Quarterly GDP changes in past 4 years, at a glance (AP)

Skip to navigation ? Skip to content ? By The Associated Press The Associated Press ? Fri?Jan?27, 5:41?pm?ET

Here are the quarterly changes in economic activity over the past four years as measured by the gross domestic product. GDP is the total output of goods and services produced in the United States. The figures are seasonally adjusted annual rates.

Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4

2011 0.4 percent 1.3 percent 1.8 percent 2.8 percent

2010 3.9 percent 3.8 percent 2.5 percent 2.3 percent

2009 -6.7 percent -0.7 percent 1.7 percent 3.8 percent

2008 -1.8 percent 1.3 percent -3.7 percent -8.9 percent

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Copyright ? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economy_gdp_quarters_glance

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The nations weather (AP)

Weather Underground Forecast for Friday, January 27, 2012.

Wet weather will persist across the Eastern US, while snow showers move through the Rockies on Friday. A strong low pressure system over the Eastern Valleys continues moving northward, over the Northeastern US and into eastern Canada. Flow around this system pushes a warm front over the Northeast, kicking up scattered rain showers. Rainfall totals along this front will range from 1.0 to 1.5 inches. Expect cooler temperatures north of this front to produce freezing rain and snow showers over the far Northeast. Additionally, moisture will wrap around this system to the west, kicking up scattered snow showers across the Great Lakes. Snowfall accumulation in these areas will range from 1 to 3 inches. To the South, a cold front will extend south of this system and continue sweeping across the Southeastern states. Some areas may see some severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and strong winds. Rainfall totals in most areas will range from 1 to 2 inches, with more likely in areas of severe thunderstorm development. By Friday evening, this system will move offshore and into the Atlantic Ocean. This will bring an end to scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Southeast.

Out West, a low pressure system and associated cold front continue advancing eastward through the Rockies. Some residual moisture with this system will bring periods of heavy snow to the Northern and Central Rockies. Expect snowfall accumulation to range from 6 to 12 inches across Colorado, while Montana and Wyoming will see 6 to 10 inches of new snow. The leading edge of this system will quickly move into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Expect 1 to 3 inches of new snow in these areas. Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday have ranged from a morning low of -3 degrees at Clayton Lake, Maine to a high of 85 degrees at Orlando, Fla.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_us/us_weatherpage_weather

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Alan Cumming Blasts Christina Aguilera, Farrah Fawcett On 'Watch What Happens: Live' (VIDEO)

Andy Cohen keeps getting suprising honesty from his game "Plead the Fifth" on "Watch What Happens: Live" (Weeknights, 11 p.m. EST on Bravo. With Alan Cumming on as guest, he asked him about which presidential candidate he'd be willing to sleep with and which diva was the bigger diva on 'Burleseque' out of Cher and Christian Aguilera.

For the record, it was Christina with no hesitation in that answer. Cumming did take a moment to think about it after Cohen posed his last question. Having already plead the Fifth to an earlier question, the rules of the game stated there was no getting out of this one.

"What TV or film star needs to never grace the Broadway stage again?" Cohen asked him. After some reflection, Cumming gave an honest answer. "Farrah Fawcett," he said.

While Fawcett got good reviews in an early off-Broadway production of the play "Extremities," her official debut on Broadway in a show called "Bobbi Boland" was cancelled in late 2003 during the previews, never making it to its official open. Fawcett passed away on June 25, 2009 after a two-year battle with cancer.

Catch new episodes of "Watch What Happens: Live" every weeknight at 10 p.m. EST on Bravo.

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 23: "Gossip Girl"

1? of ?19

"Gossip Girl" (8 p.m. EST, The CW) "Clueless" writer/director Amy Heckerling makes her first foray into TV directing since 2005 for Blair's bachelorette party, as others scheme behind Queen B's back to make it a night to remember. After discovering the truth behind Chuck and Blair's car accident, Nate joins forces with a surprising ally to gather the evidence, while Serena and Dan pretend to be dating again to protect Blair's secret. "Gossip Girl" (8 p.m. EST, The CW)
"Clueless" writer/director Amy Heckerling makes her first foray into TV directing since 2005 for Blair's bachelorette party, as others scheme behind Queen B's back to make it a night to remember. After discovering the truth behind Chuck and Blair's car accident, Nate joins forces with a surprising ally to gather the evidence, while Serena and Dan pretend to be dating again to protect Blair's secret.

MORE SLIDESHOWS NEXT?> ??|?? <?PREV

MONDAY, JANUARY 23: "Gossip Girl"

"Gossip Girl" (8 p.m. EST, The CW) "Clueless" writer/director Amy Heckerling makes her first foray into TV directing since 2005 for Blair's bachelorette party, as others scheme behind Queen B's back to make it a night to remember. After discovering the truth behind Chuck and Blair's car accident, Nate joins forces with a surprising ally to gather the evidence, while Serena and Dan pretend to be dating again to protect Blair's secret. "; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/alan-cumming-christina-aguilera-farrah-fawcett-video_n_1235855.html

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Making memories last: Prion-like protein plays key role in storing long-term memories

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2012) ? Memories in our brains are maintained by connections between neurons called "synapses." But how do these synapses stay strong and keep memories alive for decades? Neuroscientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have discovered a major clue from a study in fruit flies: Hardy, self-copying clusters or oligomers of a synapse protein are an essential ingredient for the formation of long-term memory.

The finding supports a surprising new theory about memory, and may have a profound impact on explaining other oligomer-linked functions and diseases in the brain, including Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases.

