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LATEST HEADLINES

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BNY Mellon Documents Show Panic
An informant in a fraud case against Bank of New York Mellon has provided prosecutors a rare peek into how the bank allegedly scrambled to contain the fallout from a fast-growing government probe.
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Russia's Dubious Vote
Results from Russia's parliamentary vote earlier this month are studded with red flags that suggest broad electoral fraud, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.
- Putin Sticks to Hard Line

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Jobless Tap Disability Fund
The prolonged economic slump has fueled a surge in applications for Social Security disability benefits, with many desperate Americans seeking refuge in the program as a last resort after their unemployment insurance and savings run out.
- Topics: Dysfunction in Disability

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Case Backlog Leaves the Terminally Ill Waiting
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Housing Imperils Job Gains

What’s News —

Business & Finance

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Woes Weigh on Sears
Edward Lampert's plan to build a reinvigorated retail giant from the crumbling ruins of Sears and Kmart is turning into a mess. Sears Holdings said it will close as many as 120 stores and record up to $2.4 billion in quarterly charges after another bad holiday showing.
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Gold Left Some Investors in Dust
Gold is up more than 11% this year but shares of gold miners have fallen almost 16%, and that has hurt some of the biggest names on Wall Street.
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Christmas Came Early For Some Lawyers
A $300 million fee for plaintiffs' lawyers has bankers and lawyers buzzing about whether the Delaware Court of Chancery has become too generous to plaintiffs' counsel—or is rightly rewarding them for their efforts.
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GE Expands Into Online Banking
GE Capital plans to buy MetLife's U.S. retail deposit business in a deal that will bring it $7.5 billion in deposits and MetLife's online banking platform.
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U.S. Criticizes Japan, China on Currencies
The Obama administration again declined to label China a currency manipulator, while it criticized Japan's efforts to limit the yen's appreciation.
Asian Shares Mostly Lower
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KKR's Picks Resign From Kodak Board
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Times Co. Agrees to Sale of Local Papers
Judge Says Widow Harassed
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Viacom Contests Payment Regarding 'Rock Band'
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New Forms of Biofuel Fall Short
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Study Challenges FDA on Plavix

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Romney Confident as Iowa Nears
Mitt Romney isn't about to predict victory in Iowa, the state that tripped him up four years ago. But he and his usually staid campaign are taking on a swagger not seen all year.
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More Roads Lead to Third-Party Bid
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Democrats Lag in Voter Registration
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Nelson's Retirement Gives GOP a Lift

World

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Clashes in Syria as Monitors Visit
Arab League observers arrived in the restive city of Homs as a massive protest against the government erupted and deadly clashes with security forces left more than a dozen people killed.
- Map: Middle East Turmoil
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North Korea Prepares to Pay Tribute
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U.S. Pushes for Yemen Deal
India Moves to Toughen Graft Fight

U.S.

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Obama to Tap Fed Board Nominees
President Obama said he plans to nominate a Harvard University finance professor and a private-equity executive to fill the two vacancies on the seven-member Federal Reserve Board.
- News Hub: Fed Nominees
Drought Leads to Donkey Deluge
Airlines Count Down to Safest Year
States Struggle With School Overhauls

Editors' Picks

Keeping Boomers Fit for Work
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Electric School Bus? Not So Far Fetched
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Afghan Travelers Tune In to Taliban Ringtones

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Health

How's Your Health? Ask Your Teeth
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Health
How's Your Health? Ask Your Teeth
In Video Center»
Arts & Entertainment
Top WSJ Cafe Performances of 2011
In Video Center»
Lifestyle
Outsourcing New Year's Resolutions
In Video Center»

Arts & Entertainment

Japan Goes Gaga Over 92-Member Girl Group
Pop quiz: What act sold a million copies of its last three singles the first day of release? It was Japan's AKB48, a group of 92 mostly teenage girls, armed with sugar-sweet pop tunes and sometimes-suggestive lyrics.
- Japan Real Time: The Man Who Made AKB48
Quiz the Director Live Online

Property Report

Commercial Owners to Face Higher Rates
Interest rates are at the lowest levels in decades, but commercial property owners looking to refinance shouldn't expect to lock in those rates any longer.
Big Start, Shaky Finish for Commercial Real Estate
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Air-Base Deal Takes Off

Sports

A Primer for 2012: Tiger, Danica and Olympic Glory
Here are nine likely, and in most cases, guaranteed match-ups that any sports fan should keep their eye on in the coming year.

