State Dept: Americans take refuge at Cairo embassy

FILE - In this Aug. 14, 1998 file photo, the U.S. embassy in downtown Cairo, Egypt. Three U.S. citizens whom Egyptian authorities have barred from leaving the country have sought refuge in the American Embassy in Cairo, U.S. officials said Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Leila Gorchev, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 14, 1998 file photo, the U.S. embassy in downtown Cairo, Egypt. Three U.S. citizens whom Egyptian authorities have barred from leaving the country have sought refuge in the American Embassy in Cairo, U.S. officials said Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Leila Gorchev, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 23, 2009 handout file photo proved by the Transportation Department, Sam Lahood, left, watches as his father Ray is sworn in as Transportation Secretary, at the Transportation Department in Washington. Three U.S. citizens whom Egyptian authorities have barred from leaving the country have sought refuge in the American Embassy in Cairo, U.S. officials said Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Those banned include Sam LaHood, son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, but officials would not say whether he is at the embassy. (AP Photo/ Transportation Department, File)

CAIRO (AP) ? Three American citizens barred from leaving Egypt have sought refuge at the American Embassy in Cairo amid growing tensions between the two allies over an Egyptian investigation into foreign-funded pro-democracy groups.

The White House said Monday it was disappointed with Egypt's handing of the issue, which U.S. officials have warned could stand in the way of more than $1 billion in badly needed U.S. aid.

The growing spat between the two longtime allies reflects the uncertainty as they redefine their relationship nearly one year after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak following an 18-day popular uprising.

Mubarak was a steadfast U.S. ally, scrupulously maintaining Egypt's peace treaty with Israel and while seeking to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians ? a clear American interest.

Now, Egypt's council of ruling generals, who took power when Mubarak stood down last Feb. 11, often accuse "foreign hands" of promoting protests against their rule.

At the same time, members of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which dominates the new parliament, have suggested that they could seek to re-negotiate parts of the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty, causing alarm in Israel and concern in Washington over the possibility that Egypt will no longer serve as its solid anchor in the Middle East.

Egypt's investigation into foreign-funded organizations burst into view last month when heavily armed security forces raided 17 offices belonging to 10 pro-democracy and human rights groups, some U.S.-based. U.S. and U.N. officials blasted the raids, which Egyptian officials defended as part of a legitimate investigation into the groups' work and finances.

Last week Egypt barred at least six Americans and four Europeans who worked for U.S.-based organizations from leaving the country. They included Sam LaHood, the head of the Egypt office of the Washington-based International Republican Institute and the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the only Republican in President Barack Obama's Cabinet.

On Monday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington that some of the Americans under investigation were in the embassy, although she would not identify them or their affiliations, citing privacy concerns.

"We can confirm that a handful of U.S. citizens have opted to stay on the embassy compound in Cairo while awaiting permission to depart Egypt," she said.

Nuland added that those seeking refuge in the embassy were not "seeking to avoid any kind of judicial process," noting they had been interrogated before.

The U.S. Foreign Affairs Manual states that such request for refuge are generally granted only when the U.S. citizen "would otherwise be in danger of serious harm."

Another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said three Americans were at the embassy.

It was unclear if LaHood was among them. In a text message, LaHood referred queries to an IRI spokeswoman in Washington, who did not respond to requests for comment. LaHood said last week that he had been told by his lawyer that he was under investigation on suspicion of managing an unregistered NGO and receiving "funds" from an unregistered NGO ? namely, his salary.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. had been in touch with Egyptian officials about the issue.

"We've made clear our concerns about this issue and our disappointment that these several citizens are not being allowed to depart Egypt," he told reporters in Washington Monday. Last week, Obama discussed the issue by phone with Egyptian military chief Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

U.S. officials have warned that restrictions on civil society groups could hinder aid to Egypt, funds the country badly needs given the severe blows continued unrest has dealt its economy over the last year.

The U.S. is due to give $1.3 billion in military assistance and $250 million in economic aid to Egypt in 2012. Washington has given Egypt an average of $2 billion in economic and military aid a year since 1979, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Recent U.S. legislation conditions the continuation of that aid on Egypt's taking certain steps in its transition to democracy. These include abiding by its 1979 peace treaty with Israel, holding free and fair elections and "implementing policies to protect freedom of expression, association and religion and due process of law."

The new strain on the U.S.-Egypt relationship underlines the wider question of where the various groups struggling for power will lead the country. For months, the ruling military council has faced frequent protests over its handling of the transition and calling for it to immediately hand over power to civilians.

Military leaders have blamed unidentified "foreign hands" for these demonstrations, saying they sought to destabilize Egypt.

On Monday, a member of the civilian panel created by the military to advise it said the army was considering ways to speed up the transition.

As a sign, however, that U.S.-Egypt military cooperation will continue, a delegation from Egypt's Defense Ministry arrived in New York Sunday. Egypt's state news agency quoted military attache Gen. Mohammed el-Kishki as saying that the delegation would visit U.S. military bases, meet with members of Congress and discuss bilateral military cooperation.

It remains unclear how many foreigners have been barred from leaving Egypt.

LaHood said last week that three other employees of his organization were on the no-fly list, two Americans and one European.

From the National Democratic Institute, which was also raided in December, three Americans and three Serb employees are on the list, the group's Egypt director, Lisa Hughes, said last week.

Hughes said in a text message Monday that none of NDI's employees are staying at the U.S. Embassy.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman did not respond Monday to requests for comment.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Erica Werner contributed from Washington.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-30-Egypt-US/id-08e5c753a97c49409dd4efdea02b1fd3

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Many Parents Skip Booster Seats When Carpooling (HealthDay)

MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Most parents in the United States place their children in a booster seat when they're driving their own car, but many don't enforce this rule when their child is in a car with another driver, a new study indicates.

