Stocks close day up slightly as techs lead the way

5 hrs.

Reuters

Stocks edged higher on Monday as technology shares bounced back after recent weakness and McDonald's posted strong monthly sales.?

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 14.75 points, or 0.11 percent, to end at 13,169.88. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up just 0.48 of a point, or 0.03 percent, to finish at 1,418.55. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 8.92 points, or 0.30 percent, to close ?at 2,986.96.?

Technology stocks were the S&P 500's best-performing sector as Hewlett-Packard Co climbed 2.9 percent to $14.20 on rumors that activist investor Carl Icahn is building a stake in the PC maker. The stock is down 44.5 percent for the year and ranks as the Dow's worst performer.?

Tech was also supported by Cisco Systems , which gained 2.4 percent to $19.79 after the company presented its midterm growth strategy on Friday. Monday's rally put the stock on track for its fifth advance in the past six sessions.?

U.S. President Barack Obama met with Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday to negotiate a budget deal. A Boehner aide said Monday that talks are continuing.?

Persistent worries about the negotiations over the "fiscal cliff," a series of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that could hurt economic growth next year, have kept market moves small of late.?

"There is a general sense that if a deal is struck, that we could have a further advance in the market at the end of this year as well as the first part of next year," said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at RDM Financial in Westport, Connecticut.?

The benchmark S&P 500 index has yet to see a move greater than 0.5 percent in either direction for December, and hasn't moved more than 1 percent either way since November 23. However, the market has regained most of the losses incurred post-election as investors refocused on the fiscal cliff.?

McDonald's gave the Dow a jolt, gaining 1.4 percent to $89.69, as its November sales were stronger than expected and showed a bounce back from a decline in October.?

News out of Italy kept sentiment in check as Prime Minister Mario Monti said he would resign after the approval of the 2013 budget. The move added to uncertainty about progress being made to tackle the euro zone's debt problem and drove Italy's borrowing costs higher.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-close-day-slightly-techs-lead-way-1C7533570

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How deadly would chemical weapons in Syria be?

Concerns that the Syrian regime would use chemical weapons are putting the spotlight on these weapons of mass destruction.

By Tom A. Peter,?Correspondent / December 6, 2012

A view of damages on an empty street in the Aleppo district of Salaheddine, Syria, Dec. 5. Serious concerns have been raised about the Syrian regime using chemical weapons.

Aref Hretani/Reuters

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Serious concerns have been raised about chemical weapons in Syria as unnamed US officials on Wednesday told NBC News that Syrian forces have loaded sarin, a deadly nerve gas, into bombs that can be dropped by planes.

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The officials said the bombs had not been loaded onto planes and there was not yet a decision from Syria's leader to use them.

President Obama has said the use of chemical weapons in Syria is a ?red line? that would draw the US into the war. Embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied that he?s planning to use them, unless international forces intervene. And Syrian officials have called recent accusations a ?pretext for intervention.?

The international community is now debating if and how to respond to this latest development.

As the situation unfolds, for many unfamiliar with sarin gas there may be some question as to what it is and just how deadly it can be. Though it?s classified as a weapon of mass destruction and is extremely lethal, it is not in the same league as nuclear weapons.

?Chemical weapons are not nuclear weapons. In order to produce a lot of damage they have to be distributed very efficiently. The problem with them is that they can be very deadly and efficient if used in population centers and their effects are indiscriminate,? says Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association.

?The explosion of a single chemical shell would not necessarily be a catastrophe if it went off accidentally at one of these storage sites, but the deliberate use of one chemical shell in a population center could be very deadly,? adds Mr. Kimball.

Sarin is a colorless and odorless nerve agent that can be attached to missiles and artillery rounds and is primarily lethal when inhaled but can also penetrate skin and clothing.

It evaporates quickly, though under the right conditions it can linger for up to five days. As a result, a sarin attack requires little clean up and areas affected by sarin can be quickly reoccupied, making it a desirable weapon for military units looking to advance without destroying infrastructure and equipment.

It was first developed in Germany in 1938, but there was no known use of it as a weapon, until 1988 when Iraq used it against the Kurdish town of Halabja. The Iraqi military is also believed to have used sarin against Iran during the war between the two countries that spanned from 1980 to 1988.

Most recently, it was used by the Japanese group Aum Shinrikyo which manufactured their own form of impure sarin gas and released it on the Tokyo subway in 1995. The attack killed 12 and injured at least 5,500 people.

