"X Factor" shakeup an admission of failure: enter Mariah? (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) ? "X Factor" judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger may have sealed their fates when they let a 13-year-old go home bawling.

The dismissal of that 13-year-old, Rachel Crow, represented everything that was wrong with the first season of "X Factor": It was jumbled and confusing, with too much happening at once. It didn't break new ground. And worst of all, it sometimes just felt mean-spirited.

Scherzinger was widely criticized for voting to send Crow home -- on advice from Abdul -- so that the judges' panel would deadlock between Crow and fellow contestant Marcus Canty. The deadlock meant the decision came down to which competitor had more viewer votes. Host Steve Jones almost mechanically announced that Crow would exit, and turned to shake Canty's hand, apparently not noticing Crow, beside him, falling to her knees in tears.

It was Simon Cowell who rushed to the stage to embrace her -- not Abdul and Scherzinger, who orchestrated her exit, and not Jones, who announced it.

When Simon Cowell is the most empathetic person around, something's wrong with your show.

Word late Monday that Abdul, Scherzinger and Jones are out for the second season of "X Factor" amounts to an admission by Cowell that the show he created hasn't lived up to his lofty expectations.

He said before "X Factor" aired that he wanted it to top his former show, "American Idol," as the biggest on television. But it has scored less than half the ratings of "Idol." Its closer rival is NBC's upstart singing competition "The Voice," which slipped onto the airwaves and became a hit during the endless and much-hyped run-up to the "X Factor" premiere.

Cowell has long dreamed of including Mariah Carey on "X Factor," if not as a judge than as a performer or mentor. Her pregnancy made that impossible once; later, Cowell said, plans for Carey to appear were undone by Hurricane Irene.

Now, nothing would seem to stand in the way of Carey sweeping in -- except, perhaps, for fear that she can't bring the show up to Cowell's rigorous standards. Cowell's hope at this point must be that the flaws in "X Factor" are cosmetic enough that new casting can improve it.

But the flaws may go deeper. From the beginning, the show has tried to gin up conflict under the simple theory that conflict equals drama. It does, but not all drama is pleasant to watch.

At their best, "Idol" and "The Voice" temper their mini-controversies with redeeming moments. The good guys win and no one falls down crying -- except tears of joy.

But "X Factor" feels at times like a mass-marketing machine, fueled by its prominent corporate sponsors, that can't slow down for a few seconds of genuine human emotion.

Even Scherzinger seemed overwhelmed by the process as she refused to choose between Canty and Crow. Jones, who often seemed more focused on delivering his lines than making genuine connections, only added to the emotional disconnect. Abdul, the old hand, gave Scherzinger an easy out by advising her to send the decision to the viewers.

It was the coldness of the dismissal that made it so uncomfortable, as if a little girl's dreams were just a casualty of something bigger. A better judge could have humanized the moment, promised Crow that better things lay ahead. Instead, she got the paralyzed, inexperienced Scherzinger and the cool Abdul, who advised her fellow judge to pass the buck.

Cowell's next judge, or judges, may be gifted enough to humanize his show. But that's a lot to ask of one or two panelists. The show should also back away from its many cynical elements, like playing up the dire financial straits of its contestants, and suggesting to viewers that one contestant exposed himself, when he actually didn't.

What "X Factor" badly needs is more compassion -- or at least a better show of it.

You can watch Rachel Crow's horrible exit here:

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/x-factor-shakeup-admission-failure-enter-mariah-34938

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/tv_nm/us_xfactor_analysis

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Romney Making His Break (talking-points-memo)

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D. Boerse regulator says has concerns over NYSE deal (Reuters)

WIESBADEN, Germany (Reuters) ? Deutsche Boerse's (DB1Gne.DE) home regulator, the Hessian Minister of Economics, said the German exchange operator has failed to address concerns about the proposed takeover of NYSE Euronext (NYX.N), throwing up another hurdle to the deal.

"We made it clear in discussions in November that we have legal reservations about the deal," Dieter Posch told reporters on Monday.

The ministry said concessions offered by Deutsche Boerse had not addressed its concerns. The ministry, based in Wiesbaden, Germany, has the power to revoke Deutsche Boerse's operating license, a key prerequisite to a successful deal.

The Hessian ministry will give its final verdict on the takeover after antitrust authorities in Brussels have ruled on the deal. A ruling from the European Commission was expected this week. The deal has met intense scrutiny from the European Union.

(Reporting By Andreas Kroner; Writing by Edward Taylor; Editing by Dan Lalor)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/bs_nm/us_deutscheboerse_nyse

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Box Office Guru Wrapup: The Grey Takes the Top Spot

This weekend, audiences turned out for Liam Neeson's latest thriller The Grey which topped a busy frame that saw three new action entries attack a North American box office that already had plenty of action offerings. Marking the first number one debut for rookie distributor Open Road, the R-rated Alaskan survival pic bowed to an estimated $20M from 3,185 theaters for a solid $6,279 average. Following Taken and Unknown, Neeson has emerged as a more cerebral action hero and has now anchored three number one hits over the past three years which is more than most other Hollywood stars like Robert Downey Jr., Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Matt Damon, or Denzel Washington.

