Oil price near $100 on global security concerns (AP)

NEW YORK ? Oil prices rose above $100 a barrel Friday as worries over global security issues outweighed weak economic data in the U.S.

Benchmark crude ended the day at $99.68 per barrel in New York, up 15 cents. It rose as high as $100.23 during the session. Brent crude finished 7 cents higher at $107.96 a barrel in London.

Tensions between Iran and western nations, along with unrest in Syria, Bahrain, Kazakhstan and Iraq have raised worries that oil supplies could be disrupted if the unrest spreads or grows more serious.

While none of those situations has disrupted oil supplies yet, traders say it is too dangerous to sell oil or bet that oil prices will fall with tensions so high near so many important oil-producing regions. Even small disruptions in oil supplies can send prices dramatically higher.

Among the biggest concerns is Iran, the world's fourth biggest producer of crude. The U.S. and Europe may tighten sanctions against Iran over the West's fear that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. Also, Iraq is expected to become the fastest growing producer in the Middle East in the next several years as it recovers from war and tries to tap its enormous reserves of oil. But a surge in violence there since the U.S. withdrew troops is raising concerns that Iraq won't be able to increase production as fast as hoped.

"Iran might not passively wait for sanctions to be applied and could act unilaterally to embargo supplies," J.P Morgan said in a report. "We are also concerned about Iraq, where political uncertainties seem to be rising following the U.S. troop pullout."

Traders also say they expect European financial authorities to increase the flow of money in the regional economy to try to slow or stop the region's slide into recession. Investors tend to buy commodities such as oil when more money becomes available, raising their prices.

Economic data in the U.S. has been mostly positive this week, which helped propel oil to four straight days of gains. Demand for oil and gas grows with the economy as shippers move more goods and consumers drive and fly more.

Jobless claims fell and housing construction increased. But the Commerce Department reported on Friday that consumer spending and incomes were growing at a very weak pace, suggesting continued sluggish economic growth.

Trading volume is normally low during the last week of the year, as many traders vacation around the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays. Global oil markets are closed Monday for Christmas.

Average retail gasoline prices rose less than a penny Friday to a national average of $3.22 per gallon.

In other energy trading, natural gas fell 6 cents to end at $3.114 per 1,000 cubic feet. Heating oil lost about 2 cents to finish at $2.8907 a gallon, and gasoline futures ended up 5 cents at $2.6872 a gallon.

Jonathan Fahey can be reached at http://twitter.com/JonathanFahey.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_bi_ge/us_oil_prices

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Turkey-France ties fray over Armenia genocide bill (AP)

PARIS ? Ties between France and Turkey, strategic allies and trading partners, abruptly unraveled Thursday after French legislators passed a bill making it a crime to deny that the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago constitute genocide.

The bill strikes at the heart of national honor in Turkey, which denies the genocide label and insists the 1915 massacres occurred during civil unrest as the Ottoman Empire collapsed, with losses on both sides. But it's seen as a matter of principle for some French politicians, and a matter of long-overdue justice for the half a million people in France of Armenian descent, many of whom had relatives among the 1.5 million Armenians killed.

The French bill still needs Senate approval, but after it passed the lower house, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan halted bilateral political and economic contacts, suspended military cooperation and ordered his country's ambassador home for consultations. Turkey argues France is trampling freedom of expression and that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is on a vote-getting mission before April presidential elections.

France formally recognized the 1915 killings as genocide in 2001, but provided no penalty for anyone refuting that. The bill passed Thursday sets a punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine of euro45,000 ($59,000) for those who deny or "outrageously minimize" the killings, putting such action on par with denial of the Holocaust.

The diplomatic riposte by Turkey over the vote by lawmakers in France's lower house, the National Assembly, may get even tougher. It hurts ties as both NATO members are involved in international efforts for peace from Syria to Afghanistan.

"Our measures and precautions will come to life stage-by-stage according to France's position," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

France expressed regret over Turkey's response.

"It is important, in the current context, that we keep the paths of dialogue and cooperation open," Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said in a statement.

Strains have plagued the relationship between Paris and Ankara in recent years, in large part because Sarkozy opposes mostly-Muslim Turkey's bid to join the European Union. The bill reached the French parliament after Sarkozy visited Armenia in October and urged Turkey, "a great country" to "honor itself by revisiting its history like other countries in the world have done."

But for it to become law, the Senate must also pass the bill. There is a small window of time to quickly do so, between Jan. 10 and Feb. 24 when a four-month freeze on all but the most critical legislation goes into effect ahead of spring presidential and legislative elections.

There's no guarantee this will be a speedy process. A similar piece of legislation passed by the lower house in 2006 took five years to reach the Senate, which rejected it.

