Judge awards $17.8 million to family of military jet crash victims

Brian Panish is the Yoon family's lead counsel: "I think the judge was trying to send a message that family is important."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Don Yoon lost his wife, two infant daughters and mother-in-law in the crash
• The family had sought $56 million from the federal government
• The jet crash happened in December 2008

(CNN) -- A federal judge Wednesday ordered the government to pay more than $17 million to a family that lost four members when a U.S. Marine Corps jet crashed into a California house in 2008.

The family of Don Yoon -- who lost his wife, two young daughters, and mother-in-law -- said it believed it was a "thoughtful, fair, and reasoned decision" by the judge, said Brian Panish, lead counsel for the family.

Relatives had sought $56 million from the federal government, but in the end were awarded $17.8 million.

"I think the judge was trying to send a message that family is important," Panish said of the judgment ordered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller.

An F/A-18 Hornet headed to nearby Marine Corps Air Station Miramar crashed into the family's house in San Diego on December 8, 2008, after the pilot reported having trouble. The house and another unoccupied one next door were destroyed by the ensuing fire.

The pilot, who ejected safely at 400 feet, tried desperately to steer the plane away from danger and screamed in horror when he saw it had crashed into the house, military documents showed.

Killed in the crash were Yoon's daughter Rachel, who was almost 2 months old; his 15-month-old daughter Grace; his wife, Young Mi Moon; and her mother, Suk Im Kim, who had recently come to the United States from Korea to help take care of the children.

Wednesday's verdict came almost exactly seven years after Yoon married his late wife on Christmas Day 2004, said Panish.

Yoon has said he does not blame the pilot and has urged prayers for the pilot not to suffer.

Yoon still lives in San Diego, with his sister and brother-in-law, Panish said. He said Yoon has been "doing the best he can to get through every day, but it's very difficult for him to have such a tragic loss without warning."

In a statement read by Panish, Yoon said, "Our family is relieved that this part of the process is over, but no sum of money will ever make up for the loss of our loved ones. I still harbor no ill will towards the United States Marine Corps and the pilot that did all he could to prevent this tragedy."

Panish said family members who testified stayed strong and told the story of a loving family and how immeasurable they felt the losses were. He praised the judge for understanding those family relationships.

"The only way to know what someone lost is to know what they had, and he got what they had, and he could measure as best you can the tremendous loss they suffered," Panish said.

Some of those who testified at the trial spoke Korean and had to use an interpreter, Panish said.

He said he hopes the government will abide by the judge's ruling.

U.S. Justice Department attorney Bruce Ross told the judge that the family was entitled to "just and reasonable" damages, CNN San Diego affiliate KGTV reported.

The Marine Corps sacked four top officers of the fighter squadron and disciplined nine other Marines after an investigation showed deferred maintenance and faulty decisions by ground controllers and the pilot contributed to the crash.

The investigation found the jet's right engine experienced a string of emergencies that left it relying on the left engine, which had already given mechanics indications of a problem.

Though maintenance rules don't require immediate repairs for the problem, the squadron flew the jet 146 times before it eventually crashed because the left engine was starved for fuel.

The investigation criticized the pilot for not consulting a pocket checklist that outlined emergency procedures. And while controllers aboard the aircraft carrier that launched the jet urged the pilot to land at a nearby Navy airfield at North Island, squadron officers relied on "incorrect assumptions and inaccurate data" to guide him back to the plane's base at Miramar, the investigation found.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/28/us/california-military-crash/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

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Stratfor delays website launch after hack attack (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Private intelligence analysis firm Strategic Forecasting Inc., which was attacked by online hackers at the weekend, said in a letter to free subscribers that it has decided to delay the launching of its website by about a week.

The website of Strategic Forecasting, also known as Stratfor, has been offline for several days following the hacking attack.

"As part of our ongoing investigation, we have also decided to delay the launching of our website until a thorough review and adjustment by outside experts can be completed," Stratfor said in an email.

The firm had earlier disclosed that its website had been hacked and that some information about its corporate subscribers had been made public.

The hacking group known as Antisec has claimed responsibility for the attack and promised to cause "mayhem" by releasing stolen documents.

"An unauthorized party illegally obtained and disclosed personally identifiable information and related credit card data of some of our paying subscribers," Stratfor said in the email.

Stratfor also said in its letter that it would offer identity theft protection and monitoring services to affected subscribers.

(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Ed Lane)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111229/wr_nm/us_stratfor

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Senator Dominic Pileggi: Union Republican

Senator Dominic Pileggi, a ?Union Republican ?, ?wants to challenge Sen. Bob Casey 2012 November. Read Tea Party Lisa Esler?s expose of Sen.Pileggi?s less than Tea Party record. I would add that Sen. Pileggi has facilitated everyone of former Gov. Ed Rendell?s ever escalating budget spending and borrowing. Dominic Pileggi is ?The Establishment?s Guy.?

February 2, 2011 ? Senator Pileggi spoke to members of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council about legislative priorities in the 2011-12 session during a meeting at the Harrisburg Hilton.

A List of Union Republicans 2001 ? 2002 AFL-CIO

How does Sen. Pileggi get a 100% rating from NFIB and a 75% rating from AFL-CIO???

Pa. Sen. Dominic Pileggi wants a Marcellus Shale gas extraction tax with funds going to property tax freeze for seniors PennLive June 3, 2011

Source: http://thelibertyblog.org/2011/12/30/senator-dominic-pileggi-union-republican/

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San Pedro woman killed walking home from church on Christmas Eve

Eva Tice

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Eva Tice had looked forward to Christmas this year. A family adopted the disabled 60-year-old woman and her roommate, providing her a tree that sat decorated atop a table in their San Pedro apartment.

