4 reasons the government won't mint a trillion-dollar coin to prevent a debt-ceiling crisis

The bizarre gimmick is being discussed — seriously, by some — as a way for the government to keep paying its bills without a fight over raising the borrowing limit
With an epic fight looming over raising the debt ceiling, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and others are reviving a quirky old idea to keep the government from defaulting on its debt: Mint a trillion-dollar coin (or two), deposit it in the Treasury, and use it to pay the bills without having to push the borrowing limit above the current $16.4 trillion. "I'm being absolutely serious," Nadler told Capital New York's Reid Pilifant. "It sounds silly but it's absolutely legal." Actually, not everyone agrees. Here, four reasons the magic coin solution will never happen:
1. It's pretty much illegal
The idea of "minting a $1 trillion platinum coin is getting some blogospheric love" because, technically, the Treasury Department has the authority to make platinum coins with any value it chooses, says Kevin Drum at Mother Jones. There's one teensy problem: "This is ridiculous." The law permitting Treasury to mint platinum coins was pretty clearly intended to apply to bullion and commemorative platinum coins for collectors. "There is, apparently, a widespread belief that courts will uphold a literal, hypertechnical reading of legislative language regardless of its obvious intent, but I'm quite certain this isn't true."
SEE MORE: After conservative revolt, the House clears fiscal-cliff deal
2. It would make the U.S. a laughingstock
"Obviously, this is a gimmick, and no way for a 21st century superpower to deal with its finances," says Steve Benen at MSNBC. Resorting to a cockamamie scheme such as this would turn us into the butt of jokes told around the world. Of course, the fact that people are managing to talk about trillion-dollar coins with a straight face only shows how much "radicalized congressional Republicans" have already raised questions about our creditworthiness and turned our finances into a punch line by "refusing to allow a debt-ceiling increase to pay for spending" Congress has already approved.
3. It would not solve the real problem
Even if President Obama resorts to such an unorthodox move, says Josh Barro at Bloomberg, it won't fix anything. He should only do it if he also promises to issue bonds as soon as Congress allows it so he can buy back any new currency. Then he should push for "a bill revoking his authority to issue platinum coins — so long as that bill also abolishes the debt ceiling," which is the root of the problem. "The executive branch will give up its unwarranted power to print if the legislative branch will give up its unwarranted restriction on borrowing to cover already appropriated obligations."
SEE MORE: The fiscal cliff deal: A big win for President Obama?
4. A trick like this would make fiscal conservatives madder than ever
"Of course, this is not going to happen. Creating money out of thin air is hardly a solution," says Charles Riley at CNNMoney. "It could lead to even more concerns from those worried about inflation." An even more dangerous consequence would be that the many critics already railing about the Federal Reserve's monetary easing programs would be "apoplectic" if the Treasury Department "trumped" Ben Bernanke and literally minted a trillion bucks to pay the bills.

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Congress finally passes scaled-back Hurricane Sandy aid bill

John Boehner got a lot of grief from his own party for stalling the legislation
The House on Friday voted, 354-67, to pass legislation that would provide the National Flood Insurance Program with $9.7 billion to pay out flood claims stemming from Hurricane Sandy. The Senate passed the bill hours later, ending, for now at least, a drama that saw House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) publicly put through a wood-chipper by members of his own party for tabling a $60 billion version of the legislation passed by the Senate.
Boehner decision to spike the larger bill came shortly after the House passed the fiscal-cliff deal that raised taxes on the wealthiest Americans — a bitter pill to swallow for many in his caucus. Boehner reportedly concluded that he would have a bloody rebellion on his hands if he followed the tax hike with a bill asking for $60 billion in new spending, particularly since some House GOP members had demanded that the emergency aid be offset with cuts elsewhere in the budget. Boehner and his cohort were consequently lambasted by Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who blamed the hold-up on the "toxic internal politics of the House majority."
And the controversy won't end with this latest bill passage. The House still has to consider an additional $50 billion in requested aid that was included in the original Senate bill. "Today was just a down payment," Christie and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) said in a statement, "and it is now time to go even further and pass the final and more complete, clean disaster aid bill." It remains to be seen whether Boehner can get his unruly caucus to go along. Many House Republicans claim that the aid bill is stuffed with unrelated pork.
The $9.7 billion aid package passed today could also bring a future political fallout. All 67 naysayers were Republicans, the most prominent of whom was Rep. Paul Ryan (Wisc.), widely considered to be a possible contender for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. "In a time of crisis, we must ensure that every dollar we spend is on those who need it," Ryan said in a statement. "President Obama and Congress owe the people of New York and New Jersey better."

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The daily gossip: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez break up again, and more

