On the Ground in Afghanistan, a Taliban Whose Momentum Seems Anything But Broken (Time.com)

The hundreds of bullets, mortar shells and rockets that slammed into the boulders behind which they were taking cover peppered the men of 1st Platoon with high velocity rock shards and jagged bits of shrapnel. Just below Outpost Shal, a newly constructed mountaintop aerie in Afghanistan's violent Kunar province on the Pakistani border, insurgent fighters were moaning and screaming from wounds suffered over eight days of heavy fighting. That scene, just three months ago, of the outnumbered American platoon fighting to maintain its foothold offered a sobering contrast TO President Barack Obama's statement, in last week's State of the Union address, that "The Taliban's momentum has been broken."

Like the battle scene witnessed by TIME, the recent National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan reportedly also casts doubt on the confidence expressed by President Obama on the state of the Taliban's war effort. The top-secret assessment "takes a dim view of possible futures in Afghanistan," Reuters was told last week by a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity. The report, which represents the consensus view of 16 US intelligence agencies, warns that the Taliban has not given up on its aim of retaking full control of Afghanistan, and concludes that the gains made by the troop surge ordered by President Obama two years ago may be unsustainable, according to McClatchy Newspapers. (Photo: Pakistan Militants Attack an Afghanistan-Bound Convoy)

The soldiers eventually won their battle at OP Shal, securing the Kunar River Valley from infiltration, eliminating insurgent roadblocks and opening it to civilian and military traffic. But the Taliban's week-long attack highlighted the many military problems facing Afghanistan, and made clear that the outcome of the conflict remains far from certain.

Throughout the intense fighting, the besieged defending force of 36 U.S. and Afghan army soldiers fought off multiple suicide bombers and at least four overrun attempts by between 400 and 500 heavily armed insurgents, who had been trucked in from Pakistan and who managed to advance to within five meters of U.S. positions. Afterwards, the soldiers confirmed 115 kills and estimated at least 200. "It was the most coordinated thing any of us had ever seen, but just the sheer number of forces they had massing on that position was ridiculous," Staff Sgt Everett Bracey of first platoon, Bravo Company, 2-27 Infantry Battalion, told TIME. (Video: Fighting Season in Afghanistan)

The attackers were reinforced and resupplied throughout the fight from bases and depots in the safe haven provided by Pakistan. "We saw 60 vehicles come out of Pakistan -- just drive in," said Staff Sgt. Anthony Fuentes looking at a topographical map a few days after the battle. "This whole route, it goes all the way up into Pakistan. It's a two-hour trafficable route from the border." Added company commander Captain Michael Kolton, "It was Pashtuns and Arabs and Chechens and Punjabis -- everyone and their sister joined in on this one."

The defenders of OP Shal also recognized that their attackers had been well trained. "They used the standard operating procedures that the U.S. army uses," explained Fuentes. "We expected contact, but we didn't expect that. Their fire was so heavy and precise that to get up and look at their near sector, the joes just had to say, 'Ok, I'm just going to eat one in the face just to get up and see if somebody is moving on me.' And every time they lifted their head up, there was somebody there."

Sitting in HIS squad bay at Combat Outpost Monti, Sgt. Brandon Goodell told TIME, "They are motivated, they are trained, and they are proficient." But what most surprised the Americans was the insurgents' determination to regain this strategic mountaintop commanding a six-kilometer section of road in the main Kunar River Valley. "They were relentless. They were all over us. I've never seen them come that hard at anybody," says Fuentes. The numbers, skill and determination of the insurgents repelled at OP Shal seems quite at odds with President Obama's suggestion that the Taliban's momentum has been broken. (Photo: Afghanistan Blueys: A Soldier's Polaroids)

"You'd kill 15 or 20 of them, and then five minutes later, there was another 15 or 20 of them trying to attack you again. I mean, we'd kill so many that we went black on ammo, pretty much, and we just had to stop and wait," says Goodell. "They're motivated. I tell my soldiers this exact same thing: If they were to come into our country, into the United States of America, and they were walking in your front yard, what would you do? Damn right I would fight you, and then I'd find all my friends and we'd fight you, and then I'd find their friends, and then we'd come and fight you. And after I died, my son, and their sons, and their friends' sons would all come fight you. Of course. We're in their back yard."

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Actress clarifies remark about being gay by choice (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? Actress Cynthia Nixon is trying to clarify her earlier remarks that got her in hot water with some fellow gay rights activists.

The "Sex and the City" star's personal life became an exercise in the politics of sexual orientation last week when The New York Times Magazine quoted Nixon saying that for her, being gay was a conscious choice. Nixon has been in a relationship with a woman for eight years. Before that, she spent 15 years and had two children with a man.

After some gay rights activists complained that Nixon's remarks could be used to deny a biological basis for homosexuality, the actress on Monday released a statement to The Advocate magazine explaining she is technically bisexual, and not by choice.

Nixon told the magazine: "What I have `chosen' is to be in a gay relationship."

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SAG Awards Fashion Face-Off: Lea Michele vs. Dianna Agron

Let's send either Lea Michele or Dianna Agron home a winner, shall we?

Neither of these Glee stars picked up any SAG Awards last night, and their show as also shut-out, but that doesn't mean both actresses didn't look beautiful and that one of them can't come out on top in this Fashion Face-Off.

Consider Michele and her major leg below, while comparing it with Agron's traditional purple gown and answer this simple question: Who looked best on the red carpet?