"She was very excited for Christmas," Los Angeles police Detective Patty Batts said. "She hadn't had a Christmas tree for many years. ... She was very excited about a small little duck hanging on the

Eva Tice's Christmas tree. (LAPD Detective Patty Batts)

tree. She thought it was real pretty."

Tice, who had a mental capacity that varied from a 6-year-old girl to a young woman, had lived a difficult life. She became a ward of the state as a young child when her parents were killed in a car wreck.

Without family to care for her, social workers and caregivers took over, helping Tice to live independently. She was married for many years to another mentally disabled man.

He died six months ago, about the time she moved into her latest apartment on 12th Street, not far from her beloved church, Hope Chapel, where she recently was baptised.

"She was an usher at the church," Batts said. "She really wanted to help. She would always come to the Friday dinners, the

Saturday garage sales. She would always come to Sunday services."

And then there was Christmas.

"She was excited about the Christmas season," a pastor said. "She was even more joyful than usual. She had a great smile on her face, looked very rested and was excited to celebrate Christmas."

Her Bible in hand, Tice walked to Hope Chapel for the 6 p.m. Christmas Eve service on Saturday.

"She was very kind, enjoyed interacting with people and and enjoyed serving

The rubber duck hangs on Eva Tice's Christmas tree. (LAPD Detective Patty Batts)

God," the pastor said.

The service ended about 7 p.m. Tice, who had recovered from a recently broken hip, headed home.

Police are not sure what happened next. Residents who heard moaning found Tice on the sidewalk on Pacific Avenue, covered with blood, her Bible at her side.

Batts said detectives know she walked along Pacific from 9th Street. Someone assaulted her between 11th and 12th streets.

Witnesses saw a man running away.

The assailant stabbed Tice multiple times, Batts said. She died at a hospital.

Detectives suspect the motive was robbery, but do not know if he took anything.

"It's Christmas Eve," Batts said. "She's coming from a church service carrying her Bible. She is mentally disabled, physically disabled, all of 4-foot-11 and somebody assaults her. For what? I don't know at this time. All they had to do is just take it from her."

The crime has shaken congregants at her church, including a female pastor, who did not want her name published for fear of retaliation from a killer nobody knows.

"She attended church every week," the pastor said. "She was a sweet gal."

A worship leader mentioned her death during Christmas services on Sunday, but no one knew the circumstances.

"We are very disappointed that this has happened," the pastor said. "We hope that the person is found as quick as possible."

Detectives who have little to go on believe somebody must have seen something that can help them find a something.

"We need the public's help," Batts said. "When we watch video from the surrounding businesses, we can see heavy vehicle traffic in both directions. We can see pedestrian traffic."

A busy bar is located at 11th Street and Pacific.

Batts asked anyone with information to call her at 310-726-7889 or Detective David Alvarez at 310-726-7879.

"I know people saw things," the detective said.

larry.altman@dailybreeze.com

Follow Larry Altman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/larryaltman

Source: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_19633030?source=rss

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Russian court may ban Hare Krishna text (AP)

MOSCOW ? A Russian court is to decide Wednesday whether a religious text central to the global Hare Krishna movement is "extremist' and should be banned, in a case that has angered Hindus around the world and highlights the continuing challenges for minority religions in Russia.

Prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk have argued that the Russian translation of "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" promotes "social discord" and hatred toward nonbelievers. The text is a combination of the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism's holiest scriptures, and commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness that is often called the Hare Krishna movement.

The prosecutors are asking the court to include the book on the Federal List of Extremist Materials, which bans more than 1,000 texts including Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and books distributed by the Jehovah's Witness and Scientology movements.

Yuri Pleshkov, a spokesman for the group in Russia, said the book in question has existed in Russia for 25 years and has never inspired violence or extremist activity.

"On the contrary, this book teaches humane attitude towards all living beings," Pleshkov said.

The trial follows this year's ban on the construction of a Hare Krishna village in Tomsk and is based on an assessment by professors at Tomsk University, who concluded that "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" includes strong language against nonbelievers and promotes religious hatred and discrimination on the basis of gender, race, nationality and language.

The trial began in June and was scheduled to conclude on Dec. 19, just after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's two-day visit to Russia. That day protesters gathered outside the Russian consulate in Kolkata, and the speaker of India's lower house of parliament adjourned the body for several hours after members began shouting in anger over the proposed ban.

Officials in Tomsk agreed to hear further testimony from experts and the Russian ombudsman for human rights and postponed the court decision until Wednesday.

Indian officials last week appealed to high-level Russian authorities to intervene.

The Bhagavad Gita "is not merely a religious text, but one of the defining treatises of Indian thought," said Indian Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra in a statement. "The Bhagavad Gita has circulated freely across the world for centuries and there is not a single instance of it having encouraged extremism."

The Foreign Ministry insisted that the Tomsk court is not taking issue with core Hindu scripture itself, but rather with the author's commentary and poor translation in "Bhagavad Gita As It Is."

"I would like to emphasize that this is not about 'Bhagavad Gita,' a religious philosophical poem, which forms part of the great Indian epic Mahabharata and is one of the most famous pieces of the ancient Hindu literature," ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a briefing in Moscow on Thursday, adding that the book was first published in Russian in 1788.

Still, followers of the Hare Krishna movement in Russia see the proposed ban as a result of continued intolerance of minority religions by the Russian Orthodox Church. Pleshkov estimates there are at least 150,000 Hare Krishna devotees in Russia.

