Blow for French president Hollande as court throws out plans for 75% supertax on wealthy

• Stinging rebuke to one of Socialist leHollande's flagship campaign promises
• His largely symbolic measure was intended to hit incomes over ?820,000
• But would have brought in just ?250m - compared to France's ?70bn deficit
  

By Mark Duell

PUBLISHED: 07:47 EST, 30 December 2012 | UPDATED: 07:47 EST, 30 December 2012

French President Francois Hollande suffered a fresh setback yesterday when his country's highest court threw out a plan to tax the ultra-wealthy at a 75 per cent rate and said it was unfair.

In a stinging rebuke to one of under-fire Socialist Hollande's flagship campaign promises, the constitutional council ruled that the way the highly contentious tax was designed was unconstitutional.

It was intended to hit incomes over ?1million (?820,000) but the largely symbolic measure would have only hit a tiny number of taxpayers and brought in up to around ?300million (?250million).

Embattled: French President Francois Hollande suffered a fresh setback yesterday when France's highest court threw out a plan to tax the ultra-wealthy at a 75 per cent rate and said it was unfair

It was an insignificant amount in the context of France's roughly ?85billion (?70billion) deficit.

Au revoir: Actor Gerard Depardieu recently announced his intention to turn in his French passport and move to a village in a tax-friendly Belgium

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was quick to respond, saying in a statement following the decision that the Government would resubmit the measure to take the court's concerns into account.

?

The court's ruling took issue not with the size of the tax, but with the way it discriminated between households depending on how incomes were distributed among its members.

A household with two earners each making under ?1million (?820,000) would be exempt from the tax, while one with one earner making ?1.2million (?980,000) would have to pay.

The French Government approved the tax in its most recent budget, amid criticism that it would do little to stem the country's mounting fiscal problems and would drive away the wealthiest citizens.

Meanwhile President Hollande's popularity has been tanking as the country's unemployment continued its rise for the 19th straight month.

France's most famous actor Gerard Depardieu recently announced his intention to turn in his French passport and move to a village in a tax-friendly Belgium.

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Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254848/Blow-French-president-Hollande-court-throws-plans-75-supertax-wealthy.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

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President Obama has had enough of Congress' decision-making on how to take actio...

The Pressure's On! President Obama Scolds Congress For Fiscal Cliff Decision Delay (DETAILS)

globalgrind.com

President Obama has had enough of Congress' decision-making on how to take action with the fiscal cliff, which he addressed in a speech give yesterday. The President stated that if the two leaders of

Source: http://www.facebook.com/globalgrind/posts/386543858103713

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subclass 461 health insurance question

Hi Elynneg - DIAC generally requires health insurance for 461 visa holders if the country of their citizenship (in your case, USA) does not have reciprocal arrangements with Australia - these are counties like the UK and other who have a nationalised healthcare scheme. I have heard of situations where this is not enforced, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

I don't have specific details of the Medibank or Bupa plans, but as the 461 visa is a temporary visa not unlike the 457, I would be surprised if those plans are not acceptable to DIAC. Migration Regulations only require that if this condition is imposed, "The holder must maintain adequate arrangements for health insurance while the holder is in Australia." So no minimum level of specific benefits of health insurance are stipulated. I would call Medibank and/or Bupa on Monday and see if you can speak to someone (rather than relying on their websites and preset visa lists) - I have no doubt they will be ready and willing to sell you health insurance for your 461 visa as they are fierce competitors for providing health cover to visa holders.

Finally, an additional note - make sure you've satisfied all the requirements for the 461 visa - you'll need be a "member of the family unit" of your boyfriend - I assume defacto partnership? You may want to be ready with relationship evidence in that case. And your boyfriend needs to be the holder of a 444 visa (or be eligible for one).

Hope this helps, and good luck with your case!

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Mark Northam
Registered Migration Agent
Northam & Associates
Sydney, Australia
http://mnvisa.com

Source: http://www.australiaforum.com/visas-immigration/17669-subclass-461-health-insurance-question.html

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India gang rape victim dies in Singapore hospital

India gang rape victim dies in Singapore hospital
US-INDIA-RAPE:India gang rape victim dies in Singapore hospital

By Kevin Lim

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The Indian gang rape victim whose assault in New Delhi triggered nationwide protests died in hospital on Saturday of injuries suffered in the attack, a Singapore hospital treating her said.

The death of the 23-year-old medical student could spawn new protests and possibly fresh confrontations with the police, especially in the Indian capital, which has been the focus of the demonstrations.

"We are very sad to report that the patient passed away peacefully at 4:45 a.m. on Dec 29, 2012 (15:45 a.m. ET Friday). Her family and officials from the High Commission of India were by her side," Mount Elizabeth Hospital Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Loh said in a statement.