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Raul Castro defends Cuba's one-party system (AP)

HAVANA ? President Raul Castro delivered a full-throated defense of Cuba's one-party political system on Sunday, and a sharp warning to Communist Party delegates to fight corruption he said was a greater threat to the revolution than anything the United States could dream up.

In a stern closing speech to the party's national conference, Castro reiterated a pledge to institute term-limits for Cuban officials, saying a constitutional amendment would be required but that leaders should begin to adopt the practice even before it is formalized.

Castro has spoken previously about limiting high-ranking officials including himself to two, 5-year terms.

The U.S. threat to Cuba and the limits it placed on reform was a continuing theme of the speech. Cuba's president upbraided those who were hoping to see more fundamental changes come out of the two-day meetings ? or any new faces amid the aged upper ranks of the party and government hierarchy.

"There has been no shortage of criticism and exhortations by those who have confused their intimate desires with reality, deluding themselves that this conference would consecrate the beginning of the dismantling of the political and social system the revolution has fought for for more than half a century," he said.

The Cuban leader said those who want to see Cuba restore a multiparty system are forgetting that it is under siege from a Goliath to the north that would stop at nothing to destroy it.

"To renounce the principle of a one-party system would be the equivalent of legalizing a party, or parties, of imperialism on our soil," he said.

Castro was sharply critical of the United States' democratic system, which he said only concentrated power in the hands of the wealthy. He said that while Cuba had only one party, it sought the participation of all citizens through party and workplace meetings.

"We must promote democracy in our society, starting with the party," he said, urging rank-and-file members to speak up when they disagree with something.

The speech included denunciations of Washington's 50-year trade embargo, its support for dissidents and its imprisonment of Cuban agents who had infiltrated anti-Castro groups in Miami.

Castro also poured water on hopes that a new generation of Cuban politicians were any closer to the brass ring of power, saying the island remained without a backbench of young leaders.

The conference was presided over by the 80-year-old Castro and his 81-year-old chief deputy, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura. The island's third ranking leader, Ramiro Valdes, is 79.

Castro and his brother Fidel, now retired, have ruled Cuba since their 1959 revolution. There was no sign of the elder Castro at the confab, which was closed to foreign journalists.

Raul Castro has pushed a series of dramatic economic reforms since taking power in 2008, legalizing the sale of private homes and used cars, allowing hundreds of thousands to go into business for themselves, turning fallow government land over to small-time farms, and extending bank loans to entrepreneurs and others.

But many social and political reforms have not materialized. After promising in July to study changes to immigration laws that keep most Cubans from ever leaving the country, Castro told the nation in December that the time was not yet right, citing the continued threat from Washington.

At a Communist Party Congress in April, Castro and brother Fidel raised hopes that a new generation of leaders would soon appear on the horizon. Nine months later, there have been few visible changes.

A Cuban official told The Associated Press recently that despite the lack of movement among cabinet ministers and other senior leaders, many midlevel government posts have quietly changed hands, with younger officials moving up. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, and his assertions could not be independently confirmed.

Castro spent a large part of his 40-minute speech warning delegates about the evils of corruption, saying graft was "the principal enemy of the revolution, much more damaging than the multimillion-dollar subversive and interfering programs of the U.S. government and its allies."

He said the Interior Ministry was in the midst of several high-profile investigations of graft and other violations, which would become known at the appropriate time.

"To win the battle against corruption we must first stop it and then liquidate it," Castro said. "We have warned that within the law, we will be implacable."

___

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Ukraine's president firm against Tymoshenko (AP)

DAVOS, Switzerland ? Ukraine's president showed no mercy Friday for imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, despite increasing fears that her case will hurt his country's struggling economy and its relations with the European Union.

The gas contract with Russia that was the premise for Tymoshenko's conviction "is Ukraine's biggest problem today," President Viktor Yanukovych said at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. He added that he foresaw more judicial troubles for the ex-premier.

Tymoshenko, a bitter rival of the current president, is serving a 7-year sentence on charges of abuse of office in a case the West has condemned as politically motivated. Her family accuses prison authorities of denying her proper medical care.

Tymoshenko was found guilty last year of overstepping her authority while negotiating the natural gas import contract with Russia in 2009. Authorities say the contract was not in Ukraine's economic interest. She charges that Yanukovych has ordered her imprisonment in order to bar her from elections.

Yanukovych's presence at the forum in Davos was aimed at attracting investment from international CEOs at the invitation-only event, but his comments about Tymoshenko did little to soothe concerns about doing business in Ukraine.

Ukraine "cannot hope to attract investment if the law doesn't apply," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said. He told The Associated Press that a landmark cooperation deal between Ukraine and the EU is "dead in the water" as long as Tymoshenko is jailed.

But Tymoshenko's jailing is a dilemma for the EU. Some experts believe the bloc should not be partners with a government that throws opposition leaders in jail. Others say that snubbing Ukraine would push it back under Russia's influence as Kiev is courting Moscow for cheaper natural gas.

Tymoshenko rose to fame during Ukraine's 2004 popular uprising. She became an opposition leader after losing the premiership in 2010.

Yanukovych has made membership in the 27-nation EU a top priority, but exhibited little sign Friday that he was ready to concede on the Tymoshenko case.

The state security service has launched a slew of new criminal investigations against Tymoshenko since her conviction, probes that Yanukovych defended.

"The Ukrainian part of the crimes committed by people who were in one way or another connected to Tymoshenko have not been fully investigated," he said ? adding that the cases will go to court soon.