"The current problem is, above all, the misuse of the law on combating extremism," Pleshkov said. "It is used to search for enemies where they can not even be defined."

In 2005 a Russian Orthodox archbishop asked the mayor of Moscow to ban the construction of a proposed Hare Krishna temple, calling the Hindu deity Krishna "an evil demon, the personified power of hell opposing God," according to Interfax. The temple was later allowed in a Moscow suburb.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_bhagavad_gita

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Argentina's leader faces thyroid cancer surgery

BUENOS AIRES?? President Cristina Fernandez has thyroid cancer, but test results Tuesday show that it remains limited to a lobe in the right side of her neck, and has not metastasized or spread into her lymph nodes, her spokesman said.

Alfredo Scoccimarro said the cancer was discovered during a routine exam on Dec. 22, and that Fernandez received the results from follow-up tests hours before the announcement.

Fernandez, 58, will undergo surgery on Jan. 4 at the Hospital Austral in Buenos Aires and then take 20 days of medical leave, during which Vice President Amado Boudou will run the country. Meanwhile, she will keep up her normal routine, Scoccimarro suggested, noting that she will appear at several events on Wednesday as planned.

This kind of thyroid cancer is highly survivable, with more than 95 percent of patients living at least 10 years after detection, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The usual treatment is to surgically remove as much of the cancerous material as possible, and then follow up with radioactive iodide treatments, taken orally. This substance helps to destroy any remnants of the cancerous gland and provide for clearer images showing any additional cancer, the NIH said on its Web site.

After surgery, patients usually must take medicine ? levothyroxine sodium ? for the rest of their lives to replace a hormone that the thyroid glands produce. Blood tests every six to 12 months to measure thyroid levels also are recommended.

Fernandez is only the latest South American leader to be diagnosed with cancer. Presidents Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Dilma Rousseff of Brazil all have undergone treatments recently.

Presidential doctors Luis Buonomo and Marcelo Ballesteros said the operation will be led by Dr. Pedro Saco, chief of the surgery department at Hospital Austral and chief of the Head and Neck Service of the oncology institute at the University of Buenos Aires. Saco also trained in cancer centers in Houston and New York, the hospital said.

Thyroid surgery is not without risk: the NIH says a nerve that controls the vocal cords can be damaged, and doctors sometimes accidentally remove the parathyroid gland, which helps regulate blood calcium levels.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45800437/ns/world_news-americas/

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Cooklet Aims To Disrupt The Stodgy Cooking Scene With Gingerbread Carp

Cooklet, a Poland-based cooking site founded by Grzegorz Trubi?owicz, features a lot of what you'd expect - lots of recipes, a few pictures of happy-looking skinny people who you know don't eat much food, and some international flare. However, the rise of sites like Cooklet point to a change in the way people find recipes and make food. It's a transition from the standard cookbook-based economy of yesterday's kitchen to a more plugged-in experience we are now embracing.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/nKNJ7Fy8z04/

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India, Mauritius begin talks on revised tax treaty

Indian and Mauritian tax officials have begun talks on revising the double taxation avoidance pact between the two countries and the issue is likely to come up for discussion during the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Mauritius to India.

"Preliminary discussion has taken place this month in Mauritius. Mauritius Prime Minister is scheduled to come India," a top official in the Finance Ministry told PTI.

Earlier in 2006, India and Mauritius had agreed to review the operation of a Joint Working Group to strengthen the mechanism for exchange of information under the tax treaty, besides putting in place adequate safeguards to prevent misuse of the DTAA.

"We in India see treaty misused but they see it as part of treaty. We will again raise our concern," the official said.

Mauritius tops the list of countries bringing foreign direct investment into the country.

India has already posted a tax information officer at the Indian High Commission in Mauritius to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

The revised Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) is expected to pave way for sharing of banking and tax-related information between the two countries and prevent money laundering and evasion of taxes.

The revised treaty, according to sources, will be addressing the controversial clauses relating to capital gains tax on sale of securities.

While short-term capital gains are taxed at 10 per cent in India, they are exempted in Mauritius. Several companies take advantage of the DTAA and escape paying taxes in both the countries.

Around 42 per cent of FDI and about 40 per cent of FII fund flows into India are routed through the island nation.

It is believed that a large majority of them are third country investors which use the DTAC with Mauritius for saving capital gains tax.

Source: http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/india-mauritius-begin-talks-revised-tax-treaty-902

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East Bay roots sprout a Texas Longhorn by way of Hollywood, selfless service and combat

By Jeff Faraudo
Bay Area News Group

Nate Boyer has made a lifetime's worth of surprising choices in the decade since he left Valley Christian High in Dublin: aspiring actor, working with autistic children in Los Angeles and refugees in Darfur, joining the Green Berets.

But none, perhaps, is more stunning than this one.

When Cal plays Texas in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday, Boyer will be on the sidelines for the Longhorns -- a 30-year-old walk-on defensive back who never had played football before making the team.

Boyer probably won't play, but his mere presence -- and his personal story -- have inspired his teammates all season.

"Everybody knows Mr. Boyer," said Joe Bergeron, a 19-year-old freshman running back.

"He's got unique life experiences," said defensive backs coach Duane Akina. "When he can convey what it's like to be deployed and we're in (training camp) two-a-days, it shows there's no reason for us to be feeling sorry for ourselves."

Boyer, who grew up in Pleasanton picked Texas after he left the Green Berets. He went there largely because his GI Bill benefits covered his school costs.

