Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

PRESIDENT Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples", the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.

""Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the committee said.

"His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population."

Obama's name had been mentioned in speculation before the award but many Nobel watchers believed it was too early to award the president.

The committee said it attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

"Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play."

READ MORE - Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

Mega Millions Winning numbers

Mega Millions winning numbers for $200M lottery jackpot:-

The winning Mega Millions lottery numbers drawn tonight for the jackpot worth an estimated $200 million were: 10, 13, 18, 33 and 51 with the Mega Ball, 43.

The amount grew because no player matched all the winning numbers to win the $170 million grand prize Tuesday night. Although there was no grand prize winner, 10 tickets were worth second prizes of $250,000 each.

The largest payout so far has been a $390 million jackpot shared by a New Jersey couple from Cape May County and a truck driver in Georgia in 2007. In March, 10 co-workers from the information technology department of Chubb Insurance in White House station split a $140 million jackpot.

eople are interested to know about the mega millions winning numbers for the draw scheduled on Friday night. The jackpot of Friday night was worth of a whooping $200 million. The jackpot amount would increase further if none of the players will be able to match the lucky numbers. As stated by the sources, the winning numbers for the Mega Millions lottery are 51, 33, 18, 13 and 10. It was also stated by the sources that 43 was the number for Mega Ball.

The winning sum of Mega Millions lottery was earlier fixed at one hundred and seventy million dollars. However, the jackpot amount increased as none of the players could match all winning number on Tuesday night’s draw. Tuesday night’s draw had ended without a jackpot winner. Ten tickets matched the number for second prize and each were worth 250,000 dollars. 24 was the Mega Ball number for Tuesday Mega Million’s draw. Lottery numbers for the Tuesday draw were 51, 45, 34, 31 and 17.

The amount of the Mega Millions lottery has grown for the last one and half month. Earlier a man in Georgia had matched all the numbers of the lottery and had won a sum of twelve million dollars. The sum had been increasing after this win as no one had all the numbers. As stated by the sources, in the year 2007, a Georgian truck driver and Cape May County couple had been declared as the winner of biggest jackpot money. They had won a three hundred and ninety million dollars jackpot. The Mega Millions jackpot amount will cross three hundred dollars if the players cannot match the winning numbers. Players of all the participating states are excited to know the results of the draw.

READ MORE - Mega Millions Winning numbers

Pink plane to fly at Oceana Air Show 2009

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The world famous Blue Angels and The Canadian Snowbirds are in Virginia Beach getting ready for the Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show. But they are not the only groups that will grab attention.

The weather is going to have a lot to do with who takes to the air and who doesn't, but there is one message at the NAS Oceana Air Show that won't stay grounded. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the air show is proudly sporting the pink to show support.

Air show pilot Mike Rinker pilots a pink, aerobatic plane named Pink Floyd in honor of his sister, who is a breast cancer survivor. He says it's not just the wings that keep his plane afloat, it's the will to survive.

"When I started doing air shows I felt like I wanted to do more than just go up and flop around," Rinker told WAVY.com.

So Rinker decided to make a statement with Pink Floyd, a statement that no one in attendance could miss.

"I title it love, promise, and hope," Rinker said.

Between rolls, flips and dives Rinker draws a pink heart, a pink ribbon and a pink cross in the sky.

"The heart signifies the love we share, the ribbon signifies the work to create awareness and the cross signifies the hope and the promise today and forever," he said.

Rinker's sister, Kim White says watching her brother fly brings a satisfaction that's difficult to describe. On October 17, 2009 Kim will mark the 8th anniversary of being cancer free.

"If you could see me, you'd see the tears rolling, it really makes me proud," said White.

But Pink Floyd might not take to the air this weekend; mother nature will be left to decide that. Pilot Ken Pietsch told WAVY.com what's got to happen to get planes in the sky this weekend. "We need one thousand above the ground and three miles of visibility, is what we need to fly in the show," said Pietsch.

