Oil hovers above $100 ahead of OPEC meeting

SINGAPORE (AP) ? Oil prices hovered above $100 a barrel Wednesday in Asia amid expectations OPEC will likely keep its output quotas unchanged.

Benchmark crude for January delivery was down 10 cents to $100.04 a barrel in midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $2.37 to settle at $100.14 on Tuesday.

In London, Brent crude was down 47 cents at $109.03 on the ICE futures exchange.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will meet later Wednesday in Vienna amid a slowing global economy threatened by rising energy costs. The 12-nation group will also seek to avoid a supply glut as Libya's oil exports gradually recover next year.

"The cartel will be threading a fine line between any decision that would further elevate prices and at the same time, making some attempt to accommodate a return of Libyan barrels into the market," energy consultant Ritterbusch and Associates said in a report.

Crude jumped Tuesday after Iranian officials said the OPEC member plans to carry out military maneuvers near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow pass in the Persian Gulf where about 30 percent of the world's crude exports pass through. Iran said it could retaliate if Europe imposes sanctions because of the country's nuclear power program.

"Rising tensions in the Middle East have been providing support to elevated prices and any provocative activity in the region would most likely launch prices quickly upward," said Richard Soultanian of NUS Consulting.

A report showed U.S. energy supplies were little changed last week. The American Petroleum Institute said late Tuesday that crude inventories rose 462,000 barrels last week while analysts surveyed by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos., had predicted a decrease of 2.0 million barrels.

Inventories of gasoline fell 12,000 barrels last week while distillates rose 1.2 million barrels, the API said.

The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reports its weekly supply data later Wednesday.

In other energy trading on the Nymex, natural gas fell 3.6 cents at $3.24 per 1,000 cubic feet. Heating oil fell 0.7 cent to $2.92 a gallon and gasoline futures slid 0.6 cent to $2.62 a gallon.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-14-Oil%20Prices/id-90f8ec9067c84c99ae22e3abe26d98c0

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Christian Brothers Automotive Announces Support for Veterans with ...

National Automotive Repair Franchise Seeks to Open More Doors for Military Veterans Through Discounted Franchise Fee

December 06, 2011 // Franchising.com // HOUSTON ? Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation, the national automotive repair chain known for creating a ?positive culture shock? in the automotive segment, announced today the launch of a $12,500 financial discount to help military veterans open a Christian Brothers Automotive.

Effective immediately, Christian Brothers Automotive is offering this discount associated with a veteran?s first Christian Brothers Automotive franchise. The initiative is in support of the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative (VetFran), a voluntary effort of International Franchise Association (IFA) member-companies to provide franchise business opportunities to honorably discharged veterans transitioning to civilian life or seeking a career change.

?By providing the opportunity for veterans to become Christian Brothers Automotive franchise owners, we are able to give back to those who have given us so much,? said Mark Carr, president and CEO of Christian Brothers Automotive. ?We look forward to growing our franchise system with qualified franchise candidates who have a proven track record of dedicated service and strong personal commitment to excellence?similar characteristics many veterans possess.?

With its upscale home-charm d?cor and family-centered environment, Christian Brothers is appealing to military veterans because they can apply their discipline and leadership skills in a business environment, while serving families and being closely involved in their communities. In addition, Christian Brothers follows the Christ-like principles of servant leadership, and therefore abides by the utmost ethical and honest business practices.

Christian Brothers Automotive provides full-service automotive diagnostic testing and evaluation, maintenance programs and repair work for all domestic and foreign vehicles at each of their locations. All Christian Brothers Automotive facilities are staffed with automotive service excellence (ASE) certified technicians.

For more information about Christian Brothers Automotive, please visit www.cbac.com.

About Christian Brothers Automotive

Christian Brothers Automotive is one of the nation?s leading automotive service and repair franchise systems with more than 90 locations open and an additional 35 under development in 16 states including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

Mark Carr, president and CEO, opened the first Christian Brothers Automotive in Houston, Texas, in 1982. The store?s main principle was to run an automotive repair facility based on honesty, integrity, reliability and exceptional customer service, which is still the core philosophy of Christian Brothers today. Christian Brothers Automotive began selling franchises in 1996 and continues to grow at a pace of 15 to 20 stores annually. The company also continues to maintain a 100 percent success rate with its store operations, never having closed a location.