Upon arriving in Austin, Boyer decided to try out for the football team even though, at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, "I was not a physical specimen."

Boyer never told the Texas coaching staff that he hadn't played football before. But he didn't fool Akina, the Longhorns' assistant head coach in addition to coaching the defensive backs. Akina

spotted Boyer as a newbie "the first time I saw him running around" he said, chuckling.

It didn't matter. Boyer outworked other candidates at a tryout last year, and made the cut.

"They threw me into the fire with a bunch of guys," Boyer said. "It's like trying out for the Special Forces. So much of it is mental toughness."

Although Boyer mostly stands on the sidelines during games -- his only appearance was on special teams -- Texas coach Mack Brown calls the reserve safety a valued member of the squad.

"He's a great young man," Brown said. "His character and determination are things we can all look up to. As he told (our players), you can't have a bad day when you're in the military."

Boyer didn't intend to become a role model. After graduating from Valley Christian, he flirted briefly with junior college, then followed his acting aspirations to Hollywood.

To make ends meet, he took a baby-sitting job that involved caring for an autistic child, and that led to doing therapy with autistic children in L.A.

"He's always had this thing about the injustice of the world, the unfairness," said his mother, Laura McDowell-Boyer.

After reading a magazine article about genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, Boyer told his parents in 2004 he wanted to fly to Africa to work in the refugee camps. They gulped and gave him their blessing.

"I'd never been to a place like that," said Boyer, who worked in camps on the Chad side of the border. "It was mostly children and women. All their husbands were off fighting or had been killed."

The experience in Africa, coupled with the memory of the 9/11 attacks on New York, convinced Boyer to enlist in the Army. This was a tougher endeavor for his parents to embrace. Boyer's father, Steve, is a racehorse veterinarian and his mom is an environmental engineer. Both have Ph.D.s and expected their son would attend college.

Instead, he told them he planned to try out for the Special Forces unit after basic training.

Africa prepared Boyer for some of what greeted him in Iraq, but not all. In his first week, a bomb killed a fellow soldier.

"You're thinking, 'OK, this is real,'" he said.

He spent part of his time in Iraq training local military forces in the An Najaf province, earning him the Bronze Star.

By 2009, Boyer's active enlistment was up and he transitioned to the National Guard reserves. He also began looking at colleges.

Boyer is studying kinesiology at Texas and hopes to pursue an MBA. But spending time with his teammates is the best part of his day, he said.

Blake Gideon, a four-year starter for the Longhorns and Boyer's roommate, has worked with him from the start, helping him with football techniques that he knew nothing about.

"His military experience has shown in his willingness to learn and get better every day," Gideon said. "It didn't matter that he didn't play before. He's making up for that."

Boyer has three more years of football eligibility and is working to become a long-snapper for field goals and punts; it's another way to get on the field.

While an appearance in the Holiday Bowl is a long shot, Boyer had a day to remember Nov. 5 during a game against Texas Tech.

With is parents in the stands and the Longhorns were well on their way to a 55-20 victory, Boyer was sent in to help on kickoff coverage -- his first play in a college-football game.

Earlier in the game, Boyer was watching from the sidelines as Bergeron scored one of his three touchdowns.

"Everybody's cheering for him," Boyer recalled, "and he came right up to me, all pumped up. He looked me right in the eye and said, 'That one's for you.'"

Said Bergeron: "It was basically saying, 'Thank you,' and that I'm playing for him."

Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5665654126

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Video: Military brides across the country say ?Yes? to free dresses

Heidi Janson, founder of Brides Across America, discusses her mission to make wedding dreams a reality for military brides by giving away free dresses.

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Prince Philip in hospital as royals mark Christmas (omg!)

LONDON (AP) ? Britain's royal family celebrated Christmas on Sunday with one notable absence ? Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, who remains hospitalized following a heart procedure.

The 90-year-old prince was recovering from having a coronary stent put in after doctors determined the heart pains that sent him to the hospital on Friday were caused by a blocked artery.

Buckingham Palace said "he's in good spirits" and family members will visit Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, in the hospital after lunch.

The royal family's Christmas schedule kicked off with a traditional morning service at St. Mary Magdelene Church, on the queen's sprawling Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The huge crowds that gathered outside the church got an early peek when the royals made a quick private visit to the church ahead of the services. Less than two hours later, they were back ? in different clothes ? for the Christmas service.

The Queen arrived first ? dressed in a lavender-colored coat and hat ? in a royal limousine, leading the way into the church. Her oldest son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, trailed behind.

Prince Harry walked in with his brother William and new sister-in-law Kate? now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Kate, whose style is closely watched around the world and who sends any dress she wears flying off the shelves in Britain, wore an eggplant-colored coat and matching hat.

Among the other royals present was the queen's granddaughter, Zara Philips, who was joined by her new husband Mike Tindall, an English rugby player.

After the service, children lined up to give bouquets of flowers to the queen. Thanking each well-wisher, the queen then handed the bouquets to her granddaughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Well-wisher Camilla Fitt, 71, said Charles told her that his father, Philip, was "very determined" to get well.

"Charles said he is coming on," said Fitt.

The royal family then traveled back to the house for lunch, an integral part of their celebration.

Another key part of their Christmas festivities is the queen's annual message to the nation, which this year will focus on family and community.

The 85-year-old queen has made a prerecorded Christmas broadcast on radio since 1952 and on television since 1957. She writes the speeches herself, and the broadcasts mark the rare occasion on which the queen voices her own opinion without government consultation.

