NBC?s Tom Costello explains how the changes will affect the mail system, especially first class deliveries.?(NewsNation)
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/45557321/
stacy keibler dancing with the stars season 13 cast tay sachs tay sachs watch the walking dead giuliana and bill giuliana and bill
Lisandra Sanatis looks at her twin daughter, Teresa Tapia, as daughter Maria Tapia looks on Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. The conjoined twins were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Lisandra Sanatis looks at her twin daughter, Teresa Tapia, as daughter Maria Tapia looks on Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. The conjoined twins were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Maria Tapia, and TeresaTapia play in a playroom at Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. The conjoined twins were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Lisandra Sanatis holds her daughter, Teresa Tapia, in their room at Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. Sanatis' conjoined twin daughters were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Maria Tapia, and TeresaTapia play in a playroom at Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. The conjoined twins were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Maria Tapia, and TeresaTapia play in a playroom at Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. The conjoined twins were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) ? Two formerly conjoined toddlers from the Dominican Republic have left a Richmond hospital after recovering from separation surgery, and doctors predict they'll be ready to go home by Christmas.
Maria and Teresa Tapia left Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday. At a news conference before their departure, the girls clapped and waved and one kissed the lead doctor on their surgical team, Dr. David Lanning.
"I thank God and everyone who made this possible," the girls' mother, Lisandra Sanatis, said through a translator.
The 20-month-old twins were attached at the lower chest and underwent complicated, nearly daylong surgery on Nov. 7. In a series of procedures, the surgical team divided the twins' liver, pancreas and other shared organ systems and reconstructed their abdominal walls.
While they're getting accustomed to exploring their surroundings separately, they still stay near each other and hold hands when they walk.
Lanning said Friday that both children have been recovering well, and doctors don't expect them to require any long-term medical treatment, except possible minor surgery to construct belly buttons.
"Overall, I don't think we could have asked for a better outcome," he said at Friday's news conference.
They'll lead healthy, long lives, with the ability to "be together but make independent decisions."
Maria, the smaller of the two, weighs about 19 pounds, and Teresa weighs about 26 pounds. Lanning expects the disparity in their weight, caused by the configuration of their small intestines and blood flow from the liver, to gradually even out.
Maria's pancreas is slow to produce digestive enzymes, but she is taking replacement enzymes, and doctors are monitoring her colon function. Teresa is undergoing treatment on the incision where the girls were separated, Lanning said.
Doctors, nurses, volunteers and others who cared for them gave the girls and their mother and aunt a warm send-off from the hospital Friday afternoon. Lanning pushed a new double stroller to the van that took the family to a nearby residence for patients and their families.
The girls will stay in Richmond for follow-up medical visits and outpatient therapy to continue working on walking and other motor skills now that they're no longer attached. Lanning said they're on track to return to their native country by Christmas.
After being in Richmond for several months now, Sanatis said she and her daughters have grown fond of everyone they've met. But they're more than ready to go home and reunite with the twins' father and three other siblings.
The twins have become celebrities in the Dominican Republic, with supporters including the country's first lady, Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez, who visited Richmond on the day of the surgery.
The World Pediatric Project, a nonprofit surgical-care provider for children in Central America and the Caribbean, sponsored the toddlers' medical care, along with the family's stay in the United States. Lanning has been a surgical volunteer with the group for several years.
About a half-dozen separation surgeries are done in the U.S. annually, and maybe double that number worldwide.
Conjoined twins account for between 1 in 50,000 and 1 in 100,000 live births worldwide. The condition is three times more likely to occur among females than males. A third of conjoined twins are attached at the lower chest, as in the case of the Tapia twins.
___
Online:
Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU: http://www.childrenshosp-richmond.org/CMS/index.php
World Pediatric Project: http://www.worldpediatricproject.org/
___
Zinie Chen Sampson can be reached on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/zinie
Associated Pressfast times at ridgemont high extreme makeover home edition andrea bocelli john hughes panasonic lumix dmc lx5 ucla football taylor momsen
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Conference, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, at the Interior Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Conference, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, at the Interior Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
President Barack Obama listens while touring a building under construction in Washington, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, part of his Better Building Initiative to promote energy efficient buildings. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama wants voters to get involved in the debate over extending the reduced payroll tax and he's asking them to tell members of Congress to keep the cut in place.