Reviews were favorable for The Grey but audiences were not too thrilled with the outcome as the wolf attack flick earned a disappointing B- grade from CinemaScore. Social media chatter on Twitter included plenty of disappointment from people who thought that Neeson would have a bigger presence in the film given his prominence in the advertising campaign. But after the shocking $24.7M debut of Taken over Super Bowl weekend in 2009 and the brawny $21.9M debut of Unknown over last year's Presidents Day holiday frame, it made sense that Neeson was far and away the top commercial selling point for the $25M production which boasted no other major stars. Coming up on his 60th birthday, the busy Irish actor could possibly star in a whopping five number one hits this year thanks to the February 10 re-release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the March 30 bow of Wrath of the Titans, the May 18 launch of Battleship, and the July 20 release of The Dark Knight Rises.

Despite all the action competition, last week's box office champ Underworld: Awakening held up incredibly well dropping 51% to an estimated $12.5M for the lowest sophomore decline in the history of the four-film franchise. The first three pics each fell by 55-65% after their debuts and generally fourth chapters in a sci-fi or horror series draw such a big part of the built-in audience upfront that they crumble in the second frame. Sony has taken in $45.1M after ten days with its Kate Beckinsale vehicle and can expect a final take in the $65-70M range helped in part by 3D surcharges.

Katherine Heigl landed in third place with a respectable debut for her latest film One for the Money which bowed to an estimated $11.8M from 2,737 sites for a decent $4,293 average. Lionsgate refrained from screening the PG-13 action-comedy for critics but reviews that eventually came out were brutal making it the front-runner for next year's Razzie Awards at this early stage in the race. Heigl's films routinely open in double digit millions despite horrible reviews and lame plots although this one lacked a notable male lead. Money, which finds the actress playing a bail bondswoman hunting down an old flame, skewed heavily towards women with studio research showing that the audience was 79% female and 74% over 25. With a lackluster B- CinemaScore, the road ahead looks grim.

The fighter pilot actioner Red Tails dropped 45% from its impressive debut and took fourth place with an estimated $10.4M. Fox's release of the George Lucas production has collected $33.8M in ten days and a final tally of $55-60M seems likely which is more than most expected.

Scoring the worst opening of the frame's three new releases, but the best audience feedback, was Summit's Man on a Ledge with an estimated $8.3M. The PG-13 film averaged a weak $2,752 per theater from 2,998 locations and just couldn't compete with the wide range of other action offerings in the marketplace. Reviews were dull and lead actor Sam Worthington has never anchored an action hit outside of pre-existing brands like Clash of the Titans or James Cameron. But Ledge did have broad appeal with men and women represented equally and 56% of the crowd being under 25. The CinemaScore grade was a decent B+ and the Friday-to-Saturday increase was 44% - both tops among the freshmen.

A pair of Oscar nominees for Best Picture followed, each exploiting the nominations in a different way. The Tom Hanks-Sandra Bullock drama Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close dipped only 29% to an estimated $7.1M in its second weekend of wide release to raise the cume to $21.1M. Warner Bros. has used a Million Dollar Baby-style strategy with this 9/11 pic by opening in just a small number of theaters in late December in order to qualify and then waiting until nomination time to go nationwide letting others duke it out during awards season in hopes that it will be a fresh new option for voters and mainstream audiences alike. The plan worked for Baby which triumphed over the presumed front-runner The Aviator that year. But it may not be repeat this time as Loud only scored one other Academy Award nomination and was left out of the Director race. Still, the Oscar heat could help the film's legs at the box office over the next few weeks as mature audiences catch up on Academy-endorsed films.

George Clooney's The Descendants expanded on Friday more than tripling its run on the heels of earning five Oscar nods and jumped back into the top ten at number seven with an estimated $6.6M. Now getting a second life in its 11th week of release, the Fox Searchlight film boosted its theater count by 257% from 560 locations to 2,001 and watched its weekend gross jump 176% although its average fell by 23%. The Alexander Payne-directed pic has banked $58.8M to date and could rake in a lot more thanks to the Oscar heat and the fact that it has some star power and mainstream appeal.

Former number one Contraband followed with an estimated $6.5M, down 46%, giving Universal $56.4M to date for the Mark Wahlberg actioner. Disney's 3D makeover of Beauty and the Beast dropped 39% to an estimated $5.3M for $41.1M so far. The animated film's lifetime gross including the 1991 original release plus the 2002 special edition is now $212.5M. Rounding out the top ten was Steven Soderbergh's action thriller Haywire which fell a sharp 53% in its second weekend to an estimated $4M putting the Relativity title at $15.3M in ten days.

Oscar nominees all hustled this past week to turn nominations into extra box office. Distributors worked hard to cash in as Academy endorsements and media hype can translate into broader moviegoer interest, especially for smaller films that need more convincing. But with this game comes added expenditures as more prints are needed and additional advertising is purchased so the net "Oscar bump" is nearly impossible to calculate.

The undisputed front-runner The Artist expanded from 662 to 897 theaters and saw its weekend take rise 40% to an estimated $3.3M giving The Weinstein Co. a total of $16.7M with plenty more to come. Its average of $3,696 was not too impressive but it did inch up 3% from last weekend. A near-impossible sell in the U.S. market, The Artist is now fully in the spotlight and positioned to pull in audiences that would not have purchased tickets before. There will still be resistance to the silent 1930s-set French-produced film from the broader mainstream crowd so the cume will only rise so high. But with numerous wins including the top film prizes from both the PGA and DGA, the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical, Critics Choice awards for Picture and Director, plus ten Academy Award nominations, The Artist is clearly the film to beat and can extend its box office fortunes past Feb 26 if it pulls off a big victory.

