Sunday, December 30, 2012

Days before deadline, Obama urges Congress to act on 'fiscal cliff' (Washington Bureau)

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Huge Fire Destroys Warehouse, Disrupts Pink Line Service

DNAinfo.com Chicago:

CHICAGO ? Part of the Pink Line was shut down Saturday following a four-alarm fire at a Pilsen warehouse that created plumes of smoke that could be seen for miles.

Service resumed late Saturday night.

Firefighters requested the "L" to be shut down after flames and smoke from a fire at a three-story warehouse on the 2400 block of West 21st Street neared the tracks Saturday afternoon. The train is shut down from Polk and Central Park. Trains are operating only between 54th/Cermak and Central Park and 18th Street and the Loop. Shuttle buses are available for passengers traveling between 54th/Cermak and Polk, the CTA said.

Read the whole story at DNAinfo.com Chicago

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/30/huge-fire-destroys-wareho_n_2385122.html

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Private Investigator Claims Whitney Houston Was Murdered Over Drug Debt

Private Investigator Claims Whitney Houston Was Murdered Over Drug Debt

Was Whitney Houston killed by drug dealers?A private investigator named Paul Huebl claims that singer Whitney Houston was murdered by drug dealers and has a new surveillance video to prove it! Huebl says he has turned over evidence to the FBI that shows the 48-year-old singer was killed over owing a whopping $1.5 million to drug dealers. The medical examiner ruled ...

Private Investigator Claims Whitney Houston Was Murdered Over Drug Debt Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/12/private-investigator-claims-whitney-houston-was-murdered-over-drug-debt/

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Friday, December 28, 2012

Social media and pr - UK Business Forums

Our distribution is in musical instruments and accessories.

We want to utilise social media to promote the products we distribute to muscicians so in turn the dealers get feedback and possible sales.

What im unclear about is with our facebook and twitter pages, do we hand over the username and password to the PR company for them to post on our behalf and try to attract not only more fans anf followers but more interest and possible sales for our dealers or does the PR company basically tell US what to post, how to post what images work, what engagment to have ect.

Its just an area im unclear with as I dont really know what a PR company does regarding a social media campaign.

Any examples of what they do would be great and if they (the pr) do it or if we do from what they suggest to us.

Source: http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=282004

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Toyota agrees to $1 billion settlement

Toyota Motor Corp has offered to settle its?acceleration case with a payment of more than?$1 billion.

By Reuters / December 26, 2012

Toyota Motor Corp President Akio Toyoda speaks during a news conference in Tokyo December 25, 2012. The company offered to settle its acceleration case for more than $1 billion.

Yuriko Nakao/Reuters

Enlarge

Toyota Motor Corp has agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle U.S. litigation over claims that its vehicles suddenly and unintentionally accelerated, according to court filings made public on Wednesday.

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The deal, which must be approved by a California federal judge, includes direct payments to customers as well as the installation of a brake override system in about 3.25 million vehicles, plaintiff attorneys said.

The terms include a $250 million fund for former Toyota owners who sold vehicles at reduced prices because of bad publicity, and a separate $250 million fund for owners not eligible for the brake override system.

Plaintiff attorneys are slated to receive up to $200 million in fees and $27 million in costs, according to court documents.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/3vxDQSOYvoA/Toyota-agrees-to-1-billion-settlement

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Ideas To Help You Achieve Your Home Improvement Goals | Pest ...

Home improvement projects can often be a disappointing experience. The main reasons for this include poor planning, hiring an inferior contractor and attempting a job that is beyond your ability. The following information can help you avoid all that and get on the bed bug facts right track. Here is what you need to know.

Using wall mounts for TVs can free up quite a bit of space, as you can remove the stand or just clear the stand to be used for other things. This can be done in half an hour or less.

Wood-burning stoves should be certified by the EPA. Most newer wood-burning stoves will be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency; however, older model wood-burning stoves need to be tested to certify that the stove meets current emission standards. Check your stoves for leaks to reduce the chance for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Warn your neighbors in advance if you will need to use part of the street for your home improvement. You might have to block the road or keep a dumpster in the yard or on the street. If you let your neighbors know about this, they will appreciate your consideration and won?t mind the inconvenience so much.

Take safety precautions prior to doing a home improvement job. You run the risk of ruining your work or injuring yourself if you don?t take proper precautions. Be sure you follow all instructions on your power tools and check out all the tutorials you can before beginning your renovation project.

You can make any room look much more sophisticated by painting it in an original way. Paint and the supplies needed are not expensive. There are many different decorative painting techniques you can try such as fresco or ragging.

When painting your home, whether just a wall or your entire home, first you have to know how much paint is needed. Do not guess how much the job is going to cost as you could be way off. You should always carefully measure and know how much paint you will need.

Getting away from aluminum siding and going with a stucco option might seem like a good idea, but you need to remember that this can be labor intensive and expensive. Make sure you are ready to make the investment involved in using stucco. You may like a specific look, but you might be able to find something that is more cost efficient.

Sealant strips and draft excluders can keep air from seeping out door cracks. A draft excluder can be fitted beneath a pest control greenville door to prevent the loss of warm air and the introduction of cold air. Sealant strips can do the same thing and easily fit around your door frames. You can purchase these at most hardware stores.

Home improvement projects that aren?t managed correctly can easily go awry. In the article above, you have learned some things that will allow you to manage, plan and finish the home improvement project you have planned. Using the tips in this article can make a huge difference in your experience.

Source: http://pestcontrolexperts.railblogs.com/2012/12/27/ideas-to-help-you-achieve-your-home-improvement-goals/

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Iraq's minority Sunnis protest again in western province following arrest of minister's guards

RAMADI, Iraq - Large, noisy demonstrations against Iraq's government flared for the third time in less than a week Wednesday in Iraq's western Anbar province, raising the prospect of a fresh bout of unrest in a onetime al-Qaida stronghold on Syria's doorstep.

