“Castle” star Nathan Fillion to preside over Writers Guild Awards show

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Pretend writer Nathan Fillion will help honor real writers on February 17, when he hosts the Writers Guild Awards West Coast show, the Writers Guild of America, West said Monday.Fillion, who plays a mystery novelist on ABC’s “Castle,” joked that he was “confused” when he was tapped for the hosting gig.“When I first accepted the honor of hosting the Writers Guild Awards,...

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Stock index futures trade flat to higher

LONDON (Reuters) – Stock index futures pointed to a flat-to-higher open on Wall Street on Wednesday, consolidating gains after the S&P 500′s best two-day run in a month.* Futures for the S&P 500 were unchanged, while Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 contracts rose 0.2 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, at 0924 GMT.* Japan’s Nikkei <.n225> jumped 2.4 percent to end above 10,000 for the first...

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Biggest Tax Relief for West? Falling Oil Prices

(New York Mercantile Exchange: @CL.1) could fall by more than $ 10 per barrel in 2013, boosting gross domestic product across the Western world, according to Henry Dixon, a founding member of investment firm Matterley.“The message we are getting from the futures market is that oil should be $ 10 to $ 15 lower,” Dixon told CNBC.“I think political tensions in Iran, and probably in Syria, will keep it...

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Stock futures set to gain for a third day, Oracle rallies

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures rose on Wednesday as the latest offers in ongoing U.S. budget negotiations underlined hopes for a deal, while technology shares were lifted by strong results from Oracle. The S&P 500 is on track to extend its best two-day run in a month, a sign that investors are looking past the "fiscal cliff," a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts many fear...

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Gun violence a 'national security issue'

An AR-15 style rifle is for sale at shop in Illinois. Peter Bergen says the founders did not envision weapons of this type while crafting the Second Amendment.STORY HIGHLIGHTSPeter Bergen: Gun violence is sometimes called a public health issue in the U.S.He says it also amounts to a national security issue, taking much larger toll than terrorismCivilians are more likely to get killed in some U.S....

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Ricky Gervais in negotiations for “The Muppets” sequel

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Ricky Gervais is in negotiations to star in “The Muppets” sequel at Disney, a representative for the actor told TheWrap.Ty Burrell was cast in the film earlier this month after Christoph Waltz dropped out.James Bobin, who directed the 2011 Muppets film, is directing the sequel, which he co-wrote with Nicholas Stoller.Filming is expected to begin in Europe early next year.The...

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Comet stores open for final day

18 December 2012 Last updated at 02:45 ETComet stores are to close their doors for the last time on Tuesday, bringing the failed electrical retailer’s 79-year history to an end.Of the 236 stores the firm presided over when it went into administration last month, only 49 are still open.On Monday, administrators Deloitte said unsecured creditors would get back less than 1% of the money owed to them.The...

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Parents await fate of four key tax breaks

As the countdown to a fiscal cliff reaches its final days, four key tax breaks for parents are hanging in the balance.Lawmakers and President Obama continue to butt heads about which tax cuts should be extended. And unless a deal is inked by the end of the year, the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Credit and the American Opportunity Credit will revert to lower...

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Stock futures gain on hopes for "fiscal cliff" deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures rose on Tuesday, indicating equities could extend a rally that took them to nearly two-month highs on growing optimism over a "fiscal cliff" deal. Stocks have struggled for direction in recent weeks, with investors reluctant to make big bets in the face of uncertainty over the cliff, a combination of steep tax hikes and spending cuts that could hurt...

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Boeheim wins 900th, appeals for action on firearms

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — With his wife, Juli, looking on at the postgame press conference and his young children close by, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim's final remarks were not about his milestone 900th career victory.Instead, he was thinking about two 6-year-old boys who were buried Monday, victims along with 18 other children and six adults in a shooting massacre last week at an elementary school in...

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