Cowboys Rout Buccaneers: Tony Romo Leads Dallas To Huge Win

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' dismal slide continues.

Tony Romo threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth score Saturday night, helping the Dallas Cowboys beat the struggling Buccaneers 31-15.

The Bucs (4-10) lost for the eighth straight time and played a miserable first half that certainly didn't do anything to help coach Raheem Morris make a case for keeping his job.

"It's something out of my hands," Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman said. "I've got to worry about what I can do and try to find a way to win next Saturday. I'm going to go in and control what I can control, which is my preparation."

The Bucs had a 4-2 start that included wins over NFC South rivals New Orleans and Atlanta. The skid has Morris on the hot seat just a year after the NFL's youngest head coach led his team to a surprising 10-6 finish that heightened expectations coming into this season.

Tampa Bay closes out the season with games against Carolina and Atlanta.

"If you're not going out and giving everything you have for these last two games, you don't really deserve to be out there," Freeman said. "It better be there ... point blank. You've got to take some pride in what you're doing. I'd be very disappointed if everybody didn't come back with maximum effort the last two weeks."

Tampa Bay managed just one first down and was outgained 279 yards to 55 in the first two quarters, but found a way to make it interesting in the second half.

The Bucs, who had had yielded 69 consecutive points dating to the second quarter of the previous week's 41-14 loss to Jacksonville, finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter when rookie Adrian Clayborn sacked Romo from behind, forcing a fumble that linebacker Dekoda Watson returned 4 yards for a TD for a much-needed spark.

Freeman's 13-yard TD pass to Dezmon Briscoe and a two-point conversion throw to Winslow trimmed Dallas' lead to 31-15 heading into the final quarter.

"Too little, too late," Morris said. "Not enough, you know, at the beginning. You can't dig holes like that for yourself."

The Cowboys have led in the fourth quarter in five of their six losses, however there wouldn't be a late collapse this time. Tampa Bay turned the ball over on downs twice in the last 6 minutes, and Sammy Morris picked up a first down inside the Bucs 10 to give the Cowboys an opportunity to run out the clock.

Romo threw a pair of 8-yard TD passes to Miles Austin and Dez Bryant in the first quarter, then finished a seven-play, 89-yard drive with a 9-yarder to Laurent Robinson to make it 21-0 with just under 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter. Romo made it 28-0 on a quarterback sneak in the closing seconds of the opening half.

Austin's TD midway through the first quarter was set up by Tampa Bay's NFL-leading 32nd turnover, a fumble by Freeman on the fifth play of the game.

The Tampa Bay quarterback scrambled 25 yards on third-and-5 to march the Bucs near midfield, but the opening possession of the night came to an abrupt halt on the next play when Freeman took off again for a 7-yard gain and was stripped of the ball at the Cowboys 44.

"That first turnover, it's one of those momentum killers," Morris said. "Thankfully, for us, the team didn't die like it last week. They fought back. They didn't surrender."

Linebacker Bradie James recovered and it took Romo seven plays to get Dallas in the end zone for the first time. The Cowboys marched 69 yards in 10 plays on their next possession, with Romo finishing the drive by finding a wide-open Bryant in the back of the end zone to make it 14-0.

In three career games against Tampa Bay ? all lopsided victories ? Romo has thrown for 908 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. He was 23 of 30 for 249 yards and was sacked twice Saturday night.

Felix Jones, back in the starting lineup after DeMarco Murray broke his right ankle last week in a 37-34 loss to the Giants, broke a 38-yard run on the drive leading to Robinson's TD and finished with 108 yards on 22 carries ? his second straight 100-yard performance had 67 yards rushing on 12 carries at halftime.

Freeman, making his second start since missing a game because of an injured throwing shoulder, was 17 of 27 for 148 yards and no interceptions. He led the Bucs in rushing with 37 yards on four attempts and was sacked three times, once by DeMarcus Ware, who notched his 16th of the season.

Thanks to a large contingent of Cowboys fans, the Bucs played before a sellout crowd at home for just the second time in two seasons. Judging by all the blue and white jerseys scattered throughout the 65,000-seat stadium, at least half the house appeared to be rooting for Dallas.

The victory gave the Cowboys (8-6) a half-game lead over New York. Although the Giants hold a tiebreaker advantage after beating Dallas 37-34 last week, the Cowboys can claim the division title and host a playoff game by finishing with wins the next two weeks over Philadelphia at home and the Giants on the road.

Tampa Bay played Saturday night without starting receiver Arrelious Benn, who suffered a concussion during last week's loss at Jacksonville. He was replaced by Briscoe, who began the night with just 23 receptions yet shared the team lead in touchdown catches with three.