"Self-sustaining populations of oligomers located at synapses may be the key to the long-term synaptic changes that underlie memory; in fact, our finding hints that oligomers play a wider role in the brain than has been thought," says Kausik Si, Ph.D., an associate investigator at the Stowers Institute, and senior author of the new study, which is published in the January 27, 2012 online issue of the journal Cell.

Si's investigations in this area began nearly a decade ago during his doctoral research in the Columbia University laboratory of Nobel-winning neuroscientist Eric Kandel. He found that in the sea slug Aplysia californica, which has long been favored by neuroscientists for memory experiments because of its large, easily-studied neurons, a synapse-maintenance protein known as CPEB (Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding protein) has an unexpected property.

A portion of the structure is self-complementary and -- much like empty egg cartons -- can easily stack up with other copies of itself. CPEB thus exists in neurons partly in the form of oligomers, which increase in number when neuronal synapses strengthen. These oligomers have a hardy resistance to ordinary solvents, and within neurons may be much more stable than single-copy "monomers" of CPEB. They also seem to actively sustain their population by serving as templates for the formation of new oligomers from free monomers in the vicinity.

CPEB-like proteins exist in all animals, and in brain cells they play a key role in maintaining the production of other synapse-strengthening proteins. Studies by Si and others in the past few years have hinted that CPEB's tendency to oligomerize is not merely incidental, but is indeed essential to its ability to stabilize longer-term memory. "What we've lacked till now are experiments showing this conclusively," Si says.

In the new study, Si and his colleagues examined a Drosophila fruit fly CPEB protein known as Orb2. Like its counterpart in Aplysia, it forms oligomers within neurons. "We found that these Orb2 oligomers become more numerous in neurons whose synapses are stimulated, and that this increase in oligomers happens near synapses," says lead author Amitabha Majumdar, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in Si's lab.

The key was to show that the disruption of Orb2 oligomerization on its own impairs Orb2's function in stabilizing memory. Majumdar was able to do this by generating an Orb2 mutant that lacks the normal ability to oligomerize yet maintains a near-normal concentration in neurons. Fruit flies carrying this mutant form of Orb2 lost their ability to form long-term memories. "For the first 24 hours after a memory-forming stimulus, the memory was there, but by 48 hours it was gone, whereas in flies with normal Orb2 the memory persisted," Majumdar says.

Si and his team are now following up with experiments to determine for how long Orb2 oligomers are needed to keep a memory alive. "We suspect that they need to be continuously present, because they are self-sustaining in a way that Orb2 monomers are not," says Si.

The team's research also suggests some intriguing possibilities for other areas of neuroscience. This study revealed that Orb2 proteins in the Drosophila nervous system come in a rare, highly oligomerization-prone form (Orb2A) and a much more common, much less oligomerization-prone form (Orb2B). "The rare form seems to be the one that is regulated, and it seems to act like a seed for the initial oligomerization, which pulls in copies of the more abundant form," Si says. "This may turn out to be a basic pattern for functional oligomers."

The findings may help scientists understand disease-causing oligomers too. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, as well as prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, all involve the spread in the brain of apparently toxic oligomers of various proteins. One such protein, strongly implicated in Alzheimer's disease, is amyloid beta; like Orb2 it comes in two forms, the highly oligomerizing amyloid-beta-42 and the relatively inert amyloid-beta-40. Si's work hints at the possibility that oligomer-linked diseases are relatively common in the brain because the brain evolved to be relatively hospitable to CPEB proteins and other functional oligomers, and thus has fewer mechanisms for keeping rogue oligomers under control.

Other researchers who contributed to the work include Wanda Col?n Cesario, Erica White-Grindely, Huoqin Jian, Fangzhen Ren, Mohammed 'Repon' Khan, Liying Li, Edward Man-Lik Choi, Kasthuri Kannan, Feng Li, Jay Unruh and Brian Slaughter at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri.

The research was supported by the Searle Foundation, the March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Starter Award, the Klingenstein Foundation and the McKnight Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stowers Institute for Medical Research, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Amitabha Majumdar, Wanda Col?n Cesario, Erica White-Grindley, Huoqing Jiang, Fengzhen Ren, Mohammed ?Repon? Khan, Liying Li, Edward Man-Lik Choi, Kasthuri Kannan, Fengli Guo et al. Critical Role of Amyloid-like Oligomers of Drosophila Orb2 in the Persistence of Memory. Cell, 26 January 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.01.004

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127162409.htm

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Newt shoots for the moon (Politico)

COCOA, Fla. ? Newt Gingrich wants to colonize the moon.

He loves to talk space exploration and a campaign stop on Florida?s space coast provided the perfect opportunity.

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?By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American,? Gingrich said, drawing applause from the crowd. ?I will, as president, encourage the introduction of the northwest ordinance for space to put a marker down that we want Americans to think boldly about the future and we want Americans to go out and study hard and work hard and together, we?re going to unleash the American people to build the country we love.?

It?s just the kind of Gingrich big-think for which he has been ridiculed by others in the GOP field, including Mitt Romney. But Wednesday?s speech ? which Gingrich himself called ?grandiose? ? could actually resonate politically in Florida, where space exploration is good politics 14 miles away from Cape Canaveral. The space coast, home to many NASA employees, has been struggling lately as the space agency launched its last shuttle in July, and President Barack Obama canceled the lunar landing program in 2010.

But Gingrich wants to bring it all back, and more.

In his remarks, Gingrich dismissed the notion that his ideas are over the top, pointing to previous presidents and inventors who fueled changes in technology.

?I was attacked the other night for being grandiose,? he said. ?I would just want you to note: Lincoln standing at Council Bluffs was grandiose. The Wright Brothers standing at Kitty Hawk were grandiose. John F. Kennedy was grandiose. I accept the charge that I am grandiose and that Americans are instinctively grandiose.?

