Occupy LA, Philly prepare for evictions

David Mcnew/Reuters

A man packs his personal belongings next to his tent Saturday in anticipation of a police raid to evict the Occupy LA encampment outside City Hall in Los Angeles. The deadline to vacate is 12:01 a.m. PST Monday.

By msnbc.com staff and wire reports

Anti-Wall Street protesters appear to be taking few steps to vacate their Occupy encampments in Philadelphia and Los Angeles despite fast-approaching deadlines to move out.

Few broke down tents at the Occupy LA spread Saturday on the City Hall lawn ? and most said they didn't intend to.

Protesters were abuzz with activity, but nearly all of it was aimed at how to deal with authorities come Monday's 12:01 a.m. PST deadline.

Some handed out signs mocked up to look like the city's notices to vacate, advertising a Monday morning "eviction block party."

Dozens attended a teach-in on resistance tactics, including how stay safe in the face of rubber bullets, tear gas canisters and pepper spray.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on Friday that despite his sympathy for the protesters' cause, it was time for the camp of nearly 500 tents to leave for the sake of public health and safety.

The mayor said the movement is at a "crossroads," and it must "move from holding a particular patch of park to spreading the message of economic justice."

Resist or move?
Will Picard, who sat Saturday in a tent amid his artwork with a "notice of eviction" sign posted outside, said the main organizers and most occupiers he knows intend to stay.

"Their plan is to resist the closure of this encampment and if that means getting arrested so be it," Picard said. "I think they just want to make the police tear it down rather than tear it down themselves."

But some agreed with the mayor that the protest had run its course.

"I'm going," said Luke Hagerman, who sat looking sad and resigned in the tent he's stayed in for a month. "I wish we could have got more done."

Police gave few specifics about what tactics they would use for those who had no intention of leaving.

Chief Charlie Beck said at Friday's news conference that officers would definitely not be sweeping through the camp and arresting everyone just after midnight.

But in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Sunday, Beck said that despite the lack of confrontations in the camp's two-month run, he was realistic about what must happen.

"I have no illusions that everybody is going to leave," Beck told the Times. "We anticipate that we will have to make arrests."

But he added, "We certainly will not be the first ones to apply force."

New focus in Philly
In Philadelphia, The New York Times reported, Saturday looked nothing like a moving day despite Mayor Michael A. Nutter?s notice that protesters must leave the steps of City Hall by 5 p.m. Sunday.

The mayor said they could move across the street to Thomas Paine Plaza, but no more tents or overnight stays, NBC Philadelphia reported.

?I'm not going to try to predict what?s going to happen on Sunday at 5 p.m,? Nutter said at a Friday interview.

Protesters told the Times that the deadline had focused the local movement?s otherwise disorganized energies.

?Having this kind of pressure is a good thing,? Michael Pierce, 50, a member of Occupy Philadelphia?s information working group, said. ?Without some of the struggles that the other cities have had, we?ve been sitting around, drinking coffee,? Mr. Pierce said. ?This is bringing us back together.?

Police have swept tent cities in Portland, Ore., Oakland, Calif., New York City, Denver and Salt Lake City.

In other developments Saturday:

• Occupy Salem, Ore., organizers said they will take their protests to Marion Square Park for daytime demonstrations after being ordered to remove all tents, waste, portable toilets and other structures from Willson Park, near the state Capitol.
• In New York, Occupy Wall Street organizers said they plan to outside the Egyptian Embassy on Tuesday in solidarity with protesters in Cairo?s Tahrir Square.
• An 18-year-old University of South Dakota freshman reported missing earlier this week turned up in New York after authorities traced a credit card purchase for bus tickets to the Big Apple. Protester Aaron Schmidt met up with his father and uncle in New York after spending two nights on a cardboard in Zuccotti Park.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/26/9042708-occupy-la-philly-prepare-for-evictions

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Sharp elbows: Shoppers scuffle on Black Thursday

Early bird shoppers watch a Harry Potter movie being shown on a giant screen outside the Best Buy store in Mayfield Hts., Ohio while waiting for the doors to open at midnight on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011. This weekend, many stores will for the first time use midnight openings along with the usual bevy of deals as they try to lure consumers, whose appetite for good-buys has been increasing since the Great Recession. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Early bird shoppers watch a Harry Potter movie being shown on a giant screen outside the Best Buy store in Mayfield Hts., Ohio while waiting for the doors to open at midnight on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011. This weekend, many stores will for the first time use midnight openings along with the usual bevy of deals as they try to lure consumers, whose appetite for good-buys has been increasing since the Great Recession. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

A customer rides an escalator while shopping in the Toys R Us in Times Square in New York on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011. This weekend, many stores will for the first time use midnight openings along with the usual bevy of deals as they try to lure consumers, whose appetite for good-buys has been increasing since the Great Recession. (AP Photo/Andrew Burton)

A customer pays for his purchases inside the Toys R Us in Times Square in New York on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011. The Toys R Us opened at 9PM offering special deals for holiday shoppers. (AP Photo/Andrew Burton)

A shopper walks to his car after purchasing a bike at Walmart in Butler Plaza on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, in Gainesville, Fla. Walmart opened stores on Thursday. (AP Photo/Matt Stamey, The Gainesville Sun)

Early bird shoppers wait in a long line to get into the midnight opening of an Old Navy store in Mayfield Hts., Ohio on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

A shopper in Los Angeles pepper-sprayed her competition for an Xbox and scuffles broke out elsewhere around the U.S. as bargain-hunters crowded stores in an earlier-than-usual start to the madness known as Black Friday.

For the first time, chains such as Target, Best Buy and Kohl's opened their doors at midnight on the most anticipated shopping day of the year. Toys R Us opened for the second straight year on Thanksgiving itself. And some shoppers arrived with sharp elbows.

Near Muskegon, Mich., a teenage girl was knocked down and stepped on several times after getting caught in the rush to a sale in the electronics department at a Walmart. She suffered minor injuries.

