Has Obama Been Good for Millionaires?

The question of whether Americans are better off than they were four years ago depends, of course, on the American.For the 12 million unemployed, the answer is most certainly no.But for many of America's millionaires, the answer may be more affirmative.A new study from WealthInsight, the London-based wealth-research and data firm (and yes, they are non-partisan), showed that the United States added...

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Obama Wins 2012 Election: Why Your Taxes Are Going Up

When President Obama and the new Congress begin to tackle important legislation and federal policy in January, one of the key issues will be how to reform America's byzantine tax code.Obama campaigned on a platform to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, declaring that millionaires and billionaires need to "pay their fair share." The president proposed the highly controversial "Buffett Rule,"...

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Wall Street sinks after election as "fiscal cliff" eyed

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow industrials lost more than 300 points in a sell-off on Wednesday that drove all major stock indexes down over 2 percent in the wake of the presidential election as investors' focus shifted to the looming "fiscal cliff" debate and Europe's economic troubles.The Standard & Poor's 500 Index posted its biggest daily percentage drop since June, with all 10 S&P sectors...

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Soccer-Coach Fernandez leaves bottom club Nancy

PARIS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Coach Jean Fernandez has left Ligue 1 basement side Nancy after 18 months in charge, the French club said on Friday."On Thursday, Jean Fernandez told the players and the management he was leaving the club," Nancy said on their website (www.asnl.net).The club's academy director, Patrick Gabriel, would serve as interim coach for Saturday's home league game against Lille, they...

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Soccer-Aguero's comeback still a week away, says Mancini

LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will miss Sunday's match against Arsenal and faces another week on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, manager Roberto Mancini said on Friday.The 24-year-old Argentine, who is City's joint top-scorer this season with 10 goals, picked up the injury in City's 3-0 win over Stoke City on New Year's Day and was forced to sit out their...

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Soccer-Milito could return for Inter after injury

ROME, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Diego Milito could return for Inter Milan as they look to get their Italian title challenge back on track against struggling Pescara on Saturday (1945 GMT).The Argentine striker missed Inter's 3-1 defeat at Udinese last week due to a knee injury but manager Andrea Stramaccioni said on Friday that he was well again."Milito has recovered; he has a small problem with his knee...

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Soccer-Wenger optimistic over Walcott's Arsenal future

LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was "optimistic" that England international Theo Walcott will commit his long-term future to the London club and sign a new deal.Barely a week goes by without the Frenchman being asked whether progress has been made on persuading top scorer Walcott to stay at the Emirates Stadium.Walcott, who has hit eight Premier League goals this...

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"GameStick" Will Be the Size of a USB Memory Stick, Plug into Your TV

When the Ouya game console (scheduled to launch in April) made headlines last year, it was for three reasons. One, its size and price -- the $99 box, which plugs into a TV, is the size of a Rubik's cube. Two, its choice of operating system -- it runs the same Android OS which powers smartphones and tablets. And three -- its rise to fame on Kickstarter, where it shattered records and received millions...

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5 Predictions for Mobile Tech in 2013

If denial isn't just a river in Egypt, then mobile isn't just a city in Alabama. And if 2012 proved one thing, it's that there's no denying mobile is the present and future of technology.Sales figures for mobile devices reached new heights in 2012. Market research firm Gartner predicted tablet sales would near 120 million, about doubling the total sold in 2011.[More from Mashable: Would You Make...

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Baby Bones Found Scattered in Ancient Italian Village

SEATTLE — The death of an infant may not have been an occasion for mourning in ancient Italy, according to archaeologists who have found baby bones scattered on the floor of a workshop dating to the seventh century B.C.The grisly finds consist of bone fragments uncovered over years of excavation at Poggio Civitate, a settlement about 15 miles (25 kilometers) from the city of Siena in what is now...

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The 'Brotherhoodization' of Egypt and its unions

Issandr El Amrani, the main writer behind The Arabist, has been posting occasional links and thoughts on the Brotherhoodization of Egyptian institutions, real and imagined, since the election of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi as president.A few days ago he pointed to the failure of Egypt's new constitution to devolve powers from Egypt's traditionally strong central state to the provinces...

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Japan to boost military budget amid regional tensions

Japan's Defense Ministry will request a second boost to its military budget, according to reports, just a day after the government announced the first Defense budget increase in 10 years. The boosts, although relatively modest compared with Japan's overall defense spending, coincide with increasing tensions in the Asia Pacific region.Japan's Defense Ministry intends to ask for 180.5 billion yen ($2.1...

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Freed Iranians arrive in Damascus after prisoner swap

DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Forty-eight Iranians freed by Syrian rebels in exchange for more than 2,000 civilian prisoners held by the Syrian government arrived in central Damascus on Wednesday, a Reuters witness reported.The Syrian government has not referred to the prisoner swap and the whereabouts of the civilian prisoners was not immediately known.Opposition groups accuse it of detaining tens...

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Lance Armstrong may admit he used banned drugs: NY Times

(Reuters) - Lance Armstrong, the American cyclist at the center of the biggest doping scandal in the sport's history, may admit he used performance-enhancing drugs during his career, the New York Times reported in Saturday's editions, citing unidentified sources.Such an admission would be a stunning reversal for Armstrong, who has vehemently denied doping for years.The Times reported that Armstrong,...

