26 dead in Madagascar violence

Protesters rally Saturday before violence broke out near the Presidential Palace.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the leaders of Madagascar to resolve their differences after an anti-government rally a day earlier turned violent and left more than two dozen people dead.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban deplored the violence and called Sunday on authorities “to urgently initiate a fair process by which those responsible will be brought to justice.” Ban also blamed the “tragedy” on a “lack of restraint on all sides.” “The Secretary-General calls upon all concerned parties to resolve their differences through peaceful and democratic means and through the exercise of responsible leadership,” according to the statement. A police official said the death toll from Saturday’s violence outside the Presidential Palace in the capital city of Antananarivo had risen to 26. More than 80 were injured during the demonstration, officials said. The capital city was quiet as mourners attended a public ceremony for the dead. The violence stemmed from an ongoing dispute over who is in charge of the government.

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23 killed in protest

Andry Rajoelina, the mayor of Antananarivo, took to the streets one week ago, declaring himself the Indian Ocean island nation’s leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300. Watch an iReport on the Madagascar violence » But President Marc Ravalomanana has fired him and put someone else in the mayoral job. Rajoelina had called the rally to unveil his new government at the May 13th Plaza, according to Brittany Martin, an American citizen who is a Harvard Fellow and lives in Antananarivo. Martin said the rally was peaceful in the morning hours of Saturday, until gunshots rang out in the afternoon after the protesters marched from the plaza to the palace. She said it was unclear where the shots were coming from. Some media reports blamed foreign mercenaries for the shootings; others said army guards were responsible or that the army was firing at the mercenaries to protect the crowd. Violence in Madagascar began January 26, when protesters stormed state-run television and radio stations in Antananarivo. Hours earlier, the government had shut down a radio station owned by Rajoelina and, weeks ago, had similarly shut down Rajoelina’s television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka. See pictures from last week’s upheaval » Ravalomanana took power in 2001 after ousting Ratsiraka in a tense, hotly contested election. Ratsiraka fled to France afterward. Loyalists blame Ratsiraka’s family members for inciting the recent trouble. Anger has risen in Madagascar, where the World Bank says the average person earns about $320 a year, over reports that Ravalomanana recently bought a $60 million airplane.

Rajoelina has urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government could be established in the nation off Africa’s southeastern coast. Map » “What we’ve been pushing for is dialogue the whole time,” said Rodney Ford, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy. He said he had received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try and disperse the crowd.

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Obama’s inaugural speech

In his speech Tuesday, President Obama said America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and the nation’s first African-American president Tuesday. This is a transcript of his prepared speech.

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. Watch the full inauguration speech » These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

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Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

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For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do. Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world … that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive… that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].” America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

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LAPD searching for R&B singer Brown

Chris Brown attends a party saluting music producer Clive Davis in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday.
Singer Chris Brown, a no-show for Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, is sought by Los Angeles police after an alleged domestic violence incident.

Brown was scheduled to perform at the nationally televised awards show. He had been nominated for two Grammys. His girlfriend, singer Rihanna, abruptly canceled her planned Grammys performance, but neither her spokesman nor the show organizers gave a reason. “We have just been informed that Chris Brown will not be attending tonight’s 51st Annual Grammy Awards,” the Recording Academy, which presents the Grammys, said in a statement issued after the show was under way. “We’re sorry he is unable to join us this evening.” Executives with Brown’s record label who were at the Grammy Awards told CNN they knew nothing about the incident and declined further comment. “Rihanna is well,” her spokesman said in a written statement. “Thank you for concern and support.” Police have not identified the alleged victim, who they said “suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker.” Brown, 19, and Rihanna, 20, were seen together Saturday night at a pre-Grammys dinner at the Beverly Hills Hilton, about five miles from where police said the alleged incident happened at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. LAPD Officer Karen Smith confirmed police were looking for Brown, but would not say if the officers were looking for him at the awards show.

