 2011 output. Another 24 entities saw their spending in last year?s fourth quarter jump compared with one of the two periods.

And more than three-fifths of these top 50 entities spent more for all of 2011 than they did in 2010, according to POLITICO?s analysis.

Following the pitched battles in 2009 and 2010 over health care and financial reform, as well as energy and climate change legislation, overall federal lobbying activity stalled during much of 2011.

But the ill-fated congressional supercommittee, coupled with several high-profile legislative fights late last year, helped change matters.

Overall, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent more on lobbying during the fourth quarter ? $14.25 million ? than any other, according to fourth quarter disclosure reports, which lobbying entities had to submit by Friday night.

The Chamber, while well off its mark from the nearly $51 million it spent during the fourth quarter of 2010, spent about as much in the fourth quarter of 2011 as it did in the quarter before. It voluntarily includes state-level and grassroots lobbying efforts in its reports.

?Our lobbying figures represent an aggressive effort to advance our jobs agenda, which we rolled out around Labor Day. This includes our support for the three free trade agreements, which passed during the fall,? Chamber spokesman J.P. Fielder said. ?With the economy still facing strong headwinds, we?re continuing to aggressively push our pro-growth agenda this year. This encompasses a myriad of issues, from expanding energy production in order to drive down costs and create jobs, to supporting legislation that shuts down rogue websites and protects jobs.?

The Business Roundtable, which represents the chief executives of top U.S. companies, spent nearly $3.9 million during the fourth quarter ? about 27 percent more than in the third quarter and nearly 75 percent more compared with the fourth quarter of 2010.

?Our overall effort was to support policies that promote economic growth and job creation including the three trade agreements ? Colombia, Panama, South Korea ? work on fundamental corporate tax reform, extension of the research and development tax credit, work on various regulations ? and cyber security legislation,? said Larry Burton, the Business Roundtable?s executive director.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71761_html/44255660/SIG=11m73ea56/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71761.html

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Flaming-horned bull fatally gores man in Spain (AP)

MADRID ? A flaming-horned bull trampled and fatally gored a man early Saturday during a festival in eastern Spain, an official said.

Large balls of flaming wax are traditionally affixed to the beasts' heads before they are let loose to rampage through squares and narrow streets in such festivals.

The mayor of Navajas, population 730, said emergency services in his town were unable to save the life of the 45-year-old man whose name was withheld. Jose Vicente Torres said the accident happened when the man, who had traveled from Alboraia, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) to the south, tripped just as the bull was released.

Torres said the bull charged the man, gored him and then stamped on his head, causing him "irreversible injuries." He said he had offered his condolences to the man's family, but would not cancel similar events scheduled for early Sunday.

"Although ours is a small town, many people from outside come to visit our feast dedicated to Saint Anton," Torres said, adding that black bows had been tied to town hall flags as a mark of respect and mourning.

Many towns in east and northeastern Spain celebrate feasts with "toros embolados," or "flaming bulls," which feature the animals racing around and shaking their heads as a reaction to flames or fireworks attached to or close to their horns. At these regional festivals, flaming-horned bulls are taunted and teased by rowdy crowds in bullrings, town squares or down streets. Unlike with most other events involving bulls, the animals aren't killed in the end.

The regional parliament of northeastern Catalonia banned bullfighting in July 2010 following a signature-collection campaign by animal rights activists. The ban took effect Jan. 1. But the region then passed other legislation protecting flaming bulls, called "correbous" in the Catalan language. Many critics said banning one act while enshrining the other in law was hypocrisy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_re_eu/eu_spain_goring_death

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South Carolina GOP primary races to dramatic close (AP)

COLUMBIA, S.C. ? Republicans Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are not ceding one inch of South Carolina as the unpredictable campaign for the South's first presidential primary concludes ? and certainly not Tommy's Ham House.

Romney is fighting a suddenly surging Gingrich, while rivals Rick Santorum and Ron Paul look to surprise in a four-man race that has spun wildly in its last 48 hours.