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Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20111206_christian_brothers_automotive_announces_support_fo.html

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First-class mail: Just a little bit s-l-o-w-e-r (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Already mocked by some as "snail mail," first-class U.S. mail will slow even more by next spring under plans by the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service to eliminate more than 250 processing centers. Nearly 30,000 workers would be laid off, too, as the post office struggles to respond to a shift to online communication and bill payments.

The cuts are part of $3 billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy next year. They would virtually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class delivery standards that have been in place since 1971.

The plan technically must await an advisory opinion from the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, slated for next March. But that opinion is nonbinding, and only substantial pressure from Congress, businesses or the public might deter far-reaching cuts.

Many postal customers will be upset.

"The post office is a mainstay of America, and the fact that these services will no longer be available is absolutely crazy," said Carol Braxton of Naperville, Ill., as she waited in line at a mail sorting center Monday with the holiday shipping season picking up steam.

"Well I'm not happy about them, but what else can you do with this economy? If they're getting ready to go bankrupt, it's better to cut back than to go totally bankrupt," said Deborah Butler of Brandywine, Md., who was at a Washington, D.C., post office. "You still need them. Because everybody can't afford the other ones, like express mail and things like that. .Even though the world is computer literate, everybody doesn't have computers."

At a news briefing in Washington, postal vice president David Williams said the post office needs to move quickly to cut costs as it seeks to stem five years of red ink amid steadily declining mail volume. After hitting 98 billion in 2006, first-class mail volume is now at less than 78 billion. It is projected to drop by roughly half by 2020.

The agency already has announced a 1-cent increase in first-class mail to 45 cents beginning Jan. 22.

Williams said in certain narrow situations first-class mail might still be delivered the next day ? if, for example, newspapers, magazines or other bulk mailers are able to meet new, tighter deadlines and drop off shipments directly at the processing centers that remain open.

But in the vast majority of cases, everyday users of first-class mail will see delays. The changes could slow everything from check payments to Netflix's DVDs-by-mail, add costs to mail-order prescription drugs and even threaten the existence of newspapers and time-sensitive magazines delivered by postal carrier to far-flung suburban and rural communities.

The Postal Service faces imminent default ? this month ? on a $5.5 billion annual payment to the Treasury for retiree health benefits and expects to have a record loss of $14.1 billion next year.

"Are we writing off first class mail? No," Williams said. "Customers are making their choices, and what we are doing is responding to the current market conditions and placing the Postal Service on a path to allow us to respond to future changes. We have to do what's in our control to put the Postal Service on sold financial ground."

The cuts would close 252 of the nation's 461 mail processing centers beginning next spring. They would result in the elimination of roughly 28,000 jobs. The number of employees varies by processing facility but generally ranges from about 50 to 2,000. Cincinnati, Boston and New Orleans are home to some of the largest centers.

Because the consolidations typically would lengthen the distance mail travels from post office to processing center, the agency also would lower delivery standards. Currently, first-class mail is supposed to be delivered to homes and businesses within the continental U.S. in one to three days. That would lengthen to two to three days, meaning mailers no longer could expect next-day delivery in surrounding communities. Periodicals could take two to nine days.

About 42 percent of first-class mail is now delivered the following day. An additional 27 percent arrives in two days, about 31 percent in three days and less than 1 percent in four to five days. Following the change next spring, about 51 percent of all first-class mail is expected to arrive in two days, with most of the remainder delivered in three days.

The Postal Service initially announced in September it was studying the possibility of closing the processing centers and published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comments. Within 30 days, the plan elicited nearly 4,400 public comments, mostly in opposition.

Catalogue companies worry they won't be able to predict when their catalogues will arrive and therefore when to add staff to handle increased call volumes. Small business owners say sluggish first-class mail will slow their businesses because merchandise and payments will spend more time in transit.

On Monday, postal customers said they valued having mail service but also acknowledged the realities of the Internet in everyday life.

"The post office services that we need as a nation are just too big at this point, so things have to be cut and there is nothing that can be done to change it other than email goes away," Ron Connor of Naperville, Ill., said as he walked into a local post office branch.

