Soccer-Shakir's Iraq promotion ends Maradona speculations

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Iraq football association has promoted Hakeem Shakir to the head coach's post, ending speculations of a possible appointment of Diego Maradona for the job.

Shakir, 49, who guided Iraq to the final of this year's AFC under-19 Championship in the United Arab Emirates, had been in temporary charge of the national side since Brazilian Zico resigned in November.

The Iraq football association on Friday confirmed Shakir's appointment, the Asian Football Confederation said on its website (www.the-afc.com).

Earlier this month, an agent representing Maradona said that the Argentine great, former coach of UAE side Al Wasl and now their consultant, was excited at the prospect of a chance to lead Iraq to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson of Sweden was also in the fray to take over the reins of the Middle Eastern country, the agent said.

Shakir's first assignment after his full-time appointment will be the Gulf Cup starting in Bahrain next week. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soccer-shakirs-iraq-promotion-ends-maradona-speculations-062522502--sow.html

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South Florida cops are hitting the brakes, new data show

The trend is dramatic and definite: South Florida cops have slowed down big time.

The Sun Sentinel examined new SunPass data and found police speeding has dropped significantly since the newspaper published its "Above the Law" investigative series in February.?

The investigation found nearly 800 officers from a dozen agencies averaging 90 to 130 mph between highway tollbooths. Many of those lead-foot cops were speeding to and from work.

SunPass toll records for the same agencies from mid-February through October show an 84 percent drop in high-speed incidents over the same period last year, the Sun Sentinel has calculated.

"It seems like the message has been received by South Florida law enforcement to slow down," Margate Police Chief Dana Watson said.

The records show excessive speeding by cops to and from work in their take-home cars virtually ended in late spring as police departments began disciplining officers based on the newspaper's investigation.

In Broward County, cops became much more mindful of the speed limit. Officers from Davie, Plantation and Sunrise hit speeds over 90 mph a total of only 10 times, compared to 160 times last year.

A SunPass transponder assigned to a Pembroke Pines officer who had been commuting through Miami-Dade County as fast as 105 mph never registered a speed above 79 mph.

In Fort Lauderdale and Margate, no cop with a transponder drove above 90 mph after the Sun Sentinel investigation, according to the records

High-speed incidents overall fell to 495, down from 3,179 during the same period in 2011.

Some South Florida commuters have noticed.

"I see them speeding a little bit, but not to the extent they were before," said Scott Spizman of Plantation, who drives 100 miles a day to and from his job in West Palm Beach. "It seems a lot safer out there."

The new trend captured by the data shows:

? Cops at 11 of the 12 law enforcement agencies examined in the Sun Sentinel series slowed down in 2012. (For the 12th, the Miami-Dade Police Department, SunPass records are no longer available).

? Only one in 13 police cars registered speeds above 90 mph, compared to one in four last year.

? Habitual speeding stopped. Cops are no longer pushing the speedometer past 95 or 100 mph day in and day out.

Leaders in South Florida law enforcement welcomed the change. They say off-duty speeding and speeding in non-emergencies is not only dangerous and deadly ? but also erodes citizens' confidence in police fairness.

"It's something that I continue to remind them of,'' said Watson, Margate's chief. "We're here to uphold the law, and we're expected to abide by it.''

One cop, rampant speeding

It was one Miami cop's blatant disregard for speed limits a year ago that brought scrutiny of the driving habits of all South Florida law enforcement officers.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-speeding-cops-slow-down-20121230,0,254101.story?track=rss

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Canadian job creation seen sharply lower in December

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's job market is expected to slow markedly in December to reflect the sluggish economy and employers' fears about the U.S. fiscal crisis following outsized gains of over 50,000 jobs in two of the previous three months.

The median forecast in a Reuters poll is for the economy to add just 5,000 jobs in the month, with forecasts ranging from a loss of 20,000 positions to a gain of 21,000.

The forecast compares with employment growth of 59,600 in November, 1,800 in October and 52,100 in September.

The unemployment rate is seen ticking higher in the final month of the year to 7.3 percent from 7.2 percent.

Derek Holt, vice president of economics at Scotiabank, said he's been surprised by the strength of job growth which he estimates to be the equivalent in the United States of about 1.5 million non-farm payroll jobs over the last three months.