The woman, who was severely beaten, raped and thrown out of a moving bus in New Delhi, was flown to Singapore by the Indian government on Wednesday for specialist treatment.

Most rapes and other sex crimes in India go unreported and offenders are rarely punished, women's rights activists say. But the brutality of the assault on December 16 triggered public outrage and demands for better policing and harsher punishment for rapists.

The case has received blanket coverage on cable television news channels. The woman has not been identified but some Indian media have called her "Amanat", an Urdu word meaning "treasure".

Earlier on Friday, the hospital had reported that the young woman's condition had taken a turn for the worse. It said that her family had been informed and were by her side.

T.C.A. Raghavan, the Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, said after her death that the family has expressed a desire for her body to be flown back to India.

At a briefing earlier on Saturday, Raghavan declined to comment on reports in India accusing the government of sending her to Singapore to minimize the possible backlash in the event of her death.

Some Indian medical experts had questioned the decision to airlift the woman to Singapore, calling it a risky maneuver given the seriousness of her injuries. They had said she was already receiving the best possible care in India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government has been battling criticism that it was tone-deaf to the outcry and heavy-handed in its response to the protests in the Indian capital.

"It is deeply saddening and just beyond words. The police and government definitely have to do something more," said Sharanya Ramachandran, an Indian national who is working as an engineer in Singapore.

"They should bring in very severe punishment for such cases. They should start recognizing that it is a big crime."

"SIGNIFICANT BRAIN INJURY"

The Singapore hospital said earlier that the woman had suffered "significant brain injury" and was surviving against the odds. She had already undergone three abdominal operations before being flown to Singapore.

Demonstrations over the lack of safety for women erupted across India after the attack, culminating last weekend in pitched battles between police and protesters in the heart of New Delhi.

New Delhi has been on edge since the weekend clashes. Hundreds of policemen have been deployed on the streets of the capital and streets leading to the main protest site, the India Gate war memorial, have been shut for long periods, causing commuter chaos in the city of 16 million.

Political commentators and sociologists say the rape has tapped into a deep well of frustration that many Indians feel over what they see as weak governance and poor leadership on social and economic issues.

Many protesters have complained that Singh's government has done little to curb the abuse of women in the country of 1.2 billion. A global poll by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in June found that India was the worst place to be a woman because of high rates of infanticide, child marriage and slavery.

New Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among India's major cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures. Government data show the number of reported rape cases in the country rose by nearly 17 percent between 2007 and 2011.

(Reporting by Eveline Danubrata and Kevin Lim; Writing by Kevin Lim in Singapore and Ross Colvin in New Delhi; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Page: 1

Source:Reuters. All Rights Reserved

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Google names 12 best Android apps of 2012

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A homeless woman was in critical condition in a Los Angeles hospital after a man doused her with liquid accelerant and set her on fire as she slept on a bus bench, police said on Thursday. Officers arrested Dennis Petillo, 24, in connection with the early morning attack, and he has been booked in jail on suspicion of attempted murder, police said. The woman, whose name has not been released, was being treated at a local hospital with burns all over her body, said Los Angeles police Lieutenant Damian Gutierrez. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/google-names-12-best-android-apps-2012-174530724.html

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Energy independence for fossil fuels? There's no such thing.

In a world energy market, where companies seek the highest profits, far-away events affect domestic prices.?

By Kurt Cobb,?Guest blogger / December 27, 2012

Malta-flagged Iranian crude oil supertanker 'Delvar' is seen anchored off the coast of Singapore in this March file photo. Western sanctions have depressed Iranian oil sales and prices.

Tim Chong/Reuters/File

Enlarge

Anyone who tells you that energy independence can be achieved based on globally traded commodities such as oil, coal and natural gas is either trying to mislead you or doesn't understand the structure of energy markets. As of 2011 fossil fuels produced 83 percent of the world's energy according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Because fossil fuels can be transported anywhere in the world, producers seek out the highest price unless they are constrained by law or infrastructure from doing so.

Skip to next paragraph Resource Insights

Kurt Cobb?is the author of the peak-oil-themed thriller, 'Prelude,' and a columnist for the Paris-based science news site Scitizen.?He is a founding member of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas?USA, and he serves on the board of the Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions. For more of his Resource Insights posts, click?here.

Recent posts

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This means that energy independence for a country is something of an optical illusion when it is based merely on the domestic production of fossil fuels. Here's why:

1. Events far away such as wars; embargoes; strikes; and mine, oilfield and refinery disasters affect the level of domestic prices for fossil fuels in all countries where these fuels are freely exportable regardless of whether that country produces enough for its own consumption. In such countries consumers of these fuels including domestic industry and transportation, commercial establishments, households and government agencies are all subjected to fluctuating world prices that can be unrelated to anything happening in the host country even if the country extracts enough fossil fuel from its own soil to meet domestic demand.

