Jurors hear secret tape recording in Miami police corruption trial as feds rest their case




















As rain began to fall on a June evening, Miami Police Sgt. Raul Iglesias told an undercover detective in his drug-fighting squad to turn off his cell phone and take out the battery as both officers stood outside the boss’s home.

Iglesias, already relieved of duty on suspicions of being a dirty cop, feared Roberto Asanza’s phone could be recording him. And his instincts were right, because Asanza was wired — though not through his phone.

“No one has done anything illegal or broke the law,” Iglesias told Asanza in the recorded conversation, played for jurors Friday at the sergeant’s corruption trial in Miami federal court. “... If they got, they got [it], but I [have] never seen anyone in my unit do anything wrong.”





Later in their chat, Asanza — who was cooperating with authorities and trying to bait his boss into incriminating statements — expressed fears about lying on the witness stand if he was asked to testify. Iglesias agreed that committing perjury would be a bad idea.

“Yeah, of course, you don’t wanna, you don’t wanna f---ing lie,’’ Iglesias responded.

The secret tape recording from June 2010 was the last piece of evidence that prosecutors presented before resting their corruption case Friday against Iglesias, 40, who has been on the force for 18 years.

Iglesias, an ex-Marine and Iraq War veteran who was shot in the leg during a 2004 drug bust, is standing trial on charges of planting cocaine on a suspect, stealing drugs and money from dope dealers, and lying to investigators about a box of money left in an abandoned car as part of an FBI sting.

Asanza, 33, also an ex-Marine, pleaded guilty last year to a misdemeanor charge of possessing cocaine and marijuana. The deal helped him avoid a felony conviction; in exchange, he testified Thursday that Iglesias told him it was “okay” to pay off confidential informants with drugs.

The secret tape recording could cut both ways for jurors. On it, Iglesias did not say anything to Asanza to implicate himself in connection with charges in the nine-count indictment, his defense attorney, Rick Diaz, pointed out Friday. The charges encompass the police sergeant’s brief stint as head of the Crime Supression Unit from January to May 2010.

Miami Internal Affairs Sgt. Ron Luquis, a government witness, agreed with Diaz’s general assessment during his testimony Friday, though the witness also sided with many of prosecutor Ricardo Del Toro’s critical views of the same evidence.

Asanza, despite agreeing to cooperate, discreetly gave his supervisor a heads-up that he was facing a potential criminal investigation when they met for the recorded conversation, according to sources familiar with probe.

The recording was made two months after other members of Iglesias’ Crime Suppression Unit wrote an anonymous letter to internal affairs, alleging that he was “stealing drugs and money” from dealers “2-3 times per 4-day work week.” Five CSU members, including Asanza, testified against Iglesias over the past week.

Asanza’s recording of Iglesias was less intelligible when both went inside the police sergeant’s home. Asanza’s wire picked up the sound of a barking dog, a blaring TV and the rustling of paper. Investigators believe Iglesias wrote down information on sheets of paper and later burned them, but that evidence was not presented to jurors.





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The Worst ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Player Ever






We realize there’s only so much time one can spend in a day watching new trailers, viral video clips, and shaky cell phone footage of people arguing on live television. This is why every day The Atlantic Wire highlights the videos that truly earn your five minutes (or less) of attention. Today:  


RELATED: Movie and Television Characters Need a Lesson in Talking Trash






If we’re ever on Wheel of Fortune we would hope that we were on with the worst players. In part, because deep down, we know we’d be pretty bad at it—all that pressure, all that Sajak, and Vanna staring at you with her vacant eyes… it’s just too much, really. But even we know Johnny Cash never made a song called “I Have the Wine.” 


RELATED: Proof Ceiling Cat Exists; 295 Movies Bring You ‘Baby Got Back’


RELATED: Behold the Power of ‘Gangnam Style’


Movies? We can explain:


RELATED: The Robot That Performs Gangnam Style Better Than You


RELATED: Catching Kangaroos Seems Pretty Easy; ‘The Dark Knight’ Goes Pee-wee


Oh, broadcast journalists, you may never know the pain of an embarrassing typo, but we don’t envy you. Not even one bit:


And, finally, this video makes us think of the time we were first introduced to after-work drinks. Which is where we will now be going. Enjoy!


Wireless News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Britney Spears Split with Jason Trawick

After more than three years together, Britney Spears and her fiance Jason Trawick have split, her rep confirmed to People.


RELATED - Britney "Working Hard" on New Music

"Jason and I have decided to call off our engagement," Spears says in the statement. "I'll always adore him and we will remain great friends." Trawick adds, "As this chapter ends for us a new one begins. I love and cherish her and her boys and we will be close forever."

Spears, who got engaged to Trawick on his 40th birthday in December of 2011, previously said of her now-ex, "We're really normal. We just like to watch movies. We work out a lot. We love to work out. We do stuff together like that. We take walks."


VIDEO - More Shocking Celebrity Splits

Today has been a big day for sad Spears news as it was previously announced she wouldn't be returning for another season of The X Factor.

"I've made the very difficult decision not to return for another season," Spears told ETonline in a statement. "I had an incredible time doing the show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens but it's time for me to get back in the studio."

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Lance Armstrong to admit doping in Oprah interview: report








AUSTIN, Texas — Lance Armstrong plans to admit to doping throughout his career during an upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, it was reported late Friday.

The interview, scheduled to be taped Monday and broadcast Thursday night on the Oprah Winfrey Network, will be conducted at Armstrong's home in Austin, Texas.

Citing an anonymous source, USA Today reported that the disgraced cyclist plans to admit using performance-enhancing drugs, but likely will not get into details of the allegations outlined in a 2012 report by the US Anti-Doping Agency that led to Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life from the sport.





REUTERS



Lance Armstrong





His representatives declined comment late Friday, including attorney Tim Herman, but Armstrong sent a text to the Associated Press early Saturday morning saying: "I told her (Winfrey) to go wherever she wants and I'll answer the questions directly, honestly, candidly. That's all I can say."

It was first reported last week that Armstrong was considering making a confession.

The 41-year-old Armstrong, who vehemently denied doping for years, has not spoken publicly about the USADA report that cast him as the leader of a sophisticated and brazen doping program on his US Postal Service teams that included use of steroids, blood boosters and illegal blood transfusions.

Winfrey's network announced Tuesday that Armstrong agreed to a "no holds barred" interview with her.

A confession to Winfrey would come at a time when some of Armstrong's legal troubles appear to be clearing up.

Any potential perjury charges stemming from his sworn testimony denying doping in a 2005 arbitration fight with a Dallas promotions company over a contract bonus worth $7.5 million have passed the statute of limitations.

Armstrong faces a whistle-blower lawsuit filed by former teammate Floyd Landis accusing him of defrauding the US Postal Service, but the US Department of Justice has yet to announce if it will join the case. The British newspaper The Sunday Times is suing Armstrong to recover about $500,000 it paid him to settle a libel lawsuit.

