Obama insinuates he's a victim of racism

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here we go with racism America</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRDr8q1pzTu8T7aVl6Fqawc7aJTffLnDQgBujUU6HmYOVpl5oMMItzoTr0fus4ZaeSHnmWjaWe35gR57G717NbaO2CEqhJT-iXMkkCzSgRzti7s8saCvnF0Dl65ZdeWJyZZA-4a6YP6c/s1600/HALFMASTflag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRDr8q1pzTu8T7aVl6Fqawc7aJTffLnDQgBujUU6HmYOVpl5oMMItzoTr0fus4ZaeSHnmWjaWe35gR57G717NbaO2CEqhJT-iXMkkCzSgRzti7s8saCvnF0Dl65ZdeWJyZZA-4a6YP6c/s1600/HALFMASTflag.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Is this nation divided, dead, or just plain chaos?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Don't give me this gas about racism!  But you need to check this new NIGGA NATION CULTURE out of here and send it back wherever it came from.   JAY-Z dancin' around like a bitch at an inaguration!  Know wh' I'm  sayin'?  Hit me!</b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/11/welcome-to-nigga-nation.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/11/welcome-to-nigga-nation.html</a></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="223" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-kZ89zUroFI?feature=player_detailpage" width="308"></iframe></div><br /><b>And so where's the interview?  Candid transparency.</b><br /><br /><b>What kind of regime is running the White House and Congress?  And the state and local governments are in a mess too across the land.  Perhaps the wrath of God is next for America?  I think it might be so:</b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/obama-plans-executive-orders-for.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/obama-plans-executive-orders-for.html</a> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NS_5I1y6pGo?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Is America nigged-out yet?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>This new culture of niggas, bitches, and hoes and their rap culture complete with drug use, killing cops, raping and degrading women, exalting hoes, and all manner of lawlessness and filth is exalted today while we call these men "artists."  Artists? </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/president-obama-says-marijuana-is-no.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/president-obama-says-marijuana-is-no.html</a> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>And of course the LGBT crowd is also exalted while marriage is no longer honorable but met with government agencies and even our military that claims Christians and Tea Party members are potential terrorists. </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nigga Nation and Superbowl XLVIII</b></span></div><br /><b>It doesn't take much to see the real state of a nation if you look behind the fair speeches of those who keep their brainwashing campaigns going on via mainstream media to the casual observers.  For those who dig a little deeper into the truth of the news you might be learn something about what's really important to the Washington D.C. Corporation and it's Chief Executive Officers and management officials:</b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-washington-dc-ceos-are-voting-on.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-washington-dc-ceos-are-voting-on.html</a> </b><br /><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/president-and-ceo-obama-nominates-more.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/president-and-ceo-obama-nominates-more.html</a> </b><br /><br /><b>The term "Nigga Nation" is actually in the URBAN DICTIONARY.  Since when did we think we'd have an URBAN DICTIONARY in America?  </b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/11/welcome-to-nigga-nation.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/11/welcome-to-nigga-nation.html</a> </b><br /><b><br /></b><b>The DEA and our nation's drug interdiction teams along with DARE PROGRAMS are a joke:</b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-nations-largest-cocaine-smuggler-is.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-nations-largest-cocaine-smuggler-is.html</a></b><br /><br /><b>And once again I ask are you going to the Superbowl XLVIII?  You go and behave like a good little Soviet:</b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/superbowl-xlviii-security-via-air-land.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/superbowl-xlviii-security-via-air-land.html</a> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What matters is Wall Street and The Stock Market</span> </b></div><br /><b>What matters is Wall Street and The Stock Market rallying as we create a TWO CLASS system here in the gold ol' U.S.A and destroy the MIDDLE CLASS... </b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-federal-reserve-is-creating-two.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-federal-reserve-is-creating-two.html</a> </b><br /><br /><b>Meanwhile in The White House we now have BASKETBALL BRIEFINGS with the NBA:</b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/president-obama-basketball-briefing.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/president-obama-basketball-briefing.html</a> </b><br /><br /><b>And may God bless America right?</b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/can-americans-handle-financial-and.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/01/can-americans-handle-financial-and.html</a> </b><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ARjuCnpVoZs?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MLHhGVVbSZQ?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /></div><b>...developing... </b></div>

Obama insinuates he's a victim of racism

Here we go with racism America Is this nation divided, dead, or just plain chaos? Don't give me this gas about racism!  But you need to ...

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If Housing Is the Long-Term Driver of This Economy...

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNXqYRlJzAAKl566RBFdXvk3QOF4PjSj04MpqwDFHIBsFS6x28wTZrG2gLR5k3gBn2hR2x2bTODn6xN2Id3aONByCn8WriJLZkcFwuyylHVsW_MR4DO0AFDiAlK9iDaW5RhHvpBe115g/s1600/Privately+Owned+Housing+Units+Started+per+Civilian+Employed.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNXqYRlJzAAKl566RBFdXvk3QOF4PjSj04MpqwDFHIBsFS6x28wTZrG2gLR5k3gBn2hR2x2bTODn6xN2Id3aONByCn8WriJLZkcFwuyylHVsW_MR4DO0AFDiAlK9iDaW5RhHvpBe115g/s320/Privately+Owned+Housing+Units+Started+per+Civilian+Employed.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />...then we are in big trouble.<br /><br />The blue trend line uses all of the data points.<br />The red trend line uses just 3 of them.<br /><br />The optimists would point to the splendid short-term recovery we've had since the Great Recession (2009 to 2013, as seen in the chart). Well, <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woo-hoo">woo frickin' hoo</a> on that one.<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=rby">St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart</a>

If Housing Is the Long-Term Driver of This Economy...

