SaleSpider Media Gets Ready for 2013

SaleSpider Media had an extremely successful 2012 and looks to bring that success into 2013.

toronto, ON (PRWEB) December 21, 2012

SaleSpider Media had an extremely successful 2012 and looks to bring that success into 2013. Over the past year each of SaleSpider Media's social networks have growth substantially. SaleSpider.com, North America's largest SMB social network, grew by over 500% in 2012. SaleSpider Media's other properties, HomeOwnersCircle.com and WealthMason.com, each grew by over 2000% in traffic over the same time period.

The substantial growth of SaleSpider Media can be attributed to the company?s digital innovations in the past year, here is a quick snapshot:

SaleSpider Media looks to continue to bring great innovations to our social platforms and grow with our users in the coming year of 2013.

About Sales Spider Media:


SaleSpider Media is a leading internet company with multiple fast-growing, highly-related brands serving loyal consumer and business audiences...our mission is to harness the power of interactivity to make daily life easier and more productive for people all over North America and The World.


SaleSpider Media?s exclusive web properties have millions of unique visitors and opt-in members and are growing by over 90% each quarter. The company has deep reach to in-market buyers in Auto, Travel, Finance, Insurance, Technology, B2B, and many more!


SaleSpider Media works with top Fortune 100 companies and is a leader in...

  • First Party Data Targeting reaching ?ready to buy? consumers
  • Reaching Business Decision Makers by company size, industry, title and geography
  • Social Media, multiple platforms including the largest small business social network in North America

To learn more about SaleSpider Media, please see SaleSpiderMedia.com.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/salespider-media-gets-ready-2013-205252532.html

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Net Neutrality Returns - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Reason Online

At the end of 2010, the Federal Communications Commission passed so-called "net neutrality" rules giving the FCC new power to regulate traffic management practices on data networks. Those rules are currently being challenged?by Verizon, which argues that the rules violate the First Amendment and lack sufficient statutory basis. A?court is expected to rule on the matter next year.

In the meantime, though, Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden is proposing new legislation that would enforce certain traffic management rules. Via Wired:

A proposal forbidding internet service providers from turning the data-cap meter off to grant a so-called internet fast lane to preferential online services was introduced Thursday in the Senate.

The bill by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) comes a week after a report found that the institutionalization of data caps by ISPs?is geared toward profiteering rather than the stated goal of managing traffic congestion.

?A covered internet service provider may not, for purposes of measuring data usage or otherwise, provide preferential treatment of data that is?based on the source or the content of the data,? Wyden?s bill reads.

Ars Technica noted that Comcast had?not counted its Xbox video-streaming app against its data caps. Comcast, however, no longer enforces its data caps.

?Data caps create challenges for consumers and run the risk of undermining innovation in the digital economy if they are imposed bluntly and not designed to truly manage network congestion,??Wyden said in a statement.

Among other things, the proposal demands a standardized method for measuring data and also questions data caps altogether. That?s because it grants the Federal Communications Commission with regulatory power over data-cap pricing.

So a report has suggested that Internet service providers are, or at least were, arranging their business and pricing practices in a way that allows them to maximize their profits? It is surprising that anyone was able to uncover evidence to this effect. And obviously it must not be allowed to happen again.?

Source: http://reason.com/blog/2012/12/21/net-neutrality-returns

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Temple upsets No. 3 Syracuse 83-79

Temple's Khalif Wyatt (1) drives to the basket between Syracuse's James Southerland, left, and Michael Carter-Williams, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)

Temple's Khalif Wyatt (1) drives to the basket between Syracuse's James Southerland, left, and Michael Carter-Williams, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)

Syracuse's C.J. Fair (5) dunks against Temple during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)

Temple's Anthony Lee (3) shoots over Syracuse's James Southerland during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)

(AP) ? Khalif Wyatt scored 33 points and Anthony Lee had 21 ? both career highs ? and Temple, despite not making a field goal over the final 5 1-2 minutes, upset No. 3 Syracuse 83-79 on Saturday in the Chevrolet Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden.

The Owls (9-2), coming off a 10-point home loss to Canisius, used the combination of Wyatt from the outside and Lee inside to keep Syracuse at bay. The Orange led by two at halftime but never took a lead in the second half even though there were four ties, the last at 59-59 with 10:23 to play.

C.J. Fair had a career-high 25 points for Syracuse (10-1), which had its 52-game regular-season nonconference winning streak snapped. Jim Boeheim remained at 900 wins, two behind Bob Knight for second place all-time among Division I men's coaches. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has 938 wins.

Temple hit three 3-pointers in an 11-3 run that gave it the lead for good. Scootie Randall started the run with a 3 that broke the 59-all tie. He closed the run with another 3, his only points of the game.