Yanukovych was cold to efforts to adopt changes to the criminal code that would allow the former prime minister to be freed. "That is up to the parliament," he said. The parliament is dominated by his supporters.

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U.S. has "no desire" for new military bases in Asia: admiral (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The United States is placing renewed priority on Asia as it winds down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has no desire for new bases in the region, the head of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific said on Friday.

Admiral Robert Willard, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the military's goal is to have a network of places close to the sea lanes of Southeast Asia where American forces can visit on rotation, avoiding the costly maintenance of bases.

"There is no desire nor view right now that the U.S. is seeking basing options anywhere in the Asia-Pacific theater," he told reporters in Washington.

Willard spoke as U.S. and Philippine officials were wrapping up two days of strategic talks in Washington that prompted speculation that Washington aimed to reopen bases in the Philippines. The Pentagon flatly denied having new basing plans.

He said his Hawaii-based Pacific Command preferred a model along the lines of plans to set up a Marine training facility in northern Australia and to rotate warships through Singapore.

"As I look at where the forces are and where they need to be present day-to-day, we are biased in Northeast Asia, and when we look at Southeast Asia and South Asia, the pressure is on Pacific Command to deploy and sustain forces there day to day," said Willard.

The Pacific Command has 50,000 U.S. forces stationed in Japan and 28,000 in South Korea.

Willard noted that media and public discussion of the U.S. strategy in Asia portrayed the policy as being aimed at China, with its fast-growing military budget and assertiveness over maritime territory claims in contested waters of the South China Sea.

But the admiral said the Pacific Command's primary mission was protecting sea lanes in the South China Sea that carry $5 trillion in commerce annually, including $1.2 trillion in trade with the United States.

The U.S. goal with China's military was to build closer military-to-military ties, overcoming differing philosophies on the purpose of such contacts, "trust factor" issues and other disputes, said Willard.

High-level U.S.-China dialogue and leaders' meetings like next month's U.S. visit by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has resulted in a situation where "the military relationship at that strategic level has been ... sustaining itself," said Willard.

"In other ways, at the operational and tactical level, getting our two militaries more acquainted with one another through operations or through counterpart visits have not advanced," he added.

"I'm not satisfied that the military relationship is where it needs to be," said Willard.

(Reporting by Paul Eckert; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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'Anderson' executive producer Jim Murphy steps down (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES, Jan 27 (TheWrap.com) ? Jim Murphy, co-executive producer of Anderson Cooper's syndicated daytime talk show "Anderson," has stepped down.

Murphy joined the show seven months before its September 2011 premiere, following stints on "Good Morning America," "CBS This Morning," "40 Hours" and "CBS Evening News."

Murphy's exit is the most recent in a string of departures for the talk show. In December, executive producers Cathy Chermol and Lisa Morin both stepped down -- according to the New York Post, Morin's departure was for personal reasons, while Chermol quit after a disagreement with Cooper over her handling of a special on the Penn State scandal. Terence Noonan, of "Dr. Oz," stepped in following their exits.

No reason was given for Murphy's departure.

Cooper characterized Murphy as "a good friend," praising his efforts in getting "Anderson" off the ground.

"I'm grateful for Jim's help and his hard work launching the show. He's a good friend and will always be a friend of our show," Cooper said. "We have a terrific team in place led by our executive producer, Terence Noonan, and I'm really excited about the momentum we've built and the future of the show."

"This has been an amazing experience being involved in the creation of this great new show and it has been exceptional to get to know and work with Anderson and the rest of the team," Murphy added. "I leave the show in great hands with Terence."

Despite the upheavals, "Anderson," which has been receiving lukewarm ratings since its launch, has shown signs of improvement. For the week ending January 15, the show grew by 25 percent and reached a series high with a 1.5 household rating.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Poll: Mitt opens up Fla. lead (Politico)

Just four days before the Florida primary, Mitt Romney has opened up a lead over Newt Gingrich, a new poll Friday shows.

Romney now stands at 38 percent support in the Sunshine State, compared with the former House Speaker?s 29 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.

Continue Reading

Just two days ago, another Quinnipiac poll showed a very close race, with Romney at 36 percent and Gingrich at 34 percent.

One explanation of the shift is the changing views of male voters. Earlier this week they supported Gingrich, 37 percent to Romney?s 33 percent. Now, Romney leads among men 36 percent to 29 percent.

Romney?s support among women, which stands at 40 percent, remains virtually unchanged from Wednesday. Gingrich continues to hold around 30 percent support among female voters.

?Speaker Newt Gingrich?s momentum from his South Carolina victory appears to have stalled and Gov. Mitt Romney seems to be pulling away in Florida,? said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum are far behind the pack, at 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

Conducted Jan. 24-26, the Quinnipiac poll surveyed 580 likely Republican voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

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Bats occupy Israeli army ghost bunkers (Reuters)

QASR AL-YAHUD, West Bank (Reuters) ? Abandoned Israeli army bunkers along the Jordan River are providing a lifeline for bats on the endangered species list, researchers say.

Soldiers left Israel's underground forts along the frontier with Jordan after a 1994 peace treaty between the two countries. With much of the former front line, some of it dotted by mine fields, still designated by the military as off-limits to civilians, bats swooped into the secluded and dark steel caverns.

Several years ago, researchers from Tel Aviv University were granted access to the ghost bunkers. Now, they say, they have identified 12 indigenous bat species in the 100-kilometre- (60 mile)-long tract between the Sea of Galilee in Israel and the Dead Sea's northern edge in the occupied West Bank.