READ MORE - Pink plane to fly at Oceana Air Show 2009

Probation extended for Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan's probation has been extended for another year so that she can finish alcohol education classes, a Beverly Hills Municipal Court judge ruled today.
TMZ reports that Lindsay's lawyer told the judge the actress/ leggings designer/spray tan creator has been extremely busy and has only been able to complete about half her classes.

Specifically, TMZ says, Lindsay has completed 15 of 26 individual alcohol classes and 13 of 26 group alcohol classes and 13 of 28 self-help sessions. She completed all six education classes. The court appearance stems from a 2007 incident in which she crashed her car on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills and was arrested for driving under the influence.

Lindsay's lawyer says her client is "moving to Texas" -- she's shooting a movie there. But all sides will be back in court for another progress hearing on December 15.

READ MORE - Probation extended for Lindsay Lohan

Larry Birkhead: Anna Nicole's drugs 'were kind of overwhelming'

Larry Birkhead, the father of Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, took the witness stand today and testified he regularly saw Smith take prescription drugs such as methadone and spotted bottles of valium and other narcotics in her home. Birkhead was at a preliminary hearing in L.A. to decide if three people should be tried for supplying the ex-model with drugs.

But Birkhead elaborated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying Ann Nicole would often take more than she should. "Sometimes if one said take two pills three times a day, she'd take four pills six times a day," he says.

Recalling the 2004 American Music Awards, he says, "The night before she went into seizures and the next day she wanted to present this award so she took something to offset the seizures and it caused her to be loopy. The amounts of prescriptions were kind of overwhelming to me, not being used to that kind of stuff. But to see some of the things that I saw it didn't make me happy, and that was what kind of led up to some of the tension that led to our breakup."

By Mario Anzuoni, Reuters

READ MORE - Larry Birkhead: Anna Nicole's drugs 'were kind of overwhelming'

Bad loans hand Bank of America a $2.23 billion loss

Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank by assets, reported a net loss of $1 billion for the third quarter, failing to match high market expectations after banner earnings reports from rivals JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs.

When accounting for dividends on preferred shares, including $893 million related to dividends paid to the U.S. government, the loss shot up to $2.24 billion.

"Credit costs remain high, and that is our major financial challenge going forward," said CEO Kenneth Lewis. This is the last quarterly earnings report that will be overseen by Lewis, who will retire by year-end, in the wake of lawsuits and federal and state investigations over the circumstances surrounding the bank's acquisition of broker Merrill Lynch last year. Lewis has agreed to give up his 2009 salary and bonus.

Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank by assets, reported a net loss of $1 billion for the third quarter, failing to match high market expectations after banner earnings reports from rivals JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs.

When accounting for dividends on preferred shares, including $893 million related to dividends paid to the U.S. government, the loss shot up to $2.24 billion.

"Credit costs remain high, and that is our major financial challenge going forward," said CEO Kenneth Lewis. This is the last quarterly earnings report that will be overseen by Lewis, who will retire by year-end, in the wake of lawsuits and federal and state investigations over the circumstances surrounding the bank's acquisition of broker Merrill Lynch last year. Lewis has agreed to give up his 2009 salary and bonus.

Bank of America's results were helped by profit from Merrill Lynch, including income from bond, stock and currency trading.

The bank hasn't announced a successor for Lewis yet or when such an announcement might come. In a conference call with analysts after the earnings release, Lewis said, "(The board) is striking a balance between getting it right and doing it with a sense of urgency, but I can't give you a date."

Bank of America stock (BAC) traded lower Friday. It also helped drag down the broader market.

As the largest lender to consumers, Bank of America, based in Charlotte, was badly hurt by increasing unemployment, which rose to 9.8% in September. Losses grew in all its consumer-related businesses. [Read More]

READ MORE - Bad loans hand Bank of America a $2.23 billion loss

After Vista, Windows 7 is a giant leap for Microsoft

It is fitting that Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system arrives ahead of Halloween. When Microsoft buries Windows Vista for good on Oct. 22 and replaces it with Windows 7, the ghostbusters in Redmond will have exorcised a demon.