EPA Administrator Jackson announces resignation

FILE - This photo April 17, 2012 file photo shows Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson during an interview with The Associated Press at EPA Headquarters in Washington. Jackson, The Obama administration's chief environmental watchdog, is stepping down after a nearly four-year tenure marked by high-profile brawls over global warming pollution, the Keystone XL oil pipeline, new controls on coal-fired plants and several other hot-button issues that affect the nation's economy and people's health. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)

FILE - This photo April 17, 2012 file photo shows Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson during an interview with The Associated Press at EPA Headquarters in Washington. Jackson, The Obama administration's chief environmental watchdog, is stepping down after a nearly four-year tenure marked by high-profile brawls over global warming pollution, the Keystone XL oil pipeline, new controls on coal-fired plants and several other hot-button issues that affect the nation's economy and people's health. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the Obama administration's chief environmental watchdog, is stepping down after nearly four years marked by high-profile brawls over global warming pollution, the Keystone XL oil pipeline, new controls on coal-fired plants and several other hot-button issues that affect the nation's economy and people's health.

Jackson constantly found herself caught between administration pledges to solve thorny environmental problems and steady resistance from Republicans and industrial groups who complained that the agency's rules destroyed jobs and made it harder for American companies to compete internationally.

The GOP chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, said last year that Jackson would need her own parking spot at the Capitol because he planned to bring her in so frequently for questioning. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney called for her firing, a stance that had little downside during the GOP primary.

Jackson, 50, the agency's first black administrator and a chemical engineer, did not point to any particular reason for her departure. Historically, Cabinet members looking to move on will leave at the beginning of a president's second term.

Despite the opposition, which former EPA chiefs have said is the worst they have seen against the agency, Jackson still managed to take significant steps that will improve air quality and begin to curb global warming.

"I will leave the EPA confident the ship is sailing in the right direction, and ready in my own life for new challenges, time with my family and new opportunities to make a difference," she said in a statement. Jackson will leave sometime after President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address, typically in late January.

In a separate statement, Obama said Jackson has been "an important part of my team." He thanked her for serving and praised her "unwavering commitment" to the public's health.

"Under her leadership, the EPA has taken sensible and important steps to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, including implementing the first national standard for harmful mercury pollution, taking important action to combat climate change under the Clean Air Act and playing a key role in establishing historic fuel economy standards that will save the average American family thousands of dollars at the pump, while also slashing carbon pollution," he said.

Environmental activist groups and other supporters lauded Jackson for the changes she was able to make, but industry representatives said some may have come at an economic cost. Groups also noted that she leaves a large, unfinished agenda.

"There has been no fiercer champion of our health and our environment than Lisa Jackson, and every American is better off today than when she took office nearly four years ago," said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. But she noted that Jackson's successor will inherit an unfinished agenda, including the need to issue new health protections against carbon pollution from existing power plants.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on clean air, called Jackson's tenure a "breath of fresh air" and credited her for setting historic fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, and for finalizing clean air standards.

But Scott Segal, director of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, said Jackson presided over some of the most expensive environmental rules in EPA history.

"Agency rules have been used as blunt attempts to marginalize coal and other solid fossil fuels and to make motor fuels more costly at the expense of industrial jobs, energy security, and economic recovery," Segal said. "The record of the agency over the same period in overestimating benefits to major rules has not assisted the public in determining whether these rules have been worth it."

Other environmental groups, however, praised Jackson's clean air efforts.

"Notwithstanding the difficult economic and political challenges EPA faced, her agency was directly responsible for saving the lives of tens of thousands of Americans and improving the health of millions throughout the country," said S. William Becker of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. "She will be sorely missed."

Larry Schweiger, head of the National Wildlife Federation, cited her climate change work and efforts to reduce carbon pollution.

Environmental groups had high expectations for the administration headed by Obama, a Democrat, after eight years of President George W. Bush, a Republican and Texas oilman who rebuffed agency scientists and refused act on climate change. Jackson came into office promising a more active EPA.

But she soon learned that changes would not occur as quickly as she had hoped. Jackson watched as a Democratic-led effort to reduce global warming emissions passed the House in 2009 but was then abandoned by the Senate as economic concerns became the priority. The concept behind the bill, referred to as cap-and-trade, would have established a system where power companies bought and sold pollution rights.

"That's a revolutionary message for our country," Jackson said at a Paris conference shortly after taking the job.

Jackson experienced another big setback last year when the administration scrubbed a clean-air regulation aimed at reducing health-threatening smog. Republican lawmakers had been hammering the president over the proposed rule, accusing him of making it harder for companies to create jobs.

She also vowed to better control toxic coal ash after a massive spill in Tennessee, but that regulation has yet to be finalized more than four years after the spill.

Jackson had some victories, too. During her tenure, the administration finalized a new rule doubling fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks. The requirements will be phased in over 13 years and eventually require all new vehicles to average 54.5 mpg, up from 28.6 mpg at the end of last year.

