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)

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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.

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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 made	Excluded 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.

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Stock index futures signal lower open

PARIS (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.04 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.17 percent at 4.55 a.m. ET.

World shares stalled near 18-month highs and safe-haven Treasuries traded higher on Tuesday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned the economic recovery was at risk from the battle to raise the nation's borrowing limit.

Data showing the German economy contracted by a larger-than-expected 0.5 percent in the final quarter of 2012, as the euro zone crisis weighed on exports and corporate investment, also weighed on sentiment on Tuesday morning.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Monday urged U.S. lawmakers to lift the country's borrowing limit to avoid a potentially disastrous debt default, warning that the economy was still at risk from political gridlock over the deficit.

In a wide-ranging question and answer session, Bernanke painted a cautiously optimistic outlook for U.S. growth but gave no clear hints as to when the Fed would curb its aggressive bond purchases, despite speculation that it will halt them this year.

President Barack Obama on Monday rejected any negotiations with Republicans over raising the U.S. borrowing limit, accusing his opponents of trying to extract a ransom for not ruining the economy in the latest fiscal fight.

The United States expects to run out of tools to avoid a default between mid-February and early March, potentially causing lasting damage to the U.S. economy and its creditworthiness, the Treasury said on Monday.

U.S. banking regulators on Monday ordered JPMorgan Chase & Co to tighten its risk controls after the bank lost billions of dollars due to bad bets from a trader known as the "London Whale".

U.S. cable group Liberty Global raised its stake in Belgian group Telenet to 58 percent from 50.2 percent. Liberty is seeking to strengthen its grip on Telenet, which is benefiting from expansion across a range of telecom services. Liberty has been the controlling shareholder in the company since 2007.

RadioShack Corp said on Monday it ended a mobile phone partnership with Target Corp as the retailers could not agree on a new deal that would be profitable for both companies.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended lower on Monday as worries over demand for Apple products drove down its shares and investors braced for earnings disappointments.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 18.89 points, or 0.14 percent, at 13,507.32. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 1.37 points, or 0.09 percent, at 1,470.68. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was down 8.13 points, or 0.26 percent, at 3,117.50.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by Catherine Evans)

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Title games feature Ravens-Pats, 49ers-Falcons

One game is a rematch. The other might feel like one — at least to one of the teams.

For the second straight year in the AFC, the New England Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

In the NFC, it will be San Francisco traveling to Atlanta, with the Falcons defense trying to stop a versatile, running quarterback for the second straight week.

"Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick are mobile quarterbacks who throw the ball at extremely accurate levels," Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud said. "We can use this game as a cheat sheet to prepare for next week."

On Sunday, the Falcons barely got past Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, who overcame a 20-point deficit to take a one-point lead, but gave it up after Matt Ryan drove Atlanta into field goal range and Matt Bryant made a 49-yard kick with 8 seconds left.

Atlanta is the only team not making a repeat appearance in the NFL's final four. Last year, it was the Giants playing, and beating, the 49ers for the NFC title.

On Saturday, Kaepernick passed for 263 yards and rushed for 181 — a playoff record for a quarterback — to defeat Green Bay 45-31.

"We're one step closer to where we want to be," said Kaepernick. San Francisco hasn't been to the Super Bowl since 1995, when Steve Young led the 49ers to their fifth Lombardi Trophy.

Though the Niners must travel cross country for the game, they opened as 3-point favorites in a meeting of teams that played twice a year until 2003, when Atlanta was moved from the NFC West to the NFC South. Their only previous playoff meeting was a 20-18 win for the Falcons in the 1998 divisional playoffs. Atlanta won at Minnesota the next week to make its only Super Bowl.

San Francisco's 20-17 overtime loss last year to the Giants was part of a tense day of football that began with New England's 23-20 victory over the Ravens in the AFC title game.

In that game, Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal that would have tied the game with 11 seconds left.

This season, Justin Tucker beat out Cundiff for the kicker's job. Tucker hit a 47-yarder against Denver on Saturday to lift the Ravens to a 38-35 win in double overtime, extending Ray Lewis' career for at least one more week and putting the 17-year veteran one win away from his second Super Bowl.

