Hard Money Loans

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – A Los Angeles man reportedly tried to run his girlfriend over with his car when she turned down his marriage proposal.

According to local media reports, 22-year-old Mario Francisco Hernandez painted the words “Will you marry me?” on his car as a novel way to pop the question to his girlfriend. When she said no, he chased her in the car through a Burger King restaurant parking lot.

Hernandez popped two tires on his 1987 Toyota Supra when he jumped to curb to catch the unidentified woman.

Hernandez and the woman have two young children together.

He was arrested and is facing a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Commodities prices for precious metals, oil and agricultural raw materials took the hardest fall in 18 months on news that China might take steps to avert inflation. Prices of commodities futures fell by up to 3.8 percent on news that China’s central bank might increase interest rates. The step is to prevent further inflation there after consumer prices rose by 4.4 percent in October.

Precious metals had been at near record highs before plunging. Gold dropped 2.7 percent to $1,365.50 an ounce on Friday while silver plunged 5.3 percent to $25.94 an ounce and copper fell 2.8 percent to $3.91 an ounce.

Refined sugar in London dove down by a record 12 percent while corn and soybeans on the Chicago market plunged by the exchange limit.

Oil prices also took a dip. Prices for crude oil for December delivery fell 3.4 percent to $84.81 a barrel at midday on the New York Mercantile Exchange while futures in New York dropped by as much as $3.29 on Friday.

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Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – Rep. John Boehner said Wednesday he plans to use the new political power he would gain as Speaker of the House to continue tax cuts for middle-income and wealthy Americans.

Boehner spoke at a press conference in the U.S. Capitol to update the news media on how the House of Representatives is transitioning to a Republican majority.

“Extending all of the current tax rates and making them permanent will reduce the uncertainty” about the economy, Boehner said.

Tax cuts instituted by the Bush Administration are set to expire at the end of this year.

President Barack Obama said he agrees the tax cuts should be extended for middle-income Americans but is reluctant to extend them for the wealthy.

A permanent extension of the tax cuts is “the most important thing we can do,” said Boehner, an Ohio Republican.

He is set to become the new Speaker of the House after the midterm elections gave Republicans the House majority they need to replace Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Boehner plans to meet with Obama next week to discuss the tax cuts and other transition issues.

The cuts lowered taxes for individuals earning less than $200,000 a year and families earning less than $250,000. The two categories include 98 percent of Americans.

Obama said recently in a “60 Minutes” television interview the U.S. Treasury would lose $700 billion over the next decade if tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year remain in effect.

Boehner took a jab at Pelosi during his press conference in the Capitol when he said he would continue to commute between Washington, D.C., and his home district in Ohio by commercial aircraft.

Pelosi uses military aircraft to fly home to California.

Meanwhile, Boehner’s Republican colleagues are pressuring him to abandon the traditional seniority system in assigning leaders to House committees.

Committee leaders are appointed by the Speaker of the House. Traditionally, the most senior members of committees are given the chairmanships.

Republican congressmen Jerry Lewis of California and Hal Rogers of Kentucky said recently that Arizona Republican Jeff Flake should be given a prominent role on the House Appropriations Committee.

Lewis and Rogers both have seniority over Flake on the Appropriations Committee.

However, Flake is known as a conservative budget-cutter and tax break advocate.

The Appropriations Committee designates how tax revenue is allocated among House committees.

The American Conservative Union is circulating a petition on Capitol Hill that urges Boehner to search for new talent in committee leadership rather than relying on seniority.

Appointing committee chairmen based on seniority “would be a signal to the millions of independents and members of the Tea Party movement who took a chance on Republicans in the election, that you have ignored their message of change, and that instead it will be business as usual in Washington,” the petition says.

Any decisions on how Boehner will choose Republican Party leaders in Congress is likely to come out of the transition team meetings that continued Wednesday.

The 22-member transition team is meeting to set rules they will follow during the move into a new Republican majority in Congress.

“Our goal is to look at how we can make the U.S. House of Representatives more open, more transparent, more accessible to the American people … in terms of how to improve legislative policy, how we can get to job number one, which is creating jobs, and how we can get at reducing deficit spending,” Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the transition team, said during a press conference.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – Crystal Bowersox, first runner-up to winner Lee DeWyze on this year’s “American Idol,” won’t leave fans waiting for the release of her own debut album. She’ll release “Farmer’s Daughter” in December.

From the looks of the album, Bowersox is staying completely true to herself on her first release. On the vintage-looking cover art, the 25-year-old is pictured sitting barefoot next to a dog on an old porch.

