McConnell: Obama to meet Hill leaders on Friday

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Senate's top Republican says President Barack Obama has asked congressional leaders to convene at the White House for last-minute talks on a deal that avoids automatic tax increases and broad spending cuts.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says the leaders are expected to meet with the president Friday, just four days before the government goes over the so-called "fiscal cliff" if Congress and Obama don't act.

The meeting would be the first time Obama has huddled with all four leaders since Nov. 16 and would represent that last hope for a deal before the new year. Obama spoke to each leader individually Wednesday before returning from vacation in Hawaii.

Obama and congressional Democrats want a deal that would let tax rates rise for the wealthiest taxpayers.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mcconnell-obama-meet-hill-leaders-friday-235050754--politics.html

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Tips on How to Start Your Online Business and Stay at Home With ...

?

Women today are being provided with more opportunities to stay at home with their children and work without leaving their home. In the United States alone In 2010, 4.2 million more people worked at home than a decade before, according to the US Census Bureau. Some of these work at home opportunities include telecommuting, selling products or services in your local area and on the internet.

Since the mid 1990s, the Internet has been a powerful way to advertise your products or services to a global market. There is more opportunity then ever before to establish an online business. As a young mother you are given the opportunity to work part-time, full-time or occasionally. Not only do you save money on driving to work but as well you do not have to endure the cost of childcare. You do not need to spend money on uniforms and you are available to attend those important events with your kids.

But before your setup your website and start your online business here are some thoughts to consider:

1. Make sure that buyers have a method of payment that handles multiple currencies and is secure. Paypal and Intuit are reliable payment methods.

2. Keep open communication available so that you can handle customer service issues. A separate phone line at home, Skype or dedicated email address that you visit often. Advertise this on your homepage.

3. Create passive income opportunities by selling other peoples products and services on your site and receive a commission.

4. Research affiliate marketing online programs that are ethical and that you receive a healthy commission. Take the time to learn from others. Affiliate Help provides information and support to individuals who are considering affiliate marketing.

5. If there is shipping involved to other countries research tax laws.

6. Make sure that you backup your files and your internet connection is fast and reliable.

Research the option of creating your own website or hiring a Web Designer for website setup.

The good news about starting an online business is that you can be anywhere and if your website is setup properly you can be earning income from your products and good commission on other companies products.

Source: http://womenconnectonline.com/tips-on-how-to-start-your-online-business-and-stay-at-home-with-your-kids/

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Evidence contradicts idea that starvation caused saber-tooth cat extinction

Dec. 26, 2012 ? In the period just before they went extinct, the American lions and saber-toothed cats that roamed North America in the late Pleistocene were living well off the fat of the land.

That is the conclusion of the latest study of the microscopic wear patterns on the teeth of these great cats recovered from the La Brea tar pits in southern California. Contrary to previous studies, the analysis did not find any indications that the giant carnivores were having increased trouble finding prey in the period before they went extinct 12,000 years ago.

The results, published on Dec. 26 in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, contradicts previous dental studies and presents a problem for the most popular explanations for the Megafaunal (or Quaternary) extinction when the great cats, mammoths and a number of the largest mammals that existed around the world disappeared.

"The popular theory for the Megafaunal extinction is that either the changing climate at the end of the last Ice Age or human activity -- or some combination of the two -- killed off most of the large mammals," said Larisa DeSantis, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at Vanderbilt, who headed the study. "In the case of the great cats, we expect that it would have been increasingly difficult for them to find prey, especially if had to compete with humans. We know that when food becomes scarce, carnivores like the great cats tend to consume more of the carcasses they kill. If they spent more time chomping on bones, it should cause detectable changes in the wear patterns on their teeth."

In 1993, Blaire Van Valkenburgh at UCLA published a paper on tooth breakage in large carnivores in the late Pleistocene. Analyzing teeth of American lions, saber-tooth cats, dire wolves and coyotes from La Brea, she found that they had approximately three times the number of broken teeth of contemporary predators and concluded, ." ..these findings suggest that these species utilized carcasses more fully and likely competed more intensely for food than present-day large carnivores."

The latest study uses a new technique, called dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), developed by co-author Peter Ungar at the University of Arkansas. It uses a confocal microscope to produce a three-dimensional image of the surface of a tooth. The image is then analyzed for microscopic wear patterns. Chowing down on red meat produces small parallel scratches. Chomping on bones adds larger, deeper pits. Previous methods of dental wear analysis relied on researchers to identify and count these different types of features. DMTA relies on automated software and is considered more accurate because it reduces the possibility of observer bias.

