Tentative ?fiscal cliff? deal reached in Senate

President Barack Obama discusses the negotiations with Capitol Hill on the looming fiscal cliff in front of middle??With 2013 just hours old, the Senate voted 89-8 on Tuesday to approve a last-minute deal to avert income tax hikes on all but the richest Americans and stall painful spending cuts as part of a hard-fought compromise to avoid the economically toxic ?fiscal cliff.?

The country had already technically tumbled over the cliff by the time the gavel came down on the vote at 2:07 a.m.. The House of Representatives was not due to return to work to take up the measure until midday on Tuesday. But with financial markets closed for New Year's Day, quick action by lawmakers would likely limit the economic damage.

The lopsided margin belied anxiety on both sides about the deal, which emerged from barely two days of talks between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Among the ?no? votes: Republican Senator Marco Rubio, widely thought to have his eye on the 2016 presidential race.

In remarks just before the vote, McConnell repeatedly called the agreement ?imperfect? but said it beat allowing income tax rates rise across the board.

?I know I can speak for my entire conference when I say we don?t think taxes should be going up on anyone, but we all knew that if we did nothing they?d be going up on everyone today,? he said. ?We weren?t going to let that happen.?

?Our most important priority was to protect middle-class families. This legislation does that,? Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said. But Reid cautioned that ?passing this agreement does not mean negotiations halt. Far from it.?

Under the compromise arrangement, taxes would rise on income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for households, while exemptions and deductions the wealthiest Americans use to reduce their tax bill would face new limits. The accord would also raise the taxes paid on large inheritances from 35% to 40% for estates over $5 million. And it would extend by one year unemployment benefits for some two million Americans. It would also prevent cuts in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients and spare tens of millions of Americans who otherwise would have been hit with the Alternative Minimum Tax.

The middle class will still see its taxes go up: The final deal did not include an extension of the payroll tax holiday. And the overall package will deepen the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars by extending the overwhelming majority of the Bush tax cuts. Many Democrats had opposed those measures in 2001 and 2003. Obama agreed to extend them in 2010.

Efforts to modify the first installment of $1.2 trillion in cuts to domestic and defense programs over 10 years -- the other portion of the ?fiscal cliff,? known as sequestration -- had proved a sticking point late in the game. Democrats had sought a year-long freeze but ultimately caved to Republican pressure and signed on to just a two-month delay while broader deficit-reduction talks continue.

That would put the next major battle over spending cuts right around the time that the White House and its Republican foes are battling it out over whether to raise the country's debt limit. Republicans have vowed to push for more spending cuts, equivalent to the amount of new borrowing. Obama has vowed not to negotiate as he did in 2011, when a bruising fight threatened the first-ever default on America's obligations and resulted in the first-ever downgrade of the country's credit rating. Biden sent that message to Democrats in Congress, two senators said.

Experts had warned that the fiscal cliff's tax increases and spending cuts, taken together, could plunge the still-fragile economy into a new recession.

Biden, evidently in good spirits after playing a central role in crafting the deal, said little on his way into or out of a roughly one hour and 45 minute meeting behind closed doors with Senate Democrats. "Happy New Year," he said on the way in. Asked on the way out what his chief selling point had been, the vice president reportedly replied: "Me."

Hours earlier, a Democratic Senate aide told Yahoo News that "the White House and Republicans have a deal," while a source familiar with the negotiations said President Barack Obama had discussed the compromise with Reid and Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and "they both signed off."

But the House?s Republican leaders, including Speaker John Boehner, hinted in an unusual joint statement that they might amend anything that clears the Senate ? a step that could kill the deal.

?Decisions about whether the House will seek to accept or promptly amend the measure will not be made until House members -- and the American people -- have been able to review the legislation,? they said.

Biden, a 36-year Senate veteran, worked out the agreement with McConnell after talks between Obama and Boehner collapsed and a similar effort between McConnell and Reid followed suit shortly thereafter. With the deal mostly done, Obama made a final push at the White House.

?Today, it appears that an agreement to prevent this New Year's tax hike is within sight, but it's not done,? Obama said in hastily announced midday remarks at the White House. ?There are still issues left to resolve, but we're hopeful that Congress can get it done ? but it?s not done.?

"One thing we can count on with respect to this Congress is that if there is even one second left before you have to do what you?re supposed to do, they will use that last second," he said.

Obama?s remarks ? by turns scolding, triumphant, and mocking of Congress ? came after talks between McConnell and Biden appeared to seal the breakthrough deal.

?I can report that we?ve reached an agreement on all of the tax issues,? McConnell said on the Senate floor moments later. ?We are very, very close to an agreement.?

The Kentucky Republican later briefed Republicans on the details of the deal. Lawmakers emerged from that closed-door session offered hopeful appraisals that, after clearing a few last-minute hurdles, they could vote on New Year?s Eve or with 2013 just hours old.

?Tonight, I hope,? Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee told reporters. ?It may be at 1, 2, 3, 4 in the morning. Oh, I guess that?s technically tomorrow.?

