Israel: Migrants protest outside foreign embassies

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of African migrants in Israel marched up to the embassies of the United States and European countries on Monday to demand asylum and work rights from the government.

About 60,000 African migrants, mostly from Sudan and Eritrea, have made the long journey trekking through Egypt and other Muslim countries to reach Israel in recent years. Some have fled the violence or oppression in their home countries while others have sought a better life and more economic opportunities in Israel.

About 10,000 people took part in Monday's march, police said. The migrants, many of whom are menial laborers in Israel, have been on a three-day strike. On Sunday, more than 13,000 of them rallied in central Tel Aviv.

The migrant influx has sparked tensions with some Israelis who blame them for thefts, violent crimes and for transforming the Jewish identity of some neighborhoods. Many of the African migrants have settled in a neighborhood near the bus station in southern Tel Aviv, where longtime residents say they feel threatened.

Dawit Domuz from Eritrea told Israel Radio he had escaped danger in his home country to reach the Jewish state. "We arrived in Israel seeking asylum and we want the Israeli government to check our asylum request in a transparent way," he told the station in perfect Hebrew. "They should grant us basic rights until we can return to our countries."

The migrants are seeking refugee status from the Jewish state. But according to Sigal Rozen of the Hotline for Migrant Workers advocacy group, only a few hundred, all being held in detention centers, have even been allowed to apply.

Of those, "not a single Eritrean or Sudanese" has been approved, she said. Sudanese applicants have not received replies, she said, and a small number of Eritrean cases have been rejected. She said Israel has told the Eritreans that years of forced conscription they will face if they return home is no reason to stay.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday "no demonstration or strike will help." Speaking to members of his Likud Party, he said: "We are determined to expel everyone who got in here before we closed the border." Over the past year, a new fence built along the Egyptian border has all but halted the influx of Africans.

In a statement, Israel's Foreign Ministry said that Israel "tries to balance the need to control its borders with the need to protect the human rights of those who enter." It said the government is giving all applications "thorough treatment" in accordance with international legal obligations. "Enforcement is carried out under Israeli law and in conformity with Supreme Court rulings," it said.

Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Arnon Giladi told Israel Radio that the migrants crossed into Israel through Egypt and hence that country should be responsible for granting asylum status. He said they arrived in Israel for financial reasons.

"They are not refugees," Giladi said. "They are economic migrants, they are not more than that." The government has offered incentives for migrants to leave but is unable to deport most of them because they would face harm if they returned to their countries of origin.

The migrants, along with their supporters from Israeli rights groups and others, gathered outside the U.S. Embassy near the Tel Aviv promenade on Monday. Some waved their national flags while others carried makeshift cardboard signs reading, "freedom, not prison," and "nobody chooses to be a refugee."

French minister: OK to ban comic's show

PARIS (AP) — France's interior minister said Monday that local officials have the right to ban shows on a national tour of a comic whose performances are considered anti-Semitic.

Hours later, Bordeaux's mayor, former Prime Minister Alain Juppe, accepted the offer, making the wine capital the first French city to cancel a show by Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala ahead of the comic's tour.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls' decision to target Dieudonne was unusual because it touches on what might be viewed as free expression and because Dieudonne has performed for decades. He is now well known for popularizing a hand gesture that's been used by sports stars such as Nicolas Anelka. Valls has criticized the "quenelle" gesture as an "inverted Nazi salute."

Dieudonne takes his show on the road this week after performances at his regular venue in Paris, a theater he long owned but now rents. Valls notified regional prefects on Monday that they, along with mayors, can close Dieudonne's shows based on a potential risk to public order and instructed them how to proceed.

The move to keep Dieudonne from performing cuts across political lines. Juppe — a conservative mayor of Bordeaux and a political rival of France's Socialist government — said "conditions are fulfilled" to ban the show in the city on Jan. 26. Other conservative mayors have indicated they want to keep the comic away from their towns, too.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault had said there was "no doubt" that Thursday's show in the western city of Nantes, where he used to be mayor, would get the ax. That point of view is contested by Dieudonne's lawyer. "We are not at all worried," Sanjay Mirabeau said by telephone.

He contended that officials would have to show that the "risk is real." He said if the show is shut down, the comic's lawyers will demand an urgent judicial review of the matter. Mirabeau said 5,200 seats in the 6,000-seat theater in Nantes have been sold, and "the house will be full" by Thursday.