Most historians contend the killings of the Armenians constituted the first genocide of the 20th century. But the issue is dicey for any government that wants a strong alliance with Turkey, a rising power. In Washington, President Barack Obama has stopped short of calling the killings genocide.

An estimated 500,000 Armenians live in France, and many have pressed to raise the legal statute regarding the massacres to the same level as the Holocaust by punishing the denial of genocide.

But the Turkish premier called the legislation's approval "unjust and unfortunate," adding, "There is no genocide in our history, we do not accept it."

"As of now, we are canceling bilateral level political, economic and military activities," Erdogan announced. "We are suspending all kinds of political consultations with France" and "bilateral military cooperation, joint maneuvers are canceled as of now."

The Turkish prime minister said requests for military overflights or landings on Turkish territory would be assessed on a case-by-case basis while permissions granted to French military vessels to dock at Turkish ports would be canceled.

Military cooperation between France and Turkey was suspended in 2006 after the lower-house bid in France to punish deniers of an Armenian genocide. Military cooperation was gradually resumed but remains limited.

Turkey did not limit its actions to ties with Ankara. Sounding almost vindictive, Erdogan threatened to denounce France in Africa and the Middle East.

"We will inform Africa, we will inform the Middle East and when traveling in many countries we will talk about genocides which they have been trying to make (the world) forget about," he said. It was a reference to France's colonial past in Algeria, where massacres were carried out, and to Rwanda where some claim a French role in the 1994 genocide.

It was clear long before the vote ? easily passed with a show of hands ? that France was on a collision course with Turkey. Ankara had threatened to remove Ambassador Tahsin Burcuoglu if French lawmakers did not desist and warned of "grave consequences" to political and economic ties.

The ambassador said he is leaving on the first flight out of Paris Friday morning. He said that diplomacy is never black and white. "There are always gray pages but now, these pages become blacker and blacker," he told reporters in Paris on Thursday night.

Erdogan, a devout Muslim who over the years raised the profile of Turkey's governing Islamic-rooted party, suggested France's bid to punish those who deny the Armenian genocide was in part a way to lure far-right voters to Sarkozy's camp by kindling the fires of Islamaphobia.

"This decision is cause for concern not only for France where there are efforts to make gains through enmity toward Turks and Turkey, and in general terms, through Islamaphobia, but also for Europe and principles defended by Europe," he said.

"I ask: Is there freedom of expression in France? Let me answer it myself: No. (This decision) has eliminated the environment of free thought."

Some French lawmakers expressed outraged at Turkey's attempt to sway their vote and a demonstration by Turks living in France outside the National Assembly.

"The fact that we are subject to pressures ... in front of the National Assembly where the heart of the (French) Republic beats, I find that particularly shocking," said Valerie Boyer, author of the measure and lawmaker from Sarkozy's conservative UMP party.

"Laws voted in this chamber cannot be dictated by Ankara," said Jean-Christophe Lagarde, a deputy from the New Center party.

For many French Armenians, the legislation's advancement meant a swell of relief.

"Our ancestors can finally rest in peace," said 75-year-old Maurice Delighazarian, who said his grandparents on both sides were among the victims of the 1915 massacre.

___

Suzan Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Catherine Gaschka contributed to this article.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_turkey_genocide

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Latino Salt Lake County Mayor Candidate Wants To Rep Everyone

Ross Romero has lived a set of several different lives in his hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah. Recently, he told NewsTaco that his varied experience in his hometown ?? from growing up as the son of a single mother on a teacher?s salary, to being a student at the? University of Utah, to living on the more affluent side of town and working in a bank ?makes him the perfect candidate for Salt Lake County Mayor in 2012. The job is similar to what county administrators do in other places, he told us.

Of course, another reason Romero, an attorney, decided to run for this seat?had to do with redistricting. He told us that as Senate Minority Leader in Utah, he was told that the Democrats were going to be redistricted out by one seat. Despite fighting to keep the seat, he ultimately asked whether anyone wanted to retire or seek another office; when no one volunteered, and in order to avoid Democratic infighting, Romero took it upon himself as Minority Leader to give up his seat.

However, Romero is generally an upbeat individual who told us that he considers Salt Lake County Mayor to be a higher office, enabling him to become a bigger leader for the Democratic Party in the state of Utah. The election will be competitive he told us, noting that there is no majority party in the county, but he?s sure that he?s the best candidate to bring together what is Utah?s most diverse county in order for everyone there to prosper.