Wyatt and Lee took care of the rest. Wyatt finished 8 of 17 from the field and was 15 of 15 from the free throw line. Lee was open time and again on the baseline and worked hard on the boards. He had nine rebounds, five offensive, and was 11 of 14 from the free throw line.

The Owls were 29 of 36 from the free throw line compared to Syracuse's 19-of-34 effort, including point guard Michael Carter-Williams going 7 of 15.

The 3-point line also hurt the Orange, who were 2 of 12 from behind the arc while Temple was 8 of 24.

Temple's last field goal was an offensive rebound by Quenton DeCosey with 5:41 left that gave the Owls a 72-66 lead.

Syracuse did get within 74-72 on a 3 by Fair with 3:01 left but the Owls went 11 of 15 from the free throw line over the final 2:30.

Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson had four points and 10 rebounds for the Owls.

Brandon Triche had 17 points for Syracuse. Baye Moussa Keita added 12 and Carter-Williams, who leads the nation in assists at 10.7 per game, had 13 points and six assists.

Temple missed 10 of its first 12 shots in falling behind 19-10. The Owls, behind Wyatt who had 20 points in the first half, started hitting shots against the Orange's zone defense and they made nine of their next 14 shots and tied the game at 35. Syracuse scored five straight points but Wyatt capped his big half with a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left and Temple was within 40-38 at halftime.)

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-22-T25-Temple-Syracuse/id-7ee7788ec0b14ac4ae3d95e6cc86e178

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Green Blog: A Progress Report on Fracking and Water Safety

The federal Environmental Protection Agency released a progress report on Friday about its national study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water supplies. In nearly 200 pages, the agency lays out data, case studies and a summary of research into issues like spills and the treatment and disposal of wastewater.

But the agency draws no conclusions on whether the drilling process threatens drinking water; it is not expected to do so until 2014, in a draft that will be subjected to public and peer review.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves pumping vast amounts of water laced with chemicals into underground shale formations under high pressure to release natural gas. In New York State, the drilling method is a focus of sharp debate as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo nears a decision on whether to allow it to go forward after years of environmental studies and the drafting of proposed regulations. A state study on health impacts is currently under way.

Fracking is already permitted in numerous other states, from Pennsylvania to North Dakota to Texas.

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/21/a-progress-report-on-fracking-and-water-safety/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Boehner has few 'fiscal cliff' options after Plan B failure

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Now that House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" for addressing the "fiscal cliff" has crashed and burned, the top U.S. Republican appears to have two remaining options - wash his hands of the entire matter or negotiate a compromise with Democrats that could abandon scores of his fellow Republicans.

The Republican rank and file and Democrats may face an equally stark choice: work together for a change, or plunge together off the cliff.

Boehner tried to ram a "fallback" plan through the House on Thursday - a relatively tiny tax increase on millionaires and billionaires - and failed. His rambunctious Republicans, who see opposition to all tax hikes as a matter of bedrock principle and of political survival, refused to go along.

President Barack Obama and his Democrats who control the Senate take the opposite view - tax hikes on the wealthy are a condition for their support of a fiscal cliff bill. If there is to be a resolution it will largely depend on an improbable scenario - Democrats in the House teaming up with less militant Republicans to back away from the fiscal cliff.

Compromise has been out of style in recent years, and many think it could require some prodding from the markets.

"At this point, I only see one route to avoiding the cliff, a replay of the TARP debacle in 2008," said George Washington University's Sarah Binder, an expert on Congress. In September 2008, the House defeated the bank bailout bill and the market collapsed, prompting a terrified lawmakers to reconsider and pass it.

"In this case, a harsh market and public reaction would be needed to force the hand of the speaker to negotiate a deal that can pass with Democratic votes," she said.

"If the GOP takes a beating in the headlines and the market tanks, I suspect a good number of rank-and-file GOP will demand that the speaker go back to the table. But absent whiplash from the markets and voters, I suspect it's over the cliff we go."

For the time being - or at least the 11 days until the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts are triggered - the House is in disarray and no deal to avert the fiscal cliff is in sight.

While the House in recess for a Christmas break that is likely to last at least until December 27, Boehner must decide whether to move any further in Obama's direction and agree to tax increases much higher than his own proposal that so angered his fellow Republicans on Thursday.

The Ohio Republican also might have to settle for fewer long-term spending cuts than he had hoped for.

WALK ON BY

Boehner's only other apparent option - one that he hinted at late on Thursday following the collapse of his bill - would be to walk away and leave the problem on Democrats' doorstep.

"Now it is up to the president to work with Senator Reid on legislation to avert the fiscal cliff," Boehner said in a statement referring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

But in a closed-door session before that statement, Republican lawmakers said Boehner told them that he would at least try to work out something with Obama.