Armstrong lost most of his personal sponsorship — worth tens of millions of dollars — after USADA issued its report and he left the board of the Livestrong cancer-fighting charity he founded in 1997. He is still said to be worth an estimated $100 million.

Livestrong might be one reason to issue an apology or make a confession. The charity supports cancer patients and still faces an image problem because of its association with its famous founder.

It was reported that Armstrong may make a confession in an attempt to return to competition in elite triathlon or running events, but World Anti-Doping Code rules state his lifetime ban cannot be reduced to less than eight years. WADA and U.S. Anti-Doping officials could agree to reduce the ban further depending on what new information Armstrong provides and his level of cooperation.

Armstrong met with USADA officials recently to explore a "pathway to redemption," according to a report by "60 Minutes Sports" aired Wednesday on Showtime.










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What the week’s big mortgage moves mean for consumers




















This week brought three big developments to the nation’s beleaguered mortgage landscape. For consumers, the complex moves have been mostly mystifying, but experts say they all aim at turning the page.

“There is a strong desire to put behind us all this period of time — the aftermath of the darkest period in American finance. All these things [announced this week] are intended to do that,” said John Taylor, president and CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based community advocacy group. “There are good and bad things in it for consumers.’’

A new rule issued Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau aims to prevent lenders from making the sort of toxic mortgages that forced many unsuspecting borrowers into ruin. Yet the new “qualified mortgage” rule, according to some lenders, also could perpetuate the nation’s tight credit problem and keep many would-be homebuyers on the sidelines.





Meanwhile, two settlements unveiled Monday with big banks should resolve some lingering issues from the mortgage meltdown that have kept banks focused on past errors instead of getting back to the business of lending.

Here is a quick primer on the week’s developments and some likely implications for consumers.

OCC Settlement

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates nationally chartered banks, Monday unveiled an $8.5 billion settlement with 10 giant banks that service mortgages.

As part of the controversial settlement, the OCC is scrapping its Independent Foreclosure Review, which was aimed at identifying victims of robo-signing and other improper foreclosure tactics by banks, but soon proved to be a badly flawed effort.

Instead, under the OCC’s new approach — which will be spelled out in enforcement actions in a couple of weeks — more than 3.8 million borrowers who faced foreclosure between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2010 stand to get some payment regardless of whether they actually suffered any harm.

The mortgage servicing banks covered are Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, SunTrust, PNC, Sovereign, U.S. Bank, MetLife Bank and Aurora.

The agreement provides for $3.3 billion to go directly to borrowers. Another $5.2 billion is earmarked for loan modifications and the forgiveness of deficiency judgments.

The OCC said the amount that eligible borrowers get will range from a few hundred dollars up to $125,000, depending on the type of error that possibly occurred in their mortgage servicing.

“If a borrower went through foreclosure with one of those 10 lenders, they should receive a couple hundred bucks, whether they deserve it or not,” said Guy Cecala, publisher and CEO of Inside Mortgage Finance Publications in Bethesda, Md., which tracks news and statistics in the residential mortgage industry. “The odds of getting $125,000 is the odds of winning the lottery. It would have to be a false foreclosure or where they were thrown out of their house illegally.”

The OCC will look to 13 broad categories of errors outlined in the Independent Foreclosure Review launched in April 2011.

Those include a litany of bumblings and misdeeds by the mortgage servicers, ranging from foreclosing on a homeowner who was following the rules during a trial period of a loan modification, to failing to offer a loan modification as mandated under a government program, to failing to follow up with a borrower to obtain needed documents under a government program.





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Miami Gardens City Hall’s new address: Obama Boulevard




















Miami Gardens will have a street named after President Barack Obama, after all.

An earlier attempt last month was rejected by the council because the proposed location on Northwest Second Avenue was deemed not worthy enough.

The street that was deemed acceptable for “President Barack and Michelle Obama Boulevard” is Northwest 185 Terrace between 27th and 25th Avenues. It is also the site of the new City Hall that is scheduled to open later this year.





The street renaming passed unanimously at Wednesday’s council meeting.

While city officials admit the two city blocks that will be named after the president and his wife are currently in need of improvement, they say once construction is completed residents — and the president — would be proud.

According to City Manager Danny Crew, the city is spending $1.5 million in renovations and upgrades on President Barack and Michelle Obama Boulevard.

“We’re going to make sure it looks good out there,” said Vice-Mayor Lisa Davis.

The renaming comes before President Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 21.

Once City Hall is built, residents who send letters in the mail to the council or other city officials will address the envelope to President Barack and Michelle Obama Boulevard.

The council will also consider at a later date if it wants to rename a portion of Northwest 199th Street after Marcus Garvey, pan-African activist and Jamaican political leader.





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Skype founder browses globe for next tech earner






LONDON (Reuters) – Niklas Zennstrom, co-founder of internet phone service Skype, believes the next hot tech business will just as likely spring from Istanbul or Sao Paolo as from Silicon Valley or the coolest districts of London.


And he is prepared to fly around the world to find it.






“Talent can pop up anywhere in the world, it’s not just one city block,” the Swedish entrepreneur and venture capitalist said at the headquarters of his Atomico fund, based on upmarket New Bond Street in central London.


Zennstrom, who retains faint traces of a Swedish accent despite his years of globetrotting, is looking for start-ups ready to shift up a gear into new markets and has the experience, gained from growing Skype into a service used by millions around the world, to help them.


Skype was sold to eBay Inc in 2005 for roughly $ 3 billion, before being bought back by a consortium including Zennstrom in 2009 and then two years later sold on to Microsoft Corp for $ 8.5 billion, leaving him a multi-millionaire.


“If you have a product that works it’s important to scale (up) the business as quickly as possible,” said Zennstrom, named by Time Magazine in 2006 as one of its 100 most influential people. “As entrepreneurs, usually you may not have that experience; how does Asia work? Europe? Latin America?”


Atomico, founded by Zennstrom in 2006, has invested in companies in northern Europe including Finland-based Rovio, developer of Angry Birds, and Hailo, a London-based startup that has developed an app that connects passengers with taxi drivers and has raised $ 20 million so far.


It also led a $ 105 million funding round for U.S. online retailer Fab in July.


FUTURE PORTFOLIO


The investment fund, whose London office reception is decked out with simple designer furniture and modern art pieces, has opened offices in Turkey and Brazil, emerging markets with growing middle classes eager to shop online and buy internet services.


Zennstrom wants to make these markets a large part of Atomico’s portfolio in future.


The firm in 2011 backed Brazilian online retailers such as car parts supplier Connect Parts and announced a $ 16 million investment in a Russian online travel agency in October.