Two of the species commonly known as the Mediterranean horseshoe bat and Geoffroy's bat are on the critical list and three others are designated as endangered.

"There is no doubt that by being in a closed military zone that has prevented human interference, the bat habitat will allow these delicate creatures to thrive," said one of the researchers, Eran Levin.

But he said it was too early to quantify the growth of the local bat population, estimated to be in the thousands, because the research project was not yet complete.

One former bunker -- overlooking the spot along the Jordan River where some Christian faithful believe Jesus was baptized by John -- has been turned into a more accommodating home for the webbed-wing mammals.

To give the bats more grip, the research team roughed up its smooth steel and concrete walls, suspended mesh sheets and wooden palates, sprayed insulating foam and stuck stones to surfaces.

Different bat species each preferred different grip surfaces, Levin said.

A thick layer of bat guano now covers the floor and metal bunk-bed frames the military left behind.

A night-vision camera follows the bats' movements during the period they inhabit the bunkers from March to October when daytime temperatures in the area soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Enjoying their own peace dividend, the bat population could also give something back to Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians in the area.

Aviam Atar of Israel's Nature and Parks Authority said the bats help to reduce crop damage by eating insects at night, coming out to feed in the dark when the fields are empty.

"Because each bat can eat a few grams of insects each night, they reduce the need for the use of pesticides and this certainly has potential for facilitating green farming. The crop growers don't even know this is happening," he said.

(Writing by Ori Lewis, Editing by Jeffrey Heller)

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Burn baby burn: HP pays out $425,000 to prevent a disco (laptop) inferno

The Haus of Meg will pay $425,000 in order to settle a claim that it consciously flogged laptops with batteries that could overheat or catch fire. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission slapped the company on the wrist for not issuing a recall quickly enough. It claimed that HP knew about 22 incidents involving battery 'splosions by September 2007 -- including one instance of a user being hospitalized, but didn't begin issuing a recall until ten months later. By May 2011, the company had recalled over 90,000 affected units that were prone to the odd bout of spontaneous combustion. If you're concerned you've got a duff battery, check out our list here.

Continue reading Burn baby burn: HP pays out $425,000 to prevent a disco (laptop) inferno

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GOP using Obama's address to blame him for economy

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans took the offensive Tuesday and cast President Barack Obama as the culprit for the economy's persistent frailty, hoping to shift the focus away from his State of the Union address' theme of economic fairness.

As they awaited the president's election season speech to the nation Tuesday night, Republicans in the Capitol and on the campaign trail said three years of Obama policies of higher spending, bigger government and tax increases have left the economy stuck in a ditch.

"If the president wants someone to blame for this economy, he should start with himself," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "The fact is, any CEO in America with a record like this after three years on the job would be graciously shown the door."

White House officials argue that the economy has resumed growing and generating new jobs on Obama's watch, though growth has been generally listless and the jobless rate remains at a high 8.5 percent.

One of Obama's themes will be economic fairness, including protecting the middle class and making sure the wealthy pay an equitable share of taxes. Republicans seemed determined to blunt that message and prevent the president from making it the top issue of this year's presidential and congressional elections.

"This election is going to be a referendum on the president's economic policies," which have worsened the economy, said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "The politics of envy, the politics of dividing our country is not what America is all about."

Boehner also said nearly 30 House-passed bills aimed at helping the economy have stalled in the Democratic-run Senate, most of them rolling back or blocking environmental, workplace and other regulations. He said he hoped Obama "will extend somewhat of an olive branch" to work with Republicans on boosting the economy.

Poised to give the GOP's formal, televised response to Obama was Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who flirted with running for his party's presidential nomination before deciding against it last May.

The first White House budget chief under President George W. Bush, Daniels has portrayed himself as a foe of budget deficits. He has described Obama's fiscal policies as "catastrophic."

Budgets are non-binding annual blueprints for federal tax and spending policy whose details are frequently ignored. They can also be hard to approve if they address or ignore difficult issues, so leaders sometimes avoid votes on them so vulnerable lawmakers seeking re-election can escape taking a controversial stance.

Obama was delivering his State of the Union address during a rowdy battle for the GOP presidential nomination that has ended up playing directly into Obama's theme of economic fairness.

That fight has called attention to the wealth of one of the top contenders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and the low ? but legal ? effective federal income tax rate of around 15 percent that the multi-millionaire has paid in the past two years. Romney, who is in Florida campaigned for that state's Jan. 31 primary, released his tax documents for that period on Tuesday.

"The president's agenda sounds less like "built to last" and more like doomed to fail," Romney said in remarks prepared for delivery Tuesday in Tampa, Fla.?"What he's proposing is more of the same: more taxes, more spending, and more regulation."

Romney's chief rival so far, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said in a written statement that the top question about Obama's speech was whether he "will show a willingness to put aside the extremist ideology of the far left and call for a new set of policies that could lead to dramatic private sector job creation and economic growth."

Republicans criticized Obama for putting off, so far, construction of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would run from western Canada to Texas' Gulf Coast. Supporters say it would create thousands of jobs, while critics say such claims are exaggerated and would cause pollution.

The GOP also sought to use the spotlight on Obama's speech to score points against congressional Democrats, saying the Senate has not approved a federal budget for 1,000 days.

"Unlike Democrats, House Republicans are fighting to strengthen our economy and allow small businesses to create jobs for hard working Americans," the chairman of the House GOP's campaign arm, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said in an email to supporters.

