Obama on political high, but momentum hard to keep (AP)

WASHINGTON ? On a political high, President Barack Obama capped a bruising year by securing a tax cut for millions of Americans ? an achievement that overshadowed Washington's deepening dysfunction and the slow progress of the economy on his watch.

The White House has ended a year with a political victory before. This time around the stakes are higher, and the president is by no means assured of carrying the momentum deep into an election year.

Addressing reporters before heading to Hawaii on Friday, Obama looked like a president in command of the stage again, for now. He left the capital after presiding over a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut ? about $40 per paycheck for someone making $50,000 a year ? that came when House Republicans caved on demands for a longer deal.

Yet on this issue, like many, enormous work remains for Obama after the new year, just when voters begin choosing a Republican nominee to try to oust him from his job.

Obama initially had pushed for a year-long extension of both the Social Security payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits. He got only two months on both because Congress could not agree on how to pay the bill for more without gutting their own political priorities ? the same problem that awaits all sides in the weeks to come.

Although Obama calls a full-year extension a "formality," politically, it is not. So he pushed Congress to work "without drama, without delay" when they return from their own recess.

The whole scene was reminiscent of a year ago, when Obama took a self-described "shellacking" in the midterm elections but still ended up leaving for his yearly Hawaiian holiday on a high note.

In a news conference at the time, a jubilant Obama claimed a "season of progress" after stringing together legislative victories in a lame-duck congressional session, including the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay service members and approval of a new nuclear treaty with Russia.

But progress was short-lived. Obama returned to Washington in January to face a divided Congress and a Republican party prepared to push him to the brink.

This time, Obama left without taking questions from reporters, ensuring no disruption from the narrative all over Washington ? a win for him, a capitulation for House Republicans. Had he engaged the press, Obama may well have been challenged about violence in Iraq since a U.S. troop withdrawal, or his own flip-flop over an oil pipeline included in the tax deal.

Obama may have won the messaging war this December, preventing higher taxes for 160 million Americans. But he gave up plenty to get a deal.

In securing the short-term extension, Obama caved on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. The president had boldly said he would reject any effort to tie the payroll tax extension to the proposed Canada-to-Texas pipeline; he later gave in to GOP demands to make a decision on the project within 60 days.

Given that the House Republicans' backpedaling far overshadowed the president's compromises, GOP consultant John Feehery said Republican lawmakers are likely to come back to Washington in January even more motivated to take on the president.

"This is a temporary victory," Feehery said. "We're going to go back to the fight once again in a month and a half. This is one battle, not the whole war."

Obama's willingness to stand firm could help rally support among Democrats who have complained that the president too often seems to give in too much.

Obama's hard line at the end of the payroll tax cut talks sent an important message both to his supporters and Republicans, Democratic strategist Karen Finney said. She said both have misinterpreted Obama's prior compromises as a sign of weakness.

"In this instance it was certainly critical that the president not give any more ground," Finney said. "He showed that he does have a point at which he won't go farther."

The economy has been showing signs of coming around, too, which is vital to Obama's chances for a second term. But this is another area in which today's optimism can turn troubling at any time, with outside forces such as Europe's economic woes threatening to dampen the American recovery.

Each year, partisan debate and unfinished business have forced the president to delay departure for his cherished Christmas vacation in Hawaii. This December's stalemate threatened to derail the trip entirely, given that Obama himself pledged to stay in Washington until a deal to extend the cuts was reached.

Obama's original Dec. 17 departure date came and went.

It was only Friday, after the House and Senate finalized the deal, that the White House announced Obama's departure for later in the day.

The president has no public events planned during what is expected to be about a 10-day vacation. He typically spends his days in Hawaii playing golf or going to the beach with his family, though he makes occasional outings for dinner with friends.

The White House says the president's focus will be on spending time with his family. But there will be a small team of advisers traveling with Obama to brief him daily on domestic and international events ? and to help him get ready for the work, and the battles, that wait in January.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama

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Editorial: Ford's dividend gives hope for the future

Ford Motor Co.?s announcement that it would pay a dividend early next year for the first time in five years is another bit of good news for the local economy. The dividend is relatively modest, but since a fair-sized slice of Ford?s shareholders live in the Detroit area, the nickels will add up.

