Stroud Goes On IR Jaguars' Stroud Goes On Injured Reserve With Another Ankle Injury Powerful Ice Storm 24 Dead, Widespread Power Outages, Travel Hampered; Oklahoma Especially Hard Hit Comments 5 OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 12, 2007 Triple Car Bombs In Iraq's South Kill 41 Triple Car Bombings Strike Oil-Rich Southern Iraqi City, Killing At Least 41 And Injuring 150 BAGHDAD, Dec. 12, 2007 Hope Is Spreading Among Obama's Fans Washington Post: Candidate's Message, Rising Numbers Are Turning Skeptics Into Believers Comments 2 COLUMBIA, S.C., Dec. 12, 2007 Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., his wife Michelle, left, and Oprah Winfrey wave to the crowd at the end of a rally in Manchester, N.H., Dec. 9, 2007. (AP) Standing "O"vation Oprah Winfrey campaigns for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, hoping to give him an edge over Sen. Hillary Clinton as they are neck and neck in the polls. Dean Reynolds reports. | Share Standing "O"vation (2:33) Climate Change: Obama (1:57) Obama Buoyed By Oprah (2:29)» More Videos Related Photo Essay Barack Obama His presence at the Democratic national convention was "unlikely," he said in 2004. He is not saying that anymore. News Tools Campaign Calendar The latest list of primary and caucus dates as states continue jockeying for position. Stories Oprah: "Sick Of Politics As Usual" From Our Partner: Obama's Cheering Section Ups The Volume In Poll, Huckabee Closes on Giuliani For Crack Offenders, Earlier Shot At Release Bob Latta of Ohio Wins House Seat Once Held by Father Hayden Tells Panel He Can't Answer Every Question About Tapes (Washingtonpost.com) This story was written by Jose Antonio Vargas. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Change. The word on which Sen. Barack Obama has staked his candidacy. A word that's peppered in all of his speeches and plastered around any Obama event. A word that attracts and enthralls and, in some cases, challenges. Change? What's going to change? Are voters going to change? Melissa Green, 45, a native South Carolinian, has continually thought about it. Months before Obama came to Columbia with Oprah Winfrey, Green's son, 17-year-old Trenton, the senior class president of Lakewood High, pushed her to get to know Obama. Then she read Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope," and started closely following his campaign. And change was on her mind Sunday afternoon as she arrived at Williams-Brice Stadium, fresh from St. John AME Church, where she is pastor, to watch Obama and Winfrey share the stage. Their audience of nearly 30,000 -- huge for a primary campaign -- was an ocean of mostly black faces like hers but also many white ones. "I'd never seen a crowd like that here before, ever, in a political rally," Green says. And that powerful little word -- change -- still was on her mind Monday morning as she got up in her home in the rural, mostly black town of Rimini, about 50 miles southeast of Columbia, on her way to teach at Manchester Elementary in nearby Pinewood. She had planned to back Sen. Hillary Clinton. She wanted to vote for a winner; that seemed to be Clinton. She worried that perceptions of race would derail Obama's campaign, if not sooner, then surely later. But Sunday got her thinking. And Monday, she put her fears aside and declared herself "changed," saying, "I'm settled on Obama now." Obama, of course, isn't the only candidate selling change. They all do. Clinton bills herself as a "change agent"; at least that's what her husband calls her. If either Obama or Clinton wins the nomination, the change that's really certain is that some kind of glass ceiling -- of gender or race -- will be broken. But the political season's a-changin', and for now it's changing in Obama's favor. As spring turned to summer and then to fall, the race for the Democratic presidential nomination seemed less like an actual race and more like the coronation of another Clinton. Her lead in the national polls was commanding; less so, but still largely solid, was her dominance in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. At one point here in the Palmetto State, Clinton held a double-digit lead over Obama. And in a state where more than half of Democratic voters are black and nearly a third are black women, Clinton, for a time, was the candidate of choice among African Americans. No more. A Mason-Dixon poll on Sunday of South Carolina Democrats shows Clinton leading Obama 28 to 25 percent, well within the five-point margin of error, and Obama leading Clinton among blacks 37 to 21 percent. With polls in Iowa showing a three-way race among Clinton, Obama and former senator John Edwards, and Clinton's lead over Obama narrowing in New Hampshire, South Carolina's Democratic primary on Jan. 26 is proving all the more crucial. "The tide has turned, the momentum has shifted to his direction. You can feel it, you can feel it in this state, you can definitely feel it among black folk in this state," says state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a fixture of South Carolina politics for more than 15 years. For months she's remained neutral in the race but now leans toward Obama. "Look, black folk had to fight, had to fight hard, to get a vote in the ballot box. We're pragmatic," Cobb-Hunter continues. "For a while black folk here in the South couldn't imagine that white folk would ever vote for a black man. But white America can. And black America is realizing that." "Oprahpalooza," as the weekend-long caravan was quickly dubbed, turned out to be the campaign event of the year, eclipsing the Clintons' first dual appearance on the campaign trail at the Iowa State Fair in July. Not only because of the sheer vastness of the crowd, but also because of its symbolism, in light of America's ugly racial history. Here was Winfrey telling us about one of her "favorite things" -- and for the first time it's a presidential candidate and his name is Barack Obama. It was the most influential woman in pop culture vouching for a man who could possibly be elected president. And both are black. But what's unanswered is whether Oprah's crossover racial appeal -- apparent from her media empire -- will bolster a campaign already pushing a racially transcendent message. To witness the Oprah-Obama show up close as it traveled from heavily white Des Moines to heavily black Columbia was to see that crossover appeal at work. Surely, voters don't support Obama only because he's black, the same way Clinton's followers don't root for her only because she's a woman. Yet never before has a black candidate appeared to have such a strong shot at winning a party's nomination. This is the moment when black and white voters in these early voting states are poised to answer some hard questions: Are we over race, that still uncured boil on America's psyche? Are we ready to break from our racial and racist past? "I don't see race when I see Oprah, I don't see race when I see Barack," says Concetta Morales, 47, an Italian American who grew up in Long Island and moved to Des Moines in the late 1980s. Over dinner at a Thai restaurant, Morales meets with Beverly Ellis, 62, a longtime friend. An hour or so earlier on Saturday in Des Moines, the two attended the Obama rally together with some friends. "I'm not going to lie, Oprah was part of the reason," says Morales, who subscribes to O magazine. The group was undecided before Saturday's event; Morales, for one, has been torn between Obama and Clinton for months. But watching Winfrey and Obama at Hy-Vee Hall might have cinched the deal. "She's omnipresent, her magazine, her show, the books she recommends. She's so cross-cultural, so beyond partisanship," says Morales, a local artist and muralist. "Her supporting Barack means that she trusts his values." Adds Ellis, a retired elementary school teacher whose parents are Polish immigrants: "I've been looking at Joe Biden and I've been looking at Barack Obama. When I think of Obama, I think of someone who's a change agent, someone who can lead change. Not just from the status quo in Washington -- you know, lobbyists having too much pull -- but from our history, our racial history." Jason Jones couldn't believe the crowd downtown on Saturday afternoon. "I don't think Iowa was prepared," says the 24-year-old high school social studies teacher, a transplant from Kansas City, Mo. And he couldn't believe what he read and reread on the Dec. 2 front page of the Des Moines Register. Obama led the newspaper's latest poll. Obama? Over Clinton? In Iowa? "I don't want to come off like I don't have faith in America, but I seriously thought that Hillary Clinton had a better chance being the first woman president than Barack Obama being the first black president," says Jones, who is black. "But after Saturday, I've told a couple of my friends, 'Obama really has a shot at this. He could really make this happen.' " From Biden, Jones has switched to Obama. The past, as William Faulkner once observed, never really dies in the South. It's somehow always vividly, brazenly alive. It wasn't until 2000, after years of protest from the black community, that the Confederate flag atop the South Carolina statehouse was taken down. James Thompson, who's 63 and black, remembers a time when, right there on Highway 17 in Charleston, a service station had three bathrooms: one for white females, another for white males, and another for "coloreds," male and female. Elizabeth Montgomery, who's 55 and white, remembers the first black kid she'd ever seen in her school, Kingstree High. His name was Thomas and "he was very quiet and very shy and kept to himself." She was afraid to approach him, she said. What would people say? Thompson and Montgomery, both Obama supporters, attended Sunday's rally in Columbia. Both came because of Obama, not Oprah -- "though Oprah," Thompson says, "is icing on the cake." Montgomery, of Pawleys Island, has been cheering for Obama since the night she watched him give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Standing in the living room, eyes fixed on her TV, she wept as she