Seen as Romney's to lose just days ago, South Carolina's primary has become a close contest between Romney, the former Massachusetts governor portraying himself as the best able to beat President Barack Obama, and Gingrich, the confrontational former House speaker and former Georgia congressman.

Both were scheduled to hold dueling campaign events at Tommy's, in Republican-rich Greenville, late Saturday morning. And neither campaign was stepping back from a primary day showdown.

It's "neck and neck," Romney declared Friday, moving to lower expectations for a race he led by double digits as of midweek.

Even as Romney was touting his electability in November, he continued to try to stoke doubt about Gingrich's ethics.

Gingrich, buoyed by the endorsement of Texas Gov. Rick Perry as he left the race Thursday, called Romney's suggestion that his chief rival release documents relating to an ethics investigation from the 1990s a "panic attack" brought on by sinking poll numbers.

Romney's demand was turnabout from Gingrich's that Romney release his income tax returns before the weekend primary. Gingrich argues that GOP voters need to know whether the wealthy former venture capital executive's records contain anything that could hurt the party's chances against Obama.

The stakes were high for Saturday's vote. The primary winner has gone on to win the Republican nomination in every election since 1980. And voters were faced with stamping Romney, who has led in national polls since December, as the party's front-runner, or reshuffle the contest.

Romney won the New Hampshire primary by a wide marign on Jan. 10, and was thought to have edged Santorum in a photo-finish in Iowa's leadoff caucuses. However, the certified count from Iowa on Thursday showed Santorum had received more votes, although a handful of precincts remained uncertain and no winner was declared.

Romney, Gingrich and Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator vying to be the preferred conservative, all planned to campaign in South Carolina's conservative upstate as the voting got under way. Paul, the Texas congressman who has campaigned lightly here, had no campaign appearances scheduled but was expected to visit campaign volunteers.

Behind the flurry of public events around the state Friday, telephones and televisions crackled with attack messages. Some of South Carolina's notorious 11th-hour devilry ? fake reports in the form of emails targeting Gingrich and his ex-wife Marianne ? emerged in a race known as much for its nastiness as for its late-game twists.

"Unfortunately, we are now living up to our reputation," said South Carolina GOP strategist Chip Felkel.

State Attorney Gen. Alan Wilson ordered a preliminary review of the phony messages to see if any laws had been broken.

Gingrich's ex-wife burst into the campaign this week when she alleged in an ABC News interview that her former husband had asked her for an "open marriage," a potentially damaging claim in a state where the Republican primary electorate includes a potent segment of Christian conservatives. The thrice-married Gingrich, who has admitted to marital infidelities, angrily denied her accusation.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Study: 'Tiger Parenting' Tough on Kids (LiveScience.com)

"Tiger mom" and Yale professor Amy Chua caused an uproar last year with a Wall Street Journal article about the superiority of her strict, Chinese-style version of parenting. Now, research suggests that critics of the piece may have had a point: High-achieving Chinese-American children do, in fact, struggle more with depression, stress and low self-esteem than their equally high-achieving European-American counterparts, and the reason involves parenting style.

Chua's piece, excerpted from her book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" (Penguin Press, 2011), extolled the virtues of strictness, blunt criticism and an unyielding insistence on academic perfection. In the essay, she tells the story of making her 7-year-old daughter sit at the piano without food or bathroom breaks until she mastered a difficult piece.

Strict parenting and stellar academic achievement are common in Chinese immigrant families, according to Desiree Baolian Qin, a professor in the department of human development and family studies at Michigan State University. But unfortunately, so are depression, stress and other so-called "internalizing" disorders.

"If you're doing well, you should be feeling good," Qin told LiveScience. "But what I've found persistently in my research is that that's not the case."

Family and mental health

In a new study to be published in the Journal of Adolescence, Qin compared 295 Chinese-American ninth graders with 192 European-American ninth-graders at the same highly competitive U.S. school. This high school, in a northeastern U.S. state, accepts only the top 5 percent of applicants by test scores. Thus, all the children in the study were academic all-stars.