The rallies find echoes in the Arab Spring. Protesters chanted "the people want the downfall of the regime," a slogan that has rippled across the region and was fulfilled in Tunisia and Egypt. Other rallying cries blasted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government as illegitimate and warned that protesters "will cut off any hand that touches us."

While the demonstrators' tenacious show of force could signal the start of a more populist Sunni opposition movement, it risks widening the deep and increasingly bitter rifts with the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. If left unresolved, those disputes could lead to a new eruption of sectarian violence.

The car bombings and other indiscriminate attacks that still plague Iraq are primarily the work of Sunni extremists. Vast Anbar province was once the heart of the deadly Sunni insurgency that emerged after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and later the birthplace of a Sunni militia that helped American and Iraqi forces fight al-Qaida.

Today, al-Qaida is believed to be rebuilding in pockets of Anbar, and militants linked to it are thought to be helping Sunni rebels try to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The demonstrations follow the arrest last week of 10 bodyguards assigned to Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi, who comes from Anbar and is one of the central government's most senior Sunni officials. He appeared before Wednesday's rally and was held aloft by the crowds.

Al-Issawi's case is exacerbating tensions between the Shiite-dominated government that rose to power following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and Iraq's Sunnis, who see the detentions as politically motivated.

"The danger is that the revolution in Syria is perpetuating Sunni opportunism and overconfidence in Iraq," said Ramzy Mardini, an analyst at the Beirut-based Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies. "Al-Maliki may have sparked a Sunni tribal movement that will attempt to harness and capitalize on the revolutionary spirit," he said.

Protesters turned out Wednesday near the provincial capital Ramadi, 115 kilometres (70 miles) west of Baghdad. The city and nearby Fallujah were the scenes of some of the deadliest fighting between U.S. troops and Iraqi insurgents.

Demonstrators blocked the main highway linking Baghdad with neighbouring Jordan and Syria, just as they did at another protest Sunday.

Wednesday's protesters held banners demanding that Sunni rights be respected and calling for the release of Sunni prisoners in Iraqi jails. "We warn the government not to draw the country into sectarian conflict," read one. Another declared: "We are not a minority."

Al-Issawi, the finance minister, addressed the rally after arriving in a long convoy of black SUVs protected by heavily armed bodyguards. He condemned last week's raid on his office and rattled off a list of grievances aimed at al-Maliki's government.

"Injustice, marginalization, discrimination and double standards, as well as the politicization of the judiciary system and a lack of respect for partnership, the law and the constitution ... have all turned our neighbourhoods in Baghdad into huge prisons surrounded by concrete blocks," he declared.

Large numbers of protesters also took to the streets in Samarra, a Sunni-dominated town 60 miles (95 kilometres) north of Baghdad, according to Salahuddin provincial spokesman Mohammed al-Asi.

Many Sunnis see the arrest of the finance minister's guards as the latest in a series of moves by the Shiite prime minister against their sect and other perceived political opponents.

Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi, another top-ranking Sunni politician, is now living in exile in Turkey after being handed multiple death sentences for allegedly running death squads ? a charge he dismisses as politically motivated.

Al-Maliki has defended the arrests of the finance minister's guards as legal and based on warrants issued by judicial authorities. He also recently warned against a return to sectarian strife in criticizing the responses of prominent Sunni officials to the detentions.

In a recent statement, the prime minister dismissed the rhetoric as political posturing ahead of provincial elections scheduled for April and warned his opponents not to forget the dark days of sectarian fighting "when we used to collect bodies and chopped heads from the streets."

Al-Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Moussawi, criticized al-Issawi's participation in the protest Wednesday.

"He can't be in the government and use the street against it at the same time. If he can't shoulder his responsibilities then he has to step down so that another person can take over," he said.

The political tensions are rising at a sensitive time. Iraq's ailing President Jalal Talabani is incapacitated following a serious stroke last week and is being treated in a German hospital. The 79-year-old president, an ethnic Kurd, is widely seen as a unifying figure with the clout to mediate among the country's ethnic and sectarian groups.

Also Wednesday, the United Nations mission to Iraq said its monitors have determined that a hospital that treated a member of an Iranian exile group who died this week at a refugee camp near Baghdad did not consider his health condition serious enough to warrant hospitalization when he arrived for treatment in November.

An organization representing the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq exile group on Monday accused Iraqi authorities of preventing 56-year-old Behrooz Rahimian from being hospitalized, and alleged that the U.N. failed to take sufficient steps to intervene. Iraq considers the MEK a terrorist group and wants its members out of the country.

The U.N. mission in Baghdad said in a statement Wednesday that it "does not have any indication so far that treatment was obstructed by the Iraqi authorities." It noted that representatives for the refugee residents told U.N. monitors that Rahimian "appeared to be in good condition until the time of his death."

___

Schreck reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin contributed.

___

Follow Adam Schreck on Twitter at http://twitter.com/adamschreck

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraqs-minority-sunnis-protest-again-western-province-following-223033342.html

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Shopping And Product Reviews: Toys Article Category by ElleEatist ...

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Source: http://matkopliza9.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-category-by-elleeatist.html

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Source: http://idaopilem.posterous.com/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-cat

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Source: http://vydynifo.posterous.com/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-cat

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Monday, December 24, 2012

Gene variants affect pain susceptibility in children

Dec. 24, 2012 ? At least two common gene variants are linked to "clinically meaningful" differences in pain scores in children after major surgery, reports a study in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

"[O]ur study is highly suggestive of a genetic component in pain response among children," concludes the study by Dr Chantal Mamie and colleagues of Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. But an accompanying editorial question the relevance of this and previous studies of pain-related genes for management of pain in individual patients.