___

Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_prince_philip_hospital_royals_mark_christmas103634867/44002277/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/prince-philip-hospital-royals-mark-christmas-103634867.html

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Video: Army chaplain brings peace to troops

Troops spend Christmas in Afghanistan

Positioned 7,000 feet above sea level, outpost Mustang has been the scene of some serious fighting over the last six months, but as Clarissa Ward reports, the 19 soldiers based there took time out to enjoy Christmas on top of the world.

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsGamecore/~3/E6oAkr9rFdg/

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Congress hopes to wrap up work on payroll tax cuts

Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio pauses at a news conference to announce an agreement for a 2-month extension to the payroll tax cut on Capitol Hill Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio pauses at a news conference to announce an agreement for a 2-month extension to the payroll tax cut on Capitol Hill Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in the South Court Auditorium at the White House complex, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Washington. The president was flanked at the White House by several people who commented on Twitter about how they would be impacted if the tax cuts were not extended. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Capping a full retreat by House GOP leaders, Congress will convene Friday in hopes of approving a stopgap measure renewing payroll tax cuts for every worker and unemployment benefits for millions ? despite serious opposition among some tea party Republicans.

Friday's unusual session, if all goes according to plan, will send a bill to President Barack Obama to become law for two months and put off until January a fight over how to pay for the 2 percentage point tax cut, extend jobless benefits averaging around $300 a week and prevent doctors from absorbing a big cut in Medicare payments.

Those goals had been embraced by virtually every lawmaker in the House and Senate, but had been derailed in a quarrel over demands by House Republicans for immediate negotiations on a long-term extension bill. Senate leaders of both parties had tried to barter such an agreement among themselves a week ago but failed, instead agreeing upon a 60-day measure to buy time for talks next year.

The decision by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to cave in to the Senate came after days of criticism from Obama and Democrats. But perhaps more tellingly, GOP stalwarts like strategist Karl Rove and the Wall St. Journal editorial board warned that if the tax cuts were allowed to expire, Republicans would take a political beating that would harm efforts to unseat Obama next year.

Friday's House and Senate sessions are remarkable. Both chambers have recessed for the holidays but leaders in both parties are trying to pass the short-term agreement under debate rules that would allow any individual member of Congress to derail the pact, at least for a time.

The developments were a clear win for Obama. The payroll tax cut was the centerpiece of his three-month, campaign-style drive for jobs legislation that seems to have contributed to an uptick in his poll numbers ? and taken a toll on those of congressional Republicans.

Obama, Republicans and congressional Democrats all said they preferred a one-year extension but the politics of achieving the goal, particularly the spending cuts and new fees required to pay for it, eluded them. All pledged to start working on that in January.

"There remain important differences between the parties on how to implement these policies, and it is critical that we protect middle-class families from a tax increase while we work them out," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.

House GOP arguments about the legislative process and what the "uncertainty" of a two-month extension would mean for businesses were unpersuasive, and Obama was clearly on the offensive.

"Has this place become so dysfunctional that even when we agree to things, we can't do it?" Obama said. "Enough is enough."

The top Senate Republican, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, was a driving force behind Thursday's agreement, imploring Boehner to accept the deal that McConnell and Reid had struck last week and passed with overwhelming support in both parties.

Meanwhile, tea party-backed House Republicans began to abandon their leadership.

"I don't think that my constituents should have a tax increase because of Washington's dysfunction," freshman Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., said.

If the cuts had expired as scheduled, 160 million workers would have seen a tax increase of $20 a week for an average worker earning about $50,000 a year. And up to 2 million people without jobs for six months would start losing unemployment benefits averaging $300 a week. Doctors would have seen a 27 percent cut in their Medicare payments, the product of an archaic 1997 cut that Congress has been unable to fix.

Even though GOP leaders like House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., promised that the two sides could quickly iron out their differences, the truth is that it'll take intense talks to figure out both the spending cuts and fee increases required to finance the measure.

Just hours before he announced the breakthrough, Boehner had made the case for a yearlong extension. But on a brief late afternoon conference call, he informed his colleagues it was time to yield.

"He said that as your leader, you've in effect asked me to make decisions easy and difficult, and I'm making my decision right now," said Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., paraphrasing Boehner's comments.

Kingston said the conference call lasted just minutes and Boehner did not give anyone time to respond.

There was still carping among tea party freshmen upset that GOP leaders had yielded.

"Even though there is plenty of evidence this is a bad deal for America ... the House has caved yet again to the president and Senate Democrats," Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., said. "We were sent here with a clear set of instructions from the American people to put an end to business as usual in Washington, yet here we are being asked to sign off on yet another gimmick."

Almost forgotten in the firestorm is that McConnell and Boehner had extracted a major victory last week, winning a provision that would require Obama to make a swift decision on whether to approve construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would bring Canadian oil to the U.S. and create thousands of construction jobs. To block the pipeline, Obama would have to declare that is not in the nation's interest.

Obama wanted to put the decision off until after the 2012 election.

House Republicans did win one concession in addition to a promise that Senate Democrats would name negotiators on the one-year House measure: a provision to ease concerns that the 60-day extension would be hard for payroll processing companies to implement.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-23-Payroll%20Tax/id-a08b8b5eb0f04432a99f8c4b38f8e7fe

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How Google Wallet Works With Credit Cards

Steve pays painlessly with his phone. But what?s really going as he waves it near the PayPass sensor? How secure is that transaction? And why has Steve bought into this brave new cashless world?