The researchers at University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that more than 30 percent of parents don't require their children to use a booster seat when they carpool, and 45 percent of parents don't make their children use a booster seat when driving other children who don't have one.

The study appears online Jan. 30 ahead of print in the journal Pediatrics.

"The majority of parents reported that their children between the ages of 4 and 8 use a safety seat when riding in the family car," Dr. Michelle Macy, a clinical lecturer of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a pediatrician at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, said in a university news release.

"However, it's alarming to know that close to 70 percent of parents carpool, and when they do, they're often failing to use life-saving booster seats," she added.

Factors such as limited vehicle space and difficulties making arrangements with other drivers can cause parents to do without booster seats when carpooling, the researchers suggested.

U.S. guidelines encourage the use of a booster seat until a child is 57 inches tall, the average height of an 11-year-old. In many states, children are required to use a booster seat until they are 8 years old.

Using an adult seat belt for a child who is too small can result in improper fit of the shoulder and lap belts and nullify the lifesaving benefits of a seat belt, the researchers said.

"Therefore, parents who do not consistently use booster seats for kids who are shorter than 57 inches tall are placing children at greater risk of injury," Macy said. "Parents need to understand the importance of using a booster seat for every child who does not fit properly in an adult seat belt on every trip."

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about child passenger safety.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120131/hl_hsn/manyparentsskipboosterseatswhencarpooling

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Syria troops?battle for Damascus suburbs

The crisis in Syria takes a dramatic turn for the worse. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.

By Associated Press

In dozens of tanks and armored vehicles, Syrian troops stormed rebellious areas near the capital Sunday, shelling neighborhoods that have fallen under the control of army dissidents and clashing with fighters. At least 62 people were killed in violence nationwide, activists and residents said.

The widescale offensive near the capital suggested the regime is worried that military defectors could close in on Damascus, which has remained relatively quiet while most other Syrian cities descended into chaos after the uprising began in March.

The rising bloodshed added urgency to Arab and Western diplomatic efforts to end the 10-month conflict.

The violence has gradually approached the capital. In the past two weeks, army dissidents have become more visible, seizing several suburbs on the eastern edge of Damascus and setting up checkpoints where masked men wearing military attire and wielding assault rifles stop motorists and protect anti-regime protests.

Their presence so close to the capital is astonishing in tightly controlled Syria and suggests the Assad regime may either be losing control or setting up a trap for the fighters before going on the offensive.

Residents of Damascus reported hearing clashes in the nearby suburbs, particularly at night, shattering the city's calm.

"The current battles taking place in and around Damascus may not yet lead to the unraveling of the regime, but the illusion of normalcy that the Assads have sought hard to maintain in the capital since the beginning of the revolution has surely unraveled," said Ammar Abdulhamid, a U.S.-based Syrian dissident.

"Once illusions unravel, reality soon follows," he wrote in his blog Sunday.

Related: Arab League halts observer mission due to violence

Soldiers riding some 50 tanks and dozens of armored vehicles stormed a belt of suburbs and villages on the eastern outskirts of Damascus known as al-Ghouta Sunday, a predominantly Sunni Muslim agricultural area where large anti-regime protests have been held.

Some of the fighting on Sunday was less than three miles (four kilometers) from Damascus, in Ein Tarma, making it the closest yet to the capital.

"There are heavy clashes going on in all of the Damascus suburbs," said Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, who relies on a network of activists on the ground. "Troops were able to enter some areas but are still facing stiff resistance in others."

The fighting using mortars and machine guns sent entire families fleeing, some of them on foot carrying bags of belongings, to the capital.

"The shelling and bullets have not stopped since yesterday," said a man who left his home in Ein Tarma with his family Sunday. "It's terrifying, there's no electricity or water, it's a real war," he said by telephone on condition of anonymity, for fear of reprisals.

The uprising against Assad, which began with largely peaceful demonstrations, has grown increasingly militarized recently as more frustrated protesters and army defectors have taken up arms.

In a bid to stamp out resistance in the capital's outskirts, the military has responded with a withering assault on a string of suburbs, leading to a spike in violence that has killed at least 150 people since Thursday.

The United Nations says at least 5,400 people have been killed in the 10 months of violence.

The U.N. is holding talks on a new resolution on Syria and next week will discuss an Arab League peace plan aimed at ending the crisis. But the initiatives face two major obstacles: Damascus' rejection of an Arab plan that it says impinges on its sovereignty, and Russia's willingness to use its U.N. Security Council veto to protect Syria from sanctions.

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby told reporters Sunday in Egypt that contacts were under way with China and Russia.

"I hope that their stand will be adjusted in line with the final drafting of the draft resolution," he told reporters before leaving for New York with Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim.

The two will seek U.N. support for the latest Arab plan to end Syria's crisis. The plan calls for a two-month transition to a unity government, with Assad giving his vice president full powers to work with the proposed government.

Because of the escalating violence, the Arab League on Saturday halted the work of its observer mission in Syria at least until the League's council can meet. Arab foreign ministers were to meet Sunday in Cairo to discuss the Syrian crisis in light of the suspension of the observers' work and Damascus' refusal to agree to the transition timetable, the League said.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said he was "concerned" about the League's decision to suspend its monitoring mission and called on Assad to "immediately stop the bloodshed." He spoke Sunday at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

While the international community scrambles to find a resolution to the crisis, the violence on the ground in Syria has continued unabated.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 27 civilians were killed Sunday in Syria, most of them in fighting in the Damascus suburbs and in the central city of Homs, a hotbed of anti-regime protests. Twenty-six soldiers and nine defectors were also killed, it said. The soldiers were killed in ambushes that targeted military vehicles near the capital and in the northern province of Idlib.

The Local Coordination Committees' activist network said 50 people were killed Sunday, including 13 who were killed in the suburbs of the capital and two defectors. That count excluded soldiers killed Sunday.

The differing counts could not be reconciled, and the reports could not be independently confirmed. Syrian authorities keep tight control on the media and have banned many foreign journalists from entering the country.