Martin Scorsese's Hugo, which led all films with 11 Oscar nods, enjoyed a similar expansion from 650 to 965 sites and grossed an estimated $2.3M. Its boost of 143% was much greater as the 3D film is more accessible and includes characters speaking to each other. Paramount's total is $58.7M. The incredibly expensive production did not fare too well during its initial run but now has a chance add to its cume by reaching those who missed it the first time around. Fellow Best Picture contender War Horse did not benefit much as the Spielberg pic fell 37% to an estimated $2M raising the sum to $75.6M. The war drama lost nearly 700 screens but also saw its average drop too.

Following its qualifying run, Glenn Close's Albert Nobbs opened in limited release after nabbing three Oscar nominations and grossed an estimated $773,000 from 245 theaters for a sluggish $3,155 average. The overall cume is $823,000 for Roadside Attractions and reviews have been mixed for the film but solid for Close's performance as a woman playing a man.

Elsewhere below the top ten, Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol achieved a pair of notable milestones this weekend. The domestic haul broke the $200M mark with $202.6M thus far while the international run continued to shine raising the overseas tally to $369M. The action hit is now the top-grossing installment of the popular franchise with a global gross of $571.6M and counting thanks in part to a solid debut in China where it raked in $12.7M in only two days more than quintupling the opening of the last Mission: Impossible picture there. The $600M barrier will be crushed soon.

The top ten films grossed an estimated $92.5M which was up 6% from last year when The Rite opened in the top spot with $14.8M; but down 11% from 2010 when Avatar stayed at number one yet again in its seventh frame with $31.3M.

Follow Gitesh on Twitter!

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924398/news/1924398/

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Bulls, Heat to meet for first time since playoffs

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) talks with teammate LeBron James during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, in Miami. The Heat defeated the Knicks 99-89. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) talks with teammate LeBron James during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, in Miami. The Heat defeated the Knicks 99-89. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings (3) battle for a loose ball during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) reacts after scoring as Milwaukee Bucks forward Drew Gooden (0) looks away during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat's Shane Battier (31) falls to the court as he passes the ball against New York Knicks' Steve Novak (16) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MIAMI (AP) ? A Sunday matinee matchup, with the top two teams in the Eastern Conference rekindling their playoff rivalry from a season ago.

Derrick Rose says it's just another game.

LeBron James offers a similar sentiment.

Odds are, the past two NBA MVPs aren't being entirely truthful in their analysis.

Rose and the Chicago Bulls visit James and the Miami Heat on Sunday, the first meeting this season between the teams with the East's two best records to date. Chicago won all three regular-season games last season by a combined eight points, before the Heat captured the conference finals in five games and capped that series with a wild comeback on the Bulls' floor.

"The hype is going to be crazy for this game," Rose told reporters in Chicago on Friday night. "Just can't buy into it."

James concurred after the Heat finished practice Saturday in Miami.

"We hope the fans are excited about the game, but as far as the most-hyped game (of the season so far), I don't think so," James said. "We enjoy it. We've got those types of guys who love the big stage, if that's what you want to call it. It's going to be a good game. We're looking forward to the challenge and I know they are as well."

Chicago will leave Miami on Sunday atop the East standings, no matter the outcome, up by either one or three games in the conference race ? almost an ancillary point. Instead, Sunday seems almost more about landing the first blow in what could be the start of as many as 11 meetings between the teams this season.

The Heat surely recall losing the three nail-biters against Chicago a year ago, then getting run out of the United Center in Game 1 of the East finals.

The Bulls surely recall that series-opening win was their last against the Heat last season, and how Miami rallied from 12 points down in the last 3 minutes of Game 5 to prevail and earn a spot in the NBA finals.

"It's the team that eliminated us last year," Bulls center Joakim Noah ? who famously called Miami "Hollywood as hell" after that playoff series ? said Friday night in a video posted to the team's web site. "And everybody will be waiting for that game. It's a game that as soon as that schedule came out, that's definitely the game that you circle, that you come ready for."

Motivation will not be in short supply, on either side.

Healthy bodies, on the Chicago side, may be a bit lacking.

Rose, the reigning MVP, is playing through some nagging issues, including a sore left big toe. Guard Richard Hamilton has always been a strong defender against Miami's Dwyane Wade, but sat out Friday with a bruised right thigh. And forward Luol Deng, who has averaged 18.7 points in his last 10 games against Miami (including playoffs), is saying he does not expect to play for at least another few days because of a torn left wrist ligament.

Plus, it's the start of a nine-game road stretch for Chicago, though this one in Miami is the only one generating any buzz right now.

"Everybody's trying to blow the game up," Rose said. "But we're not worried about that."

The Heat had 15 players available to choose from when setting a lineup Friday, the first time that's happened this season.

Wade returned from a two-week absence because of a sprained right ankle to score 28 points in Miami's 99-89 win over the New York Knicks, adding five steals, four assists and two blocks. James finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, already the fourth time this season he's had that stat line or better.

It didn't take long after Friday's game for the Heat to start talking about Chicago.

"Two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference going at it," Wade said. "It's always going to be a great battle when Chicago and the Heat play each other. We've got to get the first one on our home floor."

The teams are different ? Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said both are better ? than what was on the floor in last season's East finals. Chicago clearly upgraded by adding Hamilton, and Miami's rotation got deeper with the signing of Shane Battier.

The rivalry, however, remains.

"It'll be a little different, but the principles are the same," Wade said. "They live on their defense and obviously this year we've been scoring, but our defense is what wins games and hopefully one day wins championships for us."