Lily Ickow, from Silver Spring, Md., said the post office needs to find other ways than wide-scale cuts to reach profitability. "It's definitely too bad," she said at a Washington post office. "I think the Postal Service is necessary personally. ...It would be useful to see if there are ways that they could innovate and come up with other types of services."

Separate bills that have passed House and Senate committees would give the Postal Service more authority and liquidity to stave off immediate bankruptcy. But prospects are somewhat dim for final congressional action on those bills anytime soon, especially if the measures are seen in an election year as promoting layoffs and cuts to neighborhood post offices.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has been pushing for congressional changes that would give the agency more authority to reduce delivery to five days a week, raise stamp prices and reduce health care and other labor costs. But the agency also opposes current provisions in the House and Senate measures that would require additional layers of review before it could close post offices and processing centers.

The Postal Service, an independent agency of government, does not receive tax money, but is subject to congressional control on major aspects of its operations. The changes in first-class mail delivery could go into place without permission from Congress.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Senate committee that oversees the post office, believes the agency is taking the wrong approach. She says service cuts will only push more consumers to online bill payment or private carriers such as UPS or FedEx, leading to lower revenue.

And Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, a member of the House committee that oversees the agency, said he would fight the changes.

"This privatization plan is bad for Americans, bad for businesses, bad for the economy and bad for workers. We can do better than to dismantle the Postal Service and privatize its operations," he said.

Ruth Goldway, chair of the Postal Regulatory Commission, said the commission will be reviewing the proposal closely to ensure that the Postal Service can continue its mission of providing adequate, effective service in a fair manner to all parts of the U.S. She said, "I think if the Postal Service does not respond to public concerns, it will bear the consequences of that itself."

___

AP video journalist Robert Ray in Naperville, Ill., AP television producer Kelly Daschle in Washington and business writer Jonathan Fahey in New York contributed to this report.

___

Online:

List of facilities to be closed:

http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/our-future-network/study-list-110915.pdf

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111205/ap_on_go_ot/us_postal_problems

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Hoop Dreams: Riots cast shadow over Games

LONDON (AP) ? Four days of rioting last August has cast a shadow over the neighborhoods where some of the world's top athletes will compete next summer at the 2012 London Games. Some Olympic events will occur only a few miles away from where Britain's worst riots in a generation shook the country.

Both London and the Olympics were irrevocably altered.

And so were the lives of those who live here. Sam Kato, 12, practices with the Newham All Star Sports Academy, an oasis in east London from the crime, gangs and drugs that helped fuel last summer's riots. The program helps keep kids out of trouble and teaches them the value of teamwork.

"It's like a family to me," the 6-foot-1 Kato said as the gym reverberated with basketballs rhythmically hitting the wooden floor. "If there were more programs like this, I doubt there would be riots."

Newham hosts the Olympic Park, center of the 2012 games.

Complex security plans for the Olympics have been altered after the riots, which shocked Britain and damaged London's image abroad. Those plans were also updated after student demonstrations in London that included a spontaneous attack on Prince Charles and wife Camilla and the "Occupy London" encampment near the city's financial district.

The riots exposed the limits of what police could handle in terms of dramatic and unforeseen events. After a weak initial response, thousands of police officers were brought in to help swamp London's streets in a show of force, discouraging further trouble.

The Olympics will already keep 12,000 officers occupied on the busiest days, so any riot repeat will push resources further still.

"(Planners) are learning the lessons from the riots," said Margaret Gilmore, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute, a respected think tank. "Some demonstrations and protests are almost inevitable and they are likely to take a tougher line and use more officers in dealing with riots."

Fears over street unrest come alongside the biggest Olympic worry: terrorism. Security has been an intricate part of the games since a terror attack at the 1972 Olympics in Munich killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. London has not been immune from terror attacks ? four suicide bombers targeted the city's transit network in 2005, killing 52 commuters.

But the advent of riots was a late addition to the planning mix, which has been under way for years. Even now plans are still being refined.

"What you have to remember is that in the last Olympics people were worried about al-Qaida threats," said Ellis Cashmore, a professor of culture, media and sport at Staffordshire University. "What the riots have done is alert people to the fact that London may not be such a safe city after all."