But it?s also good news for another reason. It means one of the region?s signature companies ? one with a history that?s deeply interwoven southeast Michigan?s history over the last century ? believes it is back on the right path and one that it can stay on in the future.

Ford?s announcement put a great deal of emphasis on the fact the dividend is sustainable in the future despite the challenges the company faces from uncertain economic weather these days. Consequently, it carries with it a lot of optimism and hope for the future.

The payment of the dividend is a significant step in the company?s remarkable comeback. When Ford?s board of directors cut the dividend five years ago, many pundits were saying and writing that the company was doomed to fail, and the Ford family ought to get the best deal it could for the assets.

But the Ford family and Ford?s management persevered and have gone on to write one of the great comeback stories in the annals of American business. They also managed to mount the comeback in the face of the worst recession in 80 years and the disarray in the financial sector. At the same time, they managed to help keep afloat a very fragile supply base and expand in key overseas markets such as China, where its business is growing quite nicely.

They also managed to rebuild the reputation of the company?s vehicles with skeptical consumers and, along with it, the good name of the American automobile industry. As a symbol of resilience and hope, Ford Motor Co. has become hard to beat.

?

Source: http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2011/12/22/opinion/doc4ef388780f785367557389.txt

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Design your own Boeing 787 Dreamliner... but good luck affording one

Ever wanted to cruise the friendly skies on a 787 Dreamliner? Ever wanted to do precisely that on a Dreamliner of your own? Fantasies aren't always easy to achieve, but at least a new interactive portal is giving frequent fliers the ability to customize a virtual model of Boeing's new hotness. Of course, if you grow tired of tinkering in the source link, there's always our own hands-on experience to dive into.

P.S. - Drop us a line in comments if you find a 'Buy Now' section that takes The Centurion Card.

Design your own Boeing 787 Dreamliner... but good luck affording one originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-hacker testifies about reporting U.S. Army leaks suspect (Reuters)

FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) ? A former computer hacker testified on Tuesday that he led authorities to the suspected source of the biggest leak of classified documents in U.S. history after several days of online chats with Bradass87, an alias for Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning.

The 24-year-old Manning is charged with downloading thousands of classified or confidential files from the military's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, or SIPRNet. Those files are thought to have later appeared on WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website.

Former hacker Adrian Lamo said Manning initially contacted him by email in May 2010 and the two began an online conversation about diplomatic cables and military video the Army private allegedly downloaded from the classified network he used as a member of the 10th Mountain Division in Iraq.

Within a day Lamo contacted Timothy Webster, a former Army counterintelligence agent, to seek advice on who to approach about the information he was getting from Manning.

"What I saw in the chats appeared to be an admission of acts so egregious that it required that response," Lamo said when questioned about why he had decided to contact military authorities about Manning's conduct.

Lamo's testimony came on the fifth day of a military hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to court-martial Manning for aiding the enemy and other charges in connection with the massive leak of documents. He faces life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious charge.

Military prosecutors have sought to link Manning to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, introducing online chat logs that they said appeared to be conversations between Assange and Manning. The logs discussed sending and receiving U.S. government information.

In 2010, WikiLeaks released several hundred thousand U.S. military documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables.

Manning's defense attorneys have attempted to portray him as an emotionally troubled young man whose behavioral problems should have prompted his superiors to revoke his access to classified information.

Witnesses have said Manning sent an email to his sergeant saying confusion over his gender identity was seriously hurting his life, work and ability to think. Manning had created a female alter-ego online, Breanna Manning, according to testimony at the hearing.

During Lamo's testimony on Tuesday, tension between him and Manning was obvious. Manning, dressed in camouflage fatigues, slouched in his chair at times and at other times stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with Lamo.

'TREAT THIS AS A CONFESSION'

Lamo said he confirmed the identity of Bradass87 by becoming friends with Manning on Facebook and by confirming that he had a password and login for the Army's online knowledge portal.