5 top pieces of celebrity gossip — from George Lucas' upcoming nuptials to Tom Selleck's proposed continuation of the Three Men and a Baby franchise
1. Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez break up again
Congratulations, Beliebers: Justin Bieber is reportedly back on the market, after his seventh or eighth breakup with Selena Gomez over the past two months. (We've officially lost track.) The star-crossed lovers reportedly split again shortly before New Year's Eve, which they had originally planned to spend together in Mexico. "They keep breaking up and getting back together. It's an on-again, off-again relationship," says a source at the New York Daily News, describing at least 70 percent of teenage couples.
2. George Lucas is engaged
All is not tragic in the world of celebrity relationships: The Associated Press reports that a short time ago, George Lucas proposed to longtime girlfriend Mellody Hobson, who agreed to marry Lucas even though he's responsible for both Ewoks and Jar Jar Binks. Star Wars fans can presumably look forward to a re-edited, re-mastered cut of the couple's wedding tape using the latest state-of-the-art technology sometime in 2043.
3. Hulk Hogan refiles lawsuit over sex tape, reminding everyone that he was in a sex tape
If you'd finally managed to forget that a sex tape starring former wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan was leaked in October, Hulk Hogan is here to remind you. After dropping his lawsuit against Gawker, which originally posted a clip from the tape, TMZ reports that Hulkamaniac has refiled the case — perhaps because he couldn't convince them to settle it in the ring.
4. Nicki Minaj is still worried about being cool
You might think that earning a Platinum record and also setting a record for consecutive singles on the Billboard 200 would settle any questions about whether a person is "cool" — but in the case of Nicki Minaj, you'd be wrong. "Sometimes you are afraid of being too famous because it's almost, like, is that even cool?" said Minaj, explaining her reluctant decision to become an American Idol judge, in an interview at The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm still surprised that I decided to do it." Minaj's reported $12 million paycheck may have been a tiny motivating factor.

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HISTORY MEETS FIREARMS

HISTORY MEETS FIREARMS
Barack Obama's determination to enact a gun control measure in the wake of the Connecticut shootings could transform his place in history.
Success, which is anything but assured, given the lobbies arrayed against him and the many failures of such measures, could upend more than two centuries of American tradition. It also could boost the president into the pantheon of liberal presidents, placing him beside Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson as the principal progressives in modern American history.
This may seem discordant with the prevailing view of Obama as a reluctant warrior, a halting leader, an eager compromiser whose opponents are more vocal and more committed than he or his supporters. And on the surface, Obama's accomplishments may seem to pale next to those of FDR and LBJ, both of whom passed multiple pieces of major legislation and whose programmatic principles fit neatly under the two-word thematic umbrellas of the New Deal and the Great Society.
Obama lacks such an overarching template, and his signature achievements -- overhauls of health care and financial services to accompany a potential victory on gun control -- would be more modest in number than those of Roosevelt (scores of alphabet-soup initiatives in just a hundred days, not to mention the Second New Deal) and Johnson (a war on poverty, housing programs, grand civil rights victories and sprawling educational enterprises).
All that is true. But with a victory on guns Obama would deserve an exalted place not because he could match those who came before him program for program or initiative for initiative but because, unlike them, he would have achieved major liberal goals that had eluded his predecessors for generations.
The first, of course, is a comprehensive overhaul of the health care system, which accounts for about one-seventh of the economy, arguably affecting more Americans more deeply than any measure promoted by any president ever.
This is not liberal propaganda, for if you listen to conservatives you will hear the identical argument made with regret: that Obamacare and Dodd-Frank are massive intrusions of government interference in the economy with little if any precedent. If that argument can be made persuasively by conservatives, and you can hear it almost daily on talk radio, then it can be made by liberals to elevate Obama among progressive presidents.
A victory on gun control would similarly set off an earthquake across the American political landscape.
Curtailing the availability of weapons has been a liberal goal since the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, with a few conservatives, including former White House press secretary James Brady, joining the effort after the 1981 attempt to assassinate Ronald Reagan. What Obama almost certainly will propose will be more far-reaching than any proposal on this subject by any previous president, and if he prevails he will have succeeded where other chief executives with liberal leanings, including Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, have failed.
Although liberals would be reluctant to agree, a victory on gun control also would be a profound departure in American progressive history.
The story of American liberalism is the accumulation of rights. The nation began with brave Enlightenment-era talk about the rights of man, but that very phrase, part of the vocabulary of the late 18th century and the title of a Thomas Paine manifesto, specifically omitted half the population and, because of the presence of slavery in the new nation (and the decision to count slaves as three-fifths of a person), delegated these vaunted rights to a distinct minority of people who thought they lived in a land consecrated by majority rule.
The glory of American liberalism has been the extension of rights to those who did not own property, to those who were not male, to those who were not white, to those who were not straight.
But a major gun control victory for Obama -- awarded an "F" by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence after signing 2009 legislation permitting people to carry concealed weapons in national parks -- would be the first significant abrogation of American rights in our history.
Prohibition does not count; the 18th amendment did not curtail what had been a constitutionally protected right. Limiting gun rights, as NRA members argue, would do so.
Obama's higher status would reflect his success in redeeming long-sought liberal measures. Though he would have only a few legislative achievements to his credit -- plus nudging same-sex marriage toward the mainstream -- the decades-long resistance to his initiatives would give them special standing.
Most of Roosevelt's accomplishments, which include the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the Wagner Act, the Works Progress Administration and others, were emergency responses to the Great Depression, not measures longed for by liberals for decades. Obama's health care overhaul is arguably as profound an element of the American social contract as FDR's Social Security Act of 1935 (and LBJ's Medicare legislation of 1965). Roosevelt's legislation creating the National Recovery Administration was struck down by the Supreme Court, while Obama's health care legislation was upheld.
By the same token, many of Johnson's Great Society initiatives grew out a sense that a nation as prosperous as mid-1960s America ought to share its bounty with the aged, hungry, poor and striving. Indeed, aside from civil rights, most of the Great Society projects were quickly conceived, not long-thwarted.
Obama has stirred bitter opposition from conservatives and bitter disappointment from liberals. Though conservatives believe he personifies unbounded liberalism, many of his putative allies believe he hasn't pushed hard or far enough. If a major gun control measure is signed into law, history will argue otherwise.