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Confess? Armstrong may not have much to gain

Associated Press Lance Armstrong may be considering a change in course, dropping his years of denials and admitting that he used performance-enhancing drugs — though whether such a move would help him is uncertain. The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reported late Friday that Armstrong has told associates he is thinking about the move. However, Armstrong attorney Tim Herman says that...

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Golf-McIlroy breaks with first sponsor, Nike waits in wings

LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - World number one golfer Rory McIlroy has parted company with his first corporate sponsor ahead of confirmation of a deal that will make him the new face of sportswear giant Nike.U.S. PGA champion McIlroy is poised to rubber-stamp a 10-year deal with U.S. company Nike worth as much as $250 million, according to media reports.Nike is set to supply the 23-year-old Northern...

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H&R Block 2Q loss narrows as revenue rises

 H&R Block's fiscal second-quarter loss narrowed, helped by cost-cutting efforts. Revenue climbed mostly because of a strong tax season in Australia.The nation's largest tax preparation company typically turns in a loss in the August-to-October period because it takes in most of its revenue during the U.S. tax season. H&R Block's quarterly performance beat analysts' estimates and its...

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Oregon governor says Nike plans to hire thousands

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Sporting goods giant Nike plans to expand its operations in Oregon and hire as many as 12,000 new workers by 2020 but wants the government to promise it won't change the state tax code, prompting a special session of the Legislature.Gov. John Kitzhaber said he'll call lawmakers together Friday in Salem to create a new law authorizing him to grant Nike's wish.The governor did not...

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Tax filing delay looms if no fix for minimum tax: IRS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. tax collector warned on Thursday of a delayed start to 2013's tax season if Congress fails to reset the alternative minimum tax (AMT) on high-income taxpayers so that it does not sweep in millions of middle-income people.Without another adjustment by lawmakers soon to the AMT, "many of us will see a delayed filing season," said Steven Miller, named just last month...

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Cricket-Wade's sparkling century hauls Australia to lead of 138

SYDNEY, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A brilliant century from Matthew Wade gave Australia a first innings lead of 138 when they declared at 432 for nine just before lunch on the third day of the third test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.Openers Dimuth Karunaratne (17 not out) Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) ushered the tourists to the end of the session on 18 without loss and reduced the deficit to 120 but the morning...

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Cricket-Sri Lanka 225-7 (& 294) v Australia (432-9dec) - close

SYDNEY, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka reached 225-7 in their second innings at close of play on the third day of the third test against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.Scores: Sri Lanka 225-7 (Dimuth Karunaratne 85, M. Jayawardene 60) & 294 (Lahiru Thirimanne 91, M. Jayawardene 72; J. Bird 4-41, M. Starc 3-71) Australia 432-9 dec (M. Wade 102 not out, P. Hughes 87, D. Warner 85, M....

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UPDATE 3-Cricket-Australia on verge of Sri Lanka series sweep

* Sri Lanka lead by 87* Wade scores sparkling century* Karunaratne falls short of maiden ton (Adds quotes)SYDNEY, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Australia were on the verge of a 3-0 series sweep after reducing Sri Lanka to 225 for seven with a slender lead of 87 at close of play on a dramatic third day of the third test on Saturday.The hosts dominated the morning courtesy of a sparkling unbeaten century from Matthew...

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NHL, union make progress in marathon talks

 Marathon talks between the NHL and the players' association stretched deep into Saturday night and then Sunday morning after the sides stayed apart for most of the previous two days.Once federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh convinced the fighting factions to resume face-to-face negotiations Saturday afternoon, they were able to make progress. While no one commented publicly on what was accomplished,...

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NHL, union engage marathon talks; no deal yet

The NHL and the players' association made progress during more than 15 hours of negotiations, but they likely will need more time to work out a deal to end the months-long lockout.Talks were still going strong past 4 a.m. EST Sunday. There just didn't appear to be an agreement in sight yet."Doubtful," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email when asked if the possibility...

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NHL, union reach tentative agreement

It looks like there will be a hockey season after all — shortened for sure, but perhaps back in business in a week or so.The NHL and the players' association reached a tentative agreement early Sunday to end a nearly four-month-old lockout that threatened to wipe out what was left of an already abbreviated season.A marathon negotiating session that lasted more than 16 hours, stretching from Saturday...

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Deportations of illegal immigrants in 2012 reach new US record

The United States deported more than 400,000 illegal immigrants in 2012, the most of any year in the nation’s history, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports.The record number, released Friday, is also important for another reason: It is a stinging reminder to Latinos that President Obama failed during his first term to pursue the comprehensive immigration reform that they seek.The Obama...

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Republicans Turn to An Unlikely Name for Inspiration: George W. Bush

As Republicans reassess their future in the presidential wilderness, seeking a message and messenger to resonate with a new generation of voters, one unlikely name has popped up as a role model: former President George W. Bush.Prominent Republicans eager to rebuild the party in the wake of the 2012 election are pointing to Bush’s successful campaigns for Hispanic votes, his efforts to pass immigration...

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