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Brown did not make a red carpet arrival and was not seen by reporters at the show nearly an hour after the national broadcast began. The introduction to the CBS broadcast, apparently pre-taped, listed both Brown and Rihanna as performers. The police statement said Brown and a woman were in a vehicle near Hollywood’s Hancock Park when “they became involved in an argument.” “After stopping his car, Brown and the woman got out and the argument escalated,” police said. After receiving a 911 call at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, officers found the woman at the scene of the alleged fight, but Brown had left, the department said. Investigators were treating the incident as a possible felony battery case, police said. Brown was nominated for two Grammys this year, including in the best male R&B vocal performance category for his song “Take You Down.” He also shares a best pop collaboration with vocals nomination with Jordin Sparks for “No Air.”

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Coldplay wins song of the year

Jennifer Hudson won a Grammy for best R&B album. The singer is also scheduled to perform.
Coldplay won the first of the Grammy Awards’ big three honors Sunday evening, taking home song of the year — a songwriters’ honor — for "Viva La Vida," from the band’s album of the same name.

“Thank you and sorry to Sir Paul McCartney for blatantly recycling the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ outfits,” the band’s Will Champion said, noting the group’s colorful attire. “Viva La Vida” is also up for the other two major honors, record of the year and album of the year. Earlier in the show, one big-voiced vocalist honored another as Whitney Houston presented Jennifer Hudson with the first Grammy Award of the evening, for best R&B album. “I’d like to thank my family in heaven and those who are here today,” she said, her voice catching. “Everybody, thank you all,” she concluded. Hudson’s mother and brother were murdered last October. Sugarland won best country duo or group performance with vocals for “Stay.” Backed by a giant screen proclaiming, “Let me in the sound” and other lyrics, U2 kicked off the 51st annual music awards with a rousing rendition of the band’s new single, “Get On Your Boots.” Despite her pregnancy, M.I.A. was determined to make the Grammys. The vocalist, whose “Paper Planes” is up for record of the year, is ready to give birth. In fact, her due date was Sunday, but she walked the red carpet, looking dazzling in a blue patterned dress that couldn’t help but show off her very pregnant form. “It’s working its way down right now,” she told CNN, patting her belly. “I’m taking it 10 minutes by 10 minutes by 10 minutes.” Given the happy circumstances, she considers herself a winner either way, she said. Watch M.I.A. talk about her music and her work » There were already quite a number of people with awards. The Grammys have more than 100 categories, and most honors are given out before the show. A few went to some of the most notable nominees. Lil’ Wayne, who received the most nominations with eight, won Grammys for best rap performance and best rap song. Coldplay, which earned seven nominations, won best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals. Both artists are up for album of the year. George Carlin won best comedy album Grammy for “It’s Bad for Ya,” a recording of his last HBO special. It was the late comedian’s fifth Grammy Award. His daughter, Kelly, accepted on his behalf, saying she’d take better care of it than Carlin did with his first Grammy — which was taken apart in a “chemically induced, altered state,” she said. Other winners included Alicia Keys, B.B. King and R&B singer Ne-Yo.

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Ne-Yo said he didn’t have a speech prepared for any awards he wins on the broadcast. “That would assume victory,” he told CNN on the red carpet, impishly showing his “if-anybody-but-Ne-Yo-wins face.” The Grammys this year are notable for the vast number of live performances — 24, according to reports. Among them is Hudson, who sang “Holly Holy” Friday at the special show for the MusiCares Person of the Year, Neil Diamond. She is scheduled to sing an emotional ballad, “You Pulled Me Through,” on the show. However, two scheduled performers — Rihanna and Chris Brown — pulled out of the performance. Los Angeles police were looking for Brown after receiving an early-morning domestic violence report. Authorities say Brown and a woman were involved in an argument in a vehicle. After stopping his car, the argument escalated when Brown stopped the car and the woman got out, the Los Angeles Police Department said, citing the victim’s account. A representative for Brown at the ICM agency in Los Angeles could not immediately be reached for comment. Though the performances are often praised, the Grammys have been frequently mocked for their middle-of-the-road honors. However, there will certainly be many chances for the Grammys to give awards to both popular and relatively cutting-edge performers. Rapper Lil’ Wayne received eight nominations, including album of the year for his “Tha Carter III.” Coldplay earned seven nods, including album of the year for “Viva La Vida” and record of the year for the title track. Among others with multiple nominations are Ne-Yo, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Alison Krauss, Robert Plant, Radiohead and newcomer Jazmine Sullivan. Blender’s Joe Levy said this year’s album of the year category — which also includes Plant and Krauss’ “Raising Sand,” Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” and Ne-Yo’s “Year of the Gentleman” — looks to be competitive. Even if the award goes to Plant and Krauss’ minimalist, T Bone Burnett-produced album — the “adult” favorite — it’s still OK, says Levy.