She shepherded another rule that forces power plants to control mercury and other toxic pollutants for the first time. Previously, the nation's coal- and oil-fired power plants had been allowed to run without addressing their full environmental and public health costs.

Jackson also helped persuade the administration to table the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would have brought carbon-heavy tar sands oil from Canada to refineries in Texas.

House Republicans dedicated much of their time this past election year trying to rein in the EPA. They passed a bill seeking to thwart regulation of the coal industry and quash the stricter fuel efficiency standards. In the end, though, the bill made no headway in the Senate. It served mostly as election-year fodder that appeared to have little impact on the presidential race.

___

Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Pauline Jelinek contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-27-EPA%20Administrator/id-e059a26902814c7787b02454a37f8ce0

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Texas airline mogul to get sentence on child porn case

Associated Press

Posted on December 19, 2012 at 8:48 AM

BROWNSVILLE (AP) - The founder of a Texas cargo airline is set to be sentenced on federal child pornography charges.

Robert L. Hedrick was convicted May 21 of three federal counts. The 61-year-old founder of Pan American Airways was accused by prosecutors of having explicit chats with undercover officers posing as young teenage girls.

He's scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday morning in South Texas.

Hedrick was arrested last year after Wisconsin and Louisiana authorities traced chats to an online account registered to him. Investigators said they later found he had saved 2,400 pornographic images.

Hedrick has maintained his innocence.

He faces up to 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography. He was also convicted of transfer of obscene materials to a minor and attempted sexual exploitation of children.
?

Source: http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Texas-airline-mogul-to-get-sentence-on-child-porn-case-184095931.html

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White House promises veto of GOP's 'Plan B'

After progress earlier this week in fiscal cliff negotiations, President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner butted heads Wednesday, setting the stage for a showdown as the deadline looms for an agreement.

The negotiations had focused on a $2 trillion package of new revenue, spending cuts and entitlement changes the two sides have shaped into a broad deficit reduction plan.

Boehner on Tuesday proposed a "plan B," which would extend Bush-era tax cuts on income of up to $1 million. He described it as a fallback option to prevent a sweeping tax hike while negotiations continue on a broader plan.

But the White House on Wednesday threatened to veto "plan B," saying it would bring only "minimal" changes in projected budget deficits.

Obama told reporters earlier in the day that Republicans were focused too much on besting him personally rather than thinking about what's best for the country.

"Take the deal," Obama said to Republicans, referring to the broader proposal, adding that it would "reduce the deficit more than any other deficit reduction package" and would represent an achievement.

"They should be proud of it," Obama said. "But they keep on finding ways to say 'no' as opposed to finding ways to say 'yes.' "

His comments at a White House news conference came less than two weeks before the end of the year, when the nation's taxpayers would face automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts if no agreement is reached.

Economists say that failure to reach agreement could spark another recession.

Boehner issued his own statement Wednesday, saying the president had yet to make a proposal offering a balance between increased revenue and spending cuts.

Source: http://www.wdsu.com/news/politics/White-House-promises-veto-of-GOP-s-Plan-B/-/9853324/17830834/-/3pg7c6/-/index.html?absolute=true

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Are bacteria making you hungry?

Dec. 19, 2012 ? Over the last half decade, it has become increasingly clear that the normal gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria play a variety of very important roles in the biology of human and animals. Now Vic Norris of the University of Rouen, France, and coauthors propose yet another role for GI bacteria: that they exert some control over their hosts' appetites. Their review was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Bacteriology.

This hypothesis is based in large part on observations of the number of roles bacteria are already known to play in host biology, as well as their relationship to the host system. "Bacteria both recognize and synthesize neuroendocrine hormones," Norris et al. write. "This has led to the hypothesis that microbes within the gut comprise a community that forms a microbial organ interfacing with the mammalian nervous system that innervates the gastrointestinal tract." (That nervous system innervating the GI tract is called the "enteric nervous system." It contains roughly half a billion neurons, compared with 85 billion neurons in the central nervous system.)

"The gut microbiota respond both to both the nutrients consumed by their hosts and to the state of their hosts as signaled by various hormones," write Norris et al. That communication presumably goes both ways: they also generate compounds that are used for signaling within the human system, "including neurotransmitters such as GABA, amino acids such as tyrosine and tryptophan -- which can be converted into the mood-determining molecules, dopamine and serotonin" -- and much else, says Norris.

Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that gut bacteria may play a role in diseases such as cancer, metabolic syndrome, and thyroid disease, through their influence on host signaling pathways. They may even influence mood disorders, according to recent, pioneering studies, via actions on dopamine and peptides involved in appetite. The gut bacterium, Campilobacter jejuni, has been implicated in the induction of anxiety in mice, says Norris.