DeSantis and Ungar, with the assistance of Blaine Schubert from East Tennessee State University and Jessica Scott from the University of Arkansas, applied DMTA to the fossil teeth of 15 American lions (Panthera atrox) and 15 saber-tooth cats (Smilodon fatalis) recovered from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles.

Their analysis revealed that the wear pattern on the teeth of the American lion most closely resembled those of the present-day cheetah, which actively avoids bones when it feeds. Similarly, the saber-tooth cat's wear pattern most closely resembled those of the present-day African lion, which indulges in some bone crushing when it eats. (This differs from a previous microwear study using a different technique that concluded saber-tooth cats avoided bone to a far greater extent.)

The researchers examined how these patterns changed over time by selecting specimens from tar pits of different ages, ranging from about 35,000 to 11,500 years ago. They did not find any evidence that the two carnivores increased their "utilization" of carcasses throughout this period. If anything, their analysis suggests that the proportion of the carcasses that both kinds of cats consumed actually declined toward the end.

The researchers acknowledge the high rate of tooth breakage reported in the previous study, but they argue that it is more likely the result of increased breakage when taking down prey instead of when feeding.

"Teeth can break from the stress of chewing bone but they can also break when the carnivores take down prey," DeSantis pointed out. Species like hyenas that regularly chew and crack bones of their kills are as likely to break the rear teeth they use for chewing as their front canines. Species like the cheetah, however, which avoid bones during feeding are twice as likely to break canines than rear teeth. This suggests that they are more likely to break canines when pulling down prey.

The researchers report that previous examinations of the jaws of the American lions and saber-tooth cats from this period found that they have more than three times as many broken canines and interpret this as additional evidence that supports their conclusion that most of the excess tooth breakage occurred during capture instead of feeding.

In addition, the researchers argue that the large size of the extinct carnivores and their prey can help explain the large number of broken teeth. The saber-toothed cats were about the size of today's African lion and the American lion was about 25 percent larger. The animals that they preyed upon likely included mammoths, four-ton giant ground sloths and 3,500-pound bison.

Larger teeth break more easily than smaller teeth. So larger carnivores are likely to break more canine teeth when attempting to take down larger prey, the researchers argue. They cite a study that modeled the strength of canine teeth that found the canines of a predator the size of fox can support more than seven times its weight before breaking while a predator the size of lion can only support about four times its weight and the curved teeth of the saber-toothed cats can only support about twice its weight.

"The net result of our study is to raise questions about the reigning hypothesis that "tough times" during the late Pleistocene contributed to the gradual extinction of large carnivores," DeSantis summarized. "While we can not determine the exact cause of their demise, it is unlikely that the extinction of these cats was a result of gradually declining prey (due either to changing climates or human competition) because their teeth tell us that these cats were not desperately consuming entire carcasses, as we had expected, and instead seemed to be living the 'good life' during the late Pleistocene, at least up until the very end."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Vanderbilt University, via Newswise.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Larisa R. G. DeSantis, Blaine W. Schubert, Jessica R. Scott, Peter S. Ungar. Implications of Diet for the Extinction of Saber-Toothed Cats and American Lions. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (12): e52453 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052453

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/CRGv66wn-sA/121226222838.htm

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Video: New Year?s Eve ball adorned with crystal

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50307777/

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Considering a divorce? Wait until January

3 hrs.

Geoff Williams, Reuters

Going through a divorce during the holidays can be emotionally wrenching, which is why many people don't do it -- they put it off until January.?

"People don't want to upset the apple cart over the holidays, and they want a peaceful Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year's. And then, because they don't want to spend another damned year with that spouse of theirs, as soon as the holidays are over they pull the plug and file," says Alton Abramowitz, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.?

While there are no hard numbers on how many divorces are filed in January, Abramowitz says it's undoubtedly a popular time to act, rivaled only by September, when marriages break up after the summer holidays. Yet waiting for the holidays to pass doesn't all come down to simply wanting a harmonious holiday season. There are sound financial reasons to wait until January.?

1. Waiting for the bonus?
A husband or wife who waits until January is likely to be entitled to any year-end windfall that might come from a spouse's job.?

"In New York, at least, once you file for divorce and you set the cut-off date; anything you obtain afterward is separate property," says Steven Goldfeder, a matrimonial attorney in New York City who acknowledges that year-end bonuses are often fought over, even if a spouse declares he or she wants a divorce in January. "Someone could claim the bonus isn't really for that particular year, but a payment to entice someone to stay at the firm for the future."?

2. Cool your emotions?
The holidays are a time when emotions run high. "If your spouse always has it in her mind that Christmas was ruined, she or he may not be so eager to settle with you," says Goldfeder. "Your divorce might drag out for months or years longer than it would have."?

