North Korea to target U.S. with nuclear, rocket tests

(Reuters) – North Korea said on Thursday it would carry out further rocket launches and a nuclear test that would target the United States, dramatically stepping up its threats against a country it called its “enemy”.

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Today was the 12th annual no pants subway ride held in NY. Apparently there is a group of people who meet up on trains, take their pants off, and act like nothing is wrong. Read More

Here is the 2012 video:

#NPSR is the hashtag they are using on twitter

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Police shot and critically wounded a gunman Saturday in a San Diego movie theater as more than a dozen moviegoers ducked for cover on the floor.

No moviegoers or officers were hurt in the shooting inside Reading Cinemas Carmel Mountain innorthern San Diego, officer David Stafford said.

The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to a hospital with several gunshot wounds and was expected to survive, Capt. Terry McManus told U-T San Diego. He became the target of an intense police search after witnesses reported seeing him confront his 19-year-old girlfriend at a parking lot across the street from a shopping plaza where the Cineplex is located.

Witnesses tried to intervene, but he threatened them with a gun and ran to the shopping plaza.

The owner of a business next to the Cineplex said police shut down the shopping center’s parking lot and stopped every car to look for the man. Officers with dogs checked each store, while a police helicopter hovered above.

“There were 20 police cars blocking the entrance, then the fire truck and the ambulance rushed in,”Steve Krongard, the owner of the Nickel City arcade, said. “Then we saw seven cops with what looked like rifles, then paramedics went into the theater.”

McManus said police turned their attention to the Cineplex when two women told officers the suspect they were looking for matched the description of someone they saw inside the Cineplex. Police searched theater by theater and evacuated moviegoers until two officers spotted him in a theater with about 15 others.

McManus told the paper that the man initially complied with officers’ order to put his hands up, but then he put them back in his lap and brandished a handgun. He said one of the officers opened fire.

The officers thought their lives were threatened, he said, “and more importantly, they thought the lives of others were in jeopardy.”

The theater’s manager told Krongard the shooting occurred during a screening of “Les Miserables.”

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The Obama administration ended speculation Saturday that it would mint a trillion-dollar platinum coin as a way to avoid the debt ceiling.

Treasury Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the agency wouldn’t mint one and the Federal Reserve would not accept the coin.

“Neither the Treasury Department nor the Federal Reserve believes that the law can or should be used to facilitate the production of platinum coins for the purpose of avoiding an increase in the debt limit,” he Coley said.

His statement was followed by one from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.

“There are only two options to deal with the debt limit: Congress can pay its bills or it can fail to act and put the nation into default,” Carney said.

Though the idea seemed far fetched when it recently resurfaced, the Obama administration appeared to add speculation by not dismissing the idea outright.

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via twitter:

#BREAKINGNEWS Report of shooting at Taft High School in city of Taft, Kern County. At least 1 victim, students being evacuated

TAFT HIGH UPDATE: Officials say at least 2 shot; shooter now in police custody

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) January 10, 2013

A Major Acquisition: Maybe, but, although I could have missed it, I didn’t see much pomp and circumstance, when Facebook swallowed Instagram for $1 billion. M&A would have to be huge. Like we’re buying Research in Motion (RIMM_) or something. Not going to happen. Zuckerberg didn’t get this far by being an idiot.

Second, there could be some seemingly low-level, but very meaningful M&A attached to mobile and mobile advertising. With or without an acquisition of, say, a Millennnial Media (MM_), expect Facebook to announce breakthroughs really soon — even if not at this event — on issues such as more precise targeting for advertisers, particularly via mobile platforms.

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Monday, January 7, 8:58 PM Sears Holdings (SHLD) gives an update to its Q4 and FY12 earnings guidance, saying it sees Q4 EPS coming in at around $1.25 – $2.00, beating consensus estimates of $0.86, on an adjusted EBITDA of $265M – $465M. FY12 EPS is expected to come in at a loss of between $1.16 and $1.92, beating consensus estimates for a loss of $2.66. Separately, the company annnounces that CEO Louis D’Ambrosio will step down due to family health matters at the end of the company’s fiscal year on February 2, 2013. Edward Lampert will assume the role of CEO, in addition to his role as chairman.

Source

Disclaimer: The author is long SHLD at time of post

$UA Downgraded to Equal-weight at Morgan Stanley

— Benzinga.com (@Benzinga) January 7, 2013

$AMZN Upgraded to Overweight at Morgan Stanley, $325 PT

— Benzinga.com (@Benzinga) January 7, 2013

$SCTY is going to go H.A.M. today.

upgraded @ GS to $18

upgraded @ BAC to $21

Upgraded by The Cajun at $13.

