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By Chi-Chi Zhang, CNN

updated 2:06 AM EST, Thu December 29, 2011

Chinese Uighurs sell pomegranates in Pishan, Xinjiang, in a file photo from 2006.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The operation in western China has left one police officer dead and another wounded
A government official says the Uighurs took two local villagers hostage
The motive for the kidnapping remains unclear
The Chinese authorities often blame Uighurs for outbreaks of violence in the region

Beijing (CNN) -- The Chinese police have killed seven members of the Uighur ethnic group in the restive western region of Xinjiang in order to free two hostages, a local government official said Thursday.

The operation to recover the hostages left one police officer dead and another wounded, said Hou Hanmin, a spokeswoman for the chief of the regional information office.

The hostages -- local villagers looking for their lost sheep in the rural county of Pishan -- were kidnapped by a group of Uighurs on Wednesday night, according to Hou.

The motive for the kidnapping remains unclear and Hou said the authorities were still investigating whether the kidnappers belonged to a terrorist organization.

The Chinese authorities have often blamed militants of Uighur descent for outbreaks of violence in Xinjiang in recent years. Uighurs are ethnic Turks who are linguistically, culturally and religiously distinct from China's majority Han population.

Beijing has said Uighur militants are often based overseas and has linked some of them to the East Turkistan Islamic Movement that allegedly trains in Pakistan.

During the violence in Xinjiang this week, the Uighurs killed one police officer and wounded another before the officers opened fire and killed seven of the kidnappers, wounding four others, according to Hou. The police arrested several Uighurs, she said.

The clash comes after a two-month security crackdown, which ended in October, against violence, terrorism and radical Islam across the resource-rich region, which borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and numerous unstable Central Asian states.

The tightened security measures included 24-hour security patrols of troubled areas, identity checks and random street searches of people and vehicles.

Uighur activists say the crackdowns have only heightened anger among Uighurs who already accuse the government of religious and political repression. Uighurs also say they feel economically disadvantaged as a thriving Han population continues to move into the region.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rss/cnn_world/~3/O8l1S-qP5II/index.html

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If you?re a fan of LEGO, the popular construction toys from Denmark, you?ll definitely be interested by the Connect Design Block Case for the iPhone 4/4S. Inspired by LEGO blocks, this unique case is made of rubber and features bumps that allow you to easily add and remove interlocking pieces for you to customize it for whatever your intended purposes.

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Source: http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/12/connect-design-block-case-iphone-44s/

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guertinmckinley77 · December 28 2011

December 28 2011, Matthew Kredell

Nevada Online Poker Regulations

The Nevada Gaming Commission's approval of online poker regulations Dec. 22 sets the stage for legal, licensed and regulated Internet poker to debut in the United States in the next year. However, the scope of the performance is still very much in question.

Whether the regulations are used under a national network, intrastate within only Nevada, or interstate between states under a Nevada umbrella, will depend on the progress of a federal bill and state efforts in 2012.

Whatever the future of online poker is, Nevada wants to be at the center just as it is in the world of bricks-and-mortar gambling. These regulations, which were asked for by legislation passed earlier this year in the state legislature, give Nevada a head start at establishing the framework for regulating online poker no matter what form it takes.

The Nevada Gaming Commission already has begun accepting applications for companies to operate Internet poker sites, including from Caesars Entertainment and Boyd Gaming. The companies that receive licenses will be free to begin offering play to people living in Nevada.

For companies that already own regular Nevada gaming licenses, the approval process is expected to be less than 90 days. It may take a little longer to form the internal controls necessary to implement the regulations. The first sites could begin serving people inside Nevada during the second half of 2012.

If a federal bill does pass, it is expected that states and Indian territories will be the regulators. That is the plan currently laid out in Rep. Joe Barton's bill. Once a federal law is in place, Nevada will be ready to go and have companies pre-approved. Some states, like New Jersey and California, may want to handle their own regulation. Others may want to let Nevada oversee online poker in their state.

"Nevada is essentially moving ahead without a federal law," said John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance. "Should it become federal law, I think Nevada will be in the position to be one of the first states certified to issue licenses. I think a lot of states would rather not take the regulatory burden upon themselves and would say what's good enough for Nevada is good enough for us."

Liquidity is an issue with intrastate poker in Nevada, which has a population of about three million with additional people always in the state as tourists. However, with the popularity of live poker in places like Las Vegas, it might be the case that a higher percentage of people in Nevada are interested in playing poker than in other states.

If a federal law does not come along in the next couple of years, other states could end up officially legalizing online poker and joining Nevada to combine player pools across states. This option was made possible by the Justice Department's recent announcement that the Wire Act, which prevents wagers across state lines, applies only to sports betting.

The approved regulations are important because many of them could end up being the rules used by the largest regulatory agency after federal legislation.