If you haven't experienced the frights of Vista firsthand, you've no doubt heard about them: how it takes forever to power up and shut down, how the software constantly nags you, how it hogs precious PC resources and how it's incompatible with all-too-many third-party peripherals and programs.

Throngs of PC users found Vista so scary that they stuck with the Windows XP operating system Microsoft launched in 2001, a lifetime ago in the tech world.

Microsoft doesn't have to apologize for Windows 7. Vista's replacement represents a monster leap forward. It's Vista done right – at last. Microsoft claims hundreds of small improvements, and a few big ones.

"We'll see what happens when Windows 7 is with (customers) all day every day, but I'm cautiously optimistic that we really have hit the right note there," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told me in a phone interview.

What you'll notice is that Windows 7 is snappier than its predecessor, more polished, and simpler to navigate. Screens are less cluttered. It has better search. Windows 7 rarely nags. I've been testing various versions for months on numerous computers. It sure seems more reliable so far. With a few exceptions, compatibility hasn't been a major issue. [Read More]

READ MORE - After Vista, Windows 7 is a giant leap for Microsoft

Auto ads help Google earnings gain 27%

As far as Google (GOOG) is concerned, the recession is practically over.

"We believe the worst is behind us and now feel confident about investing heavily in our future," Google CEO Eric Schmidt said Thursday as the company reported a 7% increase in third-quarter revenue from a year ago, to $5.9 billion.

Earnings were up 27% to $1.6 billion, mostly from increased auto advertising – thanks to the government's "cash-for-clunkers" program – and retail. Both travel and finance continued to be weaker than they were.

"Google is clearly taking advantage of companies looking for advertising they perceive to get more bang for their buck," says Whit Andrews, an analyst at Gartner. "Despite being under renewed pressure from a variety of different sources, Google has been quite strong."

Google, which had cut back on hiring, plans to begin beefing up its engineering staff. It has 20,000 employees. [Read More]

READ MORE - Auto ads help Google earnings gain 27%

Easy steps can cut winter heating bills

Natural gas and heating oil prices rose again Thursday, continuing a recent upward tick. Even so, the cost of heating your house, apartment or condo should dip this winter, according to recent projections by the government.

But you don't have to simply hope for lower prices and milder weather to reduce costs – you can cut 5% to 30% of your energy bills by taking a few simple steps, says Christina Kielich of the Department of Energy.

Start by combating myths and learning how your home works.

Myth:

Exhaust fans only remove odors.

Reality: Your kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans can drain your house of heated air in one hour, says Gordon Holness, president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

Myth:

Duct tape seals ducts.

Reality: It's good for almost everything else, but it curls and unravels on heating ducts. Buy a mastic or tape designed for hot areas. Turn on the heat and follow the ducts wherever you can fit. Put your hand near the joints to feel where hot air is escaping, then apply the mastic or tape. A tip from George Stuckey of Fox Service in Austin: If you choose the shiny, foil-like tape, rub it briskly with a spoon or an old credit card after you apply it. That activates the glue and helps it adhere.

Myth:

Really small openings don't matter.

Reality: Tiny openings around dryer vents and garden faucets allow cold air to enter your home all winter long. Inexpensive sealing putty, which comes in rope form and has the consistency of Play-Doh, can solve your problem quickly. It works indoors and out and stays in place for decades, Stuckey says. [Read More]

READ MORE - Easy steps can cut winter heating bills

Easy steps can cut winter heating bills

Natural gas and heating oil prices rose again Thursday, continuing a recent upward tick. Even so, the cost of heating your house, apartment or condo should dip this winter, according to recent projections by the government.

