Hall of Fame pitches a shutout: No players elected

Steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa have been denied entry to baseball's Hall of Fame with voters failing to elect any candidates for only the second time in four decades. (Jan. 9) ...

Read More..

Venezuela court endorses Chavez inauguration delay

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's top court endorsed the postponement of Hugo Chavez's inauguration this week and ruled on Wednesday that the cancer-stricken president and his deputy would continue in their roles, despite a cacophony of opposition complaints. Critics had argued the 58-year-old's absence from his own swearing-in ceremony on January 10 meant a caretaker president must be...

Read More..

Wall Street slips as earnings season gets under way

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Tuesday, retreating from last week's rally on the "fiscal cliff" deal in Washington, as companies started to report results for the fourth quarter. After a 4.3 percent jump in the two sessions around the close of the fiscal cliff negotiations, the S&P has declined a bit, with investors finding few catalysts to extend the rally that took the benchmark...

Read More..

Saban quickly turns to challenges of 2013 season

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It's becoming a familiar January scene for Nick Saban.The Alabama coach plastered a smile on his face for a series of posed photos next to the various trophies awarded to college football's national champions and then proceeded to talk about the challenges facing his team.Maybe Saban let the Gatorade dry from the celebratory drenching before thinking about the 2013 season....

Read More..

It’s Official: 2012 Smashes Record for Warmest Year in US

With weather records last year out the wazoo, it’s perhaps no surprise that 2012 has been officially named the warmest year on record in the contiguous United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today (Jan. 8).In November, when temperature trends showed October to be the fifth warmest across the globe since record keeping began in the 1880s, climate scientists...

Read More..

Iran faces oil revenue problem

By John Defterios, CNNJanuary 8, 2013 -- Updated 1535 GMT (2335 HKT)With elections in June, it remains unclear how energy policy will evolve after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's eraSTORY HIGHLIGHTSThe IEA has suggested Iraq surpassed Iran in output for the first time in over 20 yearsThe Iranian people are faced with spiralling inflation and job layoffs within the state sectorIranian oil revenues...

Read More..

Quinn throws Hail Mary on pension reform

Chicago Tribune political editor reports on Gov. Pat Quinn's pension reform efforts. SPRINGFIELD --- The Illinois House adjourned...

Read More..

U.S. does not rule out complete pullout from Afghanistan after 2014

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration does not rule out a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan after 2014, the White House said on Tuesday, just days before President Barack Obama is due to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The comments by U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes were the first signal that, despite initial recommendations by the top...

Read More..

Wall Street edges off five-year high, awaits earnings

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks lost ground on Monday, as investors drew back from recent gains that lifted the S&P 500 to a five-year high, in anticipation of sluggish growth in corporate profits. Shares of financial companies dipped after a group of major U.S. banks agreed to pay a total of $8.5 billion to end a government inquiry into faulty mortgage foreclosures. The KBW bank index...

Read More..

Love 'em or hate 'em, all eyes on Tide and Irish

MIAMI (AP) — Love 'em or hate 'em, it's hard to turn away from Notre Dame and Alabama.They are storied programs that stir plenty of passions, college football's North and South versions of the New York Yankees.Well, now they're facing each other for the biggest prize of all.A national championship."Having those two traditions come together in a game like this certainly creates a lot of national interest,"...

Read More..