Wall Street opens down before talks on "cliff" deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell at the open on Friday as President Barack Obama and top lawmakers planned to make a last-ditch attempt at a budget deal to prevent the United States from going over the "fiscal cliff." The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> dropped 76.30 points, or 0.58 percent, to 13,020.01. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> dropped 8.93 points,...

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Wade suspended game for action against Sessions

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade was suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Thursday for flailing his leg and making contact with the groin of Charlotte Bobcats' Ramon Sessions.The incident happened with 8:12 left in the fourth quarter of the Heat's 105-92 victory over the Bobcats on Wednesday night. Sessions was called for a foul on the play. Wade will serve the suspension Friday...

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Temple – Detroit-Mercy Basketball Game Postponed Due to Weather

(File photo by Mitchell Leff, provided).By Harry DonahuePHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Temple basketball fans may be disappointed for a while: tonight’s basketball game against Detroit-Mercy, at the Liacouras Center, has been postponed.Temple officials say the Detroit team was unable to get to Philadelphia in time for the game, due to yesterday’s rain, snow, and high winds which caused the cancellation of hundreds...

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2013: A year for big issues in the courts

By Jeffrey Toobin, CNN Senior Legal AnalystDecember 27, 2012 -- Updated 1445 GMT (2245 HKT)Chief Justice John Roberts re-administers the oath of office to Barack Obama at the White House on January 21, 2009. STORY HIGHLIGHTSJeffrey Toobin: 2013 will see pivotal decisions in several key areas of lawHe says Supreme Court could decide fate of same-sex marriageAffirmative action for public college admissions...

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Putin signs ban on U.S. adoptions of Russian children

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday that bans Americans from adopting Russian children and imposes...

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Syria opposition leader rejects Moscow invitation

ALEPPO PROVINCE, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's opposition leader has rejected an invitation from Russia for peace talks, dealing another blow to international hopes that diplomacy can be resurrected to end a 21-month civil war. Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's main international protector, said on Friday it had sent an invitation for a visit to Moaz Alkhatib, whose six-week-old...

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Wall Street flat as "fiscal cliff" talks eyed

To a black ESPN sports analyst, this is the critical question: Is Robert Griffin III, aka RG III, the black rookie sensation Washington Redskins quarterback, "a brother, or is he a cornball brother?" What has RG III done or said to raise a suspicion about his bona fides as a black person? More importantly, what does this have to do with appreciating — or choosing not to appreciate — Griffin as an...

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Peyton Manning, Peterson make Pro Bowl

NEW YORK (AP) — Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson want to cap their sensational comebacks with Super Bowl appearances. For now, they can be proud of Pro Bowl spots.So can Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, one of two rookies chosen Wednesday for the Jan. 27 NFL all-star game.Manning missed all of the 2011 season with neck and back problems that required several operations. He then signed with...

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US Airways Waives Change Fee For Customers Affected By Winter Weather

file photo (Chip Somdelvilla/Getty Images)CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — US Airways is waiving the change fee for customers who must alter their flights due to severe Christmas weather.The airline is canceling the $ 150 charge for changing flights to and from 25 cities where there are flight delays and cancellations. The offer is available to travelers scheduled to fly Wednesday and Thursday. They must keep...

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A gunmaker ripe for an ethical takeover

Several .223 caliber rounds near a Bushmaster XM-15; the manufacturer's owner is putting its gun companies up for sale.STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe owner of America's largest gunmaker is putting firm up for saleJohn MacIntosh says billionaires should lead effort to acquire the gun manufacturerHe says they should change corporate practices to discourage violenceMacIntosh: One leading company could push gun...

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Hundreds of flights canceled as storm pounds Northeast

A powerful winter storm is hitting the Northeast, one day after it hammered the Midwest and plains. Snowfall could top a foot in some areas. ...

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Peace envoy Brahimi, Syria diplomats in Moscow talks

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will host Syria peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi this week after Syrian officials held talks in Moscow on Thursday as part of a diplomatic drive to try to agree a plan to end the 21-month-old conflict, Russia's foreign ministry said. Talks have moved to Moscow, a long-time Syria ally, after a flurry of meetings Brahimi held in Damascus this week, but the international...

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Wall Street inches up as Obama to return to "cliff'"debate

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged higher on Wednesday as President Barack Obama cut short his vacation and readied to return to Washington a day ahead of last-minute talks to avert a series of tax increases and government spending cuts set to begin next week. The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 22.33 points, or 0.17 percent, to 13,161.41. The Standard & Poor's 500...

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James leads Heat over Thunder in Finals rematch

MIAMI (AP) — Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined to score 54 points, more than any set of teammates had managed in a game against Miami all season.Oklahoma City needed them to score at least three more.That didn't happen, and an NBA Finals rematch went just as last year's title series did — to the Heat.LeBron James had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 21, and...

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Erratic Environment May Be Key to Human Evolution

At Olduvai Gorge, where excavations helped to confirm Africa was the cradle of humanity, scientists now find the landscape once fluctuated rapidly, likely guiding early human evolution.These findings suggest that key mental developments within the human lineage may have been linked with a highly variable environment, researchers added.Olduvai Gorge is a ravine cut into the eastern margin of the Serengeti...

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Climate change: No consensus needed

Lake Cachet II in Aysen, Chilean Patagonia, disappeared because of rising temperatures driven by climate change, experts say.STORY HIGHLIGHTSTseming Yang: Result of Doha climate change conference less than desirableYang: It's time to abandon the myth that a consensus solution is the best approach He says the 25 major carbon emitters should work out an agreement among themselvesYang: Smaller, focused...

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Tornadoes, snow hit the South

A heavy snowstorm that blanketed Texas and Oklahoma is moving northeast on Wednesday. Gulf Coast states are recovering from heavy winds and twisters. (Dec. 26) ...

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Syria to discuss Brahimi proposals with Russia

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad dispatched a senior diplomat to Moscow on Wednesday to discuss proposals made by envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to end the conflict convulsing his country, Syrian and Lebanese sources said. Brahimi, who met Assad on Monday as part of a series of planned talks with Syrian officials and dissidents in Damascus this week, is trying to arrange a peaceful...

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Six political lessons of 2012

2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The year in pictures2012: The...

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