He added, ?Does that mean I?m visionary? You betcha.?

When working a particular state, Gingrich frequently talks about local issues ? like ethanol in Iowa, a power line in New Hampshire and an interstate project in South Carolina ? but Wednesday?s speech gave him the opportunity to sink his teeth into a pet topic.

?I want you to help me in Florida and across the country so you can someday say you were there the day it was announced that we?d have commercial space, moon colony and moving toward Mars,? he said.

Gingrich laid out a multifaceted effort to restart the space race, including devoting 10 percent of NASA?s budget to prize money for inventions to speed up manned travel to the moon and Mars. He said he wants the country to be able to launch multiple spacecraft daily and partner with private industry to eliminate bureaucracy and make development cheaper.

Gingrich even envisions a moon state.

?When we have 13,000 Americans living on the moon, they can petition to become a state,? he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

?I wanted every young American to say to themselves, I could be one of those 13,000. I could be a pioneer. I need to study science and math and engineering. I need to learn how to be a technician. I can be a part of building a bigger, better future. I can actually go out and live the future, looking at the solar system and being part of a generation of courageous people who do something big and bold and heroic,? Gingrich said.

But Gingrich?s space fantasies don?t stop at the moon. He wants to see trips to Mars by 2020.

?By the end of 2020, we will have the first continuous propulsion system in space capable of getting to Mars in a remarkably short time because I am sick of being told we have to be timid and I am sick of being told we have to be limited in technologies that are 50 years old,? he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71991_html/44309428/SIG=11m1uocnv/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71991.html

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Mitt Romney tax return poses a challenge: how to talk about his wealth

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With the release of the Mitt Romney tax return, which showed nothing illegal, the worst may be over for the candidate, but GOP analysts say he needs to develop a better message about his money.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/QMfj1phqfhg/Mitt-Romney-tax-return-poses-a-challenge-how-to-talk-about-his-wealth

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Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served

Nokia has announced a major mobile milestone: over 1.5 billion (with a b) Series 40 handsets sold since the first device -- the 7110 -- was introduced in 1999. "We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone," wrote Nokia's Executive VP of Mobile Phones, Mary McDowell. "It is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible." Breeze on past the break for the official PR with more information about the Asha 303 handset knighted number 1,500,000,000, then feel free to weigh in on how long will take the Lumia line to reach the same milestone.

Continue reading Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served

Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/25/nokia-s40-sales-reach-1-5-billion/

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Pats-Giants in Super Bowl again, 4 years later (AP)

A Super Sequel.

Four years after New York stunned previously undefeated New England in the Arizona desert, the Patriots and Giants are going at it again at the Super Bowl ? this time in Indianapolis.

Brady and Belichick. Eli and Coughlin. Both teams rolling through the playoffs.

Yep, here we go again.

New England, which lost to New York 24-20 in early November, opened as a 3-point favorite for the Feb. 5 game. The Patriots have won 10 straight, with their last loss being to ? you guessed it ? the Giants.

"We know they're a great team," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. "We played them already this year. They've been playing great football recently."

It's familiar territory for Tom Brady and the Patriots (15-3), who are playing in the Super Bowl for the fifth time in 11 years.

"Being in this situation is a great moment," Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. "You have to cherish this moment."

It's the Patriots' first appearance since Manning and the Giants (12-7) upset New England's pursuit of perfection in 2008. Back then, New England was a 12-point favorite, but New York's defense battered Brady, and Manning connected with Plaxico Burress on a late touchdown to win the Giants' third Super Bowl.

That TD came, of course, a few moments after one of the biggest plays in playoff history: Manning escaped the grasp of a few Patriots defenders and found David Tyree, who put New York in scoring position by pinning the football against his helmet for a jaw-dropping catch.

New England hopes to avoid that sort of drama this time around. Unless it goes in the Patriots' favor, as it did in the AFC title game.

Brady was unusually subpar in the Patriots' 23-20 victory over Baltimore, throwing for 239 yards with two interceptions and, for the first time in 36 games, no TD passes. But he got some help from the Patriots' much-maligned defense, which made some crucial stops down the stretch.

A few mistakes by the Ravens helped greatly, too, as Billy Cundiff shanked a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds left ? soon after Lee Evans had a potential winning touchdown catch ripped out of his hands in the end zone.

"Childlike joy. It's all about childlike joy," linebacker Jerod Mayo said. "Last night felt like the day before Christmas for me and I haven't had that feeling in a long time."

New England last won the Super Bowl in 2005, a long drought after the Patriots took home Lombardi trophies three times in four years. There are only a handful of players left from that team, with guys like Corey Dillon, Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison replaced by young up-and-comers such as Mayo, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

"It doesn't even feel right, especially playing with the veterans here," Gronkowski said. "I watched them go to the Super Bowl as I was growing up, and now I'm part of it? It is an unreal moment."

The constants, though, are Brady and Bill Belichick. And that's been a winning combination for New England.

Belichick did perhaps his finest coaching job, piecing together a defense that ranked second-to-last in the league during the regular season. That led to plenty of shootouts, and Brady was more than up to the task, throwing for a career-high 5,235 yards while tossing 39 touchdown passes.

"They're an amazing team," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. "They're a great brotherhood; they're a family."

The Giants appeared on the verge of collapsing with Tom Coughlin's job status in jeopardy just a month ago, when they fell to 7-7 with an embarrassing loss to the Washington Redskins on Dec. 18.

"We've been here before," linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said at the time, "and we'll get back."

Boy, was he right.

"I'm just proud of the guys, what we've overcome this year, what we've been through, just never having any doubts, keep believing in our team that we could get hot and start playing our best football," Manning said.