Atomico is not necessarily looking for the latest gizmo or internet trend, but savvy businesses with talented leaders who can take advantage of growth in nascent sectors such as e-commerce.


And Zennstrom, softly spoken and wearing an open-necked shirt and dark jacket, believes emerging market growth is fuelling a new breed of optimism and ambition.


“It’s a much more of an entrepreneurial spirit (in Turkey and Brazil) compared to southern European where it’s a depressed mindset,” he said.


Zennstrom earned his stripes in the tech world after helping launch file-sharing service Kazaa more than a decade ago, which failed as a business but paved the way for Skype.


He said getting investment today was far easier than when he was starting Skype. It took him a year to secure funding, whereas today the most talented entrepreneurs with the best ideas could take their pick of investors.


There is also increasing recognition that entrepreneurs might want to realize some of the value of their creations, something he said was lacking when Skype became successful.


“There was really no IPO market and it was not really accepted for founders to sell some of their shares to get some money off the table,” he said, adding that before Skype was sold to eBay, he could not even secure a mortgage on an apartment.


“I think we made the right decision for the time in terms of selling (Skype),” he said. “Today as an entrepreneur you have more options.”


(Editing by David Holmes)


Internet News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Taylor Swift Back To Studio, Writing Harry Styles Song?

Harry Styles may be Taylor Swift's new song muse. Following reports of their breakup, the Trouble singer announced that she's back in the studio.

Swift, 23, tweeted on Thursday: "Back in the studio. Uh oh..."


Is the singer, notorious for writing about her exes, hinting that she's penning a song about the One Direction heartthrob?


RELATED: More Details Into Haylor Breakup

The country crooner and Styles were enjoying a post-holiday getaway in the British Virgin Islands that reportedly ended in a big fight, thus leading Swift to depart the island early while the boy-band member was seen at mogul Richard Branson's private Necker Island hanging out in a hot tub..


What would you title Swift's possible breakup song about Styles?

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Queens man stabs older brother to death in food fight








A knife-wielding hothead stabbed his older brother to death in Far Rockaway this morning after a fight over food, witnesses and authorities said.

Jose Romero, 27, and his 23-year-old brother got in a heated argument yesterday on Beach 17th Street near the boardwalk around 2 a.m., police said.

The two had spent all day yesterday drinking at a funeral, sources said.

The spat quickly turned violent and the knifeman turned the blade on his brother, stabbing him several times, cops said.

The victim’s girlfriend called 911 but EMS workers were unable to save the man, cops said.



The perpetrator was taken into police custody and charges against him are still pending, police said.










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Legal feud over Spanish-language TV leads to federal suit in Miami




















What began as a highly-touted affiliation between a new Spanish-language national television network and a popular independent local station in Miami has dissolved into a legal dispute of David and Goliath proportions.

MundoFox Broadcasting, part of the family of communications giant News Corporation, filed suit in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida against the parent company of America Tevé Channel 41-WJAN, America-CV Network, for breaching two agreements forged in May.

The complaint alleges that in South Florida "MundoFox’s initial launch had less exposure, viewership was lower, soliciting advertisers became more difficult and advertising revenue decreased,” because the network was swapped to inferior channel positions by cable providers.





In a statement, America-CV Network, denied the allegations in the complaint and announced that it will defend itself vigorously.

— DANIEL SHOER ROTH





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Wisdom from the mouths of babes




















The other day, a friend of mine email me the following letter from a 7-year-old second-grader, Abigal Lily Alder, at Heron Heights Elementary in Broward County, and I want to share it with you, my dear Neighbors in Religion readers:

The title: "AUTISM SPEAKS to Me!"

"If I could help somebody it would be my brother, Grant, who has autism. People with autism like Grant sometimes have trouble communicating and they may act 'different.' I participated in a walk for Autism Speaks with my family, and learned that for every 88 kids one of them will have autism like my brother. If you have a conversation with someone who has autism they are not always able to focus on what you are saying and they may only want to talk about things that are important to them.





“Restaurants, playgrounds and shops can sometimes be too exciting for them at first. They may be loud, say things you may not expect or they may have trouble understanding what you are asking them.

I would like people to accept kids like my brother who are unique in their own way, and not judge them. Just be patient. If you see someone who you think may have autism, you should help them or just be a friend. I went to camp during the summer with kids who have autism like my brother, and I found out that they can be real friends just like anyone else. We laughed together and played games. It was a blast and I am still friends with many of them.

“There are good things about autism, too. My brother is the most fun and active person. He is awesome on computers and every morning when I wake up, my brother has a big smile on his face and he says, 'It is a beautiful morning.' He is still the BEST BROTHER EVER!

“I know I may be only seven, but I can make a difference and so can you."

Abby is in Mrs. Chiros' class and was the essay contest winner for her grade level.

Oh, thank you, so much Abby. You are wise beyond your young years. I know your parents are so proud of how sensitive you are — and that's a feather in their hats. God bless you and Grant. My godson Isaiah Swift, 6, has autism and I love him so much, and tell him often.

Although he had not been able to speak, one day at church he shocked my boots off, so to speak, when he said without any prompting, "I ... love ... you.”

It brought tears of joy to my eyes.

‘Why I am Thankful’

On Dec. 28, I asked readers to share reasons they are thankful. Here is a response from Charlotte Delascasas:

"I am grateful for the upcoming MLK Holiday and our national tradition of community service. Coral Gables Congregational Church will be having their annual food drive and Pastor Laurie Hafner will remain fasting up in the tower until 3,000 pounds (one dollar also equals one pound) is raised before the cherry picker brings her down, usually 7 p.m. Saturday night, when there will be a rock ‘n’ roll band in our parking lot in front of the Biltmore Hotel, to celebrate.

“Our church will also adult education about Dr. King from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., each Sunday in January. I am thankful that our congregation welcomes everyone, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, with an open door. Each Thanksgiving we join Temple Judea and Riviera Presbyterian for an interfaith service and we have welcomed theologians from all religions to speak as well. Our social justice program includes Green Christians, who have just started a community garden.





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Netflix announces ‘Super HD’ and 3D streaming for select ISPs






Netflix (NFLX) on Tuesday announced new enhanced streaming options for users on select ISPs. Following a series of rumors that suggested as much, Netflix has confirmed the availability of “Super HD” streaming — which is simply Netflix’s branding for 1080p content — and 3D video streaming. Both services are available immediately with a huge caveat: only Netflix subscribers with Cablevision or Google Fiber Internet service have access to the new content. For those lucky subscribers, Super HD and 3D content is accessible using a number of devices including the Wii U, compatible Roku players, the Apple TV, Windows 8 PCs and select smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Netflix’s full press release follows below.