Notes: Buccaneers CB Aqib Talib left early on after re-aggravating a hamstring injury that had sidelined him for one game. ... Briscoe had three receptions for 36 yards. ... Winslow expected his streak of catching at least one pass to 90 games.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/18/dallas-cowboys-rout-tampa-bay-buccaneers-nfl_n_1156083.html

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Freddie Mac Continues to Be Gingrich???s Albatross (ContributorNetwork)

Reuters reports presidential candidate Newt Gingrich continues to defend his ties to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. The former Speaker of the House is taking his case directly to Iowans in a teleconference. He claims most of the $1.6 million given to him over six years went to overhead rather than Gingrich's income.

Here is why Gingrich is still defending himself a month after the revelation was made that he was given millions of dollars from the government-run mortgage holder.

Initial Claims

The Washington Post reported Gingrich first defended himself Nov. 9 at a debate sponsored by CNBC. He claimed he was working as an "historian" for Freddie Mac. Gingrich claims he warned the mortgage company of bad loans before the economic downturn and subprime mortgage crisis.

National Review stated Nov. 22 Freddie Mac paid Gingrich to advise the mortgage lender as to how to reach out to conservatives. Gingrich was paid by the same organization he blasted in a debate.

Opponent Backlash

Both Mitt Romney and Rep. Michele Bachmann have blasted their fellow candidate's actions. CBS News reported Dec. 12, a full month after the $1.6 million fee was made public, that Romney felt like Gingrich should return the money. The political opponents are near the top in polls leading up to the Iowa caucus Jan. 3. The Wall Street Journal stated Dec. 16 that Gingrich similarly asked Romney if he would return money he made at his own company, Bain Capital. When Romney refuted the comment, Gingrich had to backtrack and apologize.

Bachmann blasted Gingrich after he claimed she was inaccurate about his consulting fees he got from Freddie Mac. CBS News reports the two sparred towards the end of the last debate in Iowa before decision day in early January. Bachmann thought it was "wrong" for someone with ties to Freddie Mac to run for president.

Final Push in Iowa

Gingrich is hitting Iowa voters hard for their votes. His campaign will be pushing for votes even as six former executives of Freddie Mac are being sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Gingrich will be calling voters, setting up offices and talking to voters.

The Los Angeles Times states Gingrich held a 30-minute conference call in which he listed his conservative credentials. He also said he was being attacked for the money received from Freddie Mac. He explained in the phone call that the money was over six years and mostly went towards offices and overhead.

William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics. Born in St. Louis, Browning is active in local politics and served as a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111217/pl_ac/10702609_freddie_mac_continues_to_be_gingrichs_albatross

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Berenson barred from leaving Peru (AP)

LIMA, Peru ? Peru's government abused its authority by barring paroled U.S. activist Lori Berenson and her 31-month-old son from leaving the country to spend the holidays in New York City with her family, her lawyer charged Saturday.

"Administratively, you can't block a court order," Anibal Apari said after Berenson told The Associated Press that she and her son Salvador were prevented from boarding a flight Friday night despite being granted permission in court.

"They didn't let me leave and they're putting out this version that I arrived late," she said in a brief phone conversation.

Local media had initially reported, citing unnamed airport officials, that Berenson arrived late for the flight. But video taken by a local TV channel showed her pacing nervously in front the Continental Airlines ticket counter and talking with an agent more than an hour before the flight left.

"An abuse of authority has been committed," Apari told the AP. Apari, who is Salvador's father but is separated from Berenson, blamed the Interior Ministry directly and said no official explanation had been provided.

The Interior Ministry's communications chief, Zully Bismark, said she was not immediately able to address the issue when reached by the AP on Saturday afternoon.

Berenson, 42, was paroled last year after serving 15 years for aiding the Tupac Amaru leftist rebel group.

Arrested in 1995, the former Massachusetts Institute of Technology student was accused of helping the rebels plan an armed takeover of Congress, an attack that never happened.

A military court convicted her the following year and sentenced her to life in prison for sedition. After the U.S. government pressured Peruvian officials, she was retried in civil courts in 2001 and sentenced to 20 years for terrorist collaboration.

A three-judge appeals court had given her permission to leave the country beginning Friday with the stipulation she return by Jan. 11.

The panel had overturned a lower-court judge's initial refusal in October.

Peru's anti-terrorism prosecutor, Julio Galindo, told the AP he had asked the appeals court Friday to nullify the decision because it violated a law prohibiting paroled prisoners from leaving the country.