Republican Senators said negotiators were still working on a way to forestall two months of the ?sequester? spending cuts, about $20 billion worth. And some expressed disquiet that the tentative compromise ran high on tax increases and low on spending cuts -- while warning that failure to act, triggering some $600 billion in income tax increases on all Americans who pay it and draconian spending cuts, was the worse option.

McConnell earlier had called for a vote on the tax component of the deal.

?Let me be clear: We?ll continue to work on finding smarter ways to cut spending, but let?s not let that hold up protecting Americans from the tax hike,? McConnell urged. ?Let?s pass the tax relief portion now. Let?s take what?s been agreed to and get moving.?Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., followed by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., second from right, leaves??

House passage was not a sure thing: Both the AFL-CIO labor union and the conservative Heritage Action organization argued against the package.

The breakthrough came after McConnell announced Sunday that he had started to negotiate with Biden in a bid to "jump-start" stalled talks to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Under their tentative deal, the top tax rate on household income above $450,000 would rise from 35 percent to 39.6 percent -- where it was under Bill Clinton, before the reductions enacted under George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003.

Some congressional liberals had expressed objections to extending tax cuts above the $250,000 income threshold Obama cited throughout the 2012 campaign. Democrats were huddling in private as well to work out whether they could support the arrangement.

Possibly with balking progressives in mind, Obama trumpeted victories dear to the left of his party. "The potential agreement that?s being talked about would not only make sure the taxes don?t go up on middle-class families, it also would extend tax credits for families with children. It would extend our tuition tax credit that?s helped millions of families pay for college. It would extend tax credits for clean energy companies that are creating jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. It would extend unemployment insurance to 2 million Americans who are out there still actively looking for a job."

Obama said he had hoped for "a larger agreement, a bigger deal, a grand bargain," to stem the tide of red ink swamping the country?s finances ? but shelved that goal.

"With this Congress, that was obviously a little too much to hope for at this time," he said. "It may be we can do it in stages. We?re going to solve this problem instead in several steps."

The president also looked ahead to his next budgetary battle with Republicans, warning that ?any future deficit agreement? will have to couple spending cuts with tax increases. He expressed a willingness to reduce spending on popular programs like Medicare, but said entitlement reform would have to go hand in hand with new tax revenues.

?If Republicans think that I will finish the job of deficit reduction through spending cuts alone ? then they?ve another thing coming,? Obama said defiantly. ?That?s not how it?s going to work.?

?If we?re serious about deficit reduction and debt reduction, then it?s going to have to be a matter of shared sacrifice. At least as long as I?m president. And I?m going to be president for the next four years, I hope,? he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/last-minute-fiscal-cliff-deal-outlines-emerging-181845501--politics.html

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No sheen seen, but drill ship status uncertain

In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, the mobile drilling unit Kulluk is towed by the tugs Aiviq and Nanuq in 29 mph winds and 20-foot seas 116 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. The crews remain stationed with the drill rig Kulluk Sunday 20 miles from Alaska's Kodiak Island as they wait in rough seas for another tug boat to arrive. The Coast Guard says the goal is to tow the Kulluk to a safe harbor and determine the next step. (AP Photo/U.S Coast Guard, Chris Usher)

In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, the mobile drilling unit Kulluk is towed by the tugs Aiviq and Nanuq in 29 mph winds and 20-foot seas 116 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. The crews remain stationed with the drill rig Kulluk Sunday 20 miles from Alaska's Kodiak Island as they wait in rough seas for another tug boat to arrive. The Coast Guard says the goal is to tow the Kulluk to a safe harbor and determine the next step. (AP Photo/U.S Coast Guard, Chris Usher)

In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, the tug Aiviq travels at just under 2 mph with the mobile drilling unit Kulluk in tow 116 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. The crews remain stationed with the drill rig Kulluk Sunday 20 miles from Alaska's Kodiak Island as they wait in rough seas for another tug boat to arrive. The Coast Guard says the goal is to tow the Kulluk to a safe harbor and determine the next step. (AP Photo/U.S Coast Guard, Chris Usher)

Shell Oil incident commander Susan Childs, second from right, answers a question about the Monday night grounding of the Shell drill ship Kulluk at a press conference on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, at the Mariott Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska. Looking on are Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith, standing, Coast Guard Commander Shane Montoya, state on-scene coordinator Alan Wien, and Garth Pulkkinen of Noble Corp., the operator of the Kulluk. The drifting Shell drill ship that broke loose from tow vessels during a severe Gulf of Alaska storm ran aground Monday in shallow water off Sitkalidak Island, company officials said. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? The Coast Guard was trying to determine Tuesday whether a strong Alaska storm had abated enough to allow for a helicopter to assess the condition of a drilling rig that ran aground in shallow water off a small island.

If conditions are safe, the helicopter would also lower experts to the Kulluk to get a close look at the rig and determine if it is leaking fuel, said Curtis Smith, a Royal Dutch Shell PLC employee speaking for a unified command center set up in an Anchorage hotel.

About 250 people from the Coast Guard, Shell, state responders and others were involved in a response effort and waiting to know for sure what environmental impact the grounding might have caused.

Storm conditions remained severe Tuesday morning with the grounded rig likely taking a pounding. Winds were reported at up to 70 mph, with waves 35 feet and 45-foot swells. Some waves overnight reached 50 feet, the National Weather Service said.