Lamo, who pleaded guilty to the felony hacking of The New York Times' computer system in 2004, acknowledged under cross-examination by Manning's attorney that he is a minister in the Universal Life Church and had told the person in an online chat to "treat this as a confession."

"They were coming to you for moral and emotional support?" defense attorney David Coombs asked.

"Perhaps to bond, yes," said Lamo, who acknowledged suffering depression, having drug problems and being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a disorder that makes social interactions difficult.

Computer crimes investigator Patrick Edwards said Lamo gave authorities a removable computer hard drive, a laptop and two thumbdrives with details from his chats with Manning.

Investigator David Shaver said the chat logs from the computers of Manning and Lamo were identical except for occasional network drops that affected one computer and not the other. One set of chat logs had been modified slightly and may have been those leaked to the media, he said.

In other testimony on Tuesday, Manning's supervisor in Iraq testified that she recommended he be disciplined and barred from handling classified information following a spate of violent confrontations, including one in which he punched her in the face.

Former Specialist Jihrleah Showman said she also had recommended that Manning not be deployed to Iraq because of concerns about his behavior, but her suggestion was not followed and it was unclear whether her assessments had been passed along to the company commander.

(Writing By David Alexander; editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111221/tc_nm/us_usa_defense_manning

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OnStar ready to flaunt LTE Skype-enabled system on GM rides

Last year at CES, OnStar wasn't too shy about teasing its partnership with Verizon that would assist in bringing applications like YouTube, Wikipedia and Skype to your vehicle. At that point, though, it was just an idea. Fast forward to next year's iteration of the Consumer Electronics Show and that's turned into a reality. It's safe to say that Skyping-and-driving wouldn't be the best of ideas, but fortunately the system will keep you from making that mistake by only running when your car is immobile -- so don't make any plans to call your friends to tell them how fast you're going. Your kids, or other backseat passengers, won't be too worried since they'll be able to take full advantage of all the gimmicks; including the aforementioned, video streaming and the usual Angry Birds frolic. The in-car system is set to be shown on Volt and Cadillac models, and OnStar has said that there's more deets to be unveiled -- you'll just have to wait until we head to Vegas to find out.

OnStar ready to flaunt LTE Skype-enabled system on GM rides originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/onstar-ready-to-flaunt-lte-skype-enabled-system-on-gm-rides/

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Sale of Lethal Injection Drug Sodium Thiopental to Be Restricted in Europe (Time.com)

This post is in partnership with Worldcrunch, a new global-news site that translates stories of note in foreign languages into English. The article below was originally published in S?ddeutsche Zeitung.

(BERLIN) -- The European Union is set to restrict the sale to the United States of one of the main active substances needed for lethal injections. According to information obtained by the S?ddeutsche Zeitung, the export of sodium thiopental will only be possible by special permission, beginning Friday, posing a major problem for the US justice system.

The Official Journal of the European Union (OJ) is to publish a new, uniform set of authorized export regulations, valid for all short or intermediate-acting barbituric acids. One of them is the easy-to-use and fast-working anesthetic sodium thiopental, which is used to execute criminals in the states of Ohio and Washington. In 33 other states, sodium thiopental is a key ingredient in other toxic cocktails used to kill inmates. (See TIME's 10 Biggest U.S. News Stories of 2011.)

Approximately 100 people are executed by American authorities every year. But in the past few months, supplies of the drug have become scarce. The only manufacturer based in the US, Hospira, is unwilling to continue to make its product available for lethal injections, and under American law it is not allowed to simply change the injection "recipe." To do that, a complicated approval procedure is required. So authorities -- who have been postponing executions as a result of the difficulty in finding supplies -- have been seeking other sources such as those in the EU.

Anti-death penalty and other human rights groups have pushed for the EU decision to now require special permission to export to countries outside of Europe. The most prominent supporter of the move is Germany's Minister of Economy and head of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), Philipp R?sler. In an earlier role as Minister of Health he had written to German manufacturers of sodium thiopental to encourage them not to sell the drug to the US.