On Thanksgiving night, a Walmart in Los Angeles brought out a crate of discounted Xboxes, and as a crowd waited for the video game players to be unwrapped, a woman fired pepper spray at the other shoppers "in order to get an advantage," police said.

Ten people suffered cuts and bruises in the chaos, and 10 others had minor injuries from the spray, authorities said. The woman got away in the confusion, and it was not immediately clear whether she got an Xbox.

On Friday morning, police said, two women were injured and a man was charged after a fight broke out at an upstate New York Walmart. A man was arrested in a scuffle at a jewelry counter at a Walmart in Kissimmee, Fla.

Wal-Mart Stores, the nation's biggest retailer, has taken steps in recent years to control its Black Friday crowds following the 2008 death of one of its workers in a stampede of shoppers. This year, it staggered its door-buster deals instead of offering them all at once.

Wal-Mart spokesman Greg Rossiter said Black Friday was safe at most of its nearly 4,000 U.S., but there were "a few unfortunate incidents."

The incidents were attributed to two converging Black Friday trends: Crowds are getting bigger as stores open earlier and stay open later. At the same time, cash-strapped shoppers are competing for deals on a small number of gifts that everybody wants ? tablet computers, TVs and game consoles like Xbox, Nintendo 3S and Wii.

That's a shift from years past, when there was a wider range of must-have items.

"The more the people, the more the occurrences," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with market research firm The NPD Group.

A record number of shoppers are expected this weekend to take advantage of discounts of up to 70 percent. For three days starting on Black Friday, 152 million people are expected to shop, either online or in stores, an increase of about 10 percent from last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Thanksgiving weekend, particularly Black Friday, is huge for retailers. Over the past six years, Black Friday was the biggest sales day of the year, and it is expected to keep that crown this year, though shoppers seem to be procrastinating more every year, and the fate of the holiday season is increasingly coming down to the last few days before Christmas.

Last year, the Thanksgiving shopping weekend accounted for 12.1 percent of overall holiday sales, according to ShopperTrak, a research firm. Black Friday made up about half of that.

ShopperTrak is expected to release sales data on Saturday on how Black Friday fared, but a better picture will emerge when major retailers report their November sales figures next Thursday.

In addition to opening earlier than usual this year, some stores offered to match their competitors' prices, rolled out layaway programs or offered more door-buster deals than last year.

Emmanuel Merced and his brother showed up at a Best Buy in New York at 3 p.m. on Wednesday so they could be the first in line when it opened at midnight Thursday to grab a Sharp 42-inch TV for $199.99, a PlayStation 3 with games for $199.99 and wireless headphones for $30.

Merced said he likes camping out for Black Friday and figured he saved 50 percent.

"I like the experience of it," said Merced, who plans to spend $3,000 to $4,000 on gifts this season.

To be sure, not every place was full on Black Friday. With so many major stores opening at midnight, many people stayed up late and shopped early. Then there were those who stuck to their normal routine of going to stores that opened later Friday morning. That left a lull in the hours just before and after daybreak.

At a Target on Chicago's North Side, crowds were light four hours after the store opened at midnight. And door-buster deals, including the typically quick-to-sell-out TVs and game systems, remained piled up in their boxes. Shoppers pushed carts through mostly empty aisles while thumbing through circulars, and employees in Santa hats roamed the store. There was no Christmas music ? or any music ? playing.

Rebecca Carter, a graduate assistant, began Black Friday shopping at 11 p.m. on Thursday and left Target around 4 a.m. carrying a bag full of pillows. Carter said the crowds were noticeably lighter this year as she and a friend picked up a 32-inch TV for $180 and a laptop for $198, along with toys and pajamas.

"It's quiet," she said. "It was shocking."

Melody Snyder of Vancouver, Wash., had braced herself for anarchy when she got to Walmart at 6 a.m. but was pleasantly surprised when she pulled into the parking lot.

"I got here and thought, 'Where is everyone?'" said Snyder, who found some Barbies and other toys sold out but was still able to find gifts for her three kids.

___

Retail writers Mae Anderson and Anne D'Innocenzio are in New York. Sarah Skidmore in Vancouver, Wash., Christina Rexrode in Cary, N.C., Ashley Heher in Chicago and Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Fla., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-25-Black%20Friday/id-532849f6524a48ddad7f7fb206712eec

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Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: accessories

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season.

As any technophile will tell you, accessories make the getup when it comes to complementing your favorite gadgets. Whether you're decking out a smartphone, computer, tablet, gaming system or just looking for some good old-fashioned holiday kicks, we're here to help you pick from our favorite accessories of 2011. Jump past the break to find out which ones made the "Nice" list.

Continue reading Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: accessories

Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Germany's auction flop adds to European debt fears (AP)

BERLIN ? Germany failed to raise as much money as it hoped in its latest bond auction, in a surprising sign that Europe's biggest economy may not be immune from a debt crisis raging across the continent

A fresh warning that France risks losing its top-notch credit rating and more verbal jousting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the EU's top executive arm also fueled concerns that the bloc is losing the battle to contain a debt crisis that's already seen three countries bailed out and is threatening much-bigger economies like Italy and Spain.

However, it was the unexpected news that Germany, Europe's biggest economy and the linchpin of the bailouts, suffered one of its worst bond auctions ever that really caught the eye. The country's Financial Agency said its latest euro6 billion ($8.1 billion) auction of 10-year bonds met with only 60 percent demand.

German officials cited a record-low yield and the extraordinarily nervous market environment for the auction's failure, but investors took it as a warning sign that the crisis might even cause trouble to rock-solid Germany.

"If Germany can't sell bonds, what is the rest of Europe going to do?," asked Benjamin Reitzes, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets.

The auction result hit stocks hard, including in the U.S., and sent the euro sliding to seven-week dollar lows. By early evening, it was trading 1.2 percent lower on the day at $1.3354.

It also piled the pressure on Germany's bonds in the secondary markets, sending the yield on the country's benchmark ten-year bonds up a hefty 0.20 percentage point to 2.08 percent, its highest level since Oct. 28.

