Wednesday's Sports in Brief

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Kobe Bryant scored 29 points, making him the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a two-game skid with a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night. Bryant entered the game needing 13 points to eclipse the scoring milestone and did so with a short jumper late in the first half that was perhaps the least spectacular of his baskets, which included the usual array of soaring dunks, demoralizing transition 3-pointers and turnaround, off-balance jumpers. The only other players to score more than 30,000 are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. ''It's pretty awesome,'' Bryant said. ''These are players I respect tremendously and obviously grew up idolizing and watching and learned a great deal from.'' The 34-year-old Bryant is younger than the other four were when they hit the mark, but Bryant also turned pro at 18, and is in his 17th season. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - NBA Commissioner David Stern said Wednesday his $250,000 fine of the San Antonio Spurs was justified because the club went beyond what league owners agreed was a reasonable approach to resting healthy players. Stern said coaches should have the authority to rest players at the end of the season, but that teams should not rest four starters little more than a month into it, and the team made matters worse by not notifying the league beforehand. PRO HOCKEY NEW YORK (AP) - NHL labor talks that began Wednesday afternoon stretched to early Thursday morning and representatives for the league and the players both said the long talks were ''candid'' and offered some sense of hope by announcing negotiations would resume later Thursday. ''We had good, candid dialogue,'' NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said early Thursday after nearly nine hours of talks at a Manhattan hotel. ''There continue to be some critical open issues between the two parties, and we understand the union should be getting back to us (Thursday) on some of those issues.'' Very little information leaked out of the meeting room, but it is believed that each side submitted proposals to the other and spent lots of time apart discussing what was offered. One point of contention is the length of the new contract, with owners looking for a 10-year pact, and players wanting a shorter term. The players' association is expected to have internal discussions Thursday morning before meeting with the NHL later in the day. BASEBALL NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Los Angeles Angels added starter Joe Blanton and reliever Sean Burnett to their retooled pitching staff. Jeff Keppinger found a new home, as did Eric Chavez. The big deals, however, remained on deck at baseball's winter meetings. Jason Bay, Randy Choate, Nate Schierholtz and a diamond full of players wound up in different places Wednesday, while top contenders waited for a pair of free-agent prizes to make their decisions. The lone trade was minor, with Detroit sending left-hander Andy Oliver to Pittsburgh for a young catcher. Former MVP Josh Hamilton and former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke remained in play. They're the driving forces in this market and depending on where they go more moves are likely to follow. Texas would like to re-sign Hamilton, at the right price. New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey also keeps drawing attention. He lives near the Opryland Hotel and dropped in for a visit, though there's no change in his situation. Signed for next season, he wants a new contract, while several clubs, including Boston, want to trade for the reigning NL Cy Young winner. PRO FOOTBALL KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The mother of Jovan Belcher says her love for her son and his girlfriend has not diminished since the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker killed the 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins and then shot himself in the head at the Chiefs' complex. Cheryl Shepherd had been living her son and Perkins to help care for their 3-month-old daughter, Zoey, and was at the couple's home Saturday morning when Perkins was shot. ''That's my son, and I love him,'' Shepherd said in a brief telephone conversation Wednesday. ''She's my daughter-in-law, just like my daughter.'' Also on Wednesday, the Chiefs attended a memorial service for Belcher. Retired Chiefs Hall of Famer Bobby Bell said general manager Scott Pioli and an uncle of Belcher's spoke during the service. Shepherd, 54, was not happy about the release of recordings of the emergency phone call she made Saturday after Perkins was shot. ''I just got a phone call that they did that, and I don't appreciate it,'' she said. ''Right now I don't want to talk about it.'' In the emergency call, Shepherd begs Perkins to ''stay with me'' while frantically asking for an ambulance. She tells the dispatcher that Perkins is ''still breathing but please hurry. ... They were arguing, please hurry.'' Shepherd also told dispatchers that Perkins was bleeding, ''just barely'' awake and that it looked as though she was wounded in the back. She said Perkins moved when she spoke to her. Under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, the estate or guardian of the couple's daughter will receive more than $1 million. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - Rex Ryan is sticking with Mark Sanchez as the New York Jets' starting quarterback. The coach announced that Sanchez, benched Sunday against Arizona, will get the start this week over Greg McElroy and Tim Tebow when the Jets play the Jaguars at Jacksonville. ''I have to get this decision right,'' Ryan said, ''and I believe I have.'' PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned to practice and appeared on track to return this weekend against San Diego. Roethlisberger hasn't played since spraining his right shoulder and dislocating a rib in a 16-13 overtime victory over Kansas City on Nov. 12. He was limited in practice but coach Mike Tomlin was encouraged by Roethlisberger's performance. EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Vikings placed ailing wide receiver Percy Harvin on injured reserve, abruptly ending a season that began so well for one of the NFL's most versatile players. Coach Leslie Frazier answered questions about Harvin's status cryptically and vaguely at his regular news conference, when he ruled Harvin out of practice again because of the severely sprained ankle that has kept him out of the last three games. Then about six hours later, the Vikings announced the move that declared their top pass-catcher done for the year. COLLEGE FOOTBALL HOUSTON (AP) - Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o won the Lombardi Award as college football's best lineman or linebacker. Te'o, also a Heisman Trophy finalist, had 103 tackles and seven interceptions this year to help the undefeated Fighting Irish reach the BCS championship game against Alabama. BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - California hired Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes in hopes that the offensive mastermind can revive a program that struggled in recent years under the fired Jeff Tedford. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Purdue hired Darrell Hazell as its new football coach. Hazell won this season's Mid-American Conference coach of the year award after leading Kent State to its first winning season since 2001, first bowl appearance in more than four decades and the brink of a BCS bowl game. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Former Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema says he won't coach the Badgers in the Rose Bowl after taking the job at Arkansas. He believes former coach and Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez will be on the sideline when Wisconsin plays Stanford on Jan. 1. MIAMI (AP) - Florida International fired football coach Mario Cristobal after six seasons. Athletic director Pete Garcia made the announcement, calling FIU's season ''a total collapse'' and saying the program needs to go in a different direction. SOCCER LONDON (AP) - Lionel Messi was taken off the field on a cart because of bone bruise to his left knee in Barcelona's 0-0 tie with Benfica in a Champions League game, while defending champion Chelsea failed to advance to the final 16 in the tournament. With Barcelona already assured of advancing to the second round, Messi entered as a reserve in the 58th minute. Messi's left knee collided with the right hand of Benfica's Artur as the Argentine star ran onto Gerard Pique's long pass and tried to round the goalkeeper in the 85th minute. Messi took a left-footed shot from an angle, then fell to the field in pain. He rolled onto his back and held the knee, then was loaded onto a cart. ''It's a bruise, which doctors have been having a look at,'' Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said. ''We now have to wait for the results of tests, but the feeling is that it isn't more serious than a knock.'' Barcelona later tweeted that tests confirmed Messi has a bruised bone on the outside of his left knee. OLYMPICS LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) - Eight years after winning Olympic medals in Athens, four track and field athletes from eastern Europe were ordered to hand them back because of positive doping tests. Lance Armstrong, meanwhile, can hold onto his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games for a little while longer. The International Olympic Committee executive board disqualified four athletes whose Athens doping samples were retested earlier this year and came back positive for steroids, including shot put gold medalist Yuriy Bilonog of Ukraine. Also stripped were hammer throw silver medalist Ivan Tskikhan of Belarus and two bronze medalists - women's shot putter Svetlana Krivelyova of Russia and discus thrower Irina Yatchenko of Belarus. The case of a fifth bronze medalist, weightlifter Oleg Perepechenov of Russia, remains pending. The IOC said it will ask the International Association of Athletics Federations to get the four medals back and readjust the results and rankings from the Athens Games. Until then, no decision will be taken on reallocating the medals. Adam Nelson of the United States finished second in the shot put and would stand to move up to gold. GOLF DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - American defending champion Lexi Thompson opened with a 3-under 69 at the Dubai Ladies Masters, three shots off the leaders. Shanshan Feng and Florentyna Parker both shot 66s after the first round. AUTO RACING INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Tony Stewart passed up a chance to race for Roger Penske in the Indianapolis 500. The three-time NASCAR champion said at the International Motorsports Industry Show that he wouldn't attempt to race in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. ''As much as I would like to do it, we just don't have the time to do it proper,'' Stewart said. ''The IRL is so competitive now, you're not going to just show up like drivers used to do in the past and be competitive.''