QCOM, MSFT, INTC, AMD, NVDA, T, P, AOL, SNE

BATON ROUGE, LA – The Mall of Louisiana was closed during a busy shopping time and evacuated after a fight broke out between dozens of young people Saturday evening.

EBRSO spokesperson Casey Rayborn-Hicks told WAFB-TV she’s not sure how many people were involved in the actual fight but up to ten people will face criminal charges.

Deputies were called to the food court area around 6 p.m. and said the troublemakers quickly dispersed to other areas of the mall. No injuries were reported though several ambulances were dispatched to the area and initial reports of shots fired were apparently incorrect.
However, at least one eyewitness reported a chaotic and scary scene in the second floor food court.

The woman, who asked WAFB-TV not to identify her, said she was in the food court with her young child in his stroller when a large fight erupted and people began jumping over and knocking down tables. She said she grabbed her son and tried frantically to exit.

Unchaperoned young people were brought to a couple of stores where parents were allowed to pick them up.

Traffic was sent out of the area with all lanes headed out and the exits to the mall being closed.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office responded at approximately 6:00 pm to the Mall of Louisiana in reference to a large fight involving juveniles in the food court area of the mall, as well as other areas outside the mall. Reportedly about 200 juveniles dispersed to various areas inside and outside of the mall. The mall is now reportedly closed, and deputies are investigating the incident.

SOURCE

Phones are down with all sorts of data issues.

Developing…

Update: NASDAQ Saying UTP SIP Investigating an Issue with Stale Data on the UQDF, UTDF Feeds Across Multiple Channels from benzinga

15 minute candlestick chart:

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) – Nine people were killed and at least 26 others injured on Sunday when a charter bus headed to Canada from Las Vegas skidded off an icy mountain highway and crashed down an embankment in northeastern Oregon.

The Oregon State Police said a preliminary investigation showed the charter bus, carrying about 40 people through the Blue Mountains en route to Vancouver, British Columbia, “lost control on the snow/ice covered westbound lanes of Interstate 84” near Pendleton.

The bus crashed through a guardrail alongside the road and went down an embankment of around 200 feet. Crews trained in rope rescue were needed to bring victims back up to the highway, police said.

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The newest James Bond installment has grossed more than $1 Billion dollars since opening up in Theaters. The third 007 movie featuring Daniel Craig, is also the third movie to hit the Billion dollar mark this year following behind comic book movies the Avengers and the Dark Knight Rises.

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One of the reporters who snuck out of Belize with John McAfee earlier this month said the adventure was “dangerous, amazing, touching, and many other adjectives that I cannot remember right now.”

Turns out that the words that eluded him were “rainy” and “lucky.”

On the day after Christmas, McAfee posted a long blog post describing how he gave Belizean authorities the slip and snuck out of the country to avoid questioning (and in his estimation, wrongful prosecution) following the murder of his neighbor, Greg Faull.

“It’s visually interesting and it is mostly a happy story — in line with most Christmas stories,” he wrote.

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December 20, 2012

Over the past week, we as Americans have been united in our grief as Newtown has laid to rest so many beautiful, innocent children, along with the heroic educators who worked every day to help them achieve their dreams.

As a mother of two young daughters, my heart aches for you and your families. Like so many Americans, I wish there were something – anything – I could do or say to ease your anguish.

But I know that I cannot begin to imagine the depths of your grief. I know that for many of you, the pain you are enduring right now seems unbearable; and many of you may be asking yourselves, how can we go on – as families and as a community?

Over the past week, I have been awed and inspired by Newtown’s heroes: the first responders who risked their lives at a moment’s notice; the educators whose devotion to their students shone brightest in one of our nation’s darkest hours; the children who comforted each other despite their fear; the families coming together to support each other as they grieve.

And I am so proud of the outpouring of love and support that has come from every corner of America: from first responders from neighboring cities rushing to help however they could; from people in Cleveland and Charlotte and Juneau and so many other communities joining together to honor Newtown with their thoughts and prayers; and in living rooms and houses of worship and the halls of our government, where we are beginning to have those difficult conversations about how we can build a safer, more peaceful tomorrow for all our children.

And I want you to know that this is just the beginning. As my husband has said, in the coming weeks, he will use all the powers of his office to engage citizens from across this country to find ways to prevent tragedies like this one. And please know that every minute of every day, we are thinking of you, and praying for you, and holding you and your families in our hearts as you begin the slow and wrenching work of healing and moving forward.

In the months and years ahead, may the memories of those beautiful children and those heroic adults be a blessing for their families, for your community, and for our country, and may God bless you all.

First Lady Michelle Obama, Washington DC

SOURCE