Video: ?Sesame Street? tackles divorce for first time

>> weather channel .

>> thanks. the gang at " sesame street " is tackling a sensitive subject. for the first time, the children's show will talk to kids about divorce. it's an interesting issue.

>> it is. did you watch " sesame street " as a kid?

>> of course.

>> can you believe it's been running 40 years now. you might think they've covered nearly everything. believe it or not, they avoided this one. after years of careful planning, they're about to teach kids how to deal with their parents' parting ways. from big bird to snufalogis, so familiar they feel like family. when it comes to family, " sesame street " has tackled everything from marriage on. the touchy topic of divorce was one they kept off the street until now.

>> you have two houses?

>> uh-huh. this one is where i live with my mommy and this one is where i live with my daddy.

>> it's called big feelings where for the first time we learn the fairy character, abbey's parents live apart.

>> abbey, why don't you all live in one house together?

>> well, because my parents are divorced.

>> the episode won't air on television, online only specifically targeted for parents to help kids cope with divorce.

>> i got used to the changes now.

>> experts say it's important for families to address the sensitive subject.

>>> think it creates a great vehicle for parents and kids to sit down in the comfort of their own homes, watch the videos online and really talk about things.

>> in 1992 , " sesame street " tried to tackle the tough topic. produc producers scripted and shot a show about snufologis parents divorcesing. when they tested it with preschoolers, some were upset and cried and it never aired.

>> we have a social component and try to address things concerning kids' lives.

>> 20 years later the new online episode is creating a lot of buzz. not everyone is pleased one woman tweeting have our morals finally declined so much we need " sesame street " to teach about divorce. so sad. but others very appropriate way to deal with a painful subject. it's a long time coming. the old gang with a new street they're finally heading down.

>> having all these big feelings about the divorce is okay?

>> sure, it is.

>> good. because i don't want to keep them inside anymore.

>> so cute. all the videos are free online and available on itunes and hopefully open up dialogue between adults and

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50185373/

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Japan scrambles jets as Chinese plane flies over disputed isles

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan scrambled fighter jets on Thursday after a Chinese government plane entered for the first time what Japan considers its airspace over disputed islets in the East China Sea, escalating tension between Asia's two biggest economies.

Japan protested to China over the incident but China brushed that off saying the flight by the Chinese aircraft was "completely normal".

Sino-Japanese relations took a tumble in September after Japan bought the tiny islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from a private Japanese owner.

Patrol ships from the two countries have been shadowing each other since then in a standoff that has raised concern that a collision could escalate into a clash. Thursday's incident was the first time both sides used aircraft in the dispute.

"Despite our repeated warnings, Chinese government ships have entered our territorial waters for three days in an row," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osama Fujimura told reporters.

"It is extremely regrettable that, on top of that, an intrusion into our airspace has been committed in this way," he said, adding that Japan had formally protested through diplomatic channels.

Japan's military scrambled eight F-15 fighter jets, the Defense Ministry said. Japanese officials later said the Chinese aircraft had left the area.

It was the first time a Chinese aircraft had intruded into Japan's airspace near the disputed islands, Japan Defense Ministry said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda later instructed the government to be "all the more on guard", the Kyodo news agency reported.

China's state maritime agency said a marine surveillance plane had joined four Chinese vessels patrolling around the islands and the fleet had ordered Japanese boats to leave the area immediately.

"The Diaoyu islands and affiliated islands are part of China's inherent territory. China's flight over the islands is completely normal," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a briefing in Beijing.

Japanese analysts said it was a significant escalation.

"This is serious ... intrusion into Japan's airspace is a very important step to erode Japan's effective control over the area," said Kazuya Sakamoto, a professor at Osaka University. "If China sends a military plane as a next step, that would really make Japan's control precarious."

Toshiyuki Shikata, a Teikyo University professor and a retired general, said the use of aircraft by both sides was significant.

"Something accidental is more likely to happen with planes than with ships," he said.

"SACRED TERRITORY"

The incident comes just days before a Japanese election that is expected to return to power the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) with hawkish former prime minister Shinzo Abe at the helm.

Abe has vowed to take a tough stance in the dispute over the islands, which are near potentially huge maritime gas reserves, and has said that the ruling Democratic Party's mishandling of its diplomacy had emboldened China.

Abe has also promised to boost spending on defense including on the coastguard.