Click to enlarge. ...then we are in big trouble. The blue trend line uses all of the data points. The red trend line uses just 3 of them. Th...

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NYPD assaults J-WALKERS and beats them

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pre-season POLICE STATE in action</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This is how they get ready for SUPER BOWL 46 subjects</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Are you going to Super Bowl XLVIII?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Good job guys!  Did you get one today? </b>  <b>I wonder how many of these go unreported?</b><br />I </div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LPTg8fMHA-Q?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br />...developing...</div>

NYPD assaults J-WALKERS and beats them

Pre-season POLICE STATE in action This is how they get ready for SUPER BOWL 46 subjects Are you going to Super Bowl XLVIII? Good job guys!  ...

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Knox lawyers to have last word before verdict (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqDj_e1te4Oq0Ucl1LoL14inoCCmCupdvOH1Xv4lu76DumiBE7eC_NjGULUBPqqArAuT17zFX8wjvLucycFlByafetlOLxQ5gKo5KiL1bu2hQyrllsMEZ7bW-23Dm9kyILEzIZ4teuvo/s1600/c7f4ec4ad44f7702490f6a7067005095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqDj_e1te4Oq0Ucl1LoL14inoCCmCupdvOH1Xv4lu76DumiBE7eC_NjGULUBPqqArAuT17zFX8wjvLucycFlByafetlOLxQ5gKo5KiL1bu2hQyrllsMEZ7bW-23Dm9kyILEzIZ4teuvo/s1600/c7f4ec4ad44f7702490f6a7067005095.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_6112" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — A prosecutor urged a court on Monday to take steps to make sure that American Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend would serve their sentences, if they are convicted of murdering British student Meredith Kercher.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_6124" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"The situation is unusual," Crini told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the court session. "Usually if someone is convicted of murder, they are already in custody."Prosecutor Alessandro Crini preceded his request by noting that Knox has remained in the United States for this trial, while co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito has at times traveled abroad.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_6136" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">But in the long legal saga, both defendants were released by an appeals court that overturned their lower court guilty verdicts, and both were legitimately free when Italy's highest court ordered the case back to another appeals court after blasting the acquittal.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_6146" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Sollecito has attended key court dates, making a statement in one, while Knox has stayed at home, acknowledging in an email to the court her fear of being "wrongly convicted" a second time.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">On Monday, the defense and prosecution both made rebuttals to the lengthy closing argument, the closing section of the defendants' third trial before the court begins deliberations on Jan. 30. Knox's two defense attorneys will have the final word before the panel of two professional judges and eight jurors begins deliberations. A verdict is expected that day.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Crini has demanded guilty verdicts and jail sentences of 26 years for both defendants, and that the court increase to four years Knox's three-year sentence for a slander conviction, which has been upheld. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in the original trial, and Sollecito to 25 years.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">In the case of 29-year-old Sollecito, who told reporters Monday that he intends to remain in Italy for the verdict, the precautionary measures could include immediate arrest, house arrest or the confiscation of his passport.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The court's reach in Knox's case is limited by her presence in the United States, Crini acknowledged.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Knox's lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said during a break that any request for extradition could be made only after a possible guilty verdict is confirmed by Italy's highest court — a process that can a year or more.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Knox, 26, has been tried in absentia, a status that formally is not prejudicial in her regard since defendants in Italy are not required to appear in court. However, the judge showed some discomfort when her lawyers entered into court record an email statement she sent via her counsel and noted it lacked the legal standing of a personal declaration defendants are allowed to make when they personally appear in court.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">If a guilty verdict in this trial is upheld by Italy's top criminal court, Knox would become a fugitive if she failed to return to serve a sentence.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Sollecito's father, Francesco Sollecito, said his son has no intention of fleeing justice, a sentiment echoed by his lawyer Giulia Bongiorno.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"The fact that Raffaele has no intention of escaping the trial is evident by his presence" in the courtroom, Francesco Sollecito said. He said his son has been legitimately looking for jobs abroad, having explained in court that prospective employers in Italy are put off by the notoriety surrounding the case. "He is looking around, because he hopes this story will end soon" the father said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The sensational legal case has fueled headlines since the gruesome discovery of Kercher's half-naked body beneath a blanket in her locked bedroom on Nov. 2, 2007, with suspicion falling quickly on her photogenic American roommate and her quiet Italian boyfriend of just over a week. Kercher, 21, had been sexually assaulted and stabbed multiple times.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A third person, Ivory Coast-born Rudy Hermann Guede, is serving a 16-year sentence for the murder. His conviction specified that he did not carrying out the murder alone — a position that the prosecution as well as lawyers representing Kercher's family have stuck to.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_6155" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">After concluding arguments in the third trial, the Kercher family lawyer Francesco Maresca told the court that the family has trust that the court would reach a fair decision.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_6169" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"I am sure whatever the decision of the court, there will be justice because all of the elements have been profoundly evaluated," Maresca said. "It will be a decision that we will accept with absolute serenity."</div></div>

Knox lawyers to have last word before verdict (BLOG)

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — A prosecutor urged a court on Monday to take steps to make sure that American Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyf...