Tough economic times in Britain mean underlying tensions aren't getting better any time soon. Unemployment this year passed the 1 million mark for young people for the first time since the mid-1980s.

Austerity measures meant to put the country back in the black have cut support for many programs geared at helping young people, and Britain's youth unemployment rate has risen to about 20 percent. Youth workers say the desperation and hopelessness felt by many British teens and young adults is likely to be even worse next summer than this year.

Olympic officials have declared themselves unconcerned about any legacy from the riots. Denis Oswald, head of the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission for London, told reporters recently that he was in London during the unrest and believed the situation was "quite quickly under control."

Oswald looked at the bright side, noting that many people showed up for impromptu work crews to help hard-hit merchants clean up after the looting.

"I don't think this has put any negative image on London or on the games," he said.

The riots were triggered by the fatal police shooting of 29-year-old Mark Duggan in the working-class London district of Tottenham. Duggan's death, under disputed circumstances, touched off anger, quickly followed by thrown bricks, burning cars and looting. An interim report on the unrest concluded this week that the slow police response to the looting led people to believe they wouldn't get caught.

Between 13,000 and 15,000 people took part in the riots and the report said more than three-quarters were 24 or younger.

But there were 460 notable exceptions ? the members of Newham basketball club. Director Natasha Hart and her coaches quickly organized a training camp to give them somewhere to go for several days.

"No one was involved," she said. "I don't think that's a coincidence."

Newham is one of the poorest areas in Britain, with 25 percent of its households below the poverty line. A primary stopping point for new immigrants, dozens of languages are spoken in its schools. Many immigrants are also transient, fraying any sense of community cohesion.

Kids here worry about gangs, for gang territory is strictly defined. A block or two in any direction can become a no-go zone.

But on the basketball court, everyone is welcome.

Hart, a Russian emigre, is the daughter of an Olympic basketball player and a professional boxer who simply wanted to share her love of basketball with her two sons. The single mother started by organizing pick up games and practices at a local park.

Seven years later, she listens to the hooting and hollering in the sparkling gym at Rokeby school and shakes her head. There are little kids running around, big little kids like Kato refining their moves, teenage girls who dream of playing at American powerhouses like the University of Tennessee, and young men without jobs who just want to play.

The abbreviation of the club's name ? NASSA ? evokes the U.S. space program and its reach for the heavens, something the kids joke about.

"These children, they want to belong to something," Hart said. "I think we deserve it. Don't you?"

__

http://www.nassa2012.org.uk/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-02-OLY-London-2012-Riot-Legacy/id-c20c29d07ff242a8a87b6810cc593649

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Ex-mayor of Stover sentenced for water act violations

The former mayor of Stover has been sentenced in federal court on charges related to violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Scott Allen Beckmann, 42, of Stover, was sentenced? Thursday to 10 years of probation, including five months of home confinement and 30 days in a half-way house. U.S. District Judge Nanette K. Laughrey also ordered Beckmann to pay a $10,000 fine, according to a news release from Beth Phillips, United States attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

As a condition of his probation, Beckmann is not allowed to work for the state of Missouri or any political subdivision of the state, including the city of Stover. Beckmann resigned as mayor of Stover on the morning of his sentencing hearing. Under Missouri law, it is illegal for a convicted felon to hold elected office.

On March 2, Beckmann was convicted at trial of misprision of a felony and of making a false statement to a federal agent. While mayor, he knew that the superintendent of the city?s public works department submitted a report that contained a false public water supply sampling location and concealed it from a federal Environmental Protection Agency criminal agent; Beckmann then lied to a federal law enforcement agent on Dec. 19, 2007.

Source: http://www.sedaliademocrat.com/news/sentenced-39060-stover-mayor.html

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UN: Syria now in a civil war

BEIRUT?? Syria has entered a state of civil war with more than 4,000 people dead and an increasing number of soldiers defecting from the army to fight President Bashar Assad's regime, the U.N.'s top human rights official said Thursday.

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Civil war has been the worst-case scenario in Syria since the revolt against Assad began eight months ago. Damascus has a web of allegiances that extends to Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement and Iran's Shiite theocracy, raising fears of a regional conflagration.

The assessment that the bloodshed in Syria has crossed into civil war came from the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.