"Here we are with the conundrum where we have zero growth in the Canadian economy, long predating the appearance of the greatest fiscal-cliff risks and yet we're heaping on jobs like there's no tomorrow," Holt said.

Unlike the United States, Canada has long recovered all the jobs lost during the 2008-09 recession but the pace of hiring in 2012 was unsteady.

Benjamin Reitzes, economist at BMO Capital Markets, said if the 5,000-job forecast was accurate, it would put 2012 job growth at just 1.1 percent, "the weakest non-recession year since 1996."

Canadian employers have faced uncertainty in one form or another during the recovery and are now fretting about the U.S. fiscal cliff, a set of tax hikes and spending cuts that will automatically take effect and could throw the United States into recession unless the White House and Congress reach an alternative agreement.

"For as long as Washington cannot agree on the new tax rules and spending focus, they're not going to give business the confidence to go out and hire and engage in capital spending projects and that's going to impede the pace of recovery until we get more clarity," said Holt.

With the Canadian economy now expected to grow by far less in the fourth quarter than the Bank of Canada's projection of 2.5 percent, annualized, the blockbuster jobs growth of recent months looks suspect. The six-month trend shows more sustainable gains of about 21,000 a month.

The moderation means the Bank of Canada will be in no hurry to raise its benchmark interest rate, which it has held at 1.0 percent since September 2010.

Market players surveyed by Reuters in late November predicted the bank would resume hiking rates in the fourth quarter of 2013.

(Reporting by Louise Egan; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canadian-job-creation-seen-sharply-lower-december-185054794--business.html

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KVH Doubles Capacity for Caribbean Region of mini-VSAT ...

MIDDLETOWN, R.I., Dec. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Staying ahead of the bandwidth demands for its rapidly growing customer base, KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) has just doubled the capacity of its mini-VSAT Broadbandsm network in the busy Caribbean region. The capacity increase was provided as part of the ongoing global network upgrade involving deployment of Variable Coding, Spreading, and Modulation (VCSM) technology provided by ViaSat, Inc., (Nasdaq:VSAT), KVH's partner in the mini-VSAT Broadband network. This was the second major upgrade to the mini-VSAT Broadband network in less than a month, following the recently announced improvements that increased the capacity in Europe by more than 60%.

"The Caribbean region upgrade is part of our planned expansion to support the increased demand of our rapidly growing customer base," explained Brent Bruun, Executive Vice President of KVH's Mobile Broadband Group. "We are rolling out a new version of our modulation technology that enables us to handle transmissions much more efficiently, thereby increasing the amount of data that our network can carry. Thanks to our end-to-end design approach, we are able to upgrade the software in our large population of fielded TracPhone? systems over the air, providing a future-proof solution that we continue to improve as we add new features and network enhancements."

Since launching the mini-VSAT Broadband network in 2007, KVH has become one of the world's leading providers of maritime VSAT service. KVH's service differs from competing maritime VSAT services in its use of spread spectrum technology, which enables the use of antennas that are 85% smaller than competing products while still providing fast, high quality service. KVH is also the only maritime satellite service company that designs and manufactures the onboard terminals, owns and operates the satellite service network, and provides round-the-clock global after-sale support providing customers with a total end-to-end solution. Smaller antennas and fully integrated belowdecks equipment are less costly and faster and easier to install, offering significant savings to companies deploying broadband technology to a fleet of vessels.

KVH's business model is another key part of the company's growth strategy. Rather than investing in its own satellites, the company leverages the readily available commercial FSS satellite capacity covering the world's oceans, provided by industry leaders like Intelsat, Eutelsat, SES, and SkyPerfect JSAT. Currently, the mini-VSAT Broadband network uses 17 leased transponders to cover the globe with a unique hybrid network including both C-band and Ku-band coverage. KVH's unique 1 meter, dual-mode TracPhone V11 antenna, the world's only global 1 meter maritime VSAT solution, seamlessly switches among C- and Ku-band frequencies as easily as the 60 cm TracPhone V7-IP antennas and 37 cm TracPhone V3 antennas switch among Ku-band satellites. As KVH's customer base grows, the company will lease additional capacity covering exactly the areas of the world where it is needed. All of the company's TracPhone systems in the field can be dynamically updated to use new capacity as it comes online, ensuring continued delivery of high-quality service.