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Monday, Monday

<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a> Updates:</span><br /><br />This week's dose features the <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2014/01/20/wms-boathouse-at-clark-park/">WMS Boathouse at Clark Park</a> in Chicago, Illinois, by Studio Gang Architects:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2014/01/20/wms-boathouse-at-clark-park/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Jan14-20.jpg" title="This week's dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The featured past dose is the <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2003/09/22/minneapolis-rowing-club/">Minneapolis Rowing Club</a> in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Vincent James Associates Architects:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2003/09/22/minneapolis-rowing-club/"><img border="0" src="http://www.archidose.org/Sep03/james1.jpg" title="The featured past dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This week's book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2014/01/20/new-museums-in-china/"><i>New Museums in China</i></a> by Clare Jacobson (L):<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2014/01/20/new-museums-in-china/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/9781616891503.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a> <a href="http://www.archidose.org/books/c-lab.html"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/c-lab.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a><br />(R): The featured past book review is <a href="http://www.archidose.org/books/c-lab.html"><i>Urban China Bootlegged by C-Lab for Volume</i></a> edited by Jeffrey Inaba.<br /><br />: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">American-Architects <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/pages/50x50">Building of the Week</a>:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/44076_Tucson_Mountain_Retreat">Tucson Mountain Retreat</a> in Tucson Mountains, Arizona, by DUST:<br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/44076_Tucson_Mountain_Retreat"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://www.american-architects.com/files/projects/44076/images/2012JG17503.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Monday, Monday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates: This week's dose features the WMS Boathouse at Clark Park in Chicago, Illinois, by Studio Gang ...

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Iraq warns militants possess major firepower (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVxT8kTRCXjUdu3xD18FWyM-0K3j4tMucZiQZtdwdPeHFMwIb-wdVGxoWWwlEYhZxCr2loy9eY3Jw8XC7QCc_NXHTFICMRTtsZ3QAjVcNDyZj-Dp0plmVVuDvf2NrmCqYPFkilB4VQOE/s1600/ab0945e2d4347702490f6a706700459d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVxT8kTRCXjUdu3xD18FWyM-0K3j4tMucZiQZtdwdPeHFMwIb-wdVGxoWWwlEYhZxCr2loy9eY3Jw8XC7QCc_NXHTFICMRTtsZ3QAjVcNDyZj-Dp0plmVVuDvf2NrmCqYPFkilB4VQOE/s1600/ab0945e2d4347702490f6a706700459d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_2639" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic militants controlling a mainly Sunni area west of Baghdad are so well-armed that they could occupy the capital, a top Iraqi official warned Monday, a frank and bleak assessment of the challenge posed in routing the insurgents as a new wave of bombings killed at least 31 people.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_2664" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Iraqi government forces backed by Sunni tribal militias launched an all-out offensive Sunday to seize back control of Ramadi and surrounding areas from the militants. Five government-allied tribesmen were killed in the initial fighting, and 15 tribesmen and government forces were wounded, provincial spokesman Dhari al-Rishawi said.Since late December, members of Iraq's al-Qaida branch — known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — have taken over parts of Ramadi, the capital of the largely Sunni western province of Anbar. They also control the center of the nearby city of Fallujah, along with other non-al-Qaida militants who also oppose the Shiite-led government.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Fierce clashes continued Monday, with government forces and allied tribesmen struggling to advance in the face of tough resistance, according to local police.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Al-Rishawi said the al-Qaida militants are especially active at night, and are employing snipers to stop government forces from advancing.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Two policemen and a local television cameraman who had been accompanying them were killed when a roadside bomb hit their convoy inside Ramadi, police said.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="8" data-uuid="8000bc97-8950-3efa-a490-6b3acfbdaf16" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/civilians-inspect-car-bomb-attack-outdoor-market-baghdad-photo-192452074.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 201px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="201" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yalJ5rNMWWgUSw1Zji.7UQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwMTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/bbde3f61d4227602490f6a70670040bb.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at an outdoor market in Baghdad al-Jadidah district, …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">An even bigger fight could lie ahead in nearby Fallujah, which like Ramadi was once a major battleground for U.S. forces.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"The weapons that were brought inside Fallujah are huge and advanced and frankly enough to occupy Baghdad," Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Asadi said in a speech.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">He did not elaborate on the type or quantity of the weapons, but described "fierce battles" there and in Ramadi.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Bomb attacks frequently strike Baghdad. But a military assault on the heavily guarded capital, with an estimated 7 million residents, would be far harder to pull off for an al-Qaida guerrilla force than the seizure of much smaller Fallujah.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Even so, Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan Ibrahim said this week's assault in Anbar was needed to keep the fighters from trying to storm the capital itself.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="9" data-uuid="c635ccf5-bbdb-3457-9aba-ec11110b7ffa" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/municipality-workers-remove-debris-while-civilians-inspect-car-photo-192452723.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Municipality workers remove debris while civilians&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 197px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Municipality workers remove debris while civilians&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="197" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Rdh04XWvl3_YlC5Z0DrQ6g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE5NztxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/d15b9e65d4217602490f6a706700437f.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Municipality workers remove debris while civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at an outdo …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"Al-Qaida in Iraq has plenty of weapons and fighters," he said, without offering details. "If military action was not taken and if the operation by security forces was delayed for a few weeks, there would have been an assault on Baghdad."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Sporadic clashes erupted in Fallujah Monday afternoon but had stopped by nightfall. Shops there were mainly shuttered and city streets were eerily empty as residents hunkered down or fled for safer ground. Much of the city lacks electricity, according to residents.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Two civilians were wounded in the city and a number of houses were damaged when artillery shells hit them, according to local hospital officials. It was unclear who launched the shells.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The unrest in Anbar and other mainly Sunni-dominated provinces has uprooted thousands of people from their homes as they flee the fighting.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Bassem al-Falahi, a Fallujah taxi driver whose house was damaged in the shelling, said the blast was the last straw.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="10" data-uuid="b222d038-9c83-36de-8b47-f2cdd6353fe5" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/civilians-inspect-car-bomb-attack-outdoor-market-baghdad-photo-192452795.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 375px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="375" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/eWXgMkb6p3GKcPi1zhXNVA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM3NTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/d46dd2b8d4207602490f6a706700ae6d.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at an outdoor market in Baghdad al-Jadidah district, …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"All my neighbors left the area several days ago, but I decided to stay because my house is far away from the clashes," he said. "With today's incident, I have decided to take my family outside Fallujah. ... I fear the worst if the final battle starts."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Violence spiked in Iraq after the government staged a deadly crackdown on a Sunni protest camp last April. Militants have also targeted civilians, particularly in Shiite areas of Baghdad, with coordinated car bombings and other deadly attacks.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for Monday's blasts. But multiple bombings against civilians and state institutions are frequently the work of the al-Qaida affiliate in Iraq, which has been emboldened by successes of its fellow militants in the civil war next door in Syria.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The deadliest strike was a parked car bomb that tore through an outdoor market south of the capital, killing seven people and wounding 13, police said. A bomb on a nearby commercial street killed two more, while another three died and seven were wounded in a southeastern district. Another bomb in a northern suburb killed three and wounded six.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Two separate car bombs near court buildings also killed seven and wounded 22, said police. Later, a car bomb went off in a commercial street in western Baghdad, killing three people and wounding nine others. And another one struck another busy street in the southwestern section of the city, killing three people and wounding 11.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="11" data-uuid="51c52225-9355-3ea2-bf7e-4949249dba8d" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/civilians-inspect-car-bomb-attack-outdoor-market-baghdad-photo-192452998.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 204px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="204" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/uAr9BgMSVgQbDyhinRFa3A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwNDtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/b9295165d41b7602490f6a7067008d1d.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Civilians inspect the site of a car bomb attack at an outdoor market in Baghdad al-Jadidah district, …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Hospital officials confirmed the death tolls. Officials describing the attacks spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Separately on Monday, the European Union pledged around 75 million euros ($102 million) of development support to Iraq through 2020, highlighting the ongoing challenges of rebuilding the country after years of war.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The funds will go primarily toward efforts to strengthen rule of law, build up the education sector and provide sustainable energy.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"Over the past months the escalation of violence undermined its stability, but the EU is confident that the Iraqi authorities will work towards a successful transition to democracy and long term stability for the benefit of all of Iraq's citizens," Andris Piebalgs, the European commissioner for development, said in a statement.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Schreck reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed to this story.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_2698" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254995993_2688" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Follow Adam Schreck on Twitter at https://twitter.com/adamschreck</div></div>