"Let your members of Congress know where you stand," Obama said Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address. "Tell them not to vote to raise taxes on working Americans during the holidays. Tell them to put country before party. Put money back in the pockets of working Americans. Pass these tax cuts."
Obama's address directs listeners to the whitehouse.gov website, where an online calculator lets them determine how much money it's worth to them to continue the 2 percent reduction in the payroll tax that took effect this year. A family with income of $50,000 a year would pay $1,000 more in payroll taxes if Congress does not act by the end of this year to extend that reduction.
Democrats want to expand the reduction in addition to extending it. Republican leaders say they're committed to passing an extension, fearing political fallout if payroll taxes rise on Jan. 1 on 160 million wage-earners. The GOP rank-and-file appears divided, with many Republican senators voting against an extension supported by their leadership this week.
There's also disagreement about how or whether to pay for any extension. Democrats favor a new tax on millionaires; Republicans prefer to cut federal spending.
"We're going to keep pushing Congress to make this happen. They shouldn't go home for the holidays until they get this done," Obama said in his address. "And if you agree with me, I could use your help."
Obama also took note of a new monthly jobs report out Friday that showed the economy added 120,000 jobs in November, a positive number. "We need to keep this growth going and strengthen it," the president said.
Republicans devoted their weekly address to promoting a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, which is headed for a vote in the Senate after failing in the House last month.
Democratic leaders worked aggressively to defeat the measure in the House, saying that such a requirement could force Congress to cut billions from social programs during times of economic downturn and that disputes over what to cut could result in Congress ceding its power of the purse to the courts. The result was that the amendment got majority support but fell short of the two-thirds needed to advance a constitutional amendment.
Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said "the impending vote to amend the Constitution represents a choice between changing business as usual in Washington or embracing the status quo that we can no longer afford."
"The real reason many lawmakers don't want a balanced budget amendment is the exact reason why it's so essential," Snowe said. "They don't want their hands tied; they want to continue to spend without restraint."
Like Obama, she asked listeners to make their views known.
"Contact your senators and urge them to support our balanced budget amendment," Snowe said, "so that we finally seize the fiscal reins and reclaim our future for our children and our grandchildren."
___
Online:
Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov
GOP address: http://www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress
Associated Pressbest buy black friday 2011 ads broncos jets jessie james clayton kershaw osu basketball dale sveum ny jets
Kim Kardashian isn't too happy that Kris Humphries isn't allowing their marriage to die easily. Kardashian filed for divorce on Oct. 31, but Humphries countered on Wednesday by filing for an annulment -- claiming that their 72-day-long marriage was a "fraud" and that all legal records of their union should be forever erased from existence.
the hunger games neil degrasse tyson neil degrasse tyson bears lions bears lions kendall jenner neville
THE HAGUE, Netherlands ? The International Criminal Court prosecutor sought an arrest warrant Friday for Sudan's defense minister on crimes against humanity and war crimes charges for allegedly helping orchestrate atrocities in Darfur.
The request brings to three the number of senior Sudanese leaders ? including President Omar al-Bashir ? accused of crimes in Darfur.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in a filing to judges that Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein is among those who "bear greatest criminal responsibility" for atrocities in the Sudanese region from August 2003 to March 2004.
At the time, Hussein was interior minister and the Sudan government's special representative in Darfur.
He is accused of overseeing a state-sponsored plan to attack villages in western Darfur. Prosecutors say government troops would surround the villages, air force planes would bomb them and then soldiers, including janjaweed militia fighters, would descend on the ruins, raping and killing those who survived the initial aerial onslaught.
A panel of judges will study evidence filed by Moreno-Ocampo before deciding whether to issue a warrant.