It?s unclear exactly how much damage would be caused were Syrian jets to drop bombs filled with sarin gas on an apartment block or populated area, but experts say the attack would likely be lethal and devastating, creating a major impact.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/ou5UFQmwEXQ/How-deadly-would-chemical-weapons-in-Syria-be

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Scott DesJarlais, GOP Lawmaker, Ends Scandal-Ridden Campaign Out Of Cash, Allies

House Republicans rushed to deliver campaign cash to scandal-tainted Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) in the days leading up to the November elections -- and he desperately needed the help, federal campaign reports show.

Desjarlais, an anti-abortion doctor who was revealed in the campaign to have had sex with patients and pressured one to get an abortion -- ended his 2012 reelection run with only $15,660 in the bank. And now he faces several potential GOP challengers.

Many donors shunned DesJarlais after his sordid past emerged, but amid reports that Democratic challenger Eric Stewart was gaining in the polls, his GOP peers apparently thought better of it and dished out significant financial support.

Between Oct. 22 and Nov. 6, the super PACS affiliated with 16 GOP lawmakers as well as the National Republican Congressional Committee donated more than $44,800 to DesJarlais, according to his post-general election filing with the Federal Election Commission. All but two were members of the staunch conservative group, the Republican Study Committee. DesJarlais' donors included members of the House leadership -- notably, Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), the current chair of the House Republican Conference.

The controversial representative spent over $400,000 in the final weeks leading up to the election, with the bulk of it going towards television ads. He would end up keeping his seat with a comfortable win over Stewart, a state senator.

Less than a week after the election, a judge released the transcript of DesJarlais' 2001 divorce proceedings, which confirmed that he had not only had one affair, but conducted multiple extramarital relationships with coworkers and patients.

"I am human," he told The Knoxville News Sentinel after the transcript was released. "I don't think I ever put myself out there to be somebody that was perfect. I put myself out there as somebody who wanted to serve the public."

Court documents also revealed that DesJarlais' wife had undergone two abortions during their marriage, one for medical reasons and one because their relationship was in such poor shape.

"Things were not going well between us and it was a mutual decision," DesJarlais said of the elective abortion. "I don't think that it was easy for either one of us. I think it was a very difficult and poor choice and I think that there are probably regrets both ways."

Since the details have come out, Republicans have abandoned DesJarlais in droves. He was the lone GOP member of the Tennessee delegation to be left off the campaign committee for Sen. Lamar Alexander's (R-Tenn.) 2014 reelection bid. And several conservatives have expressed interest in running for DesJarlais' seat in 2014, including state Rep. Kevin Brooks (R) and retired Cracker Barrel executive Forrest Shoaf.

With only a little over $15 grand in the bank and his backers pulling their financial support, DesJarlais' prospects do not look rosy.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/07/scott-desjarlais-scandal-election_n_2259441.html

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CSN: McFadden a non-factor in Raiders return

BOX SCORE

OAKLAND -- For the first time since 2006, the Raiders have been swept by Denver with Thursday night's 26-13 loss to the Broncos in front of a national TV audience, falling to 3-10 on the season.

AFC West champion Denver (10-3) started quick, leading 13-0, and was threatening to go up by more when Phillip Adams picked off Peyton Manning in the end zone. The Raiders offense responded and had perhaps its most impressive drive of the season, going 80 yards in 14 plays and taking 6:33 off the clock. Carson Palmer pump-faked and hit Darren McFadden, who went in from six yards out for the score.

For the Raiders, who lost their sixth straight, Palmer threw for 273 yards, on 19 of 30 passing, with two touchdowns, a fumble on a strip-sack, and a costly interception when he threw behind an open Brandon Myers at the goal line and future Hall of Famer Champ Bailey picked it off.

"That's one guy you don't want to hang the ball on," two-time Super Bowl winning coach Tom Flores offered on the radio.

Meanwhile, Peyton Manning threw for 310 yards, with one TD and one INT. The Raiders did have three sacks, all in the first half.

Rookie WR Rod Streater had a career-high 100 yards receiving on four catches, on the first Thursday night game in Oakland since Oct. 25, 1979.

It was Raiders rookie coach Dennis Allen's first game since his father Grady passed away Monday night. The younger Allen was away from the team Sunday night through Tuesday night and will leave the team again for his father's services.