The Ohio-native is sure to give fans more of what they fell in love with on “Idol” on “Farmer’s Daughter,” recorded after finishing her stint on the “American Idols Live!” tour. Among the tracks featured are her self-written “Holy Toledo,” which was featured on “Idol,” and a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s 1967 hit “For What It’s Worth.”

The album also features eight tracks written solely by Bowersox, as well as a song co-written by Bowersox and her husband Brian Walker titled “Mason.” She also co-wrote the track “Lonely” with David Ryan Harris, who frequently tours with John Mayer.

Crystal will also perform a song written by former “Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger titled “Hold On,” which is slated to be the albums’ first single. The album is produced by David Bendeth, who’s worked with Kaiser Chiefs, Mayday Parade, and Paramore.

Crystal Bowersox’s “Farmer’s Daughter” hits stores on December 14th.

Crystal Bowersox – “Farmer’s Daughter”

Track Listing

1. Ridin With The Radio

2. For What It’s Worth

3. Farmer’s Daughter

4. Holy Toledo

5. Lonely

6. Hold On

7. On The Run

8. Kiss Ya

9. Speak Now

10. Mine All Mine

11. Mason

12. Arlene

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Long Beach, CA, United States (AHN) – An engine room fire on the Carnival cruise ship Splendor has left the vessel drifting powerless 150 miles south of San Diego, Calif.

Tugboats are on their way to take the vessel to Ensenada, Mexico “in an effort to get the guests home as quickly as possible,” according to a Carnival statement.

The fire, which was first detected at 6 a.m. Pacific time on Monday, is out and there are no reports of any injuries, but the ship is without air conditioning, hot food services, flushing toilets and telephones.

The Splendor was on the first leg of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise that left Long Beach, Calif. on Nov. 7. The normal itinerary includes stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. The ship carries 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crewmembers.

Along with the tugboats, the U.S. Coast Guard has sent aircraft and cutters to the ship’s location, according to Carnival.

The ship’s crew is providing passengers with bottled water and cold food. Passengers were initially asked to leave their cabins and gather on the open upper decks of the ship, but Carnival says passengers now have access to their rooms and can move about the ship.

Carnival will give guests a full refund and reimbursement for transportation costs. The cruise line is also offering guests of the adrift ship a complimentary future cruise.

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Vernon, VT, United States (AHN) – The Garden State’s only nuclear power plant was forced to shut down Sunday night because of a radioactive leak.

A 24-inch pipe in Vermont Yankee’s feedwater system is leaking radioactive water at about 60 drops per minute. A spokesman for the reactor, which is owned by Entergy Corp., is quoted in local reports as saying the leak is within a building and does not pose a public health risk.

None of the approximately 650 men and women who work at the plant have been exposed to the radioactive water.

Entergy announced last week said it is considering selling the 605-megawatt plant, which is scheduled to close in 2012. The company had sought a 20-year renewal of the reactor’s license but state lawmakers early this year voted against keeping the aging plant operational.

The state legislature made its decision as the state officials were investigating groundwater contaminated with tritium, a mildly radioactive type of hydrogen. The leak, which was was plugged after three months, had followed allegations that Entergy employees had given state officials misleading information about underground piping.

The state health department continues to monitor tritium levels in groundwater around the reactor. It said last month that tritium concentrations in groundwaer wells were “generally decreasing” but that levels in wells near the Connecticut River “continue their trend of slowly increasing”

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Press Release –

New York, NY, United States (AHN PR) – MTV Networks International has revealed the contents of the 2010 MTV EMA Goodie Bag, the ultimate in trend-setting luxury and indulgence.

MTV EMA 2010 is sponsored by the new Suzuki Swift, Calvin Klein Jeans and Dell.

Each of the performers and presenters at the 2010 MTV EMAs including host Eva Longoria will receive a fabulous MTV EMA goodie bag, with contents provided by the world’s top designers and brands.

Among the sumptuous contents of this year’s EMA Goodie Bag are the very latest must-have items for the stylish star-about-town including:

• Dell Streak – the much-talked-about tablet hits the sweet spot between traditional smartphones and larger screen tablets with its built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G connectivity, high resolution 5MP camera and VGA front facing camera
• An ultra-chic belt and buckle courtesy of pan-European sponsor Suzuki
• Ultra skinny Calvin Klein Jeans X
• Rimowa suitcases
• M.A.C make-up boxes
• Hilfiger Loud fragrances
• Fashionable Colour Codes and New Gent Swatch watches
• The very latest FLIP Ultra III and Mino III HD cameras
• Rockband 3 for Xbox
• Paolita swimwear
• Dora the Explorer in World School Day Adventure written by Shakira
• MTV Pop And Rock World Records 2011
• SpongeBob SquarePants full-size skateboard
• Limited edition signed artwork by Max Wiedemann
• Sonos S5 Wireless Multi Room music system
• Footwear by Reebok
• Cashmere & silk scarves by Charlotte Sparre
• Vanity X Cell Booster Serum
• Diamond bracelet by Shamballa Jewels
• Mobile phone purses by Deamond
• StriVectin eye serum
• Ole Henriksen skincare products
• Glass Votives by Kosta Boda
• Von Rita hat
• Limited Edition Gemini III Microphone & sE2200a Microphone from SE Electronics
• Trashy Bags bags (range of sports bags, ladies handbags, record bags)
• Thalita Jones Jewellery: handmade necklaces made from Swarovski Crystal and gem stones
• Codello black and grey scarves
• Stella McCartney body lotion and bag
• Watches by Kyboe
• Onora silver jewellery by Mojca Sapla
• Morrocanoil hair products
• Drop Watches by Ritmo Mundo.

Performers and artists at the 2010 MTV EMAs will also be able to luxuriate in the backstage spa provided courtesy of Kiara Kare.

Hosted by Eva Longoria, the MTV EMAs will broadcast live from Madrid on MTV platforms across the globe from Sunday, November 7th, 2010, 21:00 CET, and will feature performances by Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Kid Rock, Kings of Leon, Linkin Park, B.o.B & Hayley Williams, Plan B, Miley Cyrus, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Bon Jovi, Shakira and Rihanna.

MTV EMA 2010 will also stream live on www.mtvema.com and Facebook from 21:00 CET on Sunday 7 November 2010.

About the MTV EMAs

The EMAs, MTV Networks International’s global awards ceremony, celebrate the best in music, youth culture and entertainment. The annual event, now in its 17th year, broadcasts on MTV entertainment platforms around the world reaching more than 600 million households. The show is hosted in a different city each year, taking the culture and ethos of each destination to a world-wide audience. Renowned for attracting global A-list talent from across the music and entertainment spectrum, the MTV EMAs draws nominees, performers and presenters from every corner of the world, delivering groundbreaking and unforgettable performances – from the first ever holographic performance with Gorillaz in Lisbon in 2005, to Beyoncé’s infamous ‘Ring of Fire’ performance in Edinburgh in 2002 and Tokio Hotel’s ‘Wet Monsoon’ set in Munich in 2007.

EMA Voting Notes:

Winner of Best European Act, Best Push Act and Best World Stage Performance will be announced online at www.mtvema.com during the 2010 MTV EMAs on Sunday 7th November 2010

Show Credits:

The 2010 MTV EMAs is executive produced by Richard Godfrey and Jane Fraser. Co-executive producer is Bruce Gillmer with Debbie Philips as producer, Raffaele Sangiovanni as executive in charge of production, line producer Sil Mcllveen and director Paul Shyvers. The 2010 MTV EMAs is an MTV Italia S.r.l – 360°Playmaker Production for MTV NETWOKS EUROPE” © MTV NETWORKS EUROPE 2010 – All rights reserved.

About MTV Networks International:

MTV Networks International (MTVNI) includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, MTVNHD, Tr3s: MTV, Musicá y Mas, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Comedy Central and Game One. MTV Networks’ brands are seen globally in 645 million households in 161 territories and 34 languages via 165 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 500 digital media properties. The company’s diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, licensing & merchandising and feature films. MTV Networks International is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

About Suzuki:

The Suzuki Motor Corporation with headquarters in Hamamatsu (Japan) is the leading international manufacturer of small automobiles and the 10th largest car manufacturer of the world. Founded in 1909, Suzuki today employs about 51,500 people around the world and has business activities in 196 countries and regions and production bases in 23 different countries and regions. In the fiscal year 2009/10 Suzuki posted 2.47 trillion Yen (18.8 billion Euro*) net sales and 79.4 billion Yen (605.03 million Euro*) operating income. Its global sales reached 2.35 million automobiles and 3.02 million motorcycles and ATV. With its three lines of business – automobiles, motorcycles and outboard motors – Suzuki embodies a unique “Way of Life!” that stands for the brand values “excitement”, “straightforward”, “value”, “sporty” and “spirit”. (* Exchange rate: 131.18 Yen/Euro)

About Calvin Klein, Inc:

Calvin Klein, Inc. is one of the leading fashion design and marketing studios in the world. It designs and markets women’s and men’s designer collection apparel and a range of other products that are manufactured and marketed through an extensive network of licensing agreements and other arrangements worldwide. Brands/lifestyles include Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, and Calvin Klein Underwear. Product lines under the various Calvin Klein brands include apparel, accessories, shoes, sleepwear, hosiery, socks, swimwear, belts, eyewear, watches, jewelry, coats, suits, fragrances, and cosmetics, as well as products for the home. For more information, visit www.calvinklein.com.