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REPUBLICANS' FISCAL RESTRAINT IS MOSTLY IN THEIR HEADS

Thanks to an ultraconservative congressional faction, many Americans now view the Republican Party as extremist, petty and irresponsible. You need look no further than the ridiculous, drawn-out drama over the so-called fiscal cliff to see the GOP's inability to negotiate reality.
But while its brand is badly damaged, the Republican Party has managed to keep alive its mystique as the party of fiscal restraint. Shortly before the election, a Washington Post/ABC News poll showed that, by a margin of 51 percent to 43 percent, Americans believed Mitt Romney would do a better job on the deficit than President Obama. That's in keeping with years' worth of public opinion that gives Republicans credit for fiscal conservatism.
But it's flat-out wrong. That's just a convenient myth that Republicans have sold the taxpayers -- a clever bit of marketing that covers a multitude of sins. There is nothing in the GOP's record over the last two decades showing it to be a party that is sincere about balancing the budget, ferreting out waste or reining in excessive government spending. Indeed, it's a big lie.
Just look back at the presidency of George W. Bush -- eight years of red ink that Republicans would like for you to forget. First, Bush pushed through the tax cuts that ruined the balanced budgets Bill Clinton had enacted. Then, he proceeded to prosecute two wars and enact a huge new entitlement: the Medicare prescription drug plan. In response to concerns about spending from then-Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, Dick Cheney reportedly said, "You know, Paul, Reagan proved deficits don't matter."
Here's what Republicans and their base believe in: cutting spending for programs that benefit the poor, the darker-skinned, the sciences. They want to stop the flow of government funds to the arts. They want to fire bureaucrats who prevent businesses from harming their customers with poisons and bad products.
But the GOP doesn't really want to end big government, nor does it really care about balancing the budget. If it did, wouldn't its members be ready to tackle the Pentagon? As we wind down a decade of war, isn't this an excellent time to cut back on hyper-expensive weaponry? Can't we stop feeding the military-industrial complex?
Instead, House Republicans have done everything they can think of to protect current rates of military spending. Mitt Romney, for his part, campaigned on a promise to build more warships. Please remember that the Pentagon accounts for about 30 percent of federal spending.
Then there are those pesky retirement programs -- Social Security and Medicare. House Republicans supported Paul Ryan's plan to change Medicare to a voucher program, but they did so knowing that it would never see the light of day. If they were so proud of it, why didn't Ryan campaign on it when he was Romney's running mate?
Instead, the Romney-Ryan team denounced Obama for making cuts to Medicare. The party that claims the mantle of fiscal responsibility shamelessly pandered to its aging base by blaming Obama for trying to rein in one of the costliest government programs.
Democrats have their own soul-searching ahead on Social Security and Medicare, which cannot be sustained without tax increases, benefit cuts or a combination of the two. (Let me rush to say here that Social Security is a much easier fix. Just hike the payroll tax for people earning more than $114,000 a year.) Medicare costs, especially, are growing at an alarming rate as baby boomers retire.
Still, tea partyers -- the core of support for arch-conservatives in Congress -- aren't keen on cutting Medicare, polls show. Many of them seem to believe that cutting spending means only cutting that which goes to other people, not to them. Indeed, political science research shows a sharp racial edge underlying those sentiments, with racially resentful whites likely to favor cuts to programs, such as Head Start, which they associate with the "undeserving" poor.
After winning the gavel as House speaker again last week, John Boehner said the "American dream is in peril" because of debt and pledged to reduce it. As another budget brawl nears -- a debt-ceiling fight will be upon us in a couple of months -- you'll hear Republicans frequently claim the mantle of fiscal responsibility.
There is no reason to believe them.

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1099-R Electronic Filing and Laser Printing Software Released by W2Mate.com

