Saturday, December 31, 2011

Odd notes, mad-dash trips mark Iowa closing sprint

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign stop at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign stop at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks to local residents during a campaign stop at USA Furniture and Bedding, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Republican Presidential candidate, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. meets with patrons at the Nodaway Diner during a campaign stop, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, in Greenfield, Iowa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(AP) ? Iowa's GOP presidential contest remains deeply unsettled, if not downright strange, five days before the Jan. 3 caucus.

Rep. Ron Paul, drawing big crowds, got a surprise endorsement Wednesday night from Rep. Michele Bachmann's now-former state chairman. Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who has languished for months, suddenly seems to have momentum, just as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich may be losing his.

And Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who began the campaign by de-emphasizing Iowa, might be poised to finish on top. He's striking an optimistic tone in the final days of the Iowa campaign.

"The spirit of enterprise, innovation, pioneering and can-do propelled our standard of living and economy past that of any other nation on earth," Romney says in a new ad he rolled out Thursday. "And in the campaign to come, the American ideals of economic freedom and opportunity need a clear and unapologetic defense. And I intend to make it because I have lived it."

His allies, too, are keeping the heat on his opponents.

The Restore Our Future super PAC, made up of Romney allies, rolled out a new ad that asks "Haven't we had enough mistakes?" and notes all the times when Newt Gingrich has said he had a lapse in judgment or acknowledged errors.

It's part of an unabashed push by Romney in Iowa as his rivals scramble to deny him huge momentum heading into the Jan. 10 primary in New Hampshire, his second home.

Paul, the 76-year-old libertarian-leaning Texan, drew about 500 people at the Iowa State fairgrounds in Ames late Wednesday. A group of Occupy activists tried to interrupt the rally, but that wasn't the main surprise.

State Sen. Kent Sorenson, who had campaigned a few hours earlier with Bachmann as a state chairman of her bid, announced he would support Paul instead.

Paul's anti-government appeal appears to tap into the desire of a frustrated electorate for profound change in an era of high unemployment and an economy that has only slowly recovered from the recession.

"In the last couple of weeks I fell into Ron Paul's camp," said Bob Colby, of Newton, who spent 21 years in the military and is a former employee of a now-shuttered Maytag plant in town.

Paul, who is airing TV ads hitting Romney and Gingrich, planned a town hall meeting Thursday in Perry, Iowa, plus stops in Atlantic and Council Bluffs.

There were other odd campaign notes Wednesday.

Two politically active pastors in Iowa's robust evangelical conservative movement disclosed an effort to persuade either Santorum or Bachmann to quit the race and endorse the other. "Otherwise, like-minded people will be divided and water down their impact," said Rev. Cary Gordon, a Sioux City minister and a leader among Iowa's social conservatives.

Neither candidate appeared interested.

Meanwhile, an ever more confident Romney scheduled stops Thursday in Cedar Falls, Mason City and Ames. He has air support: TV ads say he has the best chance to beat President Barack Obama in November.

Asked Wednesday about the prospects for back-to-back victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, Romney demurred. "I can't possibly allow myself to think in such optimistic terms," he said. "I just have to put my head down and battle as best I can."

Santorum seems to be gaining steam, according to a Time-CNN survey and some private polls. "We're very, very happy with the new numbers," he told reporters in Dubuque.

Acknowledging widespread voter anger in an age of high unemployment, Santorum told an audience Wednesday: "If you want to stick it to the man, don't vote for Ron Paul. That's not sticking it to anybody but the Republican Party."

Santorum, who planned events Thursday in the eastern Iowa towns of Coralville, Wilton, Muscatine and Davenport, says he believes his improved showing reflects voters' belief that he "can be trusted" and that "we've got a record to back it up."

He said in an appearance on NBC's "Today" show Thursday that he's the only one in the Republican field who "has a track record" of winning elections in states, like Pennsylvania, where it was necessary for GOP candidates to attract independents and Democrats.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry adjusted his position on abortion for a second straight day, telling reporters he would allow abortion if a woman's life were at risk. On Tuesday, he had told a pastor that he had undergone a "transformation" on abortion rights and now opposed the procedure in cases of rape or incest after having recently met a woman who said she was conceived by a rape.