"KVH supports a large number of oil-and-gas industry customers in the Caribbean region, as well as a large number of yachts, a population that grows with the seasonal migration to southern Florida and the islands from the northern U.S., Canada, and the Mediterranean during the winter," said Mr. Bruun. "Our customers enjoy the highest quality satellite service available, with downloads as fast as 4 Mbps and uploads as fast as 1 Mbps, as well as crystal clear Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone lines with optimized service and prioritization of applications. The addition of this new capacity in the Caribbean in time for the busy winter season is a perfect example of how we actively monitor and manage our mini-VSAT Broadband network to ensure we are delivering the speeds and quality of service our customers expect."

With more than 2,500 onboard terminals sold, mini-VSAT Broadband service is the world's fastest growing, most popular maritime VSAT solution, according to three independent industry research reports published in 2012 by Euroconsult, NSR, and Comsys.

Visit www.minivsat.com/one for complete details about the global mini-VSAT Broadband network and award-winning TracPhone V-series antennas.

Note to Editors: High-resolution, press-ready images of KVH's TracPhone V-series systems and mini-VSAT Broadband coverage maps, are available at http://press.kvh.com for download and editorial use.

About KVH Industries, Inc.

KVH Industries, Inc., is the leading provider of in-motion satellite TV and communications systems, having designed, manufactured, and sold more than 150,000 mobile satellite antennas for applications on vessels, vehicles, and aircraft. In 2012, Euroconsult, NSR, and Comsys all reported that KVH was the market share leader in global maritime VSAT. KVH's mission is to connect mobile customers around the globe with the same digital television entertainment, communications, and Internet services that they enjoy in their homes and offices. The company is based in Middletown, RI, with facilities in Illinois, Denmark, Norway, Japan, and Singapore.

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, for example, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance of KVH's products and technology; anticipated innovation and product development; and customer preferences, requirements and expectations. The actual results could differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, among others, those discussed in KVH's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. KVH does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments.

KVH and TracPhone are registered trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. "mini-VSAT Broadband" is a service mark of KVH Industries, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

Nicole Mongillo KVH Industries, Inc. 401-845-2443

Source: http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2012/12/27/513680/10016599/en/KVH-Doubles-Capacity-for-Caribbean-Region-of-mini-VSAT-Broadband-Network.html

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Obama, top lawmakers meet over fiscal cliff

President Barack Obama waves to reporters as he steps off the Marine One helicopter and walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, as he returns early from his Hawaii vacation for meetings on the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama waves to reporters as he steps off the Marine One helicopter and walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, as he returns early from his Hawaii vacation for meetings on the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer of Md., pauses during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, where he urged House Republicans to end the pro forma session and call the House back into legislative session to negotiate a solution to the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. walks to the Senate floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

(AP) ? The end game at hand, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday to prevent a toxic blend of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect at the turn of the new year.

Success was far from guaranteed in an atmosphere of political mistrust ? even on a slimmed-down deal that postponed hard decisions about spending cuts into 2013, and pessimism vied with optimism in a Capitol where lawmakers grumbled about the likelihood of spending the new year holiday in the Capitol.

"The clock is ticking," Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in remarks on the Senate floor as Obama and congressional leaders were meeting several blocks away at the White House. "My message to them is simple. We can do this. We can get this done, and we must," added the Montana Democrat.

Congressional Democrats said Obama was ready with a revised offer to present.

But that drew a denial from a person familiar with the talks, who said the president would review his proposal from a week ago, when he urged lawmakers to preserve tax cuts for most while letting rates rise above incomes of $250,000 a year. At the same time, Obama said lawmakers should extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. The person was unauthorized to discuss the private meeting publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The meeting lasted a little over an hour and neither the president nor the four lawmakers spoke with reporters before or immediately after the session.

The guest list included two Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell; as well as Democrats Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, her party's leader in the House.

The same group last met more than a month ago and emerged expressing optimism they could strike a deal that avoided the fiscal cliff. At that point, Boehner had already said he was willing to let tax revenues rise as part of an agreement, and the president and his Democratic allies said they were ready to accept spending cuts.

Since then, though, talks between Obama and Boehner faltered, the speaker struggled to control his rebellious rank and file, and Reid and McConnell sparred almost daily in speeches on the Senate floor. Through it all, Wall Street has paid close attention, and in the moments before the meeting, stocks were trading lower for the fifth day in a row.

