SANDERS & HILLARY WIN CNN IOWA DEM TOWNHALL DEBATE (BEST MOMENTS)

@Iowa

SANDERS & HILLARY WIN CNN IOWA DEM TOWNHALL DEBATE:

O’MALLEY WAS GOOD BUT IT’S TOO LATE FOR HIM TO CATCH UP IN 2016.


*** 5 Takeaways From The Iowa Democratic Town Hall

Hillary Clinton says she's a "proven fighter." Bernie Sanders says that while experience is important, "it is not the only thing" that Democratic voters should weigh. And Martin O'Malley took off his jacket.

Clinton, Sanders and O'Malley made their closing arguments to Iowa voters Monday night during a CNN televised town hall hosted by Drake University and the Iowa Democratic Party, just one week before the state's voters head to the caucuses and have the first say in deciding the parties' nominees.

Sanders on the attack

Sanders offered plenty of kind words for Clinton, telling the audience he likes and respects her. Then, barely a minute later, he unloaded a withering attack on the former secretary of state.

He rebutted Clinton's argument that her broad experience makes her qualified for the presidency in a way a one-note candidate like Sanders never could be, leaning again and again on one word:

 Iraq

As in: She was for the war in 2002; he was against it.

"Experience is important, but it is not the only thing," Sanders said, invoking the exceptionally experienced former Vice President Dick Cheney as he attacked Clinton for the same vote that President Barack Obama hammered her over in the 2008 Democratic primary.

Sanders turned months' worth of his best Clinton punches into a rapid-fire combination, hitting her on Wall Street, free trade, the Keystone pipeline, Social Security and gun control.

The theme each time: Clinton only has your back when it's convenient.

On the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Keystone pipeline, he cast Clinton as a late-comer to the opposition who waited to read the political tea leaves before announcing her stance.

"On day one, I said the Keystone Pipeline is a dumb idea," Sanders said, later adding, "Why did it take Hillary Clinton such a long time before she came into opposition to the Keystone Pipeline?"

On Wall Street: "I led the effort against Wall Street deregulation. See where Hillary Clinton was on this issue."

On Social Security: "Ask Hillary Clinton if she's prepared to lift the cap on taxable income."

On gun control -- the issue over which Clinton has hit Sanders the hardest -- he told voters to rewind the tape to 2007, when "she also focused on that issue, but she thought that Obama was too strong on gun issues, and you may remember him referring to her as Annie Oakley."

Clinton the fighter

The phrase Clinton wants stuck in Democratic caucus-goers' heads is "proven fighter."

She delivered it while answering a Sanders supporter's hostile question about younger voters' sense that she's dishonest -- turning it into one of her best moments, as she detailed a history of Republican attacks dating back to her early-1990s push for universal health care.

"They throw all this stuff at me, and I'm still standing," Clinton said, adding that the attacks come "because I've been on the front lines of change and progress since I was your age."
She turned optimistic, saying: "Don't get discouraged. It's hard. If it were easy, hey, there wouldn't be any contest. But it's not easy.

There are very different visions, different values, different forces at work, and you have to have somebody who is a proven fighter -- somebody who has taken them on and won, and kept going, and will do that as president."

Clinton's implication is that Sanders' ideas sound nice -- but have nowhere to go in Congress.

That was clear when his ad featuring the Simon & Garfunkel song "America" was played, and she smiled and complimented it as "fantastic" -- and paused -- and then said that she'd be the better president and commander-in-chief.
In an eat-your-peas moment, she gave a nod to CNN moderator Chris Cuomo's father, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, who famously remarked that "you campaign in poetry; you govern in prose."

Clinton and Obama lovefest continues

President Barack Obama hasn't officially endorsed Clinton -- but he came close in an interview with Politico's Glenn Thrush, and Clinton said she was "really touched and gratified" when she read it.
She said the relationship between the one-time rivals had "turned into a real friendship."

Clinton underscored Obama's point that presidents can't predict the challenges they'll face at any moment -- saying that's exactly why she, not Sanders, is best prepared to handle the unexpected.
"He said, you know, you don't get to pick the issues you work on as president," Clinton said of Obama.

Really, though, it was just the latest episode of a show that's playing every day on the campaign trail, as Clinton bear-hugs Obama in event after event as she stakes her claim on his legacy.

By standing with Obama, Clinton plays up her own experience.

And by picking up the mantle of Obama's legacy, she also appeals to a broad segment of voters -- particularly minorities -- that he brought into the fold.
Those voters are key to stopping any momentum Sanders develops out of the largely white early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

Sanders: I agree with Planned Parenthood, it's only their endorsement I don't like
Sanders may never be able to beat Clinton with older women -- but to win the Democratic nomination, he'll need to win over younger women.