Some noteworthy aspects of the regulations:

Player fund transfers are not allowed.
Affiliates are allowed.
Operators must ensure that players have only one account.
Operators may pay a fixed sum to celebrity players for marketing purposes as long as the operator does not profit beyond the rake.
Promotional credits or bonus credits offered by the operator are allowed.
An operator must maintain a reserve of cash, cash equivalents, an irrevocable letter of credit, bond, or combination thereof, equal to the sum of all players' funds.
Any compensation received by an operator for conducting any game in which the operator is not party to a wager shall be no more than 10 percent of all funds wagered in each hand.

The regulations aren't final. The Nevada Gaming Commission may decide to add or amend the rules at any time. Pappas said the PPA had not yet looked deeply enough into the regulations to determine if the organization had any concerns from a player standpoint.

Nevada having regulations in place to govern online poker could help with congressmen who remain on the fence regarding the issue.

"I think it shows Congress that the most prominent gaming state in the country is ready to regulate this activity and believes it can be regulated," Pappas said. "I think that gives lawmakers some comfort that this can be appropriately regulated by an accredited regulating body."

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

Comments

Source: http://www.pokernews.com/news/2011/12/nevada-gaming-commission-s-online-poker-regulations-11714.htm

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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. ? The athletic abilities of star running back Adrian Peterson led the Minnesota Vikings to give him a seven-year, $100 million contract extension before the season started.

Now, they hope his recuperative abilities are just as good and he is able to live up to being the highest-paid running back in the NFL.

Minnesota expects Peterson to be recovered from left knee surgery for two torn ligaments in time to start the 2012 season.

"We expect most people to recover from this injury in eight to nine months and instead of comparing Adrian to any other player at any level that's had an anterior cruciate ligament, and they happen every day, I would really like Adrian to stand on his own merit because Adrian, I feel, is very unique," Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman said Monday.

"Adrian has a great work ethic. Adrian has the DNA to heal quickly, which he has shown in the past. He certainly will have the desire and the mental toughness to be able to get through the rehab process, which will take months and months, as you know. So, I think if anyone can get better quickly and safely in that time period, it would be Adrian Peterson."

Peterson tore his ACL and MCL when he was hit in the side of the knee by Washington Redskins safety DeJon Gomes in the third quarter of Saturday's 33-26 win at Washington. An MRI on Saturday evening revealed the ligament tears and meniscus damage, and Peterson will undergo surgery within the next seven to 10 days.

Backup Toby Gerhart, who started three games earlier this season when Peterson was out with a high ankle sprain, will start Sunday in the season-finale against the Chicago Bears. A second-round pick in 2010, Gerhart has filled in well for Peterson and notched the first 100-yard rushing game of his career with 109 yards on 11 carries Saturday. But the Vikings expect Gerhart's time as the starter to be short-lived.

"He sets his goals extremely high and he's one of those guys who, when he puts his mind to it, there's no reason to ever doubt that he can achieve what he sets his mind to," Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier said of Peterson. "We're looking forward to his attacking this rehab like he's attacked every offseason, to come back and play and be even better than he was before. I know with Eric and our medical staff, they're going to do everything they can to get him back on the field and ready to go when we line up in that first football game next season."

Gerhart's emergence over the past month at least offers optimism if Peterson has to miss extended time next season.

Gerhart has had the top three rushing days of his career in the past four weeks. On his first carry after Peterson left Saturday's game, Gerhart showed some big-play ability of his own, busting free for a 67-yard run, the longest of his short career.

Believing Peterson will be ready for the first game of 2012 and knowing Gerhart is available if needed, Frazier said the team wouldn't change its run-first offensive approach.

"One of things about Adrian's absence earlier in the season, we had a chance to get Toby some extended snaps and we really haven't altered the offense by any means," Frazier said. "Toby has done a very good job in Adrian's absence. Did a great job (Saturday) of stepping in and performing and rushing for over 100 yards. So we really haven't had to alter things. We really don't plan to. We look forward to eventually getting Adrian back on the field, but we don't think we have to really alter the offense."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_vikings_peterson

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AMSTERDAM ? Dutch airport police say they have detained a Finnish man who fought with crew members aboard a flight from the Spanish island of Tenerife to Finland.

A spokesman said the crew overpowered the 57-year-old passenger and diverted the flight to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, where he was taken into custody Sunday.

Spokesman Martijn Peelan says the man argued with his wife, and the fight escalated when the crew intervened.

Police are questioning the suspect and several witnesses. News reports say 177 passengers were on the plane.

Peelan says police cannot release details about the detained passenger or the aircraft that was diverted.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111225/ap_on_re_eu/eu_netherlands_airplane_diverted

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By Joel Thorman - NFL Editor

Jon Gruden currently works on ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast but a report states that Gruden is preparing to get back into coaching in 2012.

