Wall Street Week Ahead: Bears hibernate as stocks near record highs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks have been on a tear in January, moving major indexes within striking distance of all-time highs. The bearish case is a difficult one to make right now. Earnings have exceeded expectations, the housing and labor markets have strengthened, lawmakers in Washington no longer seem to be the roadblock that they were for most of 2012, and money has returned to stock...

Read More..

Azarenka wins back-to-back Australian titles

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Victoria Azarenka won her second consecutive Australian Open title, beating Li Na 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a final that included a break for fireworks, two medical timeouts and a nasty fall to the court by Li.The Chinese star first tumbled to the court after twisting her left ankle in the fifth game of the second set and had it taped.On the first point after a 10-minute pause in...

Read More..

Moon Swoon: How 2013′s Full Moons Got Their Peculiar Names

The first full moon of 2013 will light up the night sky tonight (Jan. 26), but did you know it’s a full moon of many names?Full moon names date back to Native American tribes of a few hundred years ago who lived in what is now the northern and eastern United States. Those tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. Their names were applied to the entire...

Read More..

Can sanctions deter North Korea?

Kim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong Un and his militaryKim Jong...

Read More..

3 dead, 2 wounded in pair of early morning shootings

After a few quiet nights, gun violence returned to Chicago's cold streets early Saturday morning with three people killed by...

Read More..

At least 26 die in Egyptian clashes over death sentences

PORT SAID, Egypt/CAIRO (Reuters) - At least 26 people died on Saturday when Egyptians rampaged in protest at the sentencing of 21 people to death over a soccer stadium disaster, adding to bloody street turmoil confronting Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. Armored vehicles and military police fanned through the streets of Port Said after the violence. The state news agency quoted a general...

Read More..

S&P 500 eyes best winning streak in eight years

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Friday, buoyed by sturdy corporate earnings from Procter & Gamble and Honeywell, with the S&P 500 poised for its longest winning streak in more than eight years. The strong start for the equity market this year has been attributed to solid corporate results, agreement in Washington to extend the government's borrowing power, encouraging signs...

Read More..

Murray edges Federer, reaches Australian final

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Andy Murray has finally beaten Roger Federer at a Grand Slam.The U.S. Open champion beat 17-time major winner Federer 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 Friday at the Australian Open, calling it a massive confidence boost as he attempts to win his second consecutive major.Murray, who missed his chance to serve out the match at 6-5 in the fourth set, will play defending champion...

Read More..

Andean glaciers melting at “unprecedented” rates: study

LIMA (Reuters) – Climate change has shrunk Andean glaciers between 30 and 50 percent since the 1970s and could melt many of them away altogether in coming years, according to a study published on Tuesday in the journal The Cryosphere.Andean glaciers, a vital source of fresh water for tens of millions of South Americans, are retreating at their fastest rates in more than 300 years, according to the...

Read More..

Cantor CEO: 'Off the fiscal cliff we go'

.cnn_stryspcvh4 { position:static; }.cnn_stryspccvh6 { position:static; float:left; width:172px; font-size:10px; margin-left:130px; top:0; }.cnn_stryspccvrgebot { font-size:3px; overflow:hidden;}Part of complete coverage onBy Ramy Inocencio, for CNNJanuary 25, 2013 -- Updated 1453 GMT (2253 HKT)STORY HIGHLIGHTS"U.S. fiscal cliff still coming" in form of failure to raise debt ceiling - Cantor Fitzgerald...

Read More..

Video sparks protest of Ultimate Fighting event

Women's advocacy groups in Chicago are urging the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization to prevent a fighter who appeared...

Read More..

North Korea threatens war with South over U.N. sanctions

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea threatened to attack rival South Korea if Seoul joined a new round of tightened U.N. sanctions, as Washington unveiled more of its own economic restrictions following Pyongyang's rocket launch last month. In a third straight day of fiery rhetoric, the North directed its verbal onslaught at its neighbor on Friday, saying: "'Sanctions' mean a war and a declaration...

Read More..

Wall Street gains for seventh day, despite Apple

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 surged through 1,500 on its seventh day of gains, underpinned by positive economic news, even as Apple shares slid nearly 11 percent following a revenue miss. Apple Inc missed Wall Street's revenue forecast for a third straight quarter as iPhone sales were poorer than expected, fanning fears its dominance of consumer electronics is slipping. The shares...

Read More..

NCAA announces problems with Miami investigation

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — The NCAA's probe of Miami's athletic compliance practices is ramping up again.Only this time, the Hurricanes aren't exactly the subject of the inquiry.In a bizarre twist, the college sports' governing body is being investigated after NCAA President Mark Emmert acknowledged on Wednesday "a very severe issue of improper conduct" by former investigators working the long, complex...

Read More..

Obama’s Climate Vow Could Make EPA a Political Target

President Obama’s second Inaugural Address left no doubt about his desire to put climate change front and center in his second term. He’s likely to pursue his agenda through executive actions rather than legislation, at least initially.That could put the Environmental Protection Agency at the center of a political battle, as Senate Republicans use the process of confirming a new head of...

Read More..