The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most Americans. He made the proposal central to his successful campaign for re-election, when he said incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples should rise to 39.6 percent from the current 35 percent.

Boehner refused for weeks to accept any rate increases, and simultaneously accused Obama of skimping on the spending cuts he would support as part of a balanced deal to reduce deficits, remove the threat of spending cuts and prevent the across-the-board tax cuts.

Last week, the Ohio Republican pivoted and presented a Plan B measure that would have let rates rise on million-dollar earners. That was well above Obama's latest offer, which called for a $400,000 threshold, but more than the speaker's rank and file were willing to accept.

Facing defeat, Boehner scrapped plans for a vote, leaving the economy on track for the cliff that political leaders in both parties had said they could avoid. In the aftermath, Democrats said they doubted any compromise was possible until Boehner has been elected to a second term as speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.

Apart from income tax rates, congressional officials in both parties said a handful of other issues were the subject of private talks in the Capitol. These included the Alternative Minimum Tax, which would effectively raise taxes on millions of upper-middle-class families unless Congress acts; as well as taxes on capital gains, dividends and estates.

In addition, benefits for the long-term unemployed are due to expire in the next few days, and doctors face the prospect of a deep cut in the fees they receive for treating Medicare patients unless legislation is passed to prevent it.

Further compounding the year-end maneuvering, there are warnings that the price of milk could virtually double beginning next year.

Congressional officials said that under current law, the federal government is obligated to maintain prices so that fluid milk sells for about $20 per hundredweight. If the law lapses, the Department of Agriculture would be required to maintain a price closer to $36 of $38 per hundredweight, they said. It is unclear when price increases might be felt by consumers.

______

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-28-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-64be6a0dd4804def82ae61a60542ff76

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How do CW feel about relative foster parents? - Adoption.com Forums

Hi there. I think I have already told you my story, but it's been awhile. I have done kinship foster care twice, with two different outcomes.

First case: Concurrent placement of a 2 1/2 year old precious little girl. She was taken due to a pretty serious domestic violence incident. Parents were alcoholic to the extent that they partied with homeless people. Bio mom was my cousin. No one thought the parents would be able to do it long term. Caseworker was sure the case would go to adoption. It didn't. Mom and Dad worked their butts off, got back custody at the six month mark and are still doing well to this day. It was difficult emotionally to change paths, but we did, and have a good relationship to this day with the family.

Second kinship case: straight foster situation of a toddler and 9 month old. Bio mom is the daughter of my first bio mom. The placement was only to be for 3 months, the blackout period for the residential rehab she selected. Mom had a meth addiction and was a teen parent. During the placement, bio mom did little things to extend the blackout period. When she finally was able to have the kids come live with her, at the 9 month mark, she had a breakdown and abandoned the children fleeing the rehab. She signed an identified surrender a couple of weeks later. We have adopted the children and have a good relationship with their mother. This whole situation took us, and the CW completely by surprise.

I found the CW to be overloaded, but well meaning. They tended to tell us what we wanted to hear at times, which irritated me. My adopted kids CW kept the fact that their mother was struggling emotionally with me and in fact up to the day she signed I thought they were going back. I felt that it didn't matter to them if we were to adopt, or not. I was treated the same no matter what. I really liked them, and they liked us, but that does not matter in the least whether a child stays or not. It matters if the parents follow through with their case plan. It does not look good for Happy Baby's mother. Remember, though, she could suprise you and do a turn around. This whole thing is a roller coaster! Good luck to you and Happy Baby!

Source: http://forums.adoption.com/foster-parent-support/411374-how-do-cw-feel-about-relative-foster-parents.html

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Toyota poised to put legal troubles in rear view mirror

DETROIT/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp eliminated a huge obstacle with a U.S. settlement over unintended acceleration in its cars and trucks, leaving it to fight smaller cases that will be harder for plaintiffs to prove and less likely to damage the company's growing sales.

While the Japanese automaker still faces possibly hundreds of personal injury lawsuits related to claims that its vehicles accelerated unintentionally, Wednesday's $1.1 billion settlement announcement will remove the last big roadblock to putting the issue behind it.

Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies and an outspoken critic of Toyota who has assisted plaintiffs' attorneys against the automaker, said the settlement covered the biggest financial hit for Toyota.