Germany, the world's fourth-largest economy, is seen as the 17-nation eurozone's most stable pillar and its borrowing rates have been driven down in recent months by high demand from investors seeking shelter from the sprawling debt crisis.

That may partly explain why it suffered what many in the markets are describing as a "failed auction" ? investors may be beginning to think twice about whether the returns on offer are appealing.

Offering only 1.98 percent, the auction's yield was the lowest-ever for Germany's ten-year bond. Germany offered an interest rate of up to 3.25 percent at previous auctions of 10-year-bonds this year.

Even so, analysts called the result worrying, though the German government stressed that its refinancing was not at risk. Having sold off only euro3.9 billion, the agency retained the remainder, to be sold off another day.

"The result does not represent any refinancing squeeze for the emitter," the agency said.

Though Germany is widely-lauded as a model for other eurozone economies, its debt burden is relatively high, by historical standards at about 81 percent of GDP, so it continually has to tap bond market investors for fresh funds. As a result, it won't want to get in the habit of having too many failed auctions.

One advantage Germany has over practically most European economies is that it's triple A credit rating is not at threat ? unlike France's. Though France has seen the yield on its ten-year bond rise in recent days to around 3.65 percent, way ahead of Germany's equivalent 2 percent, it's still much lower than the near 7 percent rates that have provoked such turmoil in Italy of late.

On Wednesday, Fitch warned that Europe's second biggest economy is at risk of losing its cherished top-grade if Europe's leaders fail to stop the debt crisis from worsening because a "further intensification" would result in a much sharper economic downturn in France and the European Union. Fitch's warning came two days after another rating agency, Moody's, delivered a similar message.

And there were few signs Wednesday that Europe's leaders were pointing in the same direction.

German Chancellor Merkel and the European Union's executive arm clashed openly on the need to issue common bonds uniting the 17 euro nations ? another sign that Europe is divided in dealing with its deepening debt crisis.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the head of the European Commission promoted the introduction of jointly issued eurobonds, coupled with stricter budgetary discipline, as the best way out of the debt crisis. Eurobonds, he said, "could bring tremendous benefits."

That's obviously not Merkel's view, who publicly poured cold water on the idea for the second day running ? calling the Commission's push "troubling" and "inappropriate."

She told lawmakers in Berlin that it was wrong to suggest that a "collectivization of the debt would allow us to overcome the currency union's structural flaws."

Germany has long opposed the use of eurobonds, instead calling on profligate member states to clean up their finances which would eventually enable them to borrow at lower rates again.

Proponents of eurobonds argue that they would immediately ease refinancing for weaker eurozone nations. For Germany, though, a pooling of its strength with the weaker members, would most likely to lead to higher borrowing costs.

Instead, Merkel reiterated her call for changes to the EU treaties to guarantee strict enforcement of fiscal and budgetary discipline as "a first step toward a fiscal union."

The easiest way for Europe to counter its debt problems would be for its economies to grow, automatically lowering its debt ratios and generating more revenues. But that hope was dashed yet again as a pair of indicators showed the bloc's economy as being in deep trouble.

The sense of an impending recession was evident in the findings of a closely watched survey from financial information company Markit. Its monthly survey showed that the eurozone contracted for the third month running in November and that the deteriorating economic picture is not just confined to debt-stressed countries such as Greece.

The survey suggests that the eurozone would contract at a quarterly rate of 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter and that the problems are increasingly spreading to Europe's two biggest economies, Germany and France, Markit said.

Further grim news emerged with a shock announcement that eurozone industrial orders collapsed by a massive 6.4 percent in September from the previous month.

Official figures last week showed that the eurozone only narrowly avoided contracting in the third quarter, growing by only 0.2 percent during the period.

___

Geir Moulson in Berlin, Raf Casert in Brussels and Greg Keller in Paris contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_germany_financial_crisis

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Checklist that helped save Apollo 13 on auction

DALLAS (AP) ? A checklist upon which Apollo 13 commander James Lovell made calculations that helped guide the damaged spacecraft home in 1970 will be offered for auction Nov. 30.

A Tuesday statement from Dallas-based Heritage Auctions says the item is part of a batch of U.S. space program artifacts being offered as part of a "Space Signature Auction."

Lovell used the checklist to move guidance data from the stricken Command/Service Module to the guidance system of the Lunar Excursion Module. The aim was to use the usually discarded lunar module's system to pilot the command module back to earth after it was crippled by a fuel cell explosion.

The Heritage statement says the checklist, now owned by Lovell, was expected to bring a winning bid exceeding $25,000.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-23-Apollo%2013%20Checklist/id-24400d7335ad42e580b083430cb616e6

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Doom 3 source code available now, gory customizations welcomed

Doom for everyone. It's not a particularly festive message, but as promised earlier this month, the Doom 3 source code is now out on a general public license. Programming types can meddle with the game's inner workings as wintery temperatures force them to huddle close to the warm hum of excessive gaming rigs. Doom dad John Carmack announced the release to his horde of Twitter followers, while doffing his cap to Timothee Besset, who helped sidestep some shadow rendering license issues that had dogged an earlier release. Peer into the source code at the link below, and know the true face of despair Doom.

Doom 3 source code available now, gory customizations welcomed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 06:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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11/22/63: A footnote (Powerlineblog)

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Italy's Monti gears up for key week of debt talks (AP)

ROME ? Italian Premier Mario Monti began on Monday what promises to be a whirlwind first week in office with a phone call with President Barack Obama and his first Cabinet meeting, during which he pledged speedy new measures to combat the country's debt crisis.

Monti's inaugural week will continue with meetings with key European officials to map out a strategy for combatting the debt crisis.

During a "cordial" phone call, Obama said he hoped to meet Monti soon and asked the premier to remain in close contact on the financial crisis and international issues, noting they both have forces in Libya, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Kosovo, Monti's office said in a statement. "President Obama expressed his full confidence in the premier, also in light of his recognized experience on the European and international stage, as well as the high competence of the members of the new government," the statement said.