The Giants were facing elimination the following week against the rival Jets and Rex Ryan, who boldly declared that his group was king of New York. Well, Coughlin's crew silenced Ryan with a 29-14 victory. The Giants followed that with a 31-14 win over Dallas in the regular-season finale to clinch the NFC East and get to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

New York dominated Atlanta at home in the opening round. Then came another stunner: a 37-20 victory at Green Bay ? knocking out the defending Super Bowl champions.

Manning extended the best season of his career with one more solid performance. Specials teams proved the difference in overtime, as Jacquian Williams forced a fumble on a punt return and Lawrence Tynes kicked the Giants past the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 for the NFC title.

"Hats off to Eli, offense, defense," Tynes said. "Great win."

And now, it's off to Indy. Giants-Patriots, one more time.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_super_bowl_lookahead

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Timehop, A Time Machine For Your Social Media Updates, Gets $1.1 From Foursquare Founders And Others

Timehop, a startup that humbly began as Foursquareandsevenyears ago, has just bagged a $1.1 million round of seed funding led by OATV and followed on by Techstars with additional participation from Spark Capital and a pretty worthy list of angels including Foursquare's Dennis Crowley, Naveen Selvadurai and Alex Rainert, Groupme's Steve Martocci and Jared Hecht, Rick Webb and Kevin Slavin. The startup started out aggregating user Foursquare checkins from a year ago in a daily email and recently broadened to included Facebook status updates, photos, Twitter updates and Instagram posts.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/E2khqgNtxP0/

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Croatia says 'yes' to EU membership

Croatia's president Ivo Josipovic, center, prime minister Zoran Milanovic, left, and the Parliament speaker Boris Sprem make a toast upon hearing unofficial results of the referendum, at the Croatian Parliament in Zagreb, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Croatians voted Sunday in favor of joining the European Union despite a poor turnout for the referendum, a sign of how much the debt-stricken 27-nation bloc has lost its appeal within countries aspiring to join. (AP Photo)

Croatia's president Ivo Josipovic, center, prime minister Zoran Milanovic, left, and the Parliament speaker Boris Sprem make a toast upon hearing unofficial results of the referendum, at the Croatian Parliament in Zagreb, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Croatians voted Sunday in favor of joining the European Union despite a poor turnout for the referendum, a sign of how much the debt-stricken 27-nation bloc has lost its appeal within countries aspiring to join. (AP Photo)

A member of the electoral counts the ballots at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012.Croatians voted Sunday in a referendum on whether to join the European Union ??? a test of how much the debt-stricken 27-nation bloc has lost in its appeal among aspiring new members because of its crisis. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

A member of the electoral commission empties the ballot box at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012.Croatians voted Sunday in a referendum on whether to join the European Union ??? a test of how much the debt-stricken 27-nation bloc has lost in its appeal among aspiring new members because of its crisis. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Members of the electoral commission count ballots at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012.Croatians voted Sunday in a referendum on whether to join the European Union ??? a test of how much the debt-stricken 27-nation bloc has lost in its appeal among aspiring new members because of its crisis. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Members of the electoral commission count ballots at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012.Croatians voted Sunday in a referendum on whether to join the European Union ??? a test of how much the debt-stricken 27-nation bloc has lost in its appeal among aspiring new members because of its crisis. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) ? Croatians voted Sunday in favor of joining the European Union despite a poor turnout for the referendum ? a sign of how much the debt-stricken 27-nation bloc has lost its appeal within countries aspiring to join.

Croatia's state referendum commission said that with nearly all ballots counted, about 66 percent of those who took part in the referendum answered "yes" to the question: "Do you support the membership of the Republic of Croatia in the European Union?"

About 33 percent were against, while the rest of the ballots were invalid. About 47 percent of eligible voters took part in the referendum, illustrating voters' apathy toward the EU. That compares to 84 percent who voted in a referendum for Croatia's independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1992.

"The people are obviously tired," Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said. "It would have been better that the turnout was larger, but that's reality."

It was among the lowest turnouts in any of the EU states that have held accession referendums before they joined. Nearly 46 percent took part in the vote in Hungary, while more than 90 percent voted in Malta.

Milanovic said: "This is a historic decision, the turning point in our history, as from now on, everything, including success or failure, depends only on us."

The EU congratulated Croatians on their vote, saying it's good news for the whole Balkan region.

"The upcoming accession of Croatia sends a clear signal to the whole region of southeastern Europe," it said in a statement. "It shows that through political courage and determined reforms, EU membership is within reach."

Croatian anti-EU activists were furious.

"The turnout shows that Croatia has turned its back on the EU," said war veteran Zeljko Sacic, who led a campaign against membership. "This referendum is illegitimate. We will never recognize it."

Croatia signed an EU accession treaty last year and will become its 28th member in July 2013 after all the bloc's states ratify the deal.

The Croats were deeply divided before the referendum.

Those who were for the EU say their Balkan country's troubled economy ? burdened by recession, a euro48-billion ($61-billion) foreign debt and a 17 percent unemployment rate ? will revive because of access to wider European markets and job opportunities that the membership should bring.

"It's a big moment in our history ... we are joining more successful countries in Europe," Croatia's President Ivo Josipovic said after casting his ballot. "I'm happy that Europe will become my home."

Opponents said Croatia has nothing to gain by entering the bloc, which is fighting off the bankruptcy of some of its members. They said that Croatia will lose its sovereignty and the national identity it fought for in a war for independence from Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

"I voted against, because I don't think we'll do well in the EU," said university student Matea Kolenc, 23. "I heard a lot of bad things about the EU, its economic situation and what it has to offer."