Earlier research had turned up disturbing patterns of mental health struggles in Chinese-American high-achievers, Qin said. She wanted to understand why. So she and her colleagues had the two groups of ninth graders fill out questionnaires to measure their grades, levels of anxiety and depression and the amount of conflict in their families. The researchers also asked about how much warmth and support they felt from their parents, a measure called family cohesion.

"It wasn't completely surprising, but I was still a little shocked that in all these measures of family conflicts and cohesion and mental health, we see the Chinese kids were more disadvantaged," Qin said. "They reported higher levels of conflict, particularly around education, and they report much lower levels of cohesion." [7 Things That Will Make You Happy]

Not only that, but they were more stressed and depressed than the Euro-American counterparts, and they had lower self-esteem.

The culprit, Qin found, had everything to do with family. The more conflict and less cohesion in a teen's family, the more likely they were to have poor mental health. When the researchers removed conflict and cohesion from the statistical analysis, essentially erasing those differences between the white and Asian kids, the mental health difference also disappeared.

"Parent-child relations are the main factors that contribute to their lower levels of reported mental health," Qin said.

Academic strife

In a second study, Qin conducted in-depth interviews with18 of the Chinese students at the school. She found that academics are an enormous point of contention in Chinese-American families. The students complained that their parents talked constantly about academics and reacted emotionally to failure.

"They just take everything so literally, and exaggerate," one female student told Qin, "like if I get one bad grade, they think, 'Oh no, you're going to fail school, you're going to become one of those bad girls who do drugs.'"

Students also struggled with being compared to other children or family members, such as an older sibling who went to an Ivy League college. They even mentioned struggling with a cultural gulf between themselves and their parents. For example, one student said that she had a tough time in her relationship with her mother because American culture values standing up for oneself, while her Chinese-born mother feels that children should respect their parents and do as they're told.

While East Asian culture has a deeply ingrained focus on education, many of the issues that arise in these families are migration-related, Qin said. All the Chinese children in the larger sample had immigrant parents, she said, while almost none of the European-American kids did.

"My co-authors and I are not pathologizing Chinese kids and saying, 'Oh my God, Chinese kids are oppressed,'" Qin said. "The findings really point to immigration and the challenges created by migration in families."

"When children are caught in between their parents' old way of parenting and being and culture and the new in the U.S., then that can be very, very tough for children in a variety of ways."

Finding a middle ground

Not all Chinese parents take the "tiger" approach, of course. In fact, Qin's in-depth interviews, to be published in an upcoming issue of the journal New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, found that even strict "tiger parenting" is not black and white. The parents of the kids in the study worried about their children's health and happiness, and expressed sympathy when the children were overworked.

"They have a lot of internal conflict," Qin said of these parents. "They want them to be successful in the new land, and they want them to be healthy."

Fortunately, both are possible, Qin said. In a 2008 paper, Qin compared high-achieving Chinese-American students who were distressed with Chinese-American high-achievers who were mentally healthy. She found that the teens in families where parents take a strict "tiger mom" approach were the distressed ones. The high-achieving Chinese-American kids with more flexible parents did just as well in school, but were happy, too.

That's the important message for all parents, "tiger" or not, Qin said. It's not a problem to have high expectations for your child, she said. You just have to communicate those expectations with love and warmth.

"You can have a happy child with high achievement," Qin said. "A lot of families do have that."

You can follow LiveScience?senior writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience?and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20120120/sc_livescience/studytigerparentingtoughonkids

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Kodak files Chapter 11 bankruptcy, expects to complete restructuring by 2013

Apparently suing Samsung (again) wasn't the only pressing business for Kodak today, as it just announced it has -- as expected -- filed for Chapter 11 business reorganization in New York. You can read the details in the press release after the break or at the Kodak Transforms website, where Chairman and CEO Antonio Perez is quoted saying he hopes Kodak will "emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company". The company has obtained $950 million debtor-in-possession financing, which it claims will provide the liquidity needed to continue operations during the restructuring. As far as its recent parade of lawsuits against Samsung, Apple and HTC, Perez comments on "monetizing non-core IP assets" so we'd assume its lawyers will stay busy going forward.

