American economy not healthy yet, but it's healing (AP)
AP - The American economy may not be truly healthy yet, but it's healing.
Top Stories
Subpoenas issued to financial firms in expanded probe (Reuters)
Reuters - The Justice Department issued civil subpoenas to 11 financial institutions as part of a new effort to investigate misconduct in the packaging and sale of home loans to investors, Attorney General Eric Holder said on Friday.
Actress' claim to be gay by choice riles activists (AP)
AP - Cynthia Nixon learned the hard way this week that when it comes to gay civil rights, the personal is always political. Very political.
Ship carrying rocket parts hits Ky. bridge (AP)
AP - The voyage of a cargo boat that carries space rocket components to Florida's coast for NASA and the Air Force has stalled in a western Kentucky river after it slammed into an aging traffic bridge.
GOP insiders rise up to cut Gingrich down to size (AP)
AP - Republican insiders are rising up to cut Newt Gingrich down to size, testament to the GOP establishment's fear that the mercurial candidate could lead the party to disaster this fall.
In Facebook IPO, bankers seek prestige over fees (Reuters)
Reuters - Facebook's initial public offering is likely to set a new standard for how low investment banks are willing to go on advisory fees to win big business.
Romney puts Gingrich on defensive in Florida debate (Reuters)
Reuters - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney took the fight to chief rival Newt Gingrich on Thursday in his most aggressive debate performance yet, five days ahead of Florida's primary vote.
Syria violence kills 37, U.N. Security Council to meet (Reuters)
Reuters - Security forces killed 37 people in Syria on Friday, activists and residents said, as people in Homs mourned 14 members of a family they said were slain by militiamen in one of the worst sectarian attacks in a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.
'Barefoot Bandit' sentenced to 6 1/2 years (AP)
AP - A federal judge on Friday sentenced "Barefoot Bandit" Colton Harris-Moore to 6 1/2 years in prison for his infamous two-year, international crime spree of break-ins, and boat and plane thefts that ended in 2010.
Obama 'putting colleges on notice' on high tuition (AP)
AP - President Barack Obama fired a warning at the nation's colleges and universities on Friday, threatening to strip their federal aid if they "jack up tuition" every year and to give the money instead to schools showing restraint and value.
Growth quickens, but speed bumps ahead (Reuters)
Reuters - The economy grew at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, but a rebuilding of stocks by businesses and slower business spending warned of weaker growth in early 2012.
How Pentagon budget cuts will reshape the Army (The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - Military officials moved quickly Friday to counter the perception that the Army was the big loser in the new Pentagon budget unveiled Thursday.
Twitter's new censorship plan rouses global furor (AP)
AP - Twitter, a tool of choice for dissidents and activists around the world, found itself the target of global outrage Friday after unveiling plans to allow country-specific censorship of tweets that might break local laws.
Tubby tabby gets revolutionary new knee joint (AP)
AP - Because Cyrano weighs more than 20 pounds, amputating his cancer-weakened leg was out of the question. So the tubby tabby's owners turned to doctors and engineers at North Carolina State University to get him back into mice-catching trim.
Children among 74 dead in 2 days of Syrian turmoil (AP)
AP - Two days of bloody turmoil in Syria killed at least 74 people, including small children, as forces loyal to President Bashar Assad shelled residential buildings and fired on crowds in a dramatic escalation of violence, activists said Friday.