Netflix “Open Connect” Delivery Network Gains Widespread Global Acceptance
Cablevision Most Recent Major Provider to Join Open Connect
New Super HD and 3D Video Formats Available on Open Connect






[More from BGR: Apple’s next iPhone to reportedly feature larger screen and ‘brand new exterior design’]


Jan 8, 2013


LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Netflix Open Connect, the single purpose video content delivery network launched last year, is now delivering the majority of Netflix international traffic and is growing at a rapid pace in the domestic market.


In early 2012 Netflix began enabling Internet service providers (ISPs) to receive, at no cost to them, Netflix video directly at the interconnection point of the ISP’s choice. By connecting directly through Open Connect, ISPs can more effectively manage their networks and more efficiently deliver Internet services to consumers, including the more than 1 billion hours of Netflix TV shows and movies consumers watch every month.


Netflix Open Connect is now widely deployed around the world, serving the vast majority of Netflix video in Europe, Canada and Latin America, and a growing proportion in the U.S., where Netflix has over 25 million streaming members.


“Leading-edge ISPs around the world such as Cablevision, Virgin Media, British Telecom, Telmex, Telus, TDC, GVT, among many others, are already participating in Open Connect to provide the highest-possible quality Netflix service to consumers,” said Netflix Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings. “Our goal is to have all of our members served by Open Connect as soon as possible.”


“Optimum is committed to providing the highest-quality TV, phone and Internet to our customers, and our new partnership with Netflix supports this critical objective,” said James L. Dolan, president and CEO of Cablevision, the most recent major provider to join Open Connect. “With Open Connect, we are establishing a direct local connection with Netflix that delivers a higher-quality Netflix viewing experience for Optimum customers than Verizon or AT&T can provide, including access to new Netflix Super HD and 3D TV shows and movies.”


Netflix Super HD and 3D


Now available through Open Connect partners, Netflix Super HD is the highest quality video format offered by Netflix, providing an even better picture on 1080p HDTVs.


In the U.S., Netflix is also for the first time offering a small number of titles streaming in 3D through Open Connect partners. Available for 3D viewing are, among other titles, the action fantasy drama “Immortals,” Red Bull Media House’s snowboarding documentary “The Art of Flight,” and a number of titles from the Discovery/Sony/Imax joint venture 3net Studios – including the native, original 3D series “African Wild,” “Scary Tales,” and “Live Fire.” Depending on member demand, Netflix will consider adding 3D titles and expanding availability to international markets.


“These new Super HD and 3D formats are more challenging to deliver than our other video streams, which is why we will deliver them through Open Connect,” said Ken Florance, vice president of content delivery at Netflix. “Any ISP that wants to be able to deliver our new formats can do so easily and for free.”


Netflix members can verify if their ISP is part of Open Connect and provides access to Netflix Super HD and, in the U.S. only, 3D on this Web site: http://www.netflix.com/superhd


ISPs that are not yet on Open Connect can contact Netflix at openconnect.netflix.com to start their Open Connect relationship. As part of Open Connect, Netflix is also sharing its hardware design and the open source software components. These designs are suitable for any other provider of large media files and are very cost efficient.



Linux/Open Source News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Stars React to Oscar Nominations

The 85th Academy Award nominees were announced bright and early Thursday morning, with cinephiles and celebrities alike ecstatic to hear who's up for an Oscar this year. Here are the nominees' reactions (so far):

Bradley Cooper: On the TODAY show, the actor commented that he was "so excited" that the entire cast of Silver Linings Playbook was nominated, and he's just happy to "be in the same room" as Lincoln star Daniel Day-Lewis come Oscar Sunday. He was also quick to say that Ben Affleck got "robbed" for not being nominated for Argo.

Robert De Niro: "I am very pleased that the Academy has chosen to honor the many individuals who were a part of Silver Linings Playbook."


RELATED: Full 2013 Oscars Nominees List

Tim Burton: "Frankenweenie is a very personal film for me. The idea of telling a feature length version was in the back of my mind for many years. Stop Motion was the perfect medium for this project, and one I've always loved for its expressiveness and dimensionality. I've worked with so many incredible artists: animators, cast members, set builders, and puppet makers, all who have helped bring this film to life one frame at a time. I'm so honored that the Academy has recognized this film as one of its nominees."

Who will win? The 2013 Oscars air Feb. 24th on ABC.

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Tiffany holiday sales weaker than expected








Jewelry company Tiffany & Co.'s sales for the critical holiday season rose 4 percent globally, while a key revenue metric was basically flat compared with a year ago. The retailer's holiday sales increase was lower than expected, and it now anticipates full-year earnings at the lower end of its prior forecast.

Shares fell more than 9 percent in premarket trading Thursday.

The November through December holiday season is crucial for retailers, as it can make up as much as 40 percent of their revenue for the year.

Tiffany's worldwide sales totaled $992 million. The company said that revenue at stores open at least a year was unchanged from the prior-year period. This figure is a key indicator of a retailer's health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.





REUTERS



A Tiffany & Co. store front display is seen in Bethesda, Maryland this past November.





The New York company reported its biggest holiday sales gain in the Asia-Pacific region, where sales climbed 13 percent to $187 million. Revenue at stores open at least a year increased 7 percent.

In the Americas, sales rose 3 percent to $516 million. Its flagship New York store posted a 2 percent drop in revenue at stores open at least a year, as did its branch stores. Tiffany said the results were relatively similar across most of the region. Online and catalog sales for the Americas climbed 4 percent.

Sales also rose slightly in Europe and fell 5 percent in Japan.

Tiffany also said that other sales more than doubled mostly because in July five of its stores in the United Arab Emirates were converted from independently operated distribution to company-run stores.

The company said that its holiday sales growth was weaker than expected. It now foresees full-year earnings at the lower end of its previous outlook of $3.20 to $3.40 per share. Analysts polled by FactSet expect earnings of $3.29 per share.

Tiffany's stock declined $5.81, or 9.2 percent, to $57.45 before the market open.

The company said that it is being conservative on its 2013 sales growth expectations due to uncertain economic conditions. It currently anticipates earnings will rise 6 percent to 9 percent.

Tiffany & Co. had 274 stores at 2012's end. It will report its full-year financial results in March.










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Unemployment claims on the rise in Miami-Dade




















Miami-Dade County ended 2012 with more people joining the unemployment rolls than it did last year.

The late-year increase in first-time unemployment claims broke a trend of declining applications throughout most of 2012. First-time claims spiked about 15 percent in November and December, with about 17,500 new applications in all over those 60 days. That’s compared to 15,000 during the same time in 2011. For the entire year, claims were still down about 10 percent.

In Broward, overall claims were down 15 percent. In November and December, Broward residents applies for 10,200 first-time unemployment benefits, compared to about 10,500 in 2011 — a 3 percent drop.





DOUGLAS HANKS





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Mystery fish invades Keys waters from the Pacific




















Deep-diving spearfishermen surfaced with a mystery last month south of Pacific Reef Light off North Key Largo.