___

Follow Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-28-Bulls-Heat%20Rivalry/id-d0951e8f9ba846968e3fde78e9275cb2

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You Can Still Buy a 32GB HP TouchPad for $220 [Touchpad]

The HP TouchPad, the Michael Myers-like tablet that just won't die, just popped up on Woot for a pretty cheapish $220. Two benji's and a jacksonw will score you the 32GB version. That's a little more expensive than it was during the great firesale of 2011 but with webOS becoming open source, maybe there's value in it! More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/NeSdV7k5HI8/you-can-still-buy-a-32gb-hp-touchpad-for-220

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British police arrest 5 in tabloid bribery probe (AP)

LONDON ? British police searched the offices of Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers Saturday after arresting a police officer and four current and former staff of his tabloid The Sun as part of an investigation into police bribery by journalists.

The arrests spread the scandal over tabloid wrongdoing ? which has already caused the closure of one tabloid, the News of the World ? to a second Murdoch newspaper.

London's Metropolitan Police said two men aged 48 and one aged 56 were arrested on suspicion of corruption early in the morning at homes in and around London. A 42-year-old man was detained later at a London police station.

Murdoch's News Corp. confirmed that all four were current or former Sun employees.

A fifth man, a 29-year-old police officer, was arrested at the London station where he works.

The investigation into whether reporters illegally paid police for information is running parallel to a police inquiry into phone hacking by Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World.

Officers were searching the men's homes and the east London headquarters of the media mogul's British newspapers for evidence.

Police said Saturday's arrests were made as a result of information provided by the Management and Standards Committee of Murdoch's News Corp.

News Corp. said it was cooperating with police.

"News Corporation made a commitment last summer that unacceptable news gathering practices by individuals in the past would not be repeated," it said in a statement.

A dozen people have now been arrested in the bribery probe, though none has yet been charged.

They include former Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of Murdoch's News International, ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson ? who is also Prime Minister David Cameron's former communications chief ? and journalists from the News of the World and The Sun.

Two of the London police force's top officers resigned in the wake of the revelation last July that the News of the World had eavesdropped on the cell phone voicemail messages of celebrities, athletes, politicians and even an abducted teenager in its quest for stories.

Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old tabloid, and the scandal has triggered a continuing public inquiry into media ethics and the relationship between the press, police and politicians.

An earlier police investigation failed to find evidence hacking went beyond one reporter and a private investigator, but News Corp. has now acknowledged it was much more widespread.

Last week the company agreed to pay damages to 37 hacking victims, including actor Jude Law, soccer star Ashley Cole and British politician John Prescott.

___

Jill Lawless can be reached at: http://twitter.com/JillLawless

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_phone_hacking

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Mortgage rates for the past 52 weeks, at a glance (AP)

Skip to navigation ? Skip to content ? By The Associated Press The Associated Press ? 1?hr?44?mins?ago

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 3.98 percent, Freddie Mac said Thursday. It was the first increase in four weeks and up from last week's record low of 3.88 percent.

Here's a look at rates for fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages over the past 52 weeks:

Current week's average Last week's average 52-week high 52-week low

30-year fixed 3.98 3.88 5.05 3.88

15-year fixed 3.24 3.17 4.29 3.16

5-year adjustable 2.85 2.82 3.92 2.82

1-year adjustable 2.74 2.74 3.40 2.74

All values are in percentage points.

Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

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Copyright ? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_rates_glance

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AP source: NYPD head's son accused of sex assault (AP)

NEW YORK ? The son of New York City's police commissioner, also a co-host of a popular New York City morning television show, has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman, a person familiar with the investigation said Thursday.

Greg Kelly, 43, was absent Thursday morning from his job as anchor of "Good Day New York" and through a lawyer denied the allegations.

The woman said she had drinks with him on Oct. 8, then went back to her office, where she was assaulted, the person familiar with the case told The Associated Press.

She went to police Tuesday, according to the person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity. It's not clear why she went to police weeks later or how long they knew each other before the encounter, though she said they had met on the street at some point.

Police spoke to the woman but turned the case quickly over to the Manhattan district attorney's office because of the potential conflict of interest in investigating the son of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, the person said.

Kelly, a former Fox News correspondent, is cooperating with the investigation, his lawyer, Andrew Lankler, said in an emailed statement.

Greg Kelly "strenuously denies any wrongdoing of any kind," Lankler said. "We know that the district attorney's investigation will prove Mr. Kelly's innocence." The lawyer didn't respond to questions about the focus of the investigation.

Lew Leone, the general manager of the local Fox station, said, "Greg Kelly has requested some time off." He did not elaborate.

The commissioner was recently made aware of an accusation against his son by an unknown man believed to be the accuser's boyfriend. The man approached the elder Kelly at a public event, chief police spokesman Paul Browne said.

"He said, `Your son ruined my girlfriend's life,'" Browne said. "The commissioner said, `Well, what do you mean?' He said he didn't want to talk about it here so the commissioner told him to send a letter."

Browne wasn't sure whether the letter was ever sent. He said he could not comment on the investigation because of the potential conflict of interest and referred inquiries to the district attorney's office, which declined to comment.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday at an unrelated event that the police department did the right thing by turning information over to the district attorney.

Kelly joined Fox News in 2002. He covered the Iraq War, including four assignments in Baghdad, and was the White House correspondent from 2005-2007, according to his biography on WNYW's website.

In 2007, the television show "Extra" identified Kelly as the most eligible anchorman on TV. The show's website said Kelly "has enough heart and courage to make any woman swoon."

