Conn. high school graduation rate improves (AP)

HARTFORD, Conn. ? State education officials say Connecticut's high school graduation rate improved in 2010, but nearly 1 in 5 students failed to complete high school within four years.

The state Department of Education released a report Thursday showing that 18.2 percent of students failed to finish high school in four years, down from 20.7 percent in 2009. But whites and Asians continued to graduate at higher rates than black, Hispanic and low-income students.

Four-year graduation rates for whites and Asians were nearly 89 percent last year. The same rates for blacks, Hispanics and low-income students were 69 percent, 64 percent and 63 percent, respectively.

The report also showed suburban schools had much higher graduation rates than urban ones.

State Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor wants to redouble efforts to improve the graduation rates.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/education/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_bi_ge/us_graduation_rate_connecticut

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Iran Grabs Iraq as Jumping-Off Pad against Saudi Arabia and Israel

At least 40 killed, 100 injured twin suicide bomb car attack in Damascus Friday ? State security and intelligence buildings targeted in first such attack since anti-Assad uprising ? Thursday, Arab League team arrived to set up monitoring mission ? Baghdad death toll climbs to 67 with hundreds injured as 15 bomb explosions rip through the city during Thursday ? The extremist Hamas may finally gain admittance to the umbrella Palestinian Liberation Organization, the PLO ? This was agreed by rivals Fatah and Hamas in Cairo Thursday, clearing the way for a power-sharing deal and Hamas participation in PLO leadership vote ? Israeli Elbit falls in New York Friday after government cancelled military surveillance system sale to Turkey ? French lower house passes law imposing heavy penalties on deniers of Turkey's Armenian massacre in World War I ? Turkey recalls its ambassador from Paris in protest ?

Source: http://www.debka.com/article/21591/

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Raiders stay alive with 16-13 OT win over Chiefs

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By DAVE SKRETTA

updated 4:25 p.m. ET Dec. 24, 2011

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 36-yard field goal 2:13 into overtime Saturday, giving the Oakland Raiders a 16-13 victory over Kansas City that eliminated the Chiefs from the playoff race and kept their own AFC West hopes alive.

Carson Palmer threw for 237 yards and a touchdown for the Raiders (8-7). His perfectly thrown 53-yard pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey early in overtime set up Janikowski's winning kick, allowing Oakland to avoid a second straight late-game meltdown.

Kyle Orton threw for 300 yards for Kansas City, his only touchdown pass going to Dwayne Bowe with 1:02 left in regulation to tie the game. The Raiders went three-and-out, giving Kansas City the ball back with little time on the clock, and Orton hit Bowe for 25 yards and Terrance Copper for 11 more to set up Ryan Succop for a potential winning field goal on the final play of the game.

Succop's 49-yard try was blocked by Trevor Scott to send the game to overtime.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Raiders stay alive with 16-13 OT win over Chiefs

??Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 36-yard field goal 2:13 into overtime Saturday, giving the Oakland Raiders a 16-13 victory over Kansas City that eliminated the Chiefs from the playoff race and kept their own AFC West hopes alive.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45784574/ns/sports-nfl/

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7 hurt, buildings damaged by strong Ga. storms (AP)

ROME, Ga. ? At least seven people were injured in Georgia as powerful storms roared across the state, damaging homes, downing trees and knocking out power to thousands, authorities said.

A survey team planned to visit Gordon County on Friday to determine whether a tornado was responsible for damage Thursday to homes near Calhoun, said Robert Garcia, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga.

"We've received reports that we had some major structural damage reported in southern Gordon County with at least one home destroyed and several damaged," Garcia told The Associated Press.

One home was blown off its foundation and the family inside was tossed into the yard.

"The house started shaking and then we started moving, and I said, `here we go,'" Davison Sheriff told Atlanta station WSB-TV.

His pregnant wife, Ashley, said her husband clung to her and their 1-year-old son with a bear hug as they rolled through their yard.