Gene Variants Influence Pain Scores after Surgery ?

The study was designed to explore whether several "candidate" gene variants affected pain scores in a group of 168 children undergoing major surgery -- either abdominal or bone and joint operations. The children and their parents were tested for variant forms ("polymorphisms") of six different genes previously reported as having a possible impact on pain.

The genetic results were compared with the children's pain scores, as routinely monitored during the 24-hour recovery period after surgery. During that time, the children had access to patient- (or parent- or nurse-controlled) analgesia with strong opioid (morphine-related) pain relievers.

Variants of two genes were related to "clinically meaningful" increases in pain scores -- at least four "peak" scores higher than six (on a ten-point scale) during the 24 hours after surgery. After adjustment for other factors, the risk of elevated pain scores was 4.5 times higher for children with a specific variant of the gene ABCB1, which affects the transport of opioid drugs to the central nervous system.

Risk of elevated pain scores was 3.5 times higher for children with a certain variant of the gene OPRM, a key target receptor for opioid binding. The associations with ABCB1 and OPRM variants remained significant after adjustment for patterns of gene inheritance from parents. Variants of two additional genes affecting pain perception -- NTRK and COMT -- were linked to more subtle, "subclinical" effects on pain scores.

? But Have No Effect on Use of Pain Medications

Surprisingly -- even though the gene variants affected pain scores -- they were unrelated to the total dosage of opioid medications used. The dosage of patient-controlled analgesia provides an important objective measure of pain and pain control after surgery.

"The present results are plausible given the known functionality of the candidate genes, and are consistent with the findings in adults," Dr Mamie and colleagues write. Although there has been a wealth of research on the genetic basis of pain in adults, the researchers add, "This first but small cohort study provides clues to further explore the genetic foundations of pediatric pain."

In an accompanying editorial, Drs Debra Schwinn and Ruth Landau of University of Washington, Seattle, put the findings in perspective. A decade ago, researchers thought that the discovery of genes affecting pain perception and opioid responses would soon play an important role in "individualizing" pain control after surgery. Subsequent studies have shown that the situation is more complex, and that the inheritance of pain susceptibility and opioid responsiveness is "probably less straightforward and predictable than previously foreseen."

Especially with the lack of effect on pain medication dosage, Drs Schwinn and Landau suggest that the presence of gene variants (genotype) may be less important than the way those genes are expressed in the individual (phenotype). Because of the complexity of the associations, they conclude, "[T]ailoring opioid analgesia based on selective genotyping is unlikely to occur anytime soon."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal References:

  1. Chantal Mamie, Michela C. Rebsamen, Michael A. Morris, Alfredo Morabia. First Evidence of a Polygenic Susceptibility to Pain in a Pediatric Cohort. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 2013; 116 (1): 170 DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31826f0637
  2. Ruth Landau, Debra Schwinn. Genotyping Without Phenotyping. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 2013; 116 (1): 8 DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e318275355a

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/Ice5yYobJfs/121224113344.htm

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

US Rep. Camp says he's cancer-free

MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan congressman who chairs a tax committee says doctors have declared him cancer-free following chemotherapy treatments.

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp announced last summer that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. On Tuesday, the Midland Republican said in a statement that he is free of cancer.

The 59-year-old chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee says he's "extremely thankful for the excellent treatment." He says he'll have routine medical checks in the months ahead.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system. Camp says he had large B-cell lymphoma. B-cells are a type of white blood cell that helps fight infections. He has served in Congress since 1991.

Source: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/politics/us-rep-dave-camp-says-hes-cancer-free-121812

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U.S. Military Moving East


"...The US will significantly increase its military presence in the Philippines ? an announcement that has angered China, whose Communist Party chief urged his military to prepare for a struggle and whose state-run media have criticized the agreement.

The US announced in 2011 that it would increase joint training exercises and ship visits to the Philippines in order to counter China?s growing influence in the region. These visits have been welcomed by Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III.

This month, the US announced that it would increase the number of troops, aircraft and ships that rotate through the Philippines. The announcement was made during the 3rd Phillipines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Manila, which was held Dec. 11-12. The two countries are expected to sign a five-year joint US-Philippine military exercise plan in their upcoming meetings, The Diplomat reported..."

http://rt.com/usa/news/us-military-p...communist-338/

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This should be of further interest. I wonder if they are heading to the Far East?

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"...Two aircraft carriers stationed off the Syrian coast were sent back to the US this week in a move that the Obama administration thought would ease tensions, but angered Turkish officials who hoped for significant US military presence in the region.

The USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and its 2,500 marines were recalled after being stationed on the Syrian coast, allegedly in preparation of potential military invasion.

The USS Eisenhower, which has the capacity to hold thousands of men, joined the other warship during the first week of December, ready to launch an American-led military intervention ?within days? if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were to use chemical weapons against the opposition, Time reported. But as the violence escalated in the past few days, the warships took off and headed back to the US.

The US usually has two aircraft carriers stationed in the Persian Gulf at all times, but will only have one deployed this month ? the USS John C. Stennis, which is stationed nowhere near Syria. By recalling the USS Eisenhower and the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the US simply outraged its key ally in the region ? Turkey..."

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Of course the ships might have left because the Russian Baltic fleet is heading to Syria, and we didn't want a confrontation...and that was bound to have annoyed Turkey. Next month there will be a meeting between the U.S., Russia and the head of the U.N. They will try to implement what they had agreed to in Geneva.

Source: http://www.politicalforum.com/latest-world-news/280693-u-s-military-moving-east-new-post.html

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Microsoft Surface tiptoes into Verizon store display cases

Microsoft's Surface tablet is used as a promotional tool at Verizon stores. It's not for sale -- at least not yet.