The Balkan nation started negotiating its EU entry six years ago, but since then the popularity of the bloc has faded, as Croats realized that EU membership would not automatically lead to prosperity.

Many in Croatia ? and the rest of the EU ? also wonder what is the bloc going to gain from the country, which is rife with corruption and has economic woes that are among the deepest in the Balkans.

Croatia's credit rating was last year reduced to a step above junk by ratings agency Standard & Poor's which cited its deteriorating fiscal position and external financing for its decision. If it enters the EU in 2013, Croatia won't be adopting the euro currency for several more years, and is unlikely to contribute to its further plunge.

In a sign of deep divisions in Croatia over the membership, police clashed Saturday in downtown Zagreb with a group of nationalist protesters who attempted to take down an EU flag.

Numerous anti-EU graffiti, some saying "Stop the Destruction, No to EU," appeared Sunday on the walls of voting stations in the Croatian Adriatic coast port of Split, the hotbed of nationalists. Police covered the signs with white paint.

Croatian officials, who have launched a pro-EU campaign before the referendum, warned that a "no" vote would have deprived the country of the much-needed accession funds, and that even the payment of pensions for retirees and war veterans could be in jeopardy.

Croatia has received around euro150 million ($193 million) in pre-accession assistance since 2007. It is to receive another euro150 million for 2012 and euro95 million ($122 million) in 2013.

Croatia's pro-government media have also tried to scare Croatians by saying that if they reject the EU, they would have to return to some sort of a Balkan union with their former wartime foe, Serbia, which has been struggling to gain a candidacy status in the bloc.

The approval rating for EU membership has also dropped to 52 percent in Serbia because of Germany's conditioning for the candidacy with the de facto recognizing of the independence of its former Kosovo province which declared independence in 2008.

___

Eldar Emric contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-22-EU-Croatia-EU-Referendum/id-9d9fdb1d3d7849a19121bbd8968da25f

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Prayers of peace turn to fear of attack in Nigeria (AP)

KANO, Nigeria ? The aging Muslim spiritual leader of this northern Nigeria city, his eyes heavy with fatigue, leaned into a microphone Monday and whispered to God his wish for peace after the killing of at least 185 people in an attack by the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.

On the streets, however, smudged black graffiti written in charcoal gave a different message: "Boko Haram good."

Though businesses reopened and traffic again filled the streets Monday of Nigeria's second-largest city, people in Kano remained fearful that the radical sect will attack again. That tension only increased as police announced they had discovered 10 unexploded car bombs around the city and as uniformed officers and soldiers melted away from public view in this city of more than 9 million people.

"We are not safe at all," warned resident Aminu Garba, 38. "We are not safe."

Police issued a statement late Monday giving a fuller account of what happened during Friday's attack that saw at least two Boko Haram suicide bombers detonate explosive-laden cars. The statement by state police commissioner Ibrahim Idris described attackers as speaking accented Hausa and other languages not normally heard in Kano as they assaulted police stations, immigration offices and the local headquarters of Nigeria's secret police.

The attack killed 150 civilians, 29 police officers, three secret police officers, two immigration officers and one customs official, Idris said, rising the toll to 185 dead. Medical workers and emergency officials say they still expect the death toll to rise.

Officers also have discovered 10 car bombs in the city, as well as about 300 bombs made from aluminum cans and other explosives, Idris said.

On Monday, Emir of Kano Ado Bayero and Kano state Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso sat together at the front of a mosque typically full of worshippers during Friday prayers in this dusty, sprawling city. However, the special service to commemorate the dead and ask God for peace and justice drew much smaller crowds than usual, with half of the prayer mats unoccupied.

"I call on people from all groups to pray for this place," Bayero said.

Meanwhile, secret police officers stood guard outside with assault rifles.

Bayero is one of the premier rulers of the emirates of Nigeria, a system of governance that dates back to the 1800s and still carries spiritual importance to Muslims. British colonialists used the emirates to rule the north by proxy until Nigeria gained its independence in 1960. Many believe Nigeria's corrupt politicians now do the same, as the vast majority of those living in the north deal with crushing poverty in a nation where most earn less than $2 a day.

The influence of traditional leaders in Nigeria has waned in recent years and the 81-year-old emir himself showed his age as he walked slowly away from the mosque, leaning heavily on his cane.

Such leaders previously promised to intercede for the government to stop the increasingly violent sectarian attacks of Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language. However, a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable claims that Nigeria's government in 2008 released suspected Islamist extremists to such leaders as part of a parole program.

Around that same time, Nigerian authorities released a Boko Haram member now suspected of helping organize the August suicide car bombing of the U.N. headquarters in the capital, Abuja, that killed 25 people.

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.

Security forces on Sunday shot dead four people they accused of being Boko Haram members after finding explosive-making materials in their car in the sect's spiritual home of Maiduguri, said Col. Victor Ebhaleme, a military field operation officer in the northeastern city. Local police said at the same time on Sunday that a suspected sect member killed a Maiduguri High Court registrar at his home.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday that U.S. officials are discussing how to support Nigeria's counterterrorism efforts, including cutting funding for Boko Haram.

"We are obviously extremely concerned and it was a really horrific spate of bombings over the weekend," Nuland said.

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. That leaves Kano residents like Garba, who stood outside the mosque following Monday's prayer service, living in fear.

In the middle of the sect's attack Friday, Garba said his pregnant wife suffered a miscarriage. Now people run at the sound of a tire bursting, he said.

Heavily armed soldiers who stood guard during the president's visit Sunday disappeared from Kano's streets shortly after he left the city. Police officers also have moved largely from their bombed stations to the city's outskirts.