But do the gut flora in fact use their abilities to influence choice of food? The investigators propose a variety of experiments that could help answer this question, including epidemiological studies, and "experiments correlating the presence of particular bacterial metabolites with images of the activity of regions of the brain associated with appetite and pleasure."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Society for Microbiology.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. V. Norris, F. Molina, A. T. Gewirtz. Hypothesis: bacteria control host appetites. Journal of Bacteriology, 2012; DOI: 10.1128/JB.01384-12

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/XCH0PaY1jGQ/121219142301.htm

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The Kardashian Christmas Card: It's Here!!!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/the-kardashian-christmas-card-its-here/

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Nokia CEO teases flagship smartphone coming to Verizon

Arguably, next to recess, lunchtime is one part of the day that schoolchildren look forward to the most. It's a time to grab some grub and socialize with friends. Dianne Brame, the cafeteria manager at Hudson Elementary School in Webster Groves, Missouri, said she knows each one of [...]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nokia-ceo-teases-flagship-smartphone-coming-verizon-213242997.html

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Greek Credit Rating Raised at S&P After Debt Buyback Program

Greek Credit Rating Raised at S&P After Debt Buyback Program

Posted: athenswire

December 19, 2012

---

Greece had its credit rating raised
by Standard Poor?s after a debt buyback as the ratings company
cited the ?strong determination? of euro-area governments to
keep the nation in the currency zone.

The grade was lifted from selective default to B- with a
stable outlook, SP said in a statement yesterday. It was cut to
SD from CCC on Dec. 5 amid the buyback. The new grade is the
highest Greece has had at SP since June 2011, when it was cut
to CCC from B.

?The stable outlook balances our view of euro zone member
states? determination to support Greece?s euro zone membership
and the Greek government?s commitment to a fiscal and structural
adjustment against the economic and political challenges of
doing so,? the ratings company said.

European officials last week approved the payout of 49.1
billion euros ($65 billion) of loans through March from Greece?s
bailout programs with the European Union and International
Monetary Fund after receiving the results of the Greek bond
buyback program. Under the plan, Greece agreed to pay 11.3
billion euros to buy back 32 billion euros of bonds, reducing
its debt burden.

?Even after the buyback, Greece?s end-2012 net debt-to-GDP
ratio of over 160 percent of GDP remains onerous,? SP said in
the statement. ?Nevertheless, subject to Greece meeting program
conditions, euro zone member states have said they would
significantly improve official lending terms to the
government.?

Ratings Analysis

Yields on sovereign securities moved in the opposite
direction from what ratings suggested in 53 percent of the 32
upgrades, downgrades and changes in credit outlook this year,
according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The longer-term average
is 47 percent, based on more than 300 changes since 1974. This
year, investors ignored 56 percent of Moody?s rating and outlook
changes and 50 percent of those by SP.

Greek bonds have surged 85 percent this year, the best
performance among 26 markets tracked by indexes from the
European Federation of Financial Analyst Societies. The 10-year
yield at 12.8 percent is about a third of its high this year,
and its spread to benchmark German bunds has collapsed to about
11 percentage points, the least since April 2011.

SP said that Greece?s deficit-reduction plan, which is
based on tax increases, improved tax collection, privatizations,
and government spending cuts, may still go awry.

?We believe these adjustments carry implementation risks
given the projected further output contraction in 2012 and 2013,
which will likely see social pressures persist,? SP said.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Marcus Bensasson in Athens at
mbensasson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Craig Stirling at
cstirling1@bloomberg.net

Enlarge image

Greek Credit Rating Raised at SP After Debt Buyback

Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Greece had its credit rating raised by Standard Poor?s after a debt buyback as the ratings company cited the ?strong determination? of euro-area governments to keep the nation in the currency zone.

Greece had its credit rating raised by Standard Poor?s after a debt buyback as the ratings company cited the ?strong determination? of euro-area governments to keep the nation in the currency zone. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

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Article source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-18/greek-credit-rating-raised-at-s-p-after-debt-buyback-program.html

Source: http://www.athenswire.com/greek-credit-rating-raised-at-sp-after-debt-buyback-program/

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Who to Call: The Small Business Development Center ? CFDC

Actually, there is a source of free advice and support. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Polk County, an agency administered by the Polk County Commission, assists locally owned businesses with financial analyses, marketing assistance, preparation of loan packages, and other services.

The center operates under the umbrella of the Central Florida Development Council, Polk County?s official economic development organization. Funding for the SBDC comes from taxes paid for county business licenses and from a grant provided by the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, said Dawn Decaminada, the county agency?s certified business analyst. The state?network is one of eight original pilot programs first funded in 1976 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The federal grant program requires matching funding from a local entity.

The center?s budget of $343,635 includes $125,000 that filters down from the Small Business Administration through state and regional agencies. The county provides nearly $220,000 in funds and in-kind services.