Once, shortly before Christmas, Goldfeder received a call from a client who said a co-worker had had a baby they both believed was his. The client, married and the father of three, planned to tell his wife and assumed she would leave him. Goldfeder talked him into first getting a paternity test. The client's family had a nice Christmas, and the day after, the client learned he wasn't the father.?

Not exactly a warm holiday tale, but by cooling your emotions, you may save your family a lot of stress.?

3. Avoid disastrous shopping?
December is the shopping season, and that can spell disaster if an angry spouse is set loose with a credit card. "The spouse served with divorce papers may feel that they deserve some kind of emotional gift because of this horrible thing their spouse did to them," says Kevin Worthley, a certified divorce financial analyst and certified financial planner in Warwick, R.I.

An angry spouse may also be more inclined to want to drain the bank accounts and run up the credit cards. "That's a danger any time, but past the holidays, when everything's been bought, there's likely less inclination to buy a big-ticket item out of revenge," says Worthley.?

4. Think about April?
At year-end, taxes come to mind. "Obviously, the better records you have, the better position you're going to be in," says Andrew Katzenstein, a Los Angeles lawyer, referring to paperwork that you might want to start collecting now.?

Katzenstein, who specializes in assisting high-net-worth individuals, businesses and charities, says that in the past there haven't been many tax advantages to filing for a divorce in January rather than December. Filling for divorce is just a beginning step, after all. Many couples end up filing their taxes jointly until the divorce is completed.?

But tax brackets may go up in 2013, depending on whether the U.S. budget dispute is resolved. So going forward, the calculus may be different. "The person who pays alimony will get more bang for their deduction buck, and the person receiving the payments will pay more taxes," he says.?

5. More time to plan?
If you've made up your mind that a divorce is going to be one of your New Year's resolutions, there are things you can do now. Whatever side you end up on -- paying alimony or receiving it -- you need to start preparing.?

"You should start collecting all of your end-of-the-year statements," says Worthley. "You really need to know everything -- your household budget, your assets, what's in your checking account, how much you're paying for the mortgage, all of your debts and your credit card balances. It's important to get all of that."?

Your financial records will be needed to determine how much spousal support will be paid out, and how the finances will be divided. "The more information you get, the less complicated it'll be when you're negotiating and working things out with a financial mediator, attorney or judge," says Deborah Moskovitch, a divorce coach in Toronto who counts January as her busiest month for new clients.?

The turn of the new year can also be a good time to try to salt away some extra money to pay for an attorney, says Worthley.?

You don't need to have all of your money affairs in order the moment you and your spouse begin discussing the dreaded D-word. You may want to start the year off with a fresh start by filing for divorce in January, but chances are you'll be lucky to be divorced before that year is up.?

"Here in California, if you didn't file by October, you weren't going to get divorced in the next year anyway," says Katzenstein. "And if you decide to divorce in January, it's not like you'll be divorced in February. It's going to be a process."?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/considering-divorce-wait-until-january-1C7659310

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Indian rape victim fighting for her life

SINGAPORE (AP) ? Doctors say an Indian woman who was gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi earlier this month has suffered "significant" brain injury and is fighting for her life.

The 23-year-old woman was flown to Singapore for treatment at Mount Elizabeth hospital on Thursday, 10 days after she was brutally attacked by six men on Dec. 16.

Hospital chief executive Dr. Kelvin Loh said Friday she also has infection of the lungs and abdomen. He said she "is currently struggling against the odds."

He says a multi-disciplinary team of specialists is working tirelessly to save her life.

The rape has triggered widespread outrage and calls for ensuring the safety of women who are subject to sexual harassment ranging from groping to rape every day across India.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-28-Singapore-India-Gang%20Rape/id-a9648509a26c41b4bac0acce7608f4c0

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Pakistan: Bhutto's son launches political career

Supporters of Pakistan's assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto pray during her fifth death anniversary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. The 24-year-old son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has launched his political career at his ancestral place Larkana, with a fiery speech on the fifth anniversary of his mother's assassination. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

Supporters of Pakistan's assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto pray during her fifth death anniversary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. The 24-year-old son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has launched his political career at his ancestral place Larkana, with a fiery speech on the fifth anniversary of his mother's assassination. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

Supporters of Pakistan's slain leader Benazir Bhutto, one listens to speeches, right, and the other checks his mobile phone, at a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of her death, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. The 24-year-old son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has launched his political career with a fiery speech on the fifth anniversary of his mother's assassination. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Supporters of Pakistan's assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto listen to speeches during her fifth death anniversary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. The 24-year-old son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has launched his political career at his ancestral place Larkana, with a fiery speech on the fifth anniversary of his mother's assassination. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