“Raising Sand” is “a classy grown-up record — a subdued sound, and if that wins album of the year, then, you know what The dude from Led Zeppelin won album of the year,” Levy said. “The people at the Grammys are trying to figure out how to be classy and grown up, but still cool.”

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Grammys hoping to hit some high notes


For M.I.A., the show must go on.

The vocalist, whose “Paper Planes” is up for record of the year, is ready to give birth. In fact, her due date was Sunday, but she was on the red carpet, looking dazzling in a blue patterned dress that couldn’t help but show off her very pregnant form. “It’s working its way down right now,” she told CNN, patting her belly. “I’m taking it 10 minutes by 10 minutes by 10 minutes.” Given the happy circumstances, she considers herself a winner either way, she said. Watch M.I.A. talk about her music and her work » The Grammy winners themselves — a handful, anyway — will be announced on the broadcast for the 51st annual Grammy Awards, which airs at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. But though the broadcast is still to come, there are already quite a number of people with awards. The Grammys have more than 100 categories, and most honors are given out before the show. George Carlin won best comedy album Grammy for “It’s Bad for Ya,” a recording of his last HBO special. It was the late comedian’s fifth Grammy Award. His daughter, Kelly, accepted on his behalf, saying she’d take better care of it than Carlin did with his first Grammy — which was taken apart in a “chemically induced, altered state,” she said. Other winners included the film “Juno,” which won best compilation soundtrack; Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, who won best motion picture song for “Down to Earth” from the film “WALL-E”; and R&B singer Ne-Yo, who won two awards.

