Justin Bieber's Under The Mistletoe To Top Billboard

Holiday album on pace to sell more than 200,000 copies, giving the Biebs second-straight #1 bow.
By James Montgomery

Justin Bieber in "Mistletoe"
Photo: Island Def Jam

Christmas is coming early for Justin Bieber.

Based on early estimates, it looks as if his Under the Mistletoe holiday album will claim the #1 spot on the Billboard 200, with sales in the neighborhood of 200-225,000 copies.

If those figures hold — and if Bieber can withstand a late charge from rapper Wale's Ambition — it will give the teen-pop sensation his second consecutive #1 debut, following in the footsteps of his My World 2.0 disc, which topped the charts in March 2010 with sales of more than 280,000 copies.

According to industry site HITS Daily Double, with a little more than half of the nation's retailers reporting sales, Mistletoe has already moved more than 150,000 units and holds a 40,000-album lead over Ambition.

And though, in recent days, he's been facing ongoing questions about the paternity suit filed against him by a 20-year-old woman, Bieber has been promoting Under the Mistletoe hard, logging a string of high-profile appearances that included premiering the video for the first single, "Mistletoe," live on MTV as well as interviews and performances on NBC's "Today" show, "Dancing With the Stars" and "The X Factor."

He also announced the formation of his Believe Charity Drive — he'll donate portions of the sales of Mistletoe to a spate of charitable organizations — and shot a pair of new videos for tracks on the album, including a "classic" clip with Mariah Carey on a version of her "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and a team-up with Boyz II Men on "Fa La La."

Share your reviews of Justin's holiday album in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1673955/justin-bieber-under-the-mistletoe-charts.jhtml

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Romo's 2 TD passes lift Cowboys by Seahawks 23-13

Seattle Seahawks' Leon Washington (33) is taken down by Dallas Cowboys' Anthony Spencer during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Seattle Seahawks' Leon Washington (33) is taken down by Dallas Cowboys' Anthony Spencer during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Cowboys' DeMarco Murray (29) takes the ball downfield as Seattle Seahawks' Kam Chancellor (31) defends during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)

After recovering a fumble by Dallas Cowboys' Dez Bryant, Seattle Seahawks' Roy Lewis, front, is tackled by Dallas Cowboys' Kevin Ogletree during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Cowboys' DeMarco Murray stretches but does not score as Dallas Cowboys' DeMarco Murray defends during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) is brought down by Dallas Cowboys' Mike Jenkins, left, and Barry Church during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ? There was a drive that fizzled 2 yards from the end zone, followed immediately by a drive that fizzled inside the 1. Both drew loud boos, yet at least the Dallas Cowboys got field goals each time.

All they got on the next series was a lost fumble inside the 1.

As inefficient as the start was, Tony Romo and the Cowboys managed to keep frustration from bogging them down. Romo threw for a pair of touchdowns in the second half and the defense was solid throughout, lifting Dallas to a 23-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

"You just keep attacking," Romo said.

The Cowboys (4-4) bounced back from a flop in Philadelphia and ended a skid of three losses in four games. Now they're hoping this victory can start a midseason surge. Three of their next four foes have losing records, and they'll come out of that potentially momentum-building run with two games still to play against the division-leading Giants.

"You can't just hover around .500," tight end Jason Witten said. "You need to make a run and make a push to stay in the hunt."

The biggest building block is the chance for a balanced offense. While Romo was 19 of 31 for 279 yards, rookie DeMarco Murray turned 22 carries into 139 yards. He also caught four passes for 47 yards.

Murray has proven that his 253-yard performance in his first extended action was no fluke. Whenever Felix Jones returns from a high ankle sprain, he could find himself backing up the third-round pick from Oklahoma.

"I think he's shown us the last three weeks what kind of football player he is," coach Jason Garrett said. "He's breaking tackles. That's hard to do in the NFL."

The Seahawks were within 13-6 and driving when Tarvaris Jackson threw interceptions on consecutive passes. The Cowboys turned those into 10 points and the game was never close again.