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Juan Manuel Marquez's newfound muscle raises questions about PED use

LAS VEGAS – Juan Manuel Marquez said he's "ready to go to war" with Manny Pacquiao, but the presence of an admitted steroids distributor in his corner Saturday night and a vastly more muscular body has skeptics questioning whether it's conventional warfare or chemical warfare he will use. Marquez will meet Pacquiao for a fourth, and likely final, time on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden in a 12-round welterweight bout on HBO Pay-Per-View. Though he believes he won each of their first three fights, Marquez is winless, losing the last two after getting a draw in the first. Juan Manuel Marquez listens to comments during a news conference. (AP) Three years ago, when Marquez was 36, he moved up from lightweight to welterweight to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. Marquez looked puny next to Mayweather and had no muscle definition. It was hardly a surprise, though, since Marquez had never weighed more than 135 in a fight and weighed less than 130 in 50 of his 55 fights to that point. Now, Marquez's physique has undergone a transformation every bit as dramatic as the one baseball star Barry Bonds did in the second half of his legendary career. He has big, bulging biceps, thick shoulders and a wide, broad chest. He accomplished this after he turned 38 and only after he hired Angel Guillermo "Memo" Heredia as his strength and conditioning coach. Marquez vehemently denies the use of any performance-enhancing drugs, which puts him in an awkward situation. If he dominates or knocks out Pacquiao, he likely won't receive the acclaim and the respect he seeks because so many would believe it to be a tainted victory. He said he's willing to submit to testing to prove his claims. "Right now, I'm willing to do it," Marquez said. "This is [a result of] hard work." [Related: Manny Pacquiao on pace for insane payday] The veteran first used Heredia, who avoided prosecution in the BALCO case by testifying for the government against track coach Trevor Graham, prior to his third fight with Pacquiao. While Marquez was bigger in that fight than he was when he met Mayweather in 2009, he was nowhere near as big or defined as he is now. Marquez gleefully explained the transformation in his body as if he'd discovered the Fountain of Youth. "In working with Angel, I've changed everything," Marquez said. "I feel great. I feel great because I've had a 20-year career and I did it the same way for 18 years. But now, Angel has changed everything." He's bigger and stronger than he had been, Marquez admitted, but he's retained his speed and quickness. If there is a way to finally get over the hump and defeat Pacquiao, he needed to become more of a threat as a puncher without sacrificing speed. It appears that Marquez has done that. The unanswered question is by what methods and at what cost. Heredia was a key witness against Graham during the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative scandal. Heredia admitted providing Graham's athletes, including Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin, with steroids, EPO and human growth hormone. Heredia, who also goes by the name Angel Hernandez, doesn't hide his past, but insists he's clean now. He said Marquez's stunning physical transformation is the result of hard work and training methods he said are proprietary. "They're my secrets and I don't intend to tell so other trainers can copycat my secrets," Heredia said. Manny Pacquiao arrives at a press conference in Las Vegas. (AP) Heredia told Yahoo! Sports he was working with the government to develop drug-testing protocols for professional boxing. He said there are vast differences in three-round amateur bouts and 12-round professional fights. However, that is unlikely since the World Anti-Doping Agency testing protocol is the same in every sport. It is no different for marathoners than it is for sprinters, so it would seem extremely unlikely a new testing regimen would be needed for boxers based upon the length of their matches. Long-time boxing trainers were stunned to see Marquez squatting extraordinarily heavy amounts of weight. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach has publicly questioned the transformation of Marquez's body, leading Heredia to threaten a lawsuit against Roach. Heredia said he is working with nine other boxers, but he refused to name them. All of them, he said, are working the same routine as Marquez. [Related: Manny Pacquiao's success tied to trainer, confidant Freddie Roach] Testing Marquez so close to the fight would basically be useless. If he used any of a variety of substances, it likely would have long since cleared the body and be undetectable at this stage. As the United States Anti-Doping Agency's lengthy investigation of cyclist Lance Armstrong showed, Armstrong and his teammates used EPO for years without testing positive. EPO is a hormone which increases the oxygen-carrying ability of the blood. It helps the muscles perform better and over a more lengthy period of time. If injected directly into a vein, EPO will clear one's system in fewer than 24 hours. An athlete who took EPO in the evening would have no fear of testing positive the following day. According to WADA protocols, athletes have to provide a one-hour window to be available for testing. Since EPO passes the system so quickly, those using it can simply take it after the one-hour window has passed. Dr. Larry Bowers, USADA's chief science officer, said in an affidavit in the Armstrong case that the lack of a positive test is not proof that one did not dope. Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO, went to prison for his role in that scandal. Since his release, he's acted as an anti-doping advocate, the black hat turned white fighting for clean sport. "I see in interviews that Memo is trying to say he is an anti-doping advocate like me now, but we are as different as night and day," Conte told Yahoo! Sports. "What happened was, I chose not to cooperate with law enforcement. I chose to accept the full consequences. I didn't testify. I didn't provide any documents or information because these were people that I gave the drugs to. I was the leader as he was the leader. "So you're going to turn on them, you're going to testify against them, you're going to put them in prison while you walk free when you were at the top of the food chain and you were the leader of the pack? I didn't feel good about doing that. … I said, 'I'm wrong and I deserve consequences, whatever those are.' " [Related: Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez have little to hide in rematch] While Conte said it is theoretically possible that Marquez was able to transform his body the way he has at such an advanced age for an athlete, he remains suspicious of it. He pointed out the massive amount of weight that Marquez was shown squatting during HBO's "24/7: Pacquiao-Marquez." Several boxing trainers and conditioning coaches have told Yahoo! Sports that it is highly unusual for boxers to squat such heavy weight. Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez pose for photos. (AP) Conte said there is a reason for that. "That makes your entire body strong, not just your legs," Conte said of the squats Marquez has been doing. "If you want to stimulate speed, power and strength, you do it using heavy weight and exploding from under that weight with enough on your shoulders in the squat rack. "But how many boxers do you know who are in the weight room squatting huge poundage? You don't see that. That in and of itself would make you stiff and sore and unable to walk for two or three days unless you are using testosterone or other steroids to accelerate the healing, where instead of it taking three days to recover from that type of workout, you'd recover in one day." Heredia dismisses Conte, whom he describes as "that guy in San Francisco with a big mouth on Twitter," as out of touch and jealous. Heredia said he's working closely with USADA and said he remains a witness in ongoing investigations. Heredia said he is going to meet with FDA special agent Jeff Novitzky, the man who broke the BALCO case, Thursday in Las Vegas and that Marquez will provide a blood and urine sample. Heredia portrayed it as evidence that he is cooperating and attempting to develop a program that could catch cheats in professional boxing. But Novitzky is a criminal investigator, not a man who would be setting testing protocols or even handling a blood or urine specimen. Marquez swears he has never taken performance-enhancing drugs. Throughout his 20-year career, Marquez has been honorable and forthright and there's never been a hint of controversy surrounding him. Until now. Marquez insists he's not worried about the skeptics. "First of all I would like to tell you that I have never done this type of work before," he said of the training he's done with Heredia. "That's why my body has changed. I have been working very hard, specifically to get more strength. Angel is a professional and knows how much weight I am putting on. I am getting more speed and getting stronger at the same time. "As far as people thinking I am taking steroids? I would take the test. Let them take my blood. I don't care. [I would do it] just to shut everybody up. Of course my fight tests have always been clean. I don't know how those rumors get started." The rumors got started because of his association with a known steroids distributor and the subsequent dramatic transformation of his body. He may finally get that coveted victory of Pacquiao, but in this case a win may create more questions than answers.