Either way, Boehner faces the possibility of having to battle not only Democrats for the next two years, but also his own membership on major bills.

"We have people (Republican lawmakers) who felt like they had to stand on the principle ... they couldn't vote for anything (that raised any taxes). I don't quite understand it," lamented Representative Buck McKeon, the powerful chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who oversaw passage of a $633 billion defense spending bill for 2013.

"If you don't have the votes, you can't move forward," McKeon said of the Plan B fiscal cliff bill.

Representative Steven LaTourette, a moderate Republican who is retiring at year's end, told reporters that Thursday's legislative defeat - and public relations failure - will not stop Boehner from being re-elected House Speaker on January 3. "Name one member who opposes him," LaTourette challenged reporters.

Firing Boehner, LaTourette said, would be "like saying the superintendent of the insane asylum should be discharged because he couldn't control the crazy people."

Nonetheless, two years into his stint as Speaker, Boehner still has not found the right formula for corralling his Republican majority, especially the Tea Party conservatives whose victories in 2010 helped Republicans wrest control of the House. However, he has taken steps in recent weeks to punish a handful of uncooperative Republicans.

Since unveiling his plan on Tuesday, several conservative groups, including the Heritage Foundation, waged a spirited effort to kill the measure.

Those groups, LaTourette said, had been "making their phone calls, and they're bombing people" with pressure to vote against the bill. That, he added, "makes people nervous" about primary election challengers being recruited in 2014 by outside groups to defeat Republican lawmakers who vote for any tax increase.

"I doubt his speakership is in trouble," said American Enterprise Institute scholar Norm Ornstein, "The big question is whether, and when, he is willing to bring up a bill that will require more Democrats than Republicans to pass."

(Reporting By Richard Cowan. Editing by Fred Barbash)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-boehner-few-options-fiscal-cliff-mess-044855640--business.html

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The best & worst bets for healthcare investing in 2013 | MedCity News

Now that it?s Dec. 21 and the world hasn?t ended, let?s talk about 2013.

Venture capital investors have expressed confidence in the coming year for healthcare IT markets, while listing biotech among the sectors they?re least confident about. While investors are running a tight ship, ?good companies are still being funded,? said Bill Trainor of Mutual Capital Partners Fund.

Here?s a look at which healthcare markets are ripe, and over-ripe, for investment in 2013.

Best

Diagnostics

As we inch toward personalized medicine, sensitive and precise diagnostic tools become increasingly valuable. And if Q4 2012 is any indication of how 2013 is going to go, diagnostics is going to be hot. This quarter has brought about some big deals in the space ? from NanoString Technologies? $15.3 million round to Provista Diagnostics? second tranche of its $7.5 million Series A and Cleveland HeartLab?s $14.7 million raise.

Reenita Das, senior vice president of global healthcare with Frost & Sullivan, pointed especially to 3D imaging as an area of interest. ?Diagnostics is less than 15 percent of healthcare spending in the U.S.,? she said. ?As we move forward, there?s going to be more money and innovation happening in diagnostic testing and ease of use in these tests.?

Cloud-based software

A 2012 market report estimated that revenue from cloud computing software will grow more than 20 percent annually through 2017. That growth may be especially prevalent in applications connected to electronic health records.

We may see some of the 300+ companies that offer Meaningful Use-compliant EHR software begin to consolidate. The big players will want to enhance their products with added functionalities (some have even opened their API to other developers), like data analysis and practice management tools.

?What we are looking for are unique hospital IT opportunities that can be an instrumental add-on,? Trainor said. ?Big players are spending big money on companies building solutions where you can pilot in 200 or 300 hospitals and attract enough attention that someone would make a buy versus build proposition.?

Dr. Lyle Berkowitz, the associate chief medical officer of innovation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Medical Director of IT & Innovation at for Northwest Memorial Physicians Group in Chicago, expressed the same idea in an October interview. ?A whole ecosystem is going to build up on top of EMR systems to make them easier and faster to use,? he said.

Remote patient monitoring

?Patient portal? and ?quantified self? are now part of the healthcare lexicon, thanks to the rise in remote patient monitoring. That includes telemedicine programs and vital signs or blood glucose monitors that deliver data to providers ? a process AT&T?s CMIO likened to a virtual house call.

Companies like EveryMove and Vivonoetics, which take data created by consumers and turn it into something actionable, will continue to see support from providers, payers and investors. We?re already seeing some exits, too: In 2012, Verizon bought Hughes Telematics, and Alere bought home health device company MedApps.

?One of the biggest challenges in this market will be reimbursement,? Das said. ?To get this to the next level, consumers will have to start paying for this and seeing the value of doing that, and the success of doing that will largely come from the ability of these companies to be able to collaborate with different users and suppliers, to be able to tie in their data with electronic medical records.?