Valls said racial and anti-Semitic remarks in Dieudonne's show are legal infractions and "no longer belong to the artistic and creative dimension." In a notice sent to prefects, Valls said that Dieudonne's show, "The Mur," ("The Wall") contains "disgraceful and anti-Semitic words toward Jewish personalities or the Jewish community ... and virulent and shocking attacks on the memory of victims of the Holocaust."

The 47-year-old Dieudonne (pronounced DYEU-dun-ay) denies his act — or the "quenelle" — is anti-Semitic. However, he has been convicted more than a half-dozen times for inciting racial hatred or anti-Semitism over the years.

He was most recently convicted last fall for using the word "Shoananas," a mash-up of the Hebrew word for Holocaust, which is used in France, and the French word for pineapple. The song was seen as deriding Holocaust survivors and victims.

An investigation was opened last week after Dieudonne allegedly made an anti-Semitic slur toward a Jewish journalist on France-Inter radio. "When I hear him (the journalist) talk, you see ... I say to myself gas chambers ... a pity," Dieudonne said during a performance last month, parts of which were shown on French TV.

The interior minister said he wants the comic's shows banned but conceded that doing so entailed delicate legal questions. Even those who support silencing Dieudonne have voiced fears that doing so could be counterproductive since the issue touches on freedom of expression.

Valls said in his instructions to local officials that they can ban the show in one of two ways: by asserting that public authorities must do so to prevent potential trouble that such a show risks causing, or pronouncing the show itself constitutes a risk to public order.

Serge and Beate Klarsfeld, the famed Nazi hunters, along with their son Arno plan to lead a protest in Nantes on Wednesday, the night before Dieudonne's show. The Nantes show kicking off the tour is to be followed by appearances in two other French cities this week, then to continue at that rate for months. Dieudonne is scheduled to perform in nearly 30 cities through June.

Mirabeau, the comic's lawyer, noted that Dieudonne's performances have not disturbed public order at the private Paris theater, contending it would be hard to cancel a show with a full house.

2014 German leader suffers pelvic injury on ski holiday

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel cracked her pelvis during a skiing accident in the Swiss Alps and will have to cut back on her work schedule for the next three weeks, her spokesman said Monday.

Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said the chancellor suffered what she first thought was just a bruise to her left rear pelvic area while cross-country skiing in southeast Switzerland last month. But doctors later determined it was a "incomplete" bone fracture that will require her to rest for three weeks, he said.

"The doctors' orders are to lie down," Seibert told reporters. In response, Merkel canceled a Wednesday visit to Warsaw, Poland, and Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel called off his Thursday trip to Berlin.

Merkel, 59, had been skiing "at low speeds" when her fall occurred, Seibert said. He was unable to say if another person was involved. She will continue to preside over Cabinet and government meetings, using a walking aid to get around, he added.

Last week, Merkel sent her wishes for a speedy recovery to German Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, who suffered a serious head injury while downhill skiing in France. Schumacher has been in a medically induced coma at Grenoble University Hospital and doctors said Monday he is still in critical but stable condition.

Experts say cross-country skiing is much less dangerous than downhill. Cross-country trails are mostly flat and the sport is more about endurance than speed. "Without wanting to play down what happened to Mrs. Merkel, the chances of injury in cross-country skiing are slim compared to downhill," said Michael Berner of Germany's Foundation for Ski Safety. "Still, anyone who does cross-country skiing should learn to do it properly first and have a certain level of fitness."

The accident happened around Christmas during Merkel's annual ski trip to Switzerland's Engadin Valley, which includes well-known ski resorts such as St. Moritz.

Monster waves slam into UK after US storm

LONDON (AP) — Waves up to 27 feet (8.2 meters) high slammed into Britain's southwestern coast on Monday, as lashing winds and heavy rain battered parts of the U.K. and coastal residents braced for another round of flooding.

The monster waves were recorded at Land's End, the southwestern tip of the U.K. In Aberystwyth in Wales, seafront homes, businesses and student residence halls were evacuated as high tides hit the Welsh coast.

The Met Office, Britain's weather forecasting body, warned of wind gusts up to 70 mph (113 kph) and exceptionally large waves along the coasts of Wales, southwest England and Northern Ireland. It said the storm is loosely connected to the weather system that caused the U.S winter storm, which dumped large amounts of snow in the Northeast and delayed thousands of flights.