The conflict has shown little sign of letting up. Activists reported up to 22 people killed Thursday, adding to what has become a daily grind of violence.

"We are placing the (death toll) figure at 4,000 but really the reliable information coming to us is that it's much more than that," Pillay said in Geneva.

"As soon as there were more and more defectors threatening to take up arms, I said this in August before the Security Council, that there's going to be a civil war," she added. "And at the moment, that's how I am characterizing this."

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner declined to call it a civil war.

"The overwhelming use of force has been taken by Assad and his regime," Toner told reporters. "So there's no kind of equanimity here."

Toner said Assad's government has taken Syria down a dangerous path, and that "the regime's bloody repression of the protests has not surprisingly led to this kind of reaction that we've seen with the Free Syrian Army."

The Free Syrian Army, a group of defectors from the military, has emerged as the most visible armed challenge to Assad. The group holds no territory, appears largely disorganized and is up against a fiercely loyal and cohesive military.

International intervention, such as the NATO action in Libya that helped topple longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, is all but out of the question in Syria. But there is real concern that the conflict in Syria could spread chaos across the Middle East.

Syria borders five countries with whom it shares religious and ethnic minorities and, in Israel's case, a fragile truce.

Recent economic sanctions imposed by the European Union, the Arab League and Turkey were aimed at persuading Assad to end his crackdown. On Thursday, the EU announced a new round of sanctions against Syrian individuals and businesses linked to the unrest.

The new sanctions target 12 people and 11 companies, and add to a long list of those previously sanctioned by the EU. The full list of names of those targeted will not be known until they are published Friday in the EU's official journal.

The 27-member bloc also imposed some sanctions on Syria's ally Iran in the wake of an attack this week by a mob on the British Embassy in Tehran, the Iranian capital.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague accused Iran of supporting Assad's crackdown, saying "there is a link between what is happening in Iran and what is happening in Syria."

The sanctions are punishing Syria's ailing economy ? a dangerous development for Damascus because the prosperous merchant classes are key to propping up the regime.

Syrian business leaders have long traded political freedoms for economic privileges. The sanctions, along with increasing calls by the opposition for general nationwide strikes, could sap their resolve.

A resident of the flashpoint city of Homs said businessmen are growing impatient.

"The sanctions against the regime are harming them," he told The Associated Press by telephone, asking that his name not be used for fear of reprisals. "Merchants only care about their interests. Many merchants are complaining that their business is dropping."

Activists also are trying to peel the business elite away from their allegiance to Assad. On Thursday, opposition groups called for a general strike, but it was difficult to gauge how widely Syrians were abiding by the strike. The regime has sealed the country off from foreign journalists and prevented independent reporting.

Residents in Syria's two economic powerhouses ? the capital of Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo ? reported business as usual Thursday.

But a video posted online by activists showed mostly closed shops in the Damascus suburb of Zabadani, which also has seen large anti-government protests. And a resident in Homs said most of the shops were closed, except for those selling food. Homs has been one of Syria's most volatile cities, with increasing clashes between troops and army defectors.

Syria has been the site of the deadliest crackdown against the Arab Spring's protests.

Deaths in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen have numbered in the hundreds. Libya's toll is unknown and likely higher than Syria's, but the conflict there differed because it descended early on into an outright civil war between two armed sides.

Since the revolt began in Syria, the regime has blamed the bloodshed on terrorists acting out a foreign conspiracy to divide and undermine the country. It has laid bare Syria's simmering sectarian tensions, with disturbing reports of killings like those seen in Iraq.

Syria is an overwhelmingly Sunni country of 22 million, but Assad and the ruling elite belong to the minority Alawite sect. Assad, and his father before him, stacked key military posts with Alawites to meld the fate of the army and the regime ? a tactic aimed at compelling troops to fight to the death to protect the Assad family dynasty.

The leader of the Free Syrian Army, breakaway air force Col. Riad al-Asaad, acknowledges nearly all the defectors under his command ? some 15,000 ? are low-level Sunni conscripts. The men are armed with rocket-propelled grenades, rifles and guns they took with them when they deserted, as well as light weapons they acquired on the black market, he says.