Asked if a mother's life was the only instance when he would allow abortion, he was concise as he boarded his bus Wednesday: "That's correct."

Perry planned events Thursday in Washington, Cedar Rapids and Marshalltown.

Gingrich, who has suffered under a barrage of TV attack ads, also took aim at Paul. "I'm very uncomfortable with the idea that the commander in chief would think it was irrelevant to have an Iranian nuclear weapon," he said Wednesday.

Gingrich planned events Thursday in Sioux City, Storm Lake, Denison and Carroll.

Bachmann took aim Wednesday at her two rivals from Texas. She said Perry has spent "27 years as a political insider," and Paul would be "dangerous as president" because of his hands-off views on national security.

Bachmann scheduled events Thursday in Des Moines, Marshalltown and Nevada, Iowa.

___

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont, Brian Bakst, David Espo, Philip Elliott, Beth Fouhy, Mike Glover, Kasie Hunt and Shannon McCaffrey contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-12-29-GOP%20Campaign/id-c135b92daba84e1b8f65300ee1edc73a

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NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26

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    Skylar Diggins #4 before the game (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Brittany Mallory #22 and Skylar Diggins #4 during the introductions (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Chelsea Coward #15 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Chelsea Coward #15 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Rianna Frazer #32 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Kayla McBride #23 guards Chelsea Coward #15 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Brittani Billups #5 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252008.jpg

    Chelsea Coward #15 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Chelsea Coward #15 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Crystal Smith #3 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Chelsea Coward #15 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252014.jpg

    Natalie Novosel #21 blocks Brittani Billups #5 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252015.jpg

    Rianna Frazer #32 is closely guarded (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252016.jpg

    (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252017.jpg

    Kaila Turner #15 and Muffet McGraw (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252018.jpg

    Heather Tobeck #24 looks for an opening past Kayla McBride #23 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252019.jpg

    Natalie Novosel #21 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252020.jpg

    Skylar Diggins #4 and Rianna Frazer #32 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252021.jpg

    Skylar Diggins #4 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Skylar Diggins #4 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Devereaux Peters #14 with a rebound (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Ariel Braker #44 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252026.jpg

    (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252027.jpg

    (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252028.jpg

    (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Markisha Wright #34 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

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    Ariel Braker #44 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252031.jpg

    Whitney Holloway #3 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252032.jpg

    Markisha Wright #34 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252033.jpg

    Whitney Holloway #3 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252034.jpg
  • dkopp%2520nd%2520v%2520longwood%252035.jpg

    Longwood Head Coach Bill Reinson had a long day (NCAA Women's Basketball: Notre Dame 92 vs. Longwood 26, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, December 28, 2011)

  • Source: http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/bb/wc-bb/gal-wc-bb/ncaa-womens-basketball-notre-dame-92-vs-longwood-2.shtml?50515

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    Friday, December 30, 2011

    Israel okays 130 homes in east Jerusalem: official

    OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Occupied Jerusalem municipality on Wednesday approved plans for another 130 housing units in Gilo, a settlement neighborhood in the annexed eastern sector of the Holy City, a city councilor told AFP.

    Pepe Alalu of the left-wing Meretz party said the district planning committee had given the green light to a project to build 130 homes in three 12-storey tower blocks on the northeastern outskirts of Gilo which lies just a few kilometers north of Bethlehem.

    Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Dec-28/158166-israel-okays-130-homes-in-east-jerusalem-official.ashx

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    Weekly US oil and gas rig count down by 1 (AP)

    HOUSTON ? The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. decreased by one this week to 2,007.

    Houston-based drilling product provider Baker Hughes Inc. reported Thursday that 1,193 rigs were exploring for oil and 809 for natural gas. Five were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago this week Baker Hughes reported 1,694 active rigs.

    Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Pennsylvania added four rigs and Louisiana, New Mexico, North Dakota and West Virginia each added one.

    Arkansas declined by four rigs, Texas lost three and Alaska and Oklahoma each dropped one. California, Colorado and Wyoming were unchanged.

    The rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. A low of 488 was recorded in 1999.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_bi_ge/us_rig_count

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    Thursday, December 29, 2011

    Video: Rating Regulations & Rule-Making Process

    For the most part the rule making activities are pretty successful, says John Taft, Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) chairman/RBC U.S. Wealth Management CEO. Taft continues to add that regulators are listening more and workin...

    Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45795105/

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    verybestsites: Best Sporting News Sites - As football season arrives, a lot of people are discussing... http://t.co/XULnAZiK #blog #car #cnn #espn #flare

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    Wednesday, December 28, 2011

    Supervisors adopt county energy policy

    Glenn County supervisors adopted an energy usage and sustainability policy for county departments last week that will curb their natural gas and electricity consumption.

    Planning and Public Works Director John Linhart said the policy is the direct result of working groups studying the issue to find "common sense'' solutions.

    Linhart said each department will be encouraged to follow the new measures, and it will be up to the department heads to enforce the policy.

    "We don't want to force them on departments," he added.

    The policy will be in effect for a year and then be reviewed by the board, Linhart said.

    Some departments have already started using their own energy efficiency policies, he said.

    A few of the mandates include setting thermostats no lower than 75 degrees for airconditioners and no higher than 68 degrees for heating.

    Closing all exterior doors and windows to avoid energy loss, except when the climate allows, and to open or close window coverings to utilize or block the sun's rays.

    Other options include only having lights on when necessary, shutting personal computers and monitors off at night, printing double-sided for all nonofficial documents and so on.

    Supervisor Leigh McDaniel said the county is getting away from simply recycling to adding energy efficiency to its internal operations.

    However, he wants to bring a broader policy back for the county as a region, McDaniel said.

    The fact Glenn County is working with KVB, Inc. on its proposed waste conversion facility near Hamilton City and the board just approved a solar power generation facility near Thunderhill Raceway indicates it is heading in the right direction, he said.

    A Green Policy Committee consisting of one Glenn County supervisor and representatives of all departments is to meet quarterly for the term the policy is in effect, county officials said.

    Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com.

    Source: http://www.orland-press-register.com/news/county-8496-policy-energy.html

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    Saturday, December 24, 2011

    fanfeedr: Fanfeedr?s MLB Top 10 Stories Of 2011 | Fall of Braun, Verlander Dominance, Historic Collapses & more http://t.co/8Jdm8GSg #baseball

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    Autodesk Inventor Helps Bring Greater Energy Efficiency for Building Retrofits

    Green Structures Speeds Development of Innovative Heat Recovery System

    SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) has named UK-based Green Structures as Autodesk Inventor of the Month for December 2011, citing the company?s use of Autodesk Inventor software and a range of other Autodesk Digital Prototyping technology in transforming the way energy systems are planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated within the built environment.

    ?With access to the same professional tools as some of the United Kingdom?s largest manufacturers, we can further strengthen the quality and professionalism of our design process.?

    As a member of the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program ? an initiative that provides Autodesk Digital Prototyping software to emerging and established clean tech companies for a small fee ? Green Structures has rapidly created award-winning energy efficiency systems, particularly in the areas known as passive heat recovery ventilation and thermal energy storage.

    The firm?s latest innovation, a heat recovery ventilation system called Ventive, works with existing chimneys to channel air and heat. This system contrasts with current mechanical heat recovery ventilation systems, which require that complex ductwork be installed throughout an entire building. Ventive can be installed in less than 30 minutes, providing a far faster and less expensive alternative for retrofitting buildings with the latest green technologies.

    With help from the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program, Green Structures was able to upgrade its design capabilities to include Autodesk Inventor, as well as Autodesk Ecotect Analysis software, Autodesk Simulation Multiphysics software and Autodesk Revit Architecture software. Access to Autodesk Digital Prototyping technology provided a more controlled environment to test designs, helping to make the design process less costly, faster and with less guesswork.

    ?The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program provides us with world-class software,? said Thomas Lipinski, founder, managing director and CTO of Green Structures. ?With access to the same professional tools as some of the United Kingdom?s largest manufacturers, we can further strengthen the quality and professionalism of our design process.?