Associated Press

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France returns 20 Maori heads to New Zealand (AP)

PARIS ? France has handed over to New Zealand authorities 20 tattooed heads of Maori ethnic people once held in several French museums as a cultural curiosity.

French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand presided over a handover ceremony Monday at the Quai Branly museum in Paris. New Zealand's embassy said it involved the single largest group of Maori heads to be repatriated.

Since 2003, New Zealand has led an ambitious program of collecting Maori heads and skeletal remains from museums around the world so they could be properly mourned and buried according to tradition.

France long resisted handing over such cultural artifacts, but a law passed in 2010 eventually paved the way for the return of the heads.

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Eugenides, Lethem among critics' awards nominees

NEW YORK (AP) ? Novelist Jeffrey Eugenides, science-technology writer James Gleick and the late historian Manning Marable were among the nominees announced for the National Book Critics Circle awards

Eugenides was cited for "The Marriage Plot," a novel in part about a subject close to reviewers ? the love of books. It's his first release since winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for "Middlesex." Other fiction finalists included short story writer Edith Pearlman, whose "Binocular Vision" was a National Book Award nominee last fall; Alan Hollinghurst's acclaimed "The Stranger"; Dana Spiotta's "Stone Arabia" and Teju Cole's debut novel "Open City."

Five finalists in each of six categories were selected this weekend by the critics circle, founded in 1974. Great reviews do not guarantee an NBCC nomination. Some of the year's best-received books were among the missing, including Chad Harbach's "The Art of Fielding," Karen Russell's "Swamplandia" and Christopher Hitchens' "Arguably."

Winners will be announced March 8. No cash prizes are given.

Gleick was a nominee in nonfiction for "The Information," a review of how information has been shared through the centuries and its singular importance in modern times. The other nonfiction finalists were Amanda Foreman's "A World on Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War"; Adam Hochschild's "To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918; Maya Jasanoff's "Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary War" and John Jeremiah Sullivan's "Pulphead: Essays."

In biography, Marable was cited for "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention," which he worked on for more than a decade. He died last year just before the book's release. Also picked for biography were Cold War historian John Lewis Gaddis' "George F. Kennan: An American Life"; Mary Gabriel's "Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of the Revolution"; Paul Hendrickson's "Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, 1934-1961," and Ezra F. Vogel's "Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China."

Marable and Gabriel were both National Book Award nominees.

Diane Ackerman's "One Hundred Names for Love: A Stroke, A Marriage, and the Language of Healing" was a finalist for autobiography, along with Mira Bart?k's "The Memory Palace"; Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts' "Harlem Is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black America"; Luis J. Rodr?guez's "It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing"; and Deb Olin Unferth's "Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War."

Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa was a poetry nominee for "The Chameleon Couch" and Pulitzer finalist Bruce Smith was chosen for "Devotions." Other poetry finalists were Forrest Gander's "Core Samples from the World"; Aracelis Girmay's "Kingdom Animalia" and Laura Kasischke's "Space, in Chains."

Jonathan Lethem, best known for his novel "Motherless Brooklyn," was a criticism pick for "The Ecstasy of Influence." The late music critic Ellen Willis was chosen for "Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis on Rock Music." Other criticism nominees: David Bellos' "Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything"; Geoff Dyer's "Otherwise Known as the Human Condition: Selected Essays and Reviews," and Dubravka Ugresic's "Karaoke Culture."

The NBCC will also present two honorary awards. Robert Silvers, who nearly 50 years ago helped found The New York Review of Books, has won the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award. Kathryn Schulz, who has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone and many other publications, received the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-22-Books-Critics%20Awards/id-d17dacbbcc2a40acbbd7ee5f7eefebb0

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Politics of Resentment (Prospect)

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Viral video spoofs the, er, stuff New Yorkers say (AP)

NEW YORK ? Hip young New Yorkers hate waiting for the subway. They wouldn't be caught dead near tourist sites and couldn't care less if a celebrity walked by. They're snobby about what they read, even snobbier about what they eat, stick to their own borough, and call the most minuscule bedrooms "huge."

And there's something else: Some don't take kindly to being reduced to a cultural stereotype.

That's what Eliot and Ilana Glazer, brother-sister bloggers, comics and native New Yorkers, have discovered since their video, "Stuff New Yorkers Say" (no, the word isn't really "Stuff") has gone viral in the last couple days. Turns out, one of the things New Yorkers like to say is: "We don't say THAT!"

But there's been lots of positive feedback, too, and all the attention has stunned the Glazers, who posted the video on Wednesday night, hoping for some buzz but not expecting well over a million YouTube views (about 1.3 million as of late Friday).

"It's really bonkers," Eliot Glazer, 28, said in a telephone interview.

The video, inspired by a current Internet meme on what all sorts of groups of people say, is simple enough. In it, the Glazers and friends converse the way young New Yorkers would (or wouldn't, depending on whom you ask.) There are a few distinct themes.

Impatience: "Where is the train? Where is the TRAIN?" (There have been comments posted that while people in New York think this, they don't actually stand on the platform saying it.)

Exclusivity: "Nobody knows about this place."

Culinary exclusivity: "All I had today was a bagel." Or "Ah, Momofuku!" a reference to the group of restaurants headed by hip young chef David Chang.

Culinary snobbery: "Ah, Magnolia!" a reference to the cupcakes made famous by "Sex and the City" ? followed by a sour face, because the cupcakes aren't very hip.