Credit: TechMediaNetwork

' for(i = 0; i ' + google_ads[i].line2 + ' ' + google_ads[i].line3 + ''; } s += '' if (google_ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { google_adnum = google_adnum + google_ads.length; } document.write(s); return; } google_ad_client = 'pub-1894578950532504'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_ad_channel = '3735313997'; google_ad_type = 'text_html'; google_feedback = 'on'; google_skip = google_adnum;

Source: http://feeds.space.com/~r/Livesciencecom/~3/N8yWSnUDbbU/17627-google-wallet-works-credit-cards.html

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Bristol-Myers liver cancer drug fails trial (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said on Thursday its liver cancer drug brivanib failed to meet the primary endpoint in a late-stage clinical trial.

Brivanib failed to meet the main goal of improving overall survival versus placebo in liver cancer patients who failed or are intolerant to sorafenib. Sorafenib is used to treat advanced primary liver cancer.

Bristol-Myers said three other trials, to evaluate brivanib in different liver cancer patient groups, will continue as planned.

"We remain committed to the development of brivanib as a potential treatment option for patients with liver cancer, and the ongoing study investigating brivanib 'first-line' is expected to complete in 2012," senior vice president Brian Daniels said in a statement.

Shares of the company closed at $35.09 on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Soham Chatterjee in Bangalore; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/meds/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/hl_nm/us_bristolmyerssquibb

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Fantasy baseball players in the news

By KFFL Staff

First Baseman

1B | Prince Fielder | free agent | Free Agents
The Baltimore Orioles have interest in free-agent 1B Prince Fielder (Brewers), but not at the current asking price.

1B | Justin Morneau | Minnesota Twins | Injury, Fantasy,
Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan said 1B Justin Morneau (concussion) is feeling good in the offseason. Also, SPs Scott Baker (elbow) and Nick Blackburn (forearm) are also healing.

Second Baseman

2B | Matt Kata | Texas Rangers | Transaction
The Texas Rangers re-signed 3B Matt Kata to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training Thursday, Dec. 22.

Shortstop

SS | Mitchell Hilligoss | free agent | Transaction, Free Agents,
The Texas Rangers released P Kasey Kiker and SS Mitchell Hilligoss Thursday, Dec. 22.

Catcher

C | Brian Esposito | Cincinnati Reds | Transaction, Free Agents
The Cincinnati Reds signed free-agent C Brian Esposito (Astros) to a minor league contract.

C | Ivan Rodriguez | free agent | Free Agents
The Houston Astros may show interest in free-agent C Ivan Rodriguez (Nationals) if they decide not to keep C Humberto Quintero.

C | Derek Norris | Oakland Athletics | Transaction, Fantasy,
The Oakland Athletics traded SP Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals Thursday, Dec. 22, in exchange for P A.J. Cole, C Derek Norris, SP Brad Peacock and SP Tom Milone.

C | Rob Johnson | New York Mets | Transaction
The New York Mets signed free-agent C Rob Johnson (Padres) to a minor league deal Thursday, Dec. 22.

Outfielder

OF | Carlos Beltran | St. Louis Cardinals | Fantasy
Updating a previous report, the St. Louis Cardinals have signed OF Carlos Beltran to a two-year deal worth $26 million. The contract also includes a full no-trade clause.

OF | Nick Swisher | New York Yankees | Fantasy
The Cleveland Indians and several other teams have called the New York Yankees to discuss the availability of OF Nick Swisher, according to major league sources. However, Swisher doesn't seem to be a realistic target for Cleveland. The Yankees are doubtful to trade Swisher to any team because they lack another major league ready right fielder.

OF | Seth Smith | Colorado Rockies | Fantasy
Colorado Rockies OF Seth Smith is drawing interest from the Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays, according to major league sources.

OF | Yoenis Cespedes | free agent | Free Agents, Fantasy
The New York Yankees are not expected to go after Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes when he becomes a free agent because they don't have the payroll flexibility this year. Cespedes is expected to cost around $30-35 million.

OF | Mike Stanton | Miami Marlins | Fantasy,
The Miami Marlins appear to be long shots to acquire Oakland Athletics SP Gio Gonzalez in a trade this winter. Miami is not willing to part with a player such as OF Mike Stanton to land the lefty.

OF | Eugenio Velez | St. Louis Cardinals | Transaction, Free Agents
The St. Louis Cardinals signed free-agent IF Eugenio Velez (Dodgers) and RP R.J. Swindle (Rays) to minor league contracts.

Starting Pitcher

SP | Travis Wood | Chicago Cubs | Transaction
Updating previous reports, the Chicago Cubs will receive SP Travis Wood, OF Dave Sappelt and 3B Ronald Torreyes from the Cincinnati Reds for RP Sean Marshall.

SP | Brian Burres | San Francisco Giants | Transaction, Free Agents
The San Francisco Giants have signed free-agent SP Brian Burres (Pirates) to a minor league contract.

SP | Francisco Liriano | Minnesota Twins | Fantasy,
Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan said SP Francisco Liriano is not expected to pitch in winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

SP | Joe Saunders | free agent | Free Agents, Fantasy,
The Miami Marlins are still looking at free-agent SP Joe Saunders (Diamondbacks) to replace SP Chris Volstad in the rotation.

SP | Chien-Ming Wang | Washington Nationals | Fantasy,
Washington Nationals SPs Ross Detwiler and Chien-Ming Wang are likely to battle for the No. 5 rotation spot in spring training. SP John Lannan is expected to be the fourth starter behind SPs Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann.

SP | Jason Marquis | Minnesota Twins | Transaction, Fantasy,
The Minnesota Twins signed free-agent SP Jason Marquis (Diamondbacks) to a one-year, $3 million deal Thursday, Dec. 22.