Smaller Asian countries such as the Philippines have also become increasingly worried about Beijing's growing military assertiveness and its claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea.

U.S. President Barack Obama urged Asian leaders during a visit to the region in November to rein in tension over territorial disputes.

Washington does not take a position on the sovereignty of the islands but says they are clearly covered by a 1960 security treaty obliging the United States to come to Japan's aid if attacked.

China says the islands are its "sacred territory" and says its claim predates Japan's.

Nationalization of the islands in September was intended to keep them out of the hands of a fiery nationalist politician, to head off a more damaging confrontation with China.

But the move triggered a wave of protests in China that shuttered Japanese factories and stores, disrupted trade and prompted China to strengthen its own claim to the disputed territory. Japanese carmakers saw their sales in China slump in the weeks after the islands were sold.

(Additional reporting by Terril Yue Jones in BEIJING; Editing by Robert Birsel and Jeremy Laurence)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-protests-chinese-plane-flies-over-disputed-isles-065259977.html

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Clinton to testify on Benghazi on Dec. 20

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify on December 20 before the House of Representatives and Senate foreign affairs committees on a report on the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, the committees said on Wednesday.

The attack on September 11 killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, and raised questions about the adequacy of security in far-flung posts.

Republicans have criticized Democratic President Barack Obama's administration for its flawed early public explanations of the attack.

They have also criticized shifting explanations of why talking points given to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice were changed to delete a reference to al Qaeda. Some Republicans have used that criticism to question Rice's suitability as a candidate to replace Clinton, if Obama were to nominate her.

Clinton has said she planned to retire from her post at State after Obama's first term.

An accountability review board convened by the State Department is expected to release a report on the Benghazi attack before Clinton testifies.

The board, led by veteran diplomat Thomas Pickering, is expected to consider whether enough attention was given to potential threats and how Washington responded to security requests from U.S. diplomats in Libya.

Democratic Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement: "We ask our diplomats and development personnel to operate in some of the most dangerous places on the planet. We owe it to them, and we owe it to the memory of Ambassador Chris Stevens and his three fellow Americans who lost their lives in Benghazi to get past the politics and focus on the substance of what happened and what it tells us about diplomatic security going forward."

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-testify-benghazi-report-december-20-042045851.html

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Speaker: Obama resists curbing federal spending

WASHINGTON (AP) ? House Speaker John Boehner accused President Barack Obama of being so resistant to curbing federal spending that he risks an agreement to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of wide-ranging tax increases and spending cuts that will be automatically triggered in less than three weeks.

"Unfortunately, the White House is so unserious about cutting spending that it appears willing to slow-walk any agreement and walk our economy right up to the fiscal cliff," Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters Thursday. "And doing that puts jobs in our country in danger."

Boehner's comments underscored how his talks with Obama remain stalled over crafting a compromise deficit-cutting package of revenue increases and spending cuts. Without such an agreement, tax hikes and spending reductions will begin taking effect in early January, steps that economists warn could renew the recession.

Boehner said the White House is demanding too little in spending savings and too much in fresh spending on programs designed to stimulate the economy. Still, even as Obama continues to insist on sizable tax increases on the highest earners ? including income tax rate increases ? Boehner signaled flexibility If the president would accept deeper spending cuts.

"If the president will step up and show us he's willing to make the spending cuts that are needed, I think we can do some real good in the days ahead," he said.

Boehner said he would reject White House demands that as part of a deal, Congress agree to give up much of its ability to block increases in the government's ability to borrow money. The Treasury is expected to run out of its power to borrow more money early next year ? a situation that congressional Republicans successfully used last year to demand spending cuts from Obama.

"Congress is never going to give up our ability to control the purse," Boehner said. "And the fact is that the debt limit ought to be used to bring fiscal sanity to Washington, D.C."

Obama planned to make his case on the fiscal cliff in interviews Thursday afternoon with four local television stations in Philadelphia, Miami, Minneapolis and Sacramento, Calif. The TV markets reach viewers in congressional districts represented by Republican House members but won by Obama in last month's election.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama was "interested in communicating to Americans in every corner of the country about his commitment to work in bipartisan fashion with Congress to ensure that income taxes don't go up on middle class families at the end of the year."

Republicans still aren't budging on Obama's demands for higher tax rates on upper bracket earners, despite the president's convincing election victory and opinion polls showing support for the idea.

Democrats in turn are now resisting steps, such as raising the eligibility age for Medicare, that they were willing to consider just a year and a half ago, when Boehner was in a better tactical position.

