JRUDGE REPORT 2011

Top News

Congress Preps for 'Chaos' Session

Republican and Democratic congressional leaders trade verbal jabs over a lame-duck session where both sides will tackle issues ranging from the debt ceiling to tax hikes that could add up to the largest increase in American history.

Boehner Describes House GOP as '218 Frogs in a Wheelbarrow'

Boehner Rejects Supposed Anti-Obama Rev. Wright Ad

Protesters, Police Clash At Chicago NATO Summit

At the end of a nearly 3-hour march, protesters throw sticks and bottles at police, who respond with batons

PHOTOS: Cops, Protesters Meet

Obama Predicts 'Hard Days Ahead' in Afghanistan at Summit Opening

Chicago Man Charged in NATO Summit Molotov Cocktail Plot

Chicago's Wall of Security Penetrated By President Obama

Rutgers Web Spying Case Raises Deportation Issues

Student convicted in webcam spying case risks deportation, but US may not be able to remove him, experts say

Pentagon Rule Broken With Military Gear Giveaway?

Arizona sheriff reportedly giving military surplus items to non-law enforcement, but office says use of items approved

Bee Gees Co-FounderRobin Gibb Dies at 62

URGENT: Family says Robin Gibb, a co-founder of the famed pop group, loses long battle with cancer

Full Coverage: Bee Gees

Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees dead at 62

Robin Gibb, one of three brothers who made up the disco group the Bee Gees behind "Saturday Night Fever" and other hits from the 1970s, died after a battle with cancer, according to a statement on his website.

Obama to NATO: 'Hard days' ahead

More work must be done before NATO troops pull out of Afghanistan, U.S. President Barack Obama said as he met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai Sunday.

NATO terror plot details emerge

Two suspects who appeared in court in Cook County, Illinois, on Sunday are not believed to be part of an alleged terror plot in Chicago during the NATO summit, prosecutors said Sunday.

Solar eclipse sweeps across globe

The shadow of the moon began to sweep across the globe from Hong Kong to the Texas Panhandle as a rare annular solar eclipse began Monday morning in Asia.

Zuckerberg's new FB status: Married

Days after his company made its stock market debut, Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg married his longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan.

NATO to embrace pivot to Afghanistan support role in 2013

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Western leaders gathering this weekend to define their path out of Afghanistan will announce a pivot in the NATO mission next year, formally putting Afghan soldiers in charge of combat operations across the country, U.S. and NATO officials said on Sunday. The leaders are expected to endorse a U.S. decision - telegraphed by the Pentagon earlier this year - to shift foreign troops to a support role in mid-2013. ...

Pakistan restores Twitter after block over Prophet cartoons

Pakistan restored access to Twitter after briefly blocking the microblog over "blasphemous" posts about a Facebook competition involving caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

Robin Gibb of Bee Gees dies at 62

Robin Gibb, a founding member of the Bee Gees who helped propel the group to international stardom, has died. He was 62.

Conservative donors slow to back Romney's campaign

Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney and his party raised a sizable $40 million last month from donors who want him to replace President Barack Obama. But even as Romney solidifies his position as the eventual GOP nominee, many supporters who backed his primary election challengers have not yet come to his aid.

Gunbattle in Beirut amid fears of Syria spillover

Gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns early Monday in intense street battles in the Lebanese capital, wounding six people as fears mounted that the conflict in neighboring Syria was bleeding across the border.

Technology News

Yahoo strikes deal to sell half of Alibaba stake

Internet pioneer will sell about half its shares in the China e-commerce giant for $7 billion, All Things D reports. [Read more]

Thiel's college dropout plan scrutinized by '60 Minutes'

Investor and entrepreneur tells the CBS news magazine that a college degree is unnecessary for financial success, but critics call his program an elitist ploy. [Read more]

Outcry after Facebook removes pic of dying baby

A mother wants to share a picture of her son on Facebook. He lived only eight hours. Facebook removes the image, deeming it "too graphic." Much later, the company offers an apology and admits it erred. [Read more]

Imports of HTC smartphones slowly resume

Phones held up over patent issues with Apple are being released after U.S. Customs inspections, the handset maker says. [Read more]

Nasdaq acknowledges trading problems with Facebook's IPO

Exchange's CEO says design problems created confusion among traders ahead of and during the highly anticipated offering. [Read more]

Business News

Checkmark For Hillary Clinton: Chen Guangcheng Lands In America

Earlier this month, I predicted that Chen Guangcheng would be 's biggest foreign policy challenge. A challenge he was indeed. For weeks, Guangcheng made news, begging to be granted permission to leave China and come to the U.S. This weekend, he arrived safely in America. Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese lawyer and activist who was jailed ...

More Billionaires Backing Romney Super PAC

Restore Our Future, the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC, picked up a few more deep-pocketed supporters last month. A Federal Election Commission filing Sunday showed that new donors in April included billionaires Harold Hamm, chairman and CEO of Continental Resources and an energy adviser to the Romney campaign; investor Wilbur Ross and Leslie Wexner, founder of ...