"A very strong jet stream helped to steer a lot of low pressure across the U.K.," said forecaster Charles Powell. At least seven people have died in a wave of stormy weather that has battered Britain since December, including a man killed when his mobility scooter fell into a river in Oxford, southern England.

The Environment Agency issued three severe flood warnings Monday — meaning there is a threat to life and property — for the county of Dorset in southwestern England, as well as more than 300 less serious flood alerts.

Sweet dream: Eurythmics uniting at Beatles tribute

NEW YORK (AP) — The Eurythmics are reuniting — to pay tribute to the Beatles.

The Recording Academy announced Monday that Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart will perform as a duo for "The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles." The event will be taped at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Jan. 27, a day after the Grammy Awards

Longtime Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich, who is also producing the Beatles special, thought the Eurythmics would be ideal to honor the iconic group. "When it came around to booking this show, what I felt was important was to try and find those artists who not only would be able to interpret Beatles songs, but would also have an ... understanding of what they meant," he said in an interview.

The Eurythmics, who sold millions of albums and whose hits include "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," released their debut in 1981. Ehrlich said Lennox and Stewart, who have launched successful solo careers, are thrilled to perform in tribute to the Beatles.

Ehrlich wouldn't say which Beatles tune the British duo would perform, but John Mayer and Keith Urban will pair up to perform "Don't Let Me Down," while Alicia Keys and John Legend will perform a duet on "Let It Be." Maroon 5 also will hit the stage.

The special will air on CBS on Feb. 9 — exactly 50 years after the Beatles made their U.S. debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show." An estimated 73 million viewers tuned in to watch the event, which has become one of the world's top cultural moments.

"They really did change people's lives, so what I'm hoping this show ... gets across is the message that occasionally in history we are touched by certain artists who have a profound effect on us beyond just the music that they make," Ehrlich said.

Ehrlich wouldn't confirm if Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr would attend the event, though the Beatles will be honored with a lifetime achievement award two days earlier at the Recording Academy's Special Merit Awards in Los Angeles.

The special will include about a dozen performances, Ehrlich said. More performers will be announced at a later date.

Forgot to Photoshop

Wow, Justin Timberlake has some really long arms.

The day I lost control…

To anyone people who makes fun of Leo DiCaprio for having no Oscars…

Lower Prices To Affect Global Spending On Technology In 2014

CES 2014: Global Spending On Tech Expected To Fall 1% In 2014 Due To Decline In Selling Prices

Worldwide spending on technology is projected to slip 1 percent in 2014 due to a number of factors, the Consumer Electronics Association announced on Sunday, at the International Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, in Las Vegas.

According to Steve Koenig, the association’s director of industry analysis, the 1 percent decline in spending will reduce the amount that consumers are expected to spend on gadgets this year to $1.06 trillion. In 2013, consumers spent $1.07 trillion on gadgets, a 3 percent growth over the previous year. And, one of the main drivers of this revenue loss is the decline in the average selling price of devices, even as consumers around the world -- especially in emerging markets like China -- are opting for lower-priced gadgets.

“We’ve really taken the cream off the top,” Los Angeles Times quoted Koenig as saying. “Now we’re really trying to penetrate these developing markets.”

According to Koenig, the average price of smartphones is projected to fall to an estimated $297 this year from $444 in 2010 -- a 50 percent fall -- while smartphones sales are likely to rise to 1.21 billion units, up from 1.01 billion last year.

The decline in spending does not reflect waning consumer appetite for gadgets, and smartphones and tablets are expected to account for approximately 43 cents of every dollar spent on technology in 2014, Associated Press reported.

Growth in emerging markets is expected to slow to 2 percent in 2014 from the 9 percent growth rate witnessed last year. But, this number compares favorably to the 4 percent decline expected in spending on gadgets in developed markets this year, according to a report from Barron’s.

Meanwhile, consumers are expected to spend the most on smartphones and tablets, which will account for 43 percent of total consumer spending in 2014.

While spending on other devices such as point-and-shoot cameras, video cameras and portable GPS devices is expected to fall, wearable devices are likely to lighten consumers' wallets. Smart watch sales are expected to reach 1.5 million units globally this year, up from 1 million in 2013, Shawn DuBravac, CEA’s chief economist, told AP.

The 2014 International CES is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas from Jan. 7-10.

JPMorgan Closes In On $2B Settlement In Madoff Case

JPMorgan Close To $2 Billion Penalty Settlement With US Government In Madoff Ponzy Scheme Case; Deal Involves Deferred Indictment

JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JM) is expected to pay more than $2 billion in penalties to federal authorities for its alleged failure to alert the government about Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, media reports, citing people familiar with the negotiations, said on Monday.