Neither side has given much ground, and Boehner's exchange of proposals with Obama seemed to generate hard feelings more than progress. The White House has slightly reduced its demands on taxes ? from $1.6 trillion over a decade to $1.4 trillion ? but isn't yielding on demands that rates rise for wealthier earners.

Boehner responded with an offer very much like one he gave the White House more than a week ago that proposed $800 billion in new revenue, half of Obama's demand. Boehner is also pressing for an increase in the Medicare eligibility age and a stingier cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients.

On Thursday, Sen. Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican and leading conservative figure, predicted that Obama would prevail in the fight over taxes.

A leading conservative who's resigning from the Senate is predicting that President Barack Obama will win the battle over raising taxes.

"He's going to get his wish. I believe we're going to be raising taxes, and not just on the top earners," DeMint, who is leaving the Senate to become president of the Heritage Institution think tank, said in an appearance on "CBS This Morning."

DeMint said a tax increase would amount to a "political trophy" for Obama but said it would be bad for the country.

"The president's proposal is not a plan, it's not a solution," he said.

There is increasing concern about a Dec. 31 deadline to stop the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts and the start of across-the-board spending cuts that are the result of Washington's failure to complete a deficit-reduction deal last year. Even if an agreement can be reached, the halting pace of negotiations is jeopardizing chances that it could be written into proper legislative form and passed through both House and Senate before the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.

"I do have an increasing concern that the speaker ... is trying to string this out until Jan. 3 because that's when he would be re-elected as speaker," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, top Democrat on the House Budget Committee. "And I think he's nervous that if he can't get a majority of his House Republican members to support a reasonable agreement that that could put his speakership election in jeopardy. And so that might cause him to try and string these talks" along.

Republicans say it's Democrats who are dragging out the talks.

"In the past 48 hours, the president has not been negotiating in good faith in my opinion," said Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Ohio, who said he was increasingly pessimistic that a deal could be reached.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Nyia Hawkins contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/speaker-obama-resists-curbing-federal-spending-172618730--finance.html

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Brilliant Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight

Skywatchers around the world are in for a treat tonight, as the annual Geminid meteor shower is poised to put on a spectacular show.

The Geminids will peak overnight tonight (Dec. 13) with the moon at its new phase. The skies will thus be free of the moon's glare, allowing viewers in rural areas to see perhaps 100 or more meteors per hour, experts say.

A new and as-yet unnamed meteor shower may also make an appearance tonight, ramping up the celestial display even further.

"Meteors from the new shower (if any) will be visible in the early evening, with the Geminids making their appearance later on and lasting until dawn," Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, said in a statement.?[Photos: Geminid Meteor Shower of December 2011]

The Geminids ? so named because they appear to emanate from the constellation Gemini (The Twins) ? result when Earth plows through debris shed by the huge, enigmatic asteroid 3200 Phaethon. This is unusual for annual meteor showers, which are typically caused by comet particles.

The potential new shower's source is a comet called Wirtanen, Cooke said. Earth hasn't run into Wirtanen's debris stream before, but computer models suggest this year could be different.

If the new shower does indeed materialize, it could produce up to 30 meteors per hour tonight by itself, Cooke said. These shooting stars will seem to be coming from the constellation Picses (The Fish), so the shower may end up being called the Piscids.

A few scattered Geminids can be spotted shortly after sunset tonight. The show will really start picking up around 10 p.m. local time, experts say, and it should peak at 2 a.m. or so. You won't need binoculars or a telescope to see the shooting stars; just crane your neck up, preferably in a spot away from bright city lights.

You can also watch the meteor action online tonight if you so choose. Cooke and several NASA colleagues will host a live web chat overnight from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. EST (0400 to 0800 GMT), complete with live video of streaking meteors captured by a special camera at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. It will all happen here: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/geminids2012.html

Skywatchers who miss tonight's peak will have a few other chances to catch the Geminids this year. The shower should linger until Dec. 16 or so before petering out completely.

Editor's Note: If you take a photo of this year's Geminids that you'd like to share with SPACE.com for a possible story or gallery, please send it, along with your comments, to spacephotos@space.com.

Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall?or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook?and?Google+.?

Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brilliant-geminid-meteor-shower-peaks-tonight-122200382.html

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Americans finding dozens of ways to mark 12-12-12

AAA??Dec. 11, 2012?8:42 PM ET
Americans finding dozens of ways to mark 12-12-12
By BRIDGET MURPHYBy BRIDGET MURPHY, Associated Press?THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES?

Signage for the "12-12-12" concert is displayed on the Madison Square Garden jumbotron, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in New York. The Dec. 12 concert, whose proceeds will aid victims of Superstorm Sandy, will feature artists Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Signage for the "12-12-12" concert is displayed on the Madison Square Garden jumbotron, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in New York. The Dec. 12 concert, whose proceeds will aid victims of Superstorm Sandy, will feature artists Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Workers prepare Madison Square Garden for the "12-12-12" concert whose proceeds will aid the victims of Superstorm Sandy, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in New York. The Dec. 12 concert will feature artists Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Workers prepare Madison Square Garden for the "12-12-12" concert whose proceeds will aid the victims of Superstorm Sandy, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in New York. The Dec. 12 concert will feature artists Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Producers David Saltzman, left, and John Sykes speak to the media and pose for photographs as workers prepare Madison Square Garden for the "12-12-12" concert whose proceeds will aid the victims of Superstorm Sandy, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in New York. The Dec. 12 concert will feature artists Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Workers prepare Madison Square Garden for the "12-12-12" concert whose proceeds will aid the victims of Superstorm Sandy, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in New York. The Dec. 12 concert will feature artists Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

A Michigan sixth-grader will put aside her nerves and get her ears pierced on her 12th birthday. Two law-enforcement officials will exchange wedding vows at 12:12 p.m. in Pittsburgh's federal courthouse. And gamblers can take advantage of promotions some casinos are using to lure in patrons who want to test their luck.

With a once-a-century date arriving Wednesday, some people across the United Stated are betting on good fortune for 12-12-12.

In New England, Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut will offer $12 in free slots play to rewards cards members who sink $12 into the slots.

A southwestern Michigan casino is also betting that 12-12-12 is going to be a lucky day for opening its new hotel. A ribbon-cutting is planned for 12:12 p.m. Wednesday for the eight-story, 242-room hotel at FireKeepers Casino near Battle Creek.

Hours later, Anna Gandy, of Battle Creek, Mich., will head to the Lakeview Square Mall after school lets out. She realized last year that she would turn 12 on 12-12-12, her father, Bryan Gandy, said Tuesday. But between her sports team commitments and nerves, Anna decided to wait until Wednesday to get her ears pierced.

"She's been looking forward to it for a year," her dad said of the special birthday. "She obviously likes the number 12."

Fans of some of music's biggest names will feel lucky to see them share a stage Wednesday in New York's Madison Square Garden. The charity show for Superstorm Sandy victims has been dubbed the "12-12-12" concert and will include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Kanye West, Alicia Keys and Bon Jovi.

For pro football fans, Wednesday's date also will carry special meaning.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wears No. 12, and the Wisconsin state Legislature has designated the day Aaron Rodgers Day in honor of the Super Bowl winner and last year's MVP. Some businesses are encouraging employees to wear Rodgers jerseys and make $12 donations to a charity fund.

And in honor of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who also wears No. 12, his team is planning a series of events, offering free admittance to its interactive museum in the 12 o'clock hour and discounts at its shop ? 12 percent off, naturally. The team's Facebook post had more than 12,000 likes in its first hour.

According to Vicki MacKinnon, who practices numerology, the study of the occult significance of numbers, Wednesday's date represents two energies merging, including masculine and feminine energies.

MacKinnon, of Calgary, Alberta, author of "Please Take a Number: Numerology for Real Life and Everyday Success," said Tuesday that those kinds of energy are good news for couples planning to marry on 12-12-12.

Among them are Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Johnson and Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Allen. A federal judge in Pittsburgh will marry the couple at 12:12 p.m. as they exchange 12-word vows.

Johnson, 34, said the couple had been planning a small ceremony until word leaked out of their numerically unusual plans.

"A lot of people started thinking it was interesting and intriguing that we chose this day. Prior to that it was going to be a very small venture, but it's kind of spiraled into something," Johnson said.

Officials at the Milwaukee County Courthouse also expect the hallways to be bustling with brides and grooms. At least 27 couples are getting hitched on the 12th day of the 12th month of 2012, compared with about six on a typical Wednesday.

In Las Vegas, MGM Resorts spokeswoman Yvette Monet says most of the six casino wedding chapels the company has along the strip are close to fully booked for Wednesday.

