Should we give Lance another chance?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSMike Downey: I haven't a smidgen of sympathy for the dope "pedaler"Randy Cohen: If many cycling fans are right, most of the top riders engaged in doping Jeff Pearlman: Lance racing again is not truly an option anyway -- he's almost 42 John Hoberman: Any lifting of his lifetime ban should be based on his total cooperation (CNN) -- CNN asked for views on whether disgraced cyclist Lance...

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Arnold Schwarzenegger is back, but can he flex Box-Office muscle?

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Arnold Schwarzenegger is back at the box office, but will anyone notice? We’ll find out on Friday, when he debuts as a kick-ass small-town sheriff in “The Last Stand,’ his first starring role in nine years.When Schwarzenegger famously delivered his “I’ll be back” line in 1984, it was as a time-traveling android in “The Terminator.” Following his stint as California governor...

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HMV boss ‘confident of solution’

15 January 2013 Last updated at 09:32 ETPlease turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Chief executive Trevor Moore: “We will be working tirelessly to take this business forward.”The boss of HMV has said he is confident of finding a solution to the embattled retailer’s troubles.Trevor Moore said management had begun working with administrators Deloitte.“We remain convinced we can find...

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Holiday sales rose 3 percent, below forecast: NRF

By Phil Wahba and Jessica WohlNEW YORK (Reuters) – Shoppers spent only 3 percent more during the 2012 holiday season than they did a year earlier, the National Retail Federation said on Tuesday, citing economic uncertainty for tempering consumers’ enthusiasm.The NRF’s data, based on U.S. government figures, fell short of the trade group’s own forecast, which called for a 4.1 percent jump. In 2011,...

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Wall Street cuts declines as retailers gain

NEW YORK - Stocks cut earlier declines on Tuesday, with the Dow turning positive as shares of retail companies rose. The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> edged up 2.44 points, or 0.02 percent, at 13,509.76. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> slipped 0.12 point, or 0.01 percent, to 1,470.56. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was off 5.69 points, or 0.18 percent,...

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Are gun curbs just symbolism?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSGun violence recommendations are expected from Vice President Biden on TuesdayThe proposals are expected to contain substantive and symbolic ideas to curb gun violencePresidents use symbolism to shift public opinion or affect larger political or social changeWashington (CNN) -- The pictures told the story: Vice President Joe Biden looked solemn, patrician and in control as he sat at...

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Poet Sharon Olds wins T.S. Eliot award

LONDON (Reuters) – American poet Sharon Olds won the T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry on Monday for “Stag’s Leap”, a critically acclaimed collection that traces the end of her marriage 15 years ago.The annual award, celebrating its 20th anniversary, goes to what a panel of poets decides is the best collection of verse published in the United Kingdom and Ireland each year, and is considered to be one of...

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Flat-rate pension plan hits many

14 January 2013 Last updated at 12:04 ETPlease turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Pensions Minister Steve Webb: “People will retire with a single, simple, decent state pension”Plans for a “simple” flat-rate state pension have been unveiled, but many of those entering the workforce now will be worse off than under current rules.The government’s White Paper shows that there are short-term...

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The Comeback Cities of the Housing Recovery

The nationwide housing market is now in full recovery mode after suffering greatly during and following the market meltdown, and it’s believed that 2013 will be a big year for many markets. However, some cities did better than others.Las Vegas and Seattle had the two biggest year-over-year improvements in home asking prices between 2011 and 2012, according to data from the real estate tracking firm...

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S&P, Nasdaq dip as Apple weighs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street slipped on Monday, weighed down by shares of Apple in the face of demand concerns, while investors faced a busy week for earnings in what is expected to be a lackluster quarter. Apple lost 2.8 percent to $505.84 as the biggest drag on both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 <.ndx> indexes after reports that the tech company has cut orders for LCD screens...

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