    Digital Prototyping Saves Time and Money

    By using Autodesk Digital Prototyping software, Green Structures can better accelerate the prototyping process for its Ventive heat recovery ventilation system. The company used Autodesk Simulation software, for example, to run wind tunnel tests and heat transfer modeling, before carrying out appropriate redesigns. Since wind tunnel simulations in a professional facility cost approximately $1,550 (?1,000) per day, Green Structures significantly reduced the costs of fine-tuning its product by performing these tests digitally. Autodesk reseller, Envisage, helped provide training and support to enable Green Structures to more quickly implement Autodesk Digital Prototyping software in the design process.

    ?Autodesk Digital Prototyping technology is helping Green Structures save time and money as it brings its products to the marketplace,? said Robert ?Buzz? Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. ?By gaining key insights before anything has been built, the company can more effectively validate and optimize its innovative clean tech solutions.?

    About the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program

    Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the users of Autodesk Inventor software, which takes manufacturers beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and groundbreaking innovation. For more information about the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program, contact us at IOM@autodesk.com.

    About the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program

    The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports the efforts, innovations and environmental advancements of clean technology pioneers, providing world-class software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas through Digital Prototyping. Clean tech companies in North America, Europe and Japan are invited to apply to receive up to $150,000* worth of software for only $50. Access to a collection of Autodesk industry-leading software includes up to five licenses of Autodesk Product Design Suite?Ultimate, AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite, Autodesk Simulation Mechanical, Autodesk Inventor Publisher and Autodesk Vault?Professional software. Get more information.

    About Green Structures

    Green Structures is a UK-based clean technology company working within the built environment to develop commercially attractive low carbon building solutions. For additional information, visit www.greenstructures.co.uk.

    About Envisage

    Envisage is a UK-based Autodesk reseller that supplies complete 2D and 3D CAD/CAM systems including hardware, networking and bespoke programming. For additional information, visit http://www.envisageuk.com.

    About Autodesk

    Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries -- including the last 16 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

    *Value is based on a package of up to five commercial licenses of each application.

    Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Ecotect, Inventor and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

    ? 2011 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Photos/Multimedia?Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50114497&lang=en

    Source: http://feeds.businesswire.com/click.phdo?i=80ec373f4edd838ec556fa6096d3d873

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    Friday, December 23, 2011

    Fox News? Alyson Camerota: President Obama Told Truth About Politifact?s ?Lie Of The Year?

    video

    On Fox News?s America Live, Alysin Camerota spoke with Rich Lowry and Christopher Hahn about Politifact?s Lie of The Year, the claim that ?Republicans voted to end Medicare?, which Mediaite?s own Tommy Christopher says is actually not a lie at all.

    RELATED: Politifact Editor Lies While Unveiling ?Lie Of The Year? That Republicans Voted To End Medicare

    Lowry said while he questioned the objectivity of the website, he thought they were right on their claim.

    ?I don?t put a lot of stock in the fact checking outfits,? Lowry said. ?I don?t think they?re as objective as they claim to be. In this case, I think they?re absolutely right, it was an obvious and blatant lie. What is Medicare? It?s guaranteed insurance for elderly people. There still would be guaranteed insurance for elderly people under the Ryan plan. It?s just the delivery of the benefit would change, but you?d still have Medicare, elderly people would still have health insurance. So this was a blatant, hideous lie but all the shrieking on the left shows you how desparate they are not to give this lie up because it?s so important politically.?

    ?Medicare wouldn?t end but Medicare as we know it sure would,? Hahn countered. ?And that?s the difference between this being a lie and being a fact and that was pointed out in the article on Politifact.?

    ?Bottom line is this,? Hahn added. ?(It) would be replaced by a voucher system that would not necessarily go up with the cost of Medicare, of health care going up. It would be tied to general inflation, but not medical inflation which has been substantially higher, and would go even higher on this plan. Basically, what the Ryan plan was was a giveaway to insurance companies at the expense of senior citizens.?

    Camerota pointed out that Politifact had noted that President Obama had spoken truthfully about the Ryan plan.

    ?One Democrat who they thought was accurate and truthful was President Obama when he talked about the paul ryan plan for medicare. Let?s play this, of the one that they said was accurate.?

    Watch Fox News point out President Obama?s accuracy in reporting the Paul Ryan plan below:

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    Source: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-news-alyson-camerota-president-obama-told-truth-about-politifacts-lie-of-the-year/

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    Wednesday, December 7, 2011

    Ireland details new budget cuts to welfare, health

    (AP) ? Ireland unveiled new spending cuts Monday that will reduce civil servants' pay, increase waiting times for medical services, and lower monthly payments to parents with large families.

