Give Lance another chance?






STORY HIGHLIGHTS


  • Mike 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 Armstrong deserves another chance in light of his apologies to his charity, Livestrong, and his soon-to-be-aired interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which it's widely reported he admitted he used performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong is banned from professional cycling for life and was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.


Mike Downey: No sympathy for the dope "pedaler"


I was at the Champs-Elysees finish line on July 27, 1986, when the bike of Greg LeMond whizzed by, making him the first American to win the Tour de France. It was a monumental achievement: 210 cyclists, 23 grueling days, long and winding roads, treacherously steep hills.



Mike Downey

Mike Downey



Equally hard had to be the abuse LeMond endured in retirement after publicly decrying the sport's hypocrisies and daring to suggest that seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, the All-American boy himself, had not been on the up-and-up. Vilified and disdained, LeMond was treated like a tobacco company's insider who blew the whistle on the industry's methods or like Carl Lewis speculating that his rival Ben Johnson had not won foot races fairly and squarely. As if he had an ax to grind.


I haven't a smidgen of sympathy for Armstrong now that he is exposed for the dope-pedaler -- that's pedal, not peddle -- he truly was. He played the Jean Valjean part of the persecuted man for every franc that it was worth. Let us resist the magnanimous gesture to forgive, forget and give Lance a second (eighth?) chance. He was caught, unlike certain baseball players who have been merely suspected or accused, and has, evidently, confessed. Seven strikes and you're out.


Professional athletes do exist who 'fess up, serve a suspension, then are welcomed back. They, as with the ballplayers, did disgrace their life's work, yet none single-handedly won their sport's championship with their chicanery. None stood apart as Armstrong did and hogged credit for being a champion, a hero. None won a championship by compelling teammates to also cheat, at risk of being shunned, smeared or dropped from the team.


I say we say goodbye for good to Monsieur Armstrong, farewell, adieu. Off to Elba and exile with you, you rogue. Vive LeMond.


Mike Downey is a former columnist for The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.


Randy Cohen: All big-time cyclists who doped should confess


The important ethical question isn't whether Lance deserves a second chance. Chance to do what? Cheat in seven more Tours? Lie about it seven more times? Bully seven more teammates into doping? He behaved badly and is rightly censured.



Randy Cohen

Randy Cohen



But that should be the beginning, not the end, of this disheartening story. There's a lot more blame to go around. Cycling's governing bodies also have an ethical duty, and that's to provide a setting in which honest athletes can participate.


If many cycling fans are right, most of the top riders engaged in doping. You simply can't compete against them without doing the same. What was Lance to do? Quit the sport? And who inherits his Tour titles? Some other cheat?


It would be thrilling if one by one, they declined in a Spartacus moment -- an honest, I-am-drugged-Spartacus moment. This is a community problem; it demands community solutions. Unless those who run big-time cycling institute real reforms, Lance's fall will be merely a celebrity scandal, and there's little good in that.


Randy Cohen wrote The Ethicist column in The New York Times Magazine till 2011, and he is a former writer for "Late Night With David Letterman." His latest book is "Be Good: How to Navigate the Ethics of Everything."



Jeff Pearlman: He's almost 42, forget about it


Back when I was 8 or 9, my parents took me to my first trip to Disney World. I remember Space Mountain, and I remember Mickey Mouse's enormous head. For some reason, though, what I remember most is a sign posted within the borders of Epcot. It read: If you can dream it, you can do it.


"Dad," I said, "I dream of being 8-feet tall. But that'll never happen ..."


"Well, son ..."



Jeff Pearlman

Jeff Pearlman



"And, Dad, I dream of being able to fly just like Superman. But that'll never happen ..."


"Son, the thing is ..."


"And Dad, I'd really like to win an Olympic gold medal for my Joanie Cunningham impersonation, but ..."


"Son," my father said, "It's a sign. It's just a damn sign."


Sigh.


Throughout Lance Armstrong's recent fight to prove he hadn't cheated, and throughout the plights of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire and the alleged PED abuses of dozens upon dozens of others, I've often thought about that day at Disney and, specifically, of that sign.


As a boy, it spoke to me as a kid longing for greatness. Maybe, just maybe, I can accomplish anything. Maybe ...


As a sportswriter who has chronicled much of the past two decades, however, it strikes me as foolish nonsense. As Armstrong's recent admission shows, the words must be altered to -- if you can dream it, you can do it -- as long as you leave your ethics at the door and cheat your ass off and don't mind throwing your supporters under a bus.