Real Business Solutions (W2Mate.com) simplifies 1099 retirement information reporting for customers nationwide with new software for 1099-R electronic filing and laser printing. Immediate free trial download at http://www.W2Mate.com/.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 04, 2013
In response to customer needs, Real Business Solutions (W2Mate.com) is introducing new software solutions aimed at helping business filers simplify 1099 reporting and electronic filing. In line with the company’s customer-inspired-solutions vision, Real Business Solutions is unveiling W2 Mate 2012, a comprehensive W2 and 1099 processing software that will allow companies to create, print and e-file 1099 forms in-house at a fraction of the cost of outsourcing. W2 Mate 2012 provides compliance tools for paper and electronic filing of federal and state 1099, W-2 and series forms including 1099-R, W2, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, W-3, 1096, 1099-S, 1098-T, 1098, 1099-A, 1099-B, 1099-C, 1099-K, 1099-PATR and 1099-OID.
Free 1099-R electronic filing and laser printing software trial available for immediate download from http://www.W2Mate.com/ or by calling 800-507-1992.
In the past, only larger companies could afford an advanced 1099 R processing software system to manage 1099-R printing and electronic filing process. With 2012 / 2013 W2 Mate, any business can gain full-scale 1099 reporting management tools featuring state of the art integration with leading accounting and tax applications including Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage Peachtree and Sage DacEasy.
In a statement Nancy Walters, W2 Mate product manager at Real Business Solutions said, "The 1099-R filing module inside W2 Mate software arrives as the professional 1099 R tool essential to business and tax professional in the 2012 / 2013 tax season."
According to 2012 IRS regulations, penalties may be assessed for failure to file correct information returns (1099, 1098 and other similar tax forms) by the due date, without reasonable cause. This includes Form 1099-R. The penalty may also apply if the filer shows incomplete or incorrect information, or files on paper when required to file electronically. Businesses and accounting professionals required to process IRS Form 1099-R this year can rely on W2 Mate for all their 2012 / 2013 filing needs.
W2 Mate is the perfect software program for business filers looking for answers to questions like how to make 1099-R forms, how to file 2012 form 1099 R electronically, how to report 1099 information to the state of Nebraska, how to process 1099-R using QuickBooks and Peachtree, how to print out 2012 1099 tax forms on a computer and many other similar questions.
If the 1099-R information to-be-filed resides inside Intuit QuickBooks (QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Enterprise, QuickBooks Premier), Microsoft Dynamics (GP or SL), Sage Peachtree, Sage DacEasy or Excel, then W2 Mate is definitely the right solution for the job. W2 Mate has a unique mechanism for importing data from different accounting and payroll software to allow users print a wide range of w2 and 1099 forms.
1099 Efiling is mandatory for those payors /filers with 250 or more forms. 1099 forms may be e‑filed by using the IRS FIRE System on or before March 31st of the year following the reporting period. The 1099 electronic processing module that ships with W2 Mate provides the capabilities for E-Filing the following forms with the government: W2, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-K, 1099-R, W-3, 1096, 1099-S, 1098-T, 1098, 1099-A, 1099-B, 1099-C, 1099-PATR and 1099-OID.
W2 Mate Software Highlights:

Prepares unlimited number of 2012 1099 and W-2 tax forms for multiple employers and payers.
Fills in pre-printed 1099 Copy-A forms and prints other 1099 copies such as recipient and payer copies on plain paper using black ink.
E-files 2012 W2s and 1099s with the SSA and IRS (no limitations on the number of tax forms or submissions).
Generates ready-to-email 2012 W-2 forms and 1099 forms. Which eliminates the need to print and email W2s and 1099s.
SSA-approved to print W2 and W3 forms on regular paper including government copies.
Data import from Sage Peachtree, MS Dynamics, Great Plains, Intuit QuickBooks, Sage DacEasy, Excel and CSV.
Efficient and intuitive manual W2 / 1099 data entry.
Supports 1099MISC, 1099K, 1099INT, 1099DIV, 1099R, W2, W3, 1096, 1099S, 1098T, 1098, 1099A, 1099B, 1099C, 1099PATR, 1099OID.
Automatically calculates Social Security and Medicare taxes. For paper filers 1096 and W3 are automatically generated.
Supports Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 or Windows 98.
Roll-over of payer and recipient information from year to year.
Password protection and data validation.
Generates printing labels, form totals and recipient lists.
Prompt, courteous and reliable U.S.-based support through phone, chat or e-mail.
Network ready with affordable pricing for multiple seats.
Exports W2s and 1099s to excel.
Meets IRS and SSA regulations.
TIN matching and verification including reports for missing TINs and TIN matching errors.
Secure and reliable.
Completes 1099 forms electronically.
Complete W2 preparation software.
Includes 2012 form 1099 instructions.
A free 2012 1099 R electronic filing software solution evaluation can be downloaded from http://www.W2Mate.com. Customers can purchase the software and receive it instantly.
About Real Business Solutions: Established in 2003, Real Business Solutions is an industry leader in providing payroll software for small business, IRS 10 99 printing programs and W2 form software for 2013, 2012, 2011 and before. Real Business Solutions products are used by thousands of businesses, tax professionals, non-profit organization, and government agencies all across America. The Company's mission has been to provide powerful and great value software solutions coupled with high quality customer service.

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Altria Continues Their Commitment to Nonprofit, Hope For The Warriors

Donations to Community Outreach Program with Hope For The Warriors will Focus on the Integration of Military Families into Communities

RICHMOND, VA (PRWEB) January 04, 2013
Altria Group, located in Richmond, VA, has once again made a commitment to the needs of military families through a $75,000 donation to Hope For The Warriors®. Their donation will benefit the nonprofit’s Community Outreach Program. Hope For The Warriors® is a national nonprofit organization that assists combat wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen.
The Community Outreach Program engages the military family by providing person-centered planning, utilizing a network of programs within Hope For The Warriors® as well as programs supported by the military, government, community and other nonprofits. Additional, Community Outreach educates communities nationwide of the challenges and needs of wounded service members and their families.
The Community Outreach Program is just one of 11 programs supported by Hope For The Warriors® in their aim to restore self, family and hope for wounded service members and their families.
“Hope For The Warriors® is extremely thankful to Altria for their continued support to our organization and to all wounded service members,” Robin Kelleher, Hope For The Warriors® President said. “Altria has made it possible for our staff to focus on our programs and improve the lives of our military families.”
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About Altria:

Altria Group is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, and John Middleton. Altria also owns Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Philip Morris Capital Corporation and has a continuing economic and voting interest in SABMiller.    For more information visit http://www.altria.com.
About Hope For The Warriors®:

The mission of Hope For The Warriors® (http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org) is to enhance the quality of life for post-9/11 service members, their families, and families of the fallen who have sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty. Hope For The Warriors® is dedicated to restoring a sense of self, restoring the family unit, and restoring hope for our service members and our military families.
Hope For The Warriors® has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org), an independent organization that evaluates fiscal responsibility and accountability of nonprofits.
Hope For The Warriors® (Federal Tax ID 20-5182295) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity as defined in sections 509(A)(1) and 170(B)(1)(A)(VI) of the Internal Revenue Code. Combined Federal Campaign, CFC #27800.