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Ne-Yo said he didn’t have a speech prepared for any awards he wins on the broadcast. “That would assume victory,” he told CNN on the red carpet, impishly showing his “if-anybody-but-Ne-Yo-wins face.” The biggest awards — record of the year, song of the year, album of the year and best new artist, among a handful of others — still await. As usual, the Grammys will be laden with star power. This year’s Grammy performers include Paul McCartney (with the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl backing him on drums), U2, Coldplay, Grammy nominations leader Lil’ Wayne, Radiohead, Kenny Chesney and Justin Timberlake. Jennifer Hudson, who sang “Holly Holy” Friday at the special show for the MusiCares Person of the Year, Neil Diamond, is scheduled to sing an emotional ballad, “You Pulled Me Through,” on the show. Among the presenters: Craig Ferguson, Sheryl Crow, Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow (wife of Coldplay singer/pianist Chris Martin) and Al Green. However, two scheduled performers — Rihanna and Chris Brown — had to pull out due to an alleged domestic violence incident. Los Angeles police were looking for Brown after receiving an early-morning domestic violence report. Authorities say Brown and a woman were involved in an argument in a vehicle. After stopping his car, the argument escalated when Brown stopped the car and the woman got out, the Los Angeles Police Department said, citing the victim’s account. A representative for Brown at the ICM agency in Los Angeles could not immediately be reached for comment. Though the performances are often praised, the Grammys have been frequently mocked for their middle-of-the-road honors. However, there will certainly be many chances for the Grammys to give awards to both popular and relatively cutting-edge performers. Rapper Lil’ Wayne received eight nominations, including album of the year for his “Tha Carter III.” Coldplay earned seven nods, including album of the year for “Viva La Vida” and record of the year for the title track. Among others with multiple nominations are Ne-Yo, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Alison Krauss, Robert Plant, Radiohead and newcomer Jazmine Sullivan. Blender’s Joe Levy said this year’s album of the year category — which also includes Plant and Krauss’ “Raising Sand,” Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” and Ne-Yo’s “Year of the Gentleman” — looks to be competitive. Even if the award goes to Plant and Krauss’ minimalist, T Bone Burnett-produced album — the “adult” favorite — it’s still OK, says Levy. “Raising Sand” is “a classy grown-up record — a subdued sound, and if that wins album of the year, then, you know what The dude from Led Zeppelin won album of the year,” Levy said. “The people at the Grammys are trying to figure out how to be classy and grown up, but still cool.” The big awards feature artists from many genres. Aside from Coldplay, nominees for record of the year are Adele’s “Chasing Pavements,” Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” and Plant and Krauss’ “Please Read the Letter.” The nominees for song of the year, a songwriters’ award, include “American Boy,” popularized by Estelle featuring Kanye West; “Chasing Pavements,” whose hit version was performed by Adele; “I’m Yours,” written and performed by Jason Mraz; “Love Song,” written and performed by Sara Bareilles; and Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” written by the band. Despite all his nominations, Lil’ Wayne has low expectations of winning. “Do I think I’m going to win any No,” he said in a recent video blog, according to the Canadian Press. “Because you know politics. I think they think it’s just enough to nominate me or something.”

Levy, too, is trying to keep his expectations low — though he still hopes for some big moments. “If anyone can have an evening packed with musical excitement and dull the excitement … it’s NARAS,” he said, referring to The Recording Academy, the organization that oversees the awards. “[But] they’re trying to make a case this year that something exciting is going on. So they packed it with performers, young and old. Anything that features Miley Cyrus and U2 is definitely casting a wide net, but I think it could be a good one.”

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More turning to Web to watch TV, movies

Users watched more than 24 million videos on Hulu.com in December, a record for the fledgling company.
When Corey Wynsma’s wife got laid off a few months ago from her graphic design job, the couple did an inventory of their household budget.

Cable TV seemed like an obvious luxury. So the couple, who live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, canceled their cable service and found another way to keep up with their favorite shows: on the Internet. “We were already consuming a good portion of content online, and a quick survey of media sites allowed us to determine if those shows we were most interested in watching could be found online,” Corey Wynsma said. “In almost each case, the answer was yes.” Rick Wampler, a technician for Cirque du Soleil in Orlando, Florida, came to the same realization when he dropped his cable subscription three months ago. Cost was a major factor, and Wampler wanted more control over the services he was paying for, he said. As more Americans get used to watching video on their computers, more Web sites are popping up to offer free movies and TV shows. Consumers are taking advantage of this to eliminate cable or satellite TV and integrate their home entertainment with the Web. And online video viewership is skyrocketing. How to watch TV on the Internet » Internet users in the United States watched a record 14.3 billion online videos in December, an increase of 13 percent over the previous month, according to comScore, an Internet marketing research firm. Popular site YouTube led the growth charge, accounting for almost half the incremental gain in videos viewed.