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That, now, is the sad, pathetic legacy of men such as Armstrong and Bonds. Once upon a time, they dreamed of doing wonderful things: Of hitting baseballs 500 miles; of speeding down the largest mountains; of being special. Then, however, they learned (as we all do) that we are bound by the confines of humanity. Within the rules and regulations, there is only so strong. There is only so fast. There is only so big. Hence, one can either accept his lot in life and put out the best possible effort, or he can cheat and lie and enjoy the temporary fruits while trying to avoid the inevitable plummet.


Do I think he should be allowed to race again? No. Lance Armstrong racing again is not truly an option anyway -- he's almost 42.


Just the same, I am thrilled that he has -- at long last -- begun to come clean. There are lessons to be learned here, beyond those pertaining to cycling. And day's end, when the cheering has stopped, there is something to be said for trying your best, even if your best doesn't result in triumph.


There is empowerment in knowing you gave your all. There is satisfaction in achieving your own PR. There is the sense of community and camaraderie that comes in the aftermath of a sporting event. Cold beers, casual conversation, sore muscles -- bliss.


Armstrong and Bonds forgot that long ago. For them, it was all -- and only --about winning. They got lost in a corrupt world of enhancers and boosters and had their heads turned by the fame and accolades and money.


Now, though, they are outcasts. They are the tombstones of long-ago dreams.


Jeff Pearlman is the author of "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton." He blogs at jeffpearlman.com. Follow him on Twitter.


Wayne Norman: Like a convenience store robbery that goes wrong


Lance knows that a quick mea culpa is not enough -- otherwise, he would have admitted to doping long ago. Instead, he made a calculated gamble that he could preserve his reputation and brand by lying, defrauding corporate sponsors, impugning the authorities pursuing him and actively slandering and suing honest whistle-blowers who stood in his way.



Wayne Norman

Wayne Norman



That bet has not paid off.


Like a convenience store robbery that goes wrong and leads to a hostage-taking and a high-speed chase, Lance's doping is by far the least of his transgressions. A highly calculated confession about the doping still looks like Lance gambling to advance his interests. Former fans will need contrition and a sense that he genuinely regrets the gamble. Those he slandered and defrauded should demand even more.


Lance cannot get another chance as an athlete at this point. That would make a mockery of all sporting rules and their enforcement. When you've been that blatantly dishonest, it won't be easy to convince people to trust you again.


Wayne Norman is the Mike & Ruth Mackowski professor of ethics at Duke University.


John Eustice: Armstrong can make a deal and get leeway


What Lance has, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency wants, and Lance is not going to give it to them unless he gets his (athletic) life back. USADA knows that Lance stands at the nexus of two distinct cultures, two completely different mindsets: The ideals and dreams of Olympic sport and the harsh, ratings-driven business of the professional game.



John Eustice

John Eustice



They view this conquest of Lance as their great chance to have the Olympic vision triumph over the cynicism of the pros. But they need his cooperation to win.


Despite the admitting of pros into the Olympic Games, in truth, the two cultures do not mesh. Pro sports are businesses where talent, ratings and the subsequent cash flows from them, must be protected just as in any other entertainment business.


USADA needs to understand how the professional mentality has "infected" the Olympic movement, and Lance is the key. Was he protected by the International Cycling Union? Was the Tour de France involved? Did it go even higher that that?


USADA makes deals. If Lance can provide them with information on the underground system that fuels athletes worldwide, and explain, for example, how of the 6,000 drugs tests given at the London Games, only one came back positive, allowing him to participate in some triathlons seems a very small price to pay.


Cycling analyst John Eustice was one of the pioneer Americans to break into the world of European pro cycling. He co-founded and captained the first American team to race in the Tour of Italy, and is a two-time United States Professional Champion.


John Hoberman: Is it possible to acquire a conscience overnight?


The report that Lance Armstrong choked up during his apology to Livestrong Foundation employees earlier this week would seem to mark an abrupt departure from the cold, calculating and manipulative personality he has displayed throughout his celebrated athletic career.


Having closely followed the Armstrong saga as a doping researcher, I have come to doubt whether this is man is capable of genuine contrition. One can only imagine the apologetic telephone calls he has been making to the former teammates and other victims he persecuted, threatened, bullied and slandered over so many years.



John Hoberman

John Hoberman



Is it really possible to acquire a conscience overnight? Can a person who has long-demonstrated reckless self-assertion, a lack of empathy, coldheartedness, egocentricity, superficial charm and irresponsibility suddenly repent after months of hostile intransigence?


One is tempted to say no, since this ensemble of traits bears a disturbing similarity to the psychopathic personality. Let us hope that Armstrong is capable of leaving his old self behind and building a healthier personal identity.