Worst

Medical devices

In a LinkedIn poll that drew responses from more than 550 members of the Medical Devices Group, 35 percent of respondents said they expected 2013 to be a bad year for the medical device industry, citing problems with senior managers and higher-priced devices that provide minimal advantages among areas of concern.

Investments already took a nosedive last quarter, and they?ll probably continue to drop off. Devices, especially invasive medical devices, require increasingly expensive clinical trials, and companies will find their budgets even more constrained as the medical device tax sets in.

?It?s only 2.3 percent, but that?s still 2.3 percent that you could put elsewhere,? Trainor said. ?That?s probably two to three employees that you can?t hire.?

Given that much of the innovation we?ve seen in medical devices is coming from smaller companies who get acquired by or license their technology to the major players, the coming years will require the industry to look at new business models, Das said. ?We have to change the game we?re playing.?

Das noted that for medical device deals that will come through this year, interoperability will be key.

Stand-alone mobile apps

VCs invested nearly $4 billion in mobile startups during the first six months of the year, and there?s definitely excitement around mobile technologies related to health. While the industry is maturing, there are just too many apps. While 90 percent of healthcare professionals with smartphones have downloaded 10 or more apps, research has suggested they?re only using a few of them regularly.

Then there?s everyone?s favorite issue ? ?regulatory uncertainty? ? around mobile apps, as the FDA hasn?t spelled out a clear regulatory path for them. New York company Happtique, meanwhile, is developing its own program to evaluate and certify healthcare apps based on quality and performance standards that would help weed out the bad ones.

In its predictions for 2013, AT&T suggests that a shift will occur from stand-alone apps to ?meaningful mHealth solutions? sponsored by institutions. Those that earn that institutional support as part of a bigger solution are the ones that will survive ? and get an exit. We got the first glimpse of this last year when Aetna acquired iTriage maker Healthagen, and again this year when Azumio acquired SkyHealth, maker of Fitness Buddy and Glucose Buddy, and Medivo acquired WellApps. Apps without a platform, meanwhile, have limited us.

?The differentiation is going to be the interoperability of that app ? if it has ability to communicate with EMRs and with the doctor seamlessly and without problems,? Das said.

Obesity drugs

It?s a huge market. Several obesity drugs in development got funded this year, and there are more in the works. There was optimism after the FDA approval of two new drugs this year. Yes, the payoff could be huge, but the risk is continuously proving to be tremendous.

Both drugs approved this year were first rejected by the FDA in 2010, and both Vivus? (NASDAQ:VVUS) and Arena?s (NASDAQ:ARNA) stocks are down from when their drugs were approved. Vivus? obesity pill got off to a slow start and, even after being approved by the FDA, was rejected by European regulators due to safety concerns with long-term use.

Although the FDA is said to be considering a faster approval pathway for obesity treatments, safety is still a big concern. (AstraZeneca reportedly shelved an experimental obesity drug this year.)

There?s also a growing gap between the European and U.S. markets for obesity treatments, as noted in this blog post by Patrick Driscoll. Other, less-risky methods of addressing obesity, including bariatric surgery, gastric balloons, neurostimulation devices and digital consumer tools, have gained investor and consumer interest.

What are your predictions for 2013?

Copyright 2012 MedCity News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://medcitynews.com/2012/12/the-best-worst-bets-for-healthcare-investing-in-2013/

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Android Central Podcast - Live!

Show starts at 9 p.m. EST
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The Android Central Podcast is recorded live in front of a live studio audience, so you can catch us in the act.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/sAxPpg-fVQM/story01.htm

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Will GOP's 'Plan B' push Obama closer to 'fiscal cliff' deal?

House Republican leaders hope to pass their own 'fiscal cliff' bill Thursday. But Obama and Senate Democrats are solidly against the plan, which could leave the sides no nearer a deal.?

By David Grant,?Staff writer / December 20, 2012

House majority leader Eric Cantor (R) of Virginia, speaking at a press briefing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, tells reporters that House Republicans have enough votes to pass their 'Plan B' alternative package of tax increases on income above $1 million.

Yuri Gripas/Reuters

Enlarge

With less than a week to go before Christmas, talks between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio show no public signs of progress as the House moves toward its own response to the so-called ?fiscal cliff? on Thursday evening.

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Part 1 of that response is a bill known called ?Plan B? by Speaker Boehner, a measure that would permanently extend income tax rates for American households making under $1 million per year, alongside permanent fixes for capital gains, dividends, the estate tax, and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), among other measures.

That?s been coupled with another vote on a fix for the budget-cutting sequester that's been salted with other Republican priorities, including repealing parts of Mr. Obama's signature health-care law and financial regulatory reform scheme. The House passed the measure that would replace the sequester, some $109 billion in automatic spending reductions scheduled to begin Jan. 1, in the spring. But the same idea has been added to the mix on Thursday in order to provide cover for conservatives who noted that the first part of Plan B involved no spending cuts.