"People have this anger because of the poverty and the illiteracy," Garba said. We "have to be very cautious."

___

Associated Press writers Salisu Rabiu and Ibrahim Garba in Kano, Nigeria; Njadvara Musa in Maiduguri, Nigeria; and Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report.

___

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

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_re_af/af_nigeria_violence

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Cheerleader Fails (VIDEO)

Don't let the short skirts and the wide smiles fool you, cheerleading is serious business. Between the more acrobatic elements of the sport and the proximity to high-speed action on the playing field, there are plenty of ways that even the best laid routines can go awry.

From innocent foul ups to potentially dangerous drops, here are some remarkable cheerleader fails.

WATCH ABOVE

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/21/cheerleader-fails-video-falls-drops-sideline-collisions_n_1220834.html

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The GOP debate: 6 takeaways (Politico)

In less than 48 hours, Newt Gingrich will know if his good night was good enough.

The former House speaker was the standout ? and early ? star of Thursday?s CNN-hosted Republican debate in South Carolina, the last before voting begins in the first-in-the-South primary.

Continue Reading

Below are POLITICO?s six takeaways on the crackling debate:

1) Newt Gingrich saw the pitch coming

Gingrich was looking for a fastball and proceeded to knock it out of the park. Yes, it?s a sports cliche, but it?s a fitting one here. Gingrich knew full well that CNN moderator John King would ask him about his ex-wife?s claims that the former House Speaker had sought an ?open marriage? over a decade ago. And CNN made a clear choice to open with it, knowing that would make the network a part of the news story.

Gingrich came prepared.

The former Georgia congressman, who stoked debate hall crowds at several of these forums, had the audience on its feet applauding him as he bashed King, his network and ABC News for the ?despicable? move to make his messy marital past part of the discussion.

The crowd ate up the red meat about the ?elite media,? and the tone of the debate was immediately set. Nothing that happened after those first five minutes were anywhere near as memorable. Gingrich had the type of moment that GOP strategist Alex Castellanos has described as a critical ?moment of strength.?

This is, of course, Gingrich?s specialty - whipping up the GOP base?s distrust of the mainstream media. He himself has said on the trail that it?s perfectly appropriate for voters to ask him about his personal history, a statement at odds with his indignation Thursday evening.

Still, the crowd?s strong response inoculated him over the ex-wives issue and made it all but impossible for other candidates to attack him. Rick Santorum came the closest to touching it, but veered away just before he crossed the line into booing territory.

It was, simply put, Gingrich?s best single moment in any 2012 debate, and he?s had many good ones. His overall performance in Monday?s debate was better, but coming so close to the primary election, last night was exactly what he needed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71708_html/44240644/SIG=11mm3suij/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71708.html

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Automotive Outfitters Ratings in Portland Aspects | Creative ...

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Iowa GOP now says Santorum won caucuses

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? Offering no explanation, the Iowa Republican Party has declared Rick Santorum as winner of the Iowa caucuses, days after saying incomplete vote results precluded it from doing just that.

GOP State Chairman Matt Strawn and the party's State Central Committee issued a statement late Friday naming the former Pennsylvania senator as the winner, "in order to clarify conflicting reports and to affirm the results" that were released Wednesday.

The committee's release Wednesday said Santorum was 34 votes ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the final certified results from 1,766 precincts. But because eight precincts never turned in certified results, Strawn said in the statement Thursday that the party could not declare a winner. He congratulated both Santorum and Romney. Sixteen days earlier, Strawn had announced that Romney had won the caucuses by eight votes.

Saturday's statement offered no explanation of what had changed since Thursday, and Strawn did not return calls seeking comment.

Two central committee members told The Associated Press that the group held a conference call Friday night to discuss the "confusion" about the results of the caucuses and directed Strawn to issue a statement making it clear that the party considered Santorum the winner.

"There had been too much confusion and we needed to clear things up once and for all," said Steve Scheffler of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, a committee member who was on the call.

Another committee member, Drew Ivers of Webster City, said the new statement declaring Santorum the winner was issued "to try to clarify the validity of the Iowa process."

Scheffler said there was no vote by the 17-member committee but it was clear from the call that the consensus was to issue the statement.

The certified results announced by Strawn on Thursday had Santorum with 29,839 votes and Romney with 29,805, a difference of 34. Ron Paul finished third with 26,036. Newt Gingrich finished fourth with 16,163 votes.

Unofficial election night results from the eight missing precincts gave Santorum 81 votes and Romney 46. If those results had been certified to state party officials by Wednesday's deadline, Santorum's lead in the final tally would have been 69 votes.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-21-Iowa%20Caucuses/id-77c2c776c83049c7b4f4c2d5ec2d35ce

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SOPA Blackout Jan. 18: Wikipedia Goes Offline, But Why Not Twitter?

As a protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) and Protect IP Act (Pipa) in the US, Wikipedia has taken its English-language site offline for 24 hours.

But Twitter?s CEO Dick Costolo said his micro-blogging site would not join in the protest. Costolo said that he had planned "something else" in protest.

In a message on Twitter, Costolo said: ?That's just silly. Closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish."

Wikipedia has been joined by Reddit and Mozilla in the protest. But Costolo insisted: "Not shutting down a service doesn't equal not taking the proper stance on an issue. We've been very clear about our stance."

Twitter, as an international site, is used by millions of people across the world and many non-US users might not care about the protest as they are unaffected by the US legislation. That is why Wikipedia has only shut down its English-language site.

Like us on Facebook

Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales said on Twitter: ?Rumours of the death of Sopa may be premature. But Pipa is still going strong.