Decaminada, the Polk agency?s only certified business consultant, said her agency?s services are available to any Polk business with 500 or fewer employees. While she devotes much of her time to advising startup businesses, she said she also assists existing businesses looking to expand or seeking new loans.

Decaminada works in the Neil Combee Administration Building in Bartow.

She said that location makes it easy for her to advise clients on such matters as needed permits by directing them to county departments based in the same building.

Polk County?s Small Business Development Center is unusual in being overseen by county government, Decaminada said. Most such centers, she said, are supported by universities.

Decaminada said she is careful to avoid telling entrepreneurs what they should do. She said her role is to examine business plans and ask probing questions.

?I make them give me the numbers,? she said.

Decaminada said the county has tools that can help entrepreneurs decide if their plans are feasible. For example, she said she can pull up demographic data for the entire county or specific areas. Though she?s based in Bartow, Decaminada said she travels the county on ?circuit rides,? meeting clients at their offices.

Anyone interested in seeking assistance from the Small Business Development Center may call 863-534-5915 or contact Decaminada at?dawn@cfdc.org.

Source: http://www.cfdc.org/news/who-to-call-the-small-business-development-center/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=who-to-call-the-small-business-development-center

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Source: Joseph Lhota to step down as MTA chair to run for NYC mayor

Originally published: December 18, 2012 7:45 PM
Updated: December 18, 2012 10:30 PM
By ALFONSO A. CASTILLO ?alfonso.castillo@newsday.com

Photo credit: Newsday/Audrey C. Tiernan | Joseph Lhota, Chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, addresses the Long Island Association in Melville. (May 8, 2012)

Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman and chief executive Joseph Lhota plans to announce Friday he is stepping down to run for New York City mayor as a Republican, a state government source said Tuesday.

Lhota, who was deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani, has been lauded for leading the restoration of the region's transit system after superstorm Sandy.

He was appointed to the MTA...

Content Preview This content is exclusive for Newsday digital access and 7-day home delivery subscribers and Optimum Online customers.

Newsday reporters on Twitter

Source: http://www.newsday.com/long-island/source-joseph-lhota-to-step-down-as-mta-chair-to-run-for-nyc-mayor-1.4350364

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Ricky Gervais in Talks for Muppets Sequel

We've known for a while now that Jason Segel would not be returning to The Muppets, a franchise he helped resurrect on the big screen. And that's not a bad-blood thing, either. Segel was thrilled that his crusade to bring The Muppets back to relevancy finally paid off, it was just never his plan to turn The Muppets into his own franchise. Disney thinks Kermit and friends still need a lead human counterpart, though, and they've apparently found one in a very unlikely place: Ricky Gervais.

That's right. The brash, British comedian who revels in controversy is reportedly in talks to be the two-legged anchor for the untitled Muppets sequel. And if that makes you shake your head at The Muppets, well, that's understandable. Gervais is by his own engineering a divisive personality, but just because he can make famous people feel horrible, doesn't mean he's a horrible person himself.

He's actually written a series of children's books called Flanimals, which have also been optioned for the big screen, so he's certainly got a soft side. And while some may not like his style of comedy, he's actually a very good actor. Just look at the end of the?Extras Christmas Special for an example of that. Warning, it does have some NSFW language in it, but the performance and sentiment are fantastic.

And, at the end of the day, director James Bobin and writer Nicholas Stoller are returning, anyway, so it's not like Gervais will be hijacking the ship. We're sure the Muppets gang?is still in safe hands, but what do you think?

Follow along on Twitter: @PeterSHall and @Moviesdotcom.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926511/news/1926511/

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Fantasy sleep

A place only entered in your sleep and Dreamers are chosen wisely, for the protection there is unreal. An entire kindom awaits for the right soul to be, but with a price.

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'Boy Meets World' star: Sequel will have 'heart'

By Tierney Bricker, E! Online

Brenda Chase / Getty Images file

"Boy Meets World" stars Danielle Fishel and Ben Savage in 1999.

"Boy Meets World" fever is sweeping the nation! No, we haven't time-traveled back to the '90s, but a nostalgic mood seems to have taken over the TV world since it was announced that the Disney Channel is rebooting the popular series with "Girl Meets World," which will bring original stars Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel back as fan-favorite couple Cory and Topanga.?

Fishel called into Ryan Seacrest's radio show on Dec. 14 to dish on the highly anticipated reboot and says, "I think everyone is a little nostalgic for that family-friendly innocent fun again!"?

Ben Savage says the spinoff will be special and funny!?

When the news broke that Disney would be restarting the franchise with Fishel and Savage reprising their beloved roles, the fan response was, to put it mildly, insanely and wildly positive. "It was really surprising and humbling and amazing," Fishel says of the response. "It got us all very excited. We had a lot of conversations and we all felt very nostalgic."?