But you don't have to simply hope for lower prices and milder weather to reduce costs – you can cut 5% to 30% of your energy bills by taking a few simple steps, says Christina Kielich of the Department of Energy.

Start by combating myths and learning how your home works.

Myth:

Exhaust fans only remove odors.

Reality: Your kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans can drain your house of heated air in one hour, says Gordon Holness, president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

Myth:

Duct tape seals ducts.

Reality: It's good for almost everything else, but it curls and unravels on heating ducts. Buy a mastic or tape designed for hot areas. Turn on the heat and follow the ducts wherever you can fit. Put your hand near the joints to feel where hot air is escaping, then apply the mastic or tape. A tip from George Stuckey of Fox Service in Austin: If you choose the shiny, foil-like tape, rub it briskly with a spoon or an old credit card after you apply it. That activates the glue and helps it adhere.

Myth:

Really small openings don't matter.

Reality: Tiny openings around dryer vents and garden faucets allow cold air to enter your home all winter long. Inexpensive sealing putty, which comes in rope form and has the consistency of Play-Doh, can solve your problem quickly. It works indoors and out and stays in place for decades, Stuckey says. [Read More]

READ MORE - Easy steps can cut winter heating bills

Obama: New Orleans not forgotten

NEW ORLEANS — In his first presidential visit to this city, Barack Obama praised the resiliency of residents in rebuilding their flood-wrecked homes and promised to continue flowing federal dollars to the effort.

"It is always an inspiration to spend time with the men and women who have reminded the rest of us what it means to persevere in the face of tragedy and rebuild in the face of ruin," Obama said during a town-hall-style meeting at the University of New Orleans.

Obama's visit here — his sixth since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and first as president — was eagerly awaited by residents and leaders throughout the Gulf Coast, who still rely on federal resources to rebuild from the floods. [Read More]

READ MORE - Obama: New Orleans not forgotten

Lindsay Lohan ordered to appear in court

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lindsay Lohan has another date with a judge.

A judge in Beverly Hills, California, has ordered the Mean Girls star to appear at a court hearing Friday morning.

The 23-year-old actress was placed on three years of probation in 2007 after she pleaded guilty to two counts of being under the influence of cocaine, and no contest to two counts of drunken driving and one count of reckless driving. She spent 84 minutes in jail.

It is unclear why Lohan has been ordered to appear. The judge's order was made during a routine progress report Wednesday.

Court records show that no warrant has been issued, and they do not reflect a probation violation has occurred.

E-mails to Lohan's publicist and attorney were not immediately returned Thursday.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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'Texas Monthly' Recognizes Ben DuBose Among the Super Lawyers of Texas

DALLAS, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Ben DuBose, of DuBose Law Firm, PLLC, has been recognized by Law & Politics Media and Texas Monthly as one of the select "Texas Super Lawyers" in the October, 2009 Texas Monthly "Texas Super Lawyers" edition. Earlier this year, Mr. DuBose was chosen as one of the "Best Lawyers in Dallas" by D Magazine. In 2005 he was honored by Law & Politics Media and Texas Monthly magazine as a "Rising Star of Texas Law."

In selecting attorneys for Super Lawyers, Law & Politics Media employs a rigorous, multiphase process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.

During his legal career, Mr. DuBose has practiced law with some of the nation's most prominent law firms representing personal injury victims and consumers. He has obtained significant results for hundreds of mesothelioma victims from coast to coast for over a decade. Mr. DuBose has led the way to discover the asbestos-containing properties of many products previously unknown in asbestos litigation. He was also part of a legal team working with Trial Lawyers for Public Justice seeking to prevent unsafe asbestos abatement practices in the case of Families for Asbestos Compliance, Testing and Safety v. City of St. Louis as well as recent efforts by the EPA and the City of Ft. Worth, Texas to test the controversial "wet method" of asbestos removal.

"My goal as an attorney has always been to help people receive the justice they deserve. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to help injured victims and their families throughout my career," said Mr. DuBose.