Apple not turning "blind eye" to supply chain problems: CEO (Reuters)
Reuters - Apple Inc has never turned "a blind eye" to the problems in its supply chain and any suggestion it does not care about the plight of workers is "patently false," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an email to employees.Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings (Reuters)
Reuters - Fitch downgraded the sovereign credit ratings of Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain on Friday, indicating there was a 1-in-2 chance of further cuts in the next two years.Exclusive: Greek PM Papademos expects debt swap deal in days (Reuters)
Reuters - Greece expects to conclude difficult debt talks with private creditors within days and negotiations with the EU and the IMF on a new bailout deal by the middle of next week, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos told Reuters on Friday.US Embassy: US citizen kidnapped in Nigeria freed (AP)
AP - A U.S. citizen kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta has been freed after a week in captivity, the U.S. Embassy said Friday.Obama outlines plan to cut college costs. Could it backfire on students? (+video) (The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - President Obama Friday made a set of bold proposals to tie federal aid to efforts by states and colleges to keep tuition under control and provide a good value to students.Technology
Jobs told Google to stop poaching workers: filing (Reuters)
Reuters - Apple's Steve Jobs directly asked former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt in 2007 to stop trying to recruit an Apple engineer, according to a court filing.Apple CEO responds to allegations of Chinese worker abuse (Yahoo! News)
Yahoo! News - Is Apple finally getting tough on their abusive Chinese suppliers? Maybe. Intent on stemming the increasing complaints from the public and investors alike, Apple CEO Tim Cook fired off an email yesterday to combat claims from "people questioning Apple's values," detailing what …In Facebook IPO, bankers seek prestige over fees (Reuters)
Reuters - Facebook's initial public offering is likely to set a new standard for how low investment banks are willing to go on advisory fees to win big business.Just Show Me: Great free to-do apps for your iPhone (Yahoo! News)
Yahoo! News - Welcome to Just Show Me on Tecca TV, where we show you tips and tricks for getting the most out of the gadgets in your life. In today's episode we'll show you two amazing to-do apps for your iPhone. In addition to the Reminders …America Movil to get control of Brazil's Net (Reuters)
Reuters - Cell phone company America Movil, owned by Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, said on Friday it had approval from Brazil's telecom watchdog Anatel to take control of cable television company Net Servicos de Comunicacao.Twitter's new censorship plan rouses global furor (AP)
AP - Twitter, a tool of choice for dissidents and activists around the world, found itself the target of global outrage Friday after unveiling plans to allow country-specific censorship of tweets that might break local laws.
Ubuntu moves beyond the desktop with new TV interface, menu-killing navigation system (Digital Trends)
Digital Trends - Late last year, Ubuntu announced it would bring the open source operating system to mobile devices. Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth said Ubuntu will soon be found on “tablets, phones, TVs and smart screens from the car to the office kitchen, and it will connect those devices cleanly and seamlessly to the desktop, the server and the cloud.”Detroit Symphony offering series of free webcasts (AP)
AP - The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has launched a webcast player that will allow music lovers to enjoy an upcoming performance of Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4 and other concerts online for free in the comfort of their homes.Google Music Manager: A frustrating way to download your music library (Digital Trends)
Digital Trends - Google Music users, you can breathe a slight sigh of relief, but don’t get too excited. Google has finally enabled a way for you to retrieve the music you upload to its new music storage locker service. The announcement was made on the official Google+ page for Android and verified by a new help article on the Android Market Web site.DoCoMo to ask for changes in Android -Nikkei (Reuters)
Reuters - NTT DoCoMo Inc (9437.T) will ask Google Inc to modify its Android operating system so that smartphones using it would put less pressure on networks, a move that could spark wider protests against the leading mobile software platform, the Nikkei reported.Report: Facebook IPO filing could come next week (AP)
AP - Facebook could file regulatory papers as early as Wednesday for its highly anticipated initial public offering of stock, according to a newspaper report.Apple CEO Tim Cook responds to criticism about iOS device factory working conditions (Appolicious)
Appolicious - Apple CEO Tim Cook responds to criticism about iOS device factory working conditions
Ex-Palm chief leaves HP after WebOS move (Reuters)
Reuters - Jon Rubinstein, who was instrumental in crafting Apple Inc's iPod music player, has left Hewlett Packard Co after two years on the job there.
US cybersecurity efforts trigger privacy concerns (AP)
AP - The federal government's plan to expand computer security protections into critical parts of private industry is raising concerns that the move will threaten Americans' civil liberties.
Samsung 4Q profit rises 17 pct on smartphone sales (AP)
AP - Samsung Electronics Co. reported a 17 percent jump in fourth quarter profit on the strength of smartphone sales even as the company battled claims it had copied Apple's iPhone.