Dec 27, 2011 - Earlier this year ESPN announced a new contract agreement with Jon Gruden for the Monday Night Football broadcast but he may not be around to enjoy it. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune took a look at the changes coming to the San Diego Chargers and notes that Gruden wants to get back into coaching in 2012.

Acee reports that, if GM A.J. Smith is fired by the Chargers, the Rams will want to bring him -- and Gruden -- into the fold.

People familiar with Rams owner Stan Kroenke's plans said Monday that Kroenke is waiting for Spanos to make a move on Smith. If Smith is available, league and agent sources strongly indicated that Smith will be hired as Rams' general manager and bring along Jon Gruden as head coach.

Sources said Gruden has decided to return to coaching in 2012 and that his current employer, ESPN, is already preparing for his departure.

Acee has been talking about the Rams' interest in Smith for some time so this isn't totally new. The bit about Gruden potentially being involved is the new information. It's well known that Smith and Gruden have a good relationship.

Peter King recently suggested that the Rams job, which is expected to be open after head coach Steve Spagnuolo is fired, could be the best one available considering the presence of Sam Bradford and a top pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Perhaps that's why Gruden is reportedly interested.

Gruden has long been one of the A-list coaches during hiring season but he hasn't shown an interest in getting back into coaching since the Bucs fired him following the 2008 season. He took the ESPN job in 2009.

Do you like this story?

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2011/12/27/2663395/jon-gruden-espn-coaching-2012-season?xid=si_nfl

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Updated?Dec 26, 2011 2:56 PM ET

?

BEREA, Ohio (AP)

Browns coach Pat Shurmur says he's the one ultimately responsible for his team's mistakes.

Two blunders on Saturday in Baltimore were costly in a 20-14 loss to the Ravens. Browns backup quarterback Seneca Wallace botched a scoring opportunity at the end of the first half and rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor jumped offside on fourth down in the final two minutes to seal Baltimore's win. Shurmur said there are no excuses and the Browns ''have to play smarter.''

Shurmur also had no update on quarterback Colt McCoy, who hasn't been cleared to practice since suffering a concussion Dec. 8 against Pittsburgh. Shurmur said McCoy took part in team meetings Monday and the team won't know until Wednesday if he'll be able to practice.

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Cleveland-Browns-coach-Pat-Shurmur-accepts-blame-for-loss-122611

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Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio pauses at a news conference to announce an agreement for a 2-month extension to the payroll tax cut on Capitol Hill Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio, center, is surrounded by reporters after exiting a House vote on the payroll tax cut in Washington, on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Barack Obama signs the payroll tax cut extension, Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, in the White House Oval Office in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? With tea party-backed first-termers calling the shots, House Republicans snatched political defeat from the jaws of victory in a year-end showdown over Social Security payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits.

This time, they pushed the country to the brink ? and wound up blinking.

"In the end House Republicans felt like they were re-enacting the Alamo, with no reinforcements and our friends shooting at us," said veteran Republican Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas.

Precisely.

By spurning a deal that Senate Republicans had embraced, for a two-month extension of tax cuts for 160 million Americans and jobless benefits for millions more, the House wing of the party isolated itself politically and by some calculations improved President Barack Obama's re-election prospects.

Friday brought a humbling surrender, the only realistic alternative despite grumbling from scattered holdouts and Newt Gingrich, courting tea party support in the race for the presidential nomination.

By then, even allies said Republicans had become vulnerable to Obama's accusation that they, alone, were threatening a fragile economic recovery and the well-being of the employed and unemployed alike. "Right now, the bipartisan compromise that was reached on Saturday is the only viable way to prevent a tax hike on Jan. 1," Obama said Tuesday after the House rejected the two-month measure that had sailed through the Senate on a vote of 89-10.

The reliably conservative editorial page of The Wall Street Journal piled on, referring to a circular Republican firing squad. The GOP has "achieved the small miracle of letting Mr. Obama position himself as an election-year tax cutter. ... This should be impossible," it wrote on Wednesday.

One poll said Obama ran ahead of Republicans when it came to handling taxes, an issue that has generally favored the GOP since Ronald Reagan sat in the White House three decades ago.

No less critical were Senate Republicans, fearing the impact on their own political prospects, both individually and as a group eager to gain a majority in the 2012 elections. A gain of four seats would give them control, and several close races are likely. Losses suddenly seemed possible instead. There was in even talk that the hardline stance by House Republicans was putting the GOP's big majority in that chamber in danger.

Most importantly, for the first time all year, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell wasn't in a position to help as House Speaker John Boehner sought to carry out the wishes of his rank and file, the Kentucky senator having voted for the bill that House Republicans insisted was a loser.

At its core, the dispute was a simple one.

Talks between the two parties in the Senate on a full-year extension faltered when negotiators could not agree on the cuts needed to make sure the measure did not increase deficits. The two-month stopgap bill was designed to keep the tax cuts and jobless benefits going until the negotiations could resume again after the first of the year.