The forecast called for both wind and waves easing Tuesday afternoon.

"We are doing whatever we can do to prepare," said unified command center spokeswoman Destin Singleton said.

The Kulluk is carrying 150,000 gallons of diesel and about 12,000 gallons of lube oil and hydraulic fluid. "The condition of the Kulluk has not been confirmed," unified command said in a status report issued about 12 hours after the grounding.

The drilling rig was built with a double-sided hull of reinforced steel that is 3 inches thick, Smith said.

The drilling rig's difficulties go back to Thursday when it separated from a towing vessel south of Kodiak Island as it was being towed to Seattle for maintenance. The rig grounded Monday night on a sand and gravel shore off the southeast side of Sitkalidak Island, an uninhabited island in the Gulf of Alaska.

The North Pacific storm that has caused problems for Shell's efforts to move the drill into place near Kodiak Island was expected to ease a bit Tuesday, said spokeswoman Darci Sinclair.

U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who is the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, issued a statement Tuesday expressing his concerns about the Kulluk situation.

"Oil companies keep saying they can conquer the Arctic, but the Arctic keeps disagreeing with the oil companies," Markey said. "Drilling expansion could prove disastrous for this sensitive environment."

The Kulluk was being towed Monday by a 360-foot anchor handler, the Aiviq, and a tugboat, the Alert. The vessels were moving north along Kodiak Island, trying to escape the worst of the storm. Sitkalidak is on the southeast side of Kodiak Island.

About 4:15 p.m., the drill ship separated from the Aiviq about 10 to 15 miles off shore and grounding was inevitable, Coast Guard Cmdr. Shane Montoya, the acting federal on-scene coordinator, told reporters.

"Once the Aiviq lost its tow, we knew the Alert could not manage the Kulluk on its own as far as towing, and that's when we started planning for the grounding," he said.

The nine-member tug crew guided the drill ship to a place where it would cause the least environmental damage. The tug cut the unmanned ship loose at 8:15 p.m. and it grounded at 9 p.m.

Susan Childs, Shell's on-scene coordinator, said it was too early to know how the vessel would react to the pounding of the storm when it was aground and stationary. She was optimistic about its salvage prospects and chances for staying intact.

"The unique design of the Kulluk means the diesel fuel tanks are isolated in the center of the vessel and encased in very heavy steel," she said.

The drill ship worked during the short 2012 open water season in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast.

____

Associated Press staff writers Dan Joling in Anchorage and Donna Blankinship in Seattle contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-01-Shell-Arctic%20Drill%20Ship/id-34aa7b08a31d4bc589170a38e0e52b9d

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Sony Vaio VPCZ11NGX Power Management Software 5.0.1.01270 for Windows 7 x64

This utility updates the VAIO Power Management software to version 5.0.1.01270 to improve the power consumption when the display color quality is set to 16-bit color.

It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.

Do not forget to check with our site as often as possible in order to stay updated on the latest drivers, software and games.

Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. This will help if you installed a wrong driver. Problems can arise when your hardware device is too old or not supported any longer.

Source: http://drivers.softpedia.com/get/Other-DRIVERS-TOOLS/Sony/Sony-Vaio-VPCZ11NGX-Power-Management-Software-50101270-for-Windows-7-x64.shtml

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Romo's 2 INTs leave Cowboys, Skins 0-0 after 1st

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) ? With the NFC East title on the line, Tony Romo threw interceptions on each of Dallas' first two possessions Sunday night, and Washington kicker Kai Forbath missed a field-goal try for the first time in his NFL career, leaving the Cowboys and Redskins tied 0-0 after the first quarter.

It was a win-or-go-home game moved into prime time to mark the end of the NFL's regular season: Whichever team lost would miss the playoffs, and the winner would host the wild-card Seattle Seahawks in a first-round game next weekend.

Washington and rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III won the coin toss, got the ball first and went three-and-out, with Dwayne Harris' 28-yard punt return setting up Dallas at the Washington 27.

But on Dallas' third play on offense, Romo's pass was picked off by Redskins rookie Richard Crawford. Walking to the sideline, Romo gave intended receiver Kevin Ogletree a talking-to.

The Redskins then drove into field-goal range, before Forbath sent his 37-yard attempt off the right upright, ending his NFL-record streak of 17 consecutive makes to begin a career. Forbath made two field goals last week to surpass Saints kicker Garrett Hartley's old mark of 16 in a row.

Dallas' second drive also ended with Romo's pass getting picked off, this time by cornerback Josh Wilson at Washington's 13. The Redskins again did not capitalize, needing to punt the ball back.

The Cowboys were seeking the first division title and playoff berth since 2009. The Redskins, meanwhile, sought their first trip to the postseason since 2007 ? and first NFC East championship since 1999. Washington finished in last place each of the past four seasons.

Washington entered the day on a six-game winning streak and with a 9-6 record, while Dallas came in 8-7.

A victory over Dallas would make Washington the first club since the 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars to get to the playoffs after opening 3-6.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romos-2-ints-leave-cowboys-skins-0-0-021302687--spt.html

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