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Australian Rogers joins Saxo-Tinkoff

PARIS (Reuters) - Three-times world time-trial champion Michael Rogers has signed a two-year contract with Saxo-Tinkoff, the Dutch team said on Friday. The 32-year-old Australian left Team Sky after two years with the British outfit, with whom he played a key part in Bradley Wiggins's Tour de France victory in July. Rogers is set to play the same support role for Spain's Alberto Contador, who will seek a third Tour de France win next year. "I think Michael's record pretty much speaks for itself. He is without a doubt a world class rider, a very strong time trialist, who is also capable of climbing, and on top of that he is a great guy," Saxo-Tinkoff team manager Bjarne Riis said in a statement. Rogers won three consecutive time-trial world titles from 2003 to 2005.

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Armstrong has three weeks to appeal UCI sanctions

PARIS (Reuters) - Lance Armstrong has been notified by the UCI that he has been stripped of all the titles he won after July 1998 and the American has three weeks to appeal, a spokesman for cycling's world governing body said on Monday. "Lance Armstrong's lawyer was notified on 6th December that all his results since 1st August 1998 were nullified. He has 21 days to appeal (from that date)," the International Cycling Union's Enrico Carpani told Reuters. The 41-year-old Armstrong had his seven Tour de France victories scratched from the records and was banned from cycling for life in October after the UCI ratified the United States Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) sanctions against him. USADA published a report that said the now-retired rider had been involved in the "most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen." The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said this month it would wait for the UCI to notify Armstrong that his titles were being taken away and give him the right to appeal before stripping him of his 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze medal. "The IOC today will not move because we need to have the situation whereby the UCI notifies officially Mr Armstrong of the fact that he will be disqualified and declared ineligible and that he should hand over his medal," IOC President Jacques Rogge told reporters on December 5. "When he will be notified Mr Armstrong will have 21 days to launch an appeal. It is only after that period that the IOC can legally take action." Armstrong, who won the medal in the individual time trial, has repeatedly denied doping and never tested positive for drugs. His accusers, however, said Armstrong - one of the world's most famous athletes who is also well known for his cancer-fighting charity work - was not only a willing participant, but the ringleader, ordering team mates to cheat. In addition to financial payments, emails and laboratory test results that the agency said proved the use of performance- enhancing drugs by Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Service team, 26 people gave sworn testimony, including 11 former team mates.

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Angry Katusha hit out at UCI over World Tour omission

(Reuters) - Katusha, the team that world number one Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain rides for, have hit out at the International Cycling Union (UCI) for dropping them from the sport's top flight. On Monday, the UCI announced Katusha's application for World Tour status in 2013 had been rejected but gave no explanation as to why the Russian team ranked second in this year's standings were not granted an automatic spot for next season's leading races. "At the present moment Katusha has no information regarding the reasons for the decision of the UCI," the team said in a statement on Tuesday. "Team management, riders and staff are extremely surprised by the lack of justification for such a decision." The UCI told Reuters the move was made by the independent licence commission which makes its decisions on sporting, ethical, administrative and financial grounds. "The UCI violates the canons of sports ethics and causes irreparable moral and psychological harm to the athletes before the start of the new season," added Katusha. The decision by the UCI means the Russian team will need invitations to take part in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, the Tour of Spain and several top one-day and one-week races in 2013.