Continue reading Kodak files Chapter 11 bankruptcy, expects to complete restructuring by 2013

Kodak files Chapter 11 bankruptcy, expects to complete restructuring by 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Kodak Transforms  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/DJ8PKB1S2tM/

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Video: US to Europe: Take Care of Yourself

CNBC's Steve Liesman reports that the U.S. has no intention of providing additional money to the IMF. The Treasury says that Europe has the capacity to solve its own problems, he adds.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46042621/

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Minnesota Public Relations Jobs: Kohnstamm Communications is ...

Twin-Cities based Kohnstamm Communications is seeking a smart and savvy Senior Account Executive to join our consumer PR team.

The Senior Account Executive is responsible for managing communications projects across several key consumer clients and generating creative and transformational outcomes. Duties include development, implementation and coordination of consumer public relations and social media programs in support of the client?s positioning and communications objectives. The goal is to produce marketing results and establish a powerful brand reputation for clients in the media and with stakeholders such as investors, potential customers, employees and the public. The SAE serves as a key contact to clients and works closely with the Kohnstamm management team to strategize, facilitate, brainstorm and manage accounts to drive results.

Candidates must have 5+ years of hands-on PR experience and possess demonstrated social media and media relations program results with a track record of national and regional editorial placements. The SAE will act as a collaborative and consultative client partner, and should possess advanced written, verbal and presentation communication skills, a self-directed nature and a natural ability to excel as part of a cohesive team.

Source: http://www.mnprjobs.com/2012/01/kohnstamm-communications-is-seeking.html

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Mexico seizes 194 tons of meth precursor chemical

Wednesday 18th January, 2012

Mexico seizes 194 tons of meth precursor chemical ??

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?????Wednesday 18th January, 2012??Source: eTaiwan News ??

Mexican authorities have seized 195 metric tons of a precursor chemical they say can be used both to make methamphetamines and process cocaine.The navy says the 12 shipping containers of methylamine were bound for Guatemala and Nicaragua.The Navy said Tuesday the chemical was shipped from

Breaking News Wednesday 18th January, 2012

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Source: http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?rid=202744457&cat=4b980140662cfc90

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Turk court gives man life sentence over Dink murder case (Reuters)

ISTANBUL (Reuters) ? An Istanbul court convicted a man Tuesday for instigating the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink five years ago, sentencing him to life imprisonment in a case closely watched by human rights groups.

Editor of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos and Turkey's best known Armenian voice abroad, Dink was shot in broad daylight as he left his Istanbul office in January 2007.

The judge sentenced Yasin Hayal to life imprisonment and acquitted 19 defendants of a charge of being part of a terrorist group. A juvenile court sentenced Dink's assassin, Ogun Samast, to 22 years and 10 months in jail last July. He was 17 when the killing took place.

The Dink case has been closely followed by the European Union as it underlined concerns over EU-candidate Turkey's human rights record and democratic credentials.

After the verdict, 200 people joined members of Dink's family in a march from the court to the place where he was shot dead in central Istanbul, angered that the court did not further examine the alleged role of state officials in the killing.

In a statement ahead of the verdict, Amnesty International said authorities had still not investigated the full circumstances behind Dink's murder.

"The Turkish authorities have failed to address state officials' alleged involvement in the killing," said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International's expert on Turkey.

"The security services knew of the murder plot and were in communication with those accused of the murder yet nothing was done to stop it taking place," he said.

Calls by Dink's family to investigate the collusion and negligence of state officials in the murder, have not been heeded, he added.

In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights ordered Turkish authorities to pay 100,000 euros to Dink's family in compensation, saying authorities had failed to adequately protect Dink even though they knew ultra-nationalists were plotting to kill him.

Seven security officials have been convicted for their failure to relay information of the plot that could have prevented the murder.