To the tea party types, that smacked of government as usual, precisely what they came to Washington to change.

"We're as unified as we've been all year," said Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, on the night before the House Republicans rejected the Senate bill, demanded negotiations on a compromise and drove themselves into a political dead end.

This time, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democrats had no incentive to negotiate, unlike earlier when brinkmanship pushed the government to the edge of a partial shutdown or an unprecedented default.

They and the White House had already caved to Republican demands that any extension be paid for, and that Obama decide within 60 days whether to allow construction of an oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.

The president had threatened to veto any measure that linked tax cuts and the pipeline, hoping to postpone a decision on the project until after the election. Late last week, he did an about-face and demanded Congress send him a bill that did precisely that.

The reversal gave Republicans the political victory some had sought if they were going to approve an extension of the tax cuts and jobless benefits at the core of Obama's jobless program.

Boehner told House Republicans as much in a conference call on Saturday, according to several officials who listened. They added he recommended no specific course of action and sought the all views.

Some lawmakers suspected Boehner had acquiesced in the two-month extension that McConnell worked out, and he was challenged on it 48 hours later in a closed-door meeting. He bristled at the accusation, according to several participants, and denied it flatly.

There were hints of infighting. Behind closed doors, one Republican lawmaker raised a concern about a memo ? inaccurate, he said ? from an unidentified staff aide who wrote that Boehner favored a more conciliatory approach than Majority Leader Eric Cantor and other members of the leadership.

"We're here and ready to work," Boehner told reporters on Wednesday morning. He spoke at a made-for-television event with Cantor and the eight Republicans, including three first-termers, appointed to conduct non-existent negotiations with Democrats.

Little more than 24 hours later, the charade ended when Boehner informed his own rank and file, no consultations permitted.

By then, even two newcomers to the House had issued public statements calling for an end to the standoff.

"I don't think that my constituents should have a tax increase because of Washington's dysfunction," said freshman Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., now a voting member of the government he was criticizing.

The struggle over, Reid said he hoped the episode had been "a very good learning experience, especially to those who are newer" to Congress.

"Everything we do around here does not have to wind up in a fight."

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? David Espo covers Congress for The Associated Press.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-24-Payroll%20Tax-Analysis/id-974f8a52548342e78a4591c6dae4123f

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By: Jennifer Hong
12/23/2011 10:38 AM ET

Alec Baldwin Mayor ? Alec Baldwin has a change of heart about running for mayor.

According to the ?30 Rock? actor, the other hopefuls have turned him off to the idea of running for the state of New York.

He feels that they are far too eager to hold the position of Mayor. So, the long-time actor has chosen to stick with what he knows.

Alec fans everywhere will be crushed; they went all out for him. There was even a Facebook page made to promote the idea of Alec for mayor.

Congressman Anthony Weiner makes anyone look good for the position, besides himself, of course.

PETA -

Baldwin believes in the rights of animals; he is a PETA supporter and narrated their ?Meet Your Meat? video project.

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A group of five gunmen attacked three buses in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz on Thursday, killing a total of seven passengers in what authorities said appeared to be a violent robbery spree.

The Americans killed were a mother and her two daughters who were returning to visit relatives in the region, known as the Huasteca, said an official in the neighboring state of Hidalgo, where the mother was born.

Hidalgo state regional assistant secretary Jorge Rocha identified the dead U.S. mother as Maria Sanchez Hernandez, 39, of Fort Worth, Texas, and the daughters as Karla, 19, and Cristina, 13. Rocha said all three held dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship. A 14-year-old Mexican nephew traveling with the three was also killed.

A U.S. Embassy official confirmed the women's nationalities, but could offer no information on their ages or hometowns. The official, who was not authorized to be quoted by name, said consular authorities were offering assistance to the victims' relatives.

Story: Mexico disbands entire police force in top port of Veracruz

While funeral plans were unclear, Rocha said Sanchez Hernandez's mother wants her daughter to be buried in Mexico.

Three other Mexican citizens were killed in the Thursday attacks on the three buses.

The five gunmen who allegedly carried out the attacks were later killed by soldiers.

Earlier in their spree, the gunmen shot to death three people and killed a fourth with grenade in the nearby town of El Higo, Veracruz.

'Exercise caution'
On Thursday, the U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros, a Mexican border city north of where the attacks occurred, said in a statement that "several vehicles," including the buses, were attacked, but did not specify what the other vehicles were.

The consulate urged Americans to "exercise caution" when traveling in Veracruz, and "avoid intercity road travel at night."

While the specific area where the Thursday attacks occurred is not frequented by foreign travelers, other parts of the Huasteca ? a hilly, verdant area on the Gulf coast ? are popular among Mexican tourists and some foreigners.