Until recently, most of the bloodshed was caused by security forces firing on mainly peaceful protesters. There have been growing reports of army defectors and armed civilians fighting Assad's forces ? a development that some say plays into the regime's hands by giving government troops a pretext to crack down with overwhelming force.

As the violence continues, the 22-member Arab League in Cairo unveiled this week a list of top officials it wants to prevent from traveling to Arab countries ? a humiliating affront to a country that prides itself on Arab nationalism.

The 17 officials who face the ban include the defense and interior ministers, and close members of Assad's inner circle. Assad's millionaire cousin, Rami Makhlouf, who has controlled the mobile phone network and other lucrative enterprises in Syria, and the president's younger brother, Maher, are on the list.

Assad himself was not named.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45514855/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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85-mph winds, fire danger forecast for LA

By Hetty Chang, nbclosangeles.com

A major change in the weather pattern is expected to bring powerful gusts of up to 85 miles per hour and possible hurricane force winds into the Los Angeles region for two days, creating major concerns for?wildfires and property damage,?starting Wednesday evening.

The strong Santa Ana wind event is forecasted to be so powerful, it could be ?the strongest offshore wind event we have seen in the past few years,? according to an advisory Wednesday issued by the National Weather Service.

The strongest winds are expected to hit the passes and canyons of LA and Ventura counties, the NWS said.

?Residents in the warning area are advised to take precautions now before the winds reach their peak,? the NWS said. ?Close all windows and secure all outdoor objects such as lawn furniture.?

Watch NBCLosAngeles.com forecast video

The strong offshore flow will also mean low humidity and high winds for the region, which create the perfect ingredients for wildfires. The NWS has issued a red flag warning for the region starting at 9 p.m. Wednesday until 6 p.m. Friday.

Highs Wednesday were forecasted to be in the 70s and 80s with temperatures dipping down to the mid to high-60s Thursday.

The high winds are expected to be strongest in the overnight hours between Wednesday and Thursday and again Thursday into Friday morning, said NBC 4 Meteorologist Bryon Miranda.

The NWS said drivers needed to be aware of dangerous conditions.

"These very strong winds winds will be capable of downing trees and power lines, knocking down outdoor objects, creating flying debris and causing dangerous driving conditions, especially for high-profile vehicles,'' the NWS said.

For the latest weather conditions, click here.

Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA// Facebook: NBCLA

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/30/9122369-85-mph-winds-fire-danger-forecast-for-los-angeles

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Genes May Make Quitting Tougher for Smokers (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Dec. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Despite decades of public health efforts aimed at snuffing out cigarette smoking, 20 percent of Americans still light up. New research suggests it might be because of their genes.

While anti-smoking campaigns are credited with slicing cigarette use drastically over the past 40 years -- from 42 percent of all Americans in 1965 to just under 20 percent in 2010 -- the number of people who haven't been able to nix their nicotine habit has flatlined in recent years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two out of three adults who smoke want to quit, a CDC report out earlier this month said, and more than half (52 percent) had attempted to quit in the past year.

The authors of the new study, released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of Demography, say new tactics may be needed to help the remaining smokers.

"Federal and social policies may be somewhat less effective now because maybe the composition of those at risk [those who smoke] has changed," said study co-author Fred Pampel, a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado at Boulder and a research associate at the Institute of Behavioral Science there. Those who can quit easily have probably done so, the authors said.

Study lead author Jason Boardman, an associate professor of sociology, said anti-smoking messages, higher taxes and restrictions on smoking have made a difference. "But for hard-core smokers, there may be something else going on," he said. That "something else" is likely genetics, he added.

The researchers drew this conclusion after analyzing the smoking habits between 1960 and 1980 of nearly 600 pairs of twins who answered an extensive health questionnaire -- 363 were identical sets of twins and 233 were fraternal twins. Identical twins come from the same fertilized egg before it splits into two embryos and they share the same genes or DNA, while fraternal twins come from two separately fertilized egg cells and only share some genetic similarities.

In the identical twin group, 65 percent of both individuals quit within a two-year period of each other, while only 55 percent of the fraternal twins quit within that same stretch of time.

"The logic here is that the identical twins share genes, so if they act alike it probably reflects a genetic component," said Pampel.