Celebrity fatigue: "Sarah Jessica Parker! Oh, who cares."

Disdain for tourists: "Who goes to the Statue of Liberty?" "Who goes to the Empire State Building?" "Move! Move!" (walking down the street behind slowpokes.) "I hate tourists!"

That last theme, Glazer explains, is not to be taken literally. "New Yorkers are actually very kind to tourists," he says.

Another thing people are taking too literally, according to Glazer: The derisive comments about boroughs other than Manhattan, as in "I don't go to Queens," and "I don't do Brooklyn."

In fact, Glazer was born in Queens, grew up on Long Island, and now lives in Brooklyn, as does his sister ? a writer and comic whose Web series, "Broad City," is in development for the FX network.

Especially funny, Glazer says, is unwarranted speculation online that the Glazers aren't even from New York. But he says he doesn't read comments on YouTube: "It's just a pool of negativity."

"This is satire," he says. "We intended it to be a satire of what it means to be young and semi-spoiled in New York."

The video was shot and edited in about two weeks. "I was worried we were past the expiration date of the meme," Glazer says. He and his sister posted it to their Facebook accounts, and "within two hours it was insane ? the comments, the sharing," he says. "It was mind-blowing how quickly it took off."

What's clear from the video is that its creators love the city, despite its hardships.

Love-hate relationship with New York:

"I love it here.

"I hate it here.

"I love it here."

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

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Amazon setting up first "fulfillment center" in India (Reuters)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) ? Amazon.com Inc is setting up its first "fulfillment center" in India as the world's largest Internet retailer tries to break into the world's second most-populous nation.

Fulfillment centers are giant warehouses that help Amazon and other online retailers store many products, ship them and handle returns quickly.

The fulfillment center is based in Mumbai, the biggest city in the country, according to job listings on Amazon's India careers website.

Amazon "has an immediate opening for an IT Manager in our first Fulfillment Center based out in Mumbai, India," one recent listing said.

Another recent Amazon job posting sought a "Stations Operations Manager" to work for the fulfillment center team in Mumbai.

Amazon was also recently looking for a financial analyst in Mumbai to report to a general manager and controller and help the fulfillment center operate more efficiently and predictably.

Amazon spent heavily last year setting up more than 10 new fulfillment centers in the United States. The company also lists fulfillment centers in China, Germany, Japan and the U.K. on its website, but currently lists none in India.

Fulfillment centers cost a lot to set up, so Amazon's efforts to start one in India signals the company is serious about getting into the country's $550 billion retail market.

"While it has been speculated that Amazon would be expanding internationally, it seems that the international expansion plans have been accelerating," said Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie. "Last year, they launched a country-specific site in Spain and now it looks like India could be next."

An Amazon spokeswoman did not respond to emails seeking comment on the company's plans for India.

Amazon has software development centers in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad and a customer-service center in Hyderabad.

Shoppers in India can also buy products from Amazon websites in other countries and have the items shipped to them. But the company does not have a dedicated online retail business in India yet.

That has allowed e-commerce start-ups, led by Flipkart, to expand quickly in India.

"India is a tremendously large potential market for Amazon," said Mahesh Murthy, a venture capital investor in India and founder of digital marketing start-up Pinstorm.

"In fact, from the metrics we see, Amazon currently gets more traffic from India than Flipkart does, even though the former has no formal presence in India," he added.

Amazon already does a lot of business in India through its U.K. website, amazon.co.uk, because the company offers free shipping and handles customs for all books, music and DVDs bought from that site and shipped to India, Murthy said.

"But this would be significantly smaller than what Amazon could do if it came with a full offering into India," he added.

(Reporting By Alistair Barr; editing by Andre Grenon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/wr_nm/us_amazon_india

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Automotive electronics growth in 2009 was amazing to : Hot News ...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

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PSU trustees install new leadership

Penn State Board of Trustees President Karen Peetz addresses the board at its regularly scheduled meeting in State College, Pa., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Peetz was elected to the position earlier in the meeting. Penn State President Rodney Erickson also used the meeting as an opportunity to address the perception that the university isn't being as open and honest as it could be in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. (AP Photo/Andy Colwell)

Penn State Board of Trustees President Karen Peetz addresses the board at its regularly scheduled meeting in State College, Pa., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Peetz was elected to the position earlier in the meeting. Penn State President Rodney Erickson also used the meeting as an opportunity to address the perception that the university isn't being as open and honest as it could be in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. (AP Photo/Andy Colwell)

Penn State Board of Trustees President Karen Peetz addresses members of the media following the regularly scheduled meeting of the Penn State Board of Trustees in State College, Pa., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Penn State President Erickson used the meeting as an opportunity to address the perception that the university isn't being as open and honest as it could be in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. (AP Photo/Andy Colwell)

Penn State Board of Trustees Chairman Steve Garban, right, looks on as Penn State President Rodney Erickson, left, answers a Board of Trustees member's question during the board's regularly scheduled meeting in State College, Pa., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Erickson is using the meeting as an opportunity to address the perception that the university isn't being as open and honest as it could be in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. (AP Photo/Andy Colwell)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, left, speaks with fellow Penn State Board of Trustees member Mark H. Dambly, right, before the start of the regularly scheduled Penn State Board of Trustees meeting in State College, Pa., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Penn State President Rodney Erickson is using the meeting as an opportunity to address the perception that the university isn't being as open and honest as it could be in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. (AP Photo/Andy Colwell)

FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2011, file photo, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno watches warm ups before an NCAA college football game against Purdue in State College, Pa. In his first public comments since being fired two months ago, former Penn State coach Paterno told the Washington Post he "didn't know which way to go" after an assistant coach came to him in 2002 saying he had seen retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing a boy, the Post reported on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Penn State's Board of Trustees elected banking executive Karen Peetz to lead the embattled board and help the school negotiate the aftermath of a nightmarish child sex abuse scandal involving a former assistant football coach.