He's been involved in an ongoing feud with Joel McHale, host of "The Soup" on E! Entertainment. The show plays clips from television shows to poke fun at people, and McHale has frequently targeted Kelly and "Good Day New York."

One clip noted his sullen response to partner Rosanna Scotto the morning after a loss by the NFL's New York Jets, another showed Kelly playing disco music on his laptop coming off a commercial.

Kelly struck back last Halloween by showing up on "Good Day New York" in a McHale costume and making fun of "The Soup."

Earlier in his career, Kelly covered politics for local cable news channel New York 1 and was an anchor and reporter for NewsChannel 34, an ABC and NBC affiliate in Binghamton, N.Y., his biography said.

He also served for nearly a decade in the Marine Corps and is now a lieutenant colonel in its reserves.

Raymond Kelly has been police commissioner since 2002. He also served as commissioner in the 1990s.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Long and AP Television Writer David Bauder contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_re_us/us_police_commissioner_son

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Newer radiation therapy technology improves patients' quality of life, research finds

ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2012) ? Patients with head and neck cancers who have been treated with newer, more sophisticated radiation therapy technology enjoy a better quality of life than those treated with older radiation therapy equipment, a study by UC Davis researchers has found.

The findings, presented Jan. 26 at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Phoenix, is the first of its kind to measure long-term quality of life among cancer patients who have undergone radiation therapy for advanced cancers of the throat, tongue, vocal cords, and other structures in the head and neck.

Allen Chen, assistant professor and director of the residency and fellowship training program in the UC Davis Department of Radiation Oncology, reported that the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, was associated with fewer long-term side effects, which led to a better quality of life. Standard radiation therapy to the head and neck has been known to affect a patient's ability to produce saliva, taste, and even chew food. These side effects historically have resulted in permanent disabilities.

"With the newer machines using IMRT, physicians are skillfully able to deliver higher doses of radiation to the tumor and lower doses to surrounding normal tissues than ever before," Chen said. "I wanted to see if this theoretical advantage resulted in any tangible improvements in quality of life for patients."

For the study, Chen used the University of Washington Quality of Life instrument, a standardized, previously validated questionnaire that patients complete after radiation therapy. The survey was administered prospectively to 155 patients at UC Davis Cancer Center diagnosed with head and neck cancers, 54 percent of whom were initially treated with IMRT and 46 percent of whom were treated with other radiation therapy technologies. All of the patients receiving IMRT also underwent image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), which has been available at UC Davis since 2006 and is used to increase accuracy by taking a high-quality scan of the tumor daily.

Chen and his colleagues found that the early gains observed in quality of life became magnified over time for those who received IMRT treatment. For example, one year after treatment, 51 percent of the IMRT patients rated their quality of life as very good or outstanding, compared to 41 percent of non-IMRT patients. But two years after treatment, the percentages changed to 73 percent and 49 percent respectively.

John Torres of Sacramento was diagnosed in early 2010 with a large tumor at the base of his tongue on the right side of his throat. Fearing that surgery might result in the loss of his voice box, Torres opted for IMRT with IGRT and had 33 treatments.

Torres, now 73 and in remission, points out that the treatments were "no walk in the park," but said he is faring much better than he expected. Although his mouth is often dry and he has lost some taste sensation, he is enjoying an active life.

"I golf a couple of time a week," he said. "My wife and I like to socialize. We go out, and we dance. And we are planning to take a cruise through the Panama Canal in next two or three months. Life has gotten back to pretty much exactly what it was."

Chen acknowledged that quality of life is difficult to measure because of its subjective nature. Nonetheless, he said the findings support the more widespread use of IMRT in radiation clinics throughout the country.

"There has been some reluctance to utilize it because it is expensive, resource intensive, and takes on average 10 to 12 hours to prepare a single patient's treatment," he said. "I think this is further evidence that our investment in developing newer technologies is really paying off."

Chen, whose findings will be highlighted at a symposium press briefing on Friday, Jan. 27, received no outside funding for the research. Other investigators who collaborated on the study were Gregory Farwell, Quang Luu, Esther Vazquez, Derick Lau, and James Purdy, all from the UC Davis Cancer Center.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/mHGbuuo18M0/120126143658.htm

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Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served

Nokia has announced a major mobile milestone: over 1.5 billion (with a b) Series 40 handsets sold since the first device -- the 7110 -- was introduced in 1999. "We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone," wrote Nokia's Executive VP of Mobile Phones, Mary McDowell. "It is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible." Breeze on past the break for the official PR with more information about the Asha 303 handset knighted number 1,500,000,000, then feel free to weigh in on how long will take the Lumia line to reach the same milestone.

Continue reading Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served

Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/25/nokia-s40-sales-reach-1-5-billion/

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Arab League in talks with ElBaradei over Syria job (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? The Arab League has approached Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the U.N. nuclear agency, as a possible candidate for the job of special envoy to Syria to follow up an Arab initiative to ease President Bashar al-Assad out of power.

"The Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby has made a number of contacts with prominent Arab figures... and among these figures is Dr. ElBaradei," Egypt's state MENA news agency quoted Ahmed Ben Helli, a senior official of the 22-member body, as saying.

The U.N. Security Council could vote as early as next week on a draft resolution endorsing the Arab League's call for Assad to hand powers to his deputy and set up a unity government to prepare for early parliamentary and presidential elections.

The plan also requires the Arab League to dispatch an envoy to Damascus to push for implementation.

It remains unclear whether Russia - which together with China vetoed a European-drafted resolution in October that condemned Syria and threatened it with sanctions over its 10-month crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators - is prepared to wield its veto powers once again.