"I was shocked when I saw it," Wayne Grammes said. "It’s an ugly-looking fish with a face on it that looks like a tripletail and a tail like a jewfish."

The 15-pound, 27-inch fish speared by Greg Caterino of Tavernier turned out to be a humpback grouper — a species native not to Pacific Reef but to the tropical Pacific Ocean off Asia.





"This is the equivalent of a hunter in North America finding a zebra," said Grammes, who was fishing Dec. 23 with Caterino.

"We’ve seen the successful marine invasion of lionfish," Reef Environmental Education Foundation Project Director Lad Akins said this week. "We certainly do not want to see it happen again with another Pacific species."

Akins, a renowned expert in fish identification, confirmed the speared fish was a humpback grouper. With an array of black spots, it’s also known as a panther grouper.

"This is not the first time these have been sighted in Florida," Akins said. "There have been five or six reported as far back as the 1980s, but all from different parts of the state."

"The juveniles are really popular in the aquarium trade," Akins said. "It’s quite likely that this is released fish."

Young humpback grouper sport a brilliant white color with an attractive spray of black spots. But they outgrow most privately owned saltwater tanks — and cast a hungry eye on other tank fish. "Just like lionfish, they are carnivores," Akins said.

At 27 inches, the humpback grouper was nearly as large as they grow, Akins said.

Caterino and Grammes, a Miami-Dade resident and frequent Keys diver, were searching a deep ledge about 95 feet down when they saw what appeared to be a black grouper. After it was taken, it was apparent that it was not something local, Grammes said.

The humpback grouper bears a passing similarity to the marbled grouper, a native species that is considered rare.

"This could be only the tip of the iceberg," Grammes said. "Who knows how many are down there? This was in an area where not many people go."

Lionfish gained a foothold in the U.S. and Caribbean largely due to their prolific breeding and venomous spines that fend off predators.

Humpback grouper could lack defenses needed to become established, Akins said, "but we really don’t know."

Due to the possibility of mistaking a humpback for a protected native species, Akins said, people seeing one should report its location to REEF rather than harvest it. To find out how, go to www.reef.org.





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European businesses slow to go online: study






BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European businesses are not doing enough to use the internet to grow their customer base and promote products, Belgian database and marketing firm Email-Brokers said after studying 13 million websites.


Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have the highest proportion of companies online but even in these countries 40 percent of business have no internet presence, it found.






The European Commission has estimated that companies which exploit the full potential of the internet create, on average, more than twice as many jobs.


“It is one of the ways to create employment and economic growth and it is not Star Trek, it exists today,” Email-Brokers head William Vande Wiele said.


Britain and Liechtenstein were the most advanced in terms of e-commerce – defined as being able to process orders and payments, with 16 percent and 17 percent, respectively, of business sites offering it, compared with 6 percent in Belgium and 9 percent in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.


Vande Wiele said many corporate websites were badly designed, and did not provide basics such as adequate contact information or company details.


In Belgium, 91 percent of all corporate websites did not meet such basic standards, compared with about 20 percent in Luxembourg and France, the study concluded.


“Sites which do not comply with such minimum standards do not inspire confidence and before buying something online a user will need a minimum level of confidence,” Vande Wiele said.


Many websites are not kept up to date, the study also found, with more than 80 percent of business sites in Belgium, Greece, Italy and Spain not updated for more than a year.


(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Dan Lalor)


Internet News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Cyndi Lauper Explains Her Infamous KY Derby Flub

Last May, Cyndi Lauper performed at her first Kentucky Derby parade, which would have been a pleasant experience for her had she not unknowingly cursed on live television. As she sat down with ET to talk about her new reality show, she explained the infamous moment.

Although she knew she would have a microphone on her that day, Lauper claims that there was a miscommunication between her and the show's producers as to when her performance was airing.


RELATED: Cyndi Lauper Loses Uncle in Superstorm Sandy

"The guy told me earlier, 'It's going to be a live mic to air,' so I thought, 'I'm going to get on stage and I start singing [and] it's a live mic to air,' not 'It's going to be a live mic while you hold the mic,'" she recounted. "I tapped the mic and I said, 'Oh, great, f***ing idiot, it's not on!' and then of course, it was everywhere."

The flub was unbeknownst to Lauper at the time, as she then cheerfully greeted a group of young dancers after the incident. She was eventually tracked down by her manager, who revealed the news to her and urged her to apologize on TV, which she did.

While it's uncertain how much, if any, her cameras caught of the incident, Lauper was filming her new reality show Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual at the time. After debating launching her own reality series for a while, the singer revealed what pushed her to go through with it.


VIDEO: Cyndi Lauper on Lindsay Lohan: 'Everybody Falls'

"I had a lot of stuff happening this year; I love TV. I also wanted to bring attention to a lot of things that were going on," she said of the decision to film the series. "I have a full life; I do a lot of different jobs, and I sing--I still gig...and I have a family too and I try to bring my family along with me when I can. Not that I plan for mayhem to happen, but it kind of happens sometimes because that's the way it is."

Although a reality show can reveal personal aspects of her life that she may want to keep concealed or capture some unflattering moments like her Kentucky Derby flub, the "Time After Time" singer admits to having no regrets early on.

"No, no regrets yet," she said. "I think it's fine. For me, I don't care. What do I care? I've had rocks thrown at me for how I dressed and then the following couple years the same kind of people that threw the rocks at me were wearing the clothes I was wearing. So, I don't care what anybody thinks about me. I guess it was good training."


VIDEO: Cyndi Lauper Surprises Airport Patrons with Impromptu Performance

Regardless of what others' opinions of her may be, Lauper has a book out (Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir) that made the New York Times' Best Sellers List and a new reality show that will premiere this Friday (Jan. 12) at 9 p.m. on We TV.

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Waitress strips naked for final shift at Roberta's








Restaurant goers at Roberta's, a pizzeria in Bushwick, Brooklyn, got more than just their dinner this past weekend. Customers got an eyeful when they were being served by a naked waitress.

The eatery is tucked away in an old garage that is graffiti-laden. Customers often wait hours for the chance to dine on its Neapolitan-style pies, some of which have cheeky names like "Cheeses Christ."

This past Friday patrons weren't talking about the pizza, though, but about a waitress who got naked to celebrate her last shift at the restaurant.

New York News | NYC Breaking News





MyFoxNY.com






The server wore nothing but a pair of ankle-high black boots and ripped fishnet stockings and paraded in front hungry-eyed patrons.

One patron, Vicky Oyomba, posted a picture on her Twitter account. The message "Peace out" was scrawled on the waitress' back in black marker.