Microsoft's Surface tablet is used as a promotional tool at Verizon stores. It's not for sale -- at least not yet.

(Credit: Brooke Crothers)

Microsoft Surface has arrived in Verizon stores, but that doesn't mean you can walk out with one.

And chances are you won't even notice it. That's because it's not for sale.

Verizon is using the tablet to showcase the Windows and Windows Phone experience -- but that's about all for now.

"We are delighted that Verizon have chosen Surface for use in their stores, however, we have nothing further to share at this time," a Microsoft spokesperson told CNET. Verizon declined to comment.

There had been some speculation that Verizon would launch sales of the tablet along with Staples and Best Buy but that hasn't happened.

And even at Best Buy stores availability is spotty. Select Best Buy stores have them in-store, others don't yet, according to a Best Buy sales rep in Los Angeles.

Microsoft's first branded PC product was launched on October 26 and sold exclusively at Microsoft stores until last week.

As distribution widens, sales are expected to pick up. An analyst at IHS-iSuppli recently told CNET that the tablet got off to a "respectable start" considering its limited distribution.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/tcoc/~3/LqhXfKAPrXk/

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Monday, December 17, 2012

forgetfulness - Health, Fitness, and Sports

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:50 am?? ?Post subject: forgetfulness Reply with quote

for the past couple of months, i been so forgetful plus my mind feel drained and in need of work out. it involves short-term memory and i forget what i was going to do. sometimes when i make food, i forget what i need to do. idk if its sign of depression because i experienced it off and on or my sleeping pattern contributing to it. i wake up at 11 am or 12 and go to bed at 2 am or 3 am. i get so distracted these days and i want my good memory back.
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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Butler upsets No. 1 Indiana 88-86 in OT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? All Butler guard Alex Barlow saw Saturday was space and an opportunity to make a play.

So the unlikeliest player on the floor took a chance and made the biggest shot of the game.

When Indiana's defenders failed to converge on the 5-foot-11 walk-on, Barlow kept right on going through the lane, drove to the basket and hit a spinning 6-foot jumper with 2.4 seconds left in overtime Saturday to give the Bulldogs another stunning upset ? 88-86 over No. 1 Indiana in the Crossroads Classic.

"The floater is a shot I work on a lot and I happened to get a lucky bounce," Barlow said. "It was a good feeling."

Luckily for the Bulldogs (8-2), Barlow was on the floor.

The kid who spurned college scholarship offers to play his best sport, baseball, and opted to come to Butler for only one reason ? to learn how to coach basketball from Brad Stevens ? showed everyone he can hoop it up, too.

Stevens didn't hesitate to constantly keep the ball in Barlow's hands after three key Butler players had already fouled out. The sophomore who had scored only 12 points in nine games this season and 18 in his college career delivered with a series of key plays.

Barlow finished with a career-high six points, came up with a big steal that led to a go-ahead 3-pointer late in overtime and finally won it with a shot that bounced off the back of the rim, straight into the air and finally through the net.

Indiana (9-1) immediately called timeout to set up a play but could only muster Jordan Hulls' heave from near half-court, a shot that faded to the left of the basket and suddenly the first college in Indiana to go to back-to-back Final Fours had another school first ? its first win in five tries over a No. 1 ranked team.

The sold-out arena roared as the game ended, and the Bulldogs rushed to midcourt where they celebrated with Barlow.

"I thought he just rose up over Hulls and it looked good," Stevens said. "Don't use this as an excuse to get down on Indiana. I still think they're the team to beat in April. Our guys just played really hard and when it really mattered, they figured out a way."

Butler (8-2) has now won six straight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, better known as the home to the NBA's Pacers, and four of the last five when this series been played in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs have wins over Marquette of the Big East, North Carolina of the ACC and back-to-back victories over Northwestern and Indiana of the Big Ten.

And Barlow, the surprising star, overshadowed a supporting cast that had strong games, too.

Roosevelt Jones scored 16 points and matched his career-highs with 12 rebounds and six assists before fouling out with 2:03 left in regulation.

Andrew Smith finished with 12 points and nine rebounds and held national player of the year candidate Cody Zeller in check until fouling out just 17 seconds after Jones.

Rotnei Clarke, who transferred to Butler from Arkansas, scored 13 of his 19 points and made three of his five 3-pointers in the second half.

In all, five Bulldogs players finished in double figures while the defense held one of America's most proficient offenses to just 42.9 percent shooting from the field.

"We cost ourselves at the end of the game defensively," coach Tom Crean said after waiting more than an hour to take questions. "They made the plays, there's no question about that. But we made the mistakes on how we guarded them."

The Hoosiers were led by Cody Zeller, who had 18 points, including a layup to tie the score at 86 with 19.3 seconds left in overtime. Victor Oladipo also had 18 points and Will Sheehey scored 13 points off the bench.

But the Bulldogs grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Indiana ? the first team to do that this season.

Clearly, this was not the same Indiana team that won its first nine games by an average of nearly 32 points while shooting 51.5 percent from the field.

"There's a lot of things," said Zeller, who had only five rebounds and four baskets. "We got outrebounded. There's a lot of little things that we have to figure, but we'll get back to work and figure them out."

The difference Saturday was that Butler never let the Hoosiers get away from them ? even when Smith and Jones went to the bench with four fouls midway through the second half.

Stevens reinserted both players with 9 minutes to go in regulation, trailing 57-50, and the Bulldogs responded with a 12-0 run that gave them a 66-59 lead with 4:31 left in regulation.

Butler still led 71-64 when Jones fouled out, and the Hoosiers answered with five straight points from the free-throw line. They finally tied the score on Yogi Ferrell's 3-pointer from the right wing with 6.1 seconds to go, and Butler's Chase Stigall missed a 3-pointer off the front of the rim as time expired.