Story: Mexico makes huge meth precursor chemicals seizure

The attack occurred near the border with the state of Tamaulipas, an area that has been the scene of bloody battles between the Zetas and Gulf drug cartels.

Meanwhile, the tortured bodies of 10 people were found in northern Veracruz, local media reported Friday, as attacks in the region intensify between the rival cartels.

In September, 35 bodies were dumped along a downtown highway in the Veracruz city of Boca del Rio.

More than 45,000 people have been killed in cartel-related violence since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45780933/ns/world_news-americas/

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The auto industry is on track for record global sales this year, with Bob King, United Auto Workers president.

By Joe Palazzolo

Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC?s enforcement division, announced Thursday afternoon that the agency has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to review U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff?s rejection of the agency?s proposed $285 million settlement with Citigroup over a mortgage-bond deal.

He issued the following statement:

Last month, a federal district court declined to approve a consent judgment because, in its view, the underlying allegations were ?unsupported by any proven or acknowledged facts.? As a result, the court rejected a $285 million settlement between the SEC and Citigroup that reasonably reflected the relief the SEC would likely have obtained if it prevailed at trial.

We believe the district court committed legal error by announcing a new and unprecedented standard that inadvertently harms investors by depriving them of substantial, certain and immediate benefits.? For this reason, today we filed papers seeking review of the decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

We believe the court was incorrect in requiring an admission of facts ? or a trial ? as a condition of approving a proposed consent judgment, particularly where the agency provided the court with information laying out the reasoned basis for its conclusions.? Indeed, in the case against Citigroup, the SEC filed suit after a thorough investigation, the findings of which were described in extensive detail in a 21-page complaint.

The court?s new standard is at odds with decades of court decisions that have upheld similar settlements by federal and state agencies across the country.? In fact, courts have routinely approved settlements in which a defendant does not admit or even expressly denies liability, exactly because of the benefits that settlements provide.

Khuzami?s full statement is available here, and the WSJ has a story on the showdown between the SEC and Rakoff here.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/12/15/rakoff-committed-legal-error-in-citigroup-ruling-khuzami-says/

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NBC

Monica, seen here supporting son Matias before a challenge on "Fear Factor," doesn't appreciate the comments she heard on the show.

By Ree Hines

On the premiere episode of the revamped "Fear Factor," viewers met Monica and Matias, a close -- really, really close -- mother and son team that was ready for any challenge or gross-out gag host Joe Rogan was willing to throw their way. But as it turns out, there was one thing the two?weren't ready for -- the way other teams, and even Rogan, reacted to their relationship.

See, Monica and Matias were hand-on with their support of each other on Monday night's show, and that left their competition with plenty to talk about.

"(Matias) and his mama -- they're touching each other a little too much for me," one member of the yellow team mentioned. "(They're) making me feel kind of funny."

It was a sentiment Rogan shared.

"I think a lot of people at home feel funny, too," he said on behalf of the home audience before adding, "I hug my mom every time I see her, but then I let go."

Now Monica has something to say about that.

"I am appalled and disgusted at the comments of people on the show about Matias? and my relationship and how it seems ?inappropriate? for a mother and son," she told TMZ. "Are you kidding me?"

Take that, yellow team.

Monica also insisted that "in no way, shape or form am I inappropriate with my son."

OK, "Fear Factor" fans, what do you think? Should Monica and Matias have expected the comments, given all of the parental PDA, or were the ones who made the remarks out of line? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

?

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Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9470986-fear-factor-mom-loves-her-son-just-not-that-way

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MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia's customs agency said Friday that it seized radioactive metal from the luggage of an Iranian passenger bound for Tehran.

Spokeswoman Kseniya Grebenkina told The Associated Press that the luggage had been seized some time ago, but could not specify when. The Iranian hasn't been detained, she said.

The Federal Customs Service said in a statement that its agents found 18 pieces of metal at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport after a radiation alert went on. It says the gauges showed that radiation levels were 20 times higher than normal.

It was not immediately clear if the substance could have any use in Iran's controversial nuclear program.

The pieces contained Sodium-22, she said, a radioactive isotope of sodium that could be produced in a particle accelerator. Sodium-22 is a positron-emitting isotope that has medical uses, including in nuclear medicine imaging.

Grebenkina said prosecutors have launched a probe into the incident.

Sergei Novikov, spokesman for the Rosatom nuclear agency, told the AP that the pieces are highly unlikely to have come from Rosatom and said the isotope is produced by particle accelerators, not by nuclear reactors.

In Russia, universities, research institutes and big medical centers have the technology to produce it, he said.

"There is an extremely slim chance that it could have come from Rosatom," he said.

Novikov said that Rosatom has never sold Sodium-22 to Iran, but it has supplied it with other types of medical isotopes.

Grebenkina of the Customs Service insisted that the material seized is not highly radioactive.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday endorsed harsher sanctions against Iran aimed at derailing its suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. Iran denies Western allegations that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons.