Flashpoint Demo Day a Glimpse of How Entrepreneurs' Dreams Come True (Mashable)
Mashable - A gathering of entrepreneurs in the Bay Area on Thursday offered a window into how ambitious techies' visions become reality. It started with a presentation from a go-getter named Adam Ghetti. Dressed casually in a dark tee-shirt, Ghetti stepped to the front a conference room at the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz on Thursday afternoon. He launched into an intense, rapid-fire pitch and test drive of his cloud security startup Social Fortress.McAfee rejects Symantec claim about market share (Reuters)
Reuters - Security software maker McAfee rejected a claim that several large corporate customers had recently switched over to using products from rival Symantec Corp.European Lawmakers Want "Right to Be Forgotten" on Facebook, Google (Mashable)
Mashable - European Internet users may be getting better control over information posted online, thanks to some proposed sweeping reforms lawmakers proposed Wednesday designed to protect digital privacy. The suggested law calls for a "right to be forgotten" and a "right to data portability." The former would require Internet companies such as Facebook and Google to completely wipe all of a user's info from their servers if such a request was made. The latter demands users be allowed to easily transfer data from one online service to another, a currently difficult task.Sports
Browns hire Brad Childress as OC (AP)
AP - Pat Shurmur brought in a close friend to help him fix Cleveland's broken offense.AP source: Tiebreaker game would decide divisions (AP)
AP - A person familiar with the talks says baseball players and owners have reached an understanding that ties for division titles will be broken on the field under the new playoff format.Justin Wilson back in a car after back injury (AP)
AP - Justin Wilson is back in a race car for the first time since breaking his back in an IndyCar accident in August.
Djokovic wins marathon match to set up Nadal final (AP)
AP - If anyone knows how Novak Djokovic feels after sweating and scrapping for almost five hours in the Australian Open semifinals, it's his next opponent — Rafael Nadal.
Manning, Irsay insist they are on same page (AP)
AP - Peyton Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay insist they are just fine after a week filled with complaints and comments suggesting a rift had developed following one of the most miserable seasons in team history.
Buccaneers introduce Rutgers' Schiano as new coach (AP)
AP - Greg Schiano relishes the challenge of trying to turn around the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Woods, McIlroy in contention in Abu Dhabi (AP)
AP - Maybe those swing changes are paying off for Tiger Woods.
A.J. Foyt hospitalized for infection (AP)
AP - A.J. Foyt has been hospitalized in Houston for complications from knee surgery and will skip the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Danny Boyle offers glimpse of Olympic opener (AP)
AP - There's a nod to Shakespeare, a big bell and ... nurses?
Raptors' top scorer Bargnani out indefinitely with injury (Reuters)
Reuters - The Toronto Raptors will be without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani indefinitely after the Italian centre reinjured his strained left calf, the National Basketball Association team said on Friday.
Mahan plans big trip in middle of West Coast swing (AP)
AP - Hunter Mahan is playing five straight tournaments to start the season, a West Coast swing that includes a 17,000-mile detour to the Middle East.
Paterno's son: 'Dad, you won. You can go home now' (AP)
AP - Jay Paterno leaned over his dying father, gave him a kiss, and whispered in his ear.
Fielder: Joining Tigers 'kind of a dream' (AP)
AP - Prince Fielder was born in 1984, the last time Detroit won the World Series.
Canadiens' 7-2 win ends Red Wings' win streak at 7 (AP)
AP - David Desharnais had two goals and an assist, and the Montreal Canadiens ended Detroit's seven-game winning streak with a 7-2 victory over the Red Wings on Wednesday night in the NHL's final game before the league's All-Star break.
Jennings takes unanimous decision over Byarm (AP)
AP - Bryant Jennings used a fine mix of looping head shots and effective counters to win a 10-round unanimous decision against Maurice Byarm in a heavyweight bout on Saturday night.
MMA's 'Iron Mike' gets prison in Vegas sex case (AP)
AP - A mixed martial arts fighter once featured on Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter" is going to prison for one to four years for the attempted sexual assault of a woman at his home in April 2010.