SP | John Danks | Chicago White Sox | Fantasy,
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the team was never close to acquiring SP John Danks from the Chicago White Sox, according to a baseball official familiar with the talks.

Relief Pitcher

RP | Manuel Corpas | Chicago Cubs | Transaction, Free Agents
The Chicago Cubs have signed free-agent RP Manuel Corpas (Rangers) to a one-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

RP | Andrew Bailey | Oakland Athletics | Fantasy,
The Boston Red Sox are attempting to pull off a blockbuster deal with the Oakland Athletics to acquire SP Gio Gonzalez and RP Andrew Bailey. The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays are also trying to trade for Bailey.

RP | Francisco Cordero | free agent | Free Agents, Fantasy,
Free-agent RP Francisco Cordero (Reds) is seeking a multi-year deal and a situation where he is the clearcut closer on a team, according to his agent, Bean Stringfellow. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim would seem to be out with RP Jordan Walden in place as the closer.

RP | Luis Ayala | free agent | Free Agents,
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have yet to reach out to free-agent RPs Luis Ayala (Yankees) or Dan Wheeler (Red Sox) as they look to upgrade their bullpen.

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FootballJesus: Really crappy effort tho from #Texans and #Colts , i will lose this bet on the OVER, cant win em all, but NFL THUR nite bets fall to 7-2

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Really crappy effort tho from #Texans and #Colts , i will lose this bet on the OVER, cant win em all, but NFL THUR nite bets fall to 7-2 Il y a environ 2 heures via web

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Video: No incidents reported since DADT repealed

>>> tomorrow will mark one year to the day that president obama signed the repeal of the u.s. military policy known as don't ask, don't tell, banning openly gay and lesbian service members. just today a sign of the times . two women shared the traditional first kiss after the u.s.s. oak hills returned to home port in virginia. sailors and their families buy dollar raffle tickets for the chance at it. those two women happened to win it. critics said changing this law would never work in the real world of combat. tonight, nbc's jim maceda takes one measure of the change on the ground with some of america's troops in afghanistan .

>> reporter: task force bulldog, on patrol in eastern afghanistan . it's the kind of combat unit that would implode, critics warned, if don't ask, don't tell were repealed.

>> get ready to move!

>> reporter: but the chaos they predicted if openly gay and lesbian soldiers served in close quarters during combat never happened.

>> i don't think anything's really changed at all.

>> reporter: staff sergeant chris bostik is on his third combat tour, a squad leader .

>> every one of my soldiers know i'm gay. they know who i am and what i stand for.

>> reporter: how do his straight buddies see it?

>> if you want to fight for our country, i don't care what you do.

>> reporter: the repeal divided the country when a year ago president obama lifted the ban on gays, lesbians and bisexuals serving openly. now soldiers from grunts to top brass, even u.s. marines have embraced the law. so far, no reports of incidents like hazing or gay bashing . behind front lines at large bases like bag ram airfield, groups of gays and lesbians meet publically. a coffee hour unheard of only months ago.

>> is it easier to be a soldier?

>> definitely. just knowing you won't be kicked out or have difficulties because of what you say.

>> reporter: 13,000 gays were discharged during don't ask, don't tell. half of these worried about reaction among peers. but hundreds, perhaps thousands of gay soldiers have posted their own coming out videos on youtube, often to their own families.

>> dad, i'm gay.

>> reporter: this phone call home by airman randy phillips based in germany to tell his family he's gay went viral erin jones now tells anyone who asks that she's lesbian.

>> i always felt like a part of me died every time i had to say, oh, my boyfriend, oh, this guy i have been talking to when i didn't mean that.

>> reporter: even james amos , once against lifting the ban now supports it.

>> i'm a little bit more proud of my unit and my country for taking this kind of step.

>> reporter: allowing soldiers -- straight or gay -- to excel as they always have in war, but now to do it freely. jim maceda, nbc news, logar, afghanistan .

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45758539/

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I'm really excited :) I think this will work out really well :)

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Nathan Manske: True LGBTQ Stories: 'Your Son Is Straight Now'

I'm From Driftwood is a 501(c)(3) non-profit forum for true lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer stories. Earlier this year, founder and Executive Director Nathan Manske and two companions successfully completed a four-month, 50-state Story Tour collecting LGBTQ stories from towns and cities across the country. They're pulling some of the most relevant, important and sometimes just enjoyable stories from their archives and sharing them with HuffPost Gay Voices.

When Daniel was 15 years old, he went home to find his parents sitting on the couch and his mother crying. They asked him the question many gay teens fear: "Are you gay?"

"What? No. What are you talking about? I'm not gay." They were like, "We found some stuff on the computer." They found out where I'd been talking, like gay.com and other sites trying to reach out to other youth. I finally got up enough courage, and I was like, "OK, yeah, Mom and Dad, I'm gay."

After initially telling Daniel that they were OK with it, his parents gave him an ultimatum.

"There are two options here. One, you can either leave right now. Just get your stuff and go. Or two, we're going to enroll you into a Christian school and you're going to go see this psychiatrist." I chose Option Two.

Option Two included seeing an ex-gay therapist three times a week for over three years. His therapy included being shown lots of straight porn and encouragement to masturbate to girls.

I would just tell him what he wanted to hear, like, "Yeah, she has a pretty face, she has pretty...," you know, whatever, whatever I thought he might like to hear.

Daniel's last day of porn therapy finally came. After Daniel told the doctor he had masturbated to girls, his parents were brought in for the good news from the doc.