A supporters of Pakistan's assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto throws rose petals at a picture of her to pay tribute on her fifth anniversary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. The 24-year-old son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has launched his political career at his ancestral place Larkana, with a fiery speech on the fifth anniversary of his mother's assassination. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

Supporters of Pakistan's assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto gather to pay tribute on her fifth anniversary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. The 24-year-old son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has launched his political career at his ancestral place Larkana, with a fiery speech on the fifth anniversary of his mother's assassination. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

ISLAMABAD (AP) ? The 24-year-old son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto launched his political career Thursday with a fiery speech before thousands of cheering supporters observing the fifth anniversary of his mother's assassination.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's speech comes several months before national elections are expected to be held. He is too young to participate in the elections himself ? the minimum age is 25 ? but is likely to be a key asset for the ruling Pakistan People's Party. The party's popularity has plummeted since it took power nearly five years ago as the country has struggled with a weak economy and bloody Taliban insurgency.

Before dawn on the same day, dozens of militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two tribal police posts in Pakistan's northwest, killing two policemen, officials said. Twenty-one other policemen are missing and presumed kidnapped.

Zardari was made chairman of the Pakistan People's Party after his mother's death but has mainly played a background role until now while he completed his studies at Oxford University in Britain.

"I want to tell you that thanks to God he has completed his studies, but now is the time of his training," his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, told the crowd of supporters Thursday in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh village in southern Sindh province, site of the Bhutto family mausoleum. "He has to study Pakistan, he has to learn from you and he has to work according to your thinking,"

The Bhutto family has played a prominent role in Pakistani politics for much of the country's 65-year history. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founded the Pakistan People's Party and served as both the country's president and prime minister in the 1970s. He was eventually hanged in 1979 after Gen. Zia ul-Haq seized power in a military coup.

Benazir Bhutto twice served as prime minister in the 1980s and 1990s but never completed a full term. Her governments were dismissed both times under the cloud of corruption allegations by presidents who were close to the country's powerful army. She was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack on Dec. 27, 2007, shortly after returning from self-imposed exile to participate in national elections.

After her death, the Pakistan People's Party rode a wave of public sympathy to garner the most seats in the 2008 elections, and Asif Ali Zardari was elected president. But the popularity of both the party and the president has fallen significantly since then as the government has failed to address pressing problems, such as Pakistan's shortage of electricity and stuttering economy. The government has also struggled in its fight against the Pakistani Taliban, who have killed thousands of people in attacks throughout the country.

Rasul Bakhsh Rais, a political science professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences, said it was not a surprise that the Pakistan People's Party unveiled Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in an attempt to boost its fortunes in the upcoming elections, which are expected by June at the latest.

"This is Pakistan and dynastic politics is the norm," said Rais. "Bilawal is perhaps the only card left in the chest of the Pakistan People's Party."

Both Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father sought to whip up the emotions of the crowd Thursday by shouting "Long live Bhutto" and "Bhutto is alive." Many of the supporters waved the red, black and green flag of the Pakistan People's Party and held pictures of Benazir Bhutto and her father.

"If you kill one Bhutto, one thousand more Bhuttos will emerge," said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He took a swipe at the judiciary, which has clashed with the current government, by asking why people arrested for suspected involvement in his mother's murder have yet to be convicted.

But some critics have questioned why Zardari has not done more to push forward the investigation during more than four years as president.

The president at the time of her death, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, blamed the Pakistani Taliban for the attack, and five suspected militants are facing trial for alleged involvement in the killing. The Pakistani Taliban have denied targeting Bhutto.

A Pakistani court issued an arrest warrant for Musharraf last year over allegations he played a role in the attack, which he has denied. Arrest warrants were also issued for two senior police officials accused of negligence in the assassination. Prosecutors accused one of the officials of failing to provide proper security for Bhutto and the other of cleaning the crime scene before evidence could be collected.

A U.N. investigation into the assassination said it could have been prevented and blamed all levels of government for failing to provide adequate security. It also accused intelligence agencies and other officials of severely hampering the investigation into those behind her murder.

The attack on the tribal police posts before dawn Thursday took place in the town of Darra Adam Khel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, government officials said. The town is located near Pakistan's tribal region, the main sanctuary for Taliban militants in the country.

Security forces have launched an operation to try to recover the 21 missing policemen, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion will likely fall on the Pakistani Taliban.

____

Associated Press writer Riaz Khan contributed to this report from Peshawar, Pakistan.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-27-AS-Pakistan/id-891c799f1c4749ab879c3826abd0784b

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