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Obama: U.S. now recognizes Syrian opposition coalition

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama granted U.S. recognition on Tuesday to a Syrian opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, a move aimed at ratcheting up pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to leave power. Obama announced his decision in an interview with ABC News on the eve of a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders and their international allies in Morocco, but he stopped short of authorizing U.S. arming of rebels fighting to overthrow Assad. "It's a big step," Obama said in a step that could provide a diplomatic boost to the anti-Assad political cause after nearly two years of fighting. France, Britain, Turkey and the Gulf states led the way last month in recognizing the opposition coalition. But Washington held off until now, demanding the groups, dogged by splits and rivalries throughout their battle to end the Assad family's long authoritarian rule, do more to coalesce into a unified front. A formal endorsement by Obama, accused by critics of failing to respond forcefully enough to the bloody Syrian conflict, could mark a new phase in his efforts to isolate Assad, who has defied repeated U.S. calls to step down. But little in the way of direct military or financial support is expected to be channeled to the coalition at the Morocco meeting on Wednesday, partly because it lacks the ability to act as a provisional government and because Western powers are still wary of backing Islamist fighters in the rebel ranks. "We've made a decision that the Syrian opposition coalition is now inclusive enough, is reflective and representative enough of the Syrian population that we consider them the legitimate representative of the Syrian people in opposition to the Assad regime," Obama told ABC's Barbara Walters at the White House. The diplomatic designation - which had been widely expected - could open the door to further U.S. non-lethal assistance, including communications equipment and humanitarian aid, and deeper political contacts. But Obama made clear that he remains cautious about some of the armed Syrian factions linked to the political coalition and is not ready to start supplying weapons to the rebels, something he has steadfastly resisted despite demands from some Republican critics. "Not everybody who's participating on the ground in fighting Assad are people who we are comfortable with," Obama said. "There are some who, I think, have adopted an extremist agenda, an anti-U.S. agenda, and we are going to make clear to distinguish between those elements." DESIGNATED AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION Obama specifically singled out the radical Islamist Syrian group Jabhat al-Nusrah, which the United States on Tuesday designated as a foreign terrorist organization that it said was trying to hijack the rebellion on behalf of al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. officials said the al-Nusra group had claimed responsibility for carrying out nearly 600 attacks in major cities that have killed numerous innocent Syrians during the uprising against Assad. U.S. officials said it was an important signal both to the Syrian opposition and its foreign supporters, particularly in the Gulf, that al-Nusra and its ilk cannot play a part in Syria's eventual political transition. Tuesday's action came as U.S. officials were set to attend the Friends of Syria meeting in Marrakech, to discuss the Syria crisis, as rebels push forward on the battlefield and move to unify the political opposition. Rebels clashed on Tuesday with government forces near Damascus airport, battling for the capital's outskirts in a conflict which the United Nations said has driven half a million people from the country since it began in March 2011. Fighting near the airport, 20 km (12 miles) southeast of Damascus city center, is part of a broader confrontation between the army and rebels who hold a near-continuous arc of territory from the east to the southwest of Assad's power base. At least 40,000 people have been killed in Syria's uprising, which started with street protests that were met with gunfire by Assad's security forces, and spiraled into the most enduring and destructive of the Arab uprisings. Stalemate between major powers, particularly the United States and Russia, has paralyzed the wider international response to the violence, leaving regional Sunni Muslim states such as Turkey and the Gulf Arab countries helping the rebels and Shi'ite Iran providing support to Assad.

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U.S. military to increase presence in Philippines

MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. and Philippine officials are expected to agree on an increase in the number of U.S. military ships, aircraft and troops rotating through the Philippines, Filipino officials said, as tensions simmer with China over its maritime claims. Senior U.S. and Philippine officials met on Wednesday in Manila to discuss strengthening security and economic ties at a time of growing tension over China's aggressive sovereignty claims over vast stretches of the disputed South China Sea. Philippine defense and diplomatic officials said they expected to see more U.S. ships, aircraft and troops for training exercises and disaster and relief operations. "What we are discussing right now is increasing the rotational presence of U.S. forces," Carlos Sorreta, the foreign ministry's Assistant Secretary for American Affairs, told reporters. A five-year joint U.S.-Philippine military exercise plan would be approved this week, he added. The size of the increase in the U.S. military assets in the Philippines, a former U.S. colony, was unclear. But it comes as the Philippines, Australia and other parts of the region have seen a resurgence of U.S. warships, planes and personnel under Washington's so-called "pivot" in foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia announced last year. U.S. and Philippine officials say there is no plan to revive permanent U.S. military bases in the Philippines - the last ones were closed in 1992 - and that the increased presence would help provide relief during disasters such as a typhoon last week that killed more than 700 people. "The increase rotation presence is in areas where we have been traditionally exercising," said Sorreta. "There are other areas for example where we have been experiencing more disasters. So we might be expanding exercises there." Wary of Washington's intentions, China is building up its own military. Its claims over most of the South China Sea have set it directly against U.S. allies Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also claim parts of the mineral-rich waters. One U.S. official said Washington was not ready to wade directly into the territorial dispute in the South China Sea and instead would focus on strengthening security ties with long-standing allies such as the Philippines. "I don't think you'll see any real movement on the South China Sea," the U.S. official said. "I'm sure it will come up, but we aren't trying to step in and 'solve' that issue. We really want the solution to be done by the claimants themselves and are hoping the Code of Conduct discussions move forward," said the official, referring to a Code of Conduct aimed at easing the risk of naval flashpoints. Sorreta told Reuters the Philippines also favored an increased deployment of U.S. aircraft and ships "so we can make use of them when the need arises", citing last week's typhoon. He said they would also welcome more U.S. humanitarian supplies.