Syria's state-run news agency said "terrorists" detonated a roadside bomb by remote control near a bus carrying soldiers in the Damascus suburb of Sahnaya, killing six soldiers and wounding six others. Among those killed in the attack some 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of the capital were two first lieutenants, SANA said.

In Irbil, a Kurdish city in northern Iraq, about 200 members of Syria's Kurdish parties were holding two days of meetings to explore ways of supporting efforts to topple Assad.

Abdul-Baqi Youssef, a member of the Syrian Kurdish Union Party, said representatives of 11 Kurdish parties formed the Syrian Kurdish National Council that will coordinate anti-government activities with Syria's opposition.

Kurds make up 15 percent of Syria's 23 million people and have long complained of discrimination.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/29/10262653-soldiers-rebels-killed-in-fight-to-control-damascus-suburbs

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"Beasts," "The House I Live In" win top awards at Sundance (Reuters)

PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) ? "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and "The House I Live In" won the top awards at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, making them likely favorites for independent movie audiences in 2012.

Directed by Benh Zeitlin and set in impoverished Louisiana, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" picked up the jury prize for best drama as well as best cinematography with its poetic tale of the bond between a father and a daughter.

The documentary winner, "The House I Live In," was one of many documentaries at Sundance 2012 that looked at a struggling America at Sundance 2012. It is an examination of America's long war on drugs and critiques of U.S. drug policies, its court system, prisons and their impact on minorities.

"The war on drugs is a terrible scar on America," said director Eugene Jarecki.

Special juries of industry professionals vote on winners, and those are considered the top prizes but audiences also vote for their favorites.

"The Surrogate," which stars Helen Hunt and John Hawkes and is about a man's quest to lose his virginity while mostly confined to an iron lung, won the Audience Award for best drama.

The film, based on the life of poet and journalist Mark O'Brien, fetched one of the highest selling prices at the festival -- a reported $6 million -- and with its mix of comedy and drama could turn out to be one of the bigger U.S. indie hits in cinemas to come out of the festival.

"Love is a journey, that's it," said director Ben Lewin when accepting his trophy, quoting a line from the film.

"SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN"

The Audience Award for documentary was given to "The Invisible War," about an epidemic of sexual assault in the U.S. military and shining a light on a little known problem.

Other documentary special jury prizes went to "Love Free or Die," about the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson; and "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry," about the Chinese artist and activist who was detained for 81 days last year.

"Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" director Alison Klayman took a picture of the crowd upon accepting the award and promised to send it to the Chinese artist, who was spent 81 days in government detention last year and felt it was too risky to attend the festival from China.

Sundance, which is backed by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute for filmmaking, is the largest U.S. gathering for independent movies. Festival winners go on to become some of the most talked about films in art houses.

Many of the more hyped fictional films for Sundance 2012 did not live up to their buzz, with many including "Red Lights" starring Robert De Niro and Spike Lee's "Red Hook Summer" disappointing critics, although films have still sold.

In addition to prizes for U.S. films, Sundance also gives awards in world cinema.

"Searching for Sugar Man," about the search for an obscure 1970s Detroit folk singer known as Rodriguez, won the audience award for best world documentary as well as a special jury prize. It was one of the most popular films of the festival, which served as the d3ebut for documentaries such as "An Inconvenient Truth."

Chile's "Violeta Went To Heaven," based on the life of Chilean folk singer Violeta Parra's journey from a poor upbringing to national hero, won the jury prize for best drama, and "The Law In These Parts" was the jury's pick for best documentary.

(Reporting By Christine Kearney; editing by Mohammad Zargham and Bill Trott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/film_nm/us_sundance_winners

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ResourceBlog Article: Yahoo! Discontinues Finance and News Apps

The FreePint?Family is a family of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success.

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Jon Gosselin and Ellen Ross: It's Over!

Jon Gosselin and Ellen Ross have split up after nearly two years together.

It's unclear exactly why the ex-husband of Kate Gosselin split with his lady friend, but reports say Ellen's distaste for the media was the final straw.

"Ellen didn't like the media attention and other things that came with the relationship," a source said. "That's one of the main reasons they broke up."

Wait ... we still pay attention to Jon Gosselin? Besides right now? Who knew!

According to an insider, the twosome broke up more than a week ago, but it wasn't until Friday that Jon Gosselin confirmed the breakup on Twitter:

"Recently, after much thought and discussion, Ellen and I have decided to end our relationship. It was a mutual decision and we are both happy."

"We will remain best friends. We both plan to move forward and focus on our separate lives. We ask that you please respect our privacy at this time."

So far, no word from Ellen Ross personally, except a denial earlier this week that was debunked when Jon spilled the beans on Twitter. Whoops.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/jon-gosselin-and-ellen-ross-its-over/

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FDA approves Pfizer's Inlyta for kidney cancer (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Pfizer's Inlyta drug for patients with advanced kidney cancer got the nod from U.S. regulators on Friday, boosting the company's plans to offset plunging Lipitor sales.

The Food and Drug Administration said the drug, known generically as axitinib, was effective at treating patients who did not respond to another drug for kidney cancer.

About 61,000 Americans were diagnosed with kidney cancer last year, and about one in five of them are expected to die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

About 20 percent to 30 percent of these patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis, Pfizer said.

Inlyta, which inhibits certain receptors that can influence tumor growth and progression of cancer, is one of several new drugs Pfizer is banking on to help replace lost revenue from its cholesterol fighter, Lipitor. The world's top-selling drug began facing generic competition late last year.

(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov in Washington and Anand Basu in Bangalore)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/hl_nm/us_fda_pfizer_inlyta

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India's Razzies poke fun at "indulgent" Bollywood (Reuters)

MUMBAI (Reuters) ? Bollywood stars better watch out. Movie fans in India are handing out their own version of the Razzies, the annual Oscars spoof that spotlights Hollywood's worst performances.