The New York-based bank’s civil and criminal settlements with federal prosecutors in Manhattan and regulators in Washington, which will include a deferred prosecution agreement with Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, could be announced as early as Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. JPMorgan was the primary bank for Madoff for almost two decades, until his arrest in December 2008. Madoff subsequently pleaded guilty to charges that he ran a massive Ponzi scheme, which cheated investors of billions of dollars, and is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence.

Out of the settlement amount, up to $1.5 billion will go to the prosecutors and could be used to compensate Madoff's victims, while the remainder will go to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, both of which are units of the Treasury department, the Journal said.   

According to the agreement with the prosecutors in Manhattan, an indictment against the bank in the case will be delayed as long as the company acknowledges the facts of the government’s case and changes its behavior, the New York Times reported. The tactic, which is typically employed “only when misconduct is extreme,” indicated the magnitude of the charges against the bank, the Times report added.

The agreement is the latest in a series of legal settlements involving the largest U.S. bank, which so far has agreed to pay roughly about $20 billion to settle several lawsuits and investigations related to its sale of mortgage securities and other trades during and after the 2008 financial crisis.

Madoff, during interrogations, had revealed that JPMorgan chose to suppress facts about their relationship, during a OCC investigation. According to a Reuters report, the Treasury department’s Office of the Inspector General was probing the allegation that the bank tried to interfere with the OCC probe.

Adding to the damage were internal emails sent by JPMorgan’s officials before Madoff’s arrest, which clearly indicated that the bank had some knowledge of the Ponzi scheme.

According to federal law, the banks have to file a suspicious-activity report, or SAR, when they "detect certain known or suspected violations of federal law or suspicious transactions," and prosecutors have been examining whether JPMorgan failed to do so in Madoff’s case. 

Steven Seagal As Arizona's Governor?

Steven Seagal Eyes Politics; Considers Run For Arizona Governor On Illegal Immigration, Border Security Platforms

Action-movie star Steven Seagal might be considering a jump from reality TV to real-life politics. 

In an interview to KNXV TV, Seagal, 61, stated his interest in running for the post of Arizona's governor in the state's next gubernatorial elections. He made the announcement while talking about his new reality series “Steven Seagal: Lawman – Maricopa County, Arizona.” The action-hero has teamed up with Joe Arpaio, the controversial sheriff of Maricopa County who has called himself “America’s Toughest Sheriff” for the show, which was shot in Arizona and airs on cable TV’s Reelz Channel.

“Joe Arpario and I were talking about me running for governor of Arizona. I would remotely consider it, but I have a lot of other responsibilities that may be more important to address,” the seventh-dan degree Aikido black belt said in the interview. Seagal also stated that he believes illegal immigration is a significant problem for Arizona and America, and said that increasing border security could be one of his major campaign platforms.

Seagal is a part of 3,000 unpaid members who make up Arpaio’s volunteer posse and he also has been deputized with sheriff’s offices in New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana. Seagal has also been the subject of controversies in the last couple of years. 

According to reports, a woman filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Seagal in 2010, which reportedly led to the cancellation of his reality series "Steven Seagal: Lawman" by A&E. The case was reportedly settled out of court. In February 2013, Seagal and Arpaio’s posse found themselves at the center of a controversy after filming an imitation of the mass shooting that took place in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012.

Seagal’s participation in the event was called a “mockery” of the tragedy, to which Seagal responded by calling his critics “an embarrassment to the human race,” reports said.

We need to ‘REDO’ her all over again!

Death Valley, Nevada, USA

The G@y Test

The best Jingle Bells ever!

PETA Hunter Drones Shot Down By Illinois Law? ‘Air Angels’ Will Still Fly, Says Animal-Rights Group

A new Illinois law has banned the use of drones to interfere with hunting and fishing activities, but the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals group isn’t feeling particularly grounded.

The law, introduced in August by Illinois State Rep. Adam Brown (R-Champaign), was a response to reports that PETA was planning to use aerial drones to capture footage of hunters engaged in illegal activities such as shooting deer from the side of the road or using a firearm while intoxicated. The famously outspoken and tactically bold animal-rights group, which calls sport hunting “cruel and unnecessary,” said incriminating footage of hunters behaving badly could be delivered to game wardens tasked with protecting wildlife.