Earlier this year, Atomstroiexport, a Rosatom subsidiary, launched Iran's first nuclear reactor in Bushehr.

Russian officials have insisted that the deal with Iran is in line with international agreements and will oblige Tehran to ship all the spent fuel from the plant back to Russia for reprocessing to avoid a possibility of it being used in a covert weapons program.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-16-EU-Russia-Iran/id-cd9e0d6740b240a69e18f8000ed96c14

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Newt Gingrich's proposed tax plan would slash income taxes on the very rich, increasing the federal deficit by $850 billion in a single year. How can he get away? with this?

Newt Gingrich has done it again. With his new tax plan he has raised the bar from?irresponsibility to recklessness.

Skip to next paragraph Robert Reich

Robert is chancellor's professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Clinton. He has written 13 books, including 'The Work of Nations,' 'Locked in the Cabinet,' and his most recent book, 'Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future.' His 'Marketplace' commentaries can be found on publicradio.com and iTunes.

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Every dollar estimate I?m about to share with you comes from the independent, non-partisan Tax Policy Center ? a group whose estimates are used by almost everyone in Washington regardless of political persuasion.

First off, Newt?s plan increases the federal budget deficit by about $850 billion ? in a single year!

To put this in perspective, most forecasts of the budget deficit cover ten years.??The elusive goal of the White House and many on both sides of the aisle in Congress is to reduce that ten-year deficit by 3 to 4 trillion dollars.

Newt goes in the other direction, with gusto. Increasing the deficit by $850 billion in a single year is beyond the wildest imaginings of the least responsible budget mavens within a radius of three thousand miles from Washington.

Imagine what Standard & Poor?s or Moody?s or Fitch would do if it became law. We?d go directly from a triple-A credit rating to triple X ? the veritable porn star of fiscal mayhem. Interest on our debt would become larger than most of the rest of the budget.

Most of this explosion of debt in Newt?s plan occurs because he slashes taxes. But not just anyone?s taxes. The lion?s share of Newt?s tax cuts benefit the very, very rich.

That?s because he lowers their marginal income tax rate to 15 percent ? down from the current 35 percent, which was Bush?s temporary tax cut; down from 39 percent under Bill Clinton; down from at least 70 percent in the first three decades after World War II. Newt also gets rid of taxes on unearned income ? the kind of income that the super-rich thrive on ? capital-gains, dividends, and interest.

Under Newt?s plan, each of the roughly 130,000 taxpayers in the top .1 percent ? the richest one-tenth of one percent ? reaps an average tax cut of $1.9 million per year. Add what they?d otherwise have to pay if the Bush tax cut expired on schedule, and each of them saves $2.3 million a year.

To put it another way, under Newt?s plan, the total tax bill of the top one-tenth of one percent drops from around 38 percent of their income to around 10 percent.

What about low-income households? They get an average tax cut of $63 per year.

Oh, I almost forgot: Newt also slashes corporate taxes.

I?m not making this up.

This might be amusing if Newt were just being old Newt ? if this were another infamous hot-air bubble emerging from an always provocative, sometimes clever, often bizarre mind.

But it?s the tax plan of the leading candidate for president of one of the two major political parties of the United States.

And it comes at a time when America?s super rich are raking in a larger portion of total income and wealth than at any time over the last eighty years, and when their marginal taxes are lower than they?ve been in three decades; a time when the nation?s long-term budget deficit is causing cuts in education and infrastructure which will?impair our future and that of our children, and when safety nets and social services are being slashed.

Can Newt get away with this?

Probably ? because his plan also comes at a time when Americans are so cynical about the major institutions of our society that someone who offers huge, outrageous plans holds a special fascination: The whole system is so awful, people tell themselves, why not just jettison everything and start from scratch? Let?s throw caution to the winds and do something really big ? even if it?s colossally stupid.

This is why the more outrageous Newt can be, the better his polls. The more irresponsible his bomb-throwing, the more attractive he becomes to a sizable portion of Americans so fed up they feel like throwing bombs.

History is full of strong men with dangerous ideas who gain power when large masses of people are so desperate and disillusioned they?ll follow anyone who offers big, seemingly easy solutions.

At times like this a nation must depend on its wise elders ? people who have gained a reputation for good judgment and integrity, and who are broadly respected by all sides regardless of political affiliation or ideology ? to call out the demagogues, speak the truth, and restore common sense.

The great tragedy of America today is the paucity of such individuals when we need them the most.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. This post originally ran on www.robertreich.org.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/zQMwhJP_2jY/Gingrich-s-tax-plan-takes-him-from-irresponsible-to-reckless

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TOKYO ? Japan's crippled nuclear power plant leaked about 45 tons of highly radioactive water from a purification device over the weekend, its operator said, and some may have drained into the ocean.