listened. "There's not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there's the United States of America," he said. "There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America." Montgomery, an elementary school teacher, was sold. Sunday's rally was her sixth time volunteering for Obama events. Clinton Campaigns With Warren Buffett Candidate Argues For Keeping Inheritance Tax In Place Comments 3 SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VideosPhotos Billionaire investor Warren Buffett helps Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., raise campaign funds in San Francisco, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007. (AP) Climate Change: Clinton In a CBS Evening News special series, "Primary Questions," Katie Couric asked Sen. Hillary Clinton whether she is concerned about global climate change. | Share Climate Change: Clinton (3:27) Clinton Ad: 'New Beginning' (1:00) Most Essential: Clinton (0:53)» More Videos Related Interactive The Money Race Which candidates are raising the most money? See the latest third quarter campaign finance tallies. Photo Essay Hillary Clinton If she becomes the first woman president, it will be the latest in a lifetime of firsts. Stories Buffett: Keep Federal Estate Tax Obama, Clinton Talk Social Security Campaign Blog: Live Blogging The Iowa GOP Debate Kucinich Left Out Of Iowa Presidential Debate Starting Gate: Frozen In Place (AP) Hillary Rodham Clinton argued Tuesday for keeping the inheritance tax in place, saying it is a key to ensuring the United States remains a meritocracy. At a joint appearance with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, Clinton said the inheritance tax, due to be temporarily repealed in 2010, was a symbol of "what kind of society we are." "The estate tax has been historically part of our very fundamental belief that we should have a meritocracy, that we do not want a system… to be, over time, dominated by inherited wealth," she said. "That we do believe that people should have to get out there and make their way, to a great extent." Buffett, one of America's wealthiest men, told the Senate Finance Committee last month that the tax should remain in place. Estates worth up to $2 million this year and next will be exempt from the federal estate tax. Portions of estates above that threshold will be taxed at 45 percent. In 2009, the exemption level rises to $3.5 million, and by 2010 the estate tax will be repealed - but only for a year. Unless Congress changes the law, the tax returns in 2011 with an exemption threshold of only $1 million and a top tax rate of 55 percent. Democrats argue that a repeal would amount to a huge windfall for the wealthiest families. Buffett said Republicans, who have led the effort to repeal the tax, "are going to keep the farmers out in front of the argument" as a public-relations ploy. Proponents of repeal often argue that it will mean families will lose control of farms and small companies. But, Buffett said, only six-tenths of 1 percent of taxable estates in 2007 were farms. "It's not as though people will be destitute," Clinton said. In a subsequent appearance on the Fox Business Network, Clinton repeated her support for keeping the tax. Asked whether she would let cuts in capital gains taxes expire, Clinton said: "I am more focused on preventing the repeal of the estate tax and returning to what I think are fairer, more effective tax rates for the wealthiest." "While people like my husband and I have enjoyed a great series of gifts from the Bush administration, that is not what has happened to the vast majority of Americans," she said. Her remarks drew a rebuke from California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring. "Hillary Clinton's death tax is just another tax on assets that have already been taxed," Nehring said. "Under Clinton's plan, family-owned businesses and individuals stand to lose half of everything when the business and/or property pass from one generation to another." The Clinton-Buffett appearance was their second this year, following a similar session in June in New York. Like that appearance, Tuesday's question-and-answer session was a fundraiser that brought in $1 million for the campaign of Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner. From San Francisco, she headed to Sacramento to pick up another $300,000. In San Francisco, the biggest campaign donors got special treatment from Clinton and Buffett, including an extended picture-taking session that caused their "conversation on the economy" before an audience of 1,500 to begin later than scheduled. Clinton played moderator and questioned Buffett - one of the world's richest people with a net worth of $52 billion, according to Forbes magazine - about the economy. Buffett is chairman and CEO of Omaha, Neb.-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., an investment company he founded. Buffett and Clinton warned of the dangers of a growing gap between rich and poor, and a tax system that disproportionately helps people Buffett called "these super-rich" - himself included. Both said political and economic instability could result. "In the last seven-eight years what has happened is that the super-rich have gotten a huge break," Buffett said. Said Clinton: "There's a growing sense that it's not working for the average American. If people feel that for whatever reason the deck is stacked against them, then that does feed the instability." Republican Rudy Giuliani also was in California on Tuesday to pick up checks at a private fundraiser in San Juan Capistrano. Along the way, he made a brief stop at a Santa Monica cafe to meet with supporters. John Edwards Makes His Case In Iowa Polls, The Democratic Hopeful Is No Distant Third, And Is Still Arguing He’s Most Electable Comments 29 MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa, Dec. 11, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VideosPhotos Democratic presidential hopeful, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., speaks at the kickoff rally for his bus tour at the Polk County Convention Complex in Des Moines, Iowa, on Dec. 10, 2007. (AP) Edwards Draws Strength In Iowa Clinton and Obama may have star power campaigners in their corners, but in Iowa it's anything but a two-person race. Pollsters say John Edwards is holding his ground. Jeff Greenfield reports. | Share » More Videos Related Photo Essay John Edwards In his second presidential campaign, Edwards is running as a populist, with a focus on poverty and health. Interactive Campaign 2008 A glimpse at presidential hopefuls and a fund-raising overview as the campaign gears up. Stories Edwards Slams Bush Mortgage Plan Edwards Decides To Play Good Cop (CBS) In Hillary Clinton’s corner, the most dominant Democratic politician of his generation. In Barack Obama’s corner, the most dominant media figure of her generation. It’s just one more explanation for why the Democratic nomination is so often seen as a two-person race. But at least in Iowa, the numbers tell a different story, CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield reports. It’s a virtual three-way dead heat. “Well, you can’t count Edwards out,” said Ann Selzer, who directs the Des Moines Register poll. She points to former vice presidential nominee John Edwards’ strong second place showing four years ago. “He's been through this before and he knows what it is to surge at the end,” she said. So what is John Edwards doing? As he did for years ago, he's crisscrossing the state of Iowa arguing that he is the most electable Democrat based on who he is, where he's from, and what he's for. Part of the argument is geographic. “I'm the one candidate on our side who's actually won in a red state and grew up in small town rural American,” Edwards said in Iowa. “And I might add, you know, as a practical matter, the last two Democrats who were elected president of the United States, they talked like this.” Charged Particles May Feed Northern Lights Scientists: Energy Source Of Auroras Borealis Discovered -- A Stream Of Sun-Charged Particles Comments 1 SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this time-exposure photograph, an unidentified Japanese tourist, center, checks his camera after photographing the Aurora Borealis as others watch the display, Jan. 18, 2007 at the Chena Hot Springs Resort, near Fairbanks, Alaska. (AP) Related Stories NASA Captures 3D Images Of Sun (AP) Scientists think they have discovered the energy source of auroras borealis, the spectacular color displays seen in the upper latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. New data from NASA's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites launched this winter, found the energy comes from a stream of charged particles from the sun flowing like a current through twisted bundles of magnetic fields connecting Earth's upper atmosphere to the sun. The energy is then abruptly released in the form of a shimmering display of lights, said principal investigator Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California at Los Angeles. Results were presented Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting. Judge Rejects Automakers' Emissions Suit Rules California Can Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Vehicles SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec, 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A federal judge's ruling cleared one of the hurdles in California's effort to regulate tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles. (AP) Related Interactive Eye On The Environment Find out how global warming, air pollution and alternative forms of energy impact our world. Stories California Sues EPA Over Auto Emissions (AP) Handing a major defeat to the auto industry, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that California can regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Ishii clears one of the hurdles in California's effort to regulate tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles. Automakers sued the state over the tailpipe standards it approved in 2004, which would