This bill, which Senate Democrats promise will be dead on arrival and which the White House has promised to veto, is seen by Republicans as a way to pressure Obama at the negotiating table?to give more on spending cuts.

?We also realize that the president?s unwillingness or inability to come to a balanced agreement with our speaker presents us with very little option other than to try and work hard to avoid a tax hike on so many millions of Americans,? said House majority leader Eric Cantor (R) of Virginia at a morning news conference.

Likewise, Republicans in the Senate, who have been largely shut out of the talks to date, can now join the fray by calling for the Senate to bring up the House bill.

?You?ve got one chance to put your money where your mouth is ? and that?s by voting on the bill the House sends over today. It will be up to the majority leader to act,? Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky said on the Senate floor Thursday. ?Will the Senate just sit back and watch the tax rates go up or will the Senate act??

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/C3lAQC_pJ6Q/Will-GOP-s-Plan-B-push-Obama-closer-to-fiscal-cliff-deal

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Fiscal Cliff Chaos as Lawmakers Leave for Christmas

By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone ) and AMY WALTER ( @amyewalter )

NOTABLES:

BOEHNER PULLS 'PLAN B': ABC'S John Parkinson, Devin Dwyer, and Sunlen Miller report that House Speaker John Boehner tried and failed to win enough votes to pass his fiscal cliff "Plan B" option, and in a surprise development late last night, he pulled it from the House floor. "Plan B" called for extending current tax rates for Americans making up to $1 million a year, but Boehner acknowledged that it did not have the support necessary to pass, leaving a resolution to the fiscal cliff in doubt. "The House did not take up the tax measure today because it did not have sufficient support from our members to pass. Now it is up to the president to work with [Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid on legislation to avert the fiscal cliff," Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote in a statement. "The House has already passed legislation to stop all of the Jan. 1 tax rate increases and replace the sequester with responsible spending cuts that will begin to address our nation's crippling debt. The Senate must now act." http://abcn.ws/ZWwpsE

REID RESPONDS: "It is now clear that to protect the middle class from the fiscal cliff, Speaker Boehner must allow a bill to pass with a combination of Democratic and Republican votes," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a statement. "Speaker Boehner's partisan approach wasted an entire week and pushed middle-class families closer to the edge. The only way to avoid the cliff altogether is for Speaker Boehner to return to negotiations, and work with President Obama and the Senate to forge a bipartisan deal."

NRA PROMISES 'MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS' TO GUN DEBATE TODAY: The National Rifle Association has been noticeably silent since the shooting in Newtown, Conn., but ABC's Sarah Parnass reports that this morning the group may weigh in on how to keep a deadly shooting massacre like last week's at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school from happening again. The NRA will hold a news conference in Washington, D.C., just before 11 a.m. "Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting," the group said in a press release Tuesday. "The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again." http://abcn.ws/ZnXAh1

THIS WEEK ON 'THIS WEEK': This Sunday, "This Week" covers the latest setback in the fiscal cliff stalemate, and the search for solutions to reduce gun violence in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook. The powerhouse roundtable debates those topics and all the week's politics, featuring Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Americans for Tax Reform President and NRA board member Grover Norquist. Check the "This Week" page for full guest listings. Tune in Sunday: http://abcnews.go.com/thisweek

THE NOTE:

House Speaker John Boehner woke up this morning a defeated man.

As ABC's Chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl reported on "Good Moring America", his failure to muster enough votes to pass the so-called "Plan B" measure last night represented a "crushing" blow to the speaker - and to the prospects for a fiscal cliff deal by the end of the year.

"It demonstrated definitively that he doesn't even have the Republican votes to pass a Republican plan let alone a compromise with the president," Karl noted.

In an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" today, Obama senior adviser David Axelrod called last night's development an "embarrassment" for the House Speaker.

Boehner said he would now leave it up to President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to hammer out a proposal that could draw bi-partisan support.

But as Karl reported this morning, his talks with senior Democrats in the White House and on Capitol Hill indicate that they think the ball is still in Boehner's court.

"The Speaker talked to Republicans last night closing with a prayer, saying 'God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change,'" according to Karl. "He is greatly weakened and that is not necessarily a good thing for the White House because they will need him to be able to pass whatever deal is finally reached - if one is reached."

And now, with time running out, lawmakers are poised to leave Washington for the holidays, with no plans to return until about two days after Christmas.

WORD FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. The White House released this statement from Press Secretary Jay Carney, ABC's Devin Dwyer reports: "The President's main priority is to ensure that taxes don't go up on 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses in just a few short days. The President will work with Congress to get this done and we are hopeful that we will be able to find a bipartisan solution quickly that protects the middle class and our economy."