?I think I am the candidate that best relates to all of our counties? differences. Salt Lake County is the most diverse county in Utah, it has tremendous wealth and tremendous struggle. I have worked in the private sector have a good understanding of the business community I have a good understanding about not overextending our indebtedness and I?m focused on education,? he said. Additionally, after school programs, parks and recreation, support services, nutrition, transportation, pollution, health and obesity, and fiscal responsibility are at the top of Romero?s list of issues for Salt Lake County.

One really interesting thing about Romero is that he really loves Utah. To that end he told us, he frequently advocates for a variety of causes in Salt Lake County and the state of Utah, but often finds himself advocating or Utah as a community when he travels outside the state. In his view, anything you do to ?add value? for the majority, also adds value for minorities, he said.

?I always consider myself a champion for Utah?s diverse voices in Utah, but I take that same challenge to be a champion for the LDS community outside of Utah which is a minority,? he told us.

That said, Romero always recognizes that he?s a Catholic Hispanic Democrat in Utah, which brings him back to his original point about Salt Lake County Mayor:? ?I?m running as someone who cares about my community, and I believe I have a good set of skills for the job.?

Ultimately, Romero sees his bid for Salt Lake County Mayor as one way to give back to the hometown that he loves. After watching his mother work in public schools for almost 40 years, he told us her example taught him to give back to your community. As Salt Lake County Mayor Romero tells us that he hopes to make a difference by being able to give back to everyone in Salt Lake County, not just a majority or a minority community.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Newstaco/~3/icuaLoqEgZI/

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I Can't Wait to Tool Around on These Robo-Skates [Mobility]

I may generally lack a sense of balance but that doesn't stop me from wanting a pair of these remote-controlled electric heel-skates. Oh wait, 180-pound weight limit? And this is coming to America? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/JeCgQ09PUrc/i-cant-wait-to-tool-around-on-these-robo+skates

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Google Doodles Come To Shirts, Mugs & Stickers Via Google?s New Zazzle Store

Can't get enough Google Doodles? Apparently, there's a big demand for the iconic redesigns of the Google logo which celebrate holidays, historic events and famous people, places and things. Today, Google has given its online Doodles archive a makeover and has launched an accompanying Zazzle store, allowing you to buy your favorite Doodle?emblazoned?on the product of your choice.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/w5dfyuvCbKw/

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Congress' new terrorism rules leave open questions (AP)

WASHINGTON ? After a bruising battle in Congress, the Obama administration retained the right to investigate and try suspected terrorists in civilian courts. But officials say newly enacted legislation raises a host of questions that will complicate and could harm the investigation of terrorism cases.

During a struggle that began last May and ended this past week in a compromise defense bill, the administration waged an uphill fight against a majority of Republicans and some Democrats trying to expand the role of the military while reducing the role of civilian courts in the fight against terrorism.

It was the latest effort by conservatives to keep open the U.S. military prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to place terrorism suspects in indefinite detention and to designate military commissions as the preferred alternative to civilian courts for meting out justice.

In the end, the administration came away with one major victory. Gone from the defense bill during House-Senate negotiations was a provision that would have eliminated executive branch authority to use civilian courts for trying terrorism cases against foreign nationals.

The new law would require military custody for any suspect who is a member of al-Qaida or "associated forces" and involved in planning or attempting to carry out an attack on the United States or its coalition partners. The military custody requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens or to lawful U.S. residents.

The president or a designated subordinate may waive the military custody requirement by certifying to Congress that such a move is in the interest of national security.

The new law "will ramp up the political costs" when the administration decides to hold a civilian criminal prosecution for a detainee, said University of Texas law professor Robert M. Chesney, who focused on detainee issues while serving at the Justice Department in 2009.

But, Chesney added, "this law does leave the president with flexibility" to have civilian trials "and therefore the law is neither quite as bad as its opponents say nor as useful as its supporters think."

Weighing in heavily in the debate was the FBI, the front-line investigative agency that now must operate in a reordered environment in which the U.S. military will suddenly play a bigger role that is sometimes side by side with law enforcement.

In a Nov. 28 letter to Congress, FBI Director Robert Mueller said the legislation will inhibit the bureau's ability to persuade suspected terrorists to cooperate immediately and provide critical intelligence.

Mueller tried to make a similar point at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this past week, but got little sympathy from Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

"What I am focused on is what happens at the time of arrest," the FBI director said.

"Well, then you need to work this out with the Department of Defense, don't you?" said Sessions, a former federal prosecutor and ex-Alabama attorney general.

Mueller also said it wasn't clear how agents should operate if they arrest someone covered by the military custody requirement but the nearest military facility is hundreds of miles away.

And last month, Lisa Monaco, assistant attorney general for national security, said that "agents and prosecutors should not have to spend their time worrying about citizenship status and whether and how to get a waiver in order to thwart an al-Qaida plot against the homeland."