"Those are not billion-dollar cases," he said of the pending personal-injury lawsuits. "Those are at best million-dollar cases or multimillion-dollar cases. With a company like Toyota, that's not even something that's a blip on their radar."

At the time, the recall around the unintended acceleration issue and resulting lawsuits were a surprise for a company long associated with quality and reliability, and the resulting fallout led President Akio Toyoda to apologize publicly.

Lee Kaplan, a product liability lawyer in Houston, said plaintiffs in the injury and death cases also will have an uphill battle in court because they will need to prove deficiencies in Toyota's equipment.

"I have never seen anyone identify the single cause of the problem," he said. "Without identifying a true scientific or technical basis, pinning a verdict on Toyota will be hard."

Toyota said it agreed to spend $1.1 billion to settle sweeping U.S. class-action litigation over claims millions of its vehicles accelerated unintentionally. The recall fallout related to the issue was a $2 billion hit to earnings in the company's 2010 fiscal year.

Judge James Selna is expected to review the settlement on Friday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California. However, final approval and disbursement of the money may not occur for several months.

The proposed settlement will compensate customers for economic losses related to possible safety defects in Toyota vehicles, covering most of the litigation involving unintended acceleration.

WRONGFUL DEATH

About 16 million Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles sold in the United States spanning the model years 1998 to 2010 are covered by the settlement. Company officials have maintained the electronic throttle control system was not at fault, blaming ill-fitting floor mats and sticky gas pedals. A study by federal safety officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NASA found no link between reports of unintended acceleration and Toyota's electronic throttle control system.

Toyota, the No. 3 automaker in the U.S. market, admitted no fault in proposing the settlement, one of the largest U.S. mass class-action litigations in the automotive sector. One plaintiff's law firm called it the largest settlement in U.S. history involving auto defects.

However, the deal does not cover wrongful death or injury lawsuits, which according to a June Toyota filing totaled more than 300.

Those cases will be handled by Toyota one by one, with the first slated to go to trial in February 2013 in Judge Selna's California court, involving a Utah crash that killed two people. However, one wrongful death case in Houston was dropped last year due to lack of evidence and the largest such lawsuit, over the death of the family of off-duty California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor, was settled out of court for $10 million in late 2010.

SALES REBOUND

Toyota's recall of its vehicles between 2009 and 2011 relating to the unintended acceleration issue hurt its reputation for reliability and safety.

But the automaker's sales were up almost 29 percent in 2012 through November, compared with a 14-percent increase in the industry, and Toyota's share of the U.S. market has risen to 14.4 percent from 12.7 percent in 2011. Last year's Toyota sales were depressed by the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The full effect of the acceleration issue on Toyota's U.S. sales may not be known for years, until the current owners affected by it need to buy another vehicle.

Yet with its U.S. sales rising at double the industry's rate and the company expected to reclaim the global sales crown this year, analysts said Toyota has seemingly shaken off any lingering damage to its reputation.

"Toyota is the Teflon company," Edmunds.com analyst Michelle Krebs said. "They always bounce back.

"The consumer doesn't seem to care," she added. "The consumer keeps on buying Toyotas."

(Writing by Ben Klayman; Additional reporting by Bernie Woodall and Deepa Seetharaman in Detroit and Dan Levin in San Francisco; Editing by Ben Berkowitz and Dan Grebler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/toyota-poised-put-legal-troubles-rear-view-mirror-232505377--finance.html

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PFT: Sherman likely to sue NFL if suspended

GriffinReuters

Well, it?s officially over.

With an eight-game gap and one week of games left, MDS and yours truly disagree on only five games.? Which means that, even if MDS sweeps, I?ll still be three games ahead.? (Math continues to be my strong suit.)

Of course, if I sweep I?ll finish with a 13-game lead.? And based on the five disagreements, I think I will.

Read on to see our picks and our takes for the final week of the regular season.? It all re-sets to 0-0 for the playoffs, at which time MDS will have a chance to exact revenge.? Or to fail again.

Last week, I was 11-5 and MDS went 10-6.? For the year, I?m now at 157-82-1, good for 65.4 percent.? MDS is 149-90-1, which keeps him at 62.0 percent.

Buccaneers at Falcons

MDS?s take: The Falcons wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but they say they?re playing to win in Week 17. They shouldn?t have much trouble winning against the Bucs, who have collapsed at the end of the season.