But weddings aside, MacKinnon said, her reading of the date shows good fortune can come to anyone who demonstrates good intentions in whatever they do on 12-12-12.

"I just believe that as long as we conduct our lives with the highest intentions for ourselves and others, we can make very good use of the energy tomorrow for manifestation of what we want to bring into our lives," MacKinnon said.

___

Murphy reported from Boston. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Joe Mandak in Pittsburgh, Dinesh Ramde and Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee, David Runk in Detroit, and Hannah Dreier in Las Vegas.

Associated PressNews Topics: General news, Oddities, Casinos, NFL football, State legislature, Professional football, Body piercings, National courts, Gambling, Recreation and leisure, Lifestyle, Football, Sports, Legislature, Government and politics, State governments, Beauty and fashion, National governments, Courts, Judiciary
People, Places and Companies: Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Michigan, Battle Creek, United States

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-11-12-12-12/id-5be96bc2688a484485cb9a3cf50734ac

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Nine hurt as gunmen fire at Cairo protesters

CAIRO (Reuters) - Nine people were hurt when gunmen fired at protesters camping in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday, according to witnesses and Egyptian media, as the opposition called for a major demonstration it hopes will force President Mohamed Mursi to postpone a referendum on a new constitution.

Supporters of the Islamist leader, who want the vote to go ahead as planned on Saturday, were also gathering in the capital, setting the stage for further street confrontations in a political crisis that has divided the Arab world's most populous nation.

Police cars surrounded Tahrir Square in central Cairo, the first time they had appeared in the area since November 23, shortly after a decree by Mursi awarding himself sweeping temporary powers that touched off widespread protests.

The upheaval following the fall of Hosni Mubarak last year is causing concern in the West, in particular the United States, which has given Cairo billions of dollars in military and other aid since Egypt made peace with Israel in 1979.

The Tahrir Square attackers, some masked, also threw petrol bombs which started a small fire, witnesses said.

"The masked men came suddenly and attacked the protesters in Tahrir. The attack was meant to deter us and prevent us from protesting today. We oppose these terror tactics and will stage the biggest protest possible today," said John Gerges, a Christian Egyptian who described himself as a socialist.

The latest bout of unrest has so far claimed seven lives in clashes between the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and opponents who are also besieging Mursi's presidential palace.

POLICE POWERS

The elite Republican Guard which protects the palace has yet to use force to keep protesters away from the graffiti-daubed building, now ringed with tanks, barbed wire and concrete barricades.

The army has told all sides to resolve their differences through dialogue, saying it would not allow Egypt to enter a "dark tunnel". For the period of the referendum, the army has been granted police powers by Mursi, allowing it to arrest civilians.

The army has portrayed itself as the guarantor of the nation's security but so far it has shown no appetite for a return to the bruising front-line political role it played after the fall of Mubarak, which severely damaged its standing.

Leftists, liberals and other opposition groups have called for marches to the presidential palace later on Tuesday to protest against the hastily arranged constitutional referendum planned for Dec 15, which they say is polarising the country and could put it in a religious straightjacket.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a prominent opposition leader and Nobel prize winner, called for dialogue with Mursi and said the referendum should be postponed for a couple of months due to the chaotic situation.

"This revolution was not staged to replace one dictator with another," he said in an interview with CNN.

Outside the presidential palace, anti-Mursi protesters huddled together in front of their tents, warming themselves beside a bonfire in the winter air.

"The referendum must not take place. The constitution came after blood was spilt. This is not how a country should be run," said Ali Hassan, a man in his 20s.

Opposition leaders want the referendum to be delayed and hope they can get sufficiently large numbers of protesters on the streets to change Mursi's mind.

Islamists, who dominated the body that drew up the constitution, have urged their followers to turn out "in millions" in a show of support for the president and for a referendum they feel sure of winning.

OPPONENTS ANGERED

Leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahy, one of the most prominent members of the National Salvation Front opposition coalition, said Mursi was driving a wedge between Egyptians and destroying prospects for consensus.

As well as pushing the early referendum, Mursi has angered opponents by taking extra powers he said were necessary to secure the transition to stability after the uprising that overthrew Mubarak 22 months ago.

"The road Mohamed Mursi is taking now does not create the possibility for national consensus," said Sabahy. He forecast polarisation if constitution were passed.

The National Salvation Front also includes ElBaradei and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa.