force automakers to build cars and light trucks that produce about 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases by 2016. However, the state still needs a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin implementing the program. The EPA has not yet issued a decision. California and 14 other states sued the agency in November seeking quicker action. "It's a major victory and a giant step forward for California," California Attorney General Jerry Brown said of Wednesday's ruling. "I hope this will get the attention of President Bush and have him support significant caps on greenhouse gas emissions." In its lawsuit against the state, the auto industry argued that it was the federal government's responsibility to establish one uniform fuel economy standard. Without one, manufacturers would be forced to produce vehicles using too many different efficiency standards. They argued that a federal energy law passed in 1975 gives the U.S. Department of Transportation sole jurisdiction over fuel economy. It's a major victory and a giant step forward for California. California Attorney General Jerry BrownBut Ishii rejected that claim, saying Congress gave California and the EPA the authority to regulate vehicle emissions, even if those rules are more strict than those imposed by the federal government. A Low-Cost Route To The Web California Start-Up Meraki Brings The Internet To Those Who Otherwise Could Never Afford It Comment On This Post Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (CBS/AP) Related Photo Essay Stylish Gear A South Korean show features computers to wear, flaunt or hug. Stories What If Every Child Had A Laptop? Brave New Hard Drives (Christian Science Monitor) This article was written by Chris Gaylord. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A sharp "Crack!" echoed across Musgrave, South Africa last February, instantly shorting out eight years of work for Costas Criticos. Lightning fried a broadcast tower that had provided wireless Internet access to one of the city's working class neighborhoods. Criticos had relied on that tower as the hub of a nonprofit network that catered to students and low-income families. High-speed Internet in South Africa is several times more expensive than in the United States, so Criticos had shared a connection with neighbors at a discounted rate. With that tower destroyed, the community's Web connection had closed. But not for long. A friend of Criticos's visiting from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, brought with him several new gadgets from Meraki, a Silicon Valley start-up that has powered thousands of simple, inexpensive wireless networks around the world. Like most networks, the neighborhood's busted system worked off a hub-and-spoke model, where information beams out of one antenna to each computer. If that central link breaks, every connection goes down with it. But Meraki plays by different rules. Its wireless networks string together several small radios that bounce information from one to another. Instead of just radiating in a straight line, data can zigzag from box to box. That way, if one link breaks, the rest automatically reconfigure and find a different path for that e-mail or Web page to travel. "In really just a few hours, we had the whole community up and running," Criticos says. "Not to mention, we set up the whole thing without the help of technicians, and our costs have never been cheaper." The mission of the company is to bring affordable Internet access to the next billion people. Meraki CEO, Sanjit BiswasThe nonprofit network now connects several hundred people to the Internet, he says. And thanks to a hundred Meraki nodes placed inside a two-mile area, subscribers get broadband speeds for only $7 a month. (Compare that with South Africa's much slower dial-up access, which can cost $30 a month.) Meraki's 25-year-old CEO, Sanjit Biswas, can recount a dozen similar stories of low-income neighborhoods that his wireless boxes have helped. He talks about each one with a pride more reminiscent of a parent talking about his kids than a businessman rattling off accomplishments. "Well, those are all the stories I can think of right now," he says with a hint of humor and modesty. In fact, over the past two years Meraki has powered several thousand wireless networks across 70 countries and opened up the Internet to people who otherwise could never afford it. While Meraki is a for-profit company, much of its products wind up in affordable housing projects, poor neighborhoods, and developing countries. "The mission of the company is to bring affordable Internet access to the next billion people," Biswas says. "We've always felt a social obligation in this work." Meraki, a Greek word that means putting love and creativity into your work, doesn't offer Internet service. It provides the hardware and software to manage a network. At the heart of the business is the $50 wireless Mini - a wireless router that is neither the fastest nor most powerful on the market. But many have called it the most simple and inexpensive. Even as major players in municipal Wi-Fi abandon their large wireless projects, those two attributes have carried Meraki networks into Amazonian towns, African cities, and Alaskan outposts. And there's no sign of business slowing down. A company's wireless roots Meraki and the Mini trace back to Biswas's studies at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. In 2002, he and company cofounder John Bicket worked on Roofnet, an experimental network that developed the "mesh" model for today's Mini. The project offered graduate students free wireless Internet access if they agreed to put up with the team's system tests and service tweaks. The two PhD students programmed software and crawled on rooftops throughout the city installing their wireless kits. Unlike the Minis, which are about the size of two decks of playing cards, the Roofnet kits had to be carried with two hands and contained $650 worth of computer parts and antennae. "We were paying for all this with research grants, so we couldn't afford a van or anything like that," Biswas says. "So we'd take them on the subway. After setting up a hundred of them, I think I now know every street in Cambridge by heart." And Cambridge got to know them pretty well, too. In 2006, when the team's wireless signal had covered one-third of the city, students would stop them in the street and holler out "Hey, it's the Roofnet guys!" he recalls. Biswas got several unexpected invitations to parties and barbecues that year, including one in Mountain View, Calif., where he helped Google with its early foray into municipal Wi-Fi networks. As e-mails from CEOs and NGOs piled up, Biswas and Bicket realized that their work had quickly grown beyond the bounds of academia. Suddenly, they had a flourishing business. With their advisers' blessing, the two dropped out of MIT, moved to Mountain View, and refined Roofnet into what is now Meraki. Free access in the U.S. Almost immediately after launching the company in 2006, they sold a couple thousand kits to Google and hundreds more to groups along the West Coast. One early adopter was NetEquality, a nonprofit that rolled out free Internet access to affordable housing complexes in Portland, Ore. "The mesh network design helps us keep costs down in so many ways," says David Cannard, director of NetEquality. First, the wireless technology saved them from ripping open walls to install connection wires in older buildings. Even in new construction projects, he says, simply laying cable from apartment to apartment can be expensive. Second, since all the Meraki radios talk to one another, the system automatically warns NetEquality if one of the boxes malfunctions, saving Cannard (or more likely a professional technician) from having to check each box to see where the problem lies. The information-sharing scheme has allowed one 400-apartment building in Portland to split five DSL lines across 100 Meraki nodes, Cannard says, dropping the cost of Web access to about $1 a month for each apartment. Of course, there were a few kinks and quirks along the way. Cannard remembers "freaking out" last winter when several of his networks suddenly collapsed. "Nodes were going down all over," he says. "It turned out that since we just plugged the boxes into normal outlets in each apartment, the residents decided they'd rather plug in their Christmas lights. But so many unplugged them that they were knocking out access to most of their neighbors as well." NetEquality now screws the boxes directly into outlets so that they can't be removed. Meraki's grapevine growth Now in its second year, Meraki has yet to advertise its services. Simple word-of-mouth has carried its name through the global geek grapevine. Criticos heard about it from Biswas's MIT adviser. A school in Ecuador learned through a friend-of-a-friend who worked for Cisco Systems in San Jose, Calif. Slovakian businessman Marcel Hecko recalls reading about Roofnet on the Internet a few years ago. Soon after Biswas formed his company, Hecko persuaded his colleagues that "we simply need to get as close to Meraki guys as possible." Scrounging together enough money, he flew from Slovakia to San Francisco, boarded a train to Mountain View, and then with a GPS navigator in hand, walked 40 minutes to the Meraki office. How To Have A Green Christmas Eco-Friendly Strategies For Making The Holidays Healthier For You -- And The Planet | Page 1 of 2 Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (CBS/iStockPhoto) Related Interactive Winter Holidays Reasons for the season, lights, decorations, gifts, movies and more. Stories Give Some Green Gifts For The Holidays Christmas Trees: Source Of Indoor Mold? Peanut Allergies Striking Sooner -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allergy-Proof Your Environment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FDA OKs Over-the-Counter Zyrtec -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seasonal Allergy Vaccine on the Horizon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Students Inattentive to