Any lifting of his lifetime ban from officially recognized competitions should be made contingent on his absolute and total cooperation with the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency. Armstrong must demonstrate some good faith by revealing everything he knows about the illicit trade in doping drugs as well as the cynical and opportunistic doctors who have profited from these corrupt arrangements.


John Hoberman teaches at the University of Texas at Austin and is the author of "Mortal Engines: The Science of Performance and the Dehumanization of Sport." He was a consultant in 2005 for the SCA Promotions of Dallas, the insurance company demanding that Lance Armstrong repay a total of $7.5 million it paid to him in Tour de France bonuses.


Shawn Klein: If he cooperates, maybe the lifetime ban could be reduced


After years of adamant denials and protestations of his innocence, Lance Armstrong has reportedly come forward to admit his use of prohibited performance enhancing drugs. If Armstrong is sincerely contrite and forthright in his apology, most people, including myself, will forgive him for his use of prohibited drugs.



Shawn Klein

Shawn Klein



He cheated in a sport known for its widespread cheating; that doesn't justify his use but it does put his actions into an understandable context that makes it easier to excuse the use. Further, if Armstrong cooperates with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, his lifetime ban from cycling ought to be reduced to something more reasonable.


The more troubling aspects of the Armstrong case are the allegations that he harassed and intimidated team members and potential whistle-blowers. Violating the arbitrary rules of a sport shows a character flaw and poor judgment, but it is hard to see who else is truly harmed by such actions. But to threaten, intimidate and coerce others (either to use performance enhancing drugs themselves or to cover up his team's use) causes real harm.


Even if only some of these reports are accurate, Armstrong will have to do more than sit on Oprah's couch to earn forgiveness.  Shawn Klein teaches at the Department of Philosophy and Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship at Rockford College in Illinois and writes the Sportsethicist blog.


What do you think? Comment below and join us on Friday for a live chat on Twitter @CNNOpinion about Lance Armstrong.


Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter.


Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion.


The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors.






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Stuart Scott’s cancer back – but he tweets he’s fighting hard






NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – ESPN anchor Stuart Scott tweeted that his cancer has returned, but that he’s fighting hard.


How hard? He went from tweeting Monday night about his health to hosting SportsCenter, as if nothing were wrong. As he hosted, he was inundated with supportive tweets.






“Blessed by prayers… I’m back in the Fight,” Scott wrote. “C reared its head again. Chemo evry 2 wks but I’ll still work, still work out..still #LIVESTRONG”


In another tweet, he said that after chemotherapy treatments he goes straight to work out, doing either P90X or mixed martial arts.


Scott was treated for cancer in 2007 after doctors found malignant tissue following an emergency appendectomy. He returned to work at ESPN a month later.


In January 2011, Scott began undergoing chemotherapy after more cancerous tissue was removed. He again returned after a month.


Scott has become a symbol of hope for many who have loved ones fighting the disease or who are fighting it themselves. He traded tweets with some of them after his latest announcement.


He also tweeted Tuesday: “Don’t like using profanity on Twitter but some of my fav well wishes R the good folks who say #F@$ KCancer… I can’t spell it out but I AGREE.”


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AMR pilot contract would cover US Air pilots in merger: memo






(Reuters) – If American Airlines and US Airways Group merge, pilots of the carriers would initially be governed by the contract currently in place with American’s pilots, according to terms of a memorandum disclosed on Tuesday.


The so-called memorandum of understanding has been approved by the leadership of the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American’s pilots, and the US Airline Pilots Association, the union for US Airways pilots, as well as by the two carriers.






American parent AMR Corp , which filed for bankruptcy in November 2011, is weighing merging with US Airways against exiting Chapter 11 as a stand-alone company. A combined carrier’s revenues would be on a par with the revenues of United Continental Holdings , which became the world’s largest airline in 2010.


In a statement, American Airlines stressed that the memo of understanding would only become effective should a merger be approved, and added it outlines the process to reach a joint collective bargaining agreement for pilots.


The memorandum of understanding “was negotiated to give the parties greater clarity on both the costs and the pilot integration processes associated with a potential merger, as American reviews its strategic alternatives,” spokesman Bruce Hicks stated.


In a message to members, the Allied Pilots Association said its 2012 collective bargaining agreement reached with American would be the “baseline contract for all pilots” should a merger take place.


The MOU would allow the pilots union to make $ 522 million in contractual improvements, or $ 87 million a year over six years, the APA said.


Additionally, the memo includes procedures for integrating pilot seniority lists and specifies that current American pilots would fly existing American aircraft, while US Airways pilots would fly that carrier’s planes.