After changing jobs, he introduced to the Commission a bill to create a regulation valid Europe-wide that would effectively prevent the export of thiopental to the US. Initially, the proposal met with resistance from other states, but it has now been approved by the majority of the 27 member states.

Also from Worldcrunch:

As Cuba Opens Slowly, a Spanish University Aims to Train Its Future Business Leaders
-- Am?rica Economia

What the World Owes Greece: A Different Look at the Financial Crisis
-- Die Welt

German Court Rules a Muslim Student Disturbed the Peace by Praying
-- S?ddeutsche Zeitung

Report: Death Penalty Use, Support is Dropping.

After Troy Davis' Execution, a Push for Eyewitness Reform.

View this article on Time.com

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20111216/wl_time/08599210226600

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Russia seizes Iran-bound radioactive material

By msnbc.com staff, NBC News and news services

Updated at 7:43 a.m. ET

MOSCOW - Radioactive material has been seized from the luggage of a passenger bound for Tehran,?Russia's customs?agency said Friday.

Authorities said agents?found 18 pieces of metal at Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport.


In a statement, Federal Customs Service said?that tests showed the material was a radioactive isotope which could be obtained only "as a result of a nuclear reactor's operations."

Gauges showed that normal radiation levels were exceeded by 20 times, officials said.

Citing the customs service's statement, NBC News reported that the pieces of metal were individually packaged in steel canisters.

The Interfax news agency?reported that?the pieces of metal?contained Sodium-22, a positron-emitting isotope with a remarkably long half-life. It can also be used in medical equipment, Reuters reported.

The customs agency said prosecutors have launched a probe into the incident.

Tension is escalating between Western powers and Iran after a U.N. nuclear watchdog report last month that said Tehran appeared to have worked on designing a nuclear weapon, and that secret research to that end may be continuing.

The United States and its European allies have seized on the unprecedented document by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to crank up the sanctions pressure on Iran, one of the world's largest oil producers.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

More from msnbc.com and NBC News:

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

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/16/9490739-iran-bound-radioactive-material-seized-at-airport-russia-says

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This Week in the Business: 'PS Vita Will Die a Horrible Premature ...

This Week in the Business: 'PS Vita Will Die a Horrible Premature Death'What's happened in the business of video games this past week ...

QUOTE | "PS Vita will die a horrible premature death."?Bossa Studios head Henrique Olifiers giving his provocative take on how Sony's new device will do in the market.

QUOTE | "Xbox 720 in 2012 would be a disaster."?Veteran games journalist Chris Morris talking about what Microsoft has to do to make the Xbox 720 a success.

QUOTE | "Quite frankly, this is cutting into my Skyrim time."?Epic design director Cliff Bleszinski, talking during the Spike VGAs, says Skyrim is now his favorite game since the original Zelda.

QUOTE | "I hope digital distribution stabs the used game market in the heart."?Chris Avellone, Chief Creative Officer for Obsidian Entertainment, on what he thinks about digital distribution.

QUOTE | "If more than half of people disagree with my opinion, I'm an idiot."?Analyst Michael Pachter talking about what it takes to be a game industry analyst.

STAT | 33%?Amount of total time on Wii that Wii users spend watching streaming video instead of playing games, according to a new study from Nielsen.

QUOTE | "Games will someday take over the world."?Sid Meier, designer of Civilization, talking about what he sees for the future of the gaming industry.

QUOTE | "PlayStation Move is tighter, cleaner and more precise."?Brian Upton, creative director on the upcoming Move title Sorcery, discusses why he thinks Move is better than Wii or Kinect.

QUOTE | "We're already achieving near PS3 cinematics."?Victor Harris, producer on Uncharted: Golden Abyss, talking about how Sony is in it for the long term with the PS Vita.

QUOTE | "Social gaming will see massive layoffs." - Rick Marazzani, head of content programming for Exent, talking about what the social game market will look like in 2012 as companies use more "belt tightening."

STAT | $3 Billion?Amount of game industry retail sales in November which is basically unchanged from 2010 despite huge Black Friday numbers and lots of hit software.

QUOTE | "No reason we can't build a company as big as Disney."?Rovio's Peter Vesterbacka talks about Angry Birds' continued momentum and how Rovio will build on that success.