Iraq warns militants possess major firepower (BLOG)

BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic militants controlling a mainly Sunni area west of Baghdad are so well-armed that they could occupy the capital, a top...

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Ban Ki-moon withdraws Iran's invite to Syria peace talks (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XJqzWhSaq-V71AhDXACTv8HRY8_ihIqMbiJt2VUJsln9w7SEQ8B2Fs4SzyyPlmTR3xn93qcZrd_kgRxkideR0A5Fdxi0mwGsGc10KHbznMJ4-5RqgMr37wckA9xYKLEyyM3D5wsqd34/s1600/2014-01-19T235840Z_70317677_GM1E99R07BO01_RTRMADP_3_UN-IRAN.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XJqzWhSaq-V71AhDXACTv8HRY8_ihIqMbiJt2VUJsln9w7SEQ8B2Fs4SzyyPlmTR3xn93qcZrd_kgRxkideR0A5Fdxi0mwGsGc10KHbznMJ4-5RqgMr37wckA9xYKLEyyM3D5wsqd34/s1600/2014-01-19T235840Z_70317677_GM1E99R07BO01_RTRMADP_3_UN-IRAN.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254896825_1075" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday withdrew an offer for Iran to attend Syria peace negotiations after Tehran declared it does not support the June 2012 political transition deal that is the basis for the talks.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254896825_1091" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"He (Ban) continues to urge Iran to join the global consensus behind the Geneva communiqué," Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said. "Given that it has chosen to remain outside that basic understanding, (Ban) has decided that the one-day Montreux gathering will proceed without Iran's participation."</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254896825_1097" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Ban said earlier that Iran's public statement that it did not support the 2012 Geneva deal calling for a transitional government for Syria was "not consistent" with assurances he had been given by Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390254896825_1103" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau)</div></div>

Ban Ki-moon withdraws Iran's invite to Syria peace talks (BLOG)

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday withdrew an offer for Iran to attend Syria peace negotiations after ...