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Save Money this Year with a More Energy Efficient Home and Creative Concept Builders in Saco, ME

Maine building contractors provide helpful tips on making homes more energy efficient without breaking the bank

Saco, ME (PRWEB) January 03, 2013
As the winter months drag on, many Maine residents have already faced the sticker shock included in their monthly heating bills. The question as to what can be done is sometimes almost as frightening as the problem. Creative Concept Builders in Saco, ME works with homeowners year round handling various remodeling, new construction, and home repairs. Home energy efficiency has become a hot topic, not only as a way to lower bills, but also to improve the environment by lessening a carbon footprint. Making your home more energy efficient does not have to cost an arm and a leg.
One of the first things that homeowners can look at to improve the energy efficiency of their home is to install new windows. Newer windows are made with better materials and overall better engineering. They last longer and do better and reducing heat transfer between the inside and outside.
Ceiling fans are another helpful addition to a home, even during the winter. Ceiling fans can help to press the warm air down from the ceiling and circulate it through the room. This also helps by reducing the amount of work necessary by a home’s heating system.
Building contractors in Saco, Maine also recommend checking the home for drafts. If one can feel the draft, there is definitely an issue. Some almost imperceptible drafts exist, and these can typically be found by holding up a candle near openings such as doors, windows, the attic, and basement. If the candle flickers or goes out, it would be indicative of a draft. This may mean the need for new insulation or seals to be installed.
Two other important additions to a home to increase energy efficiency during the winter and throughout the year include a water-saving showerhead and water-efficient faucet. These can greatly reduce the amount of water being wasted while still serving its purpose.
Working with a Maine building contractor, homeowners may be able to work with government offices toward reimbursement for expenses incurred to make a home more energy efficient.
About Creative Concept Builders: A premier building contractor in Saco, ME, Creative Concept Builders provides remodeling, new construction, home improvement, and home repairs in Westboro, Scarborough, Wells, Portland, ME and surrounding areas.

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Four Hot Topics are Focus of The John Marshall Law Review

The John Marshall Law Review Editorial Board announces the publication of its latest issue, featuring pieces focusing on a variety of emerging legal issues.

(PRWEB) January 04, 2013
The John Marshall Law Review Editorial Board announces the publication of its latest issue, featuring pieces focusing on a variety of emerging legal issues. Topics focus on immigration impacts on children; granting state officials qualified immunity; issues that surround disappeared and missing persons; and the unconstitutionality of the federal government’s ordered assassinations of American citizens.
“‘Mommy, Where Is Home?’: Imputing Parental Immigration Status and Residency for Undocumented Immigrant Children” by Johanna K.P. Dennis, associate professor at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, discusses whether the time immigrant parents spend residing in this country, as well as their immigration status, should be imputed to their children.
“Qualified Immunity: Protecting ‘All but the Plainly Incompetent’ (and Maybe Some of Them, Too)” by Susan Bendlin, assistant professor at Barry University School of Law, focuses on the Supreme Court’s most recent qualified immunity decisions, in which state officials are shielded from suit without determination as to whether their actions violated citizens’ constitutional rights.
“On Locating the Rights of Lost” by Ricardo A. Sunga III, professorial lecturer of the University of the Philippines College of Law, describes and analyzes the nature of the violation that the denial of the truth about disappeared and missing persons constitutes, and its psychological and sociological aspects.
“Guy Fawkes’s Dangerous Remedy: The Unconstitutionality of Government-Ordered Assassination Against U.S. Citizens and Its Implications” by Emily C. Kendall, a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law who is working in private practice in Virginia, addresses the implications and dangers inherent in the Obama administration’s policy of targeting Americans who pose a terroristic threat to the United States and its citizens.
The John Marshall Law Review is available through subscription. Visit lawreview.jmls.edu for additional information.
About The John Marshall Law School
The John Marshall Law School, founded in 1899, is an independent law school located in the heart of Chicago’s legal, financial and commercial districts. U.S. News and World Report America’s Best Graduate Schools 2013 ranks the law school’s Legal Writing Program sixth in the nation. The publication also ranked the Intellectual Property Law Program 17th. John Marshall offers the nation’s only graduate program in employee benefits. Its program in Information Technology and Privacy Law remains the only graduate law program in the country that emphasizes privacy as part of its core curriculum. And, The John Marshall Law School is one of three law schools in the country offering graduate programs in real estate law.

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Marketing for Wedding Photographers Now Offered Online at WeddingPhotographyQuotes.com

Marketing for wedding photographers is now offered online at the WeddingPhotographyQuotes.com website. These new marketing services include directory listings, video marketing and publicity services to help professionals expand client lists.