He said he did not know if the court had acted on his appeal and Peru's courts spokesman, Guillermo Gonzalez, said he had no information on the matter.

Berenson's parents, often outspoken on her behalf, did not respond Saturday to phone calls seeking comment.

Some Peruvians consider Berenson a terrorist and have publicly insulted her on the street.

The prosecutor, Galindo, had opposed letting Berenson out of prison before her 20-year sentence for aiding terrorism ends in 2015, saying it would set a bad precedent for the early release of others convicted of terrorism-related crimes.

Mark Berenson, who turns 70 on Dec. 29, told the AP on Friday that his daughter had every intention of returning to Peru.

"As Lori says, if she doesn't come home, let Interpol arrest her," he said.

Peru could seek her extradition and return her to prison if she doesn't come back in the allotted time, Gonzalez said.

On Saturday, Berenson left her apartment around midday to take Salvador for a walk and did not comment to new crews other than to ask them to leave her in peace.

Her journey from prison inmate to parolee has been anguished, and Peruvian news media have repeatedly hounded and mobbed her and frightened young Salvador, said Mark Berenson.

Last month, a local TV channel obtained Berenson's new address and showed video of her home. Her father complained that the act endangered his daughter and said the U.S. Embassy had complained.

Lori "just wants to be a low-profile person and get on with her life and be a good citizen," Berenson said, adding that he planned to appeal to President Ollanta Humala to send his daughter home.

Humala could by law commute his daughter's sentence but has not indicated whether he might do so.

Unrepentant when arrested, Berenson softened during years of sometimes harsh prison conditions, and was eventually praised as a model prisoner. Since her initial parole in May 2010, Berenson repeatedly expressed regret for aiding the rebel group.

Yet many Peruvians see her as a symbol of the 1980-2000 rebel conflict that claimed some 70,000 lives. The fanatical Maoist Shining Path movement did most of the killing; Tupac Amaru was a lesser player.

Berenson has acknowledged helping the rebels rent a safe house, where authorities seized a cache of weapons. But she insists she didn't know guns were being stored there. She denies ever engaging in violence.

In an interview with the AP last year, Berenson said she was deeply troubled at having become Peru's "face of terrorism" and felt she'd become a politically convenient scapegoat.

___

Associated Press writer Franklin Briceno contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111217/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_peru_lori_berenson

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Japan PM says tsunami-hit nuclear plant is stable

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda speaks during a press conference at his official residence in Tokyo Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. The tsunami-devastated Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has reached a stable state of "cold shutdown" and is no longer leaking substantial amounts of radiation, Noda announced, marking a milestone nine months after the March 11 tsunami sent three reactors at the plant into meltdowns in the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda speaks during a press conference at his official residence in Tokyo Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. The tsunami-devastated Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has reached a stable state of "cold shutdown" and is no longer leaking substantial amounts of radiation, Noda announced, marking a milestone nine months after the March 11 tsunami sent three reactors at the plant into meltdowns in the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda speaks during a press conference at his official residence in Tokyo Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. The tsunami-devastated Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has reached a stable state of "cold shutdown" and is no longer leaking substantial amounts of radiation, Noda announced, marking a milestone nine months after the March 11 tsunami sent three reactors at the plant into meltdowns in the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda speaks during a press conference at his official residence in Tokyo Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. The tsunami-devastated Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has reached a stable state of "cold shutdown" and is no longer leaking substantial amounts of radiation, Noda announced, marking a milestone nine months after the March 11 tsunami sent three reactors at the plant into meltdowns in the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2011 file photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), water leakage is shown from a purification device at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, north of Tokyo. The nuclear power plant leaked about 45 tons of highly radioactive water from the purification device over the weekend, its operator said, and some may have drained into the ocean. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co., File) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

The Unit 4 reactor building of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station is seen through a bus window in Okuma, Japan, when the media were allowed into Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant for the first time since the March 11 disaster. Japan is poised to declare its crippled nuclear plant virtually stable nine months after a devastating tsunami, but the facility still leaks some radiation, remains vulnerable to earthquakes and shows no prospect for cleanup for decades. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, Pool, File)

(AP) ? Japan's prime minister announced Friday that the country's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant has achieved a stable state of "cold shutdown," a crucial step toward the eventual lifting of evacuation orders and closing of the plant.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's announcement was intended to reassure the nation that significant progress has been made in the nine months since the March 11 tsunami sent three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant into meltdowns in the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986.

But experts say the plant 140 miles (230 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo remains vulnerable to problems and its surroundings are contaminated by radiation and closing the plant safely will take 30 or more years.