The court already has indicted al-Bashir on genocide charges along with another of his government ministers and a commander of the janjaweed militia for their alleged roles in widespread attacks on civilians in Darfur.
None of those suspects has been arrested by the court, which has no police force, and al-Bashir has refused to surrender himself or anybody else to the court.
Since his indictment, al-Bashir has repeatedly traveled to friendly nations without being arrested.
Moreno-Ocampo said he made public the arrest warrant request for Hussein to put the case back in the spotlight.
In a statement, his office said the request aims "to encourage further public focus on government of the Sudan policy and actions, and promote cooperation in taking action to arrest Mr. Hussein and the 3 other individuals subject to ICC warrants."
Prosecutors also have indicted two rebels for allegedly leading an attack on an African Union peacekeeper compound in Darfur. Judges dismissed similar charges against another rebel for lack of evidence. All three of the rebels surrendered voluntarily to the Hague-based court last year.
Darfur was plunged into turmoil in 2003, when ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government, whom they accused of discrimination.
The Khartoum government is accused of retaliating by unleashing Arab militias on civilians ? a charge the government denies. The U.N. estimates 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have been displaced in the conflict.
official time news 9 tuscaloosa tuscaloosa earthquake california earthquake california crimson tide
All Critics (138) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (135) | Rotten (3)
You can rest easy - if you have previously loved the Muppets, you will likely currently love The Muppets.
The chorus of one of the songs declares, 'I've got everything that I need, right in front of me.' For 120 minutes, that's precisely how I felt.
[Filmmakers] hew close to the essential innocence informing the Muppets' silliness.
The Muppets is a triumph of simplicity, innocence and goofy jokes. It's a triumph of felt.
A mixed bag then: The Muppets isn't the best or the worst of Kermit's big-screen capers. At least it's a reminder that here's one frog who isn't about to croak.
It's nice to see the band back together. And when Kermit busts out the banjo for "Rainbow Connection," you might even go for your lighter.
The movie is better when the muppets are front and center and not the humans
Actor-writer Jason Segel happily plays a supporting role and lets a new generation be introduced to Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and Animal.
Admittedly there are a few misfires every once in a while, but with its barrage of self-referential humor, breaking through the fourth wall jokes, imaginative cameos and satirical winks at Hollywood conventions, The Muppets is a comedy lover's dream.
Longtime Muppet fans will undoubtedly have more fun than young ones, but for the most part, it's a witty, delightful romp.
... older folks raised on the late Jim Henson's brainchildren will be charmed ...
Not all nostalgia is created equal.
One of the movie's real pleasures is the 'reality' of its puppety ethos -- our awareness that Segel and Adams really are talking to Kermit and Piggy, and not to a blank space that will be filled in later by an animator.
There's still an endearing sweetness that permeates The Muppets.
The Muppets marks a triumphant return for these beloved characters. This movie made me feel good all over.
A bit flat and never quite as madcap or wacky as the TV show or early films, The Muppets hits enough right notes to be a pleasing welcome back for longtime fans and a lovely introduction for those deprived of Muppets magic.
It is a film that works for...fans who remember what the Muppets were but it's also a great way of establishing who the Muppets are.
Wonderful! Delightful! Utterly charming!
Frequently hilarious and quite poignant, especially when Kermit reminisces about his long lost friends while crooning a wonderful little ditty called "Pictures in My Head"
It is with immense pleasure that I can report that Disney's Muppet reboot movie is an absolute delight.
The whole thing is ultimately too in awe of its own characters, respecting them without pushing them, to feel as fresh and sharp as The Muppet Movie.
Here's a cruel suggestion: Leave the kids at home. After all, what grownup weaned on a steady diet of Muppets wants to interrupt a jaunt down memory lane by having to escort weak bladders to the bathroom or hungry mouths to the concession stand?
Dear Muppets: Thank goodness you're back. And thank goodness for the pens of Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, who wrote this brilliant screenplay to get you back on the big screen where you belong.