Seattle, Washington (PRWEB) January 04, 2013
Photographers that search for marketing services can find difficulty locating a company that understands the wedding industry. The WeddingPhotographyQuotes.com company is now offering marketing for wedding photographers services online. More information can be found at http://weddingphotographyquotes.com.
These new services include free and premium directory listings and other services that can help companies or freelancers to build more clients.
Marketing a product or service online has changed since the early days of the Internet. New search engine regulations and requirements have taken place since 2011 and has complicated marketing for businesses. Specialty industries like photography often require targeted marketing to couples that are searching for pricing when planning a wedding.
The new marketing services that are offered online are designed to help companies reach new couples searching for professionals.
Many photography companies seek constant training and make equipment upgrades to keep up with the pace of technology. The use of DSLR technology and software enhancements are now requested by some couples when planning photography needs. Companies that have received this training now have a resource available online to market these skills to brides-to-be searching for specific requirements. The new database listing online provides detailed data that searchers can select when performing research
The no cost and pro plans that are now offered for the directory online each include a range of marketing services. Companies that have a basic website can access the search engine marketing and publicity features now offered in the pro plans. These are handled internally by the WeddingPhotographyQuotes.com company and expert marketers are available to complete these services
Photography companies or freelance photographers that want to expand clientele could benefit from exploring the marketing services that are now offered. The directory is now visited daily by couples from all 50 U.S. states that are searching for reliable professionals to provide memorable and affordable photography services.
About Wedding Photography Quotes
The Wedding Photography Quotes website was launched in 2010 and is now one of the largest resources for brides-to-be to find accurate price quotes. New upgrades to this company in 2013 have created marketing options for professionals. These new marketing services are specially designed for photography companies that are expanding clientele online. The directory services that are now offered by the Wedding Photography Quotes company are helping more couples connect with professionals without requiring third party searches with the help of Internet search engines.

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‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes

After a seven-month run that took Apple (AAPL) shares to an all-time high in late September, the company’s stock plummeted more than 25% and touched new lows as 2012 drew to an end. According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, Apple’s strong portfolio, a reversal of the negative news trend surrounding the company, and a fresh new “iPhone 5S”  will help the stock rebound in 2013, and he maintains a Buy rating on Apple shares with a sky-high price target of $1,111.
[More from BGR: Nokia predicted to abandon mobile business, sell assets to Microsoft and Huawei in 2013]
“Apple is our top overall pick for 2013,” White wrote in a note to investors on Wednesday that discussed Topeka’s stock picks moving into the new year. “With the 25% correction in Apple’s stock from the high in September, the stock is now trading at just 7.7x our CY13 EPS estimate (less cash) and the company’s portfolio has never been stronger, in our view.”
[More from BGR: Next-generation iPhone, iOS 7 discovered in website logs]
He continued, “We believe tax-related selling was largely to blame for the downward bias in the stock price as we exited 2012 and this created a negative news cycle around Apple that we believe will be broken as we enter 2013. We believe there is still plenty to look forward to at Apple, including the potential for greater choices (i.e., colors, sizes) around the next iPhone in 2013, combined with accelerating momentum with the iPad mini and continued strength with the iPad franchise at large.”
White went on to explain that the iPad mini has seen incredible demand thus far in China, outselling the full-size iPad in the country. The analyst also called the rumored China Mobile iPhone launch and release of Apple’s HDTV “moving targets,” and he expects at least one of these major catalysts to become a reality in 2013.
In a separate note, White said that according to his checks with Apple’s suppliers, the next-generation iPhone will represent a huge departure from earlier models.
“Our checks indicate that the next iPhone will have more choices for customers,” the analyst wrote. “This entails an expansion in both the color patterns and screen sizes with the next iPhone (i.e., likely called the iPhone 5S) that we currently believe will be launched in May/June with certain supply production starting in March/April.”
White believes the next iPhone will be available in five different colors: pink, yellow, blue, white & silver and black & slate. He also believes there will be two different screen sizes available on the device, marking the first time Apple has released one phone with multiple display size options.
“Our checks are also indicating that the next iPhone will offer customers more choice in terms of screen size,” White reported. “Although Apple offers a 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5 and a 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, the Company has never offered multiple screen sizes for a single model. We believe this is about to change with the next iPhone offering different screen sizes that we believe will allow Apple to better bifurcate the market and expand its reach.”
He continued, noting that multiple screen sizes could allow Apple to better address emerging markets with a lower-cost iPhone.

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HTC says licensing agreement with Apple will lead to better devices in 2013

Apple (AAPL) and HTC (2498) signed a 10-year licensing agreement in November that covered all current, pending and future patents and ended the ongoing litigation between the two companies. It has been estimated that the company will pay Apple between $6 and $8 for every Android device shipped, however HTC CEO Peter Chao refuted the claim. Regardless of how much is being spent, HTC China president Ray Yam believes the deal will begin to benefit the company in 2013.
[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]
“The settlement with Apple will start to pay off next year, and the fourth quarter of this year is still going at a set pace,” the executive said in an interview with the Economic Observer of China, according to Focus Taiwan. “The biggest benefit to us is that we can put more energy into innovation, which is more important than anything else for a technology company.”
[More from BGR: Nokia predicted to abandon mobile business, sell assets to Microsoft and Huawei in 2013]
Yam notes that HTC has wasted too many resources on lawsuits with Apple in the past and that the company is now encouraging employees to “take broader steps” when creating new and better products. The executive revealed that HTC has adjusted its product, sales and marketing strategies for 2013 in the wake of the settlement. He said that many of the company’s projects are now proceeding at a faster rate and it has also changed the way it negotiates with its telecom partners.
While the settlement will ensure that HTC’s devices will remain on sale in the U.S. and other markets, the company must still find a way to increase its dwindling market share as its struggles continue.