"The reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant have reached a state of cold shutdown," Noda said. "Now that we have achieved stability in the reactors, a major concern for the nation has been resolved."

Radiation released from the plant has been significantly reduced and additional safety steps installed at the plant ensure safety even in the event of another major disaster, he said.

Noda said he hopes conditions will improve quickly so that the people who have been displaced by the crisis can return home "even a day sooner."

"There are many issues that remain," Noda said. "Our battle is not over."

The government's official endorsement of the claim by Tokyo Electric Power Co. that the reactors have reached cold shutdown status is a necessary step toward revising evacuation zones around the plant and focusing efforts from simply stabilizing the facility to actually starting the arduous process of shutting it down.

But Noda acknowledged the assessment has some important caveats.

The government says Fukushima Dai-ichi has reached cold shutdown "conditions"? a cautious phrasing reflecting the fact that TEPCO cannot measure temperatures of melted fuel in the damaged reactors in the same way as with normally functioning ones.

Even so, the announcement marks the end of the second phase of the government's lengthy roadmap to completely decommission the plant.

Officials can now start discussing whether to allow some evacuees to return to less-contaminated areas ? although a 12-mile (20-kilometer) zone around the plant is expected to remain off limits for years to come. The crisis displaced some 100,000 people.

"We hope this will be a step toward allowing our residents to return home, but the road ahead is long and difficult," Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato told reporters.

Noda said the government will step up decontamination efforts and will ready 1 trillion yen ($12.8 billion) for urgently needed projects next year. He also said 30,000 workers will be trained.

A cold shutdown normally means a nuclear reactor's coolant system is at atmospheric pressure and its reactor core is at a temperature below 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius), making it impossible for a chain reaction to take place.

According to TEPCO, temperature gauges inside the Fukushima reactors show the pressure vessel is at around 70 C (158 F). The government also says the amount of radiation now being released around the plant is at or below 1 millisievert per year ? equivalent to the annual legal exposure limit for ordinary citizens before the crisis began.

Yet, the complex still faces numerous concerns. Nobody knows where exactly and how the melted fuel ended up in each reactor, and the plant is struggling with the vast amount of radioactive water that has collected in the reactor basements and nearby storage areas.

TEPCO President Toshio Nishizawa apologized for the accident, and vowed to further stabilize the plant and reduce its radiation release until the operator finally put it to a close.

Akira Yamaguchi, a nuclear physicist at Osaka University, said that the government's definition of cold shutdown is disputable.

"But what's most important right now is that there aren't any massive radiation leaks any more," he said.

Putting longer-term issues aside, he warned that much of the backup equipment installed at the plant since the crisis began is makeshift and may break down. He said winter cold could test their strength.

___

Associated Press writer Eric Talmadge contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-16-AS-Japan-Nuclear-Crisis/id-1ea23a13ddd7434ab4f25daba1401f4e

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Video: Tea Party favorite reappears on the 2012 political scene

10 chilling super-nerdy snow sculptures

By Sean FallonNerd Approved? If there's one thing that I miss about living in an area that sees snowy, wintry weather, it's making snowmen. I mean, it just doesn't feel right to make a snowman out of dirt while wearing shorts.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45689454#45689454

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Shutdown likely averted as tax talks go on (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Congress appears on track to avert a government shutdown this weekend, even as President Barack Obama's push to extend a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for another year is encountering snags.

Those hiccups in finding spending cuts to pay for extending a 2 percentage point cut in Social Security payroll taxes and jobless benefits for millions have prompted Democratic leaders to suggest just a two-month, $40 billion extension of expiring tax breaks and jobless benefits might be needed.

But the first act in clearing away a pile of unfinished business for an unpopular Congress is for the GOP-controlled House to pass a massive, bipartisan, $1 trillion-plus spending measure funding 10 Cabinet departments and U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That vote is on track for Friday afternoon, but a stopgap bill could be needed to fund the government into next week.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters Thursday night that he was still optimistic that bipartisan talks on yearlong extensions of the Social Security payroll tax cut and unemployment coverage would succeed. But as a "Plan B," he said, they were working on a two-month extension as well, which would also prevent cuts in Medicare reimbursements for doctors during that period.

"We're still working on the long-term" bill, Reid told reporters as he exited the Capitol after a day of talks over both the payroll tax and spending measures. As for the two-month version, he said, "We'll only do that if what we're working on doesn't work out."

Reid's remarks put a slight damper on a day on which for the first time, Democratic and Republican leaders expressed optimism at prospects for swift compromise on their payroll tax standoff and a spending battle that had threatened to shutter federal agencies beginning at midnight Friday.