To read more, go to MyFoxNY










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4 smartphones with standout features




















These days, smartphones are almost all drawing from the same bag of tricks, and it can be hard to tell one from the next. If the average smartphone will do all the basic things you want it to, what does it take to be special? Here are four smartphones with unusual features that really make them stand out.

Nokia Lumia 920

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)





The good: This phone forges new Windows Phone ground with wireless-charging support and a highly sensitive screen you can use with gloves. Moreover, Nokia helps fill in Windows Phone OS gaps with a few missing features.

The bad: A thick, heavy build and slippery finish for some colors make the Lumia 920 harder to hold and carry, and the phone’s overhyped camera doesn’t have enough settings.

The cost: $99.99

The bottom line: Nokia’s Lumia 920 is heavy and thick, but if you want the most powerful, feature-rich Windows Phone smartphone available, this is it.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: Oodles of screen real estate make this terrific for videos, games, and reading, and its improved stylus aids productivity. A blazing quad-core processor, a great camera and strong battery life round out the advantages of this Android 4.1 phone.

The bad: The huge display makes it unwieldy to carry, and hiccups in the S Pen stylus and apps can slow you down. The pricey Note 2 isn’t a suitable tablet replacement across all categories.

The cost: $149.99 to $309.99

The bottom line: Samsung delivers a powerful, boundary-pushing device that gets a lot right. Yet its complicated features and high price raise questions about its purpose.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: This Droid (Verizon) offers fast performance, a big, eye-popping screen and luxurious design. It also has great call quality, lots of storage, 4G data speeds, and unbeatable battery life.

The bad: The major weakness is a camera that produces subpar images. The phone is filled with Verizon bloatware as well.

The cost: $149.99 to $299.99

The bottom line: Motorola’s fast, stylish Droid Razr Maxx HD offers outstanding battery life, but its camera captures unimpressive images.

Samsung Galaxy Beam

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: An integrated pico projector, as well as a dual-core processor, 720p video capture and a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen.

The bad: The projection software needs some work, the 5-megapixel camera sometimes blurs indoor shots, and the Beam is thicker and heavier than many phones.

The cost: $474.49 to $839.99

The bottom line: Despite weak software, the Galaxy Beam’s bright projector pushes boundaries, and strong smartphone features make it a worthy standalone device.





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Police shoot, kill woman accused of holding knife to her boyfriend




















A woman who was holding her boyfriend at knife point as their 3-year-old boy was in their home was shot to death by deputies in Lake Worth Tuesday morning.

Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies were called to the home in a duplex about 2:45 a.m. by the boyfriend who was frantic, saying she was going to kill him, sheriff’s spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.

“When we arrived she had him by the shirt with a knife in hand. We told her to put the knife down repeatedly. When she turned to stab him, we shot her. In an effort to save his life, we shot,” Barbera said.





Though deputies then ran to her assistance and called paramedics, the woman, who is 24, died from her injuries.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Tuesday morning, “If the deputies had not taken the action they did she would have knifed him on the spot.”

Bradshaw said the 911 calls reveal the couple were in a “violent confrontation” and that the boyfriend was trying to get the child away from the boy’s mother. When deputies arrived, the woman let go of the child and came through the front door with her boyfriend, holding him by the shirt with one hand and a knife in the other.

“The deputies actions actually saved his life and probably, further down the road, the child’s life,” Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw said deputies had been called before to the duplex and that the couple has had previous problems. He did not release their names, but said the woman was 24-years-old and her boyfriend is about the same age. Bradshaw also said there are possible child abuse charges pending against the woman.

The boy will likely be placed with relatives, Bradshaw said.

This is the second shooting death of 2013 in Palm Beach County. A bartender at a Boca Raton restaurant was shot and killed in a robbery Friday, Jan. 4.

Rafael Rodriguez was bartending when the restaurant was robbed by several men. The robbers took personal items, including wallets, jewelry and cellphones from the victims. As the robbers were leaving, Rodriguez exchanged words with one of them. The robber fired at Rodriguez, striking him once. Rodriguez, 46, died at a local hospital after being shot once.





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Conn. lawmaker apologizes over Facebook post






HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut lawmaker has apologized after saying in a Facebook post that shooting victim and former Arizona U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords should “stay out of my towns.”


Giffords last week visited Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 20 young children and six adults at an elementary school last month. The Democrat, who met with families of the victims, was critically wounded two years ago in a deadly mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz.






The Hartford Courant posted images Sunday showing Republican state Rep. DebraLee Hovey‘s Facebook comments. In one dated Friday she says, “Gabby Giffords stay out of my towns!!”


Hovey released a statement Monday saying her comments were insensitive and that she apologizes if she offended anyone.


Hovey had said in another post that the visit was political.


Social Media News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Golden Globes Flashback: Woody Harrelson 1997

Woody Harrelson has never been considered a style icon, but when he had his tuxedo for the 1997 Golden Globes manufactured out of hemp by Armani, he was something of a fashion pioneer.

After years on Cheers, Harrelson established himself as a film actor with White Men Can't Jump in 1992. Four years later, he received his first Golden Globe nomination for The People vs. Larry Flynt, for which he also received an Oscar nomination.

Harrelson makes a stamp on his first Globes red carpet by showing up in all-white tuxedo made entirely from hemp, which he speculates may be the first of that variety. With his collar lifted and a scarf around his neck in lieu of a tie, he is complimented by ET's former correspondent Lisa Canning for his unique look.


VIDEO: Globes Flashback '08: 'Mad Men' Wins Together

"I've never been accused of being fashionable before, so this is a big night for me," the then-35-year-old actor says.

Draped in his all-hemp attire, one might think that he has forgotten why he is on the red carpet considering his loose demeanor; however Harrelson explains his nonchalant attitude as a premature surrender of defeat to the other men in his category (Geoffrey Rush, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes).

"Since I'm anticipating [on] losing, there's nothing to be nervous about," he says with a grin. "It'll be alright."

His premonition proved correct that year, as he wasn't given the opportunity to show off his hemp tux while making his acceptance speech at the podium.


VIDEO: Globes Flashback '96: Kidman's Career Changes

He was nominated over a decade later for another Golden Globe for The Messenger, but he didn't receive the award that year either. However, he did wear a hemp suit to the Oscars for his nomination for The Messenger.

Harrelson is nominated for another Golden Globe this year for the TV film Game Change. While it's unclear if he'll win the award, we're a little more certain as to what "fabric" his tux will be comprised of.

You could say we got wind of it.

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Gang member gunned down in Harlem: cops








A gang member was gunned down in a Harlem housing project last night, authorities said.

Jayyidah Woodley, 32, was found in the lobby of the King Tower Houses on Lenox Avenue at 11:30 p.m., police said.

She was shot several times in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Woodley has 12 prior arrests, including one for murder, and is a member of the Bloods gang, police sources said.

It was not immediately known what sparked the violence, police said.