The second Ghanta (bell) Awards and the fourth Golden Kela (golden banana) awards are doing the rounds of social media networks, with fans voting in various categories for the worst films of 2011.

The rise of what is known as the "multiplex audience," urban viewers who have a taste for edgier cinema and the spending power to watch it, has meant that Bollywood is exploring newer storylines and bolder themes.

But Indian actors and film makers continuing with stale family melodramas and bad scripts risk being pilloried by urban audiences exposed to top-notch Hollywood films who now expect the same standards in India.

This year, the Ghantas also have a holier-than-thou film award, for "indulgent film makers."

"These are typically personal stories that do not cater to mass sensibilities," says Karan Anshuman, film critic and co-founder of The Ghanta Awards.

"Here, films are inspired by the grammar of world cinema and not so much Bollywood," says Anshuman.

"And while this is an encouraging step toward making available different cinemas to an audience, more often than not the movies are ineptly made and just plain bad and silly."

With categories like "Most Atrocious lyrics," "Worst Rip-Off" and "Worst Holier-than-thou films," fans can take potshots at the worst of Bollywood cinema from the past year.

Big-ticket stars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are nominated in the worst actor categories at The Ghantas while the Shah Rukh Khan caper "Don 2" has been nominated in the "Worst Rip-Off" category for imitating "every Hollywood action film."

The response from the Indian online community has been encouraging. A day after voting began, more than a thousand users had cast their votes for the Ghantas. More than 300,000 people cast their votes for The Golden Kelas last year.

Organizers aren't counting on the same support from the Indian film industry.

"Bollywood isn't really known for laughing at itself and frankly has zero sense of humor," says Anshuman.

Organizers of the Golden Kela awards, which last year awarded the Worst Actor award to Shah Rukh Khan, say no Bollywood star or film maker shows up to claim their prizes.

This week, film maker Anurag Kashyap tweeted he would collect his Ghanta award in person if his film "That Girl in Yellow Boots" wins in the "holier-than-thou" category.

While the Ghantas will be announced in February in Mumbai, the Golden Kela award ceremony will be held in New Delhi in March.

(Reporting By Shilpa Jamkhandikar, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/stage_nm/us_bollywood_razzies

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Obama Pitches 'All Of The Above' Energy Strategy

President Obama promoted the sale of new oil and gas drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico and the promise of cars running on natural gas, defending his energy agenda Thursday against critics who say his policies have stifled domestic energy production.

"We need an all-out, all-in, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every source of American energy ? a strategy that's cleaner and cheaper and full of new jobs," Obama said at a Nevada UPS center, flanked by large trucks bearing the company's logos.

Obama announced plans for the sale of new oil and gas drilling leases for nearly 38 million acres in the central Gulf of Mexico and highlighted the completion of a highway corridor for vehicles that run on liquefied natural gas. It came days after he drew sharp Republican criticism for rejecting a cross-country oil pipeline that would have delivered Canadian tar sands oil to refineries in Texas.

The parcels the Obama administration is putting up for lease in June are part of an offshore drilling plan for 2007-12 put in place by President George W. Bush. But after the massive BP oil spill led to an overhaul of the government's oversight of offshore exploration and production, some of those areas had to be re-evaluated for the environmental risks associated with drilling, in some cases delaying the original auction date.

The two leases that will be sold off next summer were originally scheduled for 2011 and this year.

"We're going to keep moving on American energy," Obama said.

Combined with other parts of Obama's energy pitch, the White House is portraying the president as willing to seek the middle ground on energy after Republicans and the industry criticized him for the moratorium put in place after the Gulf disaster, the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, and other policies they say have hampered production, jobs and national energy security.

Some of those critics on Thursday weren't convinced anything has changed. They accused Obama of taking credit for work done to increase oil and gas production by previous administrations.

"Announcing a scheduled lease sale that doesn't open any new areas for energy production and that should have happened a year ago shouldn't be a `major announcement,"' said Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

The lease proposal includes Obama administration measures designed to encourage oil and gas exploration companies to develop the leases. The Interior Department has increased the minimum bid for deepwater leases to $100 an acre from $37.50. Administration officials said Wednesday that the increase was designed to give leaseholders incentives to invest in acreage they would be more likely to explore. Escalating rental rates are also designed to encourage faster exploration and development.

Later, speaking at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, Obama was expected to highlight the expanded use of clean energy by the Defense Department. The Air Force is installing a one-megawatt solar array on the base, and it tested jets last year that are powered by advanced biofuels.

In choosing Nevada and Colorado, Obama is returning to two states that are important to his re-election campaign.

Obama last visited both states in late October, using the trip to launch a phase of his campaign to jumpstart the economy. With economic indicators improving, Obama this time visited on a higher note.

Both states hold their presidential caucuses within the next two weeks events that have grown in importance as the Republican contest for the White House continues to shift and narrow to a choice between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Obama won both Nevada and Colorado in 2008. Nevada has had the nation's highest unemployment, in excess of the national average. But a poll in December by the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed Obama with a 6-percentage-point lead over Romney and a 12-point lead over Gingrich.

Colorado offers an example of a state with a mix of energy programs, from a booming solar-energy industry to natural gas extraction that is a result of a compromise between energy companies and environmentalists.

