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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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The Latest Buzzword: Immigration :: Fresh Updates from RAC

Last week?s papers ran headlines such as ?5 Republicans who Matter on Immigration,? ?Romney Campaign Manager Says He Regrets Immigration Stance,? and ?George W. Bush Renews Call for Immigration Reform.? As you may have noticed, immigration increasingly has been in the news in the wake of the November election, with?both parties seeming to agree that the system needs to be reformed, as is the consensus among the general public. But what does ?immigration reform? mean? What?s wrong with the current system? And why should Jews care?

HIAS?the international migration agency of the organized Jewish community?has been involved in this policy discussion for decades.?You might have heard of HIAS? historic role in rescuing and resettling Jews fleeing repressive societies. But what you might not know is that today in Washington, D.C. we work to advance laws and policies that protect those who seek safety in the U.S. based on persecution or fear of persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. HIAS also advocates for immigration and refugee laws that are humane, enhance national security and reflect our Jewish values of welcoming the stranger. Along with our Jewish and interfaith partners, as well as other immigration and refugee advocates, HIAS has long pushed reforms to the current system that are guided by the rule of law, national interest, fairness and compassion.

Unfortunately, we have our work cut out for us?the current immigration system is ineffective and outdated. Backlogs have separated families for years, and an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently live in the U.S. without legal status, which makes them vulnerable to harassment and exploitation and fearful of being arrested. Furthermore, there are not enough legal channels for employers who want to hire immigrant workers, particularly for lower skilled jobs.

HIAS is a strong advocate for reforms to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, a longstanding public-private partnership between the U.S. government and non-governmental organizations that provides initial reception and placement services to arriving refugees. As one of the ten agencies that works directly with the U.S. government to resettle refugees, HIAS is dedicated to ensuring that any discussion about reforms to our country?s broken immigration system will also include crucial and overdue improvements to the Refugee Program, such as those proposed in the Refugee Protection Act of 2011.

For HIAS, one of the main priorities for U.S. immigration legislation is eliminating the one-year filing deadline for asylum applications. This provision has prevented many asylum seekers with a well-founded fear of persecution from receiving protection in the U.S. In fact, it is estimated that one out of every five asylum cases is denied because the individual did not apply within this one year time frame. Another priority is to protect refugees, asylees, and asylum seekers who have been mistakenly labeled as terrorists due to the unduly broad definition of ?terrorist activity? in current immigration law. Thousands of individuals? cases have been put on ?hold? with no ability to prove their non-terrorist status?they continue to face endless delays and even the possibility of being deported.?Many have been needlessly separated from their spouses and children for many years and have little hope of reuniting with their families in safety under the current law. Policy changes to address these issues, if enacted, would have a huge impact on the lives of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers who seek safety and freedom within our country?s borders.

As a Jewish-American organization, HIAS is acutely concerned both with the security of our country and with the viability of the Refugee Program. We honor the sentiment of Jewish-American poet and HIAS volunteer, Emma Lazarus, who wrote ?Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.? We believe our work is an expression of the values expressed in the Torah, which mandates ?when a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.?

You might know some individuals who have been affected by broken immigration and refugee policies?they are our neighbors, classmates, colleagues, community members, and friends. Drawing from our historical context, as well as our scripture and values, we must speak out as a Jewish community to advocate for just and compassionate asylum and refugee policies, and to urge the government to devote sufficient resources to successfully fulfill the essential undertaking of protecting the persecuted.

At this crucial time?when we seem to have the momentum and opportunity to reform our country?s immigration system?we urge you to join HIAS in our advocacy efforts. You can host a film screening, a speaker event, or a Shabbat program to learn about international migration issues. Or you can coordinate an in-district lobby visit with your elected officials to discuss stories of people who have been impacted by the dysfunctional immigration system or resettled through the U.S. Refugee Program. There also are countless ways to interact with local immigrants in your community to gain a better understanding of their experiences and help them integrate into society?for instance, you could set up an ongoing service project to help aspiring Americans who are studying for their citizenship exams, join an immigrant detention visitation program, or coordinate a donation drive for recently resettled refugees arriving in your community. Contact advocacy@hias.org or visit www.hias.org to get involved.