HOW CLOSE TO A DEAL? DEPENDS WHO YOU ASK. More from ABC's Jonathan Karl on the fiscal cliff: The differences are more significant than just tax rates. Republicans say the Democratic offer is really $800 billion in spending cuts and $1.3 trillion in tax increases. That is because the inflation adjustment applies to tax rates as well as Social Security-resulting in less than $100 billion in added tax revenues. Democrats count that as a spending cut. Republicans say that is a tax hike. So the real difference, from their perspective, is $450 billion. The $400,000 vs. $1 million threshold for tax rates hikes is just one part of this. Republicans want more spending cuts and fewer tax increases. http://abcn.ws/ZnRtJH

TODAY ON THE HILL: At 10 a.m., Speaker Boehner holds a news conference to discuss the fiscal cliff crisis, ABC's John Parkinson notes. This afternoon, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has her own news conference to react to the drama last night.

NOTE IT!

ABC's RICK KLEIN: Last night's debacle in the House was a powerful example of the splits between the parties and even inside the parties, a stunning failure by House Speaker John Boehner to corral even his own members. But there's a not-implausible scenario that actually makes it easier now for a semi-large deal between Boehner and President Obama. The speaker was never going to need all of his members - or even most of his members - to pass a compromise measure. The failed vote clarifies matters for both sides, and injects some urgency into what's left of the talks. And Boehner has a bigger incentive than ever to reach a meaningful deal; last night doesn't need to be his legacy of 2012.

ABC's AMY WALTER: Will the markets be able to do what Boehner couldn't: Scare the living daylights out of members about the consequences of a cliff dive? At this point, that may be the only leverage for a deal.

GEORGE'S BOTTOM LINE: WOULD STRICT GUN CONTROL WORK IN THE U.S.? In the latest installment of his ABC/Yahoo! Power Players series, "Bottom Line, ABC's George Stephanopoulos says tight restrictions and fewer guns can lead to fewer gun deaths, as it has in Australia, Japan and the U.K. WATCH: http://yhoo.it/RIAazW

THE BUZZ:

with ABC's Chris Good ( @c_good)

OBAMA RESPONDS TO GUN PETITION, ASKS FOR HELP. ABC's Mary Bruce and Jeanette Torres report that President Obama recorded a video response to a gun-control petition posted to the White House's "We the People" website telling viewers he's pushing for a renewed ban on "military-style assault weapons" and high-capacity magazines, and a new look at school safety and mental health. In his YouTube response, the president says: "I will do everything in my power as president to advance these efforts, because if there's even one thing we can do as a country to protect our children, we have a responsibility to try. As I said earlier this week, I can't do it alone. I need your help. If we're gonna succeed, it's gonna take a sustained effort from mothers, fathers, daughters and son, law enforcement and responsible gun owners, organizing, speaking up, calling their members of Congress as many times as it takes, standing up and saying 'enough' on behalf of all our kids." WATCH: http://bit.ly/VVS91n

HARTFORD COURANT: LETTER FROM MICHELLE. The Connecticut newspaper publishes a letter from first lady Michelle Obama, one week after the Newtown shooting. Michelle Obama writes: "I want you to know that this is just the beginning. As my husband has said, in the coming weeks, he will use all the powers of his office to engage citizens from across this country to find ways to prevent tragedies like this one. And please know that every minute of every day, we are thinking of you, and praying for you, and holding you and your families in our hearts as you begin the slow and wrenching work of healing and moving forward." http://cour.at/TbR9sH

BIDEN WANTS COPS' HELP ON GUN CONTROL. ABC's Jake Tapper reports: "We have to have a comprehensive way in which to respond to the mass murder of our children that we saw in Connecticut," said Vice President Joe Biden today, meeting with the leaders of law enforcement organizations whom he said had been his "friends and allies for over 35 years." The vice president convened the first meeting of his interagency commission to examine possible actions to prevent the next gun violence tragedy like the one that befell Sandy Hill Elementary School. "We're going to need your help," he said to the group, suggesting he wants them to help push for a reinstatement of the 1994 ban on some types of semiautomatic assault rifles, more colloquially known as the "assault weapons ban," which expired in 2004. That ban was part of the larger Crime Bill, which Biden, then chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, helped draft. http://abcn.ws/ZnSKQV

MORE ON THE GUN PETITION. ABC's Mary Bruce reports on the gun-control petition at "We the People": The petition calls for the White House to "immediately address the issue of gun control through the introduction of legislation in Congress," gathering over 150,000 signatures by 5 p.m. yesterday. "The goal of this petition is to force the Obama Administration to produce legislation that limits access to guns. While a national dialogue is critical, laws are the only means in which we can reduce the number of people murdered in gun related deaths," the petition reads.