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Nokia’s Lumia 920 remains as expensive as Apple’s iPhone 5

One thing handset industry analysts are watching like hawks is the price graph of the most important Windows Phone 8 model in the European handset market. Nokia (NOK) priced the Lumia 920 very, very ambitiously for its November debut. How long can the model maintain a stiff premium? Was the early pricing just designed to skim high margins from the pool of eager Nokia/Windows Phone early adopters?
[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]
Christmas is now over and the year 2013 has rolled in. But in the most important handset market in Europe, the Lumia 920 still costs as much as the 16 GB iPhone 5. At Phonehouse Germany, the price is 640 euros. At Handy Attacke, Ebay Germany, Amazon.de and other leading German phone retail sites, the price remains rock solid and notably uniform 650 euros. Most of these sites offer shipment within two to three days, so the price is no longer jacked up by lack of supply.
[More from BGR: Nokia predicted to abandon mobile business, sell assets to Microsoft and Huawei in 2013]
In comparison, the 16 GB iPhone 5 costs 630 euros at Ebay Germany, 650 euros at Notebooksbilliger and Handyschotte; and 670 euros at Telbay, Modeo and other sites.
Even as the unsubsidized price of Samsung’s (005930) Galaxy Note II is slipping below 510 euros in Germany, the Lumia 920 keeps levitating at the same price as the most expensive mass-market smartphone on the planet. Germany remains the biggest smartphone market in Europe, so this is going to be one key issue to keep an eye on as January price-cutting starts in earnest.

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Patent trolls’ latest gambit: Sue businesses if they dare to use office scanners

We’ve seen a lot of ridiculous claims asserted by patent trolls over the past few years, but this one truly takes the cake: Ars Technica reports that an entity called “Project Paperless LLC” has been sending out letters to small and medium-sized businesses demanding licensing fees for using office scanners capable of sending PDFs via email. Steven Vicinanza, founder of Atlanta-based IT services provider BlueWave Computing, told Ars that both his company and several of its customers had received letters telling them that they needed to buy licenses for “distributed computer architecture” patents that cover basic networked scanning technology. At a cost of $1,000 per employee, Vicinanza said that the licenses would have cost his company a grand total of $130,000 just for the right to scan documents.
[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]
Vicinanza couldn’t believe that he was actually being threatened with a lawsuit for using office scanners, so he decided to contact the attorney for Project Paperless to get some clarification.
[More from BGR: Nokia predicted to abandon mobile business, sell assets to Microsoft and Huawei in 2013]
“[The attorney] said, if you hook up a scanner and e-mail a PDF document — we have a patent that covers that as a process,” Vicinanza told Ars. “So you’re claiming anyone on a network with a scanner owes you a license? He said, ‘Yes, that’s correct.’ And at that point, I just lost it.”
Vicinanza isn’t the only one “losing it” over patent suits, of course. Cisco (CSCO) late last year decided to go on the offense against patent trolls by flat-out accusing them of breaking the law. What’s more, we’ve heard rumblings that the United States Department of Justice’s antitrust division may be ready to do something to limit patent trolls’ ability to extract licensing fees, so there could be some relief for patent suit-stricken firms on the horizon.

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Former Braves player arrested on battery charge

Former Atlanta Braves star center fielder Andruw Jones was free on bond after being arrested in suburban Atlanta early Tuesday on a battery charge, according to jail records.
Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call for a domestic dispute between Jones and his wife in Duluth.
Gwinnett County Detention Center records say Jones was booked into the jail around 3:45 a.m. and was released on $2,400 bond by 11 a.m.
Once one of the premier players in the big leagues, Jones broke into the majors with the Atlanta Braves in 1996 and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998-07 as their center fielder. He has 434 career home runs over the span of 17 seasons in the majors.
Jones earlier this month signed a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Pacific League.

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Baseball: Korea's Wonders slam KBO's "broken promise"

South Korea's Goyang Wonders have expressed anger at not being allowed to join the minor leagues next year, accusing the Korea Baseball Organisation (KBO) of breaking a promise to allow the team to join the professional ranks.
General manager Ha Song told local media on Wednesday that KBO officials had reneged on a pledge to let the Wonders join the lower-tier Futures League in 2013.
"As one of the preconditions for launching our ball club, the KBO had promised that we would be in the Futures League by 2013," Ha was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.
"But the KBO simply told us that we will play 48 games in 2013 again. The KBO has given us no reason for that."
The Wonders, the only independent club with no league affiliation in South Korea, played 48 unofficial games against minor league affiliates of top-flight clubs since being founded a year ago.
This year, five teams in the northern division played 92 games and six clubs in the south played 100 games in the Futures League.
The Wonders, based just north-west of Seoul made up of journeymen players, undrafted high school and college graduates, and former American minor leaguers, wanted 100 games in 2013.
"Our guys need to be playing an established schedule, with six straight games (and one day off)," added Ha. "That will help them stay in game shape and really showcase their talent.
"This year, there were times when we had as many as 10 days off between games, and it was difficult to operate a team that way."
The Wonders are managed by Kim Sung-keun, a triple KBO championship winner, and posted a 20-21 record with seven ties in 2012, while losing five players poached by KBO clubs.
Ha said the club were looking no further than playing minor league baseball.
"We have no intention of joining the top league," he said. "We want to continue to give dreams and hopes to young players who would otherwise give up baseball."
The club's complaints, however, fell on deaf ears with the KBO.
"They were the ones that demanded to play 100 games, and we decided we would review the possibility after one season," said KBO operations chief Jeong Geum-jo.
"After watching them play this year, we feel that they're not yet good enough to handle a 100-game schedule.