“Slob hunters may need to rethink the idea that they can get away with murder, alone out there in the woods with no one watching,” said PETA’s president, Ingrid Newkirk, in a statement at the time.

But PETA’s plan, first announced in April, caused a vocal outcry among hunting advocates, with many hunters vowing to shoot down the drones if they came across them. “Bet on it,” wrote Chris Bennett on the Farm Press Blog. “American hunters will be waiting on incoming PETA drones and there won’t be many return flights.”

In response to the controversy, Brown introduced a bill to amend the state’s Wildlife Code, making it a misdemeanor to use a drone in a way that “interferes with another person’s lawful taking of wildlife or aquatic life.” The bill passed in May and was signed into law by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat.

Some news outlets, such as Breitbart, reported that the new law will ground PETA’s unmanned vehicles, but according to PETA, the law will not affect its drone program. In a phone interview, Jared Goodman, a lawyer for the PETA Foundation, pointed out that the law prohibits interfering with “lawful” hunting activities, whereas the PETA drones are meant to monitor “illegal” hunting activities. “If these drones are used as intended and as advertised by PETA, neither the wildlife nor the hunters will be disturbed,” Goodman said. “It’s simply to capture illegal activity.”

Indeed, PETA is already selling drones in its catalog. Dubbed “Air Angles,” the vehicles are selling for $324.99 a piece, complete with wi-fi and an HD camera. The quadcopters are essentially Parrot AR model drones sold with decals of the PETA and Air Angels logos. The unmanned vehicles have a range of 165 feet, according to the specifications on PETA’s website.

Some commenters on pro-hunting message boards and websites are questioning whether the model has the technical capabilities of carrying out the type of surveillance PETA says it can, citing the limited range and low price tag. Goodman countered, “It’s capable of doing exactly what PETA suggests it can.”

The PETA drone is being pitched as “The New Hobby for Animal Protectionists.” The “hobby” designation is an important modifier. Currently, anyone seeking to operate a drone for business purposes must obtain special approval from the FAA.

“This is purely for hobbyists,” Goodman stressed. “They’re for recreational use. People are interested in wildlife and they want to make sure there’s no illegal activity going on.”

However, recreational drone use is still covered by the FAA, which means, under current guidelines, the drones should generally be flown within the line of sight of the operator and at less than 400 feet from the ground. Both of these guidelines could curtail their usefulness as a surveillance tool.

Starbucks (SBUX) Defends Frappuccino Cease-And-Desist Letter Sent To Little Exit 6 Brewery

Global coffee giant Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) sent a stern letter to Missouri pub owner Jeff Britton in December, to which Britton offered a smart, satirical reply just before 2014.

Starbucks’ lawyer complained that Britton had appropriated a Starbucks trademark – its icy Frappuccino coffee – by selling a stout beer dubbed a "Frappicino."

Consumers “may mistakenly believe that Exit 6 or this beer product is affiliated with or licensed by Starbucks Coffee Co., when they are not,” wrote attorneyAnessa Owen Kramer on behalf of Starbucks, in the original cease-and-desistnotice. Britton claims to have sold three of those beers for $6 in total profit, and he sent a check to Starbucks for that amount.

We reached out to Starbucks for its view on the letter after it became all the buzz online. Edited excerpts from the email exchange with Starbucks spokeswoman Laurel Hardy follow.

What will Starbucks or its counsel do if the addressee fails to act as requested in the letter? 

In this case, we respectfully requested that Exit 6 Pub and Brewery refrain from using the term “Frappiccino,” which differs by only one letter from our Frappuccino product. We appreciate that Exit 6 Pub and Brewery respected our request. Trademark disputes are handled on a case-by-case basis, and we always prefer to resolve them informally and amicably. In fact, virtually all of our trademark disputes are acknowledged and respected without any legal action. 

How many similar cease-and-desist notices does Starbucks send out yearly related to its products, say, for 2012 or 2013? How many cease-and-desist letters has Starbucks sent out related to its Frappuccino product? 

Trademark law requires all companies, including Starbucks, to consistently protect its brand and marks. I don’t have that number, but I can tell you the vast majority of trademark disputes are handled informally and respected without any legal action. 

Did Starbucks ask [beer website] Untappd to remove the [Frappicino beer] listing from its site? 

We respectfully asked Exit 6 Pub and Brewery to refrain from using the term “Frappiccino,” including notifying Untappd to remove the referenced listing from its website. We appreciate that Exit 6 Pub and Brewery respected our request.