A deal on the $1 trillion-plus spending bill was reached after Republicans agreed to drop language that would have blocked President Barack Obama's liberalized rules on people who visit and send money to relatives in Cuba. But a GOP provision will stay in the bill thwarting an Obama administration rule on energy efficiency standards that critics argued would make it hard for people to purchase inexpensive incandescent light bulbs.

A senior White House official said the administration supported the two-month plan.

Bargainers were considering the two-month extension of this year's payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits bill because so far, they haven't agreed how a yearlong extension would be paid for, said a Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks.

The two-month bill would cost $40 billion, according to the aide. It would be paid for from a list of around $120 billion in savings that bargainers are considering, including sales of the broadcast spectrum and raising fees that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge to back mortgages, the aide said.

The two-month extension would let lawmakers revisit the measure after returning to Washington after the holiday season. That could be risky because that work would come well into the 2012 presidential and congressional election year.

Without congressional action, the payroll taxes would rise and extra benefits for the long-term unemployed would expire on Jan. 1. Doctors' Medicare payments would be automatically reduced that day by 27 percent, a reduction that could prompt some to stop seeing Medicare patients.

"Right now, Congress needs to make sure that 160 million working Americans don't see their taxes go up on Jan. 1," said Obama, referring to the tax cut extension at the core of the jobs program he outlined in a nationally televised speech three months ago.

At Obama's insistence, Congress cut the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax to 4.2 percent this year in an effort to stimulate the economy with more consumer spending. The president has proposed deepening the cut to 3.1 percent next year, but Republicans have only shown a willingness to renew it at this year's level.

Obama also wants to leave in place a system that provides aid for up to 99 weeks for the long-term unemployed. The House-passed measure reduces the total by 20 weeks, a step that the administration says would cut off 3.3 million individuals and that Democrats are hoping to soften if not reverse.

Reid indicated that a number of expiring tax breaks were on the table, as well, a list that included a provision that benefits commuters who use mass transit.

The House-passed payroll tax cut measure relied on a pay freeze and increased pension contributions for federal workers, as well as higher Medicare premiums for seniors with incomes over $80,000, beginning in 2017. The bill would also raise a fee that is charged to banks whose mortgages are guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and cancel more than $40 billion from the year-old health care bill, Obama's signature domestic achievement.

The year-end, $1 trillion spending measure would lock in cuts that Republicans extracted from Democrats in negotiations conducted months ago against the deadline of a previous government shutdown threat. It funds 10 Cabinet departments, including the Pentagon and dozens of smaller agencies, awarding a slight increase to the military and veterans' programs while trimming most other domestic programs.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_rdp

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Ailing Honda hoping for a comeback

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

A Honda dealer in San Rafael, Calif.

By Paul A. Eisenstein

Hammered by earthquakes, floods?-- and some unexpectedly harsh reviews?-- it hasn?t been a good year for Honda, which has seen both sales and profits plunge in recent months.

But the Japanese automaker is hoping to stem the tide of criticism and prove that it remains one of the most nimble and innovative of automotive manufacturers. Among other things, Honda has recently pulled the wraps off a broad array of new high-tech, high-mileage powertrains -- changes that a senior company official says will make Honda the fuel economy leader in every segment?it?competes in.

Meanwhile, Honda plans to unveil three new models at next month?s Detroit auto show that it hopes will help revive the flagging fortunes of the once-promising Acura luxury brand. That includes an all-new version of the legendary Acura NSX supercar?-- but?using an innovative, three-motor plug-in hybrid powertrain.

It?s clear that Honda needs a hit. The new 2012 Civic has taken some sharp criticism, notably from the normally import-friendly Consumer Reports magazine. And it isn?t alone, admits Tetsuo Iwamura, CEO of American Honda.

?Some of the sales results [for recent new models] have been quite a disappointment,? he said.

There have been a variety of problems, but what has been particularly surprising has been Honda?s continued dependence upon what critics contend is outdated powertrain technology.

The Japanese automaker has often billed itself as an engine company that also happens to make cars. But consider the newly updated CR-V crossover-utility vehicle. Here -- as with a number of other recent models -- Honda seems to have taken a ?good enough? approach, opting for port fuel injection and a five-speed gearbox where much of the competition has migrated to advanced direct injection or turbo engines mated to six, seven and even eight-speed transmissions.

Blistered by such criticism, Honda revealed an unexpectedly broad array of powertrain technology at this month?s Tokyo Motor Show. Toshihiko Nonaka, head of global automotive R&D operations for the carmaker, declared that the automaker aims ?to become number one in all categories of fuel economy within three years.?