And Fishel assures us that longtime fans will not be let down by "Girl Meets World," ?which will pack just as much as heart as its predecessor. "If we're going to try and bring it back, we want to bring it back with the same heart and integrity and innocence that the first one had," she explains. "We're going to make sure we don't let anybody down."?

So why does Fishel think "Boy Meets World," ?which ended in 2000, has had such a lasting impression on so many people? "We always treated the kids that were watching the show like they were smart and they could get what was going on and they understood the messages; we didn't have to beat it over your head," she says, praising creator Michael Jacobs and the rest of the writers for their work. "I think people held onto that."?

Find out which original castmember says he isn't returning for the new series!?

The new series will follow Cory and Topanga's 13-year-old daughter Riley (the part has yet to be cast), and Fishel says she's super excited to take on the role of a mother. "I'm coming back as a mom, which is really exciting because I've always wanted to be a mom and I'm not one in my real life," Fishel explains. "When I think back about when we started 'Boy Meets World' in '93, so almost 20 years ago, I was 12. The idea that I now get to see another young girl who is about the same age I was 20 years ago starting in her own career is really exciting."?

Are Cory and Topanga your favorite retro TV couple??

Of course, the project has yet to be picked up to series and is in the "very early stages," but Fishel says, "We should know more by the beginning of next year. That's when we're hoping to go into production."?

What do you want to see from "Girl Meets World"? Tell us on our Facebook page!

Related content:

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2012/12/14/15913239-boy-meets-world-star-we-want-sequel-to-have-the-same-heart-and-integrity?lite

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MWM | KC Real Estate: Downtown streetcar gets green light ...

Streetcar ordinances, taxing district given the green light

Downtown Kansas City is one step closer to having a streetcar after a pair of achievements earlier this week. The City Council approved two ordinances that will finance construction of the streetcar line, one of which includes a $3.6 million agreement with Omaha-based HDR Inc. to create the final design of the streetcar?s main components. The second ordinance gives the city the authority to sell $30 million in public bonds, which will also help finance the streetcar?s construction.

In a mail-in election, voters approved the creation of a special taxing district that includes a $0.01 sales tax and several property reassessments. The tax increase was authorized for 25 years and includes an area that encompasses the River Market, the Central Business District, the Crossroads and Crown Center.

Streetcar construction is expected to begin in June 2013. The final design is scheduled to be completed at the end of next year, with the streetcar expected to be running by mid-2015. The initial route will primarily run along Main Street and connect Union Station to the River Market, although Councilman Jim Glover says he?s committed to expanding the streetcar throughout the 4^th District, including UMKC, the west Bottoms and along Independence Avenue.

Menards puts the brakes on Independence store opening

Image via Menards

Citing concerns about a worsening national economy, hardware retailer Menards has decided to put its Independence project on hold. Original plans called for the construction of a new store near Bass Pro Shops, along with additional stores in Overland Park and the Northland.

Independence isn?t the only city affected; Menards has also halted expansion plans in other cities, too. As a result, the Independence City Council has delayed its final vote on the approval of Menards? construction plans. The city zoning commission had already approved plans to build a store on a 50-acre tract east of the Independence Events Center.

Logoplaste signs 200,000-square-foot lease

Metro Park. Image via ThinkKC

Portugal-based plastic packaging manufacturing company Logoplaste has signed a lease for 200,000 square feet in the Metro Park complex at 6920 NE Executive Drive in Kansas City. The new location will introduce nearly 80 long-term jobs to the area.

The 396,000-square-foot class A industrial building will house the company?s manufacturing operations. The facility was listed at $3.85 per square foot.

Whitney Kerr Jr. of Cassidy Turley represented the landlord in the transaction. Daniel Jensen of Kessinger/Hunter & Co. LC and Britt Casey of Cushman & Wakefield Inc. represented the tenant.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 14th, 2012 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Kansas City Real Estate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://metrowirekc.com/newsletters/2012/12/14/mwm-kc-real-estate-downtown-streetcar-gets-green-light-menards-puts-the-brakes-on-independence-store-logoplaste-signs-200000-square-foot-lease/

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Are banks ?too big to prosecute?? (Americablog)

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If you cut down a tree in the forest, can wildlife hear it?

Public release date: 14-Dec-2012
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Contact: Scott Smith
ssmith@wcs.org
718-220-3698
Wildlife Conservation Society

WCS and partners develop method to discern how landscape features affect dispersion of noise and distribution of wildlife

BOZEMAN, MT (December 13, 2012) A new tool developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its partners is being used by scientists and land managers to model how noise travels through landscapes and affects species and ecosystems a major factor in land and wildlife management decisions such as where to locate new roads or recreational trails.