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Turkish ex-leader's body shows poison, death cause unclear: media

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The exhumed body of Turkey's late President Turgut Ozal, who led the country out of military rule in the 1980s, contained poison but the cause of death was unclear, local media reported an autopsy as showing on Wednesday. There have long been rumors that Ozal, who died of heart failure in 1993 aged 65, was murdered by militants of the "deep state" - a shadowy group within the Turkish establishment of the day. Ozal had angered some with his efforts to end a Kurdish insurgency and survived an assassination bid in 1988. Turkey's forensic institute completed the autopsy on Tuesday and the results will be sent to prosecutors investigating suspicions of foul play, state-run Anatolian news agency said. "Poison was detected in Ozal's body during the analysis but experts could not agree on whether the cause of death was this poison," broadcaster NTV reported. Previous media reports have said Ozal's body, dug up in October on the orders of prosecutors, revealed traces of insecticides, pesticides and radioactive elements. "Toxic materials were found in Ozal's body but these poisons were present in a form which could be found in any person's body," one official who had seen the autopsy report was quoted as saying by Hurriyet newspaper on its website. Forensic institute officials were not available to comment. Ozal, whose economic reforms helped shape modern Turkey, was in poor health before his death. After undergoing a triple heart bypass operation in the United States in 1987, he kept up a gruelling schedule and remained overweight until he died. His moves to end a Kurdish insurgency and create a Turkic union with central Asian states have been cited as motives for would-be enemies in "deep state," in which security establishment figures and criminal elements colluded. It was Turkey's military leaders who appointed him as a minister after a period of military rule following a 1980 coup. He went on to dominate Turkish politics as prime minister from 1983 to 1989. Parliament then elected him president, but those close to him believe his reform efforts displeased some in the security establishment.

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Israel to withhold Palestinian funds until March

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will withhold tax revenues from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's administration until March at least in response to his statehood campaign at the United Nations, Israel's foreign minister said. Under interim peace deals, Israel collects some $100 million a month in duties on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the occupied West Bank -- money that is badly needed to pay public sector salaries. "The Palestinians can forget about getting even one cent in the coming four months, and in four months' time we will decide how to proceed," Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a speech on Tuesday night. Israel says Abbas violated previous peace accords by sidestepping stalled negotiations and securing a Palestinian status upgrade in the United Nations last month. Israel has already withheld the December transfer, saying the money would be used to start paying off $200 million the Palestinians owe the Israel Electric Corporation. Lieberman, a hardliner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition government, said the Palestinians also had another debt with the Israeli water authority that would have to be paid off. "Israel is not prepared to accept unilateral steps by the Palestinian side, and anyone who thinks they will achieve concessions and gains this way is wrong," he said. Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior Palestinian official, said earlier this month that Israel was guilty of "piracy and theft" by refusing to hand over the funds. The European Union has also criticized Israel for not handing over the cash. "Contractual obligations ... regarding full, timely, predictable and transparent transfer of tax and custom revenues have to be respected," it said on Monday. Israel has previously frozen payments to the PA during times of heightened security and diplomatic tensions, provoking strong international criticism, such as when the U.N. cultural body UNESCO granted the Palestinians full membership a year ago. Abbas's U.N. victory was a diplomatic setback for the United States and Israel, which were joined by only seven other countries in voting against upgrading the Palestinians' observer status to "non-member state", like the Vatican, from "entity". Hours after the U.N. vote, Israel said it would authorize 3,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and expedite planning work for thousands more in a geographically sensitive area close to Jerusalem. Critics say this plan would kill off Palestinian hopes of a viable state.

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Chavez's cancer surgery successful, Venezuela VP says

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's cancer operation in Cuba on Tuesday was a success, his vice president said, adding that the complex surgery had lasted more than six hours and he would be recuperating for several days. The 58-year-old socialist leader's third bout with cancer in the past 18 months has thrown his presidency into jeopardy and upended politics in the South American OPEC nation. "Once again, our comandante has shown his strength," Vice President Nicolas Maduro said in a broadcast on state television as members of the government alongside him applauded. "We want to thank the Venezuelan people for all the love they dedicated so this operation was completed correctly and successfully," said Maduro, whom Chavez has named as his successor if he is unable to stay in power. Maduro said the post-operative phase would last several days. "We can say the president has beaten the first obstacle and now, with his medical team, he will go on recuperating." Chavez's surgery in Cuba, a close ally, was his fourth since mid-2011. Doctors found malignant cells again in his pelvic area soon after he comfortably won re-election in October. Chavez had twice declared himself cured, only for the cancer to return. He has said he still hopes to recover from this operation in time for the January 10 start of a new six-year term in office. He named Maduro on Saturday as a potential heir to lead his self-styled revolution in a nation of 29 million people with the world's largest oil reserves. The move irked some in Venezuela's opposition, who say voters - not Chavez - would decide who follows him if he were forced to step down and an election was held within 30 days, as required under the constitution. 'RIGHT TO KNOW' Should an election be held, opposition flag-bearer Henrique Capriles, who lost to Chavez in the October presidential ballot but scored a record 6.5 million votes for the opposition, could have a second crack at power. In a newspaper interview on Tuesday, Capriles declined to speculate on a possible new presidential bid and repeated his best wishes to Chavez for a quick recovery. But he criticized the secrecy surrounding the president's treatment. "Venezuelans have the right to know," he said. Maduro said Chavez was surrounded by family and top government officials in Havana, where he is a guest of his friend and political ally, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The vice president criticized attempts to manipulate news of the president's health for political gain, saying: "Stop spreading hatred and poison every day. Respect the president and respect the sadness of the people, who this man has freed." The stakes are high for Cuba and other socialist-run nations across Latin America and the Caribbean that depend on the Chavez government for subsidized oil and other economic aid. Messages of support have poured in from allies. "He changed the history of Venezuela and much of Latin America," said Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, a member of the Chavez-led bloc of leftist nations in the region. "He's in good spirits. You know what Hugo's like, always ready for tough battles with optimism and faith," Correa said of Chavez before the operation. "I'm not going to lie, we are very worried." U.S. actor Sean Penn, one of Chavez's most prominent international supporters, joined a vigil in Bolivia. "He's one of the most impressive forces on the planet and we need to show him our love," Penn was quoted as saying by local media. Cancer experts warned that the recurrence of Chavez's disease was bad news. "The chances for long-term recovery are highest the first time around, when you attack a cancer with surgery and chemotherapy. Whenever a cancer recurs, your chances for a long-term positive outcome decrease," said Dr. Axel Grothey, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Grothey has not been involved in the president's treatment, but said he had seen many patients in a similar situation. INVESTORS WATCH Maduro, 50, a former bus driver and union activist, lacks his boss' charisma and political flair but would represent policy continuity should he take over. He has already taken control of day-to-day government business. Chavez's health woes had sparked a rally in Venezuela bonds, given many investors' preference for a more business-friendly government in Caracas. Gains were trimmed slightly on Tuesday. Western investors have increasingly shunned Venezuela under Chavez - especially given his nationalizations of large swaths of the economy - giving companies from China, Russia, Iran, Belarus and other allies a chance to grab footholds. In London, emerging market investor Mark Mobius said any change to a more market-friendly government in Venezuela would encourage him to invest there once more. In a research report, Nomura said the market should temper its enthusiasm in the medium term, saying the impact of Chavez's blessing of Maduro should not be underestimated if a new election were held. "Second, the situation inside the opposition is not a bed of roses, as there are ongoing contradictions and a certain lack of morale," it said, adding that Capriles was beaten heavily on October 7. The health saga has once again eclipsed major national issues such as state elections on Sunday, a widely expected devaluation of the bolivar currency and a proposed amnesty for Chavez's jailed and exiled political foes. Venezuelans were expecting a currency devaluation around the New Year, although Chavez's illness has put that in doubt.

