2013: A year for big issues in the courts

By Jeffrey Toobin, CNN Senior Legal AnalystDecember 27, 2012 -- Updated 1445 GMT (2245 HKT)Chief Justice John Roberts re-administers the oath of office to Barack Obama at the White House on January 21, 2009. STORY HIGHLIGHTSJeffrey Toobin: 2013 will see pivotal decisions in several key areas of lawHe says Supreme Court could decide fate of same-sex marriageAffirmative action for public college admissions...

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R&B singer Brandy engaged to music executive

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – R&B singer and actress Brandy Norwood is engaged to music executive Ryan Press, a spokeswoman for the singer said on Thursday.This will be the first marriage for the singer, who goes by the moniker Brandy. Press is an executive with music publisher Warner/Chappell Music. A date for the wedding has not been announced publicly.Norwood, 33, has a 10-year-old daughter with...

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How Often Do We Use Guns in Self-Defense?

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”If you had to sum up the National Rifle Association’s response to the Newtown (Conn.) school massacre, and to any proposal for tougher gun-control laws, that one sentence from the NRA’s Dec. 21 press conference pretty much does the trick.The gun owners’ lobby opposes restrictions on civilian acquisition and possession of firearms...

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FRO – Financial Calendar 2013

HAMILTON, BERMUDA–(Marketwire – Dec 28, 2012) – Frontline Ltd. plans to release its financial statements on the following dates in 2013:28 February 2013 – Preliminary fourth quarter and financial year 2012 results31 May 2013 – First quarter 2013 results30 August 2013 – Second quarter 2013 results29 November 2013 – Third quarter 2013 resultsPlease be advised that the dates are subject to change.Frontline...

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Stock futures fall ahead of "cliff" talks restart

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures fell on Friday, putting the benchmark S&P 500 index on track for a fifth straight decline as legislators prepared to resume talks to avoid the "fiscal cliff." President Barack Obama and lawmakers are launching a last round of talks before a New Year's cliff deadline, when a series of tax hikes and spending cuts that could send the economy into...

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Net loss: Brooklyn fires coach Avery Johnson

NEW YORK (AP) — Coach of the month in November, out of a job by New Year's.The Brooklyn Nets have elevated expectations this season, and a .500 record wasn't good enough. Coach Avery Johnson was fired Thursday, his team having lost 10 of 13 games after a strong start to its first season in Brooklyn."We don't have the same fire now than we did when we were 11-4," general manager Billy King said at...

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The forgotten victims of gun violence

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, center, and other area officials call for stronger gun regulations at a news conference last week.STORY HIGHLIGHTSWhile America was mourning Newtown victims, guns were claiming lives elsewhere in U.S.Authors: Media focus on mass shootings, but continuing violence also needs coverageThey say inner cities suffer an epidemic of gun killings, and young are particularly vulnerableAuthors:...

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Billy Crystal channels real-life role in “Parental Guidance”

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – After a decade away from the big screen, funnyman Billy Crystal has mined his real-life experiences as a grandfather and is back in the holiday season movie “Parental Guidance.”The film, which opened in U.S. theaters on Christmas, stars Crystal as a recently fired baseball announcer, who agrees to watch his three grandchildren with his wife (Bette Midler), while his daughter...

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America, Please End the Small-Minded Policy Blather

The United States is a country that likes to be taken seriously. It’s also a country that just spent upwards of an entire year and $ 5 billion on elections that achieved approximately nothing. While the politics industry was consumed by urgent, domestic concerns—can you believe that Mitt Romney wants an elevator for his cars?—one or two things were happening overseas. You know, meltdown in Europe....

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Mortgage rates inch downward at year’s end

Mortgage rates don’t seem poised to start the new year at record lows, but they’ll be close enough to the bottom.30 year fixed rate mortgage – 3 month trend30 year fixed rate mortgage – 3 month trendThe benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.59 percent from 3.62 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders. The mortgages in this week’s survey had an average total...

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