The tool, SPreAD-GIS, uses spatial data layers to predict how sound spreads from a source through the surrounding landscape and how it is affected by such factors as vegetation, terrain, weather conditions, and background sound levels. By determining how sound propagates, potential impacts to wildlife can be forecasted. Such impacts can include reducing habitat quality, altering the geographic distribution of species, disrupting animal communication, and causing stress.

In an example discussed in the paper, the sensitivities of humans and owls to motor vehicle sound levels were compared. The results of the SPreAD-GIS analysis showed that in the same location, motor vehicle noise would affect owls in an area 45 percent larger than the area affected for humans. Exposure to noise may affect an owl's livelihood as the animal relies on its acute sense of hearing to detect even the slightest movement of its prey.

WCS Scientist Sarah Reed said, "Exposure to human-caused noise can change the game for many species. Those species that are less tolerant of noise can be put at a disadvantage and ultimately, this may result in a loss in biodiversity. By predicting what the effects of sound will be on a bird or mammal species in advance, we can more adequately balance our land-use planning decisions with conservation considerations."

Reed and colleagues are currently using SPreAD-GIS and field measurements of motor vehicle noise to forecast the area affected for bird and mammal communities in the Sierra National Forest in California. In addition, the model has been downloaded by hundreds of users in more than 25 countries and used for diverse education, research, and management applications. This includes modeling potential noise propagation from roads, recreational activity, heavy equipment, residential development, and natural resource extraction.

Reed added, "Most existing tools are used to understand noise in human-dominated environments and don't incorporate factors affecting noise propagation in natural systems. This tool is free and relatively user-friendly for the average desktop GIS user, and comes at a time when ecologists are just beginning to understand the critical role that sound disturbances play in affecting wildlife."

###

Reed started the SPreAD-GIS project as a scientist with The Wilderness Society (TWS) and completed it as a Smith Conservation Research Fellow and WCS employee. The model is available for download from TWS's Landscape Collaborative (www.landscapecollaborative.org) website.

The tool is described in the November print edition of the journal Environmental Modeling & Software. Authors include Sarah E. Reed of the Wildlife Conservation Society and Colorado State University, Jennifer L. Boggs, formerly of The Wilderness Society, and Jacob P. Mann.

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

Public release date: 14-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Scott Smith
ssmith@wcs.org
718-220-3698
Wildlife Conservation Society

WCS and partners develop method to discern how landscape features affect dispersion of noise and distribution of wildlife

BOZEMAN, MT (December 13, 2012) A new tool developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its partners is being used by scientists and land managers to model how noise travels through landscapes and affects species and ecosystems a major factor in land and wildlife management decisions such as where to locate new roads or recreational trails.

The tool, SPreAD-GIS, uses spatial data layers to predict how sound spreads from a source through the surrounding landscape and how it is affected by such factors as vegetation, terrain, weather conditions, and background sound levels. By determining how sound propagates, potential impacts to wildlife can be forecasted. Such impacts can include reducing habitat quality, altering the geographic distribution of species, disrupting animal communication, and causing stress.

In an example discussed in the paper, the sensitivities of humans and owls to motor vehicle sound levels were compared. The results of the SPreAD-GIS analysis showed that in the same location, motor vehicle noise would affect owls in an area 45 percent larger than the area affected for humans. Exposure to noise may affect an owl's livelihood as the animal relies on its acute sense of hearing to detect even the slightest movement of its prey.

WCS Scientist Sarah Reed said, "Exposure to human-caused noise can change the game for many species. Those species that are less tolerant of noise can be put at a disadvantage and ultimately, this may result in a loss in biodiversity. By predicting what the effects of sound will be on a bird or mammal species in advance, we can more adequately balance our land-use planning decisions with conservation considerations."

Reed and colleagues are currently using SPreAD-GIS and field measurements of motor vehicle noise to forecast the area affected for bird and mammal communities in the Sierra National Forest in California. In addition, the model has been downloaded by hundreds of users in more than 25 countries and used for diverse education, research, and management applications. This includes modeling potential noise propagation from roads, recreational activity, heavy equipment, residential development, and natural resource extraction.

Reed added, "Most existing tools are used to understand noise in human-dominated environments and don't incorporate factors affecting noise propagation in natural systems. This tool is free and relatively user-friendly for the average desktop GIS user, and comes at a time when ecologists are just beginning to understand the critical role that sound disturbances play in affecting wildlife."

###

Reed started the SPreAD-GIS project as a scientist with The Wilderness Society (TWS) and completed it as a Smith Conservation Research Fellow and WCS employee. The model is available for download from TWS's Landscape Collaborative (www.landscapecollaborative.org) website.

The tool is described in the November print edition of the journal Environmental Modeling & Software. Authors include Sarah E. Reed of the Wildlife Conservation Society and Colorado State University, Jennifer L. Boggs, formerly of The Wilderness Society, and Jacob P. Mann.

---

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?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/wcs-iyc121412.php

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