Analysis: Rating agencies won't cut U.S. on fiscal cliff - yet

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The stalled progress in the Washington budget battle may be rattling markets but the gridlock among policymakers will not move the rating agencies to downgrade the United States - yet. The U.S. credit rating is far from safe. All three major agencies have negative outlooks on the United States, which suffered its first downgrade in history last year when Standard & Poor's...

Read More..

ICE's NYSE swoop creates derivatives giant

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - IntercontinentalExchange Inc agreed as part of its $8.2 billion takeover of NYSE Euronext to pay the New York Stock Exchange operator a termination fee of $750 million if it fails to gain antitrust clearances, suggesting a high level of confidence the deal will go through. Big Board parent NYSE could get out of the arrangement for a fee of $300 million if a sweeter deal...

Read More..

California jobless rate dips below 10 percent

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — After a long twilight, business is booming again at Matt Construction as high-end orders come in for hotels and office complexes. The Los Angeles-area company increased hiring by about 20 percent this year, adding 30 employees as more construction jobs — and bigger ones — piled up. Such stories are a major reason California's jobless rate dipped below 10 percent last month...

Read More..

Wall Street Week Ahead: A lump of coal for "Fiscal Cliff-mas"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street traders are going to have to pack their tablets and work computers in their holiday luggage after all. A traditionally quiet week could become hellish for traders as politicians in Washington are likely to fall short of an agreement to deal with $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts due to kick in early next year. Many economists forecast that this "fiscal cliff"...

Read More..

U.S. judge approves settlement in BP class action suit

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday gave final approval to BP Plc's settlement with individuals and businesses who lost money and property in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The order only addressed the settlement of economic and property damage claims, not a separate medical benefits settlement for cleanup workers and others who say the spill made them sick. BP has estimated that it will pay $7.8...

Read More..

Investigation into Chiefs LB killing complete

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher apparently was worried he would lose his baby and money to his longtime girlfriend before fatally shooting her and killing himself, according to newly released police reports.Belcher also complained about Kasandra Perkins, the mother of the couple's 3-month-old daughter, in conversations and text messages sent to a woman he was dating...

Read More..

What It's Like to Be a Steelers Fan in Cleveland

The ratio of Browns fans to Pittsburgh Steelers fans in Cleveland has to be close. Retail stores in the area carry an even split of fan merchandise, and there always seems to be a black and gold bumper sticker, Steeler Pride flag, or Pittsburgh jersey-wearing fan in practically any Cleveland-area crowd. Although the Cincinnati Bengals are also considered rivals of the Browns, nothing really compares...

Read More..

Penn State voted AP sports story of year again

NEW YORK (AP) — The Penn State child sex abuse scandal was selected as the sports story of the year by U.S. editors and news directors in an annual vote conducted by The Associated Press.The news broke in November 2011, with a grand jury report outlining charges against Jerry Sandusky, and the outrage that followed led to the firing of Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. But the aftershocks were felt...

Read More..

Notre Dame's Kelly wins AP coach of the year

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — After two seasons as Notre Dame coach, Brian Kelly decided he wasn't spending enough time doing the best part of his job: coaching players.Kelly changed that in 2012, and he shuffled his staff. Then, with Kelly more in tune to his team and the assistants in sync with the head coach, Notre Dame went from unranked to top-ranked.For leading the Fighting Irish to the BCS championship...

Read More..

Kicking Coach Eric Fritz Has Been Selected to Coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII Being Held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, According to NCS Founder Michael Husted

Florida Kicking Coach Eric Fritz, owner of RealKickers, has been selected to coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII being held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, according to NCS founder kicking coach Michael Husted.San Diego, CA (PRWEB) December 19, 2012Florida Kicking Coach Eric Fritz, owner of RealKickers, has been selected to coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp...

Read More..

Governor names team to review Detroit finances

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder appointed six people Tuesday to conduct a 60-day review of Detroit's municipal finances and decide if the state should put an emergency manager in charge of the city's checkbook, the state Treasury Department says.Department spokesman Terry Stanton said the team includes Treasurer Andy Dillon, who determined last week that Detroit's budget was off track and...

Read More..

Justice reaches settlement with Penguin on e-books

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department announced Tuesday it has reached a settlement with Penguin Group (USA) Inc. in its lawsuit accusing the nation's largest book publishers of colluding with Apple Inc. to raise e-book prices on customers.The settlement, if approved by a federal judge, leaves Apple and Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, as the only defendants standing...

Read More..

Stocks gain on optimism that a budget deal is near

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks climbed on Wall Street Tuesday, pushing the Standard and Poor's 500 to its highest level in two months, on optimism that lawmakers are closing in on a budget deal that will stop the U.S. from going over the "fiscal cliff" at the beginning of next year.The Dow Jones industrial average rose 115.57 points to 13,350.96, its biggest one-day gain in almost a month. The Standard &...

Read More..

Cliff talks hit a lull with Boehner's 'Plan B'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just two weeks from an economy-threatening deadline, fiscal cliff talks hit a lull Tuesday as House Speaker John Boehner announced that Republicans would also march ahead with their own tax plan on a separate track from the one he's been pursuing with President Barack Obama.The White House and leading congressional Democrats immediately rejected Boehner's "Plan B," which would extend...

Read More..

Investors turn against gun makers after massacre

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Investors shunned some of the nation's largest gun makers Tuesday, putting up for sale the manufacturer of the Bushmaster semiautomatic rifle used in the Connecticut school shooting and worrying that the attack could soon bring stricter gun laws.Stocks of other gun companies fell, and one sporting-goods chain said it would temporarily stop sales of military-style firearms. In Washington,...

Read More..