MDS?s pick: Falcons 34, Buccaneers 13.

Florio?s take:? The Bucs haven?t been the same team since they nearly beat the Falcons in Tampa.? The Falcons are still trying to prove that they?re one of the best teams in the league.

Florio?s pick:? Falcons 27, Buccaneers 17.

Jets at Bills

MDS?s take: Football fans, the Greg McElroy-Ryan Fitzpatrick quarterback matchup you?ve all been waiting for is finally here. Fitzpatrick will throw a couple of touchdown passes in what may be his final start in Buffalo.

MDS?s pick: Bills 20, Jets 10.

Florio?s take:? The Jets have folded the tents, even though the circus is still in town.? Buffalo celebrates the news of a new lease with a home win to end the season, just in time for plenty of changes.

Florio?s pick:? Bills 27, Jets 14.

Ravens at Bengals

MDS?s take: At first glance this might look like a big game, matching up two playoff teams. But with the Bengals locked into the No. 6 seed and the Ravens highly likely to end up with the No. 4 seed, neither of these teams has a lot to play for. I think the Ravens, however, will be a little more motivated to build on the momentum from last week?s win over the Giants and will take this one.

MDS?s pick: Ravens 21, Bengals 14.

Florio?s take:? This meaningless game has plenty of meaning for the Bengals, who need to convince themselves that they can beat the Ravens, in order to obtain the confidence that they can do something else they haven?t done in an even longer time ? win in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? Bengals 27, Ravens 20.

Bears at Lions

MDS?s take: In 2000, the Lions were 9-6 heading into Week 17 and needed only to beat the 4-11 Bears to make the playoffs. Instead, the Bears pulled the upset and Lions owner William Clay Ford cleaned house and began the disastrous Matt Millen era. This year it?s the 9-6 Bears who need to beat the 4-11 Lions to have a shot at the playoffs. I?ll take the Lions to get their revenge in an upset.

MDS?s pick: Lions 28, Bears 24.

Florio?s take:? Rodney Harrison declared while watching the Lions lose to the Falcons that Detroit?s body language suggests the Lions have quit.? The Bears haven?t.? Sometimes, it?s that easy.

Florio?s pick:? Bears 24, Lions 10.

Texans at Colts

MDS?s take: The Texans are playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Colts are already locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC. Houston has more to play for and is a better team and will win this one going away.

MDS?s pick: Texans 36, Colts 17.

Florio?s take:? The Texans have never won in Indianapolis.? They need it this time more than ever.? But the Colts will have coach Chuck Pagano back, and even if the Colts leave so much on the field that it will make it harder to win in the playoffs, they?ll leave it all on the field to beat the Texans.

Florio?s pick:? Colts 27, Texans 23.

Packers at Vikings

MDS?s take: This is the biggest game played in Minnesota since Brett Favre led the Vikings to a divisional playoff win over the Cowboys three years ago. Unfortunately for Vikings fans, they?re hosting a Packers team that?s peaking at the right time. I like Aaron Rodgers to lead the Packers to a high-scoring win.

MDS?s pick: Packers 35, Vikings 27.

Florio?s take:? The Vikings are playing for a postseason berth.? The Packers are playing for a bye.? The Packers remain the better team, and they have every reason to demonstrate that on Sunday.? To the delight of the Bears.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 34, Vikings 21.

Dolphins at Patriots

MDS?s take: A win probably won?t be enough to earn New England a first-round playoff bye, but the Patriots will be motivated to try ? and to wash out the bad taste of back-to-back disappointing performances, in a loss to the 49ers and a close win over the Jaguars.

MDS?s pick: Patriots 41, Dolphins 14.

Florio?s take:? The Pats still have a crack at a bye.? That?s all the incentive they need to take out the Dolphins for the second time this month.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 34, Dolphins 17.

Panthers at Saints

MDS?s take: It?s a meaningless game for both teams, but that doesn?t make it a bad game: Both of these teams have been playing good football in recent weeks, despite falling short of the playoffs. I like the Panthers to keep their winning streak going and make a statement that they?re a team to keep an eye on in 2013.

MDS?s pick: Panthers 24, Saints 21.

Florio?s take:? New Orleans is trying to finish on a high note.? And they are succeeding.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 34, Panthers 10.