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Internet TV services such as Hulu, Joost and Veoh also are feeding off a new generation of tech-savvy users in search of cheap access to video content. Add to the mix players such as Netflix — whose Roku set-top box offers more than 12,000 streaming videos and who is teaming with LG Electronics to embed new TVs with the service — and there’s enough online TV options to justify a subscription-free lifestyle. Web TV content remains limited, however. Although Joost and Hulu might show your favorite ABC reality series or reruns of “The Simpsons,” the sites won’t be streaming NFL playoff games or new episodes of hit shows such as “Entourage.” For people used to a large TV with surround sound, watching movies on an 11-inch computer screen could be an unsatisfying viewing experience. And technical problems persist. Wampler, the Cirque du Soleil technician, had trouble keeping up with the presidential election results on his computer in November. “It was difficult to watch the presidential votes come in” because the live streams on several news sites were jerky and intermittent, he said. “Since I am on a cable modem service, my download speed is dependent on how many other people are also on the Internet at the same time.” Ronald Lewis, a Denver, Colorado-based technology adviser, believes that most Americans aren’t prepared to watch TV on their computers. “Broadband adoption is still ongoing in America, which means there are many people without access to the pipes, which will drive these [Internet TV] services,” he said. “Many consumers aren’t interested in consuming long-form video services on their PCs. They expect a TV-like experience. Except for the tech-savvy and resourceful among us, it’s not widely accessible.” The brutal economy may motivate some consumers, like the Wynsmas, to switch to Web-based TV, but it won’t necessarily hurt the cable or satellite TV business, which has historically been recession-proof. “Consumers continue to find their TV sets a reliable and comforting companion in difficult times,” said Robert Mercer, a spokesman for DirecTV. Mercer said the satellite TV service showed strong customer growth and low disconnects through the third quarter of last year, and he expected that trend to continue through early 2009 despite the economic climate. “The cable companies have invested billions of dollars to expand the footprint and reach of their services, and it will require a similar investment by the [Internet Protocol Television] players to catch up,” said Lewis, the technology consultant. “The IPTV players are in a great position to wage an all-out war for eyeballs over the next six to 10 years,” he added. “The future of TV is definitely IP, but it will take some time to get there.” iReport.com: Are you watching more TV online Data show that increasing numbers of people relying on the Internet for at least some of their TV viewing. Users watched more than 24 million videos on Hulu in December, a record for the fledgling company. And Joost users viewed 818,000 hours of video in January, up 25 percent from the previous month, a spokesman said. A recent survey of 3,000 prime-time TV watchers by Integrated Media Measurements Inc., an audience tracker, found that 20 percent watched some TV online. Don’t think cable companies haven’t taken notice. Comcast launched Fancast, its online TV player, last year to show such hit shows as “CSI: Miami” and “30 Rock.” “We embrace the online world as much as the offline world,” said Mary Nell Westbrook, senior director of consumer communications for Comcast.

But one thing is certain: The landscape is shifting. And Internet TV services believe that time is on their side. “The Internet as a TV provider is in its infancy,” said Mike Volpi, CEO of Joost. “We believe that [in the future,] the majority of TV will be viewed over the Internet. It’s mostly cost, but it’s also convenience. People want to be able to travel and move about while watching TV.”

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Stimulus will lead to ‘disaster,’ Republican warns

The country will
Leading Republicans warned Sunday that the Obama administration’s $800 billion-plus economic stimulus effort will lead to what one called a "financial disaster."

“Everybody on the street in America understands that,” said Sen. Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee. “This is not the right road to go. We’ll pay dearly.” Shelby, of Alabama, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the package and efforts to shore up the struggling banking system will put the United States on “a road to financial disaster.” But Lawrence Summers, the head of the administration’s National Economic Council, said Republicans have lost their credibility on the issue. “Those who presided over the last eight years — the eight years that brought us to the point where we inherit trillions of dollars of deficit, an economy that’s collapsing more rapidly than at any time in the last 50 years — don’t seem to me in a strong position to lecture about the lessons of history,” Summers told ABC’s “This Week.” President Barack Obama, his advisers and the Democratic leaders of Congress argue the roughly $830 billion measure will help pull the U.S. economy out of its current skid. Much of the package involves infrastructure spending, long-term energy projects and aid to cash-strapped state and local governments. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported last week that the measure is likely to create between 1.3 million and 3.9 million jobs by the end of 2010, lowering a projected unemployment rate of 8.7 percent by up to 2.1 percentage points.