Ben DuBose received his J.D., cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law. He is admitted to the bar and courts of Texas, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He is a member of the American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, Public Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Dallas Bar Association, Dallas Bar Foundation, Dallas Trial Lawyers Association and the State Bar College of Texas. [Read More]

READ MORE - 'Texas Monthly' Recognizes Ben DuBose Among the Super Lawyers of Texas

American father in custody case released from Japanese jail

Japanese authorities have released an American man who was jailed for allegedly trying to snatch back his children from his estranged wife.

Police in the rural southern town of Yanagawa let Christopher Savoie go Thursday without indicting him on charges of child kidnapping.

Officials said the indictment was "on hold," but did not elaborate.

The prosecutor's office in nearby Fukuoka said Savoie was released after he promised not to take his children back to the United States "in this manner," implying he could not have any contact with the children.

Savoie, 38, a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen, allegedly grabbed his children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his estranged wife walked them to school on September 28 in Yanagawa. [Read More]

READ MORE - American father in custody case released from Japanese jail

Obama to make first visit to New Orleans as president

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- President Obama will visit New Orleans on Thursday for the first time since taking office, to address rebuilding efforts in the city ravaged by Hurricane Katrina four years ago.

During his trip, Obama will visit a charter school and host a town hall meeting to hear residents' concerns, the White House said.

The president's visit will focus on efforts to help rebuild the Gulf Coast, including cutting red tape and easing funding so residents can become self-sufficient.

"The president made a promise to come to New Orleans and wanted to fulfill that promise as soon as his schedule allowed," said Nicholas Shapiro, White House spokesman. [Read More]

READ MORE - Obama to make first visit to New Orleans as president

Gangsters' girl: I sold myself for shoes, clothes

All that glitters may not be gold, but for Colombia's narco-molls the most important thing is that it glitters. Beauty queens, fashion models, actresses or regular girls made good are lovers of drug capos and above all lovers of the finest luxuries cocaine money can buy.Few are prepared to speak publicly and even less to appear on camera.
Those who date mob bosses don't want to blow their cover. That could expose their boyfriends to arrest and themselves to retaliation. In addition it could bring anti-drug police sniffing, ready to seize ill-gotten gains. [Read More]

READ MORE - Gangsters' girl: I sold myself for shoes, clothes

Senate panel OKs health reform bill; Obama: 'We're not there yet'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The health care reform debate reached a new milestone Tuesday as a key congressional committee passed an $829 billion plan projected to extend coverage to an additional 29 million Americans.

The Senate Finance Committee's bill would subsidize insurance for poorer Americans, establish nonprofit health care cooperatives, and create health insurance exchanges to make it easier for small groups and individuals to purchase coverage.

Among other things, it would cap annual out-of-pocket expenses and prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

The plan is financed by a combination of reductions in spending for Medicare and other government programs, as well as higher taxes on expensive insurance policies and new fees on the health industry. [Read more]

READ MORE - Senate panel OKs health reform bill; Obama: 'We're not there yet'

Young people are at risk for H1N1 complications, studies say

An analysis of the sickest swine flu patients in Australia, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand suggests that relatively healthy adolescents and young adults are among the most likely to get very sick after an H1N1 infection, a pattern similar to that seen in the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Almost all critically ill patients in the studies were sick for only a few days before rapidly progressing to more severe symptoms and respiratory failure, which required treatment with a breathing machine, according to three studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The mortality rate ranged from 14.3 percent to 41.4 percent, depending on the country. The findings may help shine some light on what the 2009 H1N1 flu season may bring, and who may be hit the hardest by the swine flu during the next few months.