    Ireland's minister for expenditure and reform, Brendan Howlin, said the government had no choice but to impose euro1.4 billion ($1.9 billion) in spending cuts to health, welfare and other state-funded services as part of Ireland's commitments under terms of its year-old international bailout. The figure represents 2.7 percent of current government spending.

    "No government, whatever its numbers, wants to be the bearer of bad news. But our options are extremely limited. The public knows this," Howlin told lawmakers as he spelled out the first half of Ireland's fourth austerity budget in four years. The second half, detailing euro1.6 billion ($2.15 billion) in tax increases, is coming Tuesday.

    Ireland last year was forced to negotiate a euro67.5 billion ($92 billion) line of foreign credit after the cost of its bank-bailout program overwhelmed state finances. The EU-IMF loan package is designed to keep Ireland funded through 2013 as the country merges and revives its debt-crippled banks. But as part of that deal, Ireland has promised to reduce its deficit to the eurozone limit of 3 percent of GDP by 2015 through four more years of austerity.

    Ireland is planning euro3.8 billion ($5.1 billion) in total 2012 cuts and tax hikes in the hope of shrinking next year's deficit to 8.6 percent of GDP. Its 2010 deficit surged to a modern European record of 32 percent, reflecting exceptional bank-rescue costs.

    Howlin said the government hoped to reduce this year's total spending of euro57.7 billion to euro55.8 billion next year, euro54 billion in 2013 and euro52 billion in 2014.

    He said next year's cuts would reduce health costs by euro543 million, welfare benefits by euro475 million, and education by euro132 million. Civil servants in all three areas would see their numbers, overtime and expenses curtailed, saving euro400 million.

    The welfare system currently accounts for 40 percent of the government's total spending, health care 27 percent, and education 17 percent.

    Howlin cut welfare much less than expected, based on previous government plans, reflecting the involvement of the left-wing Labor Party in Ireland's 9-month-old coalition government.

    He said parents with three or more children would see their monthly child payments shrink. But against expectations, he kept the euro140 monthly payment intact for first and second children.

    On education, Howlin said the fee that students must pay annually to attend state-funded universities would rise euro250 to euro2,250, generating an extra euro18.5 million.

    As part of each department's cuts, he said the 2012 civil service payroll would fall by euro400 million through 6,000 layoffs and reduced pay for overtime and expenses. Ireland's unemployment is currently 14.5 percent, near an 18-year high.

    ___

    Online:

    Ireland's austerity plans, http://budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2012/2012.aspx

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-05-EU-Ireland-Financial-Crisis/id-e9c1fd316bd44a5bbe6c2b35eb264882

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    Tuesday, December 6, 2011

    'Grim new precedent': Dozens killed at Afghan shrine

    Twin blasts at Afghan shrines on a Shiite holy day have killed dozens. ITN's Paul Davies reports.

    By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services

    Summary: A suicide bomber attacked a Shiite Muslim shrine in central Kabul, where a crowd of hundreds had gathered Tuesday for the festival of Ashoura, killing at least?55 people and injuring dozens more in an unprecedented sectarian attack.

    NBC News reported that a Pakistan-based militant?group?claimed responsibility for the attack.

    The attacker blew himself up in the midst of a crowd of men, women and children. The mosque had been packed with worshippers and many who could not fit inside were?outside the building.


    The blast came shortly after a bicycle bomb?near a mosque in the?northern city of?Mazar-i-Sharif killed at least four people and wounded 21.?Another?bomb in a motorcycle exploded in the southern city of Kandahar on Tuesday afternoon, injuring six people.

    Afghanistan has a history of tension and violence between Sunnis and the Shiite minority, but while such attacks have become commonplace in neighboring Pakistan and parts of the Middle East such as Iraq, they have not occurred in Afghanistan.

    "Afghanistan has been at war for 30 years and terrible things have happened, but one of the things that Afghans have been spared generally has been what appears to be this kind of very targeted sectarian attack," Kate Clark, from the Afghanistan Analysts Network, told?Reuters.?"We don't know who planted the bomb yet and it is dangerous to jump to conclusions but if it was Taliban, it marks something really serious, and dangerous, and very troubling."?