ElBaradei, who helped to galvanize the opposition when he returned to Egypt in 2010, withdrew this month from Egypt's presidential election complaining that not enough had changed since Hosni Mubarak's ousting at the height of the Arab Spring a year ago.

(Writing by Lin Noueihed)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/wl_nm/us_syria

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Rate of physician referrals nearly doubled

Public release date: 23-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: David Cameron
david_cameron@hms.harvard.edu
617-432-0441
Harvard Medical School

Increase in referrals could lead to increase in health care costs

BOSTON, MA -- Physician referral rates in the United States doubled between 1999 and 2009, a new study finds, an increase that likely contributes to the rising costs of health care.

The increase in referral rates coincides with an increase in chronic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. The results are staggering: over the same time period, the estimated absolute number of visits resulting in a referral increased 159 per cent, from 40.6 million to 105 million.

"If you add that up, it's real money," said Bruce Landon, senior author of the paper and professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School.

The researchers found a 92 percent increase in referral rates (from 4.83 to 9.29 percent) over the last decade, analyzing a nationally representative sample of 845,243 ambulatory patient visits from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, 1993-2009.

"Understanding trends in physician referrals is critical both for improving patient care and for managing costs," said Michael Barnett, lead author on the study and a first-year resident in internal medicine and primary care at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The results will be published January 23 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. For many years, the rate of referrals stayed flat, until about ten years ago, when they began a steady climb. This paper is the first research to analyze referral data since the trend began. The marked increase in referral rates is likely due to increased specialization in medical care, and increasing responsibilities for primary care physicians during a typical visit. "Sometimes physicians may find it easier to refer a patient to another doctor than to find the necessary time to spend with him or her," said coauthor Zirui Song, an HMS student and PhD student in health policy.

The researchers noted that referrals to specialists are often gateways to a cascade of potentially costly services which may or may not be needed: The cost associated with a referral isn't just the cost of a single visit, it's the potential for an ongoing series of visits, diagnostic tests, procedures and hospitalizations that might result.

In some cases, a more conservative approach can have better results and lower costs. For example, instead of referring a patient with ankle pain for an MRI and a visit to an orthopedist, a primary care physician might first recommend rest and physical therapy.

"This study is step one, an attempt to start to get our heads around the question by describing the basic epidemiology of physician referrals," said Landon. In order to manage the rising costs of health care and guarantee the best outcomes for patients, he added, researchers need to understand the interactions between networks of referring physicians and the appropriateness of referrals.

###

This research was funded by the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.

Zirui Song was supported by a Pre-doctoral M.D./Ph.D. National Research Service Award from the National Institute on Aging and a Pre-doctoral Fellowship in Aging and Health Economics from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Jake Miller CITATION

Archives of Internal Medicine, Jan. 23, 2012

"Trends in Physician Referrals in the US, 1999-2009" by Barnett et al

Harvard Medical School http://hms.harvard.edu> has more than 7,500 full-time faculty working in 11 academic departments located at the School's Boston campus or in one of 47 hospital-based clinical departments at 17 Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes. Those affiliates include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Childrens Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Hebrew SeniorLife, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Childrens Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and VA Boston Healthcare System.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 23-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: David Cameron
david_cameron@hms.harvard.edu
617-432-0441
Harvard Medical School

Increase in referrals could lead to increase in health care costs

BOSTON, MA -- Physician referral rates in the United States doubled between 1999 and 2009, a new study finds, an increase that likely contributes to the rising costs of health care.

The increase in referral rates coincides with an increase in chronic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. The results are staggering: over the same time period, the estimated absolute number of visits resulting in a referral increased 159 per cent, from 40.6 million to 105 million.

"If you add that up, it's real money," said Bruce Landon, senior author of the paper and professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School.

The researchers found a 92 percent increase in referral rates (from 4.83 to 9.29 percent) over the last decade, analyzing a nationally representative sample of 845,243 ambulatory patient visits from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, 1993-2009.

"Understanding trends in physician referrals is critical both for improving patient care and for managing costs," said Michael Barnett, lead author on the study and a first-year resident in internal medicine and primary care at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The results will be published January 23 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. For many years, the rate of referrals stayed flat, until about ten years ago, when they began a steady climb. This paper is the first research to analyze referral data since the trend began. The marked increase in referral rates is likely due to increased specialization in medical care, and increasing responsibilities for primary care physicians during a typical visit. "Sometimes physicians may find it easier to refer a patient to another doctor than to find the necessary time to spend with him or her," said coauthor Zirui Song, an HMS student and PhD student in health policy.

The researchers noted that referrals to specialists are often gateways to a cascade of potentially costly services which may or may not be needed: The cost associated with a referral isn't just the cost of a single visit, it's the potential for an ongoing series of visits, diagnostic tests, procedures and hospitalizations that might result.

In some cases, a more conservative approach can have better results and lower costs. For example, instead of referring a patient with ankle pain for an MRI and a visit to an orthopedist, a primary care physician might first recommend rest and physical therapy.

"This study is step one, an attempt to start to get our heads around the question by describing the basic epidemiology of physician referrals," said Landon. In order to manage the rising costs of health care and guarantee the best outcomes for patients, he added, researchers need to understand the interactions between networks of referring physicians and the appropriateness of referrals.

###

This research was funded by the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.