"The best action for Twitter might be to let us continue to use the service to organise our protests.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ibtimes/tech/~3/9W9FWuIrTz8/sopa-blackout-jan-18-wikipedia-goes-offline.htm

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Forgetting Actually Strengthens Memory--a Special Report (preview)

Image: Photoillustration by Aaron Goodman

Most people picture human memory as something resembling a secure metal vault into which we cram our valuable?and not so valuable?thoughts for safekeeping. The people with the biggest vaults, then, can keep the most stuff. They know the most and make the fewest mistakes.

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Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=ad6a58d39683c6b8415c6e3ee9f4ba63

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'Senior' runners never stop pushing their limits in marathons.

Public release date: 19-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Inserm Presse
presse@inserm.fr
INSERM (Institut national de la sant et de la recherche mdicale)

The results are largely unexpected: the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have consistently improved their performance over the last 30 years. At the same time, the researchers also observed a strong increase in athletes over 40 participating in the New York marathon: from 36% of the total masculine runners between 1980-1989, to 53% between 2000 and from 24 to 40% during the same periods for female runners. Details of these descriptive analyses were published in the AGE review, The Official Journal of the American Aging Association.

Inserm researchers analysed the chronometric performances of competitors in the New York marathon in accordance with age and sex over the 1980-2009 period. They classified runners who successfully completed he race into 10 separate age categories (20-29; 30-39; then every 5 years from between 40 and 79).

Although the average times achieved by the 10 best male and female athletes in age categories below 60-64 have not changed over the last 30 years, there was a sharp decrease in times for the senior age categories: for an average marathon time achieved of 3 hours and 50 minutes, men in the 65-69 age category improved by 8 minutes between 1980-1989 and 1990-1999, and 7 minutes between 1990-1999 and 2000-2009. Similarly, the average time achieved by women in age categories above 45-49 fell significantly. For example, the average performance for the 55 age category improved by 33 minutes between 1980 and 1990 (for an average race time of 4 hours and 20 minutes), and by 8 minutes between 1990 and 2000.

The researchers have thus concluded that, over the last two decades, the performances of the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have particularly improved, whereas their younger counterparts have remained stable.

"The improved performances can be explained by the increased number of participants in these age categories, as well as the increased interest this age population has in terms of the benefits of physical activity on health and well being" says Romuald Lepers, whose research into motor function plasticity during aging is part of the overall research of Inserm Unit 1093 "Cognition, Action and Sensorimotor Plasticity", directed by Thierry Pozzo.

In recent years, the gap in performance between men and women has stabilized, in all age categories, suggesting that the decline in physiological functions with age is similar for both sexes. The mechanisms via which physical activity acts advantageously in terms of slowing down aging-related processes remain to be explored. For the researchers, this initial data on athletes over 40, combined with new physiology and sociology data, will lead to improved understanding of the role physical exercise has in "aging well".

###

For more information

Source

Do older athletes reach limits in their performance during marathon running? Lepers R & Cattagni T Unit Inserm 1093 Cognition, Action, et Plasticit Sensorimotrice Universit de Bourgogne, Dijon Age (Dordr), May 27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11357-011-9271-z

Research contact

Romuald Lepers
Unit Inserm 1093 Cognition, Action, et Plasticit Sensorimotrice Universit de Bourgogne, Dijon
http://u887.u-bourgogne.fr/
Tel: 33-3-80-39-67-60
Email : romuald.lepers@u-bourgogne.fr

To be noted

An article on this research was cited by the New York Times http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/for-older-runners-good-news-and-bad/

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 19-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Inserm Presse
presse@inserm.fr
INSERM (Institut national de la sant et de la recherche mdicale)

The results are largely unexpected: the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have consistently improved their performance over the last 30 years. At the same time, the researchers also observed a strong increase in athletes over 40 participating in the New York marathon: from 36% of the total masculine runners between 1980-1989, to 53% between 2000 and from 24 to 40% during the same periods for female runners. Details of these descriptive analyses were published in the AGE review, The Official Journal of the American Aging Association.

Inserm researchers analysed the chronometric performances of competitors in the New York marathon in accordance with age and sex over the 1980-2009 period. They classified runners who successfully completed he race into 10 separate age categories (20-29; 30-39; then every 5 years from between 40 and 79).

Although the average times achieved by the 10 best male and female athletes in age categories below 60-64 have not changed over the last 30 years, there was a sharp decrease in times for the senior age categories: for an average marathon time achieved of 3 hours and 50 minutes, men in the 65-69 age category improved by 8 minutes between 1980-1989 and 1990-1999, and 7 minutes between 1990-1999 and 2000-2009. Similarly, the average time achieved by women in age categories above 45-49 fell significantly. For example, the average performance for the 55 age category improved by 33 minutes between 1980 and 1990 (for an average race time of 4 hours and 20 minutes), and by 8 minutes between 1990 and 2000.

The researchers have thus concluded that, over the last two decades, the performances of the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have particularly improved, whereas their younger counterparts have remained stable.

"The improved performances can be explained by the increased number of participants in these age categories, as well as the increased interest this age population has in terms of the benefits of physical activity on health and well being" says Romuald Lepers, whose research into motor function plasticity during aging is part of the overall research of Inserm Unit 1093 "Cognition, Action and Sensorimotor Plasticity", directed by Thierry Pozzo.

In recent years, the gap in performance between men and women has stabilized, in all age categories, suggesting that the decline in physiological functions with age is similar for both sexes. The mechanisms via which physical activity acts advantageously in terms of slowing down aging-related processes remain to be explored. For the researchers, this initial data on athletes over 40, combined with new physiology and sociology data, will lead to improved understanding of the role physical exercise has in "aging well".