"We fought hard to get back to this point and we're definitely proud of being here," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. "We feel like it's going to take a lot for somebody to come and kick us off that field come the AFC championship game."

Lewis and the Ravens will have to stop the NFL's most potent offense. The Patriots put up 457 yards in a 41-28 victory over Houston, which left them one win away from their sixth Super Bowl in the 2000s.

"I think the two best teams are in the final," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "Baltimore certainly deserve to be here and so do we."

The Patriots were made early 9½-point favorites against the Ravens.

These teams met in the regular season and that game was also decided by a kick — Tucker's 27-yard field goal that sneaked through the right upright for a 31-30 victory. Or did it?

While the Ravens were celebrating, Pats coach Bill Belichick ran to midfield and grabbed a replacement official's arm as he tried to exit the field. The NFL fined Belichick $50,000 for the gesture.

New England is the even-money favorite in Vegas to win the Super Bowl. San Francisco is next at 2-1, followed by Atlanta (5-1) and Baltimore (8-1).

Among the possible Super Bowl story lines:

—The Harbaugh Bowl. Jim Harbaugh coaches the 49ers and John Harbaugh coaches the Ravens.

—A rematch of San Francisco's 41-34 win at New England on Dec. 16 — one of the most entertaining games of the regular season.

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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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“Outraged” Amy Pascal: “Zero Dark Thirty” does not advocate torture

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Sony Chairman Amy Pascal refuted criticism of “Zero Dark Thirty” by a member of the Oscar voting academy on Friday, saying her studio’s movie “does not advocate torture.”

“‘Zero Dark Thirty’ does not advocate torture,” she said. “To not include that part of history would have been irresponsible and inaccurate. We fully support Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal and stand behind this extraordinary movie.”

David Clennon, an Emmy Award-winning actor, wrote an op-ed column for Truthout this week, explaining that he would not be voting for “Zero Dark Thirty” in any categories because it portrays torture as being an effective tool in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.

“Torture is an appalling crime under any circumstances,” Clennon wrote.” “‘Zero’ never acknowledges that torture is immoral and criminal. It does portray torture as getting results.”

At a media event on Friday in downtown Los Angeles at the federal building, protesting the Guantanamo Bay detention center, Clennon repeated the criticism, noting:

“I’m a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Motion Picture Academy clearly warns its members not to disclose their votes for Academy Awards. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that the film ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ promotes the acceptance of the crime of torture, as a legitimate weapon in America’s so-called War on Terror. In that belief, following my conscience, I will not vote for ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ in any category… I cannot vote for a film that makes heroes of Americans who commit the crime of torture.”

“Zero Dark Thirty” has come under fire by some for its depiction of torture in the quest to kill Bin Laden. Last month, three senators – John McCain, Dianne Feinstein and Carl Levin — wrote a letter to Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO Michael Lynton, a prominent supporter of President Barack Obama, claiming that the film suggests that torture led investigators the terrorist leader.

The movie, which has already picked up several awards, on Thursday received five Oscar nominations, including a nod for Best Picture, but Bigelow was snubbed in the Best Director category.

Pascal issued a statement Friday that read in full:

“Zero Dark Thirty does not advocate torture. To not include that part of history would have been irresponsible and inaccurate. We fully support Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal and stand behind this extraordinary movie.

“We are outraged that any responsible member of the Academy would use their voting status in AMPAS as a platform to advance their own political agenda. This film should be judged free of partisanship. To punish an Artist’s right of expression is abhorrent. This community, more than any other, should know how reprehensible that is. While we fully respect everyone’s right to express their opinion, this activity is really an affront to the Academy and artistic creative freedom.

While we fully respect everyone’s right to express their opinion, this activity is really an affront to the Academy and artistic creative freedom. This attempt to censure one of the great films of our time should be opposed. As Kathryn Bigelow so appropriately said earlier this week, ‘depiction is not endorsement, and if it was, no artist could ever portray inhumane practices; no author could ever write about them; and no filmmaker could ever delve into the knotty subjects of our time.’”

Movies News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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