“We recognize the prospect for substantial improvements this potential merger holds for both pilot groups, APA President Keith Wilson and US Airline Pilots Association President Gary Hummel said in a joint statement.


(Reporting by Karen Jacobs; Editing by Kenneth Barry)


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King of Prussia Dentistry Practice Offers Free Seminars to Strengthen Patient Care






KING OF PRUSSIA, PA–(Marketwire – Jan 16, 2013) – At their King of Prussia dental implant practice, the doctors at By Design Dental Implant Center, a team of dental specialists, strive to educate their patients on the importance of oral health. To meet this goal, they offer complimentary patient seminars on Wednesday nights. These seminars are hosted bi-weekly from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Cliff Gratz, the practice’s treatment consultant, says patients have a chance to meet the entire dental treatment team in a relaxed and informal environment.


The practice’s implant surgeon, Dr. Robert Mogyoros, says that there are a variety of benefits to the educational seminars. Among these benefits are:






  • Patients have a chance to tour the facilities at the practice, which includes a full service on-site laboratory

  • Patients receive free education on dental implants and available treatment options

  • Seminars are on-site and can help patients feel more comfortable in the office setting

Dr. Mogyoros notes that patients can benefit from the seminars by asking any questions they may have regarding their own oral health and what they can do to prevent future disease. He adds that the team at By Design is extensively trained and educated in multiple aspects of implant dentistry. Collaboration of this team adds greatly to the quality of patient care:


“We are atypical from a normal dental office because there is a team of us who are all specialists. We have an oral surgeon, a periodontist and a prosthodontist. By putting everyone under one roof, we are able to combine the expertise of surgical and restorative specialists, use the latest state-of-the-art technology and limit costs in order to streamline the process and get the best, most affordable results.”


During the seminars, patients have a chance to receive a complimentary x-ray of their mouth to detect any irregularities. The doctors perform a panoramic type x-ray with an imaging machine, which would normally cost $ 300-700. Dr. Mogyoros says that patients can find out what happens to their teeth if they are not properly taken care of, and can receive customized treatment plans to help prevent any future disease. “We do this to educate those who aren’t sure what to do about their dental problems. We really want the best for our patients and will do everything we can to inform them of their options when it comes to their oral health.”


Gratz says patients attend the seminars to learn more about the practice’s innovative All-on-4™ procedure. He adds that many people assume that they need dental implants for each missing or damaged tooth, but with All-on-4™, patients can receive 12 teeth with as little as four implants.


The practice’s on-site laboratory allows the doctors to expedite the All-on-4™ process. Dr. Mogyoros says:


“The All-on-4™ procedure is a really great option for patients looking for an alternative to dentures that is fixed in place and does not come out of the mouth. It is a unique procedure that allows for the removal of diseased teeth, placement of implants and the fabrication and delivery of a new bridge. The procedure is minimally invasive, graftless and can be accomplished in one day.”


About By Design Dental Implant Center
By Design Dental Implant Center includes a team of highly experienced specialists working under one roof to ensure quality patient care. The practice is composed of oral surgeon Dr. Robert Mogyoros, prosthodontist Dr. John J. Thaler II, periodontist Dr. Joseph J. Havrilla, dental lab director Rand Jaslow, treatment consultant Cliff Gratz, dental assistant Jamie Holmes, and manager Rita Dolin. The doctors are available for interview upon request.


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Stock index futures point to lower open on Wall Street, Boeing in focus

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.3 percent, Dow Jones futures off 0.2 percent and the Nasdaq 100 contract 0.1 percent lower at 0922 GMT.


Banks <.sx7p> will be in focus, with results due from several big names, including BNY Mellon, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase & Co.


Of the S&P 500 <.spx> companies that have reported to date, 25 percent have missed fourth-quarter earnings forecasts and 29 percent have undershot on revenues, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data.


Shares in General Motors fell after the bell on Tuesday after the automaker said it expects operating profit to rise "modestly" this year - a comment that is expected to prompt analysts to downgrade their forecasts.


Boeing will be in focus on concerns about the safety of its Dreamliner. Japan's two leading airlines grounded their fleets of 787s on Wednesday after one of the passenger jets made an emergency landing.


India will decide on whether to ground national carrier Air India's Dreamliner jets after the U.S. company submits a report on the aircraft's safety.


Global growth concerns remain in the spotlight after the World Bank slashed its economic forecasts for developed nations this year.


A plunge in European car sales in December added to the gloom.


U.S. December inflation figures are due at 1330 GMT, followed by industrial output at 1415 GMT.