In overtime, Indiana looked like it would take control when Zeller's layup made it 84-80 with 2:12 to play.

But the Bulldogs again rallied, getting a 3 from Clarke, a steal from Barlow that led Stigall's 3-pointer, and Barlow's improbable winning shot.

"I just figured I would throw it up to the rim," Barlow said. "If I missed it, I knew they wouldn't get a shot off. Luckily, it bounced in."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/butler-upsets-no-1-indiana-88-86-ot-220124007--spt.html

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Saturday, December 15, 2012

T-Mobile improves '4G' coverage and signal strength in Chicago, SoCal and more

DNP TMobile improves '4G' coverage and signal strength in Chicago, SoCal, and more

While many T-Mobile customers may be champing at the bit to get their hands on LTE, some might be content just to see faster HSPA+ speeds at all. Which is why we applaud the carrier's latest effort at spreading its "4G" joy to five new metros, notably to large swaths of Chicago and Southern California -- Sacramento, Fresno and Reno make up the rest. The speed boost is just one upgrade; other enhancements include improved signal strength and better coverage inside buildings. Along with earlier expansion efforts, this ratchets up the number of "enhanced networks" to 23 and around 100 million people, according to a blog post from Neville Ray, T-Mobile's CTO. He also promotes the push of unlocked AT&T devices to the land of magenta, which could be a not-so-subtle hint at the future. Check the source to see if your neighborhood made the list of updated areas.

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Source: T-Mobile

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/13/t-mobile-enhances-coverage/

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Bad History with Banks Making You Want to - Payday Loans

14 Dec
2012

Banks have acquired a bad reputation lately and it hasn?t been entirely unwarranted.? From Bank of America?s attempt to charge $5 monthly for debit cards to Chase?s $20 billion loss on a bad trade, the press surrounding traditional banking has made consumers weary.

Throw overdraft fees, hidden charges and poor customer service into the mix and most are left wishing for the days of stuffing cash in a mattress.

According to the Washington Post, 821,000 households dropped out of the banking system between 2009 and 2011 amidst the recession.

But for many accustomed to the average checking and savings account system, joining the ranks of the 17 million unbanked consumers can be a bit unnerving.? Anyone considering a departure from their banks should consider a few of the options available before they choose to go bank-free.

Where do the ?unbanked? put their cash?bad banking history calls for a change

The safety and ease of a bank is a leading reason for going the traditional route with cash.? Daily Finance reports that a check-cashing store in New York charges $18.60 to cash $1,000 and $93 to cash $5,000 ? a nearly two percent fee for depositing.? Banks on the other hand usually allow free direct deposit, eliminating the trip to a cash-checking store and the service charge.

On the other hand, Time reported that this year a spike in bank fees swept the nation.? Overdraft fees neared $30 and the average cost to use a non-network ATM rose to $3.68.? While individually, these fees are less than the cost to cash $5,000 the potential to accumulate multiple charges each month is greater?making it easy to surpass $93.

For many, cashing checks and utilizing traditional accounts is a game of choosing the lesser of two evils.? But other options remain.

Prepaid cards have become increasingly popular and companies like Simple are working to provide a bank feel without the unpleasant corporate additions.

Jeff Motske, CEO of Trilogy Financial Services, weighed the pros and cons of leaving a bank.

?On the one hand, you might be able to find more attractive rates of return on your money,? says Motske.? ?However, not having that brick and mortar convenience of going to an ATM and getting less overall security can be a pitfall.?

There are multiple options for those ready to leave the banking system, but it?s important for consumers to understand their own deposit and withdrawal needs and find an alternative that best suits those habits.

Is it the consumers or the institutions?

While banks certainly have a share in the blame for the expense and problems that lurk in the traditional structure, consumers must also take some responsibility.? The UK just found that financial illiteracy costs their country ?3.4 billion ($5.48 billion) a year.? And the US has zero bragging rights over the UK when it comes to financial literacy, as our financial education structure is equal to if not less than that of our neighbors across the pond.

Ultimately, the trouble lies somewhere in the middle according to Bill Westrom of Truth in Equity.

?The banks themselves are not the problem; it is what they teach us about managing our personal finances and the relationship they have with our money. It?s how we use banks that is the problem,? says Westrom.

Where to deposit wages and the smartest way to withdraw those funds will always be a struggle because there?s no one perfect way to do it.? Backing a choice of banking services with a strong understanding of personal habits and the products that are available is the only way a consumer can find the right fit for their finances.

Source: https://www.moneynowusa.com/blog/bad-history-with-banks-making-you-want-to-change-financial-direction/

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UBS to admit Japan criminal wrongdoing in Libor case: sources

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) - UBS will admit to criminal wrongdoing by its Japanese arm, where one of the Swiss bank's traders manipulated yen Libor and euroyen contracts, to secure a $1-billion-plus settlement with regulators, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Japan's financial regulator last December ordered UBS's Japanese securities arm to suspend Tibor- and Libor-related derivatives trading for a week after a probe found a former trader attempted to influence the Tokyo interbank offered rate.

UBS, which declined comment, is expected to pay $1 billion or more as early as Monday to settle the interest rate rigging charges, the sources said. The UBS settlement could include manipulation of Libor rates in currencies other than yen, after clues to UBS's alleged central role in the Libor conspiracy were included in documents filed earlier this year by the Canadian Competition Bureau, which investigates anti-competitive activity.

A settlement would make it the second major bank after Britain's Barclays to be sanctioned for its role in the global scandal.

Libor is the interest rate used as a benchmark for pricing trillions of dollars worth of financial instruments and contracts around the globe. Tiny shifts in the rate, compiled from daily polls of bankers, could benefit dealers in complex products.

The penalty to be handed down by U.S. and British regulators is more than double the $450-million fine levied on Barclays in June for related behavior.

