Wall Street edges up after Alcoa beats revenue estimates

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged higher on Wednesday after Alcoa got the earnings season under way with better-than-expected revenue and an encouraging outlook for the year. The market's rise came after two-days of declines as there were few catalysts to give direction and investors fretted about the start of earnings season after the prior quarter's lackluster performance. ...

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AP Source: Surgery reveals damage to RG3's ACL

WASHINGTON (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says the surgery on Robert Griffin III's knee revealed damage to the ACL.The Washington Redskins quarterback had surgery Wednesday morning to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. The procedure also examined Griffin's ACL, which he tore while playing for Baylor in 2009. Another torn ACL would complicate Griffin's chances...

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Karzai's U.S. visit a time for tough talk

The last time Presidents Obama and Karzai met was in May in Kabul, when they signed a pact regarding U.S. troop withdrawal.STORY HIGHLIGHTSAfghan President Karzai meeting with President Obama in Washington this weekFelbab-Brown: Afghan politics are corrupt; army not ready for 2014 troop pulloutShe says Taliban, insurgents, splintered army, corrupt officials are all jockeying for powerU.S. needs to...

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Oprah to interview Armstrong for Jan. 17 show

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lance Armstrong has agreed to an interview with Oprah Winfrey in which he is to address allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs during a career in which he won seven Tour de France titles.According to Winfrey’s website on Tuesday, this will be a “no holds-barred interview.” It will be the first with Armstrong since his cycling career crumbled under the weight of a massive...

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Will the White House Kill ‘Trillion-Dollar Coin’ Talk?

The White House has remained silent so far on the miraculous debt-ceiling-evading trillion-dollar platinum commemorative coin. But that’s because no one has asked. But that could change today if someone in the White House press pool finally pops the question.The best bet is that the White House will spoil the blogosphere’s fun by saying it has no intention of having Treasury issue a coin and “selling”...

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Four Tax Breaks Every College Student Should Know About

A recent report by the New York Federal Reserve Bank shed a sobering light on how much debt Americans will carry with them into the new year. Though they managed to end the third quarter of 2012 with a $ 74 billion lighter debt load overall, consumers upped their non-mortgage credit debt by another $ 2 billion and took on $ 42 billion in new student loans. Heading into tax season,...

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Wall Street loses ground as earnings season starts

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday as the market consolidated from last week's rally on the "fiscal cliff" deal in Congress and investors awaited the start of the earnings season with lowered expectations. Profits in the fourth quarter are seen above the previous quarter's lackluster results, but analysts' current estimates are down sharply from where they were in October....

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Saban quickly turns to challenges of 2013 season

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It didn't take long for Alabama coach Nick Saban to turn his thoughts to next season.Maybe he let the Gatorade dry from the celebratory drenching first. Maybe."The team next year is 0-0," Saban said Tuesday morning. "Even though I really appreciate what this team accomplished and am very, very proud of what they accomplished, we need to prepare for the challenges of the...

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Iran faces oil revenue problem

By John Defterios, CNNJanuary 8, 2013 -- Updated 1535 GMT (2335 HKT)With elections in June, it remains unclear how energy policy will evolve after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's eraSTORY HIGHLIGHTSThe IEA has suggested Iraq surpassed Iran in output for the first time in over 20 yearsThe Iranian people are faced with spiralling inflation and job layoffs within the state sectorIranian oil revenues...

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‘Downton,’ ‘Girls,’ ‘Idol’ and more this January

NEW YORK (AP) — Where once the post-holiday schedule was a blizzard of chilly reruns, January is aburst with premieres and finales.Already, the much-adored British miniseries “Downton Abbey” has made its much-awaited season return Sundays on PBS.On IFC on Fridays, the hilarious “Portlandia” is back for its third season of sketch comedy poking fun at the peculiarities of Portland, Ore., starring Fred...

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