The leak is a reminder of the difficulties facing Tokyo Electric Power Co. as it tries to meet its goal of bringing the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant to a cold shutdown by year's end.

A pool of radioactive water was discovered midday Sunday around a decontamination device, TEPCO said in a statement on its website. After the equipment was turned off, the leak appeared to stop. Later, workers found a crack in a concrete barrier leaking the contaminated water into a gutter that leads to the ocean.

TEPCO estimated about 300 liters leaked out before the crack was blocked with sandbags.

Officials were checking whether any water had reached the nearby ocean.

The leakage of radioactive water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean in the weeks after the March 11 accident caused widespread concern that seafood in the coastal waters would be contaminated.

The pooled water around the purification device was measured Sunday at 16,000 bequerels per liter of cesium-134, and 29,000 bequerels per liter of cesium-137, TEPCO said. That's 270 times and 322 times higher, respectively, than government safety limits, according to the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center in Tokyo.

Cesium-137 is dangerous because it can last for decades in the environment, releasing cancer-causing radiation. The half-life of cesium-134 is about two years, while the half-life of cesium-137 is about 30 years.

TEPCO is using the purification devices to decontaminate water that has been cooling the reactors. Three of the plant's reactor cores mostly melted down when the March 11 tsunami knocked out the plant's cooling system.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111205/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_nuclear_plant

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WASHINGTON ? Senate Republicans have blocked President Barack Obama's nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, as majority Democrats failed to break a filibuster.

Republicans portrayed Caitlin Halligan as a liberal activist, but also acknowledged that the filibuster was payback for Democrats opposing past GOP nominees. Democrats said she was exceptionally well qualified.

The vote Tuesday to break a filibuster was 54-45, short of the 60 votes needed under Senate rules.

Halligan is currently general counsel in the New York City district attorney's office and is a former New York State solicitor general.

The District of Columbia circuit currently has five judges nominated by Republicans and three nominated by Democrats, with three vacancies. Halligan was nominated for the seat once held by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111206/ap_on_re_us/us_judge_filibuster

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ROME ? Premier Mario Monti briefed political leaders Saturday on his package of austerity and economic growth measures ahead of a critical week of Italian and European decision-making to confront the continent's debt crisis.

Politicians gave few details about the individual measures Monti outlined, but described them as "severe" but necessary since Italy had put off tough economic reforms for too long.

"Let's be clear: Doctors rarely prescribe medicine that tastes good," said Pierferdinando Casini, head of a small but influential Christian Democrat party. "Medicine is always bitter, but sometimes it's necessary to prevent the patient from dying."

Monti is under enormous pressure to reassure markets that he can push the package of reforms through Parliament to heal Italy's broken public finances: Italy's euro1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion) in debt is 120 percent of its gross domestic product.

Unlike Greece, Portugal and Ireland, which got bailouts after their borrowing rates skyrocketed, the eurozone's third-largest economy is considered to be too big to be bailed out. An Italian default would be disastrous for the 17-member eurozone and reverberate throughout the global economy.

Monti was installed Nov. 26 after markets lost confidence that then-Premier Silvio Berlusconi ? battered by sex scandals, legal problems and defections from his party ? had the political wherewithal to push through the reforms needed to rein in the debt.

Monti hasn't disclosed details of his rescue plan, but he has said it includes both austerity cuts and measures to boost growth in Italy's anemic economy. He has promised it would be socially equitable, and that it would go after those who hadn't paid their share of taxes before.

Politicians, union and business leaders have said the package likely includes reinstating an unpopular home property tax abolished by Berlusconi, raising the sales tax and the income tax at the highest brackets by a few percentage points, and requiring Italians to work two or three years more than the 40 years now needed for eligibility to draw a pension.

The minimum retirement age of women in the private sector is expected to be raised from 60 to 62 or 63 starting next year, building on a Berlusconi government strategy.

Officials of Italy's powerful unions and some center-left parties have voiced concern over pension reforms. Berlusconi's party has opposed restoring the property tax and a rumored wealth tax.

Monti met with Angelino Alfano, secretary of Berlusconi's party, as well as Casini and other members of centrist parties Saturday. Later Saturday he meets with the center-left politicians, and on Sunday he briefs unions, business groups and consumer lobbies.

The consultations come ahead of a critical Cabinet meeting Monday during which the measures are to be approved. Monday afternoon he introduces them to Parliament, where the Senate has pledged to vote on them by Christmas.

At the same time, Monti is gearing up for the critical summit meeting this week of eurozone leaders aimed at saving the euro.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111203/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_financial_crisis

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NEWBERRY, S.C. (AP) ? For three decades, the Republican who won South Carolina's presidential primary has also won the GOP nomination.

That record helps explain why Newt Gingrich, a self-described lover of history, is working more aggressively than any of his competitors to organize activists and volunteers ahead of the Jan. 21 primary, essentially pinning his candidacy on a state filled with Christian conservatives.