Earlier Monday, during his first formal meeting with his ministers, Monti outlined the agenda and possible approaches to find efficient measures "to ensure the stability of the euro," according to a separate statement, which didn't provide details. He also briefed the ministers ? all experts including bankers, professors and business executives without previous governmental experience ? on procedures to agree "in the shortest possible period" on specific measures to present to Parliament.

The ministers approved a decree concerning the administrative functions of the capital Rome, as well as extending states of emergency for areas hit by recent flooding and measures to deal with an influx of illegal migrants.

Monti has pledged to reform the pension system, re-impose a tax on homes annulled by Berlusconi's government, fight tax evasion, streamline civil court proceedings, get more women and youths into the work force, and cut political costs.

While the deeper reforms will take more time, Monti has said the government would decide new austerity measures to address the crisis "in the coming weeks."

On Tuesday, Monti heads to Brussels for a first meeting with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy. On Thursday he is due to join German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy in Strasbourg for what Monti has said will be a permanent club of the eurozone's three largest economies to confront the debt crisis.

Monti is under enormous pressure to boost Italy's stagnant growth and bring down high debt, which at 120 percent of GDP is among the highest in the eurozone. This is not only to save Italy from succumbing to the debt crisis but to prevent a catastrophic disintegration of the common euro currency.

Monti was tapped last week to lead the country after Italy's spiraling financial crisis brought down media mogul Silvio Berlusconi's 3 1/2 year-old government. Monti's government of professors, bankers and business executives won back-to-back confidence votes in Parliament.

Yet debt worries continued to stalk the eurozone Monday, with Italy's 10-year bond yield up 0.09 percentage points at 6.64 percent while stocks were down 4.5 percent on the Milan stock index.

Europe has already bailed out three small countries ? Greece, Ireland and Portugal ? but the Italian economy, the third-largest in the 17-nation eurozone, is too big for Europe to rescue.

The European Central Bank has been buying up Italian government bonds in a bid to keep borrowing rates down. The ECB said Monday its purchases picked up last week to nearly euro8 billion ($10.8 billion), up from euro4.48 billion the previous week. The ECB doesn't break down what countries' bonds it buys, but traders say it focuses on Italy to keep the country's markets stable.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111121/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_financial_crisis

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Dispute simmers over Syracuse coach investigation

This Feb. 10, 2003 photo shows Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine during a game against the University of Connecticut, in Hartford, Conn. Fine was placed on administrative leave Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 after old child molesting allegations resurfaced, just two weeks after a child sex abuse scandal rocked Penn State. (AP Photo/The Post-Standard, Stephen D. Cannerelli) INTERNET OUT TV OUT MAGS OUT NO ARCHIVE

This Feb. 10, 2003 photo shows Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine during a game against the University of Connecticut, in Hartford, Conn. Fine was placed on administrative leave Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 after old child molesting allegations resurfaced, just two weeks after a child sex abuse scandal rocked Penn State. (AP Photo/The Post-Standard, Stephen D. Cannerelli) INTERNET OUT TV OUT MAGS OUT NO ARCHIVE

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) ? A prosecutor frustrated that police won't turn over records about a sexual abuse investigation into Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine now has a subpoena, but the dispute over the material won't be settled this week.

Attorneys for Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick and Mayor Stephanie Miner appeared Tuesday before state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Murphy, who ordered the proceeding sealed.

Fitzpatrick issued a subpoena for records from a police investigation into Fine in 2002, but Miner said the city police department won't turn over records in a "piecemeal" fashion to any entity, including the prosecutor. She said police first will conduct a thorough investigation.

Both sides are due back in Murphy's chambers next Tuesday.

Two former ball boys for the Syracuse basketball team say they were molested more than 25 years ago by Fine, who is on paid leave from the university. Fine has called the charges "patently false."

Fitzpatrick said that when the subpoena was delivered to police on Monday it was greeted with an obscenity.

"I've never seen this happen in my history with the DA's office," Fitzpatrick told The Post-Standard of Syracuse about the lack of police cooperation. But he added: "The records are going to be provided."

Fine, in his 36th season as an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, has asked for a quick review and expressed confidence he would be vindicated.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Domenic Trunfio said Tuesday that a full grand jury investigation will be conducted.

Fitzpatrick said he took the unusual step of getting a subpoena from a judge after police refused requests for information since Thursday, when ESPN first reported the allegations.

Miner released a statement Monday saying no information would be shared until police complete their investigation. Repeated attempts by The Associated Press to reach Miner for comment on Tuesday were not returned.

"The Syracuse Police Department will not be releasing information about the investigation to the media or any other entity in a piecemeal fashion," Miner said in her statement.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-22-Syracuse-Fine%20Investigation/id-4d9ee56907014d798b8b3ab6fbd335a8

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Milwaukee's Ryan Braun wins NL MVP (AP)

NEW YORK ? Milwaukee's Ryan Braun won the NL Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday after helping lead the Brewers to their first division title in nearly 30 years.

The left fielder received 20 of 32 first-place votes and 388 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

"I'm not going to pretend like I wasn't anxious or nervous because I was," said Braun, who was sitting on the balcony of his home in Malibu, Calif., when he received the call that he had won. "I was obviously thrilled, excited. It's honestly difficult to put into words how much this means to me.

Los Angeles center fielder Matt Kemp, who came close to winning the Triple Crown, received 10 first-place votes and finished second with 332 points. Braun's teammate Prince Fielder finished third with 229 points, and Arizona's Justin Upton finished fourth with 214 points. Fielder and Upton each received one first-place vote.

St. Louis' Albert Pujols finished fifth. It was the 11th straight year the three-time MVP was in the top 10 in balloting.

NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw was 12th in the voting a day after Detroit's Justin Verlander added the AL MVP to his Cy Young.

"I think he was the single most dominant player in baseball this year," Braun said of Verlander. "As a position player I'm biased to the fact that I think position players should be at the forefront of the award but if you honestly look at what he accomplished, how much he meant to that team and how dominant he truly was you cannot make any argument against him winning that award."