This could indicate the scope of the misconduct by UBS is worse than was exposed in the Barclays settlement, which prompted a public and political backlash about standards and culture across banking.

The specter of criminal charges against UBS comes as a blow to the bank's efforts to focus on its private bank, which caters to the financial needs of the world's wealthy. UBS is in the process of pulling out of riskier sectors, including some in fixed income, in order to reassure customers and shareholders.

GLOBAL SETTLEMENT

The settlement will be with U.S., British and Swiss regulators, although the last has no power to fine the bank. Japanese regulators are also involved, some sources said, although it was not clear if they would be formally involved in the penalties.

A deal will include the U.S. Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Britain's Financial Services Authority and Switzerland's Finma, sources said. All of these declined to comment on the expected settlement.

Admitting to criminal wrongdoing can be fatal for a bank, as it can lose its license, and authorities are wary of pushing big banks to the brink. By admitting to the charge against its Japanese subsidiary, UBS is stopping short of admitting to wrongdoing at a group level.

The UBS investigation centers on former UBS trader Thomas Hayes, but also includes other UBS bankers, according to the sources.

Hayes, who joined Citigroup after leaving UBS in 2009, is one of three British men arrested and later released on bail by London police on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. A lawyer for Hayes could not be reached on Friday.

Between 25 and 30 people have left UBS as a result of the Libor rigging, the sources said. The bank had hoped for a softer touch from regulators by cooperating in industry-wide probes and was surprised by the size of the expected settlement, they added.

The criminal probe is not the first in recent UBS history. In 2009 it settled a messy U.S. investigation into tax evasion by admitting it had helped wealthy Americans evade and cheat on their taxes.

And the bank is still recovering from revelations about lax internal controls when London-based trader Kweku Adoboli was convicted last month over a $2.3-billion trading fraud.

Reuters' parent company Thomson Reuters Corp collects information from banks and uses it to calculate Libor rates according to specifications drawn up by the British Bankers Association (BBA).

(Additional reporting by Steve Slater; Editing by Alexander Smith)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ubs-admit-japan-criminal-wrongdoing-libor-case-sources-214308546--sector.html

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Microloans Add Impact On Small Business Lending

Generally, small business owners need commercial loans to buy a business with real estate, refinance a commercial real estate asset (like a gas station, strip mall, industrial warehouse, office building, motel, hotel, etc.) or refinance a business with real estate. However, the complexity of commercial loans makes deal structuring difficult. Here's our guide to commercial loans.:

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The SBA 7a is the only program that funds startup businesses with annual revenues under $2 million and without a real estate component. SBA 7a loans come with longer terms than conventional loans. Generally, terms for SBA 7a loans range from 15 to 25 years. Also, within the program small business owners can access other forms of working capital options like a line of credit.:

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SBA Loan Programs broken out by benefits, eligibility, use of proceeds, loan amounts and rate structure and typical loan amortization. Compare your SBA Loan options here!:

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New entrepreneurs often make the mistake of using their own money to buy equipment. Leasing is a much cheaper and easier alternative for financing equipment purchases. Any business with equipment can take advantage of this product.

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If you're looking to buy a business, consult a business valuation expert to help you find appropriate business financing alternatives. Try talking to your accountant or banker or search online for business valuation guides and loans to buy a business.

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Businesses with varying revenue streams need capital during slow periods to operate efficiently. A business line of credit can help entrepreneurs stay financially afloat until the excess funds from more lucrative months roll in. Predicting the degree of a seasonal downswing is difficult, making term loans an impractical business financing solution. Fortunately, with a business line of credit, borrowers only have to pay interest on the amount used:

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1.Make a list of the 10 fastest growing franchises in the country.
2.Look for existing franchise networks in your target area.
3.Keep up with franchise news.
4.Check the minimum amount of capital required to open a franchise.

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Source: http://expertadvice.biz2credit.com/2012/12/14/microloans-add-impact-on-small-business-lending/

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Friday, December 14, 2012

Summit Signature Homes Wins Silver Key Award for Custom Home ...

chicago real estate key awardsChicago Real Estate Forum and Marketing RELEVANCE congratulate Summit Signature Homes for winning a Silver Key Award in Excellence in New Construction for a Custom Home.

Summit Signature Homes stated: Our clients in this town are aged 35-45 and many are relocating from downtown Chicago or building their second home. The draw of this location is the oversized property which backs up to the Hinsdale Golf Club, offering plenty of privacy. In addition, the home is close to Clarendon's charming downtown, train station, schools and parks.

This all-American Nantucket style home offers an open floor plan and features 10-foot main level ceilings, four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a large mud room and bonus room. This home is situated on a 60-by-239 deep lot in Clarendon Hills which is larger than the standard 60-by-150 size lot normally found in town. We worked closely with our clients and architect to make sure the backyard was a focal point from the main living area in this home.

In Clarendon Hills you are limited by the FAR requirements. We maximized the square footage on this home including the added space above the garage (bonus room). In addition, we situated the garage on the front of the home with a sideload entrance. We wanted our clients to be able to turn their car around so that they would have an easier time exiting their driveway.

For more information on Summit Signature Homes , please visit summitsignaturehomes.com or call 630-366-2011

The Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago's KEY and SAMMY Awards celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2012. The awards began in 1972 and have grown throughout the years to now feature more than 100 building, remodeling, marketing and personal achievement categories. The KEY and SAMMY awards are the premier awards of Chicago's residential building industry. To see more award winners, visit Chicago Real Estate Forum.