FIXING THE GOP: PARTY LIKE IT'S 1949. ABC's Gary Langer writes: Americans by a 15-point margin in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say the Republican Party needs less conservative policies that are more focused on middle- and lower-income Americans, rather than better leaders to sell its existing positions. And 63 years ago, Americans by an 11-point margin said precisely the same thing. Mark it up to the swinging pendulum of American politics: Six decades after Republican presidential nominee Thomas Dewey's unexpected loss to incumbent Democrat Harry S. Truman, the GOP is back in the same doghouse. The question last was asked in 1949, months after Truman's victory in what's widely considered to be the greatest upset in presidential election history. http://abcn.ws/XTIl9f

U.S. AMBASSADOR SHOWS MUSCLE IN HOLIDAY CARD. ABC's Devin Dwyer reports: U.S. Ambassador to Finland Bruce Oreck is offering Helskini "a different take on the elder statesman" for the holidays. Oreck posted a special edition of the embassy's 2012 holiday card, featuring his bulging bicep, to his official Facebook account Tuesday and reportedly also mailed copies of it to friends. The image comes from a photo shoot Oreck did last month for the Finnish fitness magazine "ProBody." A similar shot donned the cover of the Dec. 4 issue, which included an interview with the ambassador. "I say 60 is the new 40. My wife says, in my case, 60 is the new 58," Oreck said of the shoot in a Facebook post. "One way or the other, fitness is important." http://abcn.ws/WzUk0q

BOOKER FOR SENATE? ABC's Sarah Parnass reports: Popular Newark Mayor Cory Booker is "exploring the possibility" of running for the U.S. Senate rather than governor, the social-media-savvy Democrat posted on his website today. His letter said he will finish out his term as mayor and consider running for the Senate in 2014. ? "I look forward to consulting with Senator Lautenberg," Booker, who's African-American, writes. "During my lifetime, he has been one of New Jersey's most important leaders. It would be a privilege to continue his great legacy of http://abcn.ws/U1Qw29

BUT BOOKER VS. CHRISTIE IS A NO-GO. More from ABC's Sarah Parnass: Many observers considered Booker, 43, a potential challenger to Chris Christie in New Jersey's 2013 governor race. Such an election would have pitted the brash, tough-talking, union-challenging Republican governor with sky-high approval ratings in a blue state against the vegetarian do-gooder mayor who shoveled snow on request from Twitter, undertook a "food stamp challenge" to raise awareness about hunger and once entered a burning building to save a neighbor. http://abcn.ws/U1Qw29

STORM CHASERS: SENATE ADDS ANOTHER HURRICANE TO SANDY BILL. To win support in the Senate, funding for Hurricane Isaac (Aug. 2012) has been added to the Hurricane Sandy relief bill, ABC's Jonathan Karl and Sunlen Miller report: Without mentioning them by name, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., singled out today specific Republican senators, calling on them to help pass the supplemental aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy. The call was also backed up quietly with some money. Late Wednesday night the Senate Appropriations Committee made some hasty edits in the emergency spending bill for Sandy victims, adding money for states that had been hit - by a different hurricane. The move no doubt sweetened the pot a bit for some senators who might otherwise complain about excessive government spending. http://abcn.ws/VaigVu

HILLARY GROUNDED. ABC's Dana Hughes reports: Secretary Clinton's concussion has already forced her to cancel last week's trip to North Africa and the Middle East and postpone testifying before Congress. Now it appears it the most traveled Secretary of State in history may have taken her last foreign trip as America's top diplomat when she went to Europe two weeks ago. State Spokesperson Philippe Reines confirms the Secretary is not planning any further trips in January for now. "Given her condition, the Secretary's doctors have advised that she may not fly for any significant duration in the coming weeks. So as things stand we are not planning any travel through mid-January," said Reines.

MARK SANFORD RETURNS. The disgraced former South Carolina governor will run for Congress, CNN's Peter Hamby reports: "'He's looking all but certain to do it,' said a former top aide to Sanford, who did not want to be identified while prematurely revealing the plans. A formal announcement will come soon, the source said. Sanford intends to seek the Republican nomination in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, a seat being vacated by Rep. Tim Scott, who was appointed to the United States Senate earlier this week by Gov. Nikki Haley." http://bit.ly/R8LqUs

PARTISANSHIP AT BENGHAZI HEARING. The Wall Street Journal's Jay Solomon and Siobhan Gorman report: "Congressional hearings to help unravel details behind the September consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya, morphed into a political face-off Thursday as Democrats and Republicans sought to position themselves and their parties for the months and years ahead-possibly including 2016, the next presidential election year. Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, used his hearing Thursday to articulate views on American foreign policy that went well beyond the Benghazi assault ? Republicans, meanwhile, took the opportunity during the hearings to hone criticism of Mrs. Clinton, a possible future presidential candidate, over her State Department record as she prepares to leave that post in the coming weeks." http://on.wsj.com/UVwZ4z