Expect to see a variety of new direct-injection gasoline engines from the number three Japanese automaker, ranging from a 1.5-liter I-4 for the likes of the little Fit, up to a 2.4-liter for that we?ll be seeing in the next-generation Honda Accord ? a concept version debuting at next month?s Detroit auto show. It promises to deliver near-V-6 power but notably better mileage.

Honda is also working up an assortment of green engines, such as a new diesel that should deliver hybrid mileage?-- or better?-- plus hydrogen, CNG and new battery-based drivetrains.

One of the more intriguing is a plug-in hybrid version of its current Super Handling-All-Wheel-Drive system. A V-6 gas engine serves primarily as a generator, sending power to a single electric motor on the front axle and two separate motors in the rear. That approach allows the SH-AWD to torque vector; in other words, to deliver different amounts of power to each rear wheel?to help steer precisely through a corner.

The Electric SH-AWD system will show up on the next-generation Acura MDX crossover, a high-performance version earmarked for the reborn Acura NSX.

Acura has been a particular headache for Honda. The first of the high-line Japanese brands, Acura has become something of an also-ran in the luxury market, especially when compared to Toyota?s Lexus and Nissan?s Infiniti.

?The reality is while Acura started out as a luxury leader we didn?t capitalize on our brand,? acknowledged Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura Sales.

With the upcoming Detroit auto show, Honda hopes to kick start the struggling brand. It will introduce not only the new NSX and an updated RDX crossover, but also launch the all-new ILX, a compact BMW 3-Series competitor that Acura hopes will help it draw in a new generation of Millennial buyers who are just reaching the point when they can begin migrating to luxury cars.

The next-generation Acura products will bring a shift in styling, all but abandoning the highly controversial ?shield? grilles that alienated critics and potential buyers alike. Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president of product planning, concedes that ?we pushed the envelope too much with our styling direction.?

That?s not to say the goal is to go back to bland. Anything but, Poponi said during a small background session during which she revealed the striking new ILX and NSX prototypes.

Skeptics remain. Notably, Acura will maintain its confusing alpha naming strategy and not return to more familiar names like the once-popular Legend line. But Honda officials are convinced that by broadening the luxury brand?s line-up, adopting more advanced technologies?-- and reintroducing a halo car like the NSX?-- they can regain a spot in the luxury top tier.

As for the mainstream Honda brand, it will also count on new powertrain technology, revised styling?-- and aggressive marketing?-- to turn things around.

The good news for the carmaker is that it has largely moved past the hits from the March 11 Japanese earthquake and tsunami and the Thai flooding that led to further production cuts. According to American Honda CEO Iwamura, dealer inventories are rapidly getting back to normal.

But Honda has a lot of ground to make up. After years of gains it has lost about 1.5 points of market share in the U.S. alone this year. And its problems extend around the world.

First, there's the strong yen, which makes exports from Japan relatively more expensive. Then there's?the slump in Honda?s global earnings, which?declined 55 percent during the most recent quarter -- with few prospects for any near-term upturn.

Few automakers have had a more successful run than Honda over the years.?But the company is now facing more challenges than ever. It will be a test of corporate will to turn things around.

Related:

Consumer Reports pans new Honda Civic

Subaru, Honda recalling cars for brake issue

Toyota, Honda facing tough new challenges in the US

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/13/9418155-ailing-honda-hoping-for-a-comeback

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Should 'Trek' bring back KHAAAAN?

Paramount Pictures

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

He's "Star Trek's" most iconic individual villain, and the inspiration for one of the most famed one-word movie quotes in history. Ricardo Montalban made him famous. He's Khan Noonien Singh, best known as Khan, or, in Shatner-speak, "KHAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

Last week, a rumor began to circulate that Benicio del Toro would play Khan in the next "Star Trek" movie. Now New York Magazine's Vulture column says del Toro is out of the film over money issues.

But is Khan still in the running to?be the villain, even if played by someone else? Hitfix contacted director and producer J.J. Abrams, who said "not true."? Of course, this being "Star Trek," nothing is over until you hear the Klingon Death Scream. As Hitfix smartly points out, unless the new film, a sequel to the 2009 reboot, jumps waaaay far into the future, the events of the 1982?"Wrath of Khan" film aren't ready to happen.

The new film?could, of course, feature an early Khan, as he was seen in "Space Seed,"?the 1967 episode that introduced the character. Or Abrams and crew could just bide their time and plan to introduce Khan later,?because "Trek" sequels breed as fast as Tribbles. It may be early in the rebooted timeline now, but just wait a few years.