    Updated at 10:40 a.m. ET: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, a Pakistan-based militant organization, has claimed responsibility for the Kabul suicide attack. In a call to NBC News,?someone who claimed to be a spokesman for the group?said they had succeeded in their mission to attack Shiites. "It is the first time that?someone outside of Afghanistan has claimed responsibility for?a?attack in the country," NBC News' Mushtaq Yusufzai said.

    Three coordinated suicide bombings across Afghanistan have killed at least 58 people, making the attacks the worst on civilians there in more than a decade.? NBC's Atia Abawi reports.

    Updated at 8:50 a.m. ET:? The Ministry of Interior said 55 were killed in Kabul?? including two women and four children. Sayed Kabir Amiri, who is in charge of Kabul hospitals, told the Associated Press that more than 160 were wounded in the blast. Police confirm that a second bomb was defused in Mazar-i-Sharif near the one that blew up.

    Updated at?7:05 a.m. ET: A Taliban spokesman tells Reuters that the group did not carry out the Kabul or Mazar-i-Sharif attacks.

    "People were killed by the enemy's un-Islamic and inhuman activity," Zabihullah Mujahid?writes in an emailed statement. He?adds that the?Taliban "strongly condemns such a cruel, indiscriminate and un-Islamic attack."

    Updated at 6:30 a.m. ET: Gareth Price,?a senior research fellow at?London-based?think tank Chatham House, says the?attacks may have come now because Afghan and Western forces aren't the easy targets they once were.

    "Shia shrines are a softer target than foreign troops or the Afghan army," he tells msnbc.com.

    However,?discrimination against?Shiites?--? and in particular the largely Shiite Hazaras --? has deep roots in Afghan history. "All the groups pick on the Hazaras," Price says.

    Updated at 6:25 a.m. ET: Citing an official with Afghanistan's health ministry, NBC News reports that the Kabul shrine blast killed 54 people and injured 150 others.

    Updated at 5:55 a.m. ET: Afghan officials tell The Associated Press that the death toll in Kabul?suicide bombing has reached 48.?Mohammed Zahir, chief of the Kabul Criminal Investigation Department, adds that more than 100 people were wounded.

    Updated at 5:15 a.m. ET: "The shrine's loudspeaker continued to blast a recitation of the Quran as ambulances carried bodies and wounded away," The Associated Press reports.?It adds that the Abul Fazl shrine is located close to the palace where President Hamid?Karzai lives.?Its blue minaret is one of Kabul's better known landmarks.??

    S. Sabawoon / EPA

    A body is covered at the scene of an attack near a shrine in Kabul, Afghanistan.

    Updated at 4:55 a.m. ET:?Britain's Telegraph newspaper reportsthat?"Shiites were banned from marking Ashoura in public under the Taliban who ruled Afghanistan until 2001. This year, there are more Ashoura monuments around the city than usual including black shrines and flags."

    Updated at 4:35 a.m. ET: Jonathan Boone (@jon_boone), a Kabul-based correspondent for The Guardian, tweetsquoting US General John Allen as describing the attack as "the latest example of the insurgents' blatant disregard for human life."

    Updated at 4:25 a.m. ET:? Mohammad Bakir Shaikzada, the top Shiite cleric in Kabul, says that Shiites haven't been attacked in decades in Afghanistan.?"This is a crime against Muslims during the holy day of Ashoura. We Muslims will never forget these attacks. It is the enemy of the Muslims who are carrying them out," he said. He says he does not know who could have carried out such an attack.

    Updated at 4:15 a.m. ET: Afghan President Hamid Karzai says it is first time that "terrorism" of this kind has occurred in the country on such a religious day, Reuters reports.

    Updated at 4:10 a.m. ET:?Ahmad Shuja (@ahmadshuja),?director of Foundation for Afghanistan, tweets: "My hunch: Today's attacks WON'T, per se, touch off chain of sectarian violence. No Shiite group organized enough or duly experienced."

    Updated at 4:00 a.m ET: NBC News cites a health official as saying that at least 50 people were injured in the Kabul blast.