Source: http://www.chicagolandrealestateforum.com/2012/12/13/summit-signature-homes-wins-silver-key-award-for-custom-home/

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Venezuela's Chavez is fine despite complex surgery: Correa

If you're not already aware of the bull-headed CIA agent whose persist pressure to track Al Qaeda couriers helped lead the way to bin Laden's compound, you're about to be. The main character of?Zero Dark Thirty, the soon-to-be released Oscar bait that portrays the story of the Bin Laden raid, is based on said agent, "is based on a real person" whose identity remains classified as she's still working for the CIA. Things at Langley haven't been going so well for said secret, soon-to-be an anonymous celebrity spy, though. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuelas-chavez-fine-despite-complex-surgery-correa-212110676.html

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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Operational Risk Management - MHA Consulting

By Melissa

What is Operational Risk Management (ORM)?

Operational risk is a component of every organization that reflects the unavoidable fact that assets, processes and people can fail. When any of these failures occur it leads to effects that are unplanned and unwanted by any business.? Examples of these risks are more common than you may believe.

  • A computer fails and a day?s work is lost. Now, overtime is needed to catch up.
  • A manager underestimates task complexity, which leads to a project over runs.
  • Subsidence causes a building to be declared unsafe and everyone must evacuate.

?

Often, Operational Risk is seen to only be relevant to banks and the financial industry, but as you can see from the above three examples, this is not the case.

What is the Scope of Operational Risk Management?

Operational Risk Management confines itself to managing those elements that fall within the business operational responsibility. They include:

  • Process and procedural robustness and integrity
  • People, skills and training
  • Insurance and self-insurance
  • The supply chain, outsourcing, and inherited risk
  • Infrastructure, systems and telecommunications
  • Physical and information security

?

Operational risk is recognized as being distinct from market risk and credit or trade risks.

?

Source: http://mha-it.com/2012/12/operational-risk-management/

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Variety of rain forest arthropods astonishing

It's well-known that the world's rain forests contain an enormous variety of arthropods, the group of animals that includes insects and spiders. But a new study shows that this variety is simply mind-blowing.

The study, published Thursday in the journal Science, estimates that a small region of tropical forest in Panama about the size of Manhattan contains 25,000 species of insects, spiders and other arthropods. That's more than four times the total of all known mammal species on Earth.

The study involved 102 researchers from 21 different countries who attacked every part of the rain forest in Panama to look for all types of arthropods. They sifted through soil, leaf litter, dug into tree bark and rotting wood and climbed into the forest's massive canopy using ropes and cranes. It's the first study to sample arthropods from every part of a tropical rain forest.

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Up to 70 percent of the creatures collected in the survey belong to new, unidentified species, said Frode Odegaard, a co-author and researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research in a teleconference.

Searching the forest
It wasn't practical for the scientists to search the entire forest, so they did intensive sampling at a total of 12 sites and extrapolated their findings to get information about the rest of the jungle. Their results suggest that the diversity within a relatively small area can give them a good idea about diversity across a wider swathe, as long as the sample sites are well-selected and thoroughly searched. (This is very difficult, which is why it hasn't been done before, the researchers said.)

The results also showed that the diversity of arthropod life is closely correlated with the diversity of plants in the area, and this is true even for the creatures that don't eat plants, according to the study. That means diversity may be measured more easily than previously thought, said co-author Tomas Roslin from Finland's University of Helsinki. [ Dazzling Photos of Dew-Covered Insects ]

"Not every study will have the access to 100 arthropod experts that we did, but they might have access to one or two botanists," he said.

Arthropod importance
Arthropods, which are defined by their hard exoskeletons and segmented bodies, are vital for the functioning of the forest, so it's important to understand and preserve them, the scientists said.

In fact, most multicellular life forms on Earth are arthropods in tropical forests, said Yves Basset, a co-author at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama City. "Of course, if we want to understand and conserve life on Earth, we have to understand and conserve arthropods in the rain forest," he said.

Beetles, as expected, were the most diverse group sampled ? they are one of the most diverse and abundant animal groups on the planet.

Scientists spent the better part of a decade sorting through and trying to identify the 130,000 arthropods that they collected in the jungle.?

"For every species of vascular plant, bird or mammal in this forest, you will find 20, 83 and 312 species of arthropods, respectively," Basset said.

Reach Douglas Main at dmain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @Douglas_Main. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter@OAPlanet. We're also onFacebook and Google+.

? 2012 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50190122/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Blast targets Syrian regime building in Damascus

BEIRUT (AP) ? An explosion targeted the Syrian Interior Ministry building Wednesday in the capital, Damascus, state TV said. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad have been making inroads in their advance toward Damascus, the seat of the government, in recent weeks. Fighting has intensified in the southern districts of the Syrian capital and its suburbs.

The conflict started nearly 21 months ago as an uprising against Assad, whose family has ruled the country for four decades. It quickly morphed into a civil war, with rebels taking up arms to fight back against a bloody crackdown by the government.

According to activists, more than 40,000 people have been killed since March 2011.

Rebels have targeted the center of Damascus with bomb attacks in the past, most dramatically in July when they detonated explosives inside a high-level crisis meeting in Damascus that killed four top regime officials, including Assad's brother-in-law and the defense minister.

An al-Qaida linked group, Jabhat al-Nusra, has claimed many deadly blasts inside Syria.

On the political front, more than 100 countries recognized a new opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people during an international meeting being held in Morocco. The U.S. also has declared the coalition is the "legitimate representative" of its country's people. The moves open the way for greater humanitarian assistance to the forces battling Assad and possibly even military aid.

But the presence of extremist groups among the rebel forces has raised concerns in the U.S. and other nations that are supporting the opposition in Syria but do not want to see extremists gain power in the region. The U.S. has blacklisted Jabhat al-Nusra ? Arabic for Victory Front ? as a foreign terrorist organization and said the group was part of al-Qaida in Iraq.

Al-Nusra fighters appear to be among the most effective fighting forces on the rebel side, spearheading many recent gains.

Western officials have raised concerns that an increasingly desperate Assad might unleash his chemical weapons stockpiles against rebels.