How much has Starbucks won in litigation or other legal action related to violations of its trademarks, in its latest fiscal year or quarter?  

This is not about compensation for us and no compensation was ever requested of Exit 6 Pub and Brewery. Virtually all of our trademark disputes are acknowledged and respected without any legal action. Our intent is to follow trademark law and consistently uphold the integrity of our intellectual property.

--

In its latest fiscal year, Starbucks earned $14.9 billion in revenue. In its 2012 annual report, the company counts the Frappuccino trademark as one of its trademarks of “material importance,” alongside the Starbucks logo, its Seattle’s Best Coffee motto, and its Tazo tea.  

Did Bill Clinton Launch Hillary’s 2016 Presidential Bid At Bill De Blasio’s Inauguration?

It may be a new year, but not everything has changed. Particularly when it comes to the question that dogged Hillary Clinton all last year: Will she or won’t she run for president?

2013 started with Clinton’s resignation as secretary of state, a move that heated up already simmering speculation about her future political ambitions. Was she really stepping down because she was exhausted from all the travel? To spend more time with her family and write a book? Or was this the unofficial start of her 2016 campaign?

The conjecture continued unabated throughout the year. And while Clinton and her inner circle remained tight-lipped, her every speech, tweet, trip, meeting, and interview only seemed to invite more speculation.

As 2014 begins, Clinton may still be unwilling to discuss her plans, but her actions – and those of her husband – on just the first day of the New Year spoke volumes.

The year began with Hillary Clinton looking on while her husband braved the bitter cold to conduct the swearing-in ceremony for the new mayor of New York City, their good friend, Bill De Blasio.

How unusual is it for a former president to swear in a local or state official? Very.

Why, then, did Bill Clinton spend New Year’s Day center stage at City Hall, not just administering the oath, but taking the time to publicly and “strongly” endorse De Blasio’s battle against economic inequality and his “core campaign commitment to shared opportunities?"

Why did he note that “this inequality problem bedevils the entire country” and if left unaddressed it will be “a horrible constraint” and blight on our future?

The answer is, of course, clear – barring some unforeseen crisis, Hillary is running for president in 2016. The Clintons are nothing if not masterful politicians. They understand that if Hillary is going to capture the Democratic nomination, she has to appeal to the new and emerging progressive wing of the party; a segment that her former 2000 Senate campaign manager and the new mayor of New York City now represents, speaks to and for.

The Clintons also understand that it was little more than five years ago that Hillary lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Barack Obama in large part because she was outflanked and outmaneuvered on the left. As she looks to 2016, she knows that she cannot make this mistake again.

And it isn’t just her imagination that she faces challenges from this segment of the party. While she may be the most-talked about candidate on the Democratic side now, as we saw in 2008, fortunes can change quickly and there are others waiting in the wings. In addition to Vice President Joe Biden, three other potential contenders all speak more naturally and comfortably to the left wing of the party than Clinton: California Gov. Jerry Brown, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

While Warren has said she won’t run, Schweitzer and Brown haven’t ruled it out. And recently Schweitzer has taken not-so-veiled shots at Clinton. In a speech in the key campaign state of Iowa to a left-leaning group called Progress Iowa, he raised Clinton’s 2002 Senate vote in support of the Iraq war – something that Obama used to help catapult himself to the top of the Democratic ticket in 2008.

“The reason why I’m in Iowa, in part,” Schweitzer said, “is I’m asking you to pick the leaders who are not going to make those mistakes.”

Schweitzer’s criticism is not and should not be lost on the Clintons. Hillary may not be as vulnerable to a challenge from the left today as she was in 2008, in part because there isn’t another candidate out there now who is quite as strong, well-known or appealing to that wing of the party as Obama was. But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen again. Moreover, it isn’t just an issue of semantics. Bill Clinton may want to spend his time these days with Harry Belafonte and praising the policies of people like De Blasio, but it wasn’t that long ago that he made a name for himself as a moderate, centrist Democrat, a member of the Democratic Leadership Council who essentially shut down the liberal left, noting that – accurately so – Democrats wouldn’t win nationally if they couldn’t appeal to the middle.

Now, more than 20 years later, the Clintons know that they still need the center to win the general election, but they also need the new left-wing progressives to win the nomination. Bill Clinton’s vocal support of De Blasio during the inauguration and Hillary Clinton’s willingness to host a fundraiser for him just before the election are proof positive not only that they understand this, but that barring an unforeseen crisis like a health scare, she is running. 