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But the CBO warned the long-term effect of that much government spending over the next decade could “crowd out” private investment, lowering long-term economic growth forecasts by 0.1 percent to 0.3 percent by 2019. Watch South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford warn of “disastrous consequences » In a concession to Republicans, about a third of the bill involves tax cuts. But the measure is expected to have only minimal GOP support when it goes to a scheduled vote early this week. The version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives had no Republican votes. “We need to spend money on infrastructure and on other programs that will immediately put people to work. But this is not it,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, last year’s GOP presidential nominee. Senators reached a tentative agreement Friday on a compromise bill largely negotiated by a handful of moderate Republicans whose votes are needed to prevent a filibuster. But McCain told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the package should have been about half the size of the one now before senators, and should be balanced between tax cuts and spending. “We’re going to amass the largest debt in the history of this country, by any measurement, and we’re going to ask our kids and grandkids to pay for it,” he said. The stimulus bill includes about $45 billion in transportation spending, much of which can be spent on projects “that can be implemented immediately,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told CNN. LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Illinois, said he would talk to his former colleagues on Capitol Hill “and do all that I can to persuade them that this bill really will put people to work.” He said he invited state transportation chiefs to Washington for a Wednesday meeting on how to create jobs using funding from the stimulus bill. “There aren’t going to be any boondoggles. This money will be spent correctly, by the book, with no shortcuts,” LaHood said. The administration is also readying a second phase of the financial bailout program launched by the Bush administration last fall. Shelby said Obama and his advisers need to address the staggering problems in the U.S. banking system first. “Until we straighten out our banking system, until there is trust in our banking system, until there’s investment there, this economy is going to continue to tank,” he said. Shelby also has been critical of other efforts by the federal government to help the struggling economy, including legislation that would have provided a bailout to the auto industry.

But Sen. Kent Conrad, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, told CBS the current recession — which has already produced an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent — is in danger of a deep downturn “like we saw in the Great Depression.” “If there is a failure to give a significant boost to this economy, this crisis will only deepen and become far more serious,” said Conrad, D-North Dakota.

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Debate on stimulus package to resume Monday

GOP Sens. Arlen Specter and Susan Collins leave a meeting Friday night in Sen. Harry Reid's office.
U.S. senators spent part of Saturday debating the massive economic recovery package after a group of lawmakers reached a compromise agreement that trimmed billions in spending from an earlier version.

The senators debated from noon to about 3:45 p.m. ET and will return Monday afternoon for more discussion. A vote could come Tuesday on the plan, which President Obama has touted as a tonic for the nation’s badly battered economy. However, there were strong opinions on both sides of the debate. “If you knew a bill in the U.S. Senate would cause a recession in 10 years, would you support it” asked Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona. “That’s what the Congressional Budget Office, the bipartisan office that supports our efforts in the Congress, says about this legislation. … There will be negative [gross domestic product] in this decade as a result of this legislation.” Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, told opponents of the bill to “get over it.” “Come and talk to us. Come and work with us,” Boxer said. “This election was about change, not the same old trickle-down tax cuts that don’t work. Yes, there’s 42 percent tax cuts in this bill. … That’s not enough for my friends on the other side. They want it all tax cuts, or most tax cuts. … We tried it; it didn’t work; it’s gotten us where we are today.” The compromise agreement was reached Friday after days of private meetings between centrist Democrats and Republicans who felt that the $900 billion price tag on the Senate’s earlier version was too high. Senate Democratic leaders are so confident the package will hold that Democratic staffers in the House and Senate are not waiting for the final Senate vote to hash out differences between their two bills, according to a Senate Democratic leadership source, who said behind-the-scenes negotiations were under way Saturday. Watch how the senators spent their Saturday » Senators had trimmed the plan to $780 billion in tax cuts and spending on infrastructure, housing and other programs that would create or save jobs. “We trimmed the fat, fried the bacon and milked the sacred cows,” said Sen. Ben Nelson, a Democrat, as debate began Friday.