Liza Lieberman is the Associate Director of U.S. Policy and Advocacy for HIAS in Washington, DC, where she works to advance the organization?s refugee and immigration protection agenda by educating policy makers on issues concerning immigrants and refugees and engaging Jewish communities in HIAS? work through grassroots advocacy .

Image courtesy of AP File/WBUR.

Source: http://blogs.rj.org/rac/2012/12/26/the-latest-buzzword-immigration/

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No deal in sight as deadline for fiscal deal nears

President Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One to return to Washington, at Honolulu Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, after spending Christmas with his family in Hawaii, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

President Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One to return to Washington, at Honolulu Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, after spending Christmas with his family in Hawaii, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive to visit with members of the military and their families in Anderson Hall at Marine Corp Base Hawaii, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The first family is in Hawaii for a family holiday vacation. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama waves from the window of his motorcade vehicle as he returns from golf and a walk on the beach with his family at Marine Corp Base Hawaii, in Kailua, Hawaii, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. The president and the first family are in Hawaii for a family holiday vacation. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

President Barack Obama waves to base peronnel before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington, at Honolulu Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, after spending Christmas with his family in Hawaii, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

President Barack Obama greets base visitors and personnel before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington, at Honolulu Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, after spending Christmas with his family in Hawaii, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Lawmakers are engaged in a playground game of "who goes first," daring each political party to let the year end without resolving a Jan. 1 confluence of higher taxes and deep spending cuts that could rattle a recovering, but-still-fragile economy.

President Barack Obama returns from Hawaii Thursday to this increasingly familiar deadline showdown in the nation's capital, with even a stopgap solution now in doubt.

Adding to the mix of developments pushing toward a "fiscal cliff," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner informed Congress on Wednesday that the government was on track to hit its borrowing limit on Monday and that he would take "extraordinary measures as authorized by law" to postpone a government default.

Still, he added, uncertainty over the outcome of negotiations over taxes and spending made it difficult to determine how much time those measures would buy.

In recent days, Obama's aides have been consulting with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid's office, but Republicans have not been part of the discussions, suggesting much still needs to be done if a deal, even a small one, were to be struck and passed through Congress by Monday.

At stake are current tax rates that expire on Dec. 31 and revert to the higher rates in place during the administration of President Bill Clinton. All in all, that means $536 billion in tax increases that would touching nearly all Americans. Moreover, the military and other federal departments would have to cut $110 billion in spending.

But while economists have warned about the economic impact of tax hikes and spending cuts of that magnitude, both sides appear to be proceeding as if they have more than just four days left. Indeed, Congress could still act in January in time to retroactively counter the effect on most taxpayers and government agencies, but chances for a large deficit reduction package would likely be put off.

House Republican leaders on Wednesday said they remain ready to negotiate, but urged the Senate to consider or amend a House-passed bill that extends all existing tax rates. In a statement, the leaders said the House would consider whatever the Senate passed. "But the Senate first must act," they said.

Aides said any decision to bring House members back to Washington would be driven by what the Senate does.

Reid's office responded shortly after, insisting that the House act on Senate legislation passed in July that would raise tax rates only on incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples.

Meanwhile, Obama has been pushing for a variant of that Senate bill that would include an extension of jobless aid and some surgical spending reductions to prevent the steeper and broader spending cuts from kicking in.

For the Senate to act, it would require a commitment from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell not to demand a 60-vote margin to consider the legislation on the Senate floor. McConnell's office says it's too early to make such an assessment because Obama's plan is unclear on whether extended benefits for the unemployed would be paid for with cuts in other programs or on how it would deal with an expiring estate tax, among other issues.