"He definitely saved our lives, him and God, that's for sure," she told WSB. "It shows you that you are not guaranteed tomorrow."

In the northwest Georgia city of Rome, about 20 miles southwest of the Calhoun area, high winds tore the roof off a building at Shorter University, the Rome News-Tribune reported.

Georgia Power estimated more than 19,000 customers lost electricity Thursday evening, with about two-thirds of them in the Rome area.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_re_us/us_georgia_storms

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Washington State Targets Changes to Renewable Energy (ContributorNetwork)

With a 2012 Washington state renewable energy deadline looming, the Gov. Chris Gregoire is looking at changes to an initiative that will expand the definition of what clean energy is, reported the Associated Press on December 14. Here are some of the details of the initiative and the problems that may cause changes to it.

* Initiative 937 will incrementally ramp up the amount of power that the state's large utilities are required to get through renewable sources including wind, solar, geothermal and certain woody biomass by 2020. For 17 of the state's utility providers, 3 percent of that power must come from renewable energy beginning in January. All of those utilities appear to be able to meet January's requirement.

* About two-thirds of the state's energy already comes from clean hydropower, the Associated Press reported. However, existing hydropower isn't eligible for meeting the renewable requirements under I-937 because the initiative was aimed at spurring new energy activity.

* Some utility providers in Washington state are now seeing an oversupply in renewable energy. According to a recent article in The Columbian, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) officials said that energy oversupply will continue to be caused in springtime in Clark County by the expanding wind energy farms in the Columbia River Gorge reaching their peak production at the same time that abundant snowpack reaches the hydroelectric generating facilities.

* When there is an energy oversupply, BPA is forced to order some of the wind turbines to be shut down, angering owners of the turbines who are hoping to see good returns on their green energy investment. BPA reported that it would be considering solutions that would prevent the wind generators from being fairly impacted by oversupply shutdowns.

* Gov. Chris Gregoire would like to recognize some incremental hydropower and biomass improvements in the fulfillment of the energy standard so as to lure business wanting to provide such energy to the state. She also would like to consider delaying requirements for smaller utilities, the Associated Press reported.

* According to information in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE), Washington became the second state in the nation, after Colorado, to pass a renewable energy standard by ballot initiative. As the law stands, although there are some exemptions, a utility's failure to meet the energy conservation or renewable energy targets will result in an administrative penalty of $50/MWh, paid to the state of Washington.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111215/us_ac/10688841_washington_state_targets_changes_to_renewable_energy

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Celeb birthdays for the week of Dec. 4-10 (omg!)

Dec. 4: Game-show host Wink Martindale is 78. Singer Freddy Cannon is 75. Actor-producer-director Max Baer Jr. ("The Beverly Hillbillies") is 74. Bassist Bob Mosley of Moby Grape is 69. Singer-bassist Chris Hillman (The Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers) is 67. Singer Southside Johnny Lyon of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes is 63. Actor Jeff Bridges is 62. Guitarist Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rossington Collins Band) is 60. Actress Patricia Wettig is 60. Drummer Brian Prout of Diamond Rio is 56. Jazz singer Cassandra Wilson is 56. Bassist Bob Griffin of The BoDeans is 52. Singer Vinnie Dombroski of Sponge is 49. Actress Chelsea Noble ("Growing Pains," ''Kirk") is 47. Actress Marisa Tomei is 47. Comedian Fred Armisen ("Saturday Night Live") is 45. Rapper Jay-Z is 42. Actor Kevin Sussman ("Ugly Betty") is 41. Model Tyra Banks is 38. Country singer Lila McCann is 30.

