Wall Street climbs on economy bets as it looks past "cliff"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied on strong volume on Tuesday, capping off the S&P 500's best two-day run in a month, on confidence that a deal would be struck in Washington to avoid painful spending cuts and tax hikes that could hurt the economy. Banks, energy and technology - sectors that would benefit during economic expansion - led gains as investors remain confident that...

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Egypt opposition protests against constitution

CAIRO (Reuters) - Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi staged protests in Cairo on Tuesday against an Islamist-backed draft constitution that has divided Egypt but looks set to be approved in the second half of a referendum this weekend. Several hundred protesters outside the presidential palace chanted "Revolution, revolution, for the sake of the constitution" and called on...

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New Android botnet discovered across all major networks

A new Android spam botnet has been discovered across all major networks that sends thousands of text messages without a user’s permission, TheNextWeb reported. The threat, which is known at SpamSoldier, was detected on December 3rd by Lookout Security in cooperation with an unnamed carrier partner. The malware is said to spread through a collection of infected phones that send text messages, which...

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Gossip Girl's Costume Designer Recalls His Favorite Fashion Moments

Stylewatch Style News Now 12/18/2012 at 10:30 AM ET Giovanni Rufino/The CW; FameFlynetWhen asked about his favorite fashion moment in the series finale, Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman has two instant answers.“Serena descending the staircase in her gilded Georges Chakra wedding gown is a moment...

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Experts: Kids are resilient in coping with trauma

WASHINGTON (AP) — They might not want to talk about the gunshots or the screams. But their toys might start getting into imaginary shootouts.Last week's school shooting in Connecticut begs the question: What will be the psychological fallout for the children who survived?For people of any age, regaining a sense of security after surviving violence can take a long time. They're at risk for lingering...

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Optimism about "cliff" boost market; financials lead

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 ended at its highest level in almost two months on Monday on rising hopes that negotiations over the "fiscal cliff" were making progress and that a deal could be reached in days. After weeks of stalemate, President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner met at the White House on Monday, raising hopes that Washington will be able to...

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Clinton gets accountability report on Benghazi attacks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday received an official review of the September attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, setting the stage for testimony on an incident that prompted a political furor and sharp questions about security at U.S. diplomatic facilities overseas. The State Department said Clinton - who is convalescing after suffering...

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Cannibalization concerns ‘overblown’ as half of iPad mini sales go to new buyers

It has been widely reported that Apple’s (AAPL) iPad mini is cannibalizing sales of the company’s full-sized iPad. According to a new survey, however, nearly half of all recent iPad mini buyers are new to the platform, AppleInsider reported. The data comes from Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley, who said that while the smaller tablet is clearly cannibalizing some sales of the larger iPad, concerns...

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Connecticut Shooting: First Funerals Are Held for Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto

By Dahvi Shira 12/17/2012 at 03:20 PM EST Noah Pozner (left) and Jack Pinto AP; Landov Friends and family said goodbye on Monday to two of the 27 victims of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn.Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto, both 6, were the first laid to rest. "Today...

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Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

NEW YORK (AP) — While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.Asperger's is a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness."There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," said psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant...

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