Startups Are All About the Execution, So Tell Me How

When entrepreneurs come to me with that "million dollar idea," I have to tell them that an idea alone is really worth nothing. It's all about the execution, and investors invest in the people who can execute, or even better, have a history of successful execution. Execution is making things happen, and for startups it ...

Many American States And Municipalities Believe They Can Play Greek Games And Get Away With It

As if to demonstrate that there are no Third World countries, but only Third World governments, recent Greek governments have raised expectations and spent far more than they are capable of collecting as tax revenue. The corruption and economic stagnation that accompany the growth of any government's reach and power, untempered by respect for private ...

What JP Morgan Chase Forgot About 2008

1.?? JP Morgan Chase?s chief investment office accumulated a huge bet? maybe $100 billion? in a so-called ?weapon of mass destruction??? (as in self-destruct) in a very risky credit default swap contract that was a bet on corporate credits improving despite a soft economy? a kissing cousin to the credit default swaps in mortgage backed ...

Euro Zone's Banks Are "In Tatters" Says UK Minister -Report

Former U.K. chancellor Ken Clarke has said Europe's banking system is "in tatters," warning the U.K. is "heavily exposed" to potential problems in the currency bloc, the BBC reported Sunday.

HSBC Has Contingency Plans For Greek Euro-Exit -Report

HSBC Holding PLC (HBC), Europe's largest bank, has set out contingency plans for its 15 Greek branches to cope with a return of the drachma, reports the Independent on Sunday newspaper, citing the bank's Finance Director Iain Mackay.

Brazil's Usiminas Restarts Blast Furnace After Fire -Reports

Brazilian steelmaker Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA (USIM5.BR, USIM3.BR, USNZY) on Saturday restarted operations at a chimny in blast furnace number 2 at is plant in Cubatao, Sao Paulo state, after a fire broke out late Friday.

Obama Backs Tougher Bank Standards In Radio Address

In his most partisan remarks since J.P.

Credit Suisse Asks Argentina's Grupo Petersen To Repay Loans

Credit Suisse AG (CS, CSGN.VX) has informed Argentine conglomerate Grupo Petersen that it must pay back loans used to buy a stake in oil company YPF SA (YPF, YPFD.BA) after it missed a $400 million payment.

Internet Business News

Sports News

LeBrun: Kings' Dwight King making a name for himself

Not letting a demotion to the third line get him down, Dwight King has been a pleasant surprise for the Kings against the Coyotes, writes Pierre LeBrun.

LeBron drops 40 as Heat tie series with Pacers

LeBron James scored 40 points, superstar sidekick Dwyane Wade added 30 and Miami's dynamic duo took over after halftime to bring the Heat even the series with a 101-93 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday.

I'll Have Another off to New York for Belmont

I'll Have Another poked his head out of his stall, started nibbling on his nameplate tacked to a wall and looked up at all the people watching his every move.

Coyotes stay alive as Smith shuts out Kings

The Coyotes beat the Kings 2-0 on Sunday.

Gasol shares blame for Lakers' loss to Thunder

Kobe Bryant hoped for more aggressiveness from the Lakers All-Star forward Pau Gasol in the Lakers' loss to the Thunder.

LeBron, Wade get Heat back on track

Miami regains home-court advantage vs. Indy, ties series at 2.

Coyotes beat Kings to avoid sweep

Coyotes avoid sweep vs. Kings with ferocious attack.

LT's Super Bowl ring sells for $230K

Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl XXV ring eventually sold for more than $230,000 at auction as Osi Umenyiora admitted defeat in his unlikely attempt to claim the prize for the New York Giants great.

MLB scores

MLB standings

Reds 5, Yankees 2: Sabathia Falters in 7th and Yankees Stumble Against Reds

C. C. Sabathia traded scoreless innings with Johnny Cueto early on but lost control of the strike zone in the seventh, costing the Yankees in a loss to the Reds.

Mets 6, Blue Jays 5: Mets’ Win Doesn’t Come Easy

Closer Frank Francisco, who has struggled this season, allowed the potential go-ahead run to reach base in the ninth before escaping.

Chipper Jones Has Been the Braves’ One Constant for Almost Two Decades

Larry Wayne Jones Jr., who ranks second to Hank Aaron in almost every offensive category for the Braves and the franchise’s one constant for almost two decades, will retire at the end of the season.

Rangers’ Tortorella Makes Devils Focus of His Frustration

John Tortorella, the Rangers’ perpetually terse coach, utilized his time with reporters Sunday to lobby for interference calls on the Devils.

Devils Make Changes After Game 3 Loss to Rangers

The Devils’ captain, Zach Parise, who declined to speak after Saturday’s game, entertained reporters at his locker, and Coach Peter DeBoer adjusted his forward lines.

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