US STOCKS-Futures rise as data on consumer eyed

Forbes* Reports on retail sales, consumer sentiment on tap* Boeing ( BA – news – people ) says 787 Dreamliner test flight may come Dec. 15* Futures up: S&P 5.8 pts, Dow 53 pts, Nasdaq 7.5 pts(Adds details, quote, byline, updates prices)NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures rose Friday as investors awaited data that could provide a look at the health of the consumer, including reports… Read more

Week 14 NFL Matchups

New York TimesChargers (9-3) at Cowboys (8-4)The Cowboys don’t want to hear about their 15-27 record in December over the past decade. They’ve been interrogated in news conferences and on talk radio. They’ve been criticized by everyone from their own stars of yesteryear — some of whom raised off-field distractions to an art form — to citizen bloggers who equate December toughness with… Read more

Mugabe opens Zanu-PF congress

Al Jazeera EnglishRobert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, has condemned splits within Zanu-PF, saying internal fighting is tearing the party apart and emboldening its rivals.Mugabe opened the party’s congress in the capital, Harare, on Friday, and addressed the party for the first time since it lost absolute grip of power and entered a unity government.”The reason why we lost last year was because… Read more

Brown Defends Deficit Reduction Plan

Wall Street JournalLONDON — The U.K.’s deficit reduction plan is more “detailed” than those of most other countries, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday.Speaking at a press conference at the end of a European Council meeting in Brussels, Mr. Brown said he believes the markets understand that the U.K. must get the economy back to growth, as well as drive down its deficit over time.”I… Read more

Live chat: Tony Grossi analyzes beating the Steelers at noon

clevelandChat live with Tony Grossi today at noon.How did the Browns beat the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers for the first time in 13 games last night? Does Eric Mangini deserve another year solely based on beating Pittsburgh? What does this win mean for the rest of the season?Tony Grossi will be online for a special live Friday chat at noon to provide the answers and field your questions… Read more

China’s Consumer Prices Rise 0.6% Amid Recovery

Wall Street JournalBEIJING — China is moving out of deflation after nearly a year of falling consumer prices, a turnaround driven in part by changes in government policies that kept costs of oil, water and electricity artificially low.China’s consumer price index climbed 0.6% from a year earlier in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday, after declining every month since… Read more

Top Chef : Death by mushrooms

Los Angeles Times"Man, I never shoulda done those mushrooms," is a phrase you're more likely to hear on a Sunday morning in Santa Cruz than on prime time TV. Who could have guessed that it would be one funky little matsutake 'shroom that would bring down the fan favorite, Kevin Gillespie?In a poll taken during the show, 58% of viewers thought that a more simple style of cooking… Read more

calf born with cross-shaped marking to be spared from slaughter

Los Angeles TimesA calf born last week in Connecticut is getting a lot of attention for his unusual forehead marking: a cross that's been immortalized in "holy cow!" and "sacred calf" headlines from news organizations all over the world. (You'll notice, if you please, that we've spared you that cutesy headline-writing here.)The calf, a Jersey-Holstein cross whom… Read more

Senate Committee Passes Shield Law

New York TimesA bill to protect reporters’ confidential sources in federal court cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 14-to-5 vote, ending months of stalemate. If the full Senate approves the legislation, it will have to be reconciled with a different version approved earlier by the House. The bill does not give journalists absolute authority to protect sources, providing for exceptions in… Read more

California Justices Hear Arguments in Polanski Case

New York TimesLOS ANGELES – The legal brawl over the fate of Roman Polanski moved to California on Thursday, where an appeals court heard a trio of lawyers debate whether Mr. Polanski, an Oscar-winning director, should be allowed to challenge his conviction on a 32-year-old sex charge while still under house arrest in Switzerland.Speaking before a courtroom packed with reporters and camera crews,… Read more

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