Obama kicked off his post-State of the Union tour on Wednesday in Iowa and Arizona, pushing for tax incentives for manufacturers. His three-day trip concludes Friday in Michigan.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/01/26/145918384/obama-pitches-all-of-the-above-energy-strategy?ft=1&f=1007

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Atheist Announcements (slacktivist)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Google-Approved Motorola Lawsuit Trying to Block iPhone 4S and iCloud [Motorola]

The days of Apple and Google sitting down for a nice cup of tea are long gone. Now they're staring across the battlements, just waiting to lawyer bomb each other into the Stone Age. Motorola's new lawsuit against Apple—which Google had to approve—is the latest stop on the road to the inevitable clash of titans. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/C3_K9yDGY7w/google+approved-motorola-lawsuit-trying-to-block-iphone-4s-and-icloud

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Fixing the budget means higher taxes

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If we really are going to reduce the federal deficit, new tax revenues must be part of the solution.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/TshLdNpTKws/Fixing-the-budget-means-higher-taxes

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Comments from meeting of EU finance ministers (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? EU finance ministers and officials met on Tuesday to discuss a new treaty which aims to tighten fiscal discipline in the euro zone.

Following are comments after the end of the meeting:

GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE ON GREECE:

"Greece must implement the agreed measures and reforms. And of course all Greek parties must agree to the measures and a new program, independently of the upcoming election.

"The contribution of private creditors is about reaching debt sustainability defined as 120 percent of GDP by 2020 as the heads of state and governments decided last year. In the current negotiations with private creditors we are still some way from that.

"Of course it is clear the IMF has to be part of a second package for Greece and so the talks will be continued in the next days on that basis.

"The (EU-IMF) troika sometimes has the impression that not everything agreed in the first program has been implemented. We told Greece clearly that what has not been implemented yet must be implemented. It strengthens the confidence that what is agreed is implemented.

"Without the commitment of all (parties) and without assurance that independently of the outcome of elections the commitment is valid, it would be irresponsible for me as finance minister to sign."

ON TALKS ON PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN GREECE:

"As long as we do not have debt sustainability, we do not have a new program.

"That (people saying this is my last offer) happens in every bazaar. You do not need to be impressed by that. At least I do not. I am a good negotiator but that does not intimidate me."

ON EFSF AFTER S&P DOWNGRADE:

"(EFSF CEO) Klaus Regling said that the EFSF was fully able to act and anyway, the low reaction on capital markets show that we reacted properly with certain calmness. The most important was that we decided to get the ESM into place as quickly as possible."

ON ESM PERMANENT BAILOUT FUND:

"It will be a lot more trustworthy because of course nothing convinces investors as much as when the euro zone member states have paid capital into a stabilization mechanism.

"We have the option in the treaty to pay in tranches more quickly but the head of the Eurogroup said it is clear all countries would have to agree to it. That may be a topic at the meeting of heads of state and government. In any case, we are ready to do it and we would welcome it if payments would be made more quickly.

"The upper limit has been set at 500 billion euros, that is no surprise. You know the heads of state and government will check that again in March but the EFSF is fully capable of acting and so is the ESM."

Two tranches of the five that were initially planned would be useful this year.

ON "FISCAL COMPACT" TREATY:

"We are very confident that we will decide the fiscal compact much quicker than the summit in December had planned, when it set March as a timeline.

"There must be a tight link between the fiscal compact and the ESM treaty as that is exactly where solidity and solidarity come together, two sides of the same coin... That is sorted. In terms of national debt brakes, it is about a very concrete design, anchoring them in the national legal systems and a control of that by the European Court of Justice, also with the possibility of imposing fines.

"The agreement should be transposed into EU law as quickly as possible. I use every opportunity to convince my British colleague."

ON THE OUTLOOK:

"We are not over the hill but we have reason to feel confirmed in the path we have taken. Reason to be confident we are...solving the problems step by step, just like the chancellor keeps saying.

"The more the rest of the world... sees that we are implementing what is agreed and not just announcing things, the more we win back trust."

Following are comments from earlier in Tuesday, before the talks began:

GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE ON MONDAY'S MEETING OF EURO ZONE FINANCE MINISTERS:

"We made good progress but it's decisive we finished negotiations on the ESM yesterday."

ON PROGRESS TO SOLVE THE EURO ZONE CRISIS:

"We're not over the hill but the auctions in the first weeks of the year of Italian, Spanish and other countries' debt show that we have reason to be confident that we're not just on the right path but that we'll be continuing on this path successfully this year."

ON THE FISCAL COMPACT:

"The goal remains that one day in the not too far future we can put it into treaty law."

GREEK FINANCE MINISTER EVANGELOS VENIZELOS ON PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN A GREEK BAILOUT:

"We have the green light from the Eurogroup to close the deal with the private sector in the next few days."

DUTCH FINANCE MINISTER JAN KEES DE JAGER ON GREECE'S FINANCIAL TROUBLES AND THE BAILOUT PLAN:

"We have to wait. Obviously Greece and the banks have to do more in order to reach a sustainable debt level. A sustainable debt level is a precondition for the next program."

AUSTRIAN FINANCE MINISTER MARIA FEKTER ON THE GREEK POLITICAL PROCESS:

"We will only be able to finalize (the bailout plan) positively when the governing party and the other parties agree."

ON GREECE'S FISCAL PROGRESS:

"They have agreed on measures but expenditure has not really decreased. We are not satisfied ... The political level in Greece must know that we expect them to do more."

ON THE WIDER GREEK ECONOMY:

"I am skeptical, however, with regards to the implementation of reforms that should bring growth in Greece."

ON PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE BAILOUT:

"I expect the private sector will certainly make a significant contribution."

ON THE IDEA OF THE EFSF FUNCTIONING ALONGSIDE THE ESM:

"I think it would be possible to reach consensus on that."

(Reporting by Annika Breidthardt, John O'Donnell and and Robin Emmott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_eurozone_ecofin

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Sunday Links: Republican Party Seppuku Edition (Theagitator)

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Witnesses: Security forces kill 2 in north Nigeria (AP)

KANO, Nigeria ? Nigerian security forces killed a man and a pregnant woman early Tuesday morning in an assault on a neighborhood in this northern city where at least 185 people died in a recent terror attack by a radical Islamist sect, witnesses said.