Dink had angered nationalists with articles on Armenian identity and references to a Turkish "genocide" of Christian Armenians in 1915. He was repeatedly prosecuted for insulting "Turkishness."

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by Daren Butler)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/wl_nm/us_turkey_dink

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Hamas leaders evacuating families from Syria (AP)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip ? Hamas officials say senior members of their exiled leadership will evacuate their families from the group's headquarters in Syria.

Hamas, a militant Islamist Palestinian group, rules the Gaza Strip.

The officials, speaking from Damascus, said Tuesday that the evacuations are in response to the deteriorating security situation in Syria, where President Bashar Assad has been resisting a 10-month uprising.

The officials say the families of three top officials ? Moussa Abu Marzouk, Mohammed Naser and Izzat Risheq ? are set to leave at the end of the month, while the three men will remain in Damascus.

In recent months, Hamas has pulled lower level officials and their families out of Syria.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing the inner workings of the secretive group.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_hamas_syria

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[OOC] Exspression

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OCOC- Is the rp starting when all the slots are filled or is there a certain date?

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US military chief to Israel as Iran tension grows

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2012 file photo, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey speaks at Duke University in Durham, N.C. Tensions flaring, the Obama administration warns Iran through public and private channels against any action that threatens the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. Some experts fear the risk of open conflict with Tehran appears higher than at any point since President Barack Obama took office, perhaps from U.S. moves to enforce open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or even a military strike from Israel. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2012 file photo, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey speaks at Duke University in Durham, N.C. Tensions flaring, the Obama administration warns Iran through public and private channels against any action that threatens the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. Some experts fear the risk of open conflict with Tehran appears higher than at any point since President Barack Obama took office, perhaps from U.S. moves to enforce open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or even a military strike from Israel. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds, File)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? The top U.S. military commander is scheduled for talks in Israel this week, Israel said Sunday, at a time when the U.S. is concerned that Israel might be preparing to attack Iran over its nuclear program.

The Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed the planned visit Thursday by Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. It did not give his agenda for talks with Israelis ? but Iran is expected to be at the top.

Israel considers a nuclear-armed Iran to be an existential threat because of its nuclear program, missile capabilities, support for anti-Israel militants in Lebanon and Gaza and frequent references by its president to the destruction of Israel.

Israel has repeatedly hinted it might take military action if international sanctions fail to stop Iran's nuclear development.

The U.S., Israel and other Western nations believe Iran is developing atomic weapons. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Dempsey's visit will be his first official trip to Israel since he assumed command of the joint chiefs on Sept. 30. His predecessor, Adm. Mike Mullen, made several visits to Israel during his four-year term.

On Thursday President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the Iran situation in a telephone conversation.

The Obama administration is concerned that Iran's recent claim that it is expanding nuclear operations with more advanced equipment may push Israel closer to a strike.

The U.S. still hopes that international pressure will persuade Iran to back down, but the Islamic regime shows no sign it would willingly give up a project that has become a point of national pride.

The U.S. has led a series of economic sanctions against the regime. On Sunday, Israeli Cabinet Minister Moshe Yaalon said he was disappointed that the U.S. has not expanded the measures to further damage Iran's central bank and its energy industry.

Last week, an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed in a car bombing in Tehran. There has been no claim of responsibility, but Iran has accused the U.S., Israel and Britain of being behind the killing. Several leading Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in recent years.

Israel has not commented publicly on the scientist's death.

The killing in Tehran came a day after Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz was quoted as telling a parliamentary panel that 2012 would be a "critical year" for Iran ? in part because of "things that happen to it unnaturally."

Gantz is also headed this week to Brussels for talks with NATO officials that are expected to focus on Iran.

The U.S. and its allies are pressuring Iran to halt uranium enrichment, but Iran appears to be attempting to expand operations.

The U.S. is also angered by an Iranian court's death sentence of a U.S. citizen and its threats to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passage for one-sixth of the world's oil.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-15-ML-Israel-US/id-673a5fc663364ff9b8ab3892d58f0298

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