"I feel very sick about how I played today," said Jackson, who was 17 of 30 for 221 yards, with three interceptions a week after throwing for the most yards in his career. He also was facing a Dallas defense that had been picked away by Philadelphia and that was missing linebacker Sean Lee, its leader in tackles and interceptions, and starting cornerback Mike Jenkins.

Seattle (2-6) lost its third straight game. The Seahawks were hoping to get a boost from having Jackson and Marshawn Lynch start together for the first time since beating the Giants in New York, but they played down to their ranking as the NFL's second-worst offense. Their only touchdown came with 6:12 left.

"I'm really disappointed at where we are," coach Pete Carroll said. "We thought we could be better. I don't know any other way to think. But it doesn't matter. Now it's about going back to it and see if we can put together games that give us a chance to get some momentum going."

On the Cowboys' second drive, Romo led them from their own 2 to a third-and-goal from the Seattle 5. He didn't see anyone open so he ran toward the end zone. When he realized he was going to be tackled shy of the goal line, he slid down at the 2, playing it safe with a chip-shot field goal. Fans who've wanted him to take fewer risks booed anyway.

"I obviously would've dived for the end zone if there was any chance," said Romo, who played without a painkilling shot for the first time since breaking a rib in Week 2.

Dallas' next series went 86 yards to a first-and-goal from inside the 1. Two incompletions and a failed running play led to another field goal and more jeers.

The Cowboys looked like they were going to finally crack the end zone at the end of a reception by Dez Bryant. But as he was fighting for the final few inches, a defender he never saw coming hit him hard enough to pry the ball loose. The Seahawks recovered and the game wound up being tied at 6 at halftime.

Romo hit a wide-open Witten for a 33-yard touchdown early in the third quarter. After Jackson's first interception, Romo found Laurent Robinson for a touchdown on a third-and-goal from the 6. Romo scrambled around on that play and seemed ready to start running again when he pulled up and hit Robinson running alone across the back of the end zone.

Bryant had four catches for 76 yards, and Witten caught four for 71. Miles Austin caught two passes for 53 yards, but suffered a hamstring injury on his second catch and didn't return. He missed two games earlier this season with a left hamstring problem, and this time hurt his right hamstring.

Lynch ran for 135 yards on 23 carries. It was his first 100-yard performance in the regular season since December 2008, when he was with Buffalo.

Dallas rookie Dan Bailey made three field goals, giving him 19 straight, the third-best streak in club history.

Notes: This was Garrett's 16th game in charge, the equivalent of a full season. Dallas is 9-7 in the span. ... Cowboys DE Jason Hatcher got his first career interception, and it was a doozie. One lineman swatted it off the arm of a linebacker before he caught it. ... On punt coverage, Seattle CB Byron Maxwell was flagged twice for going out of bounds and failing to return quickly enough. ... At halftime, former Dallas stars Drew Pearson, Larry Allen and Charles Haley were inducted into the team's Ring of Honor, with Hall of Famers Roger Staubach, Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, Mel Renfro and Rayfield Wright among the previous Ring members taking part in the ceremony.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-06-FBN-Seahawks-Cowboys/id-446c6dcad322436b8af319f437e03d85

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Senate aims help at jobless vets, contractors (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Senate seemed ready Monday to temporarily ease its partisan standoff over President Barack Obama's jobs plan and come together on providing an economic boost to two potent interest groups: veterans and businesses.

Senators were expected to vote overwhelmingly Monday to start debating a bill repealing a requirement that federal, state and many local governments withhold 3 percent of their payments to contractors. That bill has been lobbied by a wide swath of industry groups large and small and has no significant opposition.

By the time the Senate approves the legislation ? perhaps later this week ? Democrats planned to add language backed by both parties offering tax breaks to companies that hire veterans and providing vets with employment counseling and other job-hunting services.

The tax credits, up to $9,600 for companies hiring disabled veterans who have been jobless at least six months, would represent the first ? though tiny ? piece of Obama's $447 billion jobs proposal to be approved by Congress, assuming Senate and then House passage.

The expected cooperation contrasted with the two parties' battling at a time when persistent 9 percent unemployment is keeping 14 million Americans out of work and looming as the dominant issue in the 2012 presidential and congressional elections. It also masked the divisions between Democrats and Republicans over the dominant pieces of Obama's jobs plan ? spending huge sums to repair roads, hire teachers and give workers and companies breaks on the payroll tax.