Assault rifle rounds left bullet holes in the cement walls of the home in the sprawling city of Kano. Its interior metal doors were peppered with holes as well. Inside a living room, blood pooled around beige sofas, with a single rifle cartridge left behind. A man in traditional robes sobbed as he stood in the puddle.

Witnesses said security forces surrounded the home early Tuesday morning and started a gun battle that lasted hours. Relative Musa Ibrahim Fate said the dead man was a retired worker from the country's education ministry. A sedan inside the compound, also riddled with bullet holes, bore federal government license plates.

Fate said the man, who he declined to name, was not a member of the sect known as Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the coordinated attack Friday in Kano that left so many dead. Security forces took the two dead bodies away, with family members still trying to figure out how to claim them for burial before sundown as is Islamic tradition.

"He didn't belong to any religious group. Is it because of his beard?" Fate asked. "That means you cannot dress the way you are. Is it good? Is this how government is going to treat us?"

Kano state police spokesman Magaji Musa Majiya declined to immediately comment, saying the local commissioner of police would brief journalists later Tuesday. However, the scene around the house remained tense as locals pressed against the front gate Tuesday morning. A military attack helicopter circled overhead.

Friday's attack in Kano killed at least 150 civilians, 29 police officers, three secret police officers, two immigration officers and one customs official, police now say, bringing the toll to 185 dead. Medical workers and emergency officials say they still expect the death toll to rise.

Police also say they have discovered 10 unexploded car bombs in the city, as well as about 300 bombs made from aluminum cans and other explosives. That has raised fears that Boko Haram could strike again in this city of more than 9 million people that carries religious and political importance across Nigeria's Muslim north.

Friday's coordinated attack in Kano represents Boko Haram's deadliest assault since beginning a campaign of terror last year. Boko Haram has now killed 262 people in 2012, more than half of the 510 people the sect killed in all of 2011, according to an Associated Press count.

Nigeria's weak central government has been unable to stop the killings, and its heavy-handed military response has been criticized by civilians who live in fear of sect attacks and government reprisals.

Boko Haram wants to implement strict Shariah law and avenge the deaths of Muslims in communal violence across Nigeria, a multiethnic nation of more than 160 million people split largely into a Christian south and Muslim north.

While the sect has begun targeting Christians in the north, the majority of those killed Friday appeared to be Muslim, officials said.

___

Associated Press writer Salisu Rabiu contributed to this report.

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_af/af_nigeria_violence

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Sun hurls strong geomagnetic storm toward Earth

WASHINGTON | Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:35pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The strongest geomagnetic storm in more than six years was forecast to hit Earth's magnetic field on Tuesday, and it could affect airline routes, power grids and satellites, the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center said.

A coronal mass ejection - a big chunk of the Sun's atmosphere - was hurled toward Earth on Sunday, driving energized solar particles at about 5 million miles an hour (2,000 km per second), about five times faster than solar particles normally travel, the center's Terry Onsager said.

"When it hits us, it's like a big battering ram that pushes into Earth's magnetic field," Onsager said from Boulder, Colorado. "That energy causes Earth's magnetic field to fluctuate."

This energy can interfere with high frequency radio communications used by airlines to navigate close to the North Pole in flights between North America, Europe and Asia, so some routes may need to be shifted, Onsager said.

It could also affect power grids and satellite operations, the center said in a statement. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station may be advised to shield themselves in specific parts of the spacecraft to avoid a heightened dose of solar radiation, Onsager said.

The space weather center said the geomagnetic storm's intensity would probably be moderate or strong, levels two and three on a five-level scale, five being the most extreme.

(Reporting By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/74pIVHQqnMo/us-sun-storm-idUSTRE80M25Q20120123

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James' passion, great range remembered (AP)

NEW YORK ? On her last album "The Dreamer," released just three months before her death, Etta James sings a mix of covers, from the R&B classic "Misty Blue" to the Ray Charles song "In the Evening." But perhaps the most curious tune included on the disc may be the Guns N' Roses staple "Welcome to the Jungle."

That a 73-year-old icon of R&B would tackle the frenetic rock song ? albeit in a pace more fitting her blues roots ? might seem odd. But the song may be the best representation of James as both a singer and a person ? rambunctious in spirit, with the ability to sing whatever was thrown at her, whether it was jazz, blues, pining R&B or a song from one of the rowdiest bands in rock.

"She was able to dig so deep in kind of such a raw and unguarded place when she sang, and that's the power of gospel and blues and rhythm and blues. She brought that to all those beautiful standards and rocks songs that she did. All the number of vast albums she recorded, she covered such a wide variety of material that brought such unique phrasing and emotional depth," said Bonnie Raitt, a close friend, in an interview on Friday afternoon after James' death.

"I think that's what appealed to people, aside from the fact that her personality on and off the stage was so huge and irrepressible. She was ribald and raunchy and dignified, classy and strong and vulnerable all at the same time, which is what us as women really relate to."

James, whose signature song was the sweeping, jazz-tinged torch song "At Last," died in Los Angeles from complications of leukemia. Her death came after she struggled with dementia and other health problems, health issues that kept her from performing for the last two or so years of her life.

It was a life full of struggles. Her mother was immersed in a criminal life and left her to be raised by friends, she never knew her true father (though she believed it was billiards great Minnesota Fats), and she had her own troubles, which included a decades-long addiction to drugs, turbulent relationships, brushes with the law, and other tribulations.

One might think all of those problems would have weighted down James' spirit, and her voice, layering it with sadness, or despair. While she certainly could channel depression, anger, and sorrow in song, her voice was defined by its fiery passion: Far from beaten down, James embodied the fight of a woman who managed to claw her way back from the brink, again and again.

It's an attitude that influenced her look as well. Despite the conservative era, she dyed her hair platinum blonde, sending out the signal that she was far from demure, and owning a brassy, sassy attitude. She relished her role as saucy singer, a persona that she celebrated in her private life as well.

