Obama's pulpit is bully, but GOP keeps charging

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Running for re-election, President Barack Obama is employing powers not available to his Republican challengers. Just this week he's holding town halls in three states, arriving in grand style on Air Force One and granting coveted interviews to local TV news anchors.

He doesn't have the field entirely to himself and his poll numbers are sagging a bit as he feuds with Republicans over spending and deficit cutting. With Congress in recess, dozens of GOP lawmakers are holding their own events to tell constituents why they believe they have a better plan for cutting spending and revamping social programs.

Magic's Howard wins 3rd straight defensive award

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Dwight Howard has another piece of hardware for his personal trophy case.

The Orlando Magic center became the first player to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award three straight seasons Monday - and the voting wasn't close.

Howard received 585 points, including 114 first-place votes, from a panel of 120 sports writers and broadcasters. Boston's Kevin Garnett finished second with 77 points and Dallas' Tyson Chandler was third with 70.

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Nationals prospect, 18, dies of meningitis in DR

NIGUA, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Washington Nationals prospect Yewri Guillen was laid to rest Saturday while the team tried to figure out how the 18-year-old shortstop contracted the bacterial meningitis that killed him.

Guillen was buried in a Nigua cemetery near the small home he shared with his father and two sisters. The Lerners, owners of the Nationals, said they would pay for the funeral and Nationals players donated money to help Guillen's family.

"I lost my hope," Carlos Noel Guillen, the prospect's father, told The Associated Press. "Even though I have two daughters, Yewri was everything to this family."

A Consumer's Guide to Health Care Overtake

The six-month capable age 26 on your health plan if he or she can not get coverage done a job. Recently policies can not refuse coverage for children capable age 19 based on pre-existing medical specifies. "Grandfathered" plans can, nevertheless, they also can set annual dollar limits on coverage and require patients to help pay for some preventive services.

Most people in the individual market are expected to move to new plans by 2014. Analysts say most plans in the group market will probably have lost their "grandfathered" status because of changes fixed to it.

Uncle Mo easily wins 3-year-old debut

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The long wait to see Uncle Mo run as a 3-year-old lasted longer than expected Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The crowd stood, the starting gates opened and ... no sign of the leading contender for the Triple Crown.

"His worst start," owner Mike Repole said. "He broke terrible."

Uncle Mo found himself last for a few strides but quickly recovered and won the $100,000 Timely Writer Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths. As a 1-9 favorite, the unbeaten colt had everything to lose, which may be why Repole looked so relieved in the winner's circle.

Berra back at the ballpark a day after falling

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Yogi Berra was fast - with a quip, anyway.

A day after the 85-year-old Hall of Famer tripped and fell in the clubhouse while going to get a bowl of soup, Berra was at the ballpark Friday for the New York Yankees' game against Atlanta.

"I didn't like the soup," Berra said.

Berra, a spring training instructor, caught one of his sneakers on the carpet Thursday at Philadelphia's complex. He went by ambulance to the hospital as a precaution after landing on his backside and was released about four hours later.

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Obama Speaks to Jobs Council

President Obama on Thursday presided over the first meeting of his new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. During a more than hour long session, Mr. Obama told its members they have an important mission to help build American's confidence about prospects for job growth and their ability to compete in the global marketplace.

The 23-member council represents every sector of the U.S. economy, from service industries, manufacturing and high technology, to banking and communications. It also includes the head of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest trade union federation.

EPA Chief Promotes Green Partnerships in E. Africa

The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency has been promoting green technology partnerships during a trip to East Africa. One project is aimed at resolving Ethiopia's most pressing environmental concerns.

Tedla Woldemichael is an environmental activist working to promote fuel-efficient cooking stoves in mostly rural southern Ethiopia.

He was in Addis Ababa this week to demonstrate his stoves to visiting US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

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Egyptian Banks Reopen After Strikes, Unrest

Egyptian banks have reopened after being shut for most of last week, as Egypt struggles to revive an economy damaged by labor protests and an uprising the toppled its president earlier this month.

The banks opened for business as usual Sunday, the first day of Egypt's working week, following a series of government-ordered closures and shortened sessions in the weeks since the uprising began in late January.

Egypt's stock market remains closed after suffering heavy losses at the start of the turmoil. It is expected to reopen later this week, barring another bank closure or other developments.

Rescued lions from Bolivia arrive in Colorado

DENVER (AP) -- Twenty-five lions, most of them rescued from Bolivian circuses, began their new lives at a Colorado wildlife sanctuary on Thursday, pouncing in large, fenced areas and enjoying the feel of grass on their backs.

The 14 males and 11 females were flown into Denver International Airport on Wednesday afternoon and trucked to the Wildlife Sanctuary in Keenesburg, about 35 miles northeast of Denver.

On Thursday, Denver's KUSA-TV showed lion cubs roughhousing in the background as their mother looked toward the camera, relaxing behind the fence. Other lions, accustomed to being confined to small cages, sprawled on their backs, with their arms and legs in the air like the family dog.

Iran hinders web searches leading up to planned rally, sources say

(CNN) -- Iranian authorities have blocked the word "Bahman" -- the 11th month of the Persian calendar -- from Internet searches within the country, according to an opposition website.

