Obama Should Have Gone Over the Fiscal Cliff

Heading into the holidays, most people in Washington expected President Obama to hold firm against Republican obstinacy and let the country go over the fiscal cliff. Obama had been handily reelected after campaigning to raise taxes on households making more than $ 250,000. Afterward, he kept campaigning. He didn’t just want to raise taxes. He also wanted to cut entitlement programs and resolve the...

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Survey: Small biz optimism rises despite ‘cliff’

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners were slightly more optimistic at the end of 2012 even as they awaited the outcome of negotiations in Congress over the “fiscal cliff.”That’s the finding of a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business, a lobbying group. The NFIB’s small-business-optimism index rose half a point from its level in November to 88. The index remains near its lowest...

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Wall Street dips as earnings season begins

A $20,000 diamond ring found in a tanning salon in St. Charles, Mo., appears to be at the center of a legal dispute over "finders keepers." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch attempts to explain murky statutes revolving around found property versus stealing. After Bonnie Land found the expensive ring and agreed to return it weeks later, she was arrested. She subsequently sued the ring's owner for $66,500...

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'Bama bashes Notre Dame 42-14 in BCS title game

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Barely taking time to celebrate their latest national championship, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide are ready to get back to work.That's how they make it look so easy.In what must be an increasingly frustrating scene for the rest of college football, another season ended with Saban and his players frolicking in the middle of a confetti-strewn field. Eddie Lacy ran...

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”Texas Chainsaw” movie kills rivals at North America box office

(Reuters) – The return of the bloody “Texas Chainsaw” franchise sliced up movie box office rivals with a surprise win over the weekend, grabbing an estimated $ 23 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales.The new “Texas Chainsaw 3D” pulled past Quentin Tarantino Western “Django Unchained,” the second place film from Friday through Sunday with $ 20 million. No. 3 movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”...

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Stock futures slip after stocks hit five-year high

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stock index futures fell on Monday, with markets expected to consolidate after the S&P 500 index closed at a five-year high on Friday.Last week was the best for U.S. stocks in more than a year as a budget deal and economic data boosted investor confidence.Financial shares will be in focus a day after global regulators gave banks four more years and greater flexibility to build...

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Heartland Payment Systems(R) Acquires Ovation Payroll to Position Heartland Payroll Services for Rapid Growth

PRINCETON, NJ–(Marketwire – Jan 7, 2013) – Heartland Payment Systems ( NYSE : HPY ), one of the nation’s largest payments processors, has expanded its Heartland Payroll Services business by acquiring Ovation Payroll, a leading U.S. payroll outsourcing company that offers payroll tax preparation and administration, Internet payroll reporting, direct deposit, and other services.Headquartered in Rochester,...

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Stocks dip at open after five-year high

DEAR ABBY: I spent the afternoon running errands. As I left the shopping center, I saw a young couple with a baby and a toddler holding a sign requesting help with food, as the husband had just been laid off. I drove past, then considered the children and circled back. I had no cash with me, so I stopped and offered them our family's dinner -- a jar of premium spaghetti sauce, a pound of fresh ground...

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Here come the big boys

Here come the big boys.The NFL's wild-card weekend is over, with nary an upset. Moving on are division winners Green Bay, Houston and Baltimore, along with NFC West runner-up Seattle and the only rookie quarterback still standing: Russell Wilson.Ahead are some daunting challenges as the Ravens visit Denver, the Texans go to New England, the Packers head to San Francisco and the Seahawks journey to...

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Storm over Depardieu's 'pathetic' move

STORY HIGHLIGHTSRussian President Vladimir Putin has bestowed Russian citizenship on actor Gérard DepardieuFor Depardieu, a public war of words erupted, with many in France disgusted by his moveDepardieu more than anyone, represents the Gallic spirit, says Agnes PoirierMajority of French people disapprove of his action but can't help loving him, she addsAgnes Poirier is a French journalist and political...

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