The new research adds to a growing body of literature suggesting there is probably a substantial genetic influence when it comes to nicotine addiction, said Dr. Aditi Satti, an assistant professor of medicine and director of the smoking cessation program at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. But scientists are still trying to pinpoint the gene or genes involved, she said.

"There has not been one specific gene linked to nicotine addiction," said Satti.

She noted that while numbers of smokers have decreased over the years, smoking is up among women and black Americans, possibly another clue as to who is genetically at risk. Inner city, low socioeconomic and less-educated populations are more likely to be smokers, too, Satti added.

"I think the combo of finding better medications and educating people, even if doctors just spend five minutes talking with your patient about smoking, will lead to higher quit rates," Satti said.

Boardman said a policy shift might be in line. Instead of government anti-smoking campaigns focusing on high taxes and splashy advertisements, he said current smokers may discover more success using medication aimed at nicotine addiction, as well as counseling.

"I'd argue that nicotine replacement therapies may be far more effective with existing smokers still trying to quit than the posters showing images of smokers that are not cool. Behavior-changing efforts -- I don't think that's going to help the two-pack a day smokers," said Boardman, who is also a research associate at the Institute of Behavioral Science.

Smoking-related diseases lead to approximately 443,000 deaths a year in the United States, including babies born prematurely to women who smoke while pregnant and those harmed by secondhand smoke, according to the American Lung Association.

Satti is concerned that cigarette addiction isn't taken seriously enough by some.

"Maybe we don't see smoking as being as important as alcohol and drug addiction, but I'm a pulmonologist and I see chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and lung cancer every day," she said. "And we know tobacco smoke is linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke. It's one of the most preventable things you can do. If you quit smoking, you'll see a huge impact on health."

More information

The American Cancer Society can help you determine if you need help to quit smoking.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/biotech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111202/hl_hsn/genesmaymakequittingtougherforsmokers

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"Twilight" film surpasses $500 million worldwide (Reuters)

(Reuters) - "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1" broke the $500 million mark at worldwide box offices on Monday after its release only 12 days ago, film distributor Summit Entertainment said on Tuesday.

"Breaking Dawn", the fourth installment in the vampire romance franchise based on the "Twilight" novels by Stephanie Meyer, generated has generated $508 million worldwide, of which $223 million came from U.S. box offices, after record ticket sales over the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the success of this film and a franchise that the fans have continued to support over the past several years," Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger, co-chairmen of Summit Entertainment, said in a statement.

The success of "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" comes after the first three films in the "Twilight Saga" series collectively earned more than $1.8 billion at the worldwide box offices.

Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, the fourth film sees young lovers Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen finally unite in marriage and embark on their highly anticipated honeymoon, before their wedded bliss is cut short by an unexpected life-threatening pregnancy.

The second part of the film, which will be the conclusion of the "Twilight Saga," is due for release in 2012.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111130/film_nm/us_breakingdawn

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Paul video torches Gingrich (Politico)

The hardest blow yet against Newt Gingrich comes this afternoon from Ron Paul's campaign, which dropped this lengthy,?scathing?video documenting Gingrich's ideological deviations and ties to the?D.C. influence trade:

Featured in the video: Gingrich's comments about Paul Ryan, Rush Limbaugh's response, the former speaker's climate change video with Nancy Pelosi, extensive reports on Gingrich's ties to health care companies and Freddie Mac.

Oh, and remember that Iowa?voter who told Gingrich last spring that he was an "embarrassment to our party"? He's there, too.

Continue Reading

We'll see who, if anyone, actually puts clips like this up on television, but at the very least Paul's well-produced video shows how much damning source material is available.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1111_69472_html/43763770/SIG=11m8anc8l/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69472.html

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Audio helped sway judge to give Jackson doc jail (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? The voice of Michael Jackson helped put the man who killed him behind bars.

It wasn't the familiar voice of hits such as "Billie Jean" and "Thriller," but the slow, slurring recording of the singer that was found on his physician's cell phone that helped convince a judge to sentence the doctor to jail for four years.

The four-minute recording was one of the blockbuster revelations of Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial, a previously unknown piece of evidence that revealed an impaired Jackson describing his ambitions and aspirations as his personal physician listened.