Eagles at Giants

MDS?s take: The Eagles quit on Andy Reid months ago. The Giants have looked in the last couple weeks like they quit on Tom Coughlin. Both of these teams are slouching toward the end of the season, but the Giants have more to play for.

MDS?s pick: Giants 14, Eagles 10.

Florio?s take:? The Giants are playing for pride, along with a sliver of hope that they could make it to the playoffs if enough other teams lose.? If the Giants find a way in, there?s a pretty good chance they won?t lose again.

Florio?s pick:? Giants 27, Eagles 20.

Browns at Steelers

MDS?s take: This game is meaningless, and I?m tempted to pick the Browns on the theory that the Steelers will be feeling a hangover from their disappointing Week 16 loss. But the Browns have gone in the tank over the last couple of weeks, and at this point I?m not sure I?d pick them to win on the road against anyone.

MDS?s pick: Steelers 17, Browns 9.

Florio?s take:? The Browns haven?t swept the Steelers since 1988, 11 years before the current edition of the Browns was born.? With rampant changes looming in Cleveland, the Steelers still have enough gas in the tank to avoid getting punked by the franchise they?ve owned since 1999 (even though the Browns are now technically owned by a guy who still owns a chunk of the Steelers).

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, Browns 10.

Jaguars at Titans

MDS?s take: Last time the Titans suffered a humiliating blowout loss and were called out by their owner, they responded by winning the next game. I think they?ll do it again.

MDS?s pick: Titans 24, Jaguars 14.

Florio?s take:? Bud Adams isn?t happy with his coaching staff.? He?ll be slightly less unhappy after Sunday, but still unhappy enough to clean house.

Florio?s pick:? Titans 27, Jaguars 16.

Chiefs at Broncos

MDS?s take: Knowing they need to win in order to earn a first-round playoff bye, the Broncos will pound the Chiefs, who have nothing to play for other than the first pick in next year?s draft ? which Kansas City will earn by losing.

MDS?s pick: Broncos 27, Chiefs 10.

Florio?s take:? With 10 straight wins each by at least seven points, the Broncos could be the best team in the playoff field.? They?re definitely good enough to continue chasing a bye week.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 34, Chiefs 10.

Raiders at Chargers

MDS?s take: With Norv Turner virtually assured of being fired after the game, his team will send him out a winner in an AFC West contest that doesn?t really matter for much of anything.

MDS?s pick: Chargers 24, Raiders 10.

Florio?s take:? Norv Turner has one last chance to change the owner?s mind.? It won?t matter.

Florio?s pick:? Chargers 24, Raiders 10.

Cardinals at 49ers

MDS?s take: San Francisco will shake off Sunday night?s thrashing in Seattle to clinch the NFC West.

MDS?s pick: 49ers 28, Cardinals 3.

Florio?s take:? The Niners are on the brink of squandering the NFC West title that we were ready to hand them back in September.? If they can?t beat the Cardinals and Brian Hoyer at home, San Fran doesn?t even deserve to be in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 31, Cardinals 13.

Rams at Seahawks

MDS?s take: No one wants to play the Seahawks right now. They?re destroying everything in their paths. The Rams will be no different.

MDS?s pick: Seahawks 45, Rams 7.

Florio?s take:? The Seahawks, who lost their first round of NFC West games, have been exacting revenge in a big way.? They finish the job on Sunday.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 41, Rams 17.

Cowboys at Redskins

MDS?s take: In the biggest game of the day, the Cowboys will ride Tony Romo and Dez Bryant to a high-scoring win. I suspect that Robert Griffin III is hurting more than he?s letting on and won?t be able to move as effectively as he did in the Redskins? Thanksgiving win over the Cowboys. Dallas will take the NFC East crown.

MDS?s pick: Cowboys 31, Redskins 28.

Florio?s take:? For the second straight year, the NFC East title game returns to prime time in Week 17.? For the second straight year, the home team advances.? For the second straight year, the Cowboys come up short.

Florio?s pick:? Redskins 24, Cowboys 21.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/richard-sherman-likely-to-sue-league-if-suspended/related/

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Storm delays thousands of fliers; tips to get home

NEW YORK (AP) ? A massive winter storm is disrupting travel plans for fliers trying to get home after Christmas. Snow, thunderstorms, sleet, tornados and high winds have grounded planes in the nation's midsection and are expected to slow operations on the East Coast.