49ers Beat Packers In Frigid Wild Card Playoff

The San Francisco 49ers beat the Packers 23-20 on a last-second field goal to win a fierce battle in brutally cold conditions at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin in their wild card round playoff game on Sunday.

Phil Dawson booted a 33-yard field goal just inside the right upright on the last play of the game to give the 49ers the victory after driving from their own 20 in the last five minutes after the Packers tied it 20-20 with a field goal of their own.

The temperature at the start of the game was a frigid five degrees Fahrenheit (-15 C) and dropped as the contest wore on as many players and on-field officials wore balaclavas for warmth.

San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick rescued the Niners on three different occasions with key runs that helped set up scores for the NFC wild card team, which earned a date in next week's divisional round against the Carolina Panthers.

"Colin Kaepernick, I think we can all agree, is a clutch performer," San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters after the bruising victory.

Twice the Packers took the lead from the 49ers, once in the second quarter and again in the fourth quarter, but both times San Francisco responded on their next possession with touchdown drives keyed by long runs by Kaepernick.

The long-striding Wisconsin native dashed 42 yards to help put the Niners back in front 13-7 in the first half, and after they fell back 17-13, ripped off a 24-yard run to set up another score for a 20-17 lead.

After Green Bay tied the score 20-20 on a 24-yard field goal by Mason Crosby with 5:06 left, Kaepernick did it again.

On a third-and-eight from the Green Bay 38-yard line, just outside field goal range in the Arctic conditions, Kaepernick rolled left to get away from the pass rush and gained 11 yards to keep the drive alive and move the ball into field goal range.

Running back Frank Gore did the rest, powering through the middle to move the ball closer and set up a comfortable kick for Dawson.

Kaepernick, who played sleeveless though he did wear a balaclava under his helmet, completed 16 of 30 passes for 227 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He ran the ball seven times for 98 yards.

"It's not that cold," Kaepernick told a TV interviewer on the field after the triumph. "It's all mental."

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, after a quiet first quarter, finished up hitting 17 of 26 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown. Rookie running back Eddie Lacy ran like a battering ram, gaining 81 yards on 21 carries.

"We were one play away," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. "One play not good enough."

Yahoo Malware: Hundreds Of Thousands Of Users May Be Infected Due To Malicious Ads, Report

A new report details the possibility that hundreds of thousands of visitors to Yahoo may have been exposed to malware advertisements. The activity was first discovered on Jan. 3 and involved several hosted ads, served by ads.yahoo.com.

Fox-IT, an Internet security firm, discussed the malware attack on its blog. “On Jan. 3 we detected and investigated the infection of clients after they visited yahoo.com,” said Fox-IT.

Not all of the advertisements delivered by ads.yahoo.com are malicious but several malware ads were detected, redirecting users to a “Magnitude” exploit kit that installed several malware files. Per Fox-IT, “This exploit kit exploits vulnerabilities in Java and installs a host of different malware including ZeuS, Andromeda, Dorkbot/Ngrbot, Advertisement clicking malware, Tinba/Zusy and Necurs.”

As described by Fox-IT, the user sees an iframe ad. The malicious redirects the visitor to one of several domains and the malware is then served from one IP address.

The Internet security firm says the first infections occurred on Dec. 30 although the Yahoo malware ads may have started prior to that date. Fox-IT estimates 300,000 visits to this malware site per hour, leading to 27,000 infections every hour with Great Britain, France and Romania being the most affected countries.

Fox-IT recommends blocking the IP addresses 192.133.137/24 subnet and 193.169.245/24 subnet. Yahoo has since responded to the threat and Fox-IT notes traffic to the malware exploit kit has decreased. “The attackers are clearly financially motivated and seem to offer services to other actors,” said the security firm, which means the group behind the malware would sell access to infected computers to other groups.

It is unclear who is responsible for the malware ads but the Washington Post describes two possible scenarios that could have led to the malware attack. Ashkan Soltani, a security researcher speaking to the Post, said the malware ads could have been delivered via the hacking of an ad network or the malware could have been disguised as a normal ad and managed to bypass Yahoo’s security system. A spokeswoman for Yahoo said they discovered a malicious ad and have removed it, notes the Washington Post.