Zirui Song was supported by a Pre-doctoral M.D./Ph.D. National Research Service Award from the National Institute on Aging and a Pre-doctoral Fellowship in Aging and Health Economics from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Jake Miller CITATION

Archives of Internal Medicine, Jan. 23, 2012

"Trends in Physician Referrals in the US, 1999-2009" by Barnett et al

Harvard Medical School http://hms.harvard.edu> has more than 7,500 full-time faculty working in 11 academic departments located at the School's Boston campus or in one of 47 hospital-based clinical departments at 17 Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes. Those affiliates include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Childrens Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Hebrew SeniorLife, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Childrens Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and VA Boston Healthcare System.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/hms-rop012312.php

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Patriots in Super Bowl, beat Ravens 23-20

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft holds up the championship trophy after their AFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots defeated the Ravens 23-20 to win the AFC Championship. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft holds up the championship trophy after their AFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots defeated the Ravens 23-20 to win the AFC Championship. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Members of the New England Patriots hold up the championship trophy after the AFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots defeated the Ravens 23-20 to win the AFC Championship. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots defensive tackle Gerard Warren celebrates after the Baltimore Ravens missed a 32-yard field goal attempt during the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots defeated the Ravens 23-20 to win the AFC Championship. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) looks at the championship trophy after the AFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots defeated the Ravens 23-20 to win the AFC Championship. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (75) celebrates during the closing seconds of the AFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots defeated the Ravens 23-20 to win the AFC Championship. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) ? Tom Brady got all the help he needed to get the New England Patriots into the Super Bowl.

Thank you, Billy Cundiff.

The Baltimore Ravens kicker shanked a 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds left and the Patriots escaped with a 23-20 victory in the AFC championship game on Sunday.

Usually, vintage Brady doesn't need much assistance in championship settings, but the Patriots much-maligned defense came through, and Brady's 1-yard touchdown dive with 11:29 left proved to be the winning points.

"Well, I sucked pretty bad today, but our defense saved us," Brady said after throwing for 239 yards, with two interceptions and, for the first time in 36 games, no TD passes. "I'm going to try to go out and do a better job in a couple of weeks, but I'm proud of this team, my teammates."

Brady waited out the final tense minutes on the sideline, and then celebrated with the rest of his team when Cundiff's attempt went wide left. The Ravens looked on in stunned horror.

Cundiff had no excuse.

"It's a kick I've kicked probably a thousand times in my career," Cundiff said. "I went out there and didn't convert. That's the way things go."

Next up as the Patriots chase their fourth Super Bowl trophy in Brady and coach Bill Belichick's tenure in New England is the New York Giants, who beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in overtime Sunday night.

The Patriots were installed as 3-point favorites for the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

In their last trip to the big game, the Patriots had an 18-0 record when they were stunned by the Giants four years ago. They won the NFL championship for the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons. This time, they head to the Super Bowl with a 10-game winning streak.

Before Cundiff missed, the Ravens had a chance to go ahead two plays earlier, but wide receiver Lee Evans was stripped of the ball in the end zone by backup cornerback Sterling Moore, who earlier was victimized for a touchdown that gave Baltimore (13-5) the lead 17-16.

On his touchdown, Brady took a huge hit from Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis, then emphatically spiked the ball as he walked away. Earlier, Brady showed his fire by barking at Lewis following a hard tackle on a 4-yard run.

"It's a pretty mentally tough team," said Brady, whose fifth trip to the Super Bowl will equal John Elway's achievement with Denver. "There's really some resiliency. We've shown that all season. Even in the games we've lost, the three games we lost, we fought until the end. We're always going to fight to the end. It's great to be a part of a team like this."

Baltimore had the touted defense in this matchup, but New England's unit, ranked 31st overall, was just as powerful.

"We stepped up," Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. "We all stepped up big time. Being in this situation is a great moment. You have to cherish this moment."

The Patriots shut down Ray Rice, the league's total yardage leader, who was limited to 78 yards. Brandon Spikes made a fourth-quarter interception of Joe Flacco, who played well before that and threw for two touchdowns. And when the Ravens were threatening to score a late touchdown to win their first conference title in 11 years, New England clamped down.

"It's two great football teams, two gladiators, I guess, just kind of going at each other at the end, and I'm proud of our guys," Harbaugh said. "You know, we've got 53 guys, mighty men, as we like to call them ? and they fought, and we came up a little bit short, as 53. You know, 53 win and 53 lose."

With Rice a nonfactor, Baltimore had to rely on Flacco, and he delivered one of his best performances. Flacco has led the Ravens into the playoffs in all four of his pro seasons, but not to the Super Bowl. He was 22 for 36 for 306 yards and touchdowns of 6 yards to Dennis Pitta and 29 to rookie Torrey Smith.

The loss hardly could be blamed on Flacco.

"I don't know if I ever will prove anything," he said. "I just play the same way. We lost; someone has to. But we laid it all out on the field."

Operating against a porous secondary missing its top cornerback, Kyle Arrington, who left in the second quarter with an eye injury, Flacco gave Baltimore its first lead. His short pass on third down to explosive receiver Smith turned into a 29-yard scamper down the right sideline after Moore completely whiffed on the tackle.

Danny Woodhead's fumble on the ensuing kickoff set up Baltimore at the Patriots 28, but a third-down sack forced Cundiff to kick a 39-yard field goal, making it 20-16.

New England didn't flinch.

Brady took the Patriots 63 yards in 11 plays, and seemed to score on a 1-yard run. The call was overruled by replay, though, and on fourth-down, he dived just high enough over the line for the winning points.