Braun led the NL with a .597 slugging percentage and had a chance to overtake Jose Reyes for the batting title on the last day of the season but finished second with a .332 average. The four-time All-Star had 33 homers, 111 RBIs, 109 runs scored and stole 33 bases as Milwaukee won a franchise-best 96 games. His 77 extra-base hits was tops in the league.

Kemp led the NL in homers with 39 and RBIs with 126 and was third in average (.324), but played for the NL West's third-place Dodgers. He also won a Gold Glove.

"Matt's one of the best players in the game. No question about it. The season he had will go down as one of the greatest in Dodgers history," said Braun, who grew up rooting for the Dodgers. "If he had won the MVP I certainly couldn't have argued with him winning. he had a phenomenal year."

While Braun and Kemp had similar statistics, Kemp was hindered by the Dodgers' 82-79 third-place finish in the NL West.

"Without a doubt I think it's a drastically different experience playing meaningful games down the stretch," Braun said.

The 28-year-old Braun is the first Brewers player to win the MVP award in the National League and first since Robin Yount won in 1989, when Milwaukee was in the AL East. Rollie Fingers (1981) and Yount in 1982 are the other Brewers to take home MVP honors.

"Robin's the greatest player in Milwaukee Brewers history so anytime you're mentioned alongside him it's a tremendous achievement," Braun said.

Braun signed a $105 million, five-year contract extension in April, linking him to the Brewers through 2020. He received a $100,000 bonus for winning the MVP.

"This team has been so loyal to me. They believed in me. They drafted me. They helped to develop me and there would be nothing more meaningful to me than to eventually win a world championship in Milwaukee," he said. "It would mean a lot more to me than if I went to a large-market team, big-market-team and won two or three championships."

The 2007 NL Rookie of the Year winner rewarded the club with his fourth straight season with more than 100 RBIs. He hit a three-run, go-ahead homer in the eighth inning on Sept. 23 to clinch the division title for Milwaukee.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbn_nl_mvp

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Rebecca Black?s viral monstrosity gets second life as Kohl?s Black Friday ad (Yahoo! News)

Black Friday is upon us and brave bargain hunters committed to fighting the crowds on the most epic?shopping day of the year will be arriving at stores earlier than ever. Some retailers are opening their doors as early as midnight to lure gift givers with super-low prices on everything you can imagine. Kohls is one such store, and could seemingly think of no better way to drum up support for its midnight madness than by linking it with one of the most berated pieces of music in recent memory:?Friday by Rebecca Black.

Viral videos become popular for one of two reasons: Either the video is so amazingly funny or jaw-dropping that it simply must be shared, or the content is so cringe-worthy that web-goers pass it along like some kind of ongoing prank on the human race. The music video for Rebecca Black's?Friday falls into the later of those categories, raking in over 7.5 million views, but producing almost 4 times as many "dislikes" as "likes" on?YouTube's video rating scale.

The subtle wittiness of teaming up Rebecca Black and Black Friday notwithstanding, this might not be the greatest marketing move in history. The short advertisement also seemingly advocates pushing others out of the way in search of the best deal, and even stealing from other customers' carts. Still, sleepy shoppers will undoubtedly be lining up at Kohls long before the doors swing open. We can only hope the retailer forgoes playing the actual song in its stores, or it will be a dark day indeed.

This article originally appeared on Tecca

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20111121/tc_yblog_technews/rebecca-blacks-viral-monstrosity-gets-second-life-as-kohls-black-friday-ad

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Painted bodies transformed into art in Venezuela (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela ? Artists used paint, ornaments and glitter to transform the human body into artwork at a festival in Venezuela, showing off designs that ranged from pure fantasy to indigenous myths.

The weekend's annual World Meeting of Body Art included body painting, tattoo art, performances and workshops. Fifty-two artists from 18 countries shared their creations at the gathering in Caracas, joining about 2,000 Venezuelans, organizers said.

Participants had their bodies painted in bright hues from orange to lime green. Vines appeared to wind down the shoulders of one woman, and a man posed as a statue with his skin painted to look like marble.

"The body is a canvas with infinite possibilities," Venezuelan artist Ivan Hernandez Rojas said. "I think it's fascinating that colors, clothing, makeup, masks, wigs, combs ... and accessories allow the human being to change from one identity to another."

The festival, which began Thursday and ended Sunday, included participants from various Latin American countries as well as others who traveled from the Japan, Luxembourg, Poland, South Africa, Australia, the United States and Austria, among other nations.

One presentation by Venezuelan David Aranguren and 11 other artists focused on the mythology of the country's Warao indigenous group, who live in the Orinoco River Delta. Actors' bodies were painted and adorned with leaves and feathers, and they played parts such as the wind and the "crocodile god."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111120/ap_en_ot/lt_venezuela_body_art_photo_pkg

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All I Want For Christmas Is You ?

Topic Tags:

Thinking about starting a roleplay, but don't have the idea completely finished? Post it here, not in the main OOC forum!

With the Holiday season coming up, and Christmas being my favorite time of the year, what better way to get into the spirit than a nice Holiday themed 1x1? First off, I'd like to say I'm looking for a chilled-back relaxed 1x1, not rushing things but no losing interest or dying out. I'd like to keep this going up until, well, the holiday season is over at least. I can promise around 2-3 replies a week, and at least 250 - 500 words per post. I'd like someone around that range as well, but as long as you are semi-lit and can spell properly, it's fine. I'll play either a boy/girl in a roleplay, and don't really double up unless necessary. I love-love-love romance, and would definitely want some in this, even if it's just a little. Romance doesn't have to be what it's based on, since after all Christmas isn't based on just that. I have tons of ideas as to where to begin, or what would happen in the roleplay, most of which I'll keep to myself until someone actually shows some interest. (Since I know I would probably go on forever, boring you all to death.) I posted the song link above for use of some inspiration. I'm open to anything really for ideas; it could be something like 'The True Meaning of Christmas' to a classic Romance/Christmas themed idea. Please reply below, or PM if you are interested/want to hear some of my ideas. Thanks for reading!

--Swishy

swishandflicker

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Video: A wedding proposal five years in the making

There?s a real life love story that's capturing the hearts of people all over the world. A wedding proposal so elaborate that it took five years and several thousand miles to complete. ITV?s Annabel Roberts reports.