Dec. 5: Singer Little Richard is 79. Guitarist J.J. Cale is 73. Opera singer Jose Carreras is 65. Singer Jim Messina (Loggins and Messina, Poco) is 64. Actress Morgan Brittany ("Dallas") is 60. Actor Brian Backer ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High") is 55. Country singer Tyler England is 48. Singer-guitarist John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls is 46. Country singer Gary Allan is 44. Comedian Margaret Cho is 43. Actress Alex Kapp Horner ("The New Adventures of Old Christine") is 42. Bassist Regina Zernay of Cowboy Mouth is 39. Actress Paula Patton ("Precious") is 36. Actress Amy Acker ("Angel") is 35. Singer Keri Hilson is 29. Actor Frankie Muniz ("Malcolm in the Middle") is 26. Actor Ross Bagley ("Fresh Prince of Bel-Air") is 23.

Dec. 6: Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck is 91. Country singer Helen Cornelius is 70. Singer Frank Beverly of Maze is 65. Actress JoBeth Williams is 63. Actor Tom Hulce is 58. Actor Kin Shriner is 58. Talk-show host Wil Shriner is 58. Drummer Rick Buckler of The Jam is 56. Country singer Bill Lloyd of Foster and Lloyd is 56. Comedian Steven Wright is 56. Guitarist Peter Buck of R.E.M. is 55. Drummer David Lovering of The Pixies is 50. Guitarist Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl is 49. Actress Janine Turner ("Strong Medicine," ''Northern Exposure") is 49. Director Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," ''Knocked Up") is 44. Keyboardist Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg of Ace of Base is 41.

Dec. 7: Actor Eli Wallach is 96. Bluegrass singer Bobby Osborne of the Osborne Brothers is 80. Actress Ellen Burstyn is 79. Country singer Gary Morris is 63. Singer Tom Waits is 62. Actress Priscilla Barnes ("Three's Company") is 54. Announcer Edd Hall ("The Tonight Show With Jay Leno") is 53. Bassist Tim Butler of Psychedelic Furs is 53. Actor C. Thomas Howell is 45. Singer Nicole Appleton of All Saints is 36. Actress Shiri Appleby ("Roswell") is 33. Singer Sara Bareilles is 32. Singer Aaron Carter is 24.

Dec. 8: Actor-producer-director Maximilian Schell is 81. Singer Jerry Butler is 72. Drummer Bobby Elliott of The Hollies is 70. Actor John Rubinstein ("Family," ''Crazy Like a Fox") is 65. Singer-keyboardist Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers is 64. Actress Kim Basinger is 58. Guitarist Warren Cuccurullo (Duran Duran, Missing Persons) is 55. Guitarist Phil Collen of Def Leppard is 54. Country singer Marty Raybon (The Raybon Brothers, Shenandoah) is 52. Guitarist Marty Friedman (Megadeth) is 49. Actress Teri Hatcher is 47. Rapper Bushwick Bill of Geto Boys is 45. Singer Sinead O'Connor is 45. Actor Matthew Laborteaux ("Little House on the Prairie") is 45. Guitarist Ryan Newell of Sister Hazel is 39. Actor Dominic Monaghan ("Lost," ''Lord of the Rings") is 35. Actor Ian Somerhalder ("The Vampire Diaries," ''Lost") is 33. Singer Ingrid Michaelson is 32. Singer Chrisette Michele is 29. Singer Kate Voegele ("One Tree Hill") is 25.

Dec. 9: Actor Kirk Douglas is 95. Actor Dick Van Patten ("Eight Is Enough") is 83. Actor-writer Buck Henry is 81. Actress Judi Dench is 77. Actor Beau Bridges is 70. Singer Dan Hicks is 70. Football player-turned-actor Dick Butkus is 69. Actor Michael Nouri is 66. Singer Joan Armatrading is 61. Actor Michael Dorn ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") is 59. Actor John Malkovich is 58. Country singer Sylvia is 55. Singer Donny Osmond is 54. Bassist Nick Seymour of Crowded House is 53. Actor Joe Lando ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman") is 50. Actress Felicity Huffman ("Desperate Housewives," ''Sports Night") is 49. Country keyboardist Jerry Hughes of Yankee Grey is 46. Singer-guitarist Thomas Flowers of Oleander is 44. Guitarist Brian Bell of Weezer is 43. Singer-guitarist Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers is 42. Actress Allison Smith ("The West Wing," ''Kate and Allie") is 42. Former "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi is 41. Country singer David Kersh is 41. Drummer Tre Cool of Green Day is 39. Rapper Canibus is 37. Singer Imogen Heap is 34. Actor Jesse Metcalfe ("Desperate Housewives") is 33. Actor Simon Helberg ("The Big Bang Theory") is 31.