What's more, House Speaker John Boehner would have to let the bill get to the House floor for a vote. Given the calendar, chances of accomplishing that by Dec. 31 were becoming a long shot.

Amid the standoff, Geithner advised Congress on Wednesday that the administration will begin taking action to prevent the government from hitting its borrowing limit. In a letter to congressional leaders, Geithner said accounting measures could save approximately $200 billion.

That could keep the government from reaching the debt limit for about two months. But if Congress and the White House don't agree on how to avoid the "fiscal cliff," he said, the amount of time before the government hits its borrowing limit is more uncertain.

"If left unresolved, the expiring tax provisions and automatic spending cuts, as well as the attendant delays in filing of tax returns, would have the effect of adding some additional time to the duration of the extraordinary measures," he wrote.

Whenever the debt ceiling hits, however, it is likely to set up yet another deadline for one more budget fight between the White House and congressional Republicans.

Initially, clearing the way for a higher debt ceiling was supposed to be part of a large deal aimed at reducing deficits by more than $2 trillion over 10 years with a mix of tax increases and spending cuts, including reductions in health programs like Medicare. But chances for that bargain fizzled last week when conservatives sank Boehner's legislation to only let tax increases affect taxpayers with earnings of $1 million or more.

Obama and his aides have said they would refuse to let Republicans leverage spending cuts in return for raising the debt ceiling. But Republicans say the threat of voting against an increase in the limit is one of the best ways to win deficit reduction measures.

Another potential showdown is pending. A renewed clash over spending could come in late March; spending authority for much of the government expires on March 27.

___

Follow Jim Kuhnhenn on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jkuhnhenn

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-27-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-c01bc8ee9ea449a7b0a5222396e26564

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From Athletics to Wellness ? Stay Active and Live Life Fully


Colleges and high schools traditionally have slashed physical education and health curriculums that serve a multitude of students and have continued to support and fund competitive athletics, which provides opportunity for a relatively small percentage of the entire student body. Spelman College, the oldest historically black U.S. college for women, is flipping this script. The private school, based in Atlanta, Georgia, will cease competing against other college athletic teams and put its $1 million annual sports budget toward improving the health of all 2,100 students.

Currently, Spelman fields about 80 student athletes, while the wellness program has 300 participants, and is limited by financial and facility constraints. By expanding the wellness programs and student opportunities the college will move from an emphasis on developing sports skills to a model that focuses on fitness for life.

The college plans to expand fitness programs such as strength training, Pilates and yoga, and is raising money for a new student recreation center. The decision was generated in part by the health statistics for African-American women that include higher rates of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure than other groups.

Not only does this make good physical sense, the potential to increase academic performance by improving the health of students is significant.

The Spelman College model is an exciting template that can benefit students at many high schools and colleges. Kudos Spelman for taking the initiative and being leaders in promoting, physical fitness, good health and wellness!

Source: http://getphysicaltoday.com/archives/2351

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Cops Say NBC Told Not To Use Magazine - Business Insider

NBC asked Washington D.C. police if it could use a 30-bullet magazine on "Meet the Press," but police denied that request, The Washington Post reports.

The network apparently went ahead and obtained the high-capacity magazine, which Meet the Press host David Gregory displayed Sunday while interviewing the head of the National Rifle Association.

Police are now investigating whether the show violated D.C.'s ban on semiautomatic weapons and the high-capacity magazines used in those weapons, on the heels of an outcry from the conservative blogosphere.

Here's an email D.C. police sent to the blog Patriot Perspective, which a Metropolitan Police Department spokesman confirmed to the Post was accurate:

MPD has received numerous emails informing us of the segment. NBC contacted MPD inquiring if they could use a high-capacity magazine for their segment. NBC was informed that possession of a high-capacity magazines is not permissible and their request was denied.

It's not clear how Meet the Press obtained the high-capacity magazine used on Sunday's show.