Delays racked up from Dallas to New York. By 9 a.m. Wednesday, more than 400 flights nationwide had been scrapped with more cancelations likely throughout the day.

Passengers are pretty much at the mercy of Mother Nature and the airlines. But there are a few things they can do to improve their odds of getting home quickly.

? If you miss your connection, the airlines will automatically rebook you on the next available flight. However, with flights at near capacity, the next open seat could be several days away. Two years ago, some Christmas fliers had to wait nearly a week to get home.

? If you're unhappy with your rebooked flight, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. But also, pick up the phone and call the airline directly, go onto the airline's website and even consider sending a Tweet.

? Consider buying a one-day pass to the airline lounge. It's a nice place to relax away from the crowd and there are usually free drinks and small snacks. But the real secret to the lounges is that the airline staffs them with some of its best ? and friendliest ? ticket agents. The lines inside will be much shorter and these agents are magically able to find empty seats where nobody else can. One-day passes typically cost $50.

___

Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/storm-delays-thousands-fliers-tips-home-150746546--finance.html

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Report: Top Syrian general joins opposition

BEIRUT (AP) ? The general who heads Syria's military police has defected and joined the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime, one of the highest walkouts by a serving security chief during the country's 21-month uprising, a pan Arab TV station has reported.

Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Jassem al-Shallal appeared in a video aired on Al Arabiya TV late Tuesday saying he is joining "the people's revolution."

Al-Shallal's defection comes as military pressure builds on the regime, with government bases falling to rebel assault near the capital Damascus and elsewhere across the country. On Wednesday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government shelling in the northeastern province of Raqqa killed at least 20 people, including women and children.

Dozens of generals have defected since Syria's crisis began in March 2011. In July, Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass was the first member of Assad's inner circle to break ranks and join the opposition.

Al-Shallal is one of the most senior and held a top post at the time that he left. He said in the video that the "army has derailed from its basic mission of protecting the people and it has become a gang for killing and destruction." He accused the military of "destroying cities and villages and committing massacres against our innocent people who came out to demand freedom."

Thousands of Syrian soldiers have defected over the past 21 months and many of them are now fighting against government forces. Many have cited attacks on civilians as the reason they switched sides.

The Observatory said the shelling in an agricultural area of Raqqa province near the village of Qahtaniyeh killed 20, including eight children, three women and nine others.

An amateur video showed the bodies of a dozen people including children lying in a row inside a room. Some of them had blood on their clothes, while weeping could be heard in the background.

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting on the events depicted.

Also Wednesday, activists said rebels were attacking the Wadi Deif military base in the northern province of Idlib. The base, which is near the strategic town of Maaret al-Numan, has been under siege for weeks.

The Observatory said at least five rebels were killed in the fighting that started after midnight. It added that Syrian army warplanes attacked rebel positions in the areas.

"It is the heaviest fighting in the area in months," said the Observatory, which relies on activists throughout Syria.

In October, rebels captured Maaret al-Numan, a town on on the highway that links the capital Damascus with Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a major battleground in the civil war since July.

The attack on Wadi Deif comes a day after rebels captured the town of Harem near the Turkish border. The rebels have captured wide areas and military posts in northern Syria over the past weeks.

Syria's crisis began with protests demanding reforms but later turned into a civil war. Anti-regime activists estimate more than 40,000 have died in the past 21 months.

In neighboring Lebanon, airport officials in Beirut said Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and Assistant Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnous flew early Wednesday to Moscow.

Their visit to Moscow comes two days after Assad met in Damascus with international envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi. Brahimi, who is scheduled to go to Moscow before the end of the month, said after the talks Monday that the situation was "worrying" and gave no indication of progress toward a negotiated solution for the civil war.

Brahimi is still in Syria and met Tuesday with representatives of the opposition National Coordination Body, state-run news agency SANA said. Head of the group Hassan Abdul-Azim said Brahimi briefed them on the efforts he is exerting to reach an "international consensus, especially between Russia and the United Stated to reach a solution."

Rajaa al-Naser, NCB's spokesman, said his group has put forward proposals adding that there would be no exit but through halting violence and forming a "transitional government with full prerogatives."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-top-syrian-general-joins-opposition-101021047.html

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