Dec. 10: Actor Tommy Kirk is 70. Singer Chad Stuart of Chad and Jeremy is 70. Actress-singer Gloria Loring is 65. Drummer Walter "Clyde" Orange of The Commodores is 65. Singer Ralph Tavares of Tavares is 63. Singer Jessica Cleaves of Friends of Distinction is 63. Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is 60. Actress Susan Dey is 59. Actor Michael Clarke Duncan is 54. Musician Paul Hardcastle is 54. Actor-director Kenneth Branagh is 51. Actress Nia Peeples is 50. TV chef Bobby Flay is 47. Singer-guitarist J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. is 46. Country singer Kevin Sharp is 41. Bassist Scot Alexander of Dishwalla is 40. Bassist Noah Harmon of Airborne Toxic Event is 30. Actress Raven-Symone ("That's So Raven," ''The Cosby Show") is 26.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_celeb_birthdays_week_dec4_10_060235824/43767057/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/celeb-birthdays-week-dec-4-10-060235824.html

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Component shortage reportedly limiting iPhone 4S supplies (Appolicious)

At least one analyst is advising investors that supplies of the iPhone 4S are going to continue to be limited through the holiday season, citing low supplies on a ?key component? in the device.

Apple Insider has the story, in which analyst Ashok Kumar of Rodman & Renshaw explains in a note to investors to expect constrained iPhone 4S supplies through 2012, even as demand for the device remains very high. Kumar didn?t explain what the component was that is supposedly keeping iPhone 4S supplies low, however.

Kumar pegs the number of iPhone 4S units he expects to be sold in the last quarter of 2011 to be around 30 million, which he expects to come in below Wall Street expectations. Apple has had trouble meeting all the demand for the iPhone 4S even since it launched in the U.S. It has been reported that customers have been forced to wait weeks to receive the devices. AT&T and Sprint customers were said to have waited around three weeks, while Verizon customers had to wait as much as a month after the phone?s October 14 launch date to receive it.

Even so, demand for the iPhone 4S hasn?t slowed. All three U.S. carriers reported record pre-sales for the devices and Apple itself said it had sold 1 million units in the 24 hours after the device was released. Through October and much of November, customers were waiting for the iPhone 4S mostly because so many people wanted one.

Kumar also had a few other things to say on Apple?s smartphone handset. Currently, Apple holds 85 percent of the ?premium? smartphone market, which Kumar believes is probably the peak of its performance. Instead, he expects more growth to happen in smartphones at the other end of the spectrum, with lower-priced handsets. He said in his note to investors that Apple needs to consider a lower-cost ?purpose-built? device, although he also said that other smartphone makers don?t really have anything to compete in that sphere.

Apple does have something of a lower-cost iPhone model in the iPhone 3GS, which is currently available for 99 cents when users enter into a two-year contract with a cellular carrier. It?s also doing pretty well. As Apple Insider points out, the 3GS was the top-selling smartphone in the U.S. after the iPhone 4 in the third quarter of 2011, according to the NPD Group. That put it ahead of Android device makers such as HTC and Samsung, and head of Nokia, a long-time handset leader.

Despite reports of low supplies of the iPhone 4S, we?ll have to see how Apple?s devices actually fare during the holiday season. Expectations and demand for the 4S are still pretty high going into 2012; we?ll have to see if Apple has adequately prepared for the holidays.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10332_component_shortage_reportedly_limiting_iphone_4s_supplies/43756025/SIG=13a0das48/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/10332-component-shortage-reportedly-limiting-iphone-4s-supplies

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