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Norwegian Cruise Line to go public




















In a long expected move, Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Tuesday announced plans to take the company public.

The company has registered an initial public offering of 23,529,412 ordinary shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares will be traded on the NASDAQ; no price has set been set.

The third largest ocean-going cruise line, Norwegian Cruise Line has 11 ships with itineraries in North America (including Alaska and Hawaii), the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Mediterranean and the Baltic. Genting Hong Kong - a subsidiary of Genting Group, a gambling and resort conglomerate that purchased the land currently occupied by The Miami Herald in 2010 for $236 million - owns 50 percent of the cruise line in a partnership with private equity firms Apollo Management and TPG.








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Traffic alert: Heavy traffic expected on I-95 all day for BCS game




















If you’re on South Florida roadways on Monday, be prepared for occasional tie-ups as fans, VIPs and the teams head to Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Game executives urge commuters to brace for heavy traffic from noon to 9 p.m. Monday and to avoid northbound Interstate 95 between downtown Miami and the Golden Glades. Kickoff is 8:30 p.m.

Florida’s Turnpike and arterial roads also are expected to back up during the afternoon and evening hours. Backups were reported along U.S. 1 north of downtown Miami early Monday.





The University of Alabama is based at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and Notre Dame is based at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood.

Parking lots at Sun Life will open at noon Monday and be open to ticketholders only. Other parking lots near the stadium include Calder Race Track and four neighboring schools.





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Alcatel One Touch readies U.S. invasion with world’s thinnest smartphone and a colorful 5-inch phablet






TCL Communication’s (2618) Alcatel One Touch brand is ostensibly unknown in the United States, but the company is looking to make a name for itself at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Alcatel One Touch has a number of new devices debuting at CES 2013 and to start things off, the China-based firm has unveiled a trio of intriguing new Android phones.


[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]






While the show doesn’t officially begin until Tuesday, Alcatel One Touch got an early start on Monday — likely in order to ensure that it can lay claim to “the world’s thinnest smartphone” for at least a few hours.


[More from BGR: Next-generation LTE chips to reduce power consumption by 50%]


The first of three smartphones debuting at CES 2013 is the One Touch Idol Ultra, a sleek Android-powered handset that is just 6.45 millimeters thick. To put that dimension in perspective, the phone is 15% thinner than Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 5.


Other notable specs include a 4.7-inch HD AMOLED display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.


Next up is the One Touch Idol, an entry-level version of the Idol Ultra. Measuring a slightly thicker 8.15 millimeters, the One Touch Idol includes a 4.7-inch qHD IPS display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera, 512MB of RAM and the same Jelly Bean OS as the Ultra model.


Finally, Alcatel One Touch has unveiled its first entry into the “phablet” market with the One Touch Scribe HD. This stylus-ready device features a 5-inch HD IPS display, the 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589 chipset, an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, a microSD slot and Android 4.1. The One Touch Scribe HD also comes in a variety of colors including black, white, red and yellow.


Each of the three smartphones Alcatel One Touch debuted on Monday will launch in China later this month. The One Touch Scribe HD will then be released in the U.S. some time in the second quarter for a surprisingly affordable $ 397 before taxes and subsidies, and both the One Touch Idol and One Touch Idol Ultra will launch at a later point in time. The latter will cost $ 444 before taxes and subsidies, while pricing for the One Touch Idol has not yet been announced.


No carrier partners have been revealed at this point in the U.S. or in China.


This article was originally published by BGR


Wireless News Headlines – Yahoo! News




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Golden Globes Flashback: Julia Louis-Dreyfus 1994

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been immortalized in television history with her character of "Elaine Benes" on Seinfeld. After four seasons on the show, she was finally nominated for her first Golden Globe, which she won. As it was her first major award, she was anxious to hold it in her hands.

While she had previously been nominated for Emmy Awards, the comedic actress had yet to be nominated for a Golden Globe until 1994, when she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Seinfeld.


VIDEO: Emmy Flashback: Julia Louis-Dreyfus '96

Upon hearing her name called as the recipient of the award, Louis-Dreyfus rushed to the stage to collect the coveted Golden Globe. After being stopped by ET backstage following her acceptance of the award, she explained why she was so eager to grab the award with her signature comic flare.

"Well, I won an award and I didn't want anyone to take it away so I ran and I grabbed it before anybody else took," she said with a chuckle.

As fate would have it, her race to grab the award proved to be justified.


VIDEO: Winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus Worships Amy Poehler

She was nominated for the same award for Seinfeld the following year and was nominated 12 years later for The New Adventures of Old Christine but didn't win either award.

Despite her limited success at the Globes, Louis-Dreyfus has won three Emmy Awards, including an award at the most recent Emmys for her current comedy series, Veep.

With a nomination for Veep at this year's Globes, she may be running to the podium once more for an award for her other hand.

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Obama taps Brennan for CIA, Hagel for Pentagon








REUTERS


Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan, left, and former US Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)



WASHINGTON — President Obama on Monday will nominate Chuck Hagel as his next defense secretary and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, two potentially controversial picks for his second-term national security team.

Hagel, even before being nominated, has faced tough criticism from congressional Republicans who say the former GOP senator is anti-Israel and soft on Iran. And Brennan, a 25-year CIA veteran, withdrew from consideration for the spy agency's top job in 2008 amid questions about his connection to harsh interrogation techniques used during the George W. Bush administration.




The White House said Obama will announce both nominations Monday afternoon. Along with secretary of state nominee Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Hagel and Brennan would play key roles implementing and shaping Obama's national security priorities in a second term. All three men must be confirmed by the Senate.

In nominating Hagel, Obama signaled he is willing to take on a tough confirmation fight. Once Hagel emerged as Obama's likely nominee, GOP lawmakers began sharply questioning his commitment to Israel and his willingness to take a hard line with Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

Hagel, a 66-year-old moderate Nebraska Republican, has criticized discussion of a military strike by either the US or Israel against Iran. He also irritated some Israel backers with his reference to the "Jewish lobby" in the United States. And he has backed efforts to bring Iran to the table for future peace talks in Afghanistan.

White House officials say Hagel's positions on Israel and Iran have been misrepresented. They cite his Senate votes for billions in military assistance to Israel and his support for multilateral sanctions on Tehran.

Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, said Hagel will be "completely in line with the president" on both issues.

"The president has a record of unprecedented security cooperation with Israel and that's going to continue no matter who the defense secretary is," Rhodes said.

Hagel has also been criticized by some Democrats for saying in 1998 that a nominee for an ambassador post was "openly, aggressively gay." He has since apologized for those comments.

Hagel is the second straight Obama favorite for a top national security post to face criticism from Capitol Hill even before being nominated. United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration for secretary of state amid charges from GOP senators that she misled the public in her initial accounting of the attacks on Americans at a diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya.