It was also one of the trial's most haunting moments, and stuck in the mind of Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor as he considered in recent days how to sentence Murray for causing Jackson's unexpected death in June 2009. It wasn't the only thing the judge considered ? he unwaveringly assailed the cardiologist's decisions and ethics for nearly 30 minutes on Tuesday ? but helped convince Pastor to give Murray the maximum sentence.

Jurors unanimously convicted Murray on Nov. 7, but it was up to Pastor on Tuesday to sentence the doctor and explain his punishment.

"Of everything I heard and saw during the course of the trial, one aspect of the evidence stands out the most, and that is the surreptitious recording of Michael Jackson by his trusted doctor," Pastor said.

Murray's attorneys never explained in court why the recording was made, and prosecutors said they do not know what substances Jackson was under the influence of when the audio was recorded six weeks before his death. Murray had been giving the singer nightly doses of the anesthetic propofol to help him sleep.

The doctor's time in a Los Angeles jail will be automatically reduced to less than two years due to laws imposed due to California's prison overcrowding and budget woes.

Murray, 58, will have plenty of time if he wants to consider Pastor's harsh rebuke of him. The Houston-based cardiologist will be confined to a one-man cell and kept away from other prisoners.

With Jackson's family and Murray's mother and girlfriend looking on, the judge called the doctor's actions a "disgrace to the medical profession," and said he displayed a "failure of character" and had showed a complete lack of remorse for his significant role in causing Jackson's death.

"It should be made very clear that experimental medicine is not going to be tolerated, and Mr. Jackson was an experiment," Pastor said. "The fact that he participated in it does not excuse or lessen the blame of Dr. Murray, who simply could have walked away and said no as countless others did.

"But Dr. Murray was intrigued with the prospect of this money-for-medicine madness," the judge said.

Defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan said after the sentencing hearing that Murray made the recording accidentally while playing with a new application on his iPhone. He deleted it, but a computer investigator recovered it from the doctor's phone after Jackson's death.

Pastor said he believed the recording was made with more sinister intent.

"That tape recording was Dr. Murray's insurance policy," the judge said. "It was designed to record his patient surreptitiously; at that patient's most vulnerable point."

"I can't help but wonder if there had been some conflict between Michael Jackson and Dr. Murray at a later point in time in their relationship, what value would be placed on that tape recording, if the choice were to release that tape recording to a media organization to be used against Michael Jackson," Pastor said.

Pastor said Murray was motivated by a desire for "money, fame and prestige" and cared more about himself than Jackson.

After sentencing, Murray mouthed the words "I love you" to his mother and girlfriend in the courtroom. Murray's mother, Milta Rush, sat alone on a bench in the courthouse hallway.

"My son is not what they charged him to be," she said quietly. "He was a gentle child from the time he was small."

Of her son's future, she said, "God is in charge."

Jackson's family said in a statement read in court that they were not seeking revenge but a stiff sentence for Murray that would serve as a warning to opportunistic doctors.

"We're going to be a family. We're going to move forward. We're going to tour, play the music and miss him," brother Jermaine Jackson said.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff implored Pastor to look at Murray's life and give him credit for a career of good works. "I do wonder whether the court considers the book of a man's life, not just one chapter," Chernoff said.

The judge responded: "I accept Mr. Chernoff's invitation to read the whole book of Dr. Murray's life. But I also read the book of Michael Jackson's life, including the sad final chapter of Dr. Murray's treatment of Michael Jackson."

A probation report released after sentencing said Murray was listed as suicidal and mentally disturbed in jail records before his sentencing. However, Murray's spokesman Mark Fierro said a defense attorney visited the cardiologist in jail last week and found him upbeat.

"That time is behind him," Fierro said.

What lies ahead for Murray is more flogging, with medical authorities in California, Nevada and Texas looking to strip his medical license and Jackson's father, Joseph, suing the physician for wrongful death.

Chernoff, who had advocated Murray receive probation instead of jail, said his client will forever live with the stigma of having caused Jackson's death.

"Whether Dr. Murray is a barista or a greeter at Walmart, he is still the man that killed Michael Jackson," he said.

___

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.

___

Follow Anthony McCartney at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111130/ap_on_en_ot/us_michael_jackson_doctor

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