"In terms of 1950s rhythm and blues stars, she had kind of a gutsy attitude and she went out there and did what she did, and she was kind of bold ... and it had a huge influence," she said. "I think her gutsiness and her lack of fear and just her courage (made her special). ... I believe that made her important and memorable."

Beyonce, who played James in the movie "Cadillac Records" about Chess Records, also spoke about her influence on other singers.

"I feel like Etta James, first of all, was the first black woman I saw with platinum, blonde hair. She wore her leopard and she wore her sexy silhouette and she didn't care. She was strong and confident and always Etta James," said Beyonce in a 2008 interview.

James could often be irascible. Ritz remembers when he was working with her on the autobiography, touring with her around the country, one time he approached her with his tape recorder and she barked: "If see that tape recorder again I'm going to cram it up your (expletive)."

But at other times, she'd be effusive and warm and anxious to talk.

"Once she did talk, she was always candid and unguarded. She was a free spirit," Ritz said.

While Ritz put her in the category of other greats like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye, she never enjoyed their mainstream success. Though "At Last" has become an enduring classic, there were times when James had to scrounge for work, and while she won Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she did not have the riches, the multitude of platinum records or the hits that some of her peers enjoyed.

"She at least enjoyed a great resurgence like John Lee Hooker did and B.B. King, (and) has had some great decades of appreciation from new generations around the world," said Raitt. "There's no one like her. No one will ever replace Etta."

And Ritz said the lack of commercial success does nothing to diminish her greatness, or her legacy.

"Marvin certain knew it and Ray knew it ... the people who know that she was in that category," he said. "Whatever the marketplace did or didn't do or whether her lack of career management didn't do, it has nothing to do with her talent."

And on Friday, the Queen of Soul was among those who paid tribute to James greatness, calling her "one of the great soul singers of our generation. An American original!

"I loved `Pushover,' `At Last' and almost any and everything she recorded! When Etta SUNG, you heard it!"

___

AP Entertainment Writer Chris Talbott and AP Writer Mesfin Fekadu contributed to this report.

___

Nekesa Mumbi Moody is the AP's music editor. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_en_ce/us_etta_james_appreciation

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Scrambled GOP race heads to Florida (AP)

TAMPA, Fla. ? A suddenly scrambled Republican presidential contest now shifts to Florida, a day after Newt Gingrich stopped Mitt Romney's sprint to the GOP nomination by scoring a convincing victory in South Carolina.

The air of inevitability that surrounded Romney's candidacy just days ago is gone, at least for now. And his rivals, led by Gingrich, have 10 days before Florida's Jan. 31 contest to prove South Carolina was no fluke.

Florida, being much larger, more diverse, and more expensive, brings new challenges to Gingrich, who again must overcome financial and organizational disadvantages as he did Saturday.

"We don't have the kind of money at least one of the candidates has. But we do have ideas. And we do have people," Gingrich, the former House speaker, told cheering supporters Saturday night. "And we proved here in South Carolina that people power with the right ideas beats big money. And with your help, we're going to prove it again in Florida."

Romney struck a defiant tone before his own backers gathered at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds, saying: "I will compete in every single state." And wasted no time jabbing at Gingrich, saying: "Our party can't be led to victory by someone who also has never run a business and never led a state."

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, having finished third in South Carolina, vowed to compete in Florida and beyond. His presence in the race ensures at least some division among Florida's tea party activists and evangelicals, a division that could ultimately help Romney help erase any questions about his candidacy by scoring a victory of his own a week from Tuesday.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul likely will not be a factor in Florida, having declared that he's bypassing the expensive state in favor of smaller subsequent contests.

As the first Southern primary, South Carolina has been a proving ground for Republican presidential hopefuls in recent years. Since Ronald Reagan in 1980, every Republican contender who won the primary has gone on to capture the party's nomination.

Returns from 95 percent of the state's precincts showed Gingrich with 41 percent of the vote to 27 percent for Romney. Santorum was winning 17 percent, Paul 13 percent.

But political momentum was the real prize with the race to pick an opponent to President Barack Obama still in its early stages.

Already, Romney and a group that supports him were on the air in Florida with a significant television ad campaign, more than $7 million combined to date.

Gingrich readily conceded that he trails in money, and even before appearing for his victory speech he tweeted supporters thanking them and appealing for a flood of donations for the Jan 31 primary. "Help me deliver the knockout punch in Florida. Join our Moneybomb and donate now," said his Internet message.

Aides to Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, had once dared hope that Florida would seal his nomination ? if South Carolina didn't first ? but that strategy appeared to vanish along with the once-formidable lead he held in pre-primary polls.

Romney swept into South Carolina 11 days ago as the favorite after being pronounced the winner of the lead-off Iowa caucuses, then cruising to victory in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary.

But in the sometimes-surreal week that followed, he was stripped of his Iowa triumph ? GOP officials there now say Santorum narrowly won ? while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman dropped out and endorsed Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry quit and backed Gingrich.

Romney responded awkwardly to questions about releasing his income tax returns, and about his investments in the Cayman Islands. Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, benefited from two well-received debate performances while grappling with allegations by an ex-wife that he had once asked her for an open marriage so he could keep his mistress.

By primary eve, Romney was speculating openly about a lengthy battle for the nomination rather than the quick knockout that had seemed within his grasp only days earlier.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Video: Gingrich slams media at GOP debate

David Goldman?/?AP

At Thursday?s Republican presidential debate in South Carolina, Newt Gingrich slammed the news media for focusing on accusations by his ex-wife that he requested an ?open marriage.? NBC?s Peter Alexander reports.

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Roundup: Bayern beaten by 'Gladbach in Bundesliga

Associated Press Sports

updated 4:11 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2012

BERLIN (AP) - Marco Reus scored one goal and set up another as Borussia Moenchengladbach defeated first-place Bayern Munich 3-1 Friday night when the Bundesliga resumed after its winter break.