The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> added 27.57 points, or 0.20 percent, to 13,534.89 on Tuesday, while the S&P 500 <.spx> gained 1.66 points, or 0.11 percent, to 1,472.34 after stronger-than-expected retail data.


Tech heavyweight Apple dragged on the Nasdaq for a third day <.ixic>, with the index falling 0.2 percent.


Major European indexes edged lower on Wednesday, after recent gains took them to multi-month highs <.fteu3><.eu>. Profit taking also pushed Japan's Nikkei benchmark to its biggest one-day drop in eight months <.n225>.


(Reporting By Toni Vorobyova; Editing by Susan Fenton)



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AP source: Lance Armstrong tells Winfrey he doped


AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong has finally come clean.


After years of bitter and forceful denials, he offered a simple "I'm sorry" to friends and colleagues and then admitted he used performance-enhancing drugs during an extraordinary cycling career that included seven Tour de France victories.


Armstrong confessed to doping during an interview with Oprah Winfrey taped Monday, just a couple of hours after an emotional apology to the staff at the Livestrong charity he founded and was later forced to surrender, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the interview is to be broadcast Thursday on Winfrey's network.


The confession was a stunning reversal for the proud athlete and celebrity who sought lavish praise in the court of public opinion and used courtrooms to punish his critics.


For more than a decade, Armstrong dared anybody who challenged his version of events to prove it. Finally, he told the tale himself after promising over the weekend to answer Winfrey's questions "directly, honestly and candidly."


Winfrey was scheduled to appear on "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday morning to discuss the interview. She tweeted shortly after the interview: "Just wrapped with (at)lancearmstrong More than 2 1/2 hours. He came READY!"


The cyclist was stripped of his Tour de France titles, lost most of his endorsements and was forced to leave Livestrong last year after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued a damning, 1,000-page report that accused him of masterminding a long-running doping scheme.


Armstrong started the day with a visit to the headquarters of the Livestrong charity he founded in 1997 and turned into a global force on the strength of his athletic dominance and personal story of surviving testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain.


About 100 Livestrong staff members gathered in a conference room as Armstrong told them "I'm sorry." He choked up during a 20-minute talk, expressing regret for the long-running controversy tied to performance-enhancers had caused, but stopped short of admitting he used them.


Before he was done, several members were in tears when he urged them to continue the charity's mission, helping cancer patients and their families.


"Heartfelt and sincere," is how Livestrong spokeswoman Katherine McLane described his speech.


Armstrong later huddled with almost a dozen people before stepping into a room set up at a downtown Austin hotel for the interview with Winfrey. The group included close friends and lawyers. They exchanged handshakes and smiles, but declined comment and no further details about the interview were released because of confidentiality agreements signed by both camps.


Winfrey has promoted her interview, one of the biggest for OWN since she launched the network in 2011, as a "no-holds barred" session, and after the voluminous USADA report — which included testimony from 11 former teammates — she had plenty of material for questions. USADA chief executive Travis Tygart, a longtime critic of Armstrong's, called the drug regimen practiced while Armstrong led the U.S. Postal Service team "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."


USADA did not respond to requests for comment about Armstrong's confession.


Hein Verbruggen, the former president of the International Cycling Union, said Tuesday he wasn't ready to speak about the confession.


"I haven't seen the interview. It's all guessing," Verbruggen told the AP. "After that, we have an independent commission which I am very confident will find out the truth of these things."


For years, Armstrong went after his critics ruthlessly during his reign as cycling champion. He scolded some in public and didn't hesitate to punish outspoken riders during the race itself. He waged legal battles against still others in court.


At least one of his opponents, the London-based Sunday Times, has already filed a lawsuit to recover about $500,000 it paid him to settle a libel case, and Dallas-based SCA Promotions, which tried to deny Armstrong a promised bonus for a Tour de France win, has threatened to bring another lawsuit seeking to recover more than $7.5 million awarded by an arbitration panel.


In Australia, the government of South Australia state said Tuesday it will seek the repayment of several million dollars in appearance fees paid to Armstrong for competing in the Tour Down Under in 2009, 2010 and 2011.


"We'd be more than happy for Mr. Armstrong to make any repayment of monies to us," South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill said.


Betsy Andreu, the wife of former Armstrong teammate Frankie Andreu, was one of the first to publicly accuse Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs. She called news of Armstrong's confession "very emotional and very sad," and choked up when asked to comment.


"He used to be one of my husband's best friends and because he wouldn't go along with the doping, he got kicked to the side," she said. "Lance could have a positive impact if he tells the truth on everything. He's got to be completely honest."