The trustees picked Peetz to be president of the 32-member board in a voice vote Friday. She is vice chairman of The Bank of New York Mellon. The trustees also elected farm owner Keith Masser as the vice chair. Like Peetz, he was unopposed.

They're replacing Steve Garban and John Surma, respectively, who guided the board in the two tumultuous months since Jerry Sandusky was charged with dozens of counts of child sex abuse. They decided not to run for another yearlong term as board officers.

Under Garban and Surma's watch, the board ousted football coach Joe Paterno and promised to uncover the truth behind the Sandusky case and Penn State officials' involvement in it through an internal investigation.

In recent weeks, the trustees have felt increasing heat from some former alumni and players critical of how Paterno's firing was handled, and what's been seen as a lack of openness on the board.

"The first thing I want to say to the entire Penn State community is that we have been through a very difficult experience together. We have tried to do the right thing," Peetz said. "All of us, including the board, with the wisdom of hindsight could have done things differently."

She said the board agreed it would focus on three themes ... "the first is change, the second is reform and the third is transparency."

Sandusky, a longtime defensive coordinator who helped Paterno win two national titles, is out on bail and awaiting trial after denying charges that he abused 10 boys over 15 years.

The scandal resulting from his arrest Nov. 5 has had wide-ranging implications going beyond Paterno and the storied football program.

Since Sandusky was charged, the university has cited its status as a state-related university ? along with Temple, Pitt and Lincoln ? in denying requests by The Associated Press for documents related to a 1998 investigation into Sandusky that began when a woman complained he had showered with her son, a copy of his severance agreement and emails among top administrators about Sandusky.

Some state lawmakers have called for a change in the commonwealth's three-year-old open records law to get rid of an exemption that allows Penn State and the other state-related universities to keep their operations out of the public eye while receiving taxpayer money.

"We have to decide, the board has to decide, whether they're going to be a public entity that receives public funds or a private entity," said Gov. Tom Corbett, who also is a trustee. "But it is something that is incumbent on the board in the next few weeks and months that the decision has to be made."

The board is also undertaking its own investigation into the case. Ken Frazier, the trustee overseeing the effort, said results of the probe may now not come until next fall ? if then. Frazier added there was no "artificial timetable" ? he wants to give investigators ample time for thorough questioning.

Trustees have tabbed former FBI director Louis Freeh as their lead investigator. Frazier maintained Freeh, who has an office on campus, had free rein over the investigation and would not be beholden to pressures from the board or other university administrators.

Peetz also reiterated that the university "will find a way to make sure Penn State helps the victims of this tragedy.

"Immediately, we will reach out to the victims we know of and seek to pay for their abuse-related health costs, to pay for related counseling that they've had to have to date and pay for counseling going forward related to abuse," she said. School President Rodney Erickson declined to give a range about how much it might cost.

General counsel Cynthia Baldwin said the university has been served legal notice that it was the subject of a second civil complaint related to the Sandusky case, though the lawsuit had not been filed. The first known civil suit was filed in late November.

The departures of Garban and Surma from leadership positions had nothing to do with the investigation, Frazier said. Garban had decided in November to step aside as the chairman, citing his past ties to the university and as a former football player.

Surma, an executive at U.S. Steel, said the duties of the board during the scandal increasingly took much time away from his job.

The board also approved five recommendations from Freeh, including a strengthening of school policies for programs involving minors; prompt reporting of allegations of abuse; and increased security measures within the athletic department.

It was the trustees' first meeting since the chaotic week in November after Sandusky was charged, when Paterno was dumped and former school president Graham Spanier also was pushed out.

The meeting, in the ballroom of a campus hotel, drew a larger-than-normal crowd of at least 200 people, including a couple of candidates hoping to win election to the board this spring. Former Penn State running back Franco Harris, a vocal critic of the administration and a Paterno supporter, also attended and held a question-and-answer session afterward attended by about 100 people.

They listened to Harris and another critic, prominent donor and alumni Anthony Lubrano, air their grievances about the firing of Paterno and the way Penn State's Board of Trustees functions. There were several white poster boards propped up in the front of the room with famous Joe Paterno quotes.

The crowd was very receptive to the duo, nodding their heads with each points and, at times, erupting into applause.

"It's going to take people like you, here in this room, spreading the word," Harris told the crowd. "It's not a Penn State sex scandal, it's not a Penn State football sex scandal, it's not a Joe Paterno sex scandal. It's a Jerry Sandusky sex scandal. And what the board did was wrong."

The trustees have said Paterno was ousted in part because he had a moral obligation to pass on to police a 2002 allegation that was relayed to him by a graduate assistant. Paterno told his superiors at the university about the accusation, and authorities have said the coach is not a target of their criminal investigation.

"We still have respect and gratitude for coach Paterno's legacy and for his many contributions to Penn State," Peetz said, "and to (fired school President Graham) Spanier for his years of dedicated service and leadership."