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Zero cost On line Car or truck Insurance coverage Quote ? Very ...

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Maya Ana Callender: Don't Forget About Those New York Jets

"J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets!! Jets!!!" This is what every person yells who bleeds green and white on a football day or night because they know the New York Jets are in their flight mode, or as Santonio Holmes likes to say, 'Tone Time,' ready to win this game so they're a step closer holding the Lamordi Trophy. Because everyone knows, when a team holds the Lombardi Trophy, they have every right to say they were the best in the world that year. Yes, the Jets deserve to say that!

I'm definitely not the one who is going to talk bad about the NY Jets because I believe they are strong, tough, fun trash-talkers, intelligent nice guys who all need a Super Bowl ring and many more. The flight boys can make some mistakes every now and again but making mistakes helps people learn to make better choices on and off the field.

The offense is coming together in ways that we may not always have to count on defense to win games. No one really talks about quarterback Mark Sanchez's weapons, so I will! He goes from wide receivers Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes to Jeremy Kerley, then to his tight end number 81, Dustin Keller (remember this name!) and if he wants to run the ball, running backs Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson are there backing him up. While Sanchez is busy throwing the ball, he has the best center, Nick Mangold, leading the offensive line.

When I watch the Jets offense, it gives me the idea that if I put my mind to something, the end results will be fantastic. Touchdown! The Jets defense, though, teaches me to never give up and be tough.

Where should I even begin with their defense? Rex Ryan had made comments about how it would be sweet if his defense were better than the 85 Chicago Bears defense. But 26 years from now, people will want their team to be like the 2011 Jets defense. When I finally own a NFL team in my future, I would want it so bad; I might beg linebackers Bart Scott, David Harris cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis to be on my team.

I love number 51 on defense, Aaron Maybin. He is a role model that people should look up to. He dealt with some personal issues in football and out of football by being labeled as a burst to losing a child. To escape from problems, he draws. He doesn't cause issues and I think doesn't want to be a part of any problems unless it involves hitting the quarterback.

Also, Eric Smith and Jim Leonhard are the best safeties in the league. I mean, they would never let a rookie catch a touchdown pass; cough cough, Troy Polamalu.

But one thing I want to tell everyone, including New England Patriot fans: Just because your team won against the Jets before does not mean you guys are the best football team ever and the Jets suck. It means you were better that day. Repeat this in your head a couple of times!

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maya-ana-callender/dont-forget-about-those-n_b_1100161.html

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PSU taps ex-FBI director Freeh for investigation (AP)

PHILADELPHIA ? Former FBI director Louis Freeh, tapped to lead Penn State's investigation into the child sex-abuse allegations against a former assistant football coach, said his inquiry will go as far back as 1975, a much longer period than a grand jury report issued earlier this month.

Freeh was named Monday to oversee the university board of trustees' internal investigation into the abuse allegations that ultimately led to the ouster of longtime football coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier.

Freeh said his goal was to conduct a comprehensive, fair and quick review.

Penn State has faced criticism since announcing that its internal investigation would be led by two university trustees, Merck pharmaceutical company CEO Kenneth Frazier and state Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis.

Faculty members on Friday called for an independent investigation of how the university handled abuse allegations, and the faculty senate endorsed a resolution asking for an investigation to be led by a committee whose chair has no links to Penn State.

In announcing Freeh's appointment, Frazier stressed the former FBI director's independence. Freeh will be empowered to investigate employees up to and including the board of trustees itself, Frazier said.

"No one is above scrutiny," Frazier said.

Retired Air Force Col. and astronaut Guion Bluford also will be part of the investigation, Frazier said. Bluford is a 1964 Penn State graduate.

Freeh's investigation firm, Group International Europe, was hired by soccer's governing body this year to look into the bribery case involving FIFA's presidential election. FIFA banned candidate Mohamed bin Hammam for life for bribing voters. The ruling body also banned 11 Caribbean soccer leaders and disciplined others in the corruption scandal.

Freeh founded Group International Europe after leading the FBI from 1993 to 2001. He previously served six years as a special agent.

Former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of molesting eight boys over a 15-year period. Authorities say some assaults happened on campus and were reported to administrators but not to police.

Amid the scandal, Penn State's trustees ousted Spanier and Paterno. The trustees said Spanier and Paterno failed to act after a graduate assistant claimed he saw Sandusky sexually abusing a young boy in a campus shower in 2002.

Paterno, who has the most wins of any major college football coach, has conceded he should have done more. Spanier has said he would have reported a crime if he had suspected one had been committed.

Sandusky has said he is innocent. He has acknowledged he showered with boys but said he never molested them.

Former school administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz are charged with not properly alerting authorities to suspected abuse and with perjury. They maintain their innocence.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111121/ap_on_sp_ot/us_penn_state_abuse

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China says will "strengthen" yuan's trading flexibility (Reuters)

SHANGHAI (Reuters) ? China will make the yuan more flexible in either direction and recent reforms to make the currency more market-oriented have begun to achieve some results, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Saturday.

The comments probably do not signal an imminent widening of the yuan's daily trading band, but they underscore Beijing's intention to introduce two-way fluctuations in the yuan to dampen expectations that China's currency could only appreciate.

Pointing to recent bets in overseas markets that had caused the yuan to hit the bottom end of its trading band a number of times, Wen said such fall in the yuan "could not have been engineered."

"China will continue to closely monitor the yuan's trading movements ... and will strengthen yuan's trading flexibility in either direction," the premier was quoted as saying in an evening news bulletin on state broadcaster CCTV.

Wen also told U.S. President Barack Obama that the trade imbalance between the two countries was a structural issue and that maintaining the healthy development of bilateral trade was essential for both countries and the world, according to the broadcast.

Wen's comments on the yuan were in line with recent central bank moves to encourage the yuan's value to fluctuate more widely within the daily trading band. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) allows the yuan to rise or fall 0.5 percent from its daily mid-point.