Betsy Andreu testified in SCA's arbitration case challenging the bonus in 2005, saying Armstrong admitted in an Indiana hospital room in 1996 that he had taken many performance-enhancing drugs, a claim Armstrong vehemently denied.


"It would be nice if he would come out and say the hospital room happened," Andreu said. "That's where it all started."


Former teammate Floyd Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for doping, has filed a federal whistle-blower lawsuit that accused Armstrong of defrauding the U.S. Postal Service. An attorney familiar with Armstrong's legal problems told the AP that the Justice Department is highly likely to join the lawsuit. The False Claims Act lawsuit could result in Armstrong paying a substantial amount of money to the U.S. government. The deadline for the department to join the case is Thursday, though the department could seek an extension if necessary.


According to the attorney, who works outside the government, the lawsuit alleges that Armstrong defrauded the U.S. government based on his years of denying use of performance-enhancing drugs. The attorney spoke on condition of anonymity because the source was not authorized to speak on the record about the matter.


The lawsuit most likely to be influenced by a confession might be the Sunday Times case. Potential perjury charges stemming from Armstrong's sworn testimony in the 2005 arbitration fight would not apply because of the statute of limitations. Armstrong was not deposed during the federal investigation that was closed last year.


Armstrong is said to be worth around $100 million. But most sponsors dropped him after USADA's scathing report — at the cost of tens of millions of dollars — and soon after, he left the board of Livestrong.


After the USADA findings, he was also barred from competing in the elite triathlon or running events he participated in after his cycling career. World Anti-Doping Code rules state his lifetime ban cannot be reduced to less than eight years. WADA and U.S. Anti-Doping officials could agree to reduce the ban further depending on what information Armstrong provides and his level of cooperation.


___


Litke reported from Chicago. Pete Yost in Washington also contributed to this report.


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Are gun curbs just symbolism?






STORY HIGHLIGHTS


  • Gun violence recommendations are expected from Vice President Biden on Tuesday

  • The proposals are expected to contain substantive and symbolic ideas to curb gun violence

  • Presidents use symbolism to shift public opinion or affect larger political or social change




Washington (CNN) -- The pictures told the story: Vice President Joe Biden looked solemn, patrician and in control as he sat at a long table in the White House, flanked by people on both sides of the gun control issue.


The images conveyed a sense that the White House was in command on this issue.


And that's the point. Historically, presidential administrations have used symbolic imagery—at times coupled with marginal actions—to shift public opinion or affect larger political or social change.


"Politics is a risk taking project," said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian and CNN contributor. "They put together these commissions in response to some crisis. You try a hundred things and hope something works."


On the eve of the Biden-led gun control task force recommendations to President Barack Obama, political experts say it is important that his administration sends a clear signal that it has things in hand.










That is especially critical in what will likely be an uphill battle to push specific changes, like an assault weapons ban, as part of a broader effort on gun control.


The first move in the image battle will be to appear to move quickly and decisively.


"You have to give the Obama administration credit for one thing: They've learned from history to do things quickly," Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said of previous task force initiatives that fizzled.


In 2010, Obama appointed a bipartisan commission headed by former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and Erskine Bowles, a former Democratic White House chief of staff, to come up with a proposal to balance the budget and cut the debt.


Like the gun task force, Simpson-Bowles reviewed current regulations, gathered input from the public and engaged in tense internal conversations. But after months of working on a proposal—a blend of steep revenue increases and spending cuts—the group struggled to agree to a solution. The president did not take up the recommendations.


Obama largely avoided the issue of gun control during his first term.


He wrote an opinion piece two months after the 2011 assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, acknowledging the importance of the Second Amendment right to bear arms. In the piece he also called for a focus on "effective steps that will actually keep those irresponsible, law-breaking few from getting their hands on a gun in the first place."


But in the aftermath of that shooting and as the election season loomed, the Justice Department backed off from a list of recommendations that included a measure designed to help keep mentally ill people from getting guns.


For now, at least, there is a sense in Washington that the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting where 26 people -- 20 of them young children -- were slaughtered could lead to meaningful legislative reform.


Public opinion would seem to suggest that the White House efforts are well timed.


In the month since the massacre, a new poll showed the percentage of Americans who said they were dissatisfied with America's gun laws has spiked.


The Gallup survey released on Monday showed 38% of Americans were dissatisfied with current gun regulations, and wanted stricter laws. That represented 13-point jump from one year ago, when 25% expressed that view. "You want to strike while the iron is hot," Sabato said. "We Americans have short attention spans and, as horrible as the Newtown shooting was, will anyone be surprised if we moved along by spring?"


The White House has since worked overtime to show it considers gun control an urgent matter.