    Updated at 3.55 a.m. ET: Mohammad Zahir, head of Kabul's Criminal Investigation Department,?tells Reuters?that he?counted up to 20 bodies at a Kabul hospital, and expected the toll to rise following the explosion at a Shiite shrine in the Afghan capital. A?second attack near the main mosque in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif?killed four people and injured 17 others.

    Reuters journalists Mirwais Harooni and?Emma Graham-Harrison?point out that although "Afghanistan has a history of tension and violence between Sunnis and the Shiite minority ... since the fall of the Taliban the country had been spared the large-scale sectarian attacks that have troubled neighboring Pakistan. The noon bomb in a riverside shrine, in the heart of old Kabul, appears to set a grim new precedent."

    Updated at 3:47 a.m. ET:?At least?34 people were killed on Tuesday after blasts hit Shiite shrines in Afghanistan during the festival of Ashoura,Al Jazeera English reports citing local media reports and police.

    Published at 3:30 a.m. ET: A blast at a shrine in Afghanistan's capital during the Shiite festival of Ashoura killed up to 24 people Tuesday, according to reports.

    Meanwhile, four others were killed in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif when a bomb on bicycle exploded, Reuters said. The victims included a soldier.

    The Kabul explosion was caused by a suicide bomber, Al Jazeera reported. It put the death toll at 24.

    However, Hashmatullah Stanekzai, a spokesman for Kabul police, told the Associated Press that it wasn't clear if the explosives were planted in the shrine or if a suicide bomber was behind the attack.

    The AP reported that at least 15 had been killed in the attack on the shrine, where worshippers were gathering for Ashoura, the Shiite Muslim holiday marking the death of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

    NBC News, msnbc.com staff, the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

    Read more content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

    Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/06/9240718-worshippers-killed-as-blast-hits-afghan-shrine

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    Ron Paul Slams Trump, Joins Huntsman In Sitting ... - Business Insider

    Ron Paul will join Jon Huntsman in boycotting the Dec. 27 Newsmax Republican presidential debate featuring Donald Trump as a moderator, saying in a statement that the reality television star's participation is "beneath the office of the Presidency."

    Paul also took issue with Trump's last minute cancellation of an appearance at the Republican Party of Iowa's?Lincoln Day Dinner last spring, forcing the cancellation of the entire event.

    A Huntsman spokesman said on Friday that "We look forward to watching Mitt and Newt suck-up to The Donald?with a big bowl of popcorn."

    GOP front-runner Newt Gingrich accepted an invitation to the debate on Saturday, his spokesman R.C. Hammond tweeted.?POLITICO's Maggie Haberman captured Gingrich's own explanation for participating in the debate:

    ?

    "How could you turn down The Donald??I would want to go just for the entertainment value," he added, noting he's meeting with Trump on Monday in Manhattan. But he quickly added, "Trump is a unique American character...it'd be like if Bill Gates called (asking for a debate presence)."

    Here's the statement from the Paul campaign rejecting the invitation:

    ?The Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee rejects the selection of Donald Trump as moderator for the Republican presidential debate to be held on December 27th?in Iowa.?

    ?We have conferred with our Iowa campaign chairman Drew Ivers and vice-chairmen David Fischer and A.J. Spiker who are all RPI State Central Committee Members, and they concur with this decision.

    ?The selection of a reality television personality to host a presidential debate that voters nationwide will be watching is beneath the office of the Presidency and flies in the face of that office?s history and dignity.? Mr. Trump?s participation as moderator will distract from questions and answers concerning important issues such as the national economy, crushing federal government debt, the role of the federal government, foreign policy, and the like.? To be sure, Mr. Trump?s participation will contribute to an unwanted circus-like atmosphere.

    ?Mr. Trump?s selection is also wildly inappropriate because of his record of toying with the serious decision of whether to compete for our nation?s highest office, a decision he appeared to make frivolously.? The short-lived elevation of Mr. Trump?s stature as a candidate put him on the radar of many organizations and we recall that last spring he was invited to keynote the Republican Party of Iowa?s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, yet at the last minute he left RPI holding the bag by canceling.? In turn, RPI canceled its biggest fundraising gala of the year and suffered embarrassment and in addition RPI was required to engage in refunding measures.? Our candidate will not even consider participating in the late-December debate until Mr. Trump publicly apologizes to Iowa party leaders and rectifies in full the situation.