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However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s spokesman Jim Manley said the deal will ultimately include two amendments that have already passed with broad support: a $15,000 tax credit for 2009 homebuyers and a tax deduction for those who purchase a new car. Those two measures bring the total to $827 billion. The key vote will still be on the $780 billion package, with a final vote to come on the package plus the amendments later. See how the House and Senate versions stack up » Several senators said the compromise agreement axed money for school construction and nearly $90 million for fighting pandemic flu, among other things. A $7 billion item for energy-efficient federal buildings was cut in half. A Democratic leadership aide said a $55 million item for historic preservation was eliminated entirely, as was $122 million for U.S. Coast guard polar icebreakers and cutters. Watch how close Senators are to a final deal » The remaining spending includes more than $76 billion for education, including college Pell grants and help for states struggling to pay for their schools, $43 billion in transportation infrastructure and more than $3 billion for job training, according to the office of a senator involved in negotiations. Tax cuts include incentives for small businesses, a one-year fix of the unpopular alternative-minimum tax and tax cuts for low-and-middle-income families, said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the most prominent Republican negotiator in the bipartisan talks. “Our country faces a grave economic crisis, and the American people want us to work together,” she said. “They don’t want to see us dividing along partisan lines on the most serious crisis facing our country.” Putting more pressure on senators to act was news Friday that employers slashed another 598,000 jobs off U.S. payrolls in January, pushing the unemployment rate to 7.6 percent. See where jobs could be created » “On the day when we learned 3.6 million people have lost their jobs since this recession began, we are pleased the process is moving forward and we are closer to getting Americans a plan to create millions of jobs and get people back to work,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. The Senate began considering amendments to the plan shortly before 10 p.m. Friday and adjourned about 12:40 a.m. Saturday. Although Democrats appeared to believe that they had enough Republican support to push the compromise plan through, most GOP members still were speaking out against the plan, saying spending is not the answer to cure economic woes.

“This is not bipartisan,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona. “If this legislation is passed, it’ll be a very bad day for America.” If the package passes the Senate, yet another compromise — between the House and Senate versions — must be hammered out before the legislation is sent to Obama to sign. Obama has said he would like to sign the stimulus by Presidents Day, February 16.

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Eto’o scores twice as Barcelona march on

Samuel Eto'o scored his 20th and 21st goals of the season as Barcelona defeated Sporting Gijon 3-1.
Barcelona continued their march towards the Spanish Primera Liga title as Samuel Eto’o scored twice in their 3-1 home victory over Sporting Gijon — a result that moves them once again 12 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the table.

Eto’o scored his opener in the 23rd minute when he tapped home Thierry Henry’s cross, after Andres Iniesta had carried the ball with pace from his own half. The Cameroon striker added his 21st goal of the season, four clear of nearest top scorer challenger David Villa on 17, when he smashed a Lionel Messi pass into the top corner with five minutes of the first half remaining. Brazilian Dani Alves added a third in the second half as Barcelona eased to their 10th successive league win, before Gijon midfielder Kike Mateo trimmed Barcelona’s lead with a low shot from the edge of the area. Eto’o was denied his hat-trick when he struck the post, while Henry spurned several chances to also find the scoresheet.

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Meanwhile, new Atletico Madrid coach Abel Resino made a winning debut as his side defeated Recreativo Huelva 3-0 to record their first victory in 2009. Resino replaced Javier Aguirre this week and the change had the desired effect as Atletico closed to within two points of fourth-placed Valencia. Sergio Aguero scored after just two minutes and Diego Forlan hit a quick-fire brace to wrap up the points. Villarreal stay two points ahead of Atletico in fifth after a 2-1 triumph over Numancia, with Giuseppe Rossi netting both the goals.

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Obama team works to define U.S. strategy in Afghanistan

President Obama says he is sending an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
When U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks, then-President Bush said the goal in Afghanistan was "to build a flourishing democracy as an alternative to a hateful ideology."