The vice president has spent the last week meeting with what the White House calls "stakeholders" in the gun control debate.


On Monday, Biden was to meet with members of a House Democratic task force on guns, along with Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of Health and Human Services.


In a series of face to face discussions on Thursday, Biden sat down with the National Rifle Association and other gun owners groups before conferring with representatives from the film and television industry.


In a sign the White House is prepared to move aggressively on its proposals, Biden made public comments just before meeting with the National Rifle Association, the country's most powerful gun lobby.


"Putting the vice president in charge of (the task force) and having him meeting with these groups is intended to show seriousness and an effort to reach out and respond to concerns and wishes of various groups," said Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory University.


Still, the NRA expressed disappointment in its discussion with Biden and later released a statement that accused the administration of mounting "an agenda to attack the Second Amendment."


Organizations seeking tougher gun control laws insist an assault weapons ban is critical to addressing the nation's recent rash of mass shootings. However, such a ban could be difficult in a Congress mired in gridlock.


"The bully pulpit is limited. It's hard for the president to sustain that momentum," Zelizer said of the White House's gun control efforts after the Newtown shootings. "The thing about symbolism is, like the shock over Newtown, they fade quickly."


CNN's Jim Acosta and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report






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Will.i.am on top as Bowie returns to UK charts






LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. producer will.i.am’s collaboration with Britney Spears topped the British pop charts on Sunday as David Bowie notched up his first top 10 single in two decades with his surprise new release.


Launched without warning on Bowie’s 66th birthday, the single “Where Are We Now?” caused widespread media interest, and charted in sixth place despite only having been available for five days.






It was his first new song in almost a decade and produced his best chart performance since 1986, when he reached number two with “Absolute Beginners”, the Official Charts Company said.


Topping the chart was “Scream and Shout” by will.i.am, featuring Britney Spears, giving her a first British number one since 2004.


U.S. country-pop star Taylor Swift‘s “I Knew You Were Trouble” moved up to second, with James Arthur, winner of the British version of the “X Factor” TV talent show last year, dropping from first to third with “Impossible”.


In the album chart, singer Emeli Sandé returned to number one with “Our Version of Events”, which has now spent 48 consecutive weeks in the Top 10.


Last week’s chart-topper “18 Months” by Scottish producer and singer Calvin Harris dropped to second place, and English singer Jake Bugg rose a place to third with his eponymous album.


R&B star Rihanna climbed three to fourth with “Unapologetic”. The only new entry in the top 10 was the soundtrack from the Oscar-nominated film musical “Les Miserables”, which debuted in fifth.


(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Kevin Liffey)


Music News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Why Vanguard Is Bucking Its Peers on Money Market Funds






In recent days, major institutions that offer money market funds have rushed to follow each other in announcing a change of heart: posting the net asset values for some of their funds every day, allowing investors to see the minor fluctuations that can occur even as shares trade at a constant $ 1 apiece.


Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Fidelity, BlackRock (BLK), Federated Investors, Charles Schwab (SCHW)—many of the biggest players in the $ 2.6 trillion industry have made the concession to transparency, after long resisting efforts by regulators.






One company, though, is conspicuously not on the list: Vanguard.


That’s curious, because Vanguard Group markets itself as having transparency and “plain talk” in its DNA. Founded in 1975, the Valley Forge (Pa.) mutual fund firm has grown to manage $ 2 trillion, with a reputation for driving down costs industrywide and demystifying the world of investing. Money market funds became a popular investment class in large part thanks to their seeming simplicity—that steady $ 1-per-share price that makes transactions a breeze. During the 2008 financial crisis, though, investors learned that the funds weren’t as stable as they had been led to believe after the $ 62.5 billion Reserve Primary Fund “broke the buck,” falling below $ 1. Regulators added restrictions on the industry in 2010; Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro pushed for more, but failed before exiting the agency in December.


One option on the table called for doing away with the funds’ fixed $ 1 value, and recording each transaction at its true price, which can fall anywhere from $ 0.995 to $ 1.005. Managers screamed that the tax implications would be a logistical nightmare and scare away customers. The steps taken in recent days by Goldman, Fidelity, and others are a half-measure: They will post “shadow” NAVs, while transactions still go through at $ 1. This builds on the 2010 regulations, which called for monthly NAV disclosures, at a 60-day delay.


While Goldman promoted “more frequent disclosure and greater transparency,” Vanguard stood pat. “We have not seen an increased demand for more frequent disclosure from our clients, who are primarily retail investors (a different client base than Goldman and other institutional players),” Linda Wolohan, a Vanguard spokeswoman, wrote in an e-mail. Fluctuations in Vanguard’s biggest money fund, the Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund, have been “de minimis,” Wolohan wrote. “Given the small degree of fluctuation and lack of demand from our clients, Vanguard currently has no plans to increase the frequency of money market fund NAV disclosure.”