Food Allergies -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (WebMD) Instead of tidings of comfort and joy, Christmas often brings mostly stress and excess - too much food, too much drink, too much spending, and too much waste. Environmentalists advocate an "eco-friendly" holiday season that will result in a "green Christmas" that will put less strain on Mother Earth, but some of the same choices they suggest can produce a more people-friendly holiday as well, leading to better health for all. While a truly organic Christmas in this day and age may be hard to imagine, it may be possible to take some steps in that direction. (What do you do for a more environmentally-friendly holiday? Share your stories and ideas on WebMD's Health Café board.) JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) The Jacksonville Jaguars placed three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcus Stroud on injured reserve Wednesday, three days after he reinjured his surgically repaired right ankle. Stroud hurt his ankle Sunday when teammate John Henderson fell on him during the first play of the third quarter against Carolina. Stroud sustained a deep bone bruise, a similar injury that hobbled him late last season. He eventually had offseason microfracture surgery. Stroud acknowledged he took supplements to help recover from the operation and later tested positive for a banned substance. The NFL suspended him for four games. He returned Sunday against the Panthers. Coach Jack Del Rio said Stroud will be sidelined at least six weeks, too long for the Jaguars (9-4) to consider keeping him on the active roster. "It's a shame to lose him, but that's the situation," Del Rio said. "Like we've done all year when we lose people, we'll do the best we can to have other people step up, step in and play well, and we expect to continue to play good football." The Jaguars signed former Houston Texans linebacker Shantee Orr to fill Stroud's roster spot. Jacksonville already is playing without two defensive starters: linebacker Mike Peterson (hand) and defensive end Reggie Hayward (groin). Both have been ruled out of Sunday's game at Pittsburgh. Without Stroud, backup Rob Meier will move back into the starting lineup alongside Henderson, and veteran Grady Jackson and rookie Derek Landri will get more playing time. "Nobody stops this time of year to say, 'Oh, gee, you guys are banged up, let me spot you seven (points) here. You start up seven and we'll play from there,' " Del Rio said. "No, not happening. We'll go compete. We'll do the best we can and we'll expect that to be good enough." Penny's Comeback With Heat Done Penny Hardaway Waived By Heat, Making Room For Luke Jackson MIAMI, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) Penny Hardaway's comeback attempt with the Miami Heat is over. The 36-year-old forward was waived Wednesday, a move that cleared the roster spot Miami needed to sign another former first-round draft pick _ guard Luke Jackson. Hardaway signed a non-guaranteed contract with Miami this summer after recovering from an array of injuries that kept him off the court for nearly three full seasons. He started eight times this season for the Heat, but averaged only 3.8 points on 37 percent shooting, and didn't play in any of Miami's past four games. Hardaway has a 15.2 point-per-game average in 704 career regular-season games. He was told of Miami's decision Wednesday morning before practice. He could be claimed off waivers by another team within a 48-hour window, although it's unclear if any other clubs will have interest. Hardaway showed flashes of production with Miami: His 6-for-6, 16-point night in New Jersey on Nov. 17 keyed a 91-87 Heat victory. In the four weeks that have followed, he managed a total of 19 points. The once-electric guard was a fast-rising star when he entered the NBA for the 1993-94 season. One year later, he and Shaquille O'Neal brought an Eastern Conference championship to Orlando. But knee problems kept Hardaway to 59 games in 1996-97, then surgery limited him to 19 games the following year. In the years that followed, he's battled plantar fasciitis, more knee surgery, thumb surgery and even more knee surgery. He worked through all that and earned a shot with Miami. But when the Heat decided it wanted Jackson _ who essentially plays the same position _ it deemed Hardaway expendable. So now, Miami will see what kind of offensive boost the 26-year-old Jackson can provide. Bills Assistant Hired At Colorado St. Bills' Offensive Coordinator Fairchild Hired To Replace Lubick At Colorado State DENVER, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild was hired Wednesday to replace Sonny Lubick as Colorado State coach. Fairchild, a former Rams quarterback and assistant coach, takes over a team that finished 3-9 last season, leading to the firing of Lubick after 15 years in charge. "We are pleased that Steve Fairchild, with his significant coaching expertise and history at Colorado State, is going to return to his roots as a champion for our football program," Colorado State president Larry Edward Penley said in a released statement. "His positive reputation precedes him." The 49-year-old Fairchild was Colorado State's quarterbacks coach from 1993-96 before taking over as the Rams' offensive coordinator for four seasons. Colorado State won five conference titles in his eight years as an assistant coach on Lubick's staff. He left for Buffalo in 2001 to serve as the Bills' running backs coach for two seasons. Fairchild, who was at Buffalo's practice Wednesday, is in his second season as the Bills' offensive coordinator after tutoring under Mike Martz with the St. Louis Rams. He won't leave the Bills until after the conclusion of the season. The Bills (7-6) are in the middle of the AFC playoff race with three games remaining in the regular season. Colorado State officials understand his commitment to Buffalo. "We knew from the outset and were comfortable with the dedication he has to his team," said CSU athletic director Paul Kowalczyk, who will have an introductory teleconference with Fairchild on Thursday. "It is that type of value system _ commitment, integrity, honesty, accountability and responsibility _ that had him at the top of our list since the beginning." The Bills offense has struggled this season under Fairchild, ranking 28th in the NFL in yards per game. The offensive production been hampered by an unstable quarterback situation. Rookie Trent Edwards recently supplanted veteran J.P. Losman for a second time this season. Fairchild has blamed the offensive's inefficiencies on the constant change at quarterback. Jeff Kent Will Stay With L.A. Dodgers Jeff Kent Will Return To Play 4th Season For Los Angeles Dodgers LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) Jeff Kent, baseball's career leader in home runs by a second baseman, will return to play a fourth season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jeff Klein, Kent's agent, said in an e-mail that his client had advised Dodgers' general manager Ned Colletti that he intends to play next year. "He is actively pursuing his customary and rigorous offseason conditioning and weightlifting program, and is very focused on helping his team win the World Series this year," Klein wrote. "He asked me to wish all of you and your families a happy holiday season." The Dodgers also announced Wednesday that slugging outfielder Andruw Jones had finalized his $36.2 million, two-year contract. Jones was scheduled to appear at a Dodger Stadium news conference later in the day. Kent, who turns 40 in March, hit .302 with a team-leading 20 homers and 79 RBIs last season despite being slowed by a strained hamstring in the second half. Kent said at season's end, following the Dodgers' disappointing finish, that he was uncertain about next year, but new manager Joe Torre said last month at his introductory news conference that Kent seemed excited about the 2008 season. "I don't know Jeff Kent. I felt pretty upbeat and positive he was coming back next year," Torre said. "Hopefully that's the case." Wheat Prices Surge Amid Strong Demand Wheat, Other Agricultural Futures Rally; Energy And Precious Metals Prices Pull Back NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) Wheat prices climbed sharply Friday for a second session amid signs of strong demand from buyers abroad. Egypt locked in supply, and India hinted at future purchases. Other agricultural futures advanced, while energy and precious metals prices declined. Wheat demand appears robust at a time when supplies are exceedingly tight. With crops in the Southern Hemisphere troubled by poor weather conditions, buyers worldwide have moved to stock their supply shelves. Egypt's primary wheat buyer, the state-owned General Authority for Supply Commodities, has bought 115,000 metric tons of Russian wheat, according to a Dow Jones Newswires report on Friday. The wire service also reported a senior government official as saying the India State Trading Corp. may buy up to 550,000 metric tons in its tender to be floated Monday. Two major grower nations, Australia and Argentina, have had problems with their crops this year. A drought in Australia cut back wheat production severely, while a frost in Argentina led that country this week to put a hold on export registrations to protect domestic supply. A bushel of wheat for March delivery surged 30 cents _ the daily permitted price swing _ to end at $9.215 on the Chicago Board of Trade. "One of these days, prices will certainly slow demand, but nobody thinks that is happening today," said John Roach, president of Roach Ag. Marketing Ltd., in a note to clients. Wheat remains off its high of $9.6175 a bushel reached in late September. March corn gained 5.25 cents to $4.1725 a bushel, while January soybeans jumped 21 cents to $11.1975 a bushel. A falling U.S. dollar also helped bolster demand for agricultural products. The greenback slipped against other major world currencies after a report of weaker job growth last month provided further motive for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates at Tuesday's meeting. The nation's employers added 94,000 jobs to their payrolls in November, down from 170,000 in October, according to the Labor Department's monthly report. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent. Investors widely expect the Fed will roll back its benchmark federal funds rate, and the main debate now surrounds the size of the cut. Most analysts expect the central bank will shave a quarter point off the rate, which currently stands at 4.50 percent; a minority is projecting a half-point cut. Concerns about the economy, including the tepid jobs growth, have eroded investor confidence and pressured the markets for oil and other raw materials. "There are so many people on the fence about the economy. It dovetails back to what will happen with energy," said Alan Lammey, energy analyst with EIG Inc. in Houston. Energy futures fell broadly. Light, sweet crude for January delivery dropped $1.95 to settle at $88.28 a barrel. Given the economic concerns, "I think we're probably going to see crude oil remain very tied to about $85 a barrel, up to $95 a barrel," through year-end, Lammey said. Gasoline futures shed 3.23 cents to $2.269 a gallon, while heating oil futures lost 4.03 cents to $2.5047 a gallon. Miguel Tejada Is Traded To Astros Former AL MVP Miguel Tejada Traded From Baltimore Orioles To Houston Astros HOUSTON, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) (AP) Former American League MVP Miguel Tejada was traded Wednesday from the Baltimore Orioles to the Houston Astros for five players. The Orioles got outfielder Luke Scott, pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate, and third baseman Michael Costanzo, Baltimore president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said. Two winters ago, Tejada caused a stir in Baltimore when he said was unhappy with the Orioles' direction and wanted to be traded. He later backed off that stance. "I feel very happy with this trade, because it's something that I've been really looking forward to," Tejada told The Associated Press by telephone from Miami. Tejada hit .296 with 18 home runs and 81 RBIs this season. At 31, he's a four-time All-Star shortstop, but the Orioles were worried about his range. Tejada had resisted efforts by the Orioles to move him over to third base. It's uncertain where he'll play for Houston, which has an unsettled left side of the infield. "I was in Houston last week and I've played in Minute Maid Park in the All-Star game, so I think I'll do great in that city," he said. Tejada said he thought the cozy ballpark dimensions in Houston will benefit him. "My mind set is to produce everywhere and help this team make the playoffs," he added. The 2002 AL MVP with Oakland is owed $13 million in each of the next two years, the final seasons of a $72 million, six-year contract. The trade was the latest big move by new Astros general manager Ed Wade, who took over in September. Houston finished 73-89, two years after reaching the World Series for the first time. Earlier this month, the Astros finalized their $16.5 million, three-year contract with free agent second baseman Kaz Matsui. He's expected to bat second behind new leadoff man Michael Bourn, acquired in November in part of a package that sent reliever Brad Lidge to Philadelphia. Tejada had played all 162 games in six straight years before playing 133 this season. In 2006, Tejada sometimes drew the ire of the Orioles for failing to run out grounders and being the last player to arrive at the ballpark. In 2005, Tejada came under scrutiny after teammate Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for steroids. Palmeiro said Tejada gave him vitamin B-12 that might have been tainted with performance-enhancing drugs. Tejada denied any steroid use and his name has not been linked to any wrongdoing. The Orioles went 69-93 this season and were hoping to restock their roster. Scott, 29, hit .255 with 18 homers and 64 RBIs as Houston's regular right fielder. Albers, a 24-year-old righty, went 4-11 with a 5.86 ERA. Patton, a 22-year-old lefty, made his major league debut this season. Sarfate, a 26-year-old righty, was 1-0 in seven relief appearances. Costanzo, 24, was acquired from Philadelphia in the deal that also brought Bourn. He hit 27 home runs in Double-A this season. The Orioles said he will be assigned to the minors. Notes:@ To make room on their roster, the Orioles designated RHP Cory Doyne for assignment. ... The Orioles signed OF Tike Redman to a one-year contract. He hit .318 in 40 games this season. e. Tejada had resisted efforts by the Orioles to move him over to third base. It's uncertain where he'll play for Houston, which has an unsettled left side of the infield. Two winters ago, Tejada caused a stir when he said was unhappy with the Orioles' direction and wanted to be traded. He later backed off that stance. The 2002 AL MVP with Oakland is owed $13 million in each of the next two years, the final seasons of a $72 million, six-year contract. The trade was the latest big move by new Astros general manager Ed Wade, who took over in September. Houston finished 73-89, two years after reaching the World Series for the first time. Earlier this month, the Astros finalized their $16.5 million, three-year contrac with free agent second baseman Kaz Matsui. He's expected to bat second behind new leadoff man Michael Bourn, acquired in November in part of a package that sent reliever Brad Lidge to Philadelphia. Tejada had played all 162 games in six straight years before playing 133 this season. In 2006, Tejada sometimes drew the ire of the Orioles for failing to run out grounders and being the last player to arrive at the ballpark. In 2005, Tejada came under scrutiny after teammate Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for steroids. Palmeiro said Tejada gave him vitamin B-12 that might have been tainted with performance-enhancing drugs. Jets Taped During Playoff Game Vs. Pats Mangini: Jets Taped During Playoff Game Last Season, But Received Permission From Pats HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) The spy games between the New York Jets and New England Patriots began last season. The Jets were caught videotaping at Gillette Stadium last season and the Patriots had that New York employee removed from the area, according to published reports Wednesday. Jets coach Eric Mangini said his team received permission to film behind both end zones during the playoff game in January. "We taped the game, is what we taped, and we taped end-zone copy of the game, and we tape a double end zone, which is standard operating procedure for us," Mangini said Wednesday. "We request that every single road game, and it's usually granted if physically it's possible. And when people request it from us, we do the same thing: We grant it." Mangini maintained the Jets did nothing wrong, and had filmed at New England during the regular season without incident. It was nothing like what the Patriots did earlier this season, when a New England employee was caught taping New York's defensive signals and punished by the league. "We do it every time we go on the road," Mangini repeated. "We ask for permission to do it. It's within the league rules, and when people ask us to do it, we grant it, as well." When asked why the Patriots stopped the Jets if they had already given them permission, Mangini just shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Really, it just was what it was. We had asked for permission, it was granted and then that changed, and we respect their decision. It's their stadium." Mangini was also asked if the Jets were, at all, taping the Patriots' defensive signals. "No," Mangini said smugly. He was then asked if the Patriots requested similar permission to have someone taping at various angles or end-zone angles. Again, Mangini replied simply: "No." The Jets have not asked the undefeated Patriots if they can film from the end zones this Sunday at Foxborough. "Just didn't look to get permission," Mangini said. "Didn't think it would be granted." New England coach Bill Belichick refused to address the situation during his news conference with Patriots reporters. "There's a lot of things that have happened in the past," Belichick said. "Really, the past is in the past." Patriots players were also staying away from the issue, much as they did when Pittsburgh's Anthony Smith guaranteed a victory over New England last week. "It just doesn't matter. Who cares?" safety Rodney Harrison said. "It has no impact whatsoever, just like when Smith made his comments. It has no impact. The game isn't won or lost through the media Monday through Saturday. It's won or lost on Sunday, 1 o'clock. It's whoever makes more plays." This is just the latest in the long-running rivalry between the teams. After helping Belichick and the Patriots win three Super Bowls as a defensive assistant, Mangini left to become coach of the Jets. The relationship between the two has been frosty since. Things got even chillier after a Patriots video assistant was caught taping from the sidelines during their game against the Jets in Week 1, a move some speculated fueled New England's drive to perfection. The NFL punished the Patriots by taking away their first-round draft pick, fined them $250,000 and fined Belichick another $500,000. A league rule prohibits teams from using a video camera on the sidelines for any purpose. In the Jets' case, they were filming from the end zone. The Jets film from both end zones during practice, a common procedure used by NFL teams. "When you practice, anytime you practice, you try to shoot the unit from the sideline and then from the end zone behind them, so that you can see hand placement, fits, that type of thing," Mangini said. "That's how you watch practice every day. That's how you evaluate practice every day. And it's the same thing with games. You like to have that same copy because, really, that's just an extension f the evaluation." Thomas To Be Falcons Interim Coach Atlanta Falcons Assistant Emmitt Thomas Is Promoted To Interim Head Coach FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga., Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) Atlanta Falcons assistant Emmitt Thomas was promoted Wednesday to interim head coach for the final three games of the regular season. He replaces Bobby Petrino, who resigned to become coach at Arkansas. A 64-year-old assistant with the Falcons since 2002, Thomas has no previous experience as a head coach, but has 28 years in coaching. Thomas has worked under head coaches Dan Reeves, Jim Mora and Petrino in Atlanta. Thomas is the first black head coach in the team's history. Thomas will serve out the season following the sudden resignation of Petrino on Tuesday to return to college coaching. The Falcons have scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. to address the situation. Team owner Arthur Blank and general manager Rich McKay are expected to speak at the news conference. Thomas will direct the team's practice Wednesday afternoon. It was not known if all other assistants under Petrino, including his brother, wide receivers coach Paul Petrino, would remain for the final three games. Thomas was selected to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1986 after a 13-year career that included a team-record 58 interceptions. In August, the seniors committee added Thomas to the list of semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2008. The inductees will be decided the day before the Super Bowl on Feb. 2, 2008. Thomas began his coaching career in 1979 as defensive coordinator at Central Missouri State. His first job as an NFL assistant came in 1981 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was an assistant with the Washington Redskins from 1986-94, where he coached wide receivers and then defensive backs for teams that won two Super Bowls. Thomas also won a Super Bowl ring as a player with Kansas City. Ford Expected To Leave Hospital Raptors' T.J. Ford Expected To Return To Toronto After Scary Fall In Game ATLANTA, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) Toronto Raptors guard T.J. Ford is expected to be released from a hospital Wednesday and return to Toronto, a day after his head bounced on the floor and he was removed from the court on a stretcher. Raptors spokesman Jamie Deans said he had no details on the time of Ford's release from Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, where Ford was taken for tests Tuesday night. "All that I know is he's expected to come home today," Deans said. Ford missed the 2004-05 season with Milwaukee following neck surgery, leading to immediate concerns when he didn't get up after his fall. Toronto forward Chris Bosh and team spokesman Jim LaBumbard said after the game Ford had feeling and movement in his arms and legs. Raptors director of basketball operations Marc Eversley and assistant trainer Rory Mullin remained in Atlanta with Ford on Tuesday night. Ford hit the floor hard when fouled by Atlanta's Al Horford late in the game. Horford was ejected for the flagrant foul. He said he was trying to block Ford's shot and instead hit the player's forehead, knocking him to the floor. Bills Assistant Hired At Colorado St Bills' Offensive Coordinator Fairchild Hired To Replace Lubick At Colorado State DENVER, Dec. 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (AP) Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild was hired Wednesday to replace Sonny Lubick as Colorado State's football coach. A university official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because an announcement had not been made, confirmed Fairchild was the school's choice. A news conference was planned later Wednesday at the school in Fort Collins Fairchild was Colorado State's quarterbacks coach from 1993-96 before taking over as the Rams' offensive coordinator for four seasons. He left for Buffalo in 2001 to serve as the Bills' running backs coach for two seasons. Projecting the Seeds (Updated morning of Dec. 12) It's finals week at many colleges. So it's a slow week in college basketball. Which means it's a perfect week to examine how things are unfolding. The Big 12 (thanks to Texas, among others) seems better than most thought while the SEC (thanks to Mississippi State, among others) seems worse. Meantime, the West Coast Conference looks like a two-bid league (Gonzaga and Saint Mary's), and the Atlantic-10 could earn three bids (Xavier, Dayton and Rhode Island) to become nationally relevant again like it's the 1990s or something. Faceoff: Hope in Atlanta? Pro Bowl snubs? AFC card game? Pete Prisco and Clark Judge of CBSSports.com analyze hot topics weekly. 1. Where is there hope for Atlanta? Pete Prisco Clark Judge It starts at the top. They have an owner committed to winning in Arthur Blank. He is passionate about his team and will do everything he can to make it work. Blank has made some mistakes along the way -- getting too close to Mike Vick for one, and firing Ron Hill for another -- but he is a smart man who will find a way to get it done. The two things any franchise must have to succeed are a strong coach and a good quarterback. The Falcons have to get one of each since it's clear they don't think any of their QBs can be the guy. They should find a coach who will instill discipline, yet still be able to relate to the players. There are a lot of good candidates: Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Jaguars DC Mike Smith, 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary and Titans DC Jim Schwartz. As for a quarterback, they need to use their first-round pick on one of the top guys. I like Louisville's Brian Brohm the most, but Matt Ryan, Andre Woodson and Colt Brennan all can be good NFL passers. Well, Bobby Petrino is gone, and that's a start. Watching Monday night's game, I was struck with the sensation that this guy doesn't have a clue what he's doing. How many head coaches allow players to run on to the field waving a Michael Vick poster or wear T-shirts that promote an admitted felon? Petrino had no connection with his players, and it showed. Losing him is addition by subtraction, so you can start all over again -- and here's hoping the Falcons do a better job of picking their next head coach. There are plenty of qualified candidates out there, but I'd want someone who knows offense, comes from the pros and has the respect of his players. Atlanta must build around a franchise quarterback who comes out of the draft, so find someone who can work with the guy and turn him into someone other than Joey Harrington. 2. Pro Bowl voting is this week. Give me one player that fans, coaches and players might overlook who should be going? Pete Prisco Clark Judge I'll go with Saints right guard Jahri Evans. He is a mauler and might be the best guard in football. Now in his second season after starting all 16 games last year as a rookie, Evans continues to improve. Talking to one league scout last week, he raved about Evans and how impressed he was when watching him on tape. I concur. He's a player. But the Saints haven't been as good on offense which will hurt his chances. Plus in the NFC, there are some really good guards. Players like Steve Hutchinson (Vikings), Chris Snee (Giants) and Shawn Andrews (Eagles) all deserve Pro Bowl consideration. But Evans is one guy scouts rave about. Green Bay's Greg Jennings. When you talk about Packers' wideouts you think Donald Driver. And that's only logical -- he's Brett Favre's favorite. Driver has 27 more catches than the second-year pro Jennings. He doesn't have Driver's reputation, but give him time. No, he's not close to Driver in catches, but look beyond that. Look at his yards per catch. It's 17.7, second-best among the NFL's top 52 receivers. Look at his touchdowns. He has 11, fourth in the league. Jennings is the Packers' home-run threat and a perfect complement to Driver. He won't make the Pro Bowl because the NFC is loaded at the position, with Terrell Owens, Torry Holt, Larry Fitzgerald and, yes, Driver, but he could. And maybe he should. 3. Who's the sixth wild-card team in the AFC, Buffalo or Cleveland? Pete Prisco Clark Judge I'll go with Cleveland. But don't count out the Titans. They have a favorable schedule the rest of the way, and if they win out they will be in the mix. But I think Cleveland will beat Buffalo this week, which is why they get the advantage over the Bills. They're also a better team right now. They have a better quarterback in Derek Anderson and they also have more weapons on offense. In time, Trent Edwards will be in the Anderson class -- yes, he's that good -- but not yet. The Bills have had way too many injuries and that will catch up with them. Dick Jauron has done an amazing job with his team, but their dreams of a playoff run will end Sunday in Cleveland. Cleveland because the Browns are better on offense, have the easier schedule and get the Bills this weekend in Cleveland. The Browns score in bunches, scoring 24 or more points in all but one of their past eight games, and have one of the league's most effective quarterbacks in Derek Anderson. I like Anderson over Trent Edwards. I like Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards over Lee Evans and Josh Reed. And I'll call Marshawn Lynch and Jamal Lewis a push, though Lewis is having the superior year. Dick Jauron has done a marvelous job keeping the Bills afloat, but there's too much talent in Cleveland to keep him from making it to January. Besides, after this weekend the Browns have Cincinnati and San Francisco left. The Bills have the Giants and Philadelphia. Over and out. 4. Are the Rams doing the right thing giving Scott Linehan another year? Pete Prisco Clark Judge Yes. Linehan's team has been killed by injuries, especially the offensive line. That included losing Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Pace early in the season. The offense couldn't get much going without help up front. Then Steven Jackson missed time with some nagging problems and Marc Bulger has been bothered by a couple of ailments, including concussion issues. Add it all up one can understand why the offense never got going. The defense has had some tough games, but it is better than a