Seven years, billions of dollars and hundreds of U.S. casualties later, the goals are more pragmatic and modest. The Obama administration’s new special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, offered an understatement at the ceremony naming him to the post, telling the audience, “Nobody can say the war in Afghanistan has gone well.” Violence in Afghanistan is up. The Taliban continues to make a comeback and President Hamid Karzai is struggling to control the country, which with a rampant drug trade, threatens to turn into a narco-state. President Obama has called Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan the “central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism.” Watch what’s ahead for Afghanistan » But even as he promises to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, a robust debate in Washington has begun about what the U.S. should try to achieve in a country that due to 2,000 years of conflict has been called the “graveyard of empires.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry lamented that the U.S. has forgotten that its goal in Afghanistan was to fight al Qaeda and get Osama bin Laden.

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“It was not to adopt the 51st state of the United States. It was not to try to impose a form of government, no matter how much we believe in it and support it, but that is the mission, at least, as it is being defined today,” Kerry said during Hillary Clinton’s confirmation hearing for her post as secretary of state. Kerry warned that the U.S. risks getting bogged down in Afghanistan as it did in Vietnam — parallels also drawn in the U.S. media. The administration is conducting reviews of its policy in Afghanistan, including one by Gen. David Petraeus, the American commander in the region. The objective is simple: Define what the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan should be. Defense Secretary Robert Gates cautions that goals have been too broad and need to be need to be more “realistic and limited,” or the U.S. risks failure. “If we set ourselves the objective of creating some sort of central Asian Valhalla over there, we will lose, because nobody in the world has that kind of time, patience and money, to be honest,” Gates told senators, calling for more concrete objectives that can be achieved in the next three to five years. Obama seemed to signal a more modest approach, defining the mission as limited solely to stabilizing Afghanistan. “What we can do is make sure that Afghanistan is not a safe haven for al Qaeda. What we can do is make sure that it is not destabilizing neighboring Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons,” Obama told NBC News. “We are not going to be able to rebuild Afghanistan into a Jeffersonian democracy.” At a minimum, the U.S. must help the Afghan government curb corruption and extend its authority to establish rule of law. That means a hefty component of civilian assistance. The U.S. will increase development efforts and aid to strengthen the Afghan government, including additional nonmilitary aid for education, infrastructure, human services and alternative livelihoods for farmers to turn away from narcotics. Part of the U.S. strategy will repeat the tactics used to help Iraq’s “Sunni Awakening,” in which Sunni tribal leaders united to fight insurgents and maintain security. In Afghanistan, the U.S. will look for opportunities to engage with tribal and regional leaders, including those who might have been affiliated with or joined forces with the Taliban, insurgents Petraeus refers to as the “reconcilable Taliban.” For nuclear power Pakistan, extremists along its turbulent border with Afghanistan present an even greater threat to U.S. national security. As he heads out next week for his first trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, Holbrooke will seek to develop a regional approach to curbing extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan as he did in the 1990s in the Balkans, which had a similar mix of different histories, cultures and traditions. Holbrooke is expected to put more pressure on Karzai, amid a growing impatience with his inability to extend his authority, clamp down on corruption and deliver services to his people. Officials say there is a willingness to withhold U.S. aid if he doesn’t deliver. In Pakistan, Holbrooke will seek stronger cooperation from the government of Asif Ali Zardari to crack down on extremists along the Afghan border and in the tribal areas seen as sympathetic to the Taliban and al Qaeda. Another part of Holbrooke’s job will be to streamline the U.S. programs and assistance for Afghanistan and Pakistan and direct them toward the immediate goal of stabilizing the region. “If our resources are mobilized and coordinated and pulled together, we can quadruple, quintuple, multiply by tenfold the effectiveness of our efforts there,” Holbrooke said at his appointment.

Coordinating a strategy will require a toughness and sense of purpose that has been lacking in U.S. policy toward the region. No one can question Holbrooke’s toughness. The architect of the Dayton peace accord in the Balkans is, after all, famous for strong-arming the strongest willed of leaders — such as former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

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