IN THE NOTE'S INBOX:

-GOP REP.-ELECT, IRAQ VETERAN BLASTS HAGEL. Opponents of former Nebraska GOP senator, Vietnam vet, and noted Iraq war critic Chuck Hagel's likely nomination as secretary of Defense have continued to criticize him publicly, and today the Wall Street Journal runs an op-ed from Tom Cotton, a former infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now a Republican congressman-elect from Arkansas. Cotton writes: "Over Thanksgiving weekend in 2006, two years before his retirement as the Republican senator from Nebraska, Mr. Hagel penned a column for the Washington Post entitled 'Leaving Iraq, Honorably.' He asserted that 'there will be no victory or defeat for the United States in Iraq,' and 'the time for more U.S. troops in Iraq has passed.' Rather, Mr. Hagel argued, we "must begin planning for a phased troop withdrawal.' ? No one had told us during our time in Baghdad that we would achieve "no victory." ? My soldiers had fought bravely to stabilize that city, protect innocent civilians and defeat al Qaeda. Those soldiers were proud of their accomplishments. The troops recognized the folly of Mr. Hagel's proposed withdrawal." http://on.wsj.com/Ud9m99

- LIBERALS RESPOND TO 'PLAN B' FAILURE. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee emails a statement from co-founder Stephanie Taylor: "Speaker Boehner's failure to pass his so-called 'Plan B' shows that any deal will need many Democratic votes to pass. House Democrats have major leverage and must insist to the White House and Republicans that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits are off the table." And another from the House Progressive Caucus: "Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) are standing up against a proposal to cut Social Security benefits by changing the way we calculate inflation ? Tying Social Security to chained CPI is a benefit cut and members of the CPC will not vote for a deal that cuts the benefits that millions of Americans rely on."

WHO'S TWEETING?

@ItsDavidFord: CONGRATS to @JonKarl who moves to the other end of Pennsylvania Ave. as ABC News Chief WH Correspondent http://abcn.ws/Ug9pSh (cc: @PressSec)

@clairecmc: We can avoid cliff with a balanced approach that will get Ds and Rs but there are a bunch of extreme Rs that are making it really hard.

@JWGOP: The future of the GOP clearly rests outside Washington, with leaders who understand responsibility. Jeb Bush, Christie, Jindal, Snyder, etc.

@JECarter4: 151 Victims of Mass Shootings in 2012: Here Are Their Stories http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-victims-2012 ? via @motherjones

@ArletteSaenz: The Mayan apocalypse may not happen today, but Dec. 21 still marks Rick Perry's 12 year anniversary of becoming governor of Texas

@JebBush: #FF @BarbaraBushFdt. Advocating for and establishing literacy as a value in every home.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/just-time-christmas-fiscal-cliff-chaos-note-140612860--abc-news-politics.html

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Housing Starts, Building Permits Rising Into 2013 - Hawaii Real Estate

Housing Starts November 2011Single-family housing starts took a small step back in November.

According to the monthly Housing Starts report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, single-family housing starts tallied 565,000 in November 2012 on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. This marks a 4 percent decline from October, but is more than 100,000 higher than the count from 12 months ago.

Clearly, the nation?s new home construction market is expanding.

[Hawaii homes built in 2012]

On a regional basis, single-family housing starts have been strongest in the Midwest; and Hurricane Sandy appears to have affected the number of starts across the Northeast.

As compared to one year ago:

  • Northeast Region : Housing starts down 19% on an annual basis
  • Midwest Region : Housing starts up 40% on an annual basis
  • South Region : Housing starts up 24% on an annual basis
  • West Region : Housing starts up 33% on an annual basis

It?s expected that new construction growth will continue into 2013, too. This is because the Department of Commerce report also showed Building Permits mostly unchanged for November at 565,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis.

As compared to November 2011, this marks a 25% increase. Permits for multi-family homes are up 17%, too.

There are more building permits being issued today that at any time in the last 4 years.

For home buyers, this may be good news. Rising permits and housing starts suggests a more healthy U.S. economy, but it also means that home supplies may not be as tight throughout the next few months.

Overly-tight home supplies in some U.S. markets have contributed to rapidly rising home values. With more construction and larger home inventories, home prices may rise in 2013 less slowly.

The good news, though, is the mortgage rates remain near all-time lows and low- and no-downpayment mortgage programs are abundant. For today?s home buyer, there are plenty of affordable ways to purchase a home.

Talk with your real estate agent and your loan officer to see which plan works best for you.

Source: http://blog.hawaiimoves.com/2012/12/housing-starts-november-2012/

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