Business

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Samsung, Sharp Fined for Price Fixing
New York's attorney general said several electronics companies in Asia, including Sharp and Samsung, agreed to an over $550 million settlement involving allegations of price-fixing LCD screens.
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Judge Dismisses BP Probation-Violation Charges
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Japan Industrial Output Falls

Tech

Beijing Launches GPS Rival
China has begun operating a homegrown alternative to the U.S. Global Positioning System which, experts say, could help its military track U.S. ships.
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The Most Interesting M&A; Moves of the Year
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Merchant Says Amazon Sabotaged Its Business

Markets

Stock Rally Hits the Wall
The Dow industrials fell 2.65 points, snapping a four-session winning streak for stocks as investors weighed improved consumer confidence against oil's return above $100 a barrel.
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Buyers Peevish as Asia IPOs Pile Up
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Labor Market's Ignition Is Key to Liftoff

Personal Finance

10 Things Debit Card Issuers Won't Tell You
As fees continue to rise and rewards slide, are there incentives left for using debit cards?

U.S.

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Wife, Children Among Shooter's Victims
Police said that the people fatally shot on Christmas by a man dressed as Santa Claus included his estranged wife, their two teenage children and three other family members.
Fireplace Embers Blamed
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Life Spans in City Exceed U.S. Average

World

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Argentina's Kirchner Has Thyroid Cancer
President Cristina Kirchner will undergo surgery next week to remove a cancerous growth on her thyroid gland, a government spokesman said.
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Death Toll in Philippine Floods Falls
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China Cuts Rare-Earths Quota—Sort Of

Management

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RIM Directors Pressured
More investors and analysts are calling for Research in Motion's independent directors to take firmer control of the BlackBerry maker, either by forcing a big strategic shift, selling the company or ousting the co-chief executives.
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Female Directors: Why So Few?
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MGM's Tighter Focus

Health

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Gingrich Applauded Romney's Health Plan
Newt Gingrich voiced enthusiasm for Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health-care law when it was passed five years ago, the same plan he has been denouncing recently.
If Teeth Could Talk...
Deep Cleaning at the Speed of Sound

Life & Culture

Conquering the To-Do List
Making a to-do list is actually hard to do. Some people rely on pen and paper, while others use technology. But don't go overboard: Making to-do lists themselves can fuel anxiety.
Helen Frankenthaler: Pushing Past Abstraction
When Classical Musicians Call In Sick

Opinion

Jenkins: The Fannie and Freddie Hate Storm
A dubious prosecution but it helps set the record straight.
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Shutting Up Business
Fred Barnes: The GOP's Answer to Union Money

AD: Recycling retired airplanes

New York

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His Biblical Journey Is Letter by Letter
Phillip Patterson has spent the last four years laboring on a project more associated with medieval monks than this era of 140-character bleats: He is transcribing the King James Bible by hand, all 921,820 words of it.
City Schools Risk Losing Federal Funds
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Nurses Avert a Strike

Sports

This New Year's, Everyone Get Lit
We put marks on the calendar for changing our smoke alarm batteries or the car oil, but I'd like to propose the turn of the New Year for the annual mandatory bike-light installation, check-up or switch-er-oo. Seriously.
Podcast: This One's for All the Tebows
Scandals, Lockouts, Crazy Comebacks

Careers

How to Ace a Google Interview
Brain teasers like the ones used for hiring by the Internet giant are spreading to other picky employers. Match your wits against puzzles that trip up even the cleverest applicants.
'Must I Say My Last Boss Fired Me?'
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Interns Targeted in Battle for Talent

Real Estate

Poll: The Most Popular Houses of 2011
Take a look at homes featured as the "House of the Day" that were the most-viewed in 2011.
Warm Weather Escapes
Terms of Adornment

Small Business

'Cash Mobs' Help Ignite Buy-Local Effort
The "cash mob," a new social-networking-and-shopping movement, is aimed at increasing sales at selected small businesses.
Franchising 2012 Outlook: Better Than 2011 Reality
Entrepreneurs Give Kodak's Hometown a Lift

Offers

Exclusive Holiday Offers from the Journal See today's Offers

Shake up your holiday season with exclusive daily offers from The Journal

See today's offers

Market Data Center

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MARKET NEWS

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Work & Family

Conquering the To-Do List
Making a to-do list is actually hard to do. Some people rely on pen and paper, while others use technology. But don't go overboard: Making to-do lists themselves can fuel anxiety.
- Vote: What's your to-do list strategy?
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Comeback Never Came for IPOs
This was supposed to be the year of the IPO comeback. It wasn't. About two-thirds of companies that went public in the U.S. now are trading below their IPO price.
- Year in Deals
Fred Barnes: The GOP's Answer to Union Money
'Achieving parity with the Democrats in campaign spending would be no small feat. Yet it appears possible.
Slice and Dice With Video Cooking Pros
The Internet is bursting with websites, apps and podcasts offering culinary inspiration. But aspiring foodies may want more specific guidance.

Photos

Photos of the Day: Dec. 27
In today's pictures, Honda prepares to deal with hundreds of waterlogged cars, the New Orleans Saints celebrate a new record, a Bavarian village puts the finishing touches on a church built of snow, and more.

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Gingrich Applauded Romney's Health Plan283 comments

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