Or the films could do both -- introduce young Khan now, explain his exile, and pick up the "Wrath of Khan" events in a later film. It would reward both fans of the show and moviegoers who would see both Khan films. Plus the character in "Wrath" was so much more powerful because of his history with the Enterprise crew, and the time lapse between the episode and the movie paralleled Khan's own torturous exile.

What do you think? Would you like to see Khan return to the big screen? Any picks for who should play him? Tell us in the comments.

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Source: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/06/9248670-khaaaaaan-should-trek-film-bring-back-villain

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Official: 13 hurt when fans storm Okla. St. field (AP)

STILLWATER, Okla. ? Thousands of fans stormed the field and tore down goalposts after Oklahoma State's 44-10 victory over archrival Oklahoma, leaving at least 13 people injured, including two in critical condition, medical authorities said early Sunday.

Michael Authement, who heads the command post at emergency medical provider LifeNet EMS, told The Associated Press that a throng so big took to the field as the game ended that some fans were trampled and one person fell at least 15 feet onto concrete during a wild celebration by Oklahoma State fans.

No. 13 Oklahoma State routed the Sooners on Saturday night to win the Big 12 championship and make its case to play for the BCS national title. The Cowboys (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) snapped an eight-game losing streak in the rivalry and won their first outright conference title since 1948 in the three-team Missouri Valley.

"They won the game and stormed the field and ripped down the goalposts, and some were jumping off the stands and hit the field and others got trampled. It was a nasty deal," Authement said.

He said the crowd was so big it took police at least 45 minutes to clear fans from the field at the university's Boone Pickens Stadium, which has a capacity of more than 60,000 people, according to the school's website.

"There were thousands of people. Thousands of people stormed the field. You couldn't move there were so many people," he added.

AP photographs showed fans climbing atop the yellow goalposts and tearing them apart amid a crush of people on the field. Scores of hands stretched out to pull down the goalposts during the celebration.

Authement said nine ambulances, including six from LifeNet, rushed 11 of the injured away and the two with critical injuries were flown to Oklahoma City hospitals. He said he knew of leg fractures but didn't have any details on the extent of the injuries, though two of the 13 had minor injuries and were treated at the scene and released.

A spokeswoman for Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City wouldn't release details Sunday morning about patients being treated there. Phone messages and emails sent to several university and athletic department spokespeople weren't immediately returned.

Lesser injuries included broken ankles, ankle sprains and back sprains, said Shyla Eggers, public relations director for Stillwater Medical Center. She told AP that her hospital received six of the injured in ambulances and two in private vehicles, and at least two of them have been admitted and would undergo surgery on broken ankles.

"Our staff that was on hand took care of it. They were just very busy," Eggers said. "Game day is always busy."

She had no immediate details on the more serious injuries.

An Oklahoma State University police central dispatcher said she had no immediate details to release when contacted by AP, and the public information officer did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Stillwater police said they had a handful of officers at the game, and Oklahoma highway patrol had no immediate comment.

Authement said fans began storming the field with about 20 seconds left in the game. He said he had reports of people falling and being trampled in the surge.

"This was way worse than the earthquake," Authement said, referring to the magnitude-5.6 quake that hit central Oklahoma and the same stadium as fans were leaving a game Nov. 5. It was the strongest earthquake in the state's history.

During Saturday's game, the marching bands from both universities performed Amazing Grace to honor Oklahoma State head women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and his assistant coach, Miranda Serna, who were killed in a plane crash last month during a recruiting trip. The pilot, Olin Branstetter, and his wife, Paula, who were also killed, also were honored.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111204/ap_on_sp_ot/us_oklahoma_st_fans_injured

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Saints start fast, then pull away from Lions

Brees throws 3 TD passes, including decisive strike to Sproles in 4th quarter

By BRETT MARTEL

updated 11:37 p.m. ET Dec. 4, 2011

NEW ORLEANS - Drew Brees rifled a 20-yard pass over the middle in just the right spot for Lance Moore to make a leaping catch between two defenders in the end zone.

The receiver might have been impressed if he hadn't seen it so many times before.

"He doesn't amaze us. That's just Brees out there," Moore said. "He does it every single day in practice. The rest of the world doesn't get to see it but once a week."

Brees made a little more history for New Orleans and kept mistake-prone Detroit struggling, passing for 342 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints won their fourth straight, 31-17 over the Lions on Sunday night.

The performance gave Brees 4,031 yards this season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in the first 12 games.

"We were able to spread the ball around and come up with some big plays," Brees said. "I hope our hopes and aspirations are bigger than setting records."