She said they intended to honor Paterno at a future date, though the timing was uncertain given Paterno is being treated for lung cancer.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-20-Penn%20State-Trustees/id-ddd8654cb9734bf3b9cb84969bd2941b

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Pele: Messi's not me

updated 1:55 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2012

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

The 24-year-old Messi already has won three straight FIFA Player of the Year awards.

"When Messi's scored 1,283 goals like me, when he's won three World Cups, we'll talk about it," Pele told Le Monde. "Football changes. Records are there to be broken, but it will be hard to break mine.

"People always ask me: 'When is the new Pele going to be born?' Never. My father and mother have closed the factory."

Although many observers consider Pele or Diego Maradona to be the greatest ever, Messi's form for Barcelona has him being mentioned in the same group.

Messi scored 55 goals in 2011 for Barcelona and already has 213 in 300 games for the club, 22 shy of Cesar Rodriguez's team record for goals. Messi is the club's leading scorer in the Champions League, scoring in victories over Manchester United in the 2009 and 2011 finals.

"I like Messi a lot, he's a great player," Pele replied when asked who his favorite current player is. "Technically, we're practically at the same level."

But Pele was also quick to point out that Messi has not scored at the same rate for Argentina in big tournaments. Messi failed to score in both the 2010 World Cup and Copa America last year, and has a modest tally of 19 goals in 67 international matches.

"He's a great player for Barcelona, but when he plays for Argentina he doesn't have the same success," Pele said.

Pele also feels he may have had more natural ability than Messi.

"No one knew which foot I was going to shoot with, I was two-footed. I also scored a lot of goals with my head," Pele said.

However, Pele knows that the debate over who is the world's greatest ever player will always divide opinion.

"Some people will say Beethoven couldn't play the piano. Others will say Michelangelo couldn't paint and that Pele couldn't play football," he said. "But we all received a gift from God."

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

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More newsChristian Hartmann / Reuters

Pele: Messi's not me

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

Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

Loyalty

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

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46073608/ns/sports-soccer/

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China sentences activist to 10 years over writings (AP)

BEIJING ? A court has sentenced a democracy activist in central China to 10 years' imprisonment for subversion, the third lengthy jail term handed down to a dissident in less than a month.

A relative who did not want to be named said Thursday that activist Li Tie was sentenced by a court in Wuhan city to 10 years in jail on Wednesday after being convicted of subversion based on articles that he had written.

The Chinese Human Rights Defenders group says Li said in court that he is innocent because the Chinese constitution protects citizens' right to freedom of expression.

In separate cases late last month, two activists were sentenced for posting essays on the Internet that the government deemed subversive. One received nine years in prison, the other 10.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_as/as_china_human_rights

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President Obama?s Illegal ?Recess? Appointments (Powerlineblog)

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Tomlinson says Jets' turmoil was worst he's seen (AP)

NEW YORK ? LaDainian Tomlinson says the tension between New York Jets players that fractured the locker room this season was "as bad as I've ever been around, honestly."

In an interview with Showtime's "Inside The NFL" airing Wednesday night, the running back says the turmoil started in the third or fourth week and "got out of hand toward the end of the season." Tomlinson adds that quarterback Mark Sanchez and wide receiver Santonio Holmes, in particular, had a rocky relationship.

Holmes was benched during the season finale at Miami after arguing in the huddle with teammates. Tomlinson says the tensions escalated to the point where the players couldn't do anything about it.

He adds that the problems "absolutely" can be fixed, but the Jets need "to make some tough decisions."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_jets_tomlinson

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Personal Finance Roundup - The Consumerist

What If I Lost My Career? Envision, then Act [Free Money Finance] "The bottom line is that whatever your job situation, you can't bury your head in the sand and think that your employer will always take care of you."

10 Things You Do to Save Money That End Up Costing You More [Wise Bread] "Here are 10 things that you may be doing to save money that could actually cost you a lot more in the weeks, months, or years to come."

Career resolutions: How to negotiate a raise [CNN Money] "Before you go into your boss's office demanding more money, take the time to lay the groundwork for a successful conversation."

4 Mobile Apps for Job Seekers [US News] "77 percent of job seekers use mobile apps during their job hunt."

Financial Scams 2012: The Latest Twists in the Ever-Evolving Art of the Con [Daily Finance] "Here are some highlights from scams that made the rounds in 2011 ? and will likely be back in some form or another this year."

?FREE MONEY FINANCE

From ConsumerReports.org:

Source: http://consumerist.com/2012/01/personal-finance-roundup-234.html

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Molly Sims: Pregnant With First Child!

Molly Sims is going to be mommy Sims.

The 38-year-old model, jewelry designer and actress is expecting her first child with her new husband Scott Stuber, her rep confirmed this afternoon.

"There are simply no words to describe the feeling," Sims wrote. "I finally get what they mean when they say pregnant women glow."

Sims explained that a "first pregnancy is a nerve-wracking experience of course, but mostly we are just thrilled and excited. We can't wait to meet him or her."

Sims also shared how she broke the news to Scott Stuber, 42.

"I hijacked a fortune cookie and typed a new message so that when he opened his cookie at the end of the meal, he found out he was going to be a daddy."

"You can only imagine how nervous I was during the entire meal - I think I ate a total of two bites - but the look of surprise and joy on his face was priceless."

Stuber, who produced Love and Other Drugs, popped the question in May 2011. The couple married in September. Congratulations on the impending arrival!

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/molly-sims-pregnant-with-first-child/

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The Note's Must-Reads for Thursday, January 12, 2012 (ABC News)

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