His chief rival, Mitt Romney, is approaching South Carolina tentatively. He invested huge sums in the state in the 2008 presidential race only to bail just days before the vote when it became clear he would lose big to Arizona Sen. John McCain. Many voters couldn't overlook their skepticism of Romney's Mormon faith and his reversals on some cultural issues.

The others in the 2012 race are treating South Carolina as an afterthought while they bank their candidacies on one of the two states that vote first, Iowa and New Hampshire.

Enter Gingrich, who's enjoying a burst of momentum after a summer campaign meltdown.

"I do believe South Carolina will be the decisive primary," the former House speaker from Georgia told Republicans who packed a theater in Newberry last week. "If we win here, I believe I will be the nominee."

But victory in the state won't come easy for the thrice-married Gingrich.

He has acknowledged having an extramarital affair, an issue that may turn off Christian conservatives who hold great sway in South Carolina. Gingrich, a recent convert to Catholicism, frequently makes a point of talking about his close partnership with third wife Callista.

He has advocated a "humane" approach to immigration that would let longtime residents work toward citizenship. Critics have labeled that as "amnesty" for millions of foreigners who are illegally in the United States, and that's another potent issue in the state.

Winning in South Carolina would be even more difficult if he were to come in with a 0-2 record, losing in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

Perhaps for all those reasons, if not in spite of them, Gingrich is building the largest presidential organization in the state. He's sinking more into South Carolina than he has in any other early voting state as he seeks to capitalize on his rebound after a troubled campaign start when virtually his entire staff quit.

He has opened five offices and hired nine people, the most of any of the Republicans.

In early nominating states like South Carolina, Gingrich's campaign was meeting with former aides and advisers to Herman Cain, who dropped out of the GOP race Saturday. While Cain's endorsement remains up for grabs, Gingrich and his rivals were looking to schedule one-on-one meetings this week with the former pizza executive.

South Carolina voters are starting to notice Gingrich, and at least some like what they see.

Virginia Coker of Hartsville attended a town hall-style meeting Wednesday night at the Newberry Opera House that doubled as a fundraiser for the state party. She was hardly a fan before Gingrich took the stage and answered more than a dozen questions from the party faithful. She left a convert.

"He's going to be the nominee," Coker predicted.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor in his second presidential bid, is working quietly to build an organization in the state. He hasn't visited much and has only three paid workers in South Carolina. But Romney has done the groundwork for a campaign that could quickly be up and running if he chooses to compete in the state. Unlike Gingrich, Romney has millions in the bank to start airing television ads that could affect the race.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas are the only candidates who have aired television ads in the state, though that was expected to change in the coming weeks.

GOP activists have yet to fall in line behind a single candidate, giving hope to candidates languishing at the back of the pack, such as Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

Bachmann has a lean operation and is keeping much of her focus on Iowa. She could tap into a network of evangelical Christians, if she performs well in Iowa first.

To some, Santorum appears to be the candidate most likely to engineer a surprise.

"Crisis pregnancy centers are strongly behind Senator Santorum," said Karen Floyd, a former South Carolina GOP chairwoman, noting this powerful and wide network of anti-abortion voters who show up on Election Day.

Alexia Newman, who runs a Spartanburg pregnancy center, has been rounding up Santorum support for months because of his strong conservative positions on social issues, even though the economy is taking center stage in the race.

"There's really only one or two candidates really bringing up the debate," Newman said.

Still, the hurdles are high for those candidates.

Consider that conservative Christians who talk kindly of Santorum also finish their sentences with doubt about his ability to capture the nomination.

"There's probably as much of a chance of the Rapture happening by election time as there is for Rick to win the nomination," said Harry Kibler an activist who runs RINO Hunt, a group that criticizes "Republicans in Name Only."

As for Gingrich, the next two months will tell whether he can overcome his hurdles ? and make history himself.

___

Davenport reported from Columbia.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-12-05-Republicans-South%20Carolina/id-7c35c6cc2cac4df698a02cfd419d7c5a

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NEW YORK (AP) ? Records show supermodel Christie Brinkley owes $531,000 in back taxes, and the IRS has filed a lien against her.

The Daily News of New York (http://nydn.us/tN4ozF ) reports that the tax lien was filed Nov. 21 on a mansion in Bridgehampton on New York's Long Island, where she lives.

A spokeswoman for Brinkley says the star was surprised to hear the lien had been filed.

Spokeswoman Claire Mercuri says: "Christie Brinkley ... has instructed her team to resolve the matter immediately."

Brinkley was once married to Billy Joel. She made her Broadway debut this year playing Roxie Hart in the musical "Chicago."

___

Information from: Daily News, http://www.nydailynews.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-12-03-People-Christie%20Brinkley/id-dbddcdfd469243a3804e4d2be14b7dc0

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