McFadden returns: Playing for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain on Nov. 4, Darren McFadden was, as he mostly was before the injury, a non-factor. The first time McFadden touched the ball, on a pass across the middle from Carson Palmer, he dropped it. McFadden ran for 52 yards on 11 carries, with 36 yards coming on one breathtaking run down the right sideline, and did have a six-yard TD catch that got the Raiders within 13-7. But other than that?silence.

Greatness in the house: The Raiders honored their 19 Hall of Famers and 12 of them were on the field, plus three widows, including Carol Davis, for a classy halftime tribute. Those that were at the Coliseum: Jim Otto, George Blanda's widow Betty, Willie Brown, Gene Upshaw's widow Teresa, Fred Biletnikoff, Art Shell, Ted Hendricks, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Ronnie Lott, Dave Casper, James Lofton, John Madden, Rod Woodson and Carol Davis. Also recognized were Bob Brown, Eric Dickerson, Jerry Rice and Marcus Allen.

Third-quarter woes return: After decent third quarters against Cincinnati and Cleveland, the Raiders went back to their falling-down ways against the Broncos, getting outscored 10-0. For the season, the Raiders have been outscored by a combined 139-51 in the third quarter, including 34-0 in two games against the Broncos.

The scourge of penalties: After having a combined seven penalties against New Orleans and Cincinnati, the Raiders had their second straight game of double-digit penalties. Oakland had 11 penalties for 94 yards against the Broncos, who did not have a flag thrown at them until the 3:37 mark of the third quarter. The Raiders had 10 penalties for 65 yards against Cleveland and a season-high 12 penalties for 110 yards at Atlanta. Right tackle Khalif Barnes had two holding penalties and a false start Thursday.

All suited up with nothing to do?again: Terrelle Pryor was activated for the second time this season, but the third-string quarterback spent the evening wearing a skull cap and jacket. He did start to play catch in the third quarter, but just as suddenly, put his jacket back on

Checking in with Tom Flores: The Raiders were bringing blitzes at Peyton Manning early and often, but Manning was beating them with ease by simply hitting his running back. Tom Flores, the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach-turned-broadcaster, said leaving the backs open in hot reads was "inexcusable." Later, under a crush of flags, play-by-play man Greg Papa said, "Another holding penalty?" "Oh yeah," Flores answered. "Why not?"

Up next: The Raiders (3-10) have a bit of a break as they do not play again for 10 days, when they play host to Kansas City (2-10) in Oakland's home finale. The Raiders beat the Chiefs, 26-16, on Oct. 28 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Source: http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-oakland-raiders/paul-gs-instant-replay-broncos-26-raiders-13

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George Zimmerman sues NBC and reporters

FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2012 file photo, George Zimmerman watches during his hearing at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman sued NBC on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, claiming he was defamed when the network edited his 911 call to police after the shooting of Trayvon Martin to make it sound like he was racist. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Stephen M. Dowell, Pool, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2012 file photo, George Zimmerman watches during his hearing at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman sued NBC on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, claiming he was defamed when the network edited his 911 call to police after the shooting of Trayvon Martin to make it sound like he was racist. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Stephen M. Dowell, Pool, File)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? George Zimmerman sued NBC on Thursday, claiming he was defamed when the network edited his 911 call to police after the shooting of Trayvon Martin to make it sound like he was racist.

The former neighborhood watch volunteer filed the lawsuit seeking an undisclosed amount of money in Seminole County, outside Orlando. Also named in the complaint were three reporters covering the story for NBC or an NBC-owned television station.

The complaint said the airing of the edited call has inflicted emotional distress on Zimmerman, making him fear for his life and causing him to suffer nausea, insomnia and anxiety.

The lawsuit claims NBC edited his phone call to a dispatcher in February. In the call, Zimmerman describes following Martin in the gated community where he lived, just moments before he fatally shot the 17-year-old teen during a confrontation.

"NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, and so set about to create a myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain," the lawsuit claims.

NBC spokeswoman Kathy Kelly-Brown said the network strongly disagreed with the accusations made in the complaint.

"There was no intent to portray Mr. Zimmerman unfairly," she said. "We intend to vigorously defend our position in court."

Three employees of the network or its Miami affiliate lost their jobs because of the changes.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder but has pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense under Florida's "stand your ground law."