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Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTZPDpwo2MbN-oIB6Jrnu9o7jN2IlJSvz0R-EPuV6PexBhdssnnwfLNz0F-ReTPS9glqcD8jEnXtcOj77KtNjXa7fEEPko1jF3QbNe0p38ta6eaCA_4ZkyC6UwvQzGHL2hCgpklTjpQI/s1600/201401192127772461106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTZPDpwo2MbN-oIB6Jrnu9o7jN2IlJSvz0R-EPuV6PexBhdssnnwfLNz0F-ReTPS9glqcD8jEnXtcOj77KtNjXa7fEEPko1jF3QbNe0p38ta6eaCA_4ZkyC6UwvQzGHL2hCgpklTjpQI/s1600/201401192127772461106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390241037285_3929" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">SEATTLE (AP) -- Pete Carroll knows all about successfully chasing championships. Yet this pursuit is particularly sweet.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390241037285_3879" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Yep. The Seahawks and their 12th Man are headed for the Big Apple and the Super Bowl.''It's quite a magical moment,'' Carroll said Sunday after his<a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_team" data-rapid_p="8" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/sea" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Seattle Seahawks</a> won the NFC title. ''You can't really grasp the moment. Did we really do this?''</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390241037285_3949" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''Every ounce of your energy, every moment spent watching film has been worth it, because we made it,'' said All-Pro cornerback <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="9" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/24941" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390241037285_3958" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Richard Sherman</a>. His game-saving deflection in the end zone with 22 seconds left was caught by teammate<a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="10" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/25029" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Malcolm Smith</a> to clinch the 23-17 win over division rival San Francisco on Sunday night. ''It's fantastic.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A fantastic matchup, too.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390241037285_3970" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Seattle will meet Denver (15-3) for the NFL title in two weeks in the New Jersey Meadowlands. It's the first trip to the big game for the Seahawks (15-3) since they lost to Pittsburgh after the 2005 season.</div><div class="body-slot-mod" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.307695388793945px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-width: 300px;"><div class="yom-remote"><div class="" id="mediasportsmatcharticlescore_container"><div class="yom-mod yom-app yom-scores yom-sports-match-score yom-sports-scorething js" id="mediasportsmatcharticlescore" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); color: #f0f0f0; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 10px; zoom: 1;"><div class="hd" style="color: black; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: capitalize; zoom: 1;"><h3 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 17px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Sun, Jan 19, 2014</h3></div><div class="bd" style="color: black; line-height: 13px; margin: 0px; min-width: 280px; padding: 0px; zoom: 1;"><div class="yom-sports-scorething-day"><table class="nfl boxes" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px !important; margin: 0px auto; width: 280px;"><tbody class=" final game link" data-index="0" data-url="/nfl/san-francisco-49ers-seattle-seahawks-20140119026/" style="background-color: inherit; border: none;"><tr class="team away " style="background-color: inherit; border: none;"><th class="" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; font-weight: normal; padding: 3px 8px 1px; width: 140px;"><span class="logo yom-logo-nfl large sf" style="background-color: #6e001f; background-image: url(http://l.yimg.com/os/mit/media/m/sports/images/team-logos/sprites/nfl-40-1663570.png); background-position: -1200px 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 40px; margin-right: 3px; vertical-align: middle; width: 40px;"></span><span style="color: #3f3f3f; display: inline-block; float: left; line-height: 20px; margin: 13px 0px 0px 5px; max-width: 92px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">San Francisco</span></th><td class="score" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; padding: 3px 0px 0px; text-align: right; width: 1px;"><span style="border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; color: #3f3f3f; font-size: 22px; padding: 15px 10px 11px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">17</span></td><td class="links" colspan="1" rowspan="2" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; padding: 5px;"><span class="meta" style="color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17.600000381469727px; text-align: center;"><a class="no-pjax" data-rapid_p="1" data-ylk="lt:s;sec:mod-sch;slk:game;itc:0;ltxt:;tar:sports.yahoo.com;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers-seattle-seahawks-20140119026/" style="color: #888888; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Final</a></span></td></tr><tr class="team home winner" style="background-color: inherit; border: none;"><th class="" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px 8px 3px; width: 140px;"><span class="logo yom-logo-nfl large sea" style="background-color: #293963; background-image: url(http://l.yimg.com/os/mit/media/m/sports/images/team-logos/sprites/nfl-40-1663570.png); background-position: -1160px 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 40px; margin-right: 3px; vertical-align: middle; width: 40px;"></span><span style="color: #3f3f3f; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin: 13px 0px 0px 5px; max-width: 92px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Seattle</span></th><td class="score" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: right; width: 1px;"><span style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; color: #3f3f3f; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; padding: 15px 10px 11px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">23</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The conference champs had the best records in the league this year, the second time the top seeds have gotten to the Super Bowl in 20 seasons. It also is a classic confrontation of Denver's record-setting offense led by Peyton Manning against the NFL's stingiest defense. Denver opened as a 1-point favorite over Seattle on the Glantz-Culver Line.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''We wouldn't have it any other way,'' said Sherman, who went on a rant about how 49ers wideout <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="11" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/9274" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Michael Crabtree</a> is a 'sorry receiver.' ''They're an unbelievable, record-setting offense with a Hall of Fame quarterback. That's as tough a game as you can get in the Super Bowl. The No. 1 defense against the No. 1 offense. It doesn't happen like this too often.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">That top-ranked defense forced three fourth-quarter turnovers, and <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="12" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/25785" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Russell Wilson</a> threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="13" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/25991" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Jermaine Kearse</a> on fourth down for the winning points.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Moments after Sherman tipped <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="14" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/24823" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Colin Kaepernick</a>'s pass to Smith for the interception, the NFL leader in picks did a CenturyLink Leap into the stands behind the end zone, saluting the Seahawks' raucous fans. With 12th Man flags waving everywhere - receiver Golden Tate paraded around the field with one - and ''New York, New York'' blaring over the loudspeakers, CenturyLink Field rocked like never before.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''This is really special,'' said Carroll, who won two national championships at Southern California and has turned around the Seahawks in four seasons in charge. ''It would really be a mistake to not remember the connection and the relationship between this football team and the 12th Man and these fans. It's unbelievable.''</div><div class="body-slot-mod" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.307695388793945px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-width: 300px;"><div class="yom-remote"><div class="" id="mediasportsgameleaders_container"><div class="yom-mod yom-app yom-game-leaders" data-gid="nfl.g.20140119026" id="mediasportsgameleaders" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); color: #f0f0f0; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1px; padding: 10px; zoom: 1;"><div class="hd" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 5px 0px 5px 5px; position: relative; text-transform: capitalize; zoom: 1;"><h3 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Game Leaders</h3></div><div class="bd league-nfl" style="color: black; margin: 0px; min-width: 280px; padding: 0px; zoom: 1;"><ul class="players" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="clear: both; display: block; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 280px;"><a data-rapid_p="1" data-ylk="lt:s;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/24823/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" title="Colin Kaepernick"><img alt="Colin Kaepernick" class="photo" height="66" src="http://l.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/UWeOxILBN2c7z.67BC2Hmg--/YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVvO2NoPTg2MDtjcj0xO2N3PTY2MDtkeD0xO2R5PTE7Zmk9dWxjcm9wO2g9MjE1O3E9MTAwO3c9MTY1/http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/i/us/sp/v/nfl/players_l/20120913/24823.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 1px solid rgb(127, 127, 127); float: left; height: 66px; margin: 0px 8px 8px 0px; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important; width: 50px;" title="" width="50" /></a><div class="name" style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><a data-rapid_p="2" data-ylk="lt:s;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/24823/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" title="Colin Kaepernick">Colin Kaepernick</a></div><div class="number team" style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;">#7, <a class="team" data-rapid_p="3" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/sfo/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">San Francisco</a></div><div class="stats" style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><abbr style="border: 0px; cursor: help;" title="Completions: 14">14</abbr><abbr style="border: 0px; cursor: help;" title="Attempts: 24">-24</abbr><abbr style="border: 0px; cursor: help;" title="Yards: 153">, 153 yds</abbr><abbr style="border: 0px; cursor: help;" title="Touchdowns: 1">, 1 TDs</abbr><abbr style="border: 0px; cursor: help;" title="Interceptions: 2">, 2 Int</abbr><br /><br /></div></li><li style="clear: both; display: block; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 280px;"><a data-rapid_p="4" data-ylk="lt:s;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/8266/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" title="Marshawn Lynch"><img alt="Marshawn Lynch" class="photo" height="66" src="http://l.