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CrimeWatch: Two email scams you shouldn’t fall for




















This week I am going to share with you some scam emails that are going around. People are falling for them, but many could have been avoided with some common sense. If you get an email like the one below, please call the person before sending cash, which many have done and have lost their money.

Caught out of the country

Omg!! I’m writing this with tears in my eyes, my family and I came down here to Perth, Scotland, in United Kingdom for a short vacation unfortunately we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed, all cash, credit card and cell were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us. We’ve been to the embassy and the police here but they’re not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in less than 19 hours from now, but we’re having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won’t let us leave until we settle the bills, I’m freaked out at the moment.





Sandy scams

Dear Friend, in light of what happened in the Northeast, here is a great opportunity for you to help and make some money. FEMA needs clean-up crews for South Jersey. It’s $1,000 for seven days, hotel and food included. Call this number... [The fraudster’s number would be here.] We will contact you as soon as possible. Thank you for applying.

The latter is a scam that is truly deplorable, but due to the kind hearts of many, they have fallen for it and have given their social security number, date of birth and other information that probably will be used in identity theft. Here the first thing one should have done is gone to the FEMA sight to see if it’s true.

The above scams were emailed to me from several readers, so please be careful, and as I always say, learn to use the “delete” key because if it involves money you have to dish out, it’s a scam.

Assault weapons

Now on to a subject that we should all be adamant about, and that is the murders that have been caused by assault weapons this past year.

On Sept. 13, 2004, the federal assault weapons ban expired. This ban was put in place in 1994, and outlawed 19 types of military-style assault weapons. A clause directed that the ban expire unless Congress specifically reauthorized it, and our congressional leaders did not. Shame on them! These are the consequences we are now seeing across the country. As stated by many in the law-enforcement community, these weapons are nothing more than “cop-killer guns”.

I always tell you that we need to get involved, we need to be part of our community, and we must demand that our community be a safe place to live. Therefore I ask you to please contact your representatives in Congress and ask them to support this ban. I truly believe that the killing of 20 little children should be sufficient for our congressional leaders to take the appropriate action. If you don’t know who your House member is, go to www.house.gov/representatives/find and you can find your representative.





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Barnes & Noble sells fewer Nooks, retail revenue falls






(Reuters) – Barnes & Noble Inc’s Nook unit reported weak holiday season numbers on Thursday as it sold fewer e-readers and tablets at its own stores, and its e-books sales growth slowed, raising questions about the future of its digital business.


The Nook, launched in 2009 to compete with Amazon.com Inc‘s market-leading Kindle, has been the cornerstone of Barnes & Noble‘s strategy to counter the shift by many book readers to digital books. Early growth attracted a big investment last year from Microsoft Corp.






And last week, British education and media publisher Pearson Plc said it would take a 5 percent stake in Barnes & Noble‘s Nook Media unit, which also includes its college bookstore chain, giving it a $ 1.8 billion value, about double the company’s value as a whole.


But questions swirled about whether it is worth that much, after the retailer said that the Nook segment’s revenue fell 12.6 percent from a year earlier during the nine weeks ended December 29, hurt by lower unit sales and prices.


Sales of digital content like e-books and magazines rose 13.1 percent during the holidays, a much slower pace than the 38 percent gain last quarter and 113 percent in the 2011 holiday season, suggesting Barnes & Noble is having trouble holding on to its 25-30 percent share of the U.S. e-books market.


“We are way beyond the point where you should see content sales accelerate,” Morningstar analyst Peter Wahlstrom told Reuters. “That hasn’t materialized and that’s concerning.”


The numbers were all the more disappointing given that in late November, Barnes & Noble had told investors Nook device sales doubled over the Black Friday weekend, which follows Thanksgiving and kicks off the holiday season in earnest.


That suggests the rest of season was a debacle, analysts said, and Chief Executive William Lynch said in a statement that Barnes & Noble is “examining the root cause” of the shortfall and will adjust its strategy.


“The investment question for Barnes & Noble in 2013 is the Nook‘s staying power as a legitimate tablet device,” Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter wrote in the note, predicting the retailer will face stiffer competition this year from the likes of Apple Inc and Google Inc, since tablets now have improved functions that make them more appealing to book readers.


The drop in Nook sales came despite the launch of two well-reviewed high-definition Nook tablets in October and promotions at large chains like Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Target Corp, both of which stopped selling Kindles last year.


Despite the holiday results, Barnes & Noble still expects Nook Media sales of $ 3 billion this fiscal year, keeping a forecast it gave in October.


That steady forecast helped lift shares 2.6 percent to $ 14.88 in morning trading.


The company will report full quarterly results in late February.


The results follow a warning from Barnes & Noble in a filing last week that holiday sales would come in below its expectations. The warning erased most of the gains in its share price that followed the news of Pearson’s investment.


FEWER VISITORS IN STORES


Compounding Barnes & Noble‘s troubles, fewer shoppers came into its bookstores during the Christmas period.


Barnes & Noble, which had enjoyed a sales bump after onetime rival Borders Group liquidated in 2011, reported a 10.9 percent decrease in sales at its bookstores and on its website over the holiday period.


Sales at stores open at least 15 months fell 3.1 percent, excluding Nook products, despite the benefit of some store closings — Barnes & Noble operates 689 bookstores, 14 fewer than a year ago.


“The Borders tailwind is over,” Morningstar’s Wahlstrom said.


(Reporting by Phil Wahba in New York; editing by John Wallace and Nick Zieminski)


Gadgets News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Cher Signs Development Deal with Logo

Logo just announced at The Television Critics Association in Pasadena, CA that the network has signed a development deal with the ultimate gay icon, Cher.


AUDIO - Listen to Cher's New Song

The show, which is in its earliest stages of development, would mark Cher's first regular TV gig since The Sonny and Cher Show ended in 1977.

While this could change before the show hits the air (if it actually does), Cher's Logo show is set to revolve around Hollywood in the 1960s. It's unknown what Cher's on-screen participation will be like at this time. 

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Obama expected to nominate Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary: report

WASHINGTON – President Obama is expected to announce Monday that he has picked former Nebraska Republican Senator and Vietnam veteran Chuck Hagel as his new Defense Secretary, according to a report.

Hagel will succeed current secretary Leon Panetta, who is stepping down, according to a report in Politico.

The nomination of Hagel, who voted against entering the Iraq war, is expected to ignite a fierce confirmation fight. Senate Republicans criticized Hagel, who would be the first enlisted soldier and Vietnam veteran to serve in the post, for his Iraq war vote.




REUTERS



Chuck Hagel leaves a news conference in Omaha, Nebraska in 2007.



Democratic backed groups have slammed Hagel, 66, for his support of Israel negotiations with Palestine and opposition to some Iran sanctions and for making an anti-gay comment about an ambassador nominee, a statement Hagel recently apologized for.

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