About Dell:

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers worldwide innovative technology, business solutions and services they trust and value. For more information, visit www.dell.com.

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Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The decision by the United States Federal Reserve to pump $600 billion into the nation’s economy by buying U.S. Treasury Bonds has sparked international criticism led by Germany and China.

China and Germany represent the world’s second- and fourth-largest economies respectively. In addition, they were joined by Brazil and South Africa in criticizing the “quantitative easing.” Quantitative easing is the economic term for buying assets to attempt to boost the economy and lower unemployment.

However, Germany, China, Brazil and South Africa allege that the scheme will not help the U.S. economy and will instead create more problems in the rest of the world. Quantitative easing is expected to lower the value of the dollar, which will make U.S. exports cheaper in world markets.

That means that U.S. exports would be more competitive against German and Chinese exports.

Indeed, the dollar did plunge in value against several of the world’s currencies on Thursday.

Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble on Friday said the U.S. Federal Reserve’s move would undermine efforts to create a level playing field in the currency markets.

China Central Bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan said the U.S. should focus on reforming the international currency system. He argued that if the U.S. central banking policy is good for the U.S., but not good for the rest of the world that it might have a negative impact on the rest of the world.

The U.S. has criticized China for artificially keeping its currency devalued for many years to make its exports cheaper. But China made that move when its country had full employment and a budget surplus. The U.S. central bank is not buying U.S. Treasury bonds to deflate the value of the dollar abroad but rather to try to pour money into the American economy – which currently has a budget deficit – and to stimulate the weak economy to encourage American businesses to hire unemployed American workers at a time of continued high unemployment.

Germany also criticized the move because they said it would add to America’s deficit.

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Lansing, MI, United States (AHN) – Four Loko the popular alcohol infused energy drink popular on college campuses has been banned in Michigan. Stores now have 30 days to remove it from shelves, but store owners aren’t worried they know a new drink will take its place or consumers will make their own mixes.

On Thursday Michigan’s Liquor Control Commission on a 201 voted to ban alcoholic energy drinks like Four Loko. The ban came a day after Chicago’s City Council proposed their own ban on energy drinks that contain alcohol and follows an already enacted ban in Utah.

Health experts have signaled out Four Loko in their campaign to have the product banned and just recently students in Washington and New Jersey were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko.

“The popularity of these drinks are increasing among college students and underage youth,” Commission spokeswoman Andrea Miller said. “They felt it necessary that this product should be banned in Michigan until further research.”

Phusion Projects the company which makes Four Loko said the popular product contains 12 percent alcohol and a 23.5-ounce has as much caffeine as a tall Starbucks coffee.

However critics of the drink say the caffeine masks the effects of the alcohol. Thereby, leaving young consumers unaware of their intoxication level and prompting them to drink more.

Phusion contends consumers have been mixing alcohol and caffeine for years in such drinks as Red Bull and vodka and rum and cola for years.

Michael Mansour, owner of Spartan Spirits near the Michigan State University campus told The State News, “If they can’t get it prepackaged in one unit, then they’ll buy it separately and mix it themselves. They’re going to do it, whether they package it that way or not.”

He went on to say, “In this market, we are always changing and staying on top of what our students’ appeal is. We are constantly staying up on what’s the latest, greatest newest product, so something will come out.”

Phusion plans on challenging the action and released a statement Thursday saying that Michigan’s liquor commission did not provide advance notice of its proposed action and “did not give parties who will be affected by the ban any opportunity to be heard on whether the ban is warranted or authorized by law.”

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – Federal extended unemployment benefits for 2 million long-term jobless Americans will run out Nov. 30 unless Congress acts within the next few weeks.

State unemployment benefits run out after 26 weeks, but the unemployed can qualify for up to an additional 73 weeks of jobless benefits from the federal government in times of high unemployment, such as now. The unemployment rate is at 9.6 percent and has been at just under 10 percent all year.

Almost 15 million people are unemployed and about 9.5 million have collected federal jobless benefits in 2010 that average around $290 per week.

Only about 65 percent of working age Americans are participating in the labor force with either a part- or full-time job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure is normally 89 percent or higher.

In addition, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities credits unemployment benefits with keeping about 3.3 million jobless Americans out of poverty last year.

Republicans have blocked extensions of federal jobless benefits several times this year, claiming it would be bad for the economy because it would add to the nation’s deficit.

Lawmakers return to Congress on Nov. 15 to work a week before taking a break for Thanksgiving. If jobless benefits are extended, it must be done then or benefits will expire on Nov. 30, leaving unemployed workers without a check.

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