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/jgFRsgg.VGkj19E.0IXvxg--/YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVvO2NoPTg2MDtjcj0xO2N3PTY2MDtkeD0xO2R5PTE7Zmk9dWxjcm9wO2g9MjE1O3E9MTAwO3c9MTY1/http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/i/us/sp/v/nfl/players_l/20120913/8266.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 1px solid rgb(127, 127, 127); float: left; height: 66px; margin: 0px 8px 8px 0px; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important; width: 50px;" title="" width="50" /></a><div class="name" style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><a data-rapid_p="5" data-ylk="lt:s;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/8266/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" title="Marshawn Lynch">Marshawn Lynch</a></div><div class="number team" style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;">#24, <a class="team" data-rapid_p="6" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/sea/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Seattle</a></div><div class="stats" style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><br /><br /><abbr style="border: 0px; cursor: help;" title="Rushes: 22">22 Rush</abbr><abbr style="border: 0px; cursor: help;" title="Yards: 109">, 109 yds</abbr><abbr style="border: 0px; cursor: help;" title="Touchdowns: 1">, 1 TD</abbr></div></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">San Francisco (14-5) led 17-13 when Wilson, given a free play as <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="15" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/24794" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Aldon Smith</a> jumped offside, hurled the ball to Kearse, who made a leaping catch in the end zone.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''He's tremendous catching the football,'' Wilson said. ''He's got great hands, and he's got that desire, you know? So that showed up tonight.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="16" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/9066" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Steven Hauschka</a> then kicked his third field goal following Kam Chancellor's pick, and Smith intercepted in the end zone on the 49ers' final possession.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''This feels even sweeter, with the amazing support we have had from the 12th Man,'' team owner Paul Allen said, comparing this Super Bowl trip to the previous one.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Until Seattle's top-ranked defense forced a fumble and had two interceptions in the final period, the game was marked by big offensive plays in the second half. That was somewhat shocking considering the strength of both teams' defenses.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="17" data-uuid="b47e12ae-919c-3cf8-99c5-961878510480" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/seahawks-rally-beat-49ers-23-photo-090348929--nfl.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 413px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="413" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/WA2u0kzjuTQwaXSx3HLrqw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQxMztxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201401192129773851123" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman tips a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers' Michael Crab …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">And those plays came rapidly.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Marshawn Lynch, in full ''Beast Mode,'' ran over a teammate and then outsped the 49ers to the corner of the end zone for a 40-yard TD, making it 10-10.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Kaepernick then was responsible for consecutive 22-yard gains, hitting Crabtree, then rushing to the Seattle 28. His fumble on the next play was recovered by center Jonathan Goodwin, who even lumbered for 2 yards.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Anquan Boldin outleapt All-Pro safety <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="18" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/23989" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Earl Thomas</a> on the next play for a 26-yard touchdown.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Then, <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="19" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/25105" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Doug Baldwin</a>, who played for 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, stepped up - and through San Francisco's coverage - on a scintillating 69-yard kickoff return that made the stadium shake for the first time all day.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="20" data-uuid="432ff8b2-947c-3f8b-a9a0-18926cc5e3d2" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/39-another-season-finishing-close-photo-044428013--nfl.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 204px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="204" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/.ujio0XA.pmpqCn8XjfDIw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwNDtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201401192209797451258" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Jim Harbaugh 49ers head coach looks at the scoreboard as the Seahawks go to a 23-17 victory during t …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">That set up Hauschka's 40-yard field goal. And a frantic finish.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Seattle took its first lead on Wilson's throw to Kearse with 13:44 left, and CenturyLink rocked again.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The place went silent soon after when Niners All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman sustained an ugly left knee injury midway and was carted off. Bowman, who was having a huge game, had forced a fumble at the San Francisco 1, but Lynch recovered.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''I never heard him yell like that, or even stay down for a moment,'' teammate Patrick Willis said of Bowman.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The Seahawks had gotten their first turnover moments earlier when Cliff Avril stripped Kaepernick and <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="21" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/search?p=Michael+Bennett" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Michael Bennett</a> recovered. But Lynch and Wilson botched a handoff on fourth down on the play after Bowman's injury.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="22" data-uuid="6c940796-f89b-37ae-b27e-96c6e52e393e" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/seahawks-rally-beat-49ers-23-photo-090348176--nfl.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 421px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="421" src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/DO84uI.KDUiln.p60nrIZA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQyMTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201401192140780561169" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson holds up the George Halas Trophy after the NFL football NFC Cha …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">It took only two plays for Chancellor to haul in Kaepernick's underthrow to Boldin, and Hauschka's 47-yarder ended the scoring.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">But not the excitement.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Kaepernick, who rushed for 130 yards, got San Francisco to the Seattle 18 with his arm. But his pass for Crabtree was brilliantly tipped by Sherman to Smith.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''We knew it would come down to us in the back end to win this thing,'' Sherman said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The final play was similar to last year's Super Bowl ending, when Kaepernick missed Crabtree in the end zone from the 5 and Baltimore survived.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="23" data-uuid="40b54194-e085-3e2b-a38f-dbb2e70af279" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/seahawks-rally-beat-49ers-23-photo-090348047--nfl.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 218px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="218" src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/qcf.E5cufmlX__8Pxqkd8Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIxODtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201401192140780561173" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman holds up the George Halas Trophy after the NFL football NFC Ch …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''I had a 1-on-1 matchup with Crab,'' Kaepernick said. ''I'll take that every time, against anyone.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Kaepernick rushed for 98 yards in the first half and 130 overall. His 58-yard run set up Anthony Dixon's 1-yard leap for a TD.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">San Francisco also got an early 25-yard field goal by Phil Dawson after Wilson fumbled on Seattle's first snap.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Wilson came up with a huge improvisation of his own moments after Kaepernick's long jaunt. Wilson avoided the rush with some nifty scrambling before spotting Baldwin behind the defense for a 51-yard pickup.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">It resulted in Hauschka's 32-yard field goal, making it 10-3. Baldwin finished with six receptions for 106 yards.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="24" data-uuid="1fc2ce38-f14e-3770-b75b-55c0bd21eec5" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/seahawks-rally-beat-49ers-23-photo-090348101--nfl.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 239px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="239" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/09B7wSrE_EuFJRSmvIhSxg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIzOTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201401192136777861161" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Seattle Seahawks' Robert Turbin celebrates after the NFL football NFC Championship game against  …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The fourth quarter was all Seattle against the more-experienced 49ers, who were in their third straight conference championship.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">But Seattle heads to the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather city.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Brrr?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Not quite:</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''We are ready,'' Bennett said. ''Whatever happens, we just want to be there and we don't care about the weather. We just want to go out there and win.''</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390241037285_4062" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">--</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390241037285_4052" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org</div></div>