A representative for NBC did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, nor did a representative for the D.C. police department.

SEE ALSO: Why The US Should Force People To Buy Insurance If They Want Guns >

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/cops-say-nbc-told-not-to-use-magazine-2012-12

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Blogger's death stirs political hornet's nest in Iran

BEIRUT (Reuters) - There was little about Sattar Beheshti that made him stand out in a working-class suburb south of Tehran called Robat Karim.

Like many of his peers, the 35-year-old laborer was devout and lived at home with his mother. But his life changed when he started a blog called "My Life for Iran" last year.

His entries often focused on the struggles of the working class as well as the political restrictions in Iran, sometimes mixed with personal anecdotes from Beheshti's daily life.

As months passed, the tone on the blog became sharper and more political, with unveiled criticism of the establishment and even the Supreme Leader, a red line in the Islamic Republic.

In one recent post, Beheshti criticized a speech made by the leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran with the title "You presented a bunch of lies instead of a speech" superimposed over a picture of the cleric.

Other posts faulted Iran's unwavering support for Hezbollah in Lebanon or highlighted the plight of human rights activists.

Retaliation quickly followed.

"Yesterday they threatened me and told me your mother will soon be wearing black," Beheshti wrote in a post on October 29.

The next day security agents from Iran's cyber police, known by the acronym FATA, arrested him. His bruised and battered body was handed to his family a week later, his death the result of torture, according to a smuggled letter from fellow prisoners.

The backlash was swift and furious, especially from other bloggers, even pro-government ones, disturbed at the fate of a pious young man with no known history of political activism.

Their most pointed criticism was directed at the cyber police and their campaign to stop any attempt at a "velvet revolution" in the Islamic Republic through the Internet.

Government officials have not denied the abuse.

"This individual was beaten but this beating was not in a manner that would result in his death," Attorney-General Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehi told a news conference on December 3.

Within a month of Beheshti's death, seven policemen were arrested and the head of the cyber police was ousted, a dramatic turn of events in a divisive scandal that has shocked Iran.

As international pressure mounts over Iran's disputed nuclear program and harsh economic sanctions bite, the leadership is wary of domestic turmoil, especially with a potentially turbulent presidential election due in June.

IMPACT OF INTERNET

Beheshti's death exposed Iran's political fissures as a handful of lawmakers badgered President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government and the judiciary into ordering an inquiry.

But the most effective tool in publicizing Beheshti's unusual death was the one he had chosen - the Internet.

"I really do believe this is one of the great examples of the impact of the Internet in Iran," said Mahmood Enayat, director of the Iran Media program at the University of Pennsylvania and the founder of Small Media, a non-profit group that focuses on improving information flows in closed societies.

The Internet had become a watchdog, forcing the government to react to anything gathering enough attention, he argued.

"They can't just ignore it anymore."

Although many of the details of Beheshti's detention and death are murky, some are no longer in dispute. On the night of October 30, he was arrested at his home in Robat Karim and transferred to section 350 of Tehran's notorious Evin prison.

Fellow prisoners there said he was hung from the ceiling of a cell and beaten. His arms and legs were then tied to a chair and he was beaten again. At times, his interrogators threw him on the ground and kicked him in the head and neck.

A group of political prisoners talked to Beheshti while he was detained, and slipped out a letter based on their observations and his account to opposition activists.

"When they brought Sattar to section 350, the marks of torture were visible on all parts of his body," said the letter signed by 41 prisoners and published on opposition websites.

Despite his injuries, Beheshti filed a complaint about his treatment to prison officials. Shortly before he was transferred to another detention facility, Beheshti told his fellow prisoners that his captors intended to kill him. Four days later, authorities informed his family that he was dead.

After Beheshti's death, security forces warned his family not to talk to media outlets, and security agents threatened to arrest Beheshti's sister if the family did not sign a consent form regarding the circumstances of his death, his mother said in an interview with the Persian service of German radio Deutsche Welle.