"These studies are telling us that young people are at risk for bad complications of H1N1 and under usual circumstances, [seasonal] flu does not cause acute respiratory failure in younger people," says Dr. Neil Schachter, the medical director of the respiratory care department at Mount Sinai Medical Center, in New York City, and the author of The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu.[Read more]

READ MORE - Young people are at risk for H1N1 complications, studies say

Storm threatens California with flooding, mudslides

Heavy rain that began pounding California on Tuesday threatened to unleash dangerous floods and mudslides, especially in areas ravaged by wildfires.

"Very heavy rain is likely over the Sierra Nevada and foothills from later today through Wednesday morning as a strong and very moist Pacific storm moves into the region," the National Weather Service said. Up to 8 inches of rain could fall in areas above 4,000 feet, it said.

Forecasters described it as the first major storm of the season.

The Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency Services issued a mandatory evacuation order for 60 homes in a section of Davenport, an unincorporated community north of Santa Cruz along the state's central coast. The San Lorenzo Valley high school, middle school, and elementary schools are closed, the county said. [Read more]

READ MORE - Storm threatens California with flooding, mudslides

American is first woman to win economics Nobel

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elinor Ostrom became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics, honored along with fellow American Oliver Williamson on Monday for analyzing economic governance — the rules by which people exercise authority in companies and economic systems.

Ostrom was also the fifth woman to win a Nobel award this year — a record for the prestigious honors.

It was also an exceptionally strong year for the United States, with 11 American citizens — some of them with dual nationality — among the 13 Nobel winners, including President Barack Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

Ostrom, 76, and Williamson, 77, shared the 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) economics prize for work that "advanced economic governance research from the fringe to the forefront of scientific attention," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.

Ostrom, a political scientist at Indiana University, showed how common resources — forests, fisheries, oil fields or grazing lands — can be managed successfully by the people who use them, rather than by governments or private companies. [Read More]

READ MORE - American is first woman to win economics Nobel

U.S. looks at tourist tax to fund company to promote tourism

To entice more international travelers to visit, U.S. tourism officials and lawmakers may start charging some who do make the trip an extra $10 for the privilege.

The money collected will be used to create and fund a non-profit company that will market the USA as an attractive destination for tourists, business travelers and students.

But before any money can be spent on marketing, the company must find a dollar-for-dollar match from the private sector, up to $100 million. The enterprise will be a private-public partnership overseen by Congress and the secretary of Commerce.

Last week, the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly for the Travel Promotion Act, which includes the $10 charge. The measure now heads to the Senate, where passage is likely before year's end, predicts Geoff Freeman of the U.S. Travel Association (USTA).

Only visitors from countries not required to have entry visas for up to 90 days of travel in the U.S. — most European countries, Australia, Brunei, Japan, Korea, Singapore and New Zealand — will be required to pay the fee. Travelers only have to pay once in a two-year period, regardless of the number of trips.

The legislation attempts to create an agency similar to those found in other countries, where a cabinet-level government entity or a national tourism company promotes tourism. The Department of Commerce has trade and economic development units but doesn't directly promote tourism. [Read More]

READ MORE - U.S. looks at tourist tax to fund company to promote tourism

Michael Jackson's 'This Is It': Consensus is 'it's not bad'

Initial reaction to Michael Jackson's new single has been fairly positive, but no one is declaring the song a classic.

This Is It, which began streaming early Monday at michaeljackson.com, is the first new music by the pop icon to be released since his death June 25 at age 50.

It's the title track of an upcoming documentary that chronicles his last days of preparation for a series of London comeback concerts that were to have started in July. The film, which opens Oct. 28 for a two-week run, is accompanied by a double-disc album with original masters and alternate versions of Jackson's biggest hits.

The sunny, orchestra-backed single is punctuated by finger snaps and background vocals by his brothers. It will be heard in the movie's closing sequences. Those familiar with Jackson's music say the song probably was recorded during sessions for 1991's Dangerous album. The song is markedly similar to I Never Heard, a 1991 Safire song that Jackson co-wrote with Paul Anka.