Not coincidentally, the measure was beginning to move toward approval just ahead of Friday's Veterans Day celebrations, when lawmakers stream to their home districts for speeches and parades. And even as the two sides seemed ready to cooperate, they exchanged partisan slings over lawmakers' refusal so far to approve the rest of the president's jobs proposal.

"There's no good reason to oppose this bill, not one," Obama said in the White House Rose Garden as he promoted his proposed aid for veterans. "Our veterans did their jobs. It's time for Congress to do theirs."

On the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., cited Republican opposition that has sunk the jobs legislation so far this year and taunted, "Now we will see whether Senate Republicans are willing to put jobs for veterans at risk as well. I certainly hope they are not.

Firing back, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., complained that the Republican-run House has approved nearly two dozen jobs measures that the Democratic-led Senate has ignored. The reason, he said: "So the president can go around on a bus and blame Congress for the country's problems."

McConnell added, "It's only a matter of time before the American people catch on to the Democrats' refusal to act."

The White House says veterans who have served since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have a 12 percent unemployment rate, three points above the overall national average.

To address that, the Democratic amendment will include Obama's proposal to create a new tax credit of $2,400 for companies hiring veterans who have been jobless at least four weeks, and $5,600 for vets out of work at least six months. In addition, he proposed doubling the existing tax credit that employers get for hiring a disabled veteran unemployed at least half a year from $4,800 to $9,600.

According to a White House estimate last September, these credits would cost $90 million ? a minute sliver of Obama's overall plans for fighting joblessness.

In addition, the Democratic amendment will include compromise jobs programs worked out between the chairs of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs committees, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla.

These include money for veterans' job training and education at community colleges and trade schools, job counseling for troops before they leave the military, and expanded benefits to disabled veterans.

Senate aides said the job training proposal was expected to cost around $1 billion. To pay for the veterans' tax credits and training, the measure would extend a fee the Department of Veterans Affairs charges for guaranteeing home loans, the aides said.

The veterans language is supported by groups incuding Disabled American Veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

By 405-16, the House approved a bill two weeks ago repealing the withholding requirement for government contractors. It would cost $11.2 billion in lost revenue over 10 years, which the measure would recoup by making it harder for some Social Security recipients to qualify for Medicaid under Obama's health care overhaul law.

Days before that House vote, the Senate voted narrowly against debating a GOP version of the government contractors' measure after Republicans proposed paying for it by cutting unspecified spending by federal agencies, drawing strong Democratic opposition.

The withholding requirement became law five years ago, enacted by President George W. Bush and a GOP-run Congress in response to investigations showing that thousands of contractors were behind on billions of dollars in taxes. While there is no evidence that problem has abated, lawmakers are far more focused on showing voters they are trying to fix the economy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111107/ap_on_bi_ge/us_jobs_veterans

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Cory Smoot, Gwar Guitarist, Dies on Tour

Cory Smoot, guitarist for the costumed heavy metal band Gwar, was found dead Thursday after a concert in Minneapolis in the midst of a six-week tour.

According to Fox News, Cory Smoot's body was discovered on the rock group's tour bus just before it was due to cross the border north into Canada.

Here's Smoot and Gwar playing what would be his final show Nov. 2:

Cory Smoot and Gwar in Concert

Gwar's frontman, David Brockie, said in a statement:

"It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of Gwar announce the passing of their longtime guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot."

"Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. At this point we are just dealing with the loss of our dear friend and brother, one of the most talented guitar players in metal today."

Smoot, who was 34, assumed the onstage alias of Flattus Maximus when he joined the Intergalactic Mutant Overlords in 2002 and had been with them since.

Famed for its freaky horror costumes, metal anthems and stage antics like dousing fans in fake blood since 1984, Gwar played Late Night last week.