The measure appears to be an effort by Iranian authorities to obstruct access to several websites that are promoting a rally on Monday -- the 25th day of Bahman -- proposed by Iranian opposition leaders in support of the uprising in Egypt, Saham News reported Saturday.

Two Tehran residents also confirmed the block via e-mail to CNN.

Iranian authorities on Wednesday warned against any attempt by the opposition movement to hold the rally, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

Six dead in Ireland plane crash

(CNN) -- Six people were killed and six were injured when a small plane crashed at Cork Airport in southern Ireland on Thursday, local officials said.

Survivors were taken to a local hospital, the Cork County Council said.

Four of the injured are in serious but not critical condition, and the other two are "comfortable," Cork University Hospital said.

The crash caused a fire and scattered debris over a large area, the Irish Aviation Authority said in a statement.

The plane crashed on its third attempt to land in low visibility, they said. The airport and roads around it were closed, officials said.

Sideline test accurately detects athletes' concussions in minutes

A vision test that can be administered in a minute on the sidelines could be an effective tool to detect concussions, researchers say.

How to prevent players from going back into action after suffering a concussion is a hot-button topic in sports. Coaches don't always recognize the signs and players eager to get back into a game try to hide symptoms. Returning to a game too soon can slow healing and cause "repeat" concussions with long-term consequences.

"This rapid screening test provides an effective way to detect early signs of concussion, which can improve outcomes and hopefully prevent repetitive concussions," says lead author Laura Balcer, professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Schools get shortchanged in Federal Impact Aid

Army Col. Ray Lacey has moved his three children to military posts all over the country, enrolling them in public schools wherever he was stationed. He has seen the strain a large military installation can put on a school district that has limited financial resources.

Those districts suffer when they don't get the full amount they're entitled to under a 60-year-old federal program designed to ease the burden of having military bases or tribal reservations that pay no local property taxes within the districts' borders, yet send hundreds of students to their schools.

Friend says Giffords 'continues to defy odds'

A close friend of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords says the Arizona Democrat "continues to defy odds" in her recovery.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., sent word via her Twitter account that Giffords "is so appreciative of all your support."

Gillibrand, who was elected to the House with Giffords in 2006, tweeted that she came back today from Houston, where the congresswoman is undergoing therapy.

Giffords, 40, was shot in the head Jan. 8 in a rampage that left six people dead. Last week, doctors upgraded her condition from serious to good.

Poll: Positive views of GOP for first time since 2005

Some good news for the Republican Party: A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds more Americans view the GOP positively than negatively for the first time since 2005.

The survey shows the GOP now has a 47% net favorable rating, following its successes at the ballot box in November when Republicans took majority control of the U.S. House, made gains in the U.S. Senate and won key governorships in states such as Ohio and Wisconsin.

By comparison, 43% of Americans have a negative image of House Speaker John Boehner's party.

Gallup's Jeffrey Jones writes that if the upward trend continues for Republicans, "this will indicate the party has completely recovered from the downturn it took beginning in 2005."

BlackBerry PlayBook to get 4G on Sprint,in summer

Blackberry Playbook. RIM affirmed that it would accept a 4G-aware Edition of the BlackBerry PlayBook through Sprint. A version of the seven-inch tablet shall be ship with built-in WiMAX to improve the download speeds of the dual-core tablet. The upgraded slate wouldn't ship until the summer, however.

The delay is a possible hit to RIM's competitiveness in the tablet space. Most of its competitors, letting in Apple's iPad, and Android tablets like the Motorola Xoom, already include 3G built-in to at least some models. Despite the lower price of Wi-Fi only versions, 3G tablets have often been the most popular with a mix for iPads rumored to be as high as two thirds in favor of the 3G variant.

In its current form, the Blackberry PlayBook is partly dependent on a BlackBerry, both to get a cellular Internet connection and to have accomplished access to contacts and e-mail.

Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas Reunite for New Duet Track

Miley Cyrus is reportedly attending conjoin Nick Jonas once again for a studio plan (Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas Reunite). The "Hannah Montana" actress antecendently joined forces with him and his Jonas Brothers bandmate in 2009 song "Before the Storm" which comes along among "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" stuffs.

"coming back to the studio w/ Miley Cyrus & Nick Jonas on 1/14," tweeted Shakur Green who once worked with Miley in her "The Time of Our Lives [Walmart EP]". He additionally wrote, "Can't release any other info about the project other then it's going to be one of the top albums of 2011."

"We're only recording 7-10 records. She has other producers she working with besides myself!" the music producer went on spilling more beans on the joint record. "I will share this info: It's going to be a double disk duet album!"

Selena Gomez win Favorite Breakout Artist

Selena Gomez proudly shows off her award for favorite breakout artist at the People's Choice Awards 2011 on Wednesday (January 5) at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

The 18-year-old singer and actress picked up the accolade after performing "A Year Without Rain" with her band, Selena Gomez & The Scene.

Another Latina Disney prodigy who won last night was pop singing sensation Selena Gómez and her band "The Scene," winners of the "People's Choice Award" as "Favorite Breakout Artist."

On the carpet, Selena wore a one shoulder pink cocktail dress with ruffle detail at shoulder from Paule Ka with Giuseppe Zanotti pumps.

Backstage, Selena met up with fellow winner Taylor Swift and joked that the country star was taking over the world! Taylor then said the same thing about Selena!