Where have they been? Young or old, there's nothing better than spending a few hours with the Muppets.
its mixture of nostalgia, postmodern humor, and all-around generosity may be exactly what is needed to endear the Muppets to a whole new generation
A loving, faithful and very entertaining adaptation that gets what the Muppets are about and why people love them.
More Critic ReviewsSource: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/
pumpkin carving patterns pumpkin carving patterns lizzie borden lizzie borden 20/20 maps directions josephine baker
By Reuters
?STATE COLLEGE, Pa - Penn State University's Board of Trustees on Friday formally dismissed legendary football coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier, finalizing actions announced last month.
The board's executive committee held a five-minute teleconference to make the firings official and ensure that the university was following proper procedure about public meetings, said spokesman Bill Mahon.
The university announced Paterno's and Spanier's firings on Nov. 9, four days after former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on charges he had sex with young boys over a 15-year period.
"I think today we wanted to make sure we crossed our 't's and dotted our 'i's," Bill Mahon said.
Paterno was head coach of the Nittany Lions, a college football powerhouse, for 46 years.
Nine alleged victims have accused Sandusky of abuse, and one has filed a lawsuit against Sandusky, Penn State and The Second Mile, a charity founded by Sandusky to help troubled children.
Read interview with Sandusky on Rock Center
Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator, faces 40 counts for purportedly sexually assaulting eight boys over a 15-year period. If convicted, he faces life in prison. He has maintained his innocence.
The executive committee voted unanimously on the resolutions severing Paterno and Spanier from their positions, Mahon said. It also voted unanimously on the resolution replacing Spanier with Rodney Erickson.
Trustee Steve Garban, chairman of the teleconference, said in a statement that the purpose of the meeting was to "reaffirm" the board's Nov. 9 actions.
"While the board believes immediate action was necessary, it is holding a special meeting of its executive committee to reaffirm and ratify the board's prior personnel action," Garban said.
Although technically fired, Spanier still holds a tenured position with the university. Mahon said he remains eligible to go on a one-year sabbatical and return to teach at Penn State following a hiatus.
Mahon could not say for certain if the same provision worked for Paterno.
More news and feature stories from msnbc.com:
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.adam savage adam savage mos def jack o lantern jack o lantern dave thomas mean girls
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch runs in for a touchdown past Philadelphia Eagles' Nate Allen in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch runs in for a touchdown past Philadelphia Eagles' Nate Allen in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch celebrates his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Kam Chancellor (31) intercepts a pass intended for Philadelphia Eagles' DeSean Jackson in the first quarter of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Philadelphia Eagles' Trent Cole goes in for the sack of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
SEATTLE (AP) ? Marshawn Lynch loves the prime-time stage, even if he's rarely given such a spotlight.
But he wasn't about to accept any praise on a night when he certainly deserved it.
"It was all about the offensive line. We managed the game, we came out victorious, everybody's happy, and now we're on to our break," Lynch said during a very brief locker room appearance. "Thank you."
Seattle's hard-charging running back bulled through Philadelphia for 148 yards and a pair of first-half touchdowns, David Hawthorne returned the third of Vince Young's four interceptions 77 yards for a score, and the Seahawks rolled to a 31-14 victory Thursday that only added to the Eagles' miserable season.
Lynch ran into and escaped from a massive pileup for a 15-yard TD run in the first quarter, then made a quick cut and went back against the flow for a 40-yard scoring dash on the first play of the second quarter to give the Seahawks (5-7) a 14-0 lead.
It was the second-best performance of Lynch's career and a capper to what has been his finest stretch as a pro. Lynch never had consecutive 100-yard rushing games until a few weeks ago. Now he's done it in four of Seattle's past five, and the only time he didn't, Lynch had 88 yards in a victory over St. Louis.
His first-quarter, escape-act touchdown against Philadelphia (4-8) gave Lynch eight straight games with at least one score and added a highlight reminiscent of his famous tackle-breaking, 67-yard TD run in last year's NFC playoffs against New Orleans.