year ago. Jim Haslett is the right guy to lead that defense. Give Linehan another year with a full complement of players -- or at least more of them -- and then we'll judge. It's too early to pull the trigger on his Rams career right now. Yes, and it doesn't have as much to do with their injuries as it does with continuity. Unless a coach demonstrates the job is too big for him (Cam Cameron, Bobby Petrino), I'm in favor of keeping a guy for a minimum of three years. That gives him time to collect his players, get his message through and produce a resume. Too often, owners behave like fans, tearing up their coaching staff at the first hint of failure. That's wrong. Bill Cowher didn't go 12-4 every season in Pittsburgh. There were a couple of 6-10 seasons in there as well as one 7-9 finish. But the Steelers stood by the guy, and they stood by him because they had a conviction in him. Well, someone must have had a conviction in Linehan, so let's play this thing out. Let's see what happens next season when his offensive line is intact, and he's not playing Name That Quarterback. Power Rankings: An angry Yao should make Rockets happy By Tony Mejia CBSSports.com Staff Writer Tell Tony your opinion! Updated Dec. 11 Yao Ming is walking around with a very strange look on his face these days. It's equal parts focus and determination, but with the stench of disappointment lingering around a Rockets team that didn't envision itself at .500 a quarter of the way into this season resonating, there's a sour nature in it, too. It's mean. Watch out, Yao Ming is wearing a frown. (AP) Yao looks angry. Yao is angry. Good for Yao. Great for Houston. Bad for the rest of the NBA. For years, Yao has been deemed too nice by critics, who have lumped his affable demeanor right up near the top of the list as to why he and Tracy McGrady haven't been able to get the Rockets out of the first round of the playoffs since joining forces. He's been called too passive, with some even citing his being brought up in the respectful Chinese culture as a drawback. He won't get in teammates faces. He won't instill fear in opponents. He's not passionate enough. Flush all those theories down the drain. "When you are soft yourself, everything will feel tough," Yao told the Houston Chronicle. "It's not because they are so tough. It's because of how soft we are. It's weird that we changed that quick. I never had that feeling. I feel like they traded me to another team, a new team I've never been on before." Yao is well aware his team is underachieving and doesn't have to be Americanized to know that his team has come to rely on him for leadership. There's nothing more to sit back and absorb. He knows what to expect and what's expected of him, which is why losses to the likes of Philadelphia, even on the road, won't fly. If the Rockets are to have the season they envisioned for themselves, things are going to have to start turning around. The schedule offers no aid. Sure, Houston gets to go home, but Detroit, Dallas and Orlando, three of the NBA's top teams thus far, won't go quietly. Tracy McGrady turned an ankle on Tuesday night, so it might be up to Yao to strap the team on his back and get it on the right track. If so, at least he looks ready. That scowl he's wearing on his face should tell you so. He's already been ejected from a game once this month. For the Rockets sake, hopefully his displeasure results in leaving others doing the frowning. The week's Power Rankings: Power Rankings Current Team Previous 1 Spurs · Trends 1 If you ever doubted Manu Ginobili's greatness, his efforts minus Tim Duncan are a clear indication of what he's capable of. While it definitely benefits him from an energy standpoint to fall in line with All-Star teammates Duncan and Tony Parker, he could definitely be a consistent 25-point scorer in this league if he ever had to be. 2 Celtics · Trends 4 Ray Allen is averaging over five points less than he did in Seattle last season and couldn't be happier. It's a torturous 'what if' for Minnesota, but it would have been interesting to see what might have happened if his draft rights had been held onto back in 1996 instead of being moved to Milwaukee for those of Stephon Marbury. 3 Suns · Trends 2 Even Phoenix's offensive machine can be affected by the occasional power outage, but it is interesting to note that with Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson and James Jones playing elsewhere, this is the least-equipped the Suns have been to take apart teams from 3-point range since Mike D'Antoni's tenure began. Grant Hill is still a work in progress from beyond the arc. 4 Pistons · Trends 7 Noise about Rip Hamilton and Flip Saunders not getting along has been drowned out in the manner most veteran teams handle their business -- winning. The Pistons took five of six to start the month, including a couple of road grinders that younger squads would've fallen victim in, citing distractions. 5 Magic · Trends 3 A superb start has been hindered by an old nemesis of late. The turnover problems that contributed to last season's inconsistency have become an issue again, with Orlando regularly hovering around 20 miscues after being much more careful with the ball during the opening month. 6 Mavericks · Trends 6 Devin Harris' up and down play at the point is one reason the Mavericks haven't been able to hit their stride just yet. Avery Johnson made the decision to hand him full-time duties this preseason and vowed to stick with him, but there have undoubtedly been growing pains. The fourth-year guard has wrestled with foul trouble and has had many infuriating stretches of inconsistency to offset his flashes of brilliance. 7 Hornets · Trends 8 Melvin Ely has fit in nicely in New Orleans and together with promising second-year center Hilton Armstrong, offers the Hornets a solid frontcourt tandem in back of David West and Tyson Chandler. That's going to come in handy as the season drags on, keeping all parties fresh. 8 Jazz · Trends 5 Utah's recent road struggles don't bode well for its fortunes the rest of the month. The Jazz won't play consecutive home games until just before the new year and had just six scheduled in Salt Lake for all of December. This is where they prove whether they're truly an elite team or not. 9 Nuggets · Trends 9 Denver is steadily on pace for its first 50-win season in 20 years, a strong accomplishment given that injuries to Nene and Chucky Atkins have forced George Karl to deviate from his projected starting lineup. That fivesome, which includes mainstays Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby, has yet to play a game together. 10 Lakers · Trends 14 Vladimir Radmanovic is starting to live up to what the Lakers envisioned for him last season, averaging close to 10 points per game and providing a threat who can take advantage of the opportunities Kobe Bryant facilitates. The Bosnian sharp-shooter is already within striking distance of his 3-point total for all of last season and might get it within the week. 11 Warriors · Trends 10 Even the super-charged Warriors can lag, which is why being able to rotate Matt Barnes with Kelenna Azubuike is such a luxury. They're very good athletes with nice size and respectable shooting strokes, but it's the intangibles they provide, such as picking up a loose rebound here or raising their teams energy level with a hustle play there that really makes them invaluable. 12 Raptors · Trends 13 While Toronto isn't thrilled that Chris Bosh missed five games with a groin injury, it's nothing new. He was affected by nagging injuries all of last year but managed to play through it, getting into 69 of 82 games without being absent for longer than one long stretch. If that's the case this season, the Raptors would take it. 13 Rockets · Trends 11 Bashers of beleaguered guard Rafer Alston should take heed of what Houston did in the first two games he's been absent from the lineup with a groin sprain, finishing with one season-low assist total after another. It's a classic example of not appreciating someone until they're gone. For whatever reason, the Rockets function better when he's running the point. 14 Pacers · Trends 16 Marquis Daniels presents matchup problems due to his size and ball handling ability, but his lack of a dependable jumper really compromises the effectiveness he should be having in Jim O'Brien's free-flowing system. If he fails to straighten out that shot, don't be surprised if he begins losing opportunities to veteran Kareem Rush, who was signed specifically to provide a solid presence on the perimeter. 15 Cavaliers · Trends 12 Larry Hughes has an opportunity to reinvent himself as a super sub if he takes to the role well. His talent can't be questioned and his versatility is a major asset, but it's undeniable that he's been unable to live up to the expectation that he'd be LeBron James' tag team partner. As a sixth man, he'll have a chance to survey the action on the floor and come in ready to contribute what's needed most, be it scoring, playmaking or simply concentrating on plugging holes defensively. 16 Hawks · Trends 19 Josh Smith won Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors to kick off December and followed that up by almost single-handedly steering an upset of Orlando. Atlanta may rue not wrapping him up to a long-term extension when it had the chance. His stock is rising and his price tag will follow suit. 17 Wizards · Trends 18 Antawn Jamison has rolled up the sleeves and really gotten dirty on the boards this season. With Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler doing the same, Washington has a bit more of an edge than they've had the last few years, one of the reasons they're surviving without Gilbert Arenas and Etan Thomas. 