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The Real Best Places to Retire in 2012

A blizzard of articles give advice about the best places to retire. They generally recommend fleeing the North and heading for the Sunbelt, to places in the Carolinas, Florida, or Arizona. Occasionally they offer a surprise retirement spot in Iowa or Indiana. Sometimes they even tout retirement locales outside the United States. [See The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012.] These articles rely on statistics such as the cost of living or winter temperatures. But they miss the most important thing--the human element. Here are the real best places to retire: Stay home. As we get older, moving, making new friends, and acclimatizing ourselves to new surroundings gets more difficult. Don't underestimate the value of your current community. Think long and hard before you cut those connections to go off to get a sunburn. Your hometown likely offers more senior citizen benefits than you think including tax breaks, low-cost transportation, and subsidized meals. We have friends in the outer suburbs of New York who always thought they would retire somewhere warmer. But they finally realized how important their church community was to them and decided to stay put. Now they visit the senior center for a free meal every Thursday night. They walk at the mall two or three mornings a week and stay for coffee with new acquaintances. And they are still active in their church, among the friends they've known for decades. [See The 10 Sunniest Places to Retire.] Move near your children. My brother-in-law spent most of his career working around Pittsburgh, Pa. After he retired, he and his wife gathered together all the brochures and ultimately decided to move to Massachusetts. Their daughter lives outside of Boston and their son is in Rhode Island. They moved from a four-bedroom suburban home to a two-bedroom bungalow in their daughter's town. Their yard is smaller, just right for Grandpa to keep an eye on the grandkids while he relaxes on the patio. They've met new friends through their daughter, and they love their new life, in an area often billed as cold and expensive. Follow your friends. One fellow I know retired to Maryland. Why? His long-time golfing partner retired there a few years earlier. He moved to the same town, joined the same golf club, and soon they were prowling the links together, just like old times. A year later, another friend joined them, who had a relative living nearby, and they all now play golf twice a week. Their wives, who had known each other casually, are now close friends. They started a bridge club, brought in some other women, and from there developed meaningful connections to the community. These couples now feel as though, as one of the women put it, "We've lived here all our lives." [See 10 Places to Retire on Social Security Alone.] Move back home. One friend of mine grew up in El Paso, Texas. She went to college in California, then got married and moved to Washington, D.C. Some 25 years later, her husband died and she felt lost in the big city. She moved back west, to nearby New Mexico, where she started a small business which included some clients in Washington. Now she lives in her beloved mountains and travels to Washington occasionally to see clients. Another woman grew up outside New York. She got married and moved to Oregon and spent most of her 20s and 30s around Portland. Eventually she got divorced and moved first to California, then Arizona, with a year-long stint in Alaska. But when she retired, she felt the pull of Portland, where she still had friends. To her, that was home. And that's where she moved. No matter where you end up in retirement, remember that relationships are more important than the weather. The warmest climate can be found amidst the safety and security of family and friends. Tom Sightings is a former publishing executive who was eased into early retirement in his mid-50s. He lives in the New York area and blogs at Sightings at 60, where he covers health, finance, retirement, and other concerns of baby boomers who realize that somehow they have grown up.

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Baby Boomers Plan Their Retirement Careers

Retirement for the baby boomers is likely to be far different from what their parents experienced. Work will probably be an integral part of everyday life, both to meet financial requirements and to keep busy during an increasing lifespan. Workers approaching retirement should plan now for their pending retirement career. [See 10 Places to Launch a Second Career in Retirement.] Most baby boomers (72 percent) say they plan to keep working in some capacity after retirement, according to a 2010 Del Webb survey. The top reason for working in retirement is to ward off boredom and keep busy, while financial necessity came in second. Other reasons for delaying retirement include self-satisfaction and enjoying the job. Some employees are planning to continue working well into the traditional retirement years. A recent Wells Fargo survey found that 25 percent of middle class Americans say they will need to work until at least 80 to live comfortably in retirement. If seniors will need to work during their retirement years, the nature of the job becomes increasingly important. During our first career we discovered what we are good at, what we like to do, and what we dread doing every day. This knowledge can help us prepare for our second act. Here's how to select a satisfying retirement career: Aim for a job you enjoy. In a down economy you may be forced to take any available job. But if you are lucky enough to be able to consider a job you might actually enjoy, decide what it would look like. What could you do each day that would make you eager to get out of bed each morning, with great expectations of exciting things to be? It is far better to start the day with an optimistic smile versus an anxious moment. [See 5 Social Security Changes Coming in 2012.] Avoid toxic situations. Decide what you would find personally satisfying in a second career and also the tasks you would dread doing. A typical job includes a mix of each, but ideally you want to tip the scale toward what you love. Test drive your dream job. When you were younger, what did you dream of becoming? Although a ballerina or an astronaut might not be realistic now, think back on what it was you always wanted to do. If a certain career field still intrigues you, try to explore opportunities for a retirement career trying it out. Play to your strengths. After several decades in the workforce, you probably already know whether you prefer flexibility or routine, independence or supervision, creativity or clearly defined activity, and risk or assurance. Look for a second career that has the characteristics you find most important in a satisfying job. [See 7 Misconceptions About Retired Life.] Try something new. Try to incorporate something you feel passionate about into your retirement job. Take steps to impact the direction of your retirement career, rather than just letting it happen. Dave Bernard is not yet retired but has begun his due diligence to plan for a satisfying retirement. With a focus on the non-financial aspects of retiring, he shares his discoveries and insights on his blog Retirement-Only the Beginning.