Reus capitalized on a blunder by Manuel Neuer in the 11th minute, scoring from 30 yards following the goalkeeper's poor clearance. Patrick Herrmann made it 2-0 in the 41st and added another goal in the 71st after being set up by Reus.

Bastian Schweinsteiger scored for visiting Bayern in the 76th.

Moenchengladbach (11-4-3) has 36 points, one fewer than Bayern (12-5-1). Borussia Dortmund and Schalke would match Bayern's 37 points with victories this weekend. Schalke hosts Stuttgart on Saturday and Dortmund is at Hamburg on Sunday.

---

LE MANS, France (AP) - Brazilian winger Nene and striker Kevin Gameiro scored two goals each as Paris Saint-Germain beat the amateur team Sable-sur-Sarthe 4-0 to reach the last 16 of the French Cup.

Sable, which plays four divisions below PSG, started brightly but struggled after Nene put PSG ahead with a penalty kick in the 36th minute.

Winger Jeremy Menez set up Gameiro for his first goal in the 65th, and Gameiro ran onto a through ball from Nene to make it 3-0 in the 73rd, his 12th goal of the season. Nene scored in injury time, but missed the chance for a hat trick in the last seconds.

PSG midfielder Javier Pastore limped off with a thigh injury in the first half.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Pele: Messi's not me

Pele thinks Lionel Messi still needs to improve at international level before he can be considered the greatest soccer player ever and needs to score more goals to come close to matching the Brazilian great.

Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

Loyalty

David Beckham considered other offers but decided nothing was better than his adopted home with the L.A. Galaxy.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44046774/ns/sports-soccer/

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Jury scheduled to return in war crime trial (AP)

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. ? Court proceedings were scheduled to reconvene Friday in the trial of a major Iraq war crimes case, after a military judge excused jurors for nearly two days and asked lawyers to explore their options.

The judge's actions fueled speculation that a plea deal was in the works that could end the trial of Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden, Conn., who led a squad that killed 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians.

But defense attorney Neal Puckett told The Associated Press late Thursday that he expected a full day of testimony Friday, with a squad mate and a forensic scientist with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service expected to take the stand.

Wuterich led the squad that killed 24 Iraqis during raids on homes in the town of Haditha in 2005 after a roadside bomb killed one Marine. He faces nine counts of involuntary manslaughter, among other charges.

Puckett said prosecutors also will show outtakes from an interview that Wuterich gave in 2007 to CBS's "60 Minutes." The trial was delayed for years by pre-trial wrangling between the defense and prosecution, including over whether the military could use the unaired outtakes. Prosecutors eventually won the right to view the footage.

The all-Marine jury at Camp Pendleton, Calif., was excused after a lunch break Wednesday.

The judge, Lt. Col. David Jones, told lawyers after jurors left the room to explore their options. He called for the court to be back in session at 1 p.m. Thursday. But 30 minutes before then, military officials told reporters the jury had been informed not to come back until Friday morning.

Wuterich is one of eight Marines initially charged. None has been convicted.

Wuterich has said he regretted the loss of civilian lives but believed he was operating within military combat rules.

Prosecutors have argued Wuterich lost control of himself after seeing the body of his friend blown apart by the bomb.

The incident still fuels anger in Iraq today and was a main reason behind the country's demands that U.S. troops not be given immunity from its legal system. Those demands were the deal breaker in keeping forces there after the war ended in December.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_us/us_marines_haditha

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Brady practices after missing Wednesday

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady responds to a reporter's question during a media availabilityat the NFL football team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, 2012. The Patriots are slated to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship on Sunday, Jan. 22. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady responds to a reporter's question during a media availabilityat the NFL football team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, 2012. The Patriots are slated to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship on Sunday, Jan. 22. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leaves a media availability at the NFL football team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, 2012. The Patriots are slated to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship on Sunday, Jan. 22. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) ? Tom Brady is back practicing. Everyone associated with the New England Patriots is acting like he never missed a snap.

Brady returned to the field Thursday after being out the previous day resting his left, non-throwing shoulder. If it's a big deal to the football world that the Patriots' star quarterback briefly was sidelined four days before the AFC championship, his teammates and coach treated it as an inconsequential blip.

So did the two-time league MVP.

"It's not the first practice I have missed over the years," Brady said with a shrug of his shoulders ? including the sore left one. "When coach feels its best that you do other things to get yourself ready, that's what you do, and you still use all that time very wisely. When your coach feels it is best to do other things to get yourself ready, that is what you do."

Coach Bill Belichick revealed little about Brady's absence on Wednesday, lumping it in with every other player in the NFL who gets nicked. Then again, Belichick doesn't give out much information or insight on anything injury-related. Ever.

New England hosts the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC championship on Sunday.

Brady missed one practice and was limited for two others during the final week of the regular season, but he played all but the final offensive series in a 49-21 win over Buffalo. Last Saturday, he played every New England offensive series in a 45-10 divisional playoff win over Denver after being on the injury list but practicing in full all week.

The quarterback stretched and ran a few drills Thursday during the 15 minutes the media were allowed access to the session. He ran with the ball in his left arm as backup quarterback Brian Hoyer half-heartedly attempted to knock it out. Brady showed no signs of being in pain.

The day before, Brady had to find ways to keep himself occupied during the missed session.

"You don't go lounging around taking naps or anything like that," he said with a chuckle. "You just try to do other things to get yourself ready to go. So catch up on your film work and get some extra treatments and so forth. It's just a matter of ultimately we're trying to be as prepared as we can for Sunday. I'm certainly going to be as prepared as I possibly can be.

"It's not the first practice that I've missed over the years. You come off a game Saturday or Sunday and you're just doing everything you can to be prepared. You're just putting in extra work and making sure you're getting prepared."

Then Brady promised to be out on the field, and a while later he was.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-19-Patriots-Brady's%20Shoulder/id-b68be2659c3f4df599b12963c6a877db

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