Syria is believed to have a formidable arsenal of chemical weapons, including sarin and mustard gas, although its exact dimensions are not known. Syria is not a signatory to the 1997 Convention on Chemical Weapons and thus is not obliged to permit international inspection.

The government in Damascus has been careful not to confirm it has chemical weapons, while insisting it would never use such weapons against its own people.

On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch accused the Syrian military of using air-delivered incendiary bombs in at least four locations across Syria since mid-November. Such weapons can contain any number of flammable substances, including napalm, thermite, or white phosphorus, and are designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injuries. They are not considered chemical weapons.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blast-targets-syrian-regime-building-damascus-160204996.html

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Bank repossessions hit 9-month high in November

(AP) ? U.S. home repossessions rose to a nine-month high in November, even as the number of homes starting on the path to foreclosure declined to the lowest level in six years.

Banks completed foreclosure on 59,134 homes last month, an increase of 11 percent from October and up 5 percent from November last year, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.

Last month marked the first annual increase in bank repossessions since October 2010, when allegations of abuses by the mortgage industry compelled many lenders to temporarily halt foreclosures.

But the number of homes entering the foreclosure process or scheduled for auction for the first time, so-called foreclosure starts, sank to 77,494. That's a decline of 13 percent from October and a drop of 28 percent from November last year, the firm said.

It's also the lowest number of foreclosure starts since they hit 72,163 in December 2006.

The combination of declining foreclosure starts and a sharp increase in the number of homes taken back by lenders signals that banks are moving to complete foreclosures on homes with mortgages that have gone unpaid for a year or two, if not longer.

And it's likely that the borrowers who owned these homes already tried to refinance, get a loan modification or sell the home as a short sale ? when the bank agrees to accept less than what is owned on the mortgage ? but did not succeed, said Daren Blomquist, a vice president at RealtyTrac.

"Now foreclosure is the final recourse the banks have to go forward on these properties," Blomquist said.

There are close to 1 million U.S. homes that are in some stage of the foreclosure process, and any of those could potentially end up repossessed by a lender.

But several factors are now working to stem, or in some cases merely delay, foreclosures. That's a stark change from two or three years ago, when the foreclosure crisis was more severe.

Mortgage servicers and banks are increasingly favoring short sales as an alternative to foreclosure. Efforts by federal and state lawmakers to slow down the foreclosure process or make loan modifications a more likely option for homeowners also are having an impact. And borrowers are getting better about keeping up with mortgage payments.

The percentage of mortgage-holding homeowners who were at least two months behind on their payments sank in the third quarter to the lowest level in more than three years, according to credit reporting firm TransUnion.

In addition, an improving housing market, rising home prices and stronger hiring likely has helped some homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Even so, bank repossessions remain elevated and on pace to exceed 650,000 this year, according to RealtyTrac. That would be down from 800,000 last year.

"We're seeing more signs of the light at the end of the tunnel, with foreclosure starts being down," Blomquist said. "But the market still has to deal with the properties that already started foreclosure, and that could keep the (bank repossession) numbers stubbornly high the next year."

Also, lenders are still adjusting to new foreclosure ground rules set forth in a $25 billion settlement reached in February between five major banks and federal and state government officials over claims that many lenders had processed foreclosures without verifying documents.

As banks get a handle on those rules, they may move more quickly against late-paying mortgage-holders, Blomquist said.

All told, banks filed foreclosure-related notices on 180,817 properties last month, down 3 percent from October and down 19 percent from a year earlier.

Foreclosure activity, which RealtyTrac measures as the number of homes receiving a notice of default, scheduled auction or bank repossession, increased on an annual basis in 23 states and Washington D.C.

At the state level, Florida had the highest foreclosure rate of any other state, with one in every 304 households in some stage of foreclosure, or twice the national average.

Rounding out the top 10 states by foreclosure rate were Nevada, Illinois, California, South Carolina, Ohio, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Indiana.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-13-US-Foreclosure-Rates/id-c773f93c297c4245ab3a1b242f3b9bca

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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

UK gov't told to rethink data surveillance plan

(AP) ? British lawmakers on Tuesday demanded the government water down plans to keep track of phone calls, email and Internet activity ? a bill critics dub a "snooper's charter."

The Communications Data Bill would force telecoms service providers to retain for a year records of all phone and email traffic and website visits, though not the content of calls and messages.

The data on billions of emails, tweets, texts, calls and Internet hits would be available to police forces, the National Crime Agency and the revenue and customs service. The bill as it stands gives the government the power to extend that access to other agencies.

Home Secretary Theresa May has called the proposals "sensible and limited" measures to prevent crime and terrorism.

But an all-party parliamentary committee scrutinizing the legislation said the draft bill was "overkill and ... much wider than the specific needs identified by the law enforcement agencies."

The committee said the bill would give the home secretary ? Britain's interior minister ? powers to order communications companies to disclose "potentially limitless categories of data."

"There is a fine but crucial line between allowing our law enforcement and security agencies' access to the information they need to protect the country, and allowing our citizens to go about their daily business without a fear, however unjustified, that the state is monitoring their every move," said the committee's chair, Conservative peer David Maclean.

The proposals have split Britain's coalition government, which contains both law-and-order minded Conservatives and members of the Liberal Democrats, who campaigned on a promise to curb government intrusion and protect civil liberties.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the law required a "fundamental rethink."

"We cannot proceed with this bill and we have to go back to the drawing board," he said.

Security Minister James Brokenshire, a Conservative, said the government would amend the legislation in an attempt to get it through Parliament.

"We know that there is work that needs to be done and I absolutely accept that," he told BBC radio.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-12-11-Britain-Mass%20Surveillance/id-e7f22805d426464989849ef81e3fb0be

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