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Baseball-Red Sox claim closer Hanrahan in six-player trade

The Boston Red Sox landed closer Joel Hanrahan in a six-player trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
The Red Sox sent outfielders Mark Melancon and Stolmy Pimentel along with infielders Ivan De Jesus and Jerry Sands to the Pirates in exchange for Brock Holt and Hanrahan, who they immediately announced as the team's new closer.
The 31-year-old has complied 76 saves over the last two seasons, and was named an All Star in each year, and is the centerpiece of the deal.
"His stuff is right at the top of the scale," assistant general manager Brian O'Halloran told the team's website (boston.redsox.mlb.com).
"He's got a fastball in the upper 90s (mph), and when he's right, his slider is as good as anybody's in baseball."
Hanrahan's presence will push Boston reliever Andrew Bailey out of the closer spot and into a setup role.

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Red Sox claim closer Hanrahan in six-player trade

The Boston Red Sox landed closer Joel Hanrahan in a six-player trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
The Red Sox sent outfielders Mark Melancon and Stolmy Pimentel along with infielders Ivan De Jesus and Jerry Sands to the Pirates in exchange for Brock Holt and Hanrahan, who they immediately announced as the team's new closer.
The 31-year-old has complied 76 saves over the last two seasons, and was named an All Star in each year, and is the centerpiece of the deal.
"His stuff is right at the top of the scale," assistant general manager Brian O'Halloran told the team's website (boston.redsox.mlb.com).
"He's got a fastball in the upper 90s (mph), and when he's right, his slider is as good as anybody's in baseball."
Hanrahan's presence will push Boston reliever Andrew Bailey out of the closer spot and into a setup role.
The Red Sox are coming off a disaster season that saw them finish last in the American League East, make major trades and fire manager Bobby Valentine.

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Red Sox get All-Star closer Hanrahan from Pirates

 If Joel Hanrahan can do for the Boston Red Sox what he did against them, they should be very happy with their new closer.
In the first of his two All-Star seasons, the right-hander posted back-to-back saves for the Pittsburgh Pirates with perfect ninth innings against the Red Sox in June 2011. He struck out Adrian Gonzalez, who entered the series batting .359, to end the second game.
"When people look back on me as a Pirate, that's the one that stands out the most to them," Hanrahan said Wednesday after being obtained in a six-player trade.
People such as Red Sox assistant general manager Brian O'Halloran.
"It definitely made an impression on me," he said. "It was not fun to be in the batter's box against Joel Hanrahan."
Now American League hitters will see what it's like.
Boston completed the deal Wednesday, also receiving infielder Brock Holt. The Red Sox gave up right-handers Mark Melancon and Stolmy Pimentel, infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. and first baseman-outfielder Jerry Sands.
The Red Sox also announced the signing of free agent shortstop Stephen Drew, who agreed to a one-year contract early last week. The reported $9.5 million deal was contingent on Drew passing a physical. The former Oakland Athletic and Arizona Diamondback broke his ankle in 2011.
"We feel that he's going to be fully healthy for us," O'Halloran said.
The acquisition of Drew and Hanrahan are the latest in a series of moves designed to improve on a 69-93 record and a last-place finish in the AL East. The Red Sox already have obtained right-handers Ryan Dempster and Koji Uehara, outfielders Shane Victorino and Johnny Gomes and catcher David Ross.
Over the past two seasons, Hanrahan had 76 saves, fourth most in the National League, and a 2.24 ERA. Last season, he was 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA and 36 saves.
The six-year veteran will take over the closer's role that Alfredo Aceves struggled in most of last season before giving way to Andrew Bailey, who had missed most of the season with a right thumb injury.
In his first season with Boston, Bailey was 1-1 with a 7.04 ERA and six saves in nine opportunities over 19 games.
Manager John Farrell has talked with Hanrahan and Bailey and told them that Hanrahan will be the closer, although "we see Andrew as playing a very important role," O'Halloran said.
The Red Sox's search for a closer began when Jonathan Papelbon signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2011 season.
Hanrahan figured he was part of that quest when he heard his name in trade rumors involving the Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I got excited" when he learned of the trade, Hanrahan said. "Obviously, the Red Sox have a great history and tradition and it's a huge sports city."
In six seasons, 2 1/2 with the Washington Nationals and 3 1/2 with the Pirates, he's 22-17 with a 3.74 ERA and 96 saves in 117 chances. His best season was 2011 when he went 1-4 with a 1.83 ERA, 40 saves in 44 opportunities and just 16 walks in 68 2-3 innings. His control slipped last season when he walked 36 in 59 2-3 innings.
Hanrahan said hamstring and ankle problems affected his pitching mechanics.
"I don't think the walks are going to be a concern," he said. "I feel good going to spring training."
Hanrahan said he's never been to Fenway Park, but O'Halloran doesn't think he'll have trouble adjusting to the American League.
"Joel Hanrahan has the stuff to pitch anywhere," he said.
Holt spent most of last season at Double-A Altoona, then hit .292 in 24 games with the Pirates, all in September.
Melancon was 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA in 41 relief appearances in his only season with Boston. Pimentel spent the season at Double-A Portland. Sands and DeJesus were obtained in a trade that sent Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford to the Dodgers on Aug. 25.

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