What’s behind this? Peter Crane, the founder of Crane Data, which tracks the industry, says more disclosure can sometimes have the unintended effect of confusing ordinary, or “retail,” investors. Money market funds aimed at retail investors “normally are much more reluctant to disclose technical information,” says Crane. “It would be costly for [Vanguard] to answer all the ridiculous questions they would get” from overloaded customers. “They just don’t have the infrastructure and the capital to spend on frivolous things.”


The shift makes more sense for funds that cater to more sophisticated institutional clients, Crane says. That some firms with retail clients did join the pack came as an eye-opener. “It’s surprising that Fidelity would do it too,” Crane says. “Charles Schwab doing it was a shocker as well.”


Why would they get out in front of Vanguard? “That indicates that it’s an effort to forestall more dramatic regulation, and, I think, in order to appear reasonable and flexible in the regulatory battle,” Crane says. The Financial Stability Oversight Council, which is chaired by the secretary of the Treasury, took up the floating NAV cause after the SEC’s inaction last year.


One possibility is that retail investors will lose curiosity in precise NAVs after they see how small the variations are.


“I’ve been joking, if you like zeros and nines, you’re gonna love the market NAV,” Crane says.


Businessweek.com — Top News





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2012-2013 estate tax and gift tax amounts






Taxes » Income Taxes » Estate Tax And Gift Tax Amounts


If you’re fortunate enough to give away substantial amounts of money or property during your lifetime, your generosity may be subject to federal gift tax rules.






After death, your money and property, known as your estate, may also be subject to federal estate tax. However, you can give money away during your lifetime or leave certain amounts to your heirs that are exempt from taxation.


Under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, the federal estate tax was eliminated in 2010. The gift tax, however, remained in effect at a 35 percent rate.


On Jan. 1, 2011, the estate tax returned. According to the law enacted in December 2010, estates valued at $ 5 million or less at death in 2011 are exempt from the tax. Estates worth more than $ 5 million are taxed at a 35 percent rate.


Although there was no estate tax due in 2010, some heirs encountered larger-than-expected capital gains taxes upon sale of inherited assets. This was due to the requirement that the basis of such assets be carried over from the decedent to the heir.


With the return of the estate tax in 2011, the stepped-up basis on inherited property also returned. This means that an asset’s basis is its fair market value on the day of the original owner’s death.


For individuals who died in 2010, the estate had the option of following the 2010 estate tax rules, meaning no tax due on the estate, but the carry-over basis rule is in effect, or using the 2011 estate tax rules, which include a 35 percent tax on estates worth more than $ 5 million and stepped-up basis on bequeathed assets.


For deaths in 2012, the estate tax exemption increases to $ 5.12 million, thanks to inflation. And thanks to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 that was passed Jan. 1, 2013, the exemption will not revert to $ 1 million as originally expected, but stays at the $ 5 million level. However, the tax rate applied to amounts exceeding that exemption will increase from 35 percent in 2012 to 40 percent in 2013.


Annual gift tax exclusion


You can give the following monetary amounts to each person, and to as many individuals as you want, without triggering the gift tax. The amount is indexed each year for inflation.



Annual gift tax exclusion









Year madeExcluded from tax
2012$ 13,000
2013$ 14,000


In addition to the annual exclusion amounts, you also can give the following without triggering the gift tax:


  • Charitable gifts.

  • Gifts to a spouse.

  • Gifts to a political organization for its use.

  • Gifts of educational expenses. These are unlimited as long as you make a direct payment to the educational institution for tuition only. Books, supplies and living expenses do not qualify.

  • Gifts of medical expenses. These, too are unlimited as long as they are paid directly to the medical facility.

Unified credit


In estate planning, you also must consider the unified credit. It gets its name because the federal gift tax and estate tax are integrated into one unified tax system.


This is the credit for the portion of estate tax due on taxable estates. For example, if you exceed the annual gift tax exclusion amount in any year, you can either pay the tax on the excess or take advantage of the unified credit to avoid paying the tax. The unified credit enables you to give away $ 5 million during your lifetime without having to pay gift tax.


By using the unified credit during your life, you’ll reduce the amount available to offset the estate tax upon your death. If, however, you pay the gift tax, such taxed gifts are added back to your estate, and the estate tax is recalculated, with the gift taxes you previously paid credited against any final estate tax due.


More From Bankrate.com


Yahoo! Finance – Personal Finance





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