###

For more information

Source

Do older athletes reach limits in their performance during marathon running? Lepers R & Cattagni T Unit Inserm 1093 Cognition, Action, et Plasticit Sensorimotrice Universit de Bourgogne, Dijon Age (Dordr), May 27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11357-011-9271-z

Research contact

Romuald Lepers
Unit Inserm 1093 Cognition, Action, et Plasticit Sensorimotrice Universit de Bourgogne, Dijon
http://u887.u-bourgogne.fr/
Tel: 33-3-80-39-67-60
Email : romuald.lepers@u-bourgogne.fr

To be noted

An article on this research was cited by the New York Times http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/for-older-runners-good-news-and-bad/

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/ind-rn011912.php

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Angelina Jolie Pregnant With 7th Child?

Angelina Jolie Pregnant With 7th Child?

OK Magazine reports that Angelina Jolie, 36, is expecting her seventh child, confirmed by a source close to the couple. Angelina and Brad have been [...]

Angelina Jolie Pregnant With 7th Child? Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/01/18/angelina-jolie-pregnant-with-7th-child/

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Citi misses forecasts; 4Q profit down 11 percent

In this Jan. 6, 2012 photo, a Citibank customer makes a transaction at an ATM, in New York. Citigroup said Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, its income fell 11 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011due to lower investment banking income, an accounting charge, and a decline in the value of its assets. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

In this Jan. 6, 2012 photo, a Citibank customer makes a transaction at an ATM, in New York. Citigroup said Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, its income fell 11 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011due to lower investment banking income, an accounting charge, and a decline in the value of its assets. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Choppy financial markets hurt Citigroup's investment banking profits, and the bank missed Wall Street expectations. The bank said Tuesday that profit fell 11 percent in the last three months of last year.

Besides making less money on investment banking, the bank lost money because of a quirky accounting rule related to the value of its corporate bonds.

Citi made $1.16 billion, or 38 cents per share, on revenue of $17.2 billion. The results fell short of the 54 cents per share estimated by analysts surveyed by FactSet, a provider of financial data.

A year earlier, in the fourth quarter of 2010, Citigroup made $1.3 billion on revenue of $18.4 billion.

Citigroup's broad international profile helped its results. Its business and consumer loans grew 14 percent to $465 billion, with most of the growth coming from Latin America and Asia.

As Americans pay down debt, the bank's credit card portfolio is improving. The number of Citi customers late with payments by 90 days or more fell 30 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Its losses from loans fell 40 percent, a bigger decline than the bank had anticipated. That allowed Citi to take a profit of $1.5 billion from the reserves the bank had kept aside for such losses.

But the volatile stock and bond markets in the fourth quarter led to a decline of 45 percent in Citi's investment banking revenue, to $638 million. The bank made less money on debt and equity underwriting and fees from advising on mergers and acquisitions.

Citi, one of the worst-hit banks during the financial crisis, has been reducing the toxic loans in its portfolio ? a condition of its $45 billion federal bailout. Those assets declined 25 percent in the fourth quarter, reducing overall revenue.

The bank also took a loss of $40 million because of an accounting rule that applies to the value of the corporate debt that the bank sells to investors. The value of that debt rose in the fourth quarter, but the bank had to take a loss because it would have had to pay more to buy it back on the open market.

For all of 2011, Citigroup's income was $11.3 billion on revenues of $78.4 billion, compared to net income of $10.6 billion on revenues of $86.6 billion for the full year 2010.

This marks the bank's second straight full year of profits. Citi's results were badly hurt during the financial crisis, posting close to $40 billion in losses from 2008 and 2009 combined.

Citi's stock was down 3 percent at $29.77 in pre-market trading.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-17-Earns-Citigroup/id-6a45580104ec43d3b7b8333be7663eae

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Obamas mark King's birthday with volunteer outing (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama evoked Martin Luther King Jr.'s own words about public service Monday as Obama and his family celebrated the life of the late civil rights leader with a volunteer project.

The president, along with wife Michelle Obama and daughter Malia, joined other volunteers at Browne Education Center in Washington.

During brief remarks, the president said there was no better way to honor King than to do something on behalf of others. He also acknowledged the controversy surrounding a quote on the new MLK memorial in Washington, which is being changed amid criticism that it did not accurately reflect King's words.

"What he really said was all of us can be a drum major for service, all of us can be a drum major for justice," Obama said. "There is nobody who can't serve, nobody who can't help somebody else."

The inscription on the King memorial, located on the National Mall, currently reads: "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness." The phrase is modified from a sermon known as the "Drum Major Instinct", which King delivered just two months before he was assassinated in 1968.

In the speech, King's words seem more modest than the paraphrased inscription: "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

After meeting with volunteers, the Obamas headed to the school library to help build bookshelves and a reading corner for students. The president and first lady were then put to work painting two King quotes on the library walls.

The president stood on a chair and carefully used blue paint to write the phrase "The time is always right to do what is right." Mrs. Obama painted the words "I have a dream."

In the evening, Obama and his wife attended a "Let Freedom Ring" tribute to King's legacy held by Georgetown University and the Kennedy Center.

The Kennedy Center program included selections from musician Bobby McFerrin and the Let Freedom Ring Celebration Choir comprising Georgetown University students and local area church members.

The university presented an award in honor of King to Clarence B. Jones, a former speech writer for the civil rights leader.

Music Director Rev. Nolan Williams Jr. told the story of the Freedom Riders who were often injured and jailed as they worked to integrate public buses in the South. He said their message was still true today, which he jokingly offered to Obama as a new campaign slogan: "You can lock us up, you can shut down government, but buses are still coming."

___

Associated Press writer Stacy A. Anderson contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_mlk

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