    ?Therefore our candidate Ron Paul, the champion of the Constitution, has advised he will not attend.?

    Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/ron-paul-slams-trump-joins-huntsman-in-sitting-out-circus-like-debate-2011-12

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    Monday, December 5, 2011

    Iran calls for calm in crisis with Britain (Reuters)

    TEHRAN (Reuters) ? Iran called on the West to avoid a deepening diplomatic crisis following the storming of the British embassy in Tehran, saying it was an issue between Tehran and London alone, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

    Britain closed its embassy after Tuesday's incursion by hardline youths and expelled all Iranian diplomats from London. The fallout for Tehran spread when several other countries recalled their envoys, including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

    France was also bringing some of its diplomats and their families home from Tehran to ensure their safety, a French foreign ministry spokesman said on Saturday. The move was temporary.

    "The British government is trying to extend to other European countries the problem between the two of us," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was reported as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.

    "But of course we have told European countries not to subject their ties with us to the kind of problems that existed between Iran and Britain."

    Western nations on Thursday significantly tightened sanctions against Iran, with the European Union expanding an Iranian blacklist and the U.S. Senate passing a measure that could severely disrupt Iran's oil income.

    Iranian diplomats expelled from London arrived home on Saturday to supporters bearing flowers and chanting "Death to England."

    "Spy embassy closed for good," read one of the many placards carried by the crowd of some 100 men and women, at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport, most of whom appeared to be members of the hardline Basij militia.

    With swift condemnation from around the world, the embassy storming risks further isolating Iran, which is already under several rounds of sanctions.

    The incident followed accusations from Washington of an Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador and a report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog suggesting Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons.

    The United States and Israel have not ruled out military strikes if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear dispute. Some Israeli leaders have again started to contemplate the idea of military action to prevent Tehran from making bombs.

    POLITICAL RIFT

    Mixed signals from Tehran over the attack have drawn attention to the deepening political rift within the Iranian leadership, a split created after Iran's disputed 2009 presidential vote.

    Iran's foreign ministry immediately apologized for the storming of the embassy, but some hardline rivals of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised it, attributing it to a spontaneous outburst by hardline students in reaction to Britain's "historically hostile Iran policy."

    Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on state matters, and Ahmadinejad have remained silent, a sign of the unease within the clerical establishment over the crisis.

    But in remarks reported on Saturday, Ahmadinejad said Iran would not yield to pressures.

    "We will stick to our revolution's principles and values with all our power even if the entire world rise up against us," he told a group of clerics, his official website President.ir reported.

    Hardline cleric Ahmad Khatami, one of four Tehran Friday prayer leaders appointed by Khamenei, condemned the embassy storming.

    "I say this explicitly, that I am opposed to attacks on and occupations of foreign embassies in the Islamic Republic," the students news agency ISNA on Saturday quoted Khatami as saying.

    "The attack by the students will lead to a feeling of insecurity among foreign diplomats in Iran," he said.

    The protesters stormed two British diplomatic compounds, smashing windows, setting fire to a car and burning the British flag in protest against new sanctions imposed by London.

    Analysts say the closure of the embassies, by cutting off the channel of communication, will complicate finding a diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute.

    "The end of talks with major powers means confrontation and military strikes against Iran. This scenario scares the Iranian regime," said one analyst, who asked not to be named.

    Analysts say Iranian authorities are concerned about a military strike against their nuclear facilities as well as a revival of anti-government street protests that followed the 2009 vote, which the opposition says was rigged to secure Ahmadinejad's re-election.

    "Sanctions are hurting the people and might force them to take to streets to vent their anger over the economy," said analyst Hamid Farahvashi.

    "Some Iranian hawks favor a military strike that will reinforce their strength ... But wiser rulers want to preserve the system through an easing of the tension."

    (Additional reporting by Sanam Shantyaei, Hashem Kalantari and Robin Pomeroy; Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Rosalind Russell and Alessandra Rizzo)

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111203/wl_nm/us_iran_britain

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    Saturday, December 3, 2011

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