Despite Smoot's unexpected passing, his bandmates say the show must go on. Gwar plans to remain out on the road and play Friday in Edmonton.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/cory-smoot-gwar-guitarist-dies-on-tour/

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8 killed in shooting at Mexican volleyball game (AP)

CULIACAN, Sinaloa ? Gunmen opened fire on a group of volleyball players in the drug violence-plagued state of Sinaloa on Friday night, killing eight people and wounding at least seven, authorities said.

Sinaloa state police chief Francisco Cordova said some of those killed were playing volleyball while others were watching. The volleyball court is in a working-class neighborhood of Culiacan, the state capital.

Soldiers, federal police and local officers were deployed to the crime scene, Cordova said. He did not provide any more details.

It was not immediately clear whether the shooting was drug related, but Sinaloa is the home state of Joaquin Guzman's powerful drug cartel. It has been the scene of bloody battles between the gang and its rivals.

Meanwhile, groups of heavily armed men fired hundreds of shots at each other in the streets of the border city of Ciudad Juarez, leaving at least six combatants dead.

Chihuahua state prosecutors spokesman Arturo Sandoval said Friday that the shooting took place in a rough part of the city on Thursday. He said investigators recovered 442 spent bullets from the scene.

Officials have not said who was involved, but the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels have been battling since 2008 over control of the city across the border from El Paso, Texas.

On Friday, Mexican federal police said they detained the second of three alleged leaders of a drug gang locked in a fierce battle for control of the Pacific resort city of Acapulco.

Victor Manuel Rivera was captured Friday in Mexico State, federal police anti-drug chief Ramon Pequeno said.

Authorities say Rivera's "street sweeper" gang has been fighting the local Independent Cartel of Acapulco for control of the port city since the 2010 arrest of suspected drug capo Edgar Valdez Villareal, a Texas-born man known as "La Barbie."

The two gangs splintered away from Valdez's organization because they didn't like the new leadership. Bloodshed in Acapulco, including mutilations and decapitations, surged following the break-up.

Federal police officers captured another alleged leader of the "street sweeper" last month.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111105/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_mexico

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The Ugly Truth (Balloon Juice)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/158486931?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Rebellion brews in coalition over petrol price hike (Reuters)

NEW DELHI (Reuters) ? Trinamool Congress, a top ally of the ruling coalition, threatened to quit on Friday unless Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reversed a rise in petrol prices, testing the government's commitment to a move sorely needed to cut the fiscal deficit.

Trinamool Congress said it would wait for Singh to return from the G-20 summit in France and reconsider the increase in petrol prices, the fourth time this year.

If the party were to quit the coalition it would reduce Singh's government to a minority at a time when it is already buffeted by corruption scandals and stubbornly high inflation.

"When the prime minister is out of the country, I don't want to take a decision that can lead to the fall of a government," said Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, whose 19 lawmakers provide Singh with a parliamentary majority.

"Let the PM return then our party will go to him and tell him our view ... that if this goes on like this we don't want to stay in the government. We have tolerated enough but we are not willing to accept this burden on the poor any more."

In a first indication that the government could cave to its ally's demand, a source in Singh's Congress party said on Friday that a partial rollback of the petrol price rise was possible.

Banerjee's threat could force the government to delay a rise in diesel, cooking gas and kerosene prices even though it desperately wants to cut subsidies to stay in sight of the 2011/12 fiscal deficit target of 4.6 percent of GDP.

But with headline inflation topping 9 percent for nearly a year despite 13 rate hikes by the RBI since March 2010, government allies such as the Trinamool have become uneasy with their ties to the increasingly unpopular federal coalition.

Singh's Congress party is itself nervous about angering its core constituency, the rural poor, ahead of a string of state elections beginning early next year. In the past it has given in to street protests over reform moves such as freeing up farm prices.

In India, the government sets retail prices of diesel, cooking gas and kerosene to help control inflation and protect consumers, particularly the poor, from sharp fluctuations in energy prices.

It granted autonomy to state-run firms last year to fix retail prices for petrol and has said it is considering giving up control of other fuel prices to help rid itself of a crippling subsidy burden.

Raising diesel prices is a political hot potato as the fuel, which accounts for over a third of refined oil products' demand in the country, is widely used by the farm sector and industrial users and has a cascading effect on the economy.

(Editing by John Chalmers)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111104/india_nm/india603237

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