The opposition says the draft constitution fails to embrace the diversity of 83 million Egyptians, a tenth of whom are Christians, and invites Muslim clerics to influence lawmaking.

But debate over the details has largely given way to street protests and megaphone politics, keeping Egypt off balance and ill equipped to deal with a looming economic crisis.

Mahmoud Ghozlan, the Muslim Brotherhood's spokesman, said the opposition could stage protests, but should keep the peace.

"They are free to boycott, participate or say no; they can do what they want. The important thing is that it remains in a peaceful context to preserve the country's safety and security."

The disruption is also casting doubts on the government's ability to push through economic reforms that form part of a proposed $4.8 billion IMF loan agreement.

(Writing by Edmund Blair and Giles Elgood; Editing by Peter Graff and Janet McBride)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unknown-attackers-fire-cairo-protesters-nine-hurt-020511537.html

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Management Tip: Brainstorm Before Big Presentation (Harvard ...

Big presentations are generally high-stakes situations in which every aspect matters, from content to delivery.?The Harvard Business Review?s tip of the day borrows from HBR?s Guide to Persuasive Presentations in prescribing a pre-presentation brainstorming session.

Source: http://www.bowdoindailysun.com/2012/12/management-tip-brainstorm-before-big-presentation-harvard-business-review/

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'Cold, calculating': Lottery murderer gets life

Chris Urso / The Tampa Tribune via AP

Dorice Moore, right, and her lawyer Byron Hileman watch the jury after she was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare on Monday.

By The Associated Press

A woman was convicted Monday of first-degree murder in the slaying of a lottery winner in central Florida and sentenced to mandatory life without parole by a judge who called her "cold, calculating and cruel."

Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore showed no emotion as a jury foreman read the verdict. Judge Emmett Battles sentenced her to an additional minimum mandatory 25 years for using a gun in the commission of a felony.

Moore has 30 days to appeal. If she decides to, she will be assigned a public defender. The attorney appointed by the court to represent her at trial, Byron Hileman, will no longer represent her.

"I can sleep good at night because I know I had done the very best job," Hileman said. "I feel sad for the victim. I feel sad for their families. I feel sad for the defendant because these types of cases are no-win situations."

Jurors deliberated for more than three hours before finding Moore guilty of the first-degree murder charge prosecutors had lodged against her in the death of Abraham Shakespeare, who won millions in 2006. Shakespeare's mother was in the courtroom, but showed no emotion.

"She got every bit of his money," said Assistant State Attorney Jay Pruner in closing arguments. "He found out about it and threatened to kill her. She killed him first."

Woman arrested in Fla. lottery winner?s death

Hileman argued that there were other potential suspects whom prosecutors refused to consider.

"There were a lot of people who owed Mr. Shakespeare a lot of money. One guy owed him a million dollars," he said during his closing arguments. "The police focused on Dee Dee Moore and they didn't even consider other people."

Pruner could not be reached for comment immediately.

'Manipulative person'
Battles instructed the jury that it could convict the 40-year-old Moore of a lesser charge. Following the verdict, he called her "the most manipulative person" he had ever seen, describing her as "cold, calculating and cruel."

Prosecutors built much of their case from a confidential informant's statements and financial records.

Moore was briefly banned from the courtroom Monday over concerns that she may have threatened jurors. She was back a short time later for closing arguments, but said she did not want to take the stand in order to protect her family.

At times, Moore closed her eyes and averted her face from the jury as prosecutors played audio recordings made by an undercover officer posing as a criminal who would take the fall for Shakespeare's murder.

Prosecutors said Moore befriended Shakespeare in late 2008, claiming she was writing a book about how people were taking advantage of him.

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They claimed Moore later became his financial adviser, eventually controlling every asset he had left, including an expensive home, the debt owed to him and a $1.5 million annuity.

She ultimately swindled Shakespeare out of his dwindling fortune, then shot him and buried his body under a concrete slab in her backyard, Pruner said.

In opening statements, Moore's attorney told the jury that his client was trying to help protect Shakespeare's assets from a pending child-support case when he was killed by drug dealers who hadn't been caught.

Former inmate Rose Condora, who was locked up with Moore, told reporters during a break in the trial that she has visited her friend every night at the jail.

"She's not what people think she is," Condora said. "She did not kill that man."

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

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/11/15837085-cold-calculating-and-cruel-lottery-murderer-sentenced-to-life-in-prison?lite

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