He brought my parents in and was like, "I think your son is going to be OK now. I think that it's worked and your son is straight now. There's not going to be any trouble. If you have any questions, here's my business card." It was basically, "OK, my job is done, thanks for the check."

At the end of the entire experience, Daniel is left wondering how on Earth this type of so-called therapy still exists.

I just can't believe that someone would actually try to do that to someone, especially with the Medical Association now saying it's harmful for people to do this stuff. If your brain is wired one way, you can't change it to be another.

WATCH:

Submit your own story at ImFromDriftwood.com.

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Follow Nathan Manske on Twitter: www.twitter.com/imfromdriftwood

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-manske/gay-conversion-therapy_b_1151137.html

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China Wukan Village Protest: Villagers Under Siege Mourn In Massive Funeral Procession

BEIJING -- A man from a southern Chinese fishing village whose death in police custody helped spark a rare revolt was given a hero's farewell Friday as thousands of tearful residents mourned what they called his sacrifice for them.

Wukan, a village of 20,000, has for months been the site of simmering protests by locals who say officials sold farmland to developers without their consent.

Protests against official misconduct are increasingly common in fast-developing China, but Wukan residents have taken things a step further, erecting barricades over the weekend to keep police out and posing a challenge to the authoritarian government. On a near-daily basis, thousands of villagers gather for rallies, shouting slogans for the return of their land and pumping their fists in the air.

The gathering took on a more somber note Friday as about 7,000 people attended a memorial ceremony for local butcher Xue Jinbo, who before his death had been one of the village's representatives in tense negotiations with officials over the land seizure.

Banners saying "You sacrificed your life for our land" and "Sadly mourn Xue Jinbo" were displayed at the ceremony, said villager Qin Zhuan, who was reached by phone.

Qin said they made speeches and lined up to bow in front of a large photograph of Xue, who died Sunday, not long after he was detained by police on suspicion of participating in riots in September.

Expressing commonly held suspicions over Xue's death, another villager said he appeared to have been abused in custody.

"He is man with a loving heart for people. He was killed for struggling to win the land for the villagers. We all cried for him," said villager Huang Hancan. "He must have suffered from mistreatment for a good healthy man to turn into a dead man just a day after being detained. No doubt, he was beaten to death and everyone can imagine that."

In an interview this week with Hong Kong online magazine iSun Affairs, Xue Jinbo's daughter said his body showed signs of bruising and swelling on his mouth, hands, neck and elsewhere, as well as open wounds on his forehead and jaw.

"When we looked at his back, there were also many bruises that look like he had been kicked or stamped on," she said in a video posted on the magazine's website.

Calls to the offices of the Communist Party propaganda department and the government of Shanwei city, which oversees Wukan, rang unanswered Friday. Chinese media reported that local authorities said Xue died of cardiac failure.

Problems in Wukan erupted in violence in September, when hundreds of villagers smashed buildings and clashed with police in protest against the sale of their farmland without their consent. Villagers since have submitted petitions and sought meetings with higher officials without success.

Last Friday, police took away several village representatives and when police tried to return the next day, residents blockaded the roads with tree trunks and barriers to stop them. Residents say police fired tear gas and water cannons at the villagers, who armed themselves with sticks, clubs, hoes and other farming tools.

Police then retreated and set up blockades on the main roads into Wukan, preventing villagers from entering and leaving and food from being brought in, villagers reached by phone said.

Huang said the residents would not give up. "We want justice from the government and we will fight to the end," he said, adding that the villagers also wanted the truth about Xue's death.

On Wednesday, the mayor of Shanwei city threatened to take strong measures against the leaders of the rebellion. He also promised to investigate local officials for wrongdoing and impose a temporary freeze on one farmland development project until a majority of villagers are satisfied with the conditions of the land transfer.

But signs of a split in the community were starting to emerge. Government supporters were offering food in exchange for villagers' signatures, said Qin, the woman who attended the funeral.

"Most of them are former village officials and their relatives who have an interest in the land sales," Qin said. "They offered us rice and cooking oil on condition that we must sign an empty white paper. We suspected that our signatures would be used for other purposes, so we refused to sign."

With a booming economy, demand for land to build factories and housing complexes in China has soared. Land disputes have grown apace, becoming one of the leading causes of the tens of thousands of large-scale protests that hit China every year.

Around Wukan village and in much of the rest of Guangdong province, conflicts have been intense because the area is among China's most economically developed, pushing up land prices.

___

A villagers gives direction to people heading to a makeshift funeral alter to pay their respects to Xue Jinbo, a 42-year-old village leader who died in police custody in Wukan, a fishing village in the southern province of Guangdong on December 16, 2011. Thousands of residents of the Chinese village under police blockade attended the rally and funeral service to demand the government take action over illegal land grabs and the death in custody of the local leader. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

A villagers gives direction to people heading to a makeshift funeral alter to pay their respects to Xue Jinbo, a 42-year-old village leader who died in police custody in Wukan, a fishing village in the southern province of Guangdong on December 16, 2011. Thousands of residents of the Chinese village under police blockade attended the rally and funeral service to demand the government take action over illegal land grabs and the death in custody of the local leader. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

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A villagers gives direction to people heading to a makeshift funeral alter to pay their respects to Xue Jinbo, a 42-year-old village leader who died in police custody in Wukan, a fishing village in the southern province of Guangdong on December 16, 2011. Thousands of residents of the Chinese village under police blockade attended the rally and funeral service to demand the government take action over illegal land grabs and the death in custody of the local leader. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/16/china-wukan-village-protests_n_1153054.html

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