It's all adding up to more dollars likely coming Lynch's way. He's a free agent after the season.
"He fights for every yard, every carry he gets," Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. "It's like every carry is his last carry."
Lynch had 90 yards by halftime, the most first-half yards rushing in his career. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry and almost immediately provided a spark the Seahawks needed on a short week.
And he did it while battling an upset stomach that occasionally forced him to the sideline.
"The guy blows my mind every time we step on the field," Seattle fullback Michael Robinson said.
Golden Tate's 11-yard, toe-tapping touchdown grab along the back edge of the end zone in the third quarter pushed Seattle's cushion to 17. Jackson finished 13 of 16 for 190 yards and the one TD pass.
But the Seahawks' third victory in their last four games wasn't secured until Hawthorne stepped in front of a swing pass intended for LeSean McCoy and raced untouched in the other direction with 4:24 left. It was Hawthorne's third interception of the season, but he was getting plenty of grief from his teammates for the length of time it took him to get to the end zone.
And of course, the first guy to greet Hawthorne in the end zone was Lynch running off the sideline without his helmet.
"There is no grief in touchdowns. The slowest touchdown, the fastest touchdown equals seven," Hawthorne said while teammates yelled "slow" in the background.
Making his third straight start in place of Michael Vick and his two broken ribs, Young couldn't find the same magic he did in the 2006 Rose Bowl when he led Texas to an upset of Pete Carroll and USC.
Young's first pass of the night was an awful interception thrown right to Seattle safety Kam Chancellor and nowhere near an Eagles receiver. Young was intercepted in the third quarter as well when a perfect pass deflected off the hands of Riley Cooper and into the hands of cornerback Brandon Browner. Both turnovers led to Seattle touchdowns.
Then came a pass for McCoy when Young clearly didn't see Hawthorne, ruining the Eagles' last chance to rally. Seattle safety Earl Thomas jumped Young's primary target and by the time he came back to McCoy, Hawthorne was ready for the pass.
"He was expecting him to be open and he wasn't," Hawthorne said.
Young added one more interception in the final moments, another one grabbed by Browner that left the quarterback with a career-high four picks.
Young finished 17 of 29 for 208 yards. McCoy got more chances than he did last Sunday against New England when he touched the ball just 14 times, a number that drew criticism from Eagles fans believing the leading rusher in the NFL deserved more opportunities.
McCoy finished with 84 yards on 17 carries and added another four catches for 49 yards. But he was upstaged by Lynch.
"He was the key today to their offense," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "And we didn't do a very good job of stopping him."
On first-and-goal at the 15, Lynch ran into a massive crowd near the 10. He got lost in the pile, wiggled out of the arms of linebacker Jamar Chaney and suddenly burst into the end zone.
Lynch's second touchdown was an opportunity for him to show off his open-field speed. As the flow of the play went to Lynch's left, he immediately cut back right and found open field, beating the Eagles defense to the corner and going 40 yards untouched.
The quick bounce-back by the Seahawks only magnified their missed chance last Sunday when they blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 23-17 to Washington. Even with the win over Philadelphia and another home game coming up against St. Louis, any hopes the Seahawks have of jumping into the playoff race are likely gone.
"We felt like we let one go last week and that was all we could think about," Hawthorne said. "So to come on a fast week and get it out this fast, it's a positive."
Notes: Carroll thinks LT Russell Okung may have a serious pectoral injury sustained in the closing seconds. ... Lynch's career high was 153 yards rushing against Cincinnati with Buffalo in 2007. ... Philadelphia CB Nnamdi Asomugha left in the first half with a head/neck injury and did not return. ... Philadelphia fell to 5-2 in Thursday night games. ... Jackson's 137.0 QB rating was the best of his career. ... Browner had the first two-interception game of his career.
___
Follow Tim Booth on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ByTimBooth
Associated Presspujols mirror mirror tanuki mirror mirror trailer albert pujols bob knight bob knight