Law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, say that it won't be easy working under a new set of rules that must be written in the next 60 days before the law goes into effect.

Pressure from the administration produced one late compromise section that says nothing in the bill may be "construed to affect the existing criminal enforcement and national security authorities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or any other domestic law enforcement agency with regard to a covered person, regardless whether such covered person is held in military custody."

But that left open questions.

"I'm concerned with the lack of clarity about who is in charge of investigation and interrogation for detainees in military custody," Michael J. Nardotti, the judge advocate general of the Army from 1993 to 1997, said of the legislation.

"If the detainees are in military custody and the military is responsible for their disposition and control, what role does the FBI have in that process and is the FBI going to be directed in some respects by the military on the use of the bureau's investigative resources?" asked Nardotti.

"The second concern I have," said Nardotti, "is that the use of the words `associated forces' in the legislation can be read as expanding the definition of who can be held indefinitely in military custody in an open-ended conflict." That could become an important issue because the legislation will undoubtedly at some point ? or at many points ? undergo scrutiny by the courts.

Gary Solis, a retired judge advocate who served 26 years in the Marine Corps, called the latest political venture into how best to battle terrorism "a very bad idea."

"Making the military the warders of every suspected terrorist goes far beyond the military's legislatively assigned mission," he said.

"It appears to me to be an effort to assure that all suspected terrorists will be tried by military commission," said Solis. "Despite the fact that hundreds of terrorists have been tried in the federal courts, convicted and sentenced to long terms, for reasons that escape me Congress is unwilling to allow our courts to proceed with what they have demonstrably been so capable of doing."

Congress and the White House have been at odds over detention policy ever since President Barack Obama was sworn in.

Many lawmakers have resisted the administration's efforts to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay and have opposed trying terror suspects in federal courts in the United States rather than by military commission. This latest round featured some Democrats, including Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin of Michigan and Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, supporting the measure while some Republicans and libertarian-leaning Republicans, including Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, opposed the legislation that the administration objected to.

___

Associated Press writer Donna Cassata contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111218/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_terrorism

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Golden Globe Nominations Led By 'The Artist'

Silent black-and-white film earns six nods, while 'The Descendants' and 'The Help' rack up five each.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Photo: Weinstein Company

The stars woke up early Thursday (December 15), hoping to hear their names when the nominations for the 69th annual Golden Globes were announced. Without many front-runners in the major categories, the Globe nominations gave one of the first serious indications of how the Academy Awards will play out in February. "The Artist," with six nominations, and "The Descendants" and "The Help," with five each, cemented their place at the top of the Best Picture race.

"The Artist," the silent, black-and-white tribute to old Hollywood, wowed audiences during the festival circuit and earned the most nods. In addition to its nomination for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, both Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo walked away with acting nominations for their mostly silent roles. Writer/director Michel Hazanavicius earned mentions for both of his duties on the film.

The big surprise from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association ended up being "Ides of March," the George Clooney-directed political drama that found mild success with critics but fell behind in the early weeks of awards season. It scored four nominations in all.

Also on the board with four total nominations was "Moneyball," the true-life drama about the changing world of baseball starring Brad Pitt. Pitt earned a nomination for Best Lead Actor - Drama, while co-star Jonah Hill earned a Supporting Actor nod. "Moneyball" also racked up nominations for Best Motion Picture - Drama and for the screenplay written by Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin.

Two of Hollywood's biggest stars repeated with two nominations in major categories. "The Ides of March" co-stars Ryan Gosling and Clooney both doubled up on awards. Gosling snagged leading actor nods in both the drama and comedy categories for "The Ides of March" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love," which surprised by not getting a Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy nomination. Clooney also walked away with two, one for his directing efforts with "The Ides of March" and one for his lead role in "The Descendants."

"Bridesmaids" earned a nomination in the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy category. Actress (and co-writer) Kristen Wiig scored a nomination for Best Actress - Musical or Comedy, but co-star Melissa McCarthy, the awards favorite from the film, failed to capture the HFPA's attention for Supporting Actress.

A potential awards dark horse, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" had gained some momentum with an extensive "For Your Consideration" ad campaign, but the HFPA didn't hand out any awards to the blockbuster series' final chapter, as some had predicted.

For television, the biggest story may be the shakeup in both of the Best Series categories. New series dominated both categories, taking up seven of the 10 spots with nominations for "American Horror Story," "Boss," "Game of Thrones," "Homeland," "Enlightened," "Episodes" and "New Girl." "Breaking Bad," a critical favorite, went unrecognized, aside from Bryan Cranston's lead actor nomination. Former awards mainstay "The Office" received no nominations.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676037/golden-globe-nominations-the-artist.jhtml

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