"Every inch counts in this game and every foot counts in this game," said 12-year veteran guard Brian Waters, who joined the Patriots this year and is headed to his first Super Bowl.

Defense was particularly dominant early on. The Patriots held Baltimore to minus-4 yards on its first three first-down runs and forced the Ravens to go three-and-out each time. Meanwhile, the Patriots put together a methodical 13-play, 50-yard drive helped greatly by an illegal contact penalty on Lardarius Webb that negated a tipped interception by Bernard Pollard.

But Brady was sacked for the first time by Paul Kruger and Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 29-yard field goal.

Late in the first quarter, the Ravens changed tactics after Webb picked off a pass intended for Julian Edelman at the Baltimore 30. Flacco rolled right on first down and threw deep down the sideline to a wide-open Smith. Had the pass not been short, Smith likely would have sprinted into the end zone. Instead, it was a 42-yard gain, not bad at all given Baltimore's previous ineptitude with the ball.

Cundiff's 20-yard field goal momentarily tied it.

Brady, perhaps peeved by his poor throw that Webb picked off, hit two passes for 29 yards on a 75-yard drive to make it 10-3. BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 36 yards on that series, and also drew a personal foul against Webb, who ripped off the running back's helmet on a short rush. Green-Ellis surged into the end zone from the 7, then pointed to the patch on his jersey honoring Myra Kraft, the late wife of Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

In the locker room afterward, Kraft was asked about the motivation the team got from dedicating the season to his wife of 48 years. Kraft tapped an MHK pin on his left lapel and kissed his fingers before pointing upward.

"They're an amazing team, they're a great brotherhood, they're a family," Kraft said.

Going back to the pass, the Ravens tied it on a 6-yard throw to Pitta ? yes, Baltimore has some dangerous tight ends, too ? that concluded an 80-yard march. Flacco opened the drive with a 20-yard completion to Evans and then Anquan Boldin escaped Arrington's attempted tackle to gain 37 more yards on a reception. Flacco was finding holes in New England's coverage, particularly when he moved out of the pocket.

New England's All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski made an error at the end of a 63-yard drive, failing to keep two feet in bounds on a catch. Gostkowski's 35-yard field goal made it 13-10.

Gronkowski left for a while with a left leg problem, but soon returned.

"It doesn't even feel right, especially playing with the veterans here," Gronkowski said. "I watched them go to the Super Bowl as I was growing up and now I'm part of it? It is an unreal moment."

Notes: Brady won his 16th career postseason game to tie Joe Montana for most in NFL history. ... New England's seventh Super Bowl appearance puts it one behind Pittsburgh and Dallas. ... The Patriots are 7-1 in AFC title games, 4-0 at home. ... Brady and Belichick are the first QB-coach combination to win five conference championships in the Super Bowl era. ... Baltimore was 7-0 against playoff teams this season before Sunday's loss. ... The Ravens finished 4-5 on the road. ... In three career games against the Patriots, Rice averaged 145.7 yards, nearly double what he managed Sunday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-23-FBN-AFC-Championship/id-cb3b202e89a040a08eb6d2a48a3ed720

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Highway Pro Turns Cigarette Lighter Into USB Charger

Just Mobile’s Highway Pro should really come as standard in every car. It’s a small cylindrical widget which plugs in the cigarette lighter socket (are they still called cigarette lighter sockets?) and turns it into a pair of USB charging slots. Regular readers will already know that I think cars should be stripped of all [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/nPilxiWuNzs/

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CSX posts higher 4Q profit and revenue (AP)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ? Freight railroad operator CSX Corp. said Monday that fourth-quarter profit rose 6 percent as higher rates offset a decline in the volume of goods it shipped.

The company also announced it had replaced its chief operating officer.

CSX shares fell in after-hours trading.

CSX said Chief Financial Officer Oscar Munoz would become chief operating officer, replacing David A. Brown, who is "no longer with the company." CSX said the change was unrelated to the company's business or financial performance.

Fredrik J. Eliasson, a 16-year CSX veteran, will take Munoz's spot as CFO. He was vice president of sales and marketing for CSX's chemicals and fertilizer business.

CSX net income in the quarter ended Dec. 30 rose to $457 million, or 43 cents per share, from $430 million, or 38 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts expected 44 cents per share, according to a survey by research firm FactSet.

The railroad shipped less coal, chemicals and agricultural products than it did a year ago. Overall volume was down 4 percent. CSX said it shipped less coal because utilities needed less of it to generate electricity. Some utilities are using more natural gas to run generators, because its price is close to a 10-year low.

CSX carried more cars and automotive components in the quarter, as North American production picked up from a year ago. Volume of some construction materials ? such as crushed stone and sand ? was also higher, helped by mild winter weather that extended the building season in many parts of the country.

Revenue per shipping unit jumped 9 percent ? led by double-digit increases for hauling coal and autos. That helped the company boost revenue to $2.95 billion, compared with $2.82 billion a year earlier. Analysts expected $2.99 billion.

Economists follow the performance of railroads as one indicator of the strength of the broader economy. That's because railroads haul a wide range of things, from consumer goods to cars and commodities like coal and grain.

The report wasn't as ringing as last week's numbers from bigger rival Union Pacific Corp., which said fourth-quarter net income jumped 24 percent. UP raised prices and hauled more freight during the quarter.

CSX officials planned to discuss the results in a conference call with analysts on Tuesday.

The shares fell 13 cents to close at $22.69 before the results were posted. In after-hours trading, they dropped 62 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $22.07.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_csx

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