(Image from Shutterstock)

Source: http://kotaku.com/5868930/this-week-in-the-business-ps-vita-will-die-a-horrible-premature-death

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Globes swoon over cable dramas, snub networks (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? The Golden Globes admire broadcast network comedies but the respect is absent when it comes to drama.

FX's "American Horror Story," Showtime's "Homeland" and three other cable entries hogged the best drama series nominations announced Thursday, with broadcast shut out.

The other nominees in the category for next month's awards are HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" and "Game of Thrones" and Starz' "Boss."

When "Boardwalk Empire" claimed the Golden Globe last season for best drama series, one network entry did have a shot, CBS' "The Good Wife." But it failed to make the cut this time and with its exclusion went any broadcast recognition.

Broadcasters have long complained that the unfettered world of cable allows room for shows that can be edgier and more adult ? meaning iterations of sexier, more violent and sometimes just plain freaky ? than programs carried on the public airwaves and subject to regulation. In other words, cable channels bring guns to what traditionally was a knife fight.

The Globes aren't alone in putting cable dramas on a pedestal: This year's Emmy nominations made "The Good Wife" the sole broadcast nominee. That networks end up airing awards ceremonies that honor and give free promotion to their cable competitors is another source of broadcaster discontent.

It's tough to join in their pity party when, too often, they throw in the towel with formulaic crime dramas and don't even attempt creativity within network boundaries. Ultimately, of course, they can claim to be winners, pulling in bigger audiences and revenue than niche cable.

Networks fared better in the comedy or musical series category, with nods going to last year's winner, Fox's "Glee," along with newcomer "New Girl," also on Fox, and ABC's "Modern Family." For "Glee," the nomination could be a salve for a ratings drop-off in season three.

Cable series with nominations include HBO's "Enlightened" and Showtime's "Episodes."

"Good Wife" star (and Emmy winner) Julianna Margulies earned a best actress nod, joined by Madeleine Stowe of ABC's soapy freshman drama "Revenge." Other nominees are Claire Danes of "Homeland," Mireille Enos of AMC's "The Killing" and Callie Thorne of USA's "Necessary Roughness."

Katey Sagal, who won last time around for FX's "Sons of Anarchy," was squeezed out of the Globes this time and the Emmys as well.

Steve Buscemi of "Boardwalk Empire" has the chance to repeat his Globe victory from last season for his portrayal of New Jersey gangster Nucky Thompson. He's competing with Bryan Cranston of AMC's "Breaking Bad," Kelsey Grammer of "Boss," Jeremy Irons of Showtime's "The Borgias" and Damian Lewis of "Homeland."

The Globes went for a swap in the best actor in a comedy or musical series. Reigning Globes champ Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory" was snubbed, while the show's Johnny Galecki earned a nomination.

Others in the category are Alec Baldwin of NBC's "30 Rock," David Duchovny of Showtime's "Californication," Thomas Jane of HBO's "Hung" and Matt LeBlanc of HBO's "Episodes."

On the best actress side, newcomers include Laura Dern of HBO's "Enlightened" and Zooey Deschanel of "New Girl," competing with last year's winner Laura Linney of Showtime's "The Big C," Tina Fey of "30 Rock" and Amy Poehler of "Parks and Recreation," both on NBC.

HBO earned a leading 18 nominations, followed by Showtime with eight and PBS with five. Among broadcasters, ABC had the most bids, four, followed by Fox and NBC with three each and CBS with two.

In the best miniseries or TV movie category, the Globes mostly mirrored the Emmys. An exception was the controversial "The Kennedys," which earned an Emmy nod, but was snubbed by the Globes; Barry Pepper, who earned an Emmy for his portrayal of Robert F. Kennedy, also was overlooked.

PBS' period piece "Downton Abbey," which earned an Emmy Award, is among the contenders, along with HBO's "Mildred Pierce," "Too Big to Fail" and "Cinema Verite," and BBC America's "The Hour."

___

Online:

http://www.goldenglobes.org

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111215/ap_en_tv/us_golden_globes_nominations_tv

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