Seahawks rally, beat 49ers 23-17 for NFC title (BLOG)

SEATTLE (AP) -- Pete Carroll knows all about successfully chasing championships. Yet this pursuit is particularly sweet. Yep. The Seahawks a...

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What cops should do more of...

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We need more cops like this</b></span></div><br />There are those of us who pay taxes that could care less if cops wouldn't have to write one ticket or make any arrest in their entire career.  And they should stop and visit us, play catch, or whatever else is worthwhile.  Actually there are still a few good cops left.<br /><br />Notice the kid acted like he was in trouble.  Sadly that's the first reaction today when approached by police.  Then everything was good and a game of catch began.   <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ceqq3mJnAGc?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe> <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Meanwhile watch the NYPD's finest POLICE STATE:</b></span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LPTg8fMHA-Q?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe> <br />...developing...

What cops should do more of...

We need more cops like this There are those of us who pay taxes that could care less if cops wouldn't have to write one ticket or make a...

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Did Snowden have help from the Russians? (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tkIcDYm0EbncnUgG4wKJrpM8Vo7HJqrKsNcEitIhKeNCuipnLD9sTkfixtk-9iJ79nFpVT8B9sD4UWtJu8p73oAyNPFF5b9nofKA8ER2UgZmnHHurs1mpFM9UrYwwTXH92-0DG_nJvE/s1600/028dac13b0679113340f6a706700393b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tkIcDYm0EbncnUgG4wKJrpM8Vo7HJqrKsNcEitIhKeNCuipnLD9sTkfixtk-9iJ79nFpVT8B9sD4UWtJu8p73oAyNPFF5b9nofKA8ER2UgZmnHHurs1mpFM9UrYwwTXH92-0DG_nJvE/s1600/028dac13b0679113340f6a706700393b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390232626529_19728" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., says National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden may have had help from Russia.</div><div class="body-slot-mod" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.307695388793945px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-width: 300px;"><div class="yom-remote"><div class="" id="mediacontentrelatedstory_container"></div></div></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390232626529_19746" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"I believe there's a reason he ended up in the hands, the loving arms, of [a Russian Federal Security Service] agent in Moscow," Rogers <a data-mce-href="http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/18/22352480-house-intelligence-chairman-hints-at-russian-help-in-snowden-leaks" data-rapid_p="9" href="http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/18/22352480-house-intelligence-chairman-hints-at-russian-help-in-snowden-leaks" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">said on "Meet the Press" Sunday</a>. "I don't think that's a coincidence, number one. ... I don't think it was a gee-whiz luck event that he ended up in Moscow under the handling of the FSB."</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390232626529_19755" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Snowden, who fled the United States following his leak of classified documents to the Guardian newspaper, was granted asylum by the Russian government last year.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390232626529_19764" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">“I can guarantee you, he's in the loving arms of an FSB agent right today, and that's not good for the United States,” Rogers <a data-mce-href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-intel-chair-snowden-possibly-aided-by-russian-intelligence/" data-rapid_p="10" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-intel-chair-snowden-possibly-aided-by-russian-intelligence/" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday</a>. “It's not good for the information to be shared with nation states.”</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390232626529_19774" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">“There's some clear evidence there that something else was going on," Rogers continued. "This wasn't a random smash and grab, run down the road, end up in China, the bastion of Internet freedom, and then Russia, of course, the bastion of Internet freedom. And because of the nature of the information that was stolen [had] nothing to do with Americans' privacy [and] a lot to do with our operations overseas."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Rogers implied Snowden was not skilled enough to pull off the leak alone. "Some of the things he did were beyond his technical capabilities," Rogers said. "[That] raises more questions. How he arranged travel before he left.  How he was ready to go — he had a go bag, if you will."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, was also asked on "Meet the Press" if she felt Snowden had help from the Russians.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"He may well have," she said. "We don't know at this stage."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">On CBS, Mike Morell, a former deputy CIA director, agreed with Rogers' assessment.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">“I don't have any particular evidence," Morell said, "but one of the things that I point to when I talk about this is that the disclosures that have been coming recently are very sophisticated in their content and sophisticated in their timing, almost too sophisticated for Mr. Snowden to be deciding on his own. And seems to me, he might be getting some help."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/world/snowden-says-he-took-no-secret-files-to-russia.html?_r=1&" data-rapid_p="11" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/world/snowden-says-he-took-no-secret-files-to-russia.html?_r=1&" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">In an interview with the New York Times last year</a>, Snowden said he did not take any classified documents with him to Russia, saying he had given all of the files to journalists in Hong Kong.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390232626529_19812" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"I'm not going to dwell on Mr. Snowden's actions or motivations," President Barack Obama said Friday <a data-mce-href="http://news.yahoo.com/nine-questions-about-obama-s-nsa-spying-overhaul-184312594.html" data-rapid_p="12" href="http://news.yahoo.com/nine-questions-about-obama-s-nsa-spying-overhaul-184312594.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">while announcing an overhaul of the NSA spying program</a>. "I will say that our nation's defense depends in part on the fidelity of those entrusted with our nation's secrets. If any individual who objects to government policy can take it in their own hands to publicly disclose classified information, then we will never be able to keep our people safe, or conduct foreign policy."</div></div>