"It's a safe, midtempo pop ballad that features what his fans love: his trademark breathy vocals and confident delivery," says AOL music editor Jessica Robertson. "I don't think it will set the world on fire, because it's missing what fans and critics love most about his songs, which is a strong and powerful groove to carry it." [Read More]

READ MORE - Michael Jackson's 'This Is It': Consensus is 'it's not bad'

Citigroup dumps Phibro, avoids showdown with U.S.

NEW YORK — Citigroup (C) is removing one of the irritants in its relationship with the government, its Phibro commodities trading division that is paying one trader an estimated $100 million this year.

The deal announced Friday carries a tradeoff for Citigroup: While the $250 million sale to Occidental Petroleum means a bit less government scrutiny, it also means the bank is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in annual income that could help repay $49 billion in bailout money.

Phibro, which makes most of its money through oil and natural gas trades, earned an average $371 million annually during the past five years. Citigroup sold it for about $250 million, which means Occidental could recoup its investment in less than a year.

A Citigroup official with knowledge of the deal said the bank wanted to dispose of Phibro by the end of the year.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to discuss the deal publicly, said Citigroup considered Phibro a "political hot potato" that would hurt the company despite its financial success. [Read More]

READ MORE - Citigroup dumps Phibro, avoids showdown with U.S.

Monsanto a focus of U.S. antitrust investigation

ST. LOUIS — The Justice Department is investigating whether Monsanto violated antitrust rules in trying to expand its dominance of the market for genetically engineered crops, the company says.

Monsanto (MON) has provided interviews and documents to the Justice Department over the past two months, company spokesman Lee Quarles said. He said the department has questioned Monsanto about its marketing tactics in the biotech seed industry, which have become a target of criticism.

Quarles said Monsanto has done nothing illegal and is cooperating with the investigation.

"We definitely stand behind our business," he said.

The department's investigation of Monsanto is part of a previously announced inquiry into consolidation in the seed industry. The department is looking into Monsanto's licensing agreements with seed companies. [Read More]

READ MORE - Monsanto a focus of U.S. antitrust investigation

Study: Half of U.S. kids assaulted each year

More than 60% of youngsters had either direct or indirect exposure to violence within the past year, according to a U.S. government survey that looked at past-year and lifetime exposure to violence among children aged 17 and younger.

The survey also found that:

— Nearly half the children surveyed were assaulted at least once in the past year, and more than one in 10 were injured as a result.
— Nearly one-quarter of the children were the victim of a robbery, vandalism or theft.

— About 10% were victims of maltreatment (including physical and emotional abuse, neglect or a family abduction), and one in 16 were victimized sexually. (Read More)

READ MORE - Study: Half of U.S. kids assaulted each year

Obama 'don't ask, don't tell' pledge questioned

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama restated his campaign pledge to allow gay men and women to serve openly in the U.S. military, but left many in his audience of activists wondering when he would make good on the promise.

"I will end 'don't ask-don't tell,"' Obama said Saturday night to a standing ovation from the crowd of about 3,000 at the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay civil rights advocacy group. (Read More)

READ MORE - Obama 'don't ask, don't tell' pledge questioned

Should U.S. automakers just pack up and move to China?

Should U.S. automakers just pack up and move to China? The idea isn't so far fetched.

In the U.S. sales have perked up a bit, but remain deeply depressed. Even if they were better, competition is fierce, it's hard to make profits on the smaller cars and SUVs now in demand and no one feels any particular pressure to buy a new car. They can just keep patching up the old one.

In China, and for that matter, India, the picture is more akin to the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century. Families are buying their first or second cars. They won't wait to buy because they don't have an existing model to turn in. It's a gold rush. Sure, there are plenty of Chinese makers -- indeed, U.S. and European makers are required to partner with a Chinese firm -- but the domestic makers still haven't totally nailed the quality equation. Quality? That means a shiny new Buick. (Read More)

READ MORE - Should U.S. automakers just pack up and move to China?