His touchdown passes went for 67 yards to Robert Meachem, 20 yards to Lance Moore and 6 yards to Darren Sproles. He also connected eight times with tight end Jimmy Graham for 89 yards as the Saints (9-3) improved to 6-0 at home while taking a two-game lead over Atlanta in the NFC South.

"He's a stud, a young raw talent but a guy who's figuring it out quickly," Brees said of Graham, who became the first Saints tight end to have 1,000 yards receiving in a season. "I love most his heart and desire."

Matthew Stafford passed for 408 yards and one touchdown for the Lions (7-5), who have lost five of their last seven, but remain in playoff contention.

The Lions hurt themselves with 11 penalties for 107 yards, including three offensive pass interference penalties and a personal foul on tight end Brandon Pettigrew for shoving an official who was trying to get between him and Saints safety Roman Harper after the whistle.

"We lost to the Saints, but we beat ourselves today. Our offense continued to get derailed by penalties," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "We need to act accordingly. We need to be a team that doesn't beat ourselves. We have talent, we have good schemes, good coaching. We cannot afford to be selfish and put the team at risk of taking points off the board and there was way too much of that today."

The mistakes made it impossible for the Lions to keep pace with the league's No. 1 offense, and Detroit missed a chance to take a one-game lead over Chicago and Atlanta in the NFC wild-card race.

"We had a great opportunity to do what we wanted to do," Stafford said. "Obviously, we did not do it tonight. Smart football teams are still playing in January. Teams that make smart decisions don't beat themselves."

Mark Ingram scored New Orleans' first touchdown on a 14-yard run. The Saints then built a 24-7 halftime lead on the touchdowns to Meachem and Moore before Detroit showed signs of mounting a comeback in the third quarter.

Jason Hanson's 31-yard field goal made it 24-10. The Lions pulled within one score on Maurice Morris' 9-yard touchdown reception from Stafford, capping a nine-play, 88-yard drive.

Hanson lined up for 55-yarder early in the fourth quarter that could have pulled the Lions even closer, but it missed wide left.

"We've got a lot of work to do still ... but I like the fact that we're playing with confidence," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I like the fact that we answered in the second half when the momentum shifted."

That answer came on Sproles' TD, which capped a seven-play, 55-yard drive on which Brees found Graham four times for 46 yards.

Graham said he was in man-to-man coverage, "and Drew laid a couple in there for me."

"He's a surgeon out there and makes me look good," Graham added. "When your quarterback has confidence in you, it raises you to a new level."

Although the Lions were without Ndamukong Suh because of his two-game suspension, and also without injured defensive backs Chris Houston (left knee) and Louis Delmas (left knee), Schwartz said that was no excuse for several defensive lapses, particularly in the first half.

"We played poorly on defense. We never gave ourselves a chance," Schwartz said. "We didn't get the job done in coverage, we didn't get the job done rushing the passer."

Still, Detroit got more pressure on Brees than the Saints' recent opponents, sacking him twice, including rookie Nick Fairley's first career sack. Brees had not been sacked in three previous games.

Stafford completed 31 of 44 passes, but was sacked three times and intercepted by Tracy Porter.

Nate Burleson had five catches for 93 yards, while Calvin Johnson had six catches for 69 yards.

Meachem caught three passes for 119 yards.

After Meachem's TD made it 17-0, the Lions responded with an 80-yard scoring drive on which Stafford completed all six of his passes. Kevin Smith's 2-yard TD run made it 17-7.

Moore's score with 22 seconds left in the first half increased the lead to 24-7, but the Lions had a chance to get some points in the final seconds after Titus Young beat Saints defensive back Patrick Robinson deep down the left sideline for a 52-yard gain to the Saints 24.

Robinson saved a touchdown by pushing Young out of bounds, then made amends for his earlier mistake in coverage by coming off the end to block Hanson's field-goal attempt as time expired in the half.

The first quarter was more of a defensive struggle, with the only scoring coming on John Kasay's 39-yard field goal that gave New Orleans a 3-0 lead.

His kick capped a methodical 13-play, 41-yard drive during which the Saints converted three third downs.

Notes: Lions T Jeff Backus set a new franchise record with his 172nd consecutive start, surpassing Hall of Fame CB Dick LeBeau. ... Schwartz said Fairley was limited by pain in his left foot, which he'd injured during training camp, but X-rays were negative. ... Brees is the second quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000 or more yards in six straight seasons. Peyton Manning did it from 1999-2004. ... Graham now has 1,046 yards this season, making him the first Saints tight end to have more than 1,000 receiving in a season.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45548036/ns/sports-nfl/

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