Did Snowden have help from the Russians? (BLOG)

U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., says National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden may have had help from ...

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Some People Must Actively Work At It To Be So Stupid.

How else do they find idiots like these everywhere?<br /><br />This headline sounds about what I would expect to hear these days, it is the percentiles in the categories below that are jaw dropping.<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-01-20/trust-in-governments-slides-to-record-low-amid-u-dot-s-dot-spy-programs"><b>Trust in Governments Slides to Record Low Amid U.S. Spy Programs</b></a></blockquote><br /><br /><blockquote>Trust in governments fell, making them the world’s least-trusted institutions for a third year, according to a survey published before policy makers and executives gather for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.<br /><br />Faith in governments fell to 44 percent from 48 percent in 2013, according to the 2014 Trust Barometer survey published by Edelman, a public-relations firm. Trust in business held steady at about 58 percent, bringing its lead over government to the widest in the 14 years the poll has been taken. </blockquote><br />That is still just under half of those surveyed who trust their government.<br /><br />This is getting closer;<br /><br /><blockquote>Governments are struggling to maintain public trust amid the disclosure of U.S. spy programs by former contractor Edward Snowden and record unemployment in Europe. Confidence in government in the U.S. plummeted 16 points to 37 percent, Edelman said. </blockquote><br />That is still over one third of those surveyed who hear a giant sucking sound wherever they go.<br /><br />One third of these people still trust this government after all the spying, lying and theft that has gone on over the last five years.<br /><br />It is amazing to me that there are that many idiots in this country.<br />It's no wonder those Nigerien Princes keep trying.<br />They must have some successes.<br /><br />These next figures are where my reality clashes head on with those surveyed.<br /><br /><blockquote>Trust in CEOs is at 43 percent, above the 36 percent score for government officials, according to the survey. Confidence in the media slipped 5 percentage points to 52 percent.<br /><br />Banks and financial services were the least-trusted industries for the fourth year, scoring 51 percent, up 1 point from 2013, the survey shows. Technology companies topped the ranking again at 79 percent, up two percentage points from the previous year.<br /><br />Edelman polled 6,000 individuals in 27 countries with a college education and with household income in the top quartile for their age and country. The ages of those surveyed ranged from 24 to 65. </blockquote><br /><i><b>52% trust the media?!</b></i><br /><br />BAAAAAA, BAAAAA!<br /><br /><b>51% trust the banking and financial sector?!!</b><br /><br />Who are these people and do they not pay attention to the crooked media that they just said they trusted?<br /><br />You have to be a special kind of stupid to fall into all three categories who basically trust everything and everyone.<br /><br />In the first place, the media is the official propaganda service of a lying government and <i>BOTH</i> of those are covering for the banking and financial services industry who are and have been, absolutely pillaging this country.<br /><br />If you can't see that with your own eyes then you need to just put your head back down and go back to grazing contentedly.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOWKdRSnaym9F1KVoDKaGvVSmLtOJxvS9xVXLBwEUGf5W0N4ssE7maYsIyFg1NqzcO2QPtv2XkZd1Qj4QnWdCl0_r5NMbWvdQ6gdpUvaTil1We0c7__Gsl4o-BijfGHFDTGg0Odi_nAVy/s1600/sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOWKdRSnaym9F1KVoDKaGvVSmLtOJxvS9xVXLBwEUGf5W0N4ssE7maYsIyFg1NqzcO2QPtv2XkZd1Qj4QnWdCl0_r5NMbWvdQ6gdpUvaTil1We0c7__Gsl4o-BijfGHFDTGg0Odi_nAVy/s640/sheep.jpg" /></a></div>

Some People Must Actively Work At It To Be So Stupid.

How else do they find idiots like these everywhere? This headline sounds about what I would expect to hear these days, it is the percentiles...

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