Some analysts and traders have argued that the central bank has been laying the groundwork for a widening of the trading band, which would allow China to say in the face of renewed U.S. pressure over the yuan that it is indeed moving ahead with reform to loosen its grip on the currency.

But other analysts believe that China will opt to widen the trading band only when upward pressures on the currency ease in line with a narrower trade surplus and lower capital inflows -- in other words, no time soon.

China's yuan currency -- also known as the renminbi -- has gained about 40 percent in real effective exchange terms since Beijing abandoned its peg to the U.S. dollar in 2005.

Chinese leaders have repeatedly rejected calls from the United States and other rich countries to allow faster yuan appreciation.

Analysts said China appears to have quietly adjusted its currency policy in response to the deepening euro zone debt crisis, slowing the yuan's steady appreciation while trying to nip speculation of yuan depreciation.

The balancing act comes as inflationary pressures come off the boil and economic growth slows in the world's second-largest economy, giving Beijing more room to fine-tune policy.

White House officials said earlier in the day that Obama reiterated currency concerns to Wen during the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of a regional summit in Indonesia.

(Reporting by Fayen Wong; Editing by Don Durfee)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111119/bs_nm/us_china_yuan

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Dwayne Johnson Picks Up The Monster Hunter's Survival Guide

The Rock is ready to take on monsters. It was announced today that Dwayne Johnson is now attached to star in the feature film adaptation of John Paul Russ? comic book miniseries The Monster Hunter?s Survival Guide. The book ?is a comprehensive guide to hunt monsters, the undead and unnatural beasts, and survive the confrontations.? Simon Kinberg (X-Men: First Class) will produce through his Genre Films shingle. It?s not a terrible idea for a film, though I sincerely hope they steer clear of the Van Helsing approach. Is it too much to hope for an R-rated version with Johnson violently taking on ginormous, gnarly monsters?

Johnson is currently filming G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation, where he plays Roadblock. He?ll follow G.I. Joe 2 with the action thriller Snitch, where he stars opposite Susan Sarandon and Michael K. Williams. He?s also attached to play Goliath in a retelling of the David and Goliath story in Goliath, but that film is currently lacking a David. Johnson will next be seen in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which opens February 10th, 2012.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1923983/news/1923983/

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Crystal Cathedral sees risky future without church (AP)

SANTA ANA, Calif. ? The sale of the Crystal Cathedral to the Catholic church could mark an end to the storied televangelist ministry broadcast around the world that came crashing down in hard times.

While the church's spiritual leaders vow to carry on in a new location, the cathedral's own financial expert says it is impossible to see the future once the congregation loses its famed, glass-spired home.

What began more than 50 years ago as a weekly prayer service atop a drive-in movie theater snack bar in Orange County evolved into a televangelist empire broadcasting from the striking sanctuary that became an icon of the Rev. Robert H. Schuller's ministry.

The church raked in millions in donations through its "Hour of Power" television program to pay for the elaborate building and 40-acre grounds in Garden Grove filled with Biblical messages and statues. But it saw revenue plummet in 2008, and despite massive budget cuts, sought bankruptcy protection last year.

Now, congregants question the future of the church without the building they have come to love ? and that has given the ministry its name. And many worry the "Hour of Power" broadcast ? the source of 70 percent of the church's revenue ? is doomed once the congregation moves to a new location that is unfamiliar to viewers and pales in comparison to the glimmering church that lets worshippers see the sky and swaying palm trees through its glass-paned walls.

"People think the ministry isn't about a building. Usually they're right. But that one represents Jesus Christ, positive thinking, and if you believe in yourself and believe in the Lord there isn't anything you can't do," Sherwood Oklejas, a congregant who opposed the diocese's bid, told a federal bankruptcy court judge at a hearing on the church's future. "If the ministry no longer has the Crystal Cathedral to operate from, in my opinion, it will not last at all."

The Crystal Cathedral is selling its property to help pay creditors more than $51 million and emerge from federal bankruptcy protection. After weeks of intense bidding, a federal bankruptcy judge on Thursday night approved the church's sale to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. The diocese plans to use the building designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson as a long-sought countywide cathedral.

Oklejas is one of many congregants who rallied for the church to accept a competing bid on the property from Orange County's Chapman University that would have paid up to $59 million and let them continue using the church ? which they see as critical to their ability to survive.

But the ministry's board of directors flip-flopped at the last minute and instead backed a $57.5 million offer from the diocese, arguing the sale will preserve the campus as a religious, not an educational, institution ? as donors intended.

Under the plan, the Crystal Cathedral will be able to lease the building for up to three years, but then must move to a new location, possibly a smaller Catholic church up the street that the diocese will vacate.

Crystal Cathedral leaders insist the ministry founded by Schuller under the auspices of the Reformed Church in America will survive even without the landmark building, noting its educational programs and efforts to help the homeless will continue ? just at a new location.

"Crystal Cathedral church is not a building. A church is comprised of people who are dedicated to practicing through words and works," senior pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman ? the daughter of the founder ? said in a statement.

Church attorney Marc Winthrop said the congregation could even keep its name, though U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert N. Kwan said he didn't see how that would be possible.

Losing the church is an especially hard hit because the congregation's identity is so tied to the building, said William Dyrness, a professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary.

But religion experts said the Crystal Cathedral's troubles run far deeper than the loss of the campus and stem from Schuller's retirement, an ill-fated attempt to hand over the ministry to his son and the church's failure to adapt to attract younger worshippers.

On the contrary, some said losing the building will force the ministry to do some much needed soul-searching on how it can remain relevant.

"If they stayed in place, they were doomed to slowly dissolve into nothing over time. And if there's any hope for them at all, it is a kind of rebirth out of these ashes," said Scott Thumma, a professor of sociology of religion at the Hartford Institute for Religious Research.

"That Crystal Cathedral has in fact encapsulated them and held them in a crystal prison," he said.

Moving forward, a key challenge will be shoring up the Crystal Cathedral's finances. The church should emerge with close to $7 million in surplus cash from the sale of the property, according to an attorney for the committee of unsecured creditors. But many congregants question whether the "Hour of Power" program can continue to draw viewers ? and donations ? without the iconic setting.