The call viewers heard was trimmed to suggest that Zimmerman volunteered to police, with no prompting, that Martin was black: "This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black."

But the portion of the tape that was deleted had the 911 dispatcher asking Zimmerman if the person who had raised his suspicion was "black, white or Hispanic," to which Zimmerman responded, "He looks black."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-06-Neighborhood%20Watch-NBC/id-3b59c6d35afd4313ae4f56c3d33e7cae

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Google stops offering Google Apps for free to focus ... - The Next Web

Google has announced a significant decision that will see it cease allowing users to sign up to its Google Apps service free of charge.

In a blog post,?Clay Bavor, director of product management for Google Apps, explains that the move is being made in order to focus the quality of the user experience on the needs of paying, business users, with fuller support. However, those that have already signed up for the service for free will still be able to use it as before.

?When we launched the premium business version we kept our free, basic version as well,? Bavor explains. ?Both businesses and individuals signed up for this version, but time has shown that in practice, the experience isn?t quite right for either group. Businesses quickly outgrow the basic version and want things like 24/7 customer support and larger inboxes. Similarly, consumers often have to wait to get new features while we make them business-ready. ?

Google is now encouraging users to sign up to Gmail, storage service Google Drive and its other consumer-facing products, instead of Google Apps. Those that do want to use Google Apps can get the premium version, which remains $50 per user, per year.

Google says that the end of the free version will allow it to focus on providing business-grade service, including 24/7 phone support for issues, a 25GB inbox and its 99.9 percent uptime guarantee.

The Wall Street Journal reports that subscriptions to Google Apps and its mapping service for businesses and governments?have netted the company some?$1 billion over the last year.

Stats-wise, more than 5 million businesses are said to use Google Apps, but the overwhelming majority use the free version. The service ? both free and paid ? is said to be used by more than 40 million users worldwide.

The move to end free usage makes a lot of sense, and has been much expected, given the investment Google has made in its consumer-targeted cloud offerings, which includes the creation of Dropbox rival Google Drive. The company is also likely to make big changes to Gmail after it hired the team behind much-lauded iOS and Mac mail client Sparrow in August.

The search giant has increased the linkage between the two services lately. Last month it began allowing users to add 10GB of Google Drive files into Gmail emails, and we can expect further alignment of the services going forward.

Source: http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/12/07/google-stops-offering-google-apps-for-free-to-focus-on-providing-a-paid-for-experience/

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MLB average salary up 3.8 percent to $3.2 million

NEW YORK (AP) ? Baseball's average salary increased 3.8 percent this year to a record $3.2 million.

According to final figures released Friday by the Major League Baseball Players Association, the rise was the steepest since 2007. The boost was helped by an increase in the minimum salary from $414,000 to $480,000.

The New York Yankees had the highest average for the 14th consecutive season at $6.88 million, rising after consecutive declines from a peak of $7.66 million when they won the World Series in 2009.

The Los Angeles Dodgers boosted their average from 13th to second at $5.55 million, followed by the Los Angeles Angels ($5.48 million) and AL champion Detroit ($4.95 million). Texas went up from 15th to fifth at $4.89 million.

At $684,940, Houston had the lowest average since the 2006 Florida Marlins at $594,722.

The Boston Red Sox and Cubs had their lowest averages since at least 2000. Boston dropped from third to 12th at $3.3 million and the Cubs seventh to 23rd at $2.1 million.

World Series champion San Francisco remained eighth, averaging $4.07 million. AL West champion Oakland was 28th at $1.79 million.

Kansas City rose from last in 2011 to 26th at $2.04 million, and Pittsburgh went up from 27th to 19th at $2.47 million.

The Marlins increased from 19th to 10th after adding free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell but have traded them in the team's latest payroll slashes and will drop next year.

Among regulars at positions, first basemen took over from designated hitters as the highest average at $8.6 million, followed by DHs at $8.1 million. Third base was next at $7.1 million, followed by starting pitchers at $6.1 million, second basemen $4.9 million, outfielders $4.6 million, shortstops $4.2 million, catchers $3.4 million and relief pitchers $1.8 million.

Figures are based on Aug. 31 rosters and disabled lists, with 944 players averaging $3,213,479. Major League Baseball has not yet computed its final averages, which usually differ slightly because of methods of calculation.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mlb-average-salary-3-8-percent-3-2-190344975--mlb.html

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