BLOOD-STAINED SHROUD

The family was also offered diye, or blood money, but Beheshti's mother, Gohar Eshqi, refused. When the family was allowed to see Beheshti's body, they noticed that blood from his knee and head had stained the burial shroud.

"They killed him and handed me back his body," Eshqi said in an interview with the pro-opposition Saham News website.

On December 13, a small crowd of friends, neighbors and family gathered to commemorate the fortieth day after Beheshti's death at his gravesite. The previous day security agents tore up notices about the ceremony in the neighborhood, Beheshti's sister Sahar told Kalame, another opposition website.

Videos of the event posted online show Eshqi, Beheshti's mother, holding his picture and shouting "I'm proud of my son" and "My son's killers must be executed." Police later attacked the crowd and beat Eshqi, wounding her leg, Sahar said.

Kalame published pictures of Eshqi's injuries.

Few Iranians could have predicted that Beheshti's death would make any waves. But the Internet buzz kept building. Websites linked with the opposition Green Movement took up the cause and published details of his detention and physical abuse. That led even conservative bloggers to speak out, concerned that the case would damage the image of the Islamic Republic.

The cyber police, a unit within the Iranian police force, was created in January 2011 with a relatively broad mandate.

While the Revolutionary Guards and Intelligence Ministry do their own web surveillance, the cyber police are mainly responsible for tracking down dissidents online.

They are also responsible for blocking websites with controversial content and for pursuing cases of web sabotage.

Earlier this year, new cyber police guidelines directed all Internet cafes to install cameras to monitor customers.

But in Beheshti's case, little sophisticated surveillance was necessary - he was blogging openly under his own name.

OUTRAGE AT HOME AND ABROAD

The affair has drawn international attention, with the United Nations, the United States and several other countries calling for an impartial investigation into Beheshti's death.

In Iran, Ahmadinejad's political foes smelled an opening.

"Foreign governments have raised an uproar about this issue. Why don't the foreign ministry and the judiciary explain the issue?" Ahmad Tavakoli, a parliamentarian from Tehran and one of Ahmadinejad's foremost opponents, said on November 11.

"A death has happened and there must be an explanation."

The outcry about Beheshti in Iran's majles, or parliament, may be linked partly to next year's presidential election.

A disputed 2009 election, in which Ahmadinejad was declared the winner, led to widespread violence and a loss of faith in the political system among some voters.

Shining a spotlight on Beheshti's death is an opportunity to restore confidence in the system and reassure Iranians that the government operates in a transparent and just fashion.

Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, said the authorities were sensitive about their domestic image. "They want to say: 'Yes, we have a working system,' to say: 'Look, one bad apple committed a crime and we are going to make sure whoever is responsible is going to pay.'"

No clarity has yet emerged.

On November 12, the committee for national security and foreign affairs in the majles held a hearing on Beheshti's death with members of the national police force present. At the end of the session, the head of the committee, Alaeddin Borujerdi, said the evidence showed no marks of abuse or torture on Beheshti's body.

Only a few hours later on the same day, Mohseni-Ejehi, the attorney-general, announced that the official medical examiner had noted bruises in five places on Beheshti's body.

The shockwaves from his death rumble on.

After the dismissal of the cyber police chief, Mohammad Hassan Shokrian, on December 1, many hardliners complained that the regime had caved to pressure from the media and foreigners.

Ghaemi said ordinary Iranians who fell foul of the security services risked much harsher treatment than those with some name recognition, but that Beheshti's case marked a milestone.

"It has become a very important issue in terms of discourse between members of parliament, the political class and the judiciary," he said.

"It shows to me that the culture of human rights is really taking root in Iran - that they can't cover it up and run away like they did before."

(Editing by Alistair Lyon and Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bloggers-death-stirs-political-hornets-nest-iran-090640164.html

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