The most recent attack exploits vulnerabilities in Java and serves as a reminder to avoid the 20-year old programming language, reports the Washington Post. Flash and JavaScript are preferred over Java and it is recommended that users block Java on your browser. Gizmodo has a handy guide to disable Java on Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer and Firefox and recommends doing a virus scan if you have visited Yahoo recently.

Paul Walker Autopsy Report: Coroner Says Car Was Traveling Over 100 MPH

It was first reported that the vehicle “Fast & Furious” star Paul Walker died in was traveling 40 mph, but the official cause of death was released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's office Friday. As it turns out, the car was going much faster. 

TMZ obtained documents from the report, which stated Walker, 40, "combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries." It also stated the car was going more than 100 mph when it hit a curb and then crashed into a pole and a tree before nearly splitting in half and bursting

                                                                                                     into flames, as stated by E! Online.

The Hollywood star’s body was so badly charred none of his organs were suitable for donation. TMZ wrote the report stated his body was found in a “pugilistic stance,” which means he was in a defensive position and essentially bracing himself for impact. There was also "scant soot in Walker's trachea," which means he might have taken a breath after the accident but sources who are close to the accident’s investigation told TMZ they believed Walker died almost immediately. The normal level of carbon monoxide for a person to have saturated in his or her bloodstream is 2 percent; Walker had 14 percent and Rodas’ body had 10 percent. 

As previously written, the coroner said he died from the combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries received during the fatal accident in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Nov. 30. Right before the crash, Walker and his friend Roger Rodas had attended an event for the actor’s charity, Reach Out Worldwide.

Walker had filmed nearly half of “Fast & Furious 7,” the next installment in the franchise that made him a star. According to The Hollywood Reporter, instead of killing off his character Brian O’Connor, Universal has decided to “retire” his character. The film is set to be released April 10, 2015.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date Coming: Samsung Exec Outs Possible WMC Launch And Metal Design As Samsung Galaxy F Rumors Heat Up

There was a time when the idea of the Samsung flagship featuring a metal exterior seemed like a mere rumor that would never come to fruition. Now loose talk from a Samsung official indicates that a metal Samsung device could actually hit the market in the not-too-distant future.

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Several reports have surfaced recently that confirm previous reports of the design change for the Galaxy S5. Most recently, Samsung’s Vice President and Head of Design Strategy Dong-hoon Chang may have let slip at a holiday party the launch date and design components for the Galaxy S5.

According to Korean media, Chang revealed that the Samsung Galaxy S5 is set to be unveiled around the time of the World Mobile Congress in late February. Such news coming from someone in the know about Samsung’s plans could back up earlier reports that indicated a Galaxy S5 announcement at the WMC. Reports have also suggested that the Galaxy S5 would go into mass production in January for a market release in March or April. We have already discussed that the timeline of January production, a February unveiling and a March or April release actually does seem plausible.

Chang also reportedly said that Samsung has been considering a “new material” for the Galaxy S5. Exactly what that material consists of is not certain, but his remarks have fueled the fire for those hoping for a metal Galaxy S5. Some reports have indicated that the Galaxy S5 could appear in two varieties: metal and plastic. Others have suggested that Samsung has a new line in the works called the Samsung Galaxy F. The Galaxy F is expected to feature the premium metal look, which has long been missing from Samsung’s flagships. The Galaxy S5 is expected remain outfitted in plastic, and will continue to introduce new Samsung software to the market.

Korean publication ETNews claims that the latter report is true, and that Samsung will announce the plastic Galaxy S5 and the metal Galaxy F at the same time. According to ETNews, Samsung developed the metal chassis for an upcoming device in Europe then delivered the sample to the manufacturer’s production plant in Vietnam. This rehashes news from late August of last year, which reported the exact same claim. Since June of last year, there have been rumors of Samsung developing a new concept called “Design 3.0,” which would include the use of aluminum in an upcoming device. After that, several sources indicated that Samsung wasshopping for and then later acqu ired metal producers for its new design endeavor.

There have long been rumors of Samsung introducing a flagship device with a metal design. The Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 were also rumored to feature metal exteriors, but ultimately were released in the same polycarbonate exterior for which Samsung is known. However, the Samsung Galaxy S5 appears to have yielded more proof of a metal design during its pre-release than any other Samsung flagship. Even so, there is no telling what Samsung has planned for its upcoming device(s) until it (or they) is officially unveiled. Luckily, WMC is fast approachig, so news about Samsung in 2014 is imminent