18 Nets · Trends 15 With Richard Jefferson in the midst of a career season, you would think Vince Carter would be taken advantage of not being the focal point opposing defenses key on. Instead, his first 15 games saw him post his lowest scoring average since his rookie season, though consecutive 30-point games in losses to Houston and Washington suggest he might be ready to break out. 19 Trail Blazers · Trends 22 Brandon Roy is quietly gaining notice as one of the Western Conference's elite guards and it looks like Nate McMillan has made the right call in choosing Steve Blake as the running mate to help maximize his abilities. Jarrett Jack and Sergio Rodriguez might be more dynamic options, but haven't proven to be steady enough at the point alongside the league's reigning Rookie of the Year. 20 Heat · Trends 27 Dorell Wright has to be licking his chops at the prospect of going to a team with a more up-tempo style whenever the opportunity presents itself. In games against Golden State and Phoenix, the 22-year-old forward averaged 17.5 points and 14.5 rebounds, relishing in the faster pace. While he's still considered a part of Miami's future, given his talent and reputed eye-opening play in practice, it's worth questioning whether the Heat's style has ever been the right fit for him. 21 Bulls · Trends 25 Between Ben Wallace and Joakim Noah, Chicago has seen a spike in their post defense and on the boards, even if that combination leaves much to be desired from an offensive standpoint. If this is ultimately Scott Skiles' plan of action, it might be time for John Paxson to see what takers are out there for Tyrus Thomas, an asset with considerable upside who doesn't seem to have a place carved out with the current regime. 22 Kings · Trends 20 Expect new addition Dahntay Jones to find his way into Reggie Theus' rotation sooner than later. He might not get as many minutes as Sacramento's last in-season pickup, Beno Udrih, but should become an asset as a defensive stopper. 23 Bucks · Trends 17 Milwaukee is finally starting to get what its always wanted out of Andrew Bogut on a consistent basis. He's asserting himself and giving them a solid presence, blocking shots and rebounding. He's not a bad shooter and an excellent passer, so now that he's providing toughness nightly, he's become pretty darn effective. 24 Clippers · Trends 21 Tim Thomas hasn't had the type of breakthrough season a lot of people forecasted given the chance to inherit Elton Brand's minutes, but he has been relatively solid. If Al Thornton gets comfortable and becomes more productive, L.A. will have a pretty deep of frontcourt options to call upon on once Brand does return. 25 76ers · Trends 28 Andre Miller is playing well again and Philadelphia is following suite, but again, it's imperative that new GM Ed Stefanski not fall into the same trap that swallowed Billy King. The Sixers need to commit wholeheartedly to rebuilding and move their top commodity while the opportunity is ripe. 26 Grizzlies · Trends 23 Kudos to Pau Gasol for deflecting the latest trade winds blowing his way. After the uncertainty the entire Memphis organization had to cope with all last season, some stability is in order. The Grizzlies franchise player has reaffirmed his commitment to the organization and is coming around in Marc Iavaroni's system, too, steadily gaining his footing and putting up solid numbers. 27 Bobcats · Trends 26 Emeka Okafor has vowed to be more assertive and selfish with the basketball, but he's made that declaration before, too. He's never been overly adept on the offensive end of the floor, but considering how little the Bobcats are getting in the post, even forcing the issue seems like a step in the right direction. 28 Knicks · Trends 24 The latest out of Madison Square Garden has Isiah Thomas talking to fans about their poor performance as supporters, apparently displeased with their displeasure. You can't really make this kind of stuff up. 29 SuperSonics · Trends 29 Earl Watson has taken advantage of his increased playing time at the point, providing some stability at a position that has lacked that all year. It remains to be seen whether he can remain focused with Luke Ridnour back from injury and again vying for time. 30 Timberwolves · Trends 30 Defeating the Suns will probably be the most surprising result Minnesota will see all season. To everyone's credit, the Wolves have played up to their level of competition and have shown improvement of late, so maybe they can reach another level when point guard Randy Foye finally takes the court. Rosberg signs on to drive for Williams F1 team Dec. 12, 2007 CBSSports.com wire reports FRANKFURT, Germany -- Nico Rosberg will drive for the Williams Formula One team through the 2009 season. Advertisement Rosberg was already confirmed for 2008 and extended the contract for another year after talks with team chief Frank Williams. "I first tested for Williams when I was 17, so our relationship is now five years old, and I'm happy to maintain this relationship and have the chance to help push the team further toward the front of the grid," Rosberg said in an interview posted on the Williams website Wednesday. "I am really pleased to be staying with Williams for the next two years. I have taken this step because I believe in the team's capabilities to move forward and I get on well with everyone in the team." The extension ended speculation that Rosberg might move to McLaren following the departure of Fernando Alonso, or to another team. Rosberg said he had been "flattered" by such reports but was happy to stay with Williams. His salary has been "adapted," Rosberg said. AP NEWS Crew chief Pemberton leaves DEI; Richert to take over No. 8 team Dec. 11, 2007 CBSSports.com wire reports CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Crew chief Ryan Pemberton has left Dale Earnhardt Inc., and the team said Doug Richert will replace him beginning Wednesday. Pemberton was scheduled to lead the No. 8 Chevrolet that will be co-driven next season by Mark Martin and Aric Almirola. "Ryan is immensely talented and has always been sought-after," DEI general manager John Story said Tuesday. "He's now chosen to pursue some of those opportunities and we wish him nothing but the best." Pemberton spent eight seasons with MB2 Motorsports, which was bought by Bobby Ginn before last season. Ginn then sold the team to DEI, and Pemberton continued with the organization after the acquisition. Richert became the youngest crew chief to win a Cup championship when he did so as a 20-year-old with the late Dale Earnhardt in 1980. He spent most of last season with Brian Vickers at startup Red Bull Racing, but was let go late in the year. Anyway, it's time to update the Projecting the Field. (And the Projecting the Seeds.) If your favorite school isn't included, it means your favorite school has either not beaten enough good teams or lost to too many bad ones. Or both. And such simply is not the recipe for recognition round these parts, and I would like to send my condolences to the Kentucky fans who are learning this one humbling loss at a time. Fairchild was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2003-05 before returning to Buffalo last season as the Bills' offensive coordinator. A former quarterback at Colorado State, Fairchild moves in for Lubick, who was fired after 15 years. Lubick was asked by athletic director Paul Kowalczyk to step down a few days before the Rams' season-ending win over Wyoming Nov. 23. But Lubick refused because he did not want to quit on his team, which finished 3-9. Lubick has been asked to stay on with the school as a fundraiser. Ford scored 26 points in the Raptors' 100-88 win. Toronto hosts Dallas on Wednesday night, and there was no immediate word on Ford's status for the game. He played quarterback at Bishop College before joining the Chiefs as an undrafted player. He led the league in interceptions twice. Thomas' son, Derek Thomas, is in his fifth year as the basketball coach at Western Illinois. Mangini was unsure how many teams have asked for similar permission from New York, but said the Jets have granted it to those that have. He also said the Jets have not been turned down by any teams this season. "It's usually just a function of whether there's a location that we can do it from or not," he said. "It's a pretty common courtesy." Tejada denied any wrongdoing and his name has not been linked to any wrongdoing. The Orioles went 69-93 this season and were hoping to restock their roster. Scott hit .255 with 18 homers and 64 RBIs and Albers went 4-11 with a 5.86 ERA. Patton and Sarfate briefly pitched for Houston and Costanzo played in the minors. Precious metals pulled back as weaker energy prices eased inflationary concerns and lessened the appeal of traditional safe havens such as silver and gold. February gold fell $6.90 an ounce to close at $800.20, while March silver slipped 12 cents to $14.505 an ounce. Industrial metals mostly advanced on the London Metal Exchange, with nickel, copper and zinc making gains, while lead edged lower. Nymex copper for March delivery gained 7.75 cents to end at $3.126. Kent has hit 365 homers and 537 doubles in his career, making him one of 16 major leaguers to reach 350 homers and 500 doubles. He has a lifetime batting average of .290. Kent guaranteed his $9 million option for next season by making his 550th plate appearance in late September, but expressed his frustrations regarding the team's collapse, saying some of the Dodgers' younger players lacked professionalism and their inexperience had hurt the team. The Dodgers lost 11 of their last 14 games and finished 82-80, fourth in the NL West. Lubick was asked by Kowalczyk to step down a few days before the Rams' season-ending win over Wyoming on Nov. 23. But Lubick refused because he did not want to quit on his team. He led the Rams to nine bowl games and at least a share of conference titles in six seasons, compiling a 108-74 record along the way. Lubick has been asked to stay on with the school as a fundraiser, but hasn't made a decision yet. Jackson was the 10th overall pick by Cleveland in the 2004 draft, then played only 10 games that year for the Cavaliers. The former Oregon star also has played with the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors, plus done stints in the NBDL. Jackson signed with the Idaho Stampeders last week, scored 30 points in his first game with that club, then left the team for his workout with the Heat.