"It's virtually impossible to know what will happen to ministry revenue if the campus changes hands to a non-Protestant religious institution," Michael VanderLey, the church's financial adviser, told the bankruptcy court. "It's just a very uncertain set of potential revenues."

In 2008, the church's revenues plummeted amid a decline in donations and ticket sales for holiday pageants. Church officials blamed the recession, but some experts said the church's leadership struggles alienated members.

VanderLey said the decline in revenue appears to be slowing and the church is poised to reel in $3.5 million in December ? a key month for revenue ? down from $4 million in the same month last year.

But some churchgoers say their ranks are dwindling and will only get smaller once the ministry leaves its beloved building.

Dante Gebel, pastor of the church's Hispanic ministry, wrote on his Facebook page that his growing Spanish-speaking congregation will likely need a larger venue in three years' time such as a nearby stadium or convention center, and he stressed the group's independence from the English-language church.

These days, the Crystal Cathedral's parking lot is empty when worshippers pull up to attend Sunday services, though it was packed just a few years ago, said congregant Rob Ekno, who questioned whether the ministry can survive.

"Anything is possible," he said. "Obviously, we're dealing with a church here, so it's all in God's hands."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111119/ap_on_en_tv/us_crystal_cathedral

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A GOP debt plan would hit some popular tax breaks (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Millions of taxpayers who take advantage of deductions for mortgage interest, charitable donations and state and local taxes would be targeted for potential tax hikes under a GOP plan to raise taxes by $290 billion over the next decade to help reduce the nation's deficit.

Some workers could also see their employer-provided health benefits taxed for the first time, though aides cautioned that the proposal is still fluid.

The plan by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who serves on the 12-member debt supercommittee, would raise revenue by limiting the tax breaks enjoyed by people who itemize their deductions, in exchange for lower overall tax rates for families at every income level. Taxpayers who already take the standard deduction instead of itemizing ? about two-thirds of filers ? could see tax cuts. The one-third of taxpayers who itemize their deductions might find themselves paying more.

The top income tax rate would fall from 35 percent to 28 percent, and the bottom rate would drop from 10 percent to 8 percent. The rates between would be reduced as well.

About 50 million households itemized their deductions in 2009, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. About 35 million households claimed the mortgage interest deduction, and 36 million deducted charitable donations. Nearly 41 million claimed deductions for paying state and local taxes.

A GOP congressional aide said the plan is designed to raise taxes on households in the top two tax brackets. That would affect individuals making more than $174,400 and married couples making more than $212,300.

Some Republicans say the plan offers a potential breakthrough in deficit-reduction talks that have stalled over GOP opposition to tax hikes and Democrats' objection to cuts in benefit programs without significant revenue increases.

Democratic and Republican members of the supercommittee met separately Thursday, with no sign of progress on a deal.

Republicans are becoming increasingly divided over the issue of raising taxes. A growing number of Republicans in Congress say they would support a tax reform package that increases revenues, if it is coupled with significant spending cuts, enough to reduce the deficit by about $4 trillion over the next decade.

The so-called "go big" strategy has been endorsed by a bipartisan group of about 150 lawmakers from the House and Senate. A rival group of 72 House Republicans sent a letter to the supercommittee Thursday, urging members to oppose any tax increases.

"We must recognize that increasing the tax burden on American businesses and citizens, especially during a fragile recovery, is irresponsible and dangerous to the health of the United States," said the letter, circulated by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.

Democrats, meanwhile, have panned Toomey's plan, saying the rate reductions would cut taxes for the wealthy so much that taxes on the middle class would have to be raised. They also argue that Toomey's plan would generate less revenue than advertised.

They note that Toomey's plan assumes that tax cuts enacted under former President George W. Bush, and extended through 2012 under President Barack Obama, would continue. Toomey's plan would then cut the tax rates even more.

Republicans say Toomey's tax overhaul plan would increase tax revenue by $250 billion over the next decade. An additional $40 billion would be raised by using a new measure of inflation to adjust the tax brackets each year. Annual adjustments to the tax brackets would be smaller, resulting in more people jumping into higher tax brackets as their incomes rise.

The supercommittee has a Wednesday deadline to come up with a plan to reduce government borrowing by at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade. If the panel fails, $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts to domestic and military programs would take effect in 2013.

Some details of Toomey's plan remain in flux, in part because he is open to changes to help forge an agreement, said the GOP aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations. The aide confirmed that Toomey's plan is closely modeled after a proposal by three experts at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private research organization perhaps best known for deciding when recessions begin and end.

The three experts are Martin Feldstein, a Harvard University professor who was President Ronald Regan's chief economic adviser; Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget; and Daniel Feenberg, a research associate at the bureau.

Under their plan, the tax benefits from itemizing deductions and excluding employer-provided health insurance from taxable income would be limited to 2 percent of taxpayer's adjusted gross income.

That means if a taxpayer has an adjusted gross income of $50,000, deductions and exemptions could reduce his or her tax bill by a maximum of $1,000.

Taxpayers who face limits on their tax breaks could opt to take the standard deduction instead. Currently, about one-third of tax filers itemize their deductions. The rest claim the standard deduction, which in 2011 is $5,800 for individuals and $11,600 for married couples filing jointly.

The plan envisions millions of additional taxpayers switching to the standard deduction, which would simplify their returns, MacGuineas said.

Policymakers across the political spectrum agree the federal tax code is too complicated, and most agree on a basic formula for simplifying it: Reduce tax breaks and use the additional revenue to lower the overall tax rates for everyone.

There is little agreement, however, on which tax breaks to target.

Toomey's plan attempts to sidestep debates over which tax breaks to target and instead proposes to limit taxpayers' overall ability to reduce their tax bills.

"This is a far more practical way to start to scale back the influence and costs of tax expenditures in the code by kind of glopping them together and capping them," MacGuineas said. "You're not picking the winners and losers."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111118/ap_on_bi_ge/us_debt_supercommittee_taxes

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