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Why Older Workers are Better Workers

At a time when high unemployment numbers constantly make the headlines, companies can be selective about whom they want to hire. Older workers generally don't make the top of lists of potential job candidates for a variety of reasons, some real and some imagined. But with 10,000 baby boomers reaching the age of 65 each day for the next twenty years, hiring companies would do well to re-evaluate this untapped pool of labor, especially once our economy finally gets back on track. [See Companies with the Most Older Workers.] According to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, people over the age of 40 are protected against being treated less favorably because of age. As these older workers become a bigger part of the workforce, hiring companies will need to objectively consider the positive and negative aspects of each candidate regardless of age. The good news is that, in many ways, older workers are better workers. Here's why older workers make excellent employees: More direction. Many young people are still struggling to figure out what they want to do for their career and are getting their first exposure to the corporate world. Older workers generally possess a wealth of knowledge and experience gleaned over years of employment, and have a good idea of how to get the job done. Less turnover. Older workers are less likely to job hop than younger employees. They typically have lower turnover and are absent less. [See Older Worker Employment Reaches Record High.] Experience pays off. Many older workers are experienced at the requirements of the job, and know what works and what does not work. This could allow them to get the job done more efficiently or to produce higher quality results. Contrary to popular belief, older employees do not cost employers more than younger workers, according to Peter Cappelli, coauthor of Managing the Older Worker: How to Prepare for the New Organizational Order. Higher wages are not based on age, but on experience, which often benefits the employer to the point that it is worth paying them at a higher level. Understand the culture. Older employees know and live the corporate culture because they have been immersed in it for years. You won't find very many of them ignoring the dress code or posting inappropriate messages on Facebook. Fewer dependents. When it comes to health care coverage, older employees do cost more because they are more likely to have health conditions and seek care. But older employees often no longer have as many dependents to include in the health plan as people with young families, which can actually save the company money. [See 7 Tips for Working for a Younger Boss.] Of course, older workers may need to be accommodated in some ways, especially if the job is physically strenuous. Older employees will be increasingly reporting to younger supervisors, which could cause friction that will need to be addressed. Flexible schedules may also be important to some seniors who want to pursue other interests outside a full-time job.

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Access to Money-Saving Benefits for Those 60 and Older

It's no secret many Americans are facing tough economic times and perhaps no segment more so than those aged 60 and older who are living on reduced or fixed incomes. The National Council on Aging and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging wants to help connect those individuals with services to help reduce the costs for prescriptions, utilities, food and health care. Aid Funds Available in the Billions of Dollars A news release provided by the NCOA and n4a reveals there are assistance funds of more than $20 billion available to the millions of baby boomers and their seniors who qualify for assistance to reduce or eliminate the cost of necessities such as heat, electricity and basic phone service, plus items and services related to health. Brandy Bauer, spokeswoman for the NCOA, told Reuters that $6.8 billion in benefits remains unclaimed by Medicare recipients who qualify for Medicare Part D Extra Help but have not ever filed for this benefit. Ready Access to Benefits Programs for Seniors The National Council on Aging and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging have combined their efforts to bring potential benefit recipients and benefit programs together in the You Gave, Now Save program. The intent of the program, as described by Reuters, is to aid the income-eligible of the 57 million Americans who are 60 years old and older, to learn about what benefits are available and provide the information needed to make application. The program provides information for a variety of benefit programs ranging from food assistance to transportation resources to heating and cooling assistance. Other Resources for Seniors and Their Families The You Gave, You Save program is provided in addition to the Eldercare Locator program that puts people in touch with resources in their communities and helps long-distance family members learn what is available in their loved one's community. Another program is the Benefits CheckUp program, a program that touts itself as aiding more than 3 million people accessing benefits worth more than $11 billion in the 10 years it has been in existence. It can be hoped that by getting the information to the people who need it, they will be able to improve their quality of life by being able to afford food and prescription medication. No more having to make choices between the two.

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How health care law affects lives of 7 Americans

CHICAGO (AP) — A father lost his job at a medical device company that is facing a new tax. A young woman got back on her parents' insurance and was able to get surgery for an injury that could have hobbled her. A part-time sales woman stopped putting off a colonoscopy and cancer screenings and saved nearly $3,000 because health plans now must pay for preventive care without co-pays. A business owner received a tax rebate for providing health coverage to her employees. As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, The Associated Press spoke with a variety of people to hear their experiences so far with the landmark legislation, whose major provisions don't take effect until 2014. Reporters asked: How has the health care law affected your life? Here are snapshots of seven Americans: ___ Name: Michael Esch Home: Warwick, N.Y. Age: 48 Occupation: Former middle manager for medical device company, now working as a hospital purchasing agent. Insurance coverage: Paying out of his own pocket for COBRA insurance through his former company. Esch, a father of three, lost his job in November in a layoff his employer said resulted from President Barack Obama's health care law. Medical device maker Stryker Corp. announced in November it intended to lay off 1,000 workers worldwide to save money ahead of a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices that starts in 2013. The tax on medical devices is meant to help pay for expanding health coverage to uninsured Americans. The Obama administration argues device companies will gain in the long run as more patients become eligible to receive their products because they have insurance. Esch was a middle manager who had worked for Stryker for six years. He helped develop a product known as the Triathlon Knee. Since the layoff, he's taken a salary cut to work as a hospital purchasing agent. He's still looking for a job with another medical device company. He blames the medical device tax for the loss of his job, but he's grateful for the provision in the health care law that will allow his oldest child, now a college sophomore, to stay on his health insurance to age 26. "We tend to forget that for every great idea there is a ripple effect through other sectors of a business," Esch said. Economists say most companies should be able to pass on the bulk of the tax to customers, but the industry says it will squeeze profits and chill investment, hiring and innovation. ___ Name: Glenn Nishimura Home: Little Rock, Ark. Age: 62 Occupation: Consultant to nonprofit groups. Insurance coverage: Uninsured since COBRA coverage from a previous job expired in May of 2009. Nishimura has been uninsured for nearly three years. He lost his health coverage after he left a full-time position with benefits in 2007, thinking he could land another good job. The recession destroyed that plan. He's been denied coverage because of high blood pressure and high blood-sugar levels. A provision in the national health care law gave his state $46 million to insure people like him who've been denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. But Nishimura said he can't afford the coverage. It would cost him about $6,300 a year in premiums with a $1,000 deductible, meaning he would pay the first $1,000 out of his own pocket before coverage kicks in. He worries about suffering injuries in a car accident or falling ill before he's eligible for Medicare at age 65. "I don't like feeling vulnerable like this," Nishimura said. "I'm completely vulnerable to some catastrophic problem." Nationally, about 50,000 people with pre-existing conditions have signed up for the coverage available through the health care law, fewer than expected. The government has offered new options to encourage more to enroll. In another two years, he may be eligible for subsidies under the law for insurance. ___ Name: Samantha Ames Home: Washington, D.C. Age: 25 Occupation: Law student Insurance coverage: Got back on parents' insurance, thanks to the health care law. As a teenager, Ames was prone to ankle injuries playing catcher on baseball and softball teams. Last April, she tripped over her mini bulldog and badly injured her left ankle. Ultimately she needed surgery that cost her insurer $30,000. But she considers herself lucky. Only a few months before her accident, Ames had been able to get back on her parents' insurance, thanks to a provision of the health care law that lets young adults keep that coverage until they turn 26. Nationally an estimated 2.5 million young people have gotten insurance as a result. Ames says it's unclear if the student health insurance she had been relying on previously would have covered her surgery. In any case, the copayments would have been steep. She would have had to postpone the operation, risking another — potentially crippling — injury. "The fact that I was able to get on their plan is the reason I can walk today," said Ames. "Very rarely have I had something political affect me this personally." ___ Name: Sharon Whalen Home: Springfield, Ill. Age: 59 Occupation: Publisher of a weekly alternative newspaper Insurance coverage: Small group plan. As a co-owner of the Illinois Times, a weekly newspaper, Whalen wants to keep her small staff healthy. So she and her business partner provide them with health insurance and pay half the cost of premiums for their 10 employees. Keeping that employee benefit is getting more and more expensive. The company saw a spike in premium costs after one employee's child had chronic health problems. With costs climbing, the company switched to a managed care plan with higher copays for some services in 2009. Whalen's company also contributes less than it once did to cover the premiums of employees' family members. The health care law brought some relief: a tax credit for small businesses that provide health coverage. The Illinois Times qualified and received a $2,700 tax credit last year. "We see ourselves putting that money right back into the company," Whalen said. Whalen heard about the tax credit from a health care advocacy group, not from her accountant. "I had to practically beg them to look at this," Whalen said. "They weren't familiar with it." The Obama administration has proposed expanding the number of businesses eligible for the credit, and simplifying the paperwork. ___ Name: Melissa Pearson Home: Prineville, Ore. Age: 53 Occupation: Retail sales, part time. Insurance coverage: High-deductible plan purchased on individual market. A few years ago, Pearson's doctor ordered her to have a routine colonoscopy. It's one of several colon cancer screening methods highly recommended for adults ages 50 to 75. Pearson kept putting it off, in part because of the cost. Her high-deductible health insurance plan requires her to pay the first $5,600 out of her pocket each year. She knew the colonoscopy would be expensive and figured she'd be paying. Then she learned that a provision in the health care law requires health plans to cover all costs for preventive care including colon cancer screening — with no out-of-pocket costs to the patient. "That's what made me make the appointment," she said. She also scheduled a mammogram and cervical cancer screening, which also are covered preventive services under the law. In all, she saved nearly $3,000 in out-of-pocket costs last year because of the Affordable Care Act. "I said to my sister, 'Thank you Obamacare," Pearson said. The Obama administration says the Affordable Care Act provided about 54 million Americans with at least one new free preventive service last year through their private health insurance plans. But Pearson is worried that covering preventive services will mean her insurance premiums and her taxes will go up. "It's being paid for by somebody," she reasoned. She recently talked with a student from Norway who told her about the tax levels in that country. "I'm fearful our world will turn into that." ___ Name: David Zoltan Home: Chicago Age: 34 Occupation: Field marketing coordinator for a public relations firm. Insurance coverage: Federally funded health plan for people with pre-existing conditions. Zoltan lost a job and his health insurance during the recession. His diabetes sent him to the emergency room three times when he ran out of insulin during the two years he was uninsured. In 2010, he was one of the first to sign up in Illinois for a new health insurance program for people with pre-existing conditions. The Affordable Care Act set aside $196 million for the state of Illinois to start the program. Zoltan now pays about $1,848 a year for that coverage. The plan has a $2,000 deductible, meaning Zoltan also pays that amount out of pocket before the coverage starts. Zoltan has found work, but his new job doesn't include health benefits, so he'll stay on the federally funded health plan. "As a diabetic, I never again want to be without health insurance," Zoltan said. "Anything is better than not having coverage at all." He is watching the Supreme Court as it considers the law. The requirement that Americans buy health insurance is under constitutional scrutiny. Zoltan believes the individual mandate is needed to spread the risk among the well and the sick, and keep insurance affordable. ___ Name: Carol McKenna Home: Pembroke Pines, Fla. Age: 70 Occupation: Retired. Insurance coverage: Medicare Advantage plan. McKenna and her husband Morty have noticed that Medicare's "doughnut hole" is shrinking. The coverage gap in Medicare's prescription drug program — dubbed the "doughnut hole" — caught Morty in December last year. But once there, he received a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and other discounts on generic drugs thanks to Obama's health care law. Last year, he received a $250 rebate check provided by the new law for people in the doughnut hole. Under the health care law, the gap will be gradually phased out by 2020. Warnings about possible cuts to Medicare Advantage plans caused by the health care law haven't come true, Carol McKenna said. Their health plan still includes extra benefits such as fitness center membership. She said she's grown weary of the political debate over the health care law. "I've been following it somewhat. Then it got so convoluted and out of control during the elections that I stopped paying attention," McKenna said. "I don't want to hear it anymore. All they're doing is sniping at each other."

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