That became a little harder last week when he referred to Planned Parenthood as "part of the establishment" as he dismissed the group's support for Clinton.

Sanders tried to explain himself Monday night, saying he was only questioning whether the endorsement from the group's leaders matched the views of its supporters.

"What I said on a television program, and I did not say it well, is that sometimes the base of an organization looks at the world a little bit differently than the leadership," Sanders said.

He pointed to his 100% pro-choice voting record and said the United States should expand funding for Planned Parenthood.

He added: "They are a fantastic organization. Count me in as somebody who strongly supports them."
It had become one of his biggest weaknesses, and a consistent Clinton campaign attack line.

The format could have helped Sanders: He had time to confront a young woman's challenging question and explain himself without a debate's 60-second clock cutting him off -- and without Clinton there to knock him off his feet.

The candidates show some personality

Sanders, the curmudgeonly 74-year-old who acts like he abhors the pageantry of campaigning, was ready to show a little personality Monday night.

His first line upon arriving on stage: "My wife told me to button my coat, but I think I'm too fat, so I'm going to keep it like this."

He discussed his parents -- particularly his father, who "came from Poland at the age of 17 without a nickel in his pocket, couldn't speak English, and he never made a lot of money" -- saying they'd never believe he was running for president.

He even bragged about Young Bernie, saying: "I was a very good athlete. I wouldn't say I was a great athlete. I was a pretty good basketball player. My elementary school in Brooklyn won the borough championship."

O'Malley, meanwhile, won some "whooos" from the crowd when he pulled off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves -- reminiscent of a famed "West Wing" episode -- even if it seemed awfully theatrical as he huffed at the idea he'd sit down through a town hall in Iowa, of all places.

And Clinton -- with apologies to Obama and her husband, Bill Clinton -- talked about her real favorite president: Abraham Lincoln.

She said his work in healing the country after the Civil War set the model, and had he not been killed, she suspects the United States "would've been a little less rancorous; a little more forgiving and tolerant."

Following Lincoln's lead, explaining what she'd do to work with Republicans,

Clinton offered something of a heads up to the congressional majority:

"I'm gonna be just givin' 'em all bear hugs."

Sources: CNN, Youtube

Whitney Houston's Home Going Service Highlights: R.I.P.

Pastor Marvin Winans, February 18, 2012, Newark, NJ, Whitney Houston's Home Going Service:
"God works all things after the counsel of his own will.
To Understand that you are NOT a mistake,
that you are not a mishap but that God had a Purpose before he ever created a person.
And that your existence on Earth has Significance.
So you recognize that you did NOT just show up but that God had a purpose for you."














Whitney Houston's Home Going Service Highlights


1) Bobby Brown was seen storming out of the church shortly before the service began

2) Gave a statement afterwards saying: 'I fail to understand why security treated my family this way'

3) Boyfriend Ray J reached out and touched the casket as it was led out, overcome with emotion

4) Kevin Costner fought back tears as he shared memories of his long friendship with the star

5) Aretha Franklin 'too ill' to sing or attend service

6) Alicia Keys wept as she remembered her friend

7) Cousin Dionne Warwick officiated the ceremony

8) Mentor Clive Davis said: 'You wait a life time for a voice like that to come along'

9) Revealed singer told him she was kicking her old habits and said she would be 'ready by August'

10) Stevie Wonder said Whitney was his crush in his fantasy world

11) Mother Cissy Houston wrote on the program: 'I thank God for the beautiful flower he allowed me to raise and cherish for 48 years'

As her silver casket was carried out of the church where she first sang as a child, Whitney Houston's unforgettable voice could be heard singing her greatest hit I Will Always Love You, reducing many mourners to tears, as the star made her final journey before being laid to rest.

Whitney’s mother Cissy followed right behind the casket and had to be supported by two helpers as she tearfully watched her only daughter’s coffin being taken out.

Bobbi Kristina followed closely behind as the sobs of Cissy Houston could be heard throughout the church as she wailed: 'My baby!'

Shortly before the service began, the star's distraught ex-husband Bobby Brown was seen storming out of the church after arguing with Houston's family over the number of guests he was allowed to bring to the service.

The late singer will be laid to rest tomorrow alongside her father John Houston.

The casket will be watched by 10 security guards until her burial, TMZ reported.

Among the mourners at today's highly-charged service, were singers Chaka Khan, Brandy, Roberta Flack, Jordin Sparks and Jennifer Hudson. Singer Ray J, who spent time with Houston during her last days, broke down crying before the service had even begun.

Mother Cissy and daughter Bobbi Kristina, 18, were in the front row, both in black, both with heads bowed in grief.

After storming out, Bobby Brown was driven away from the funeral but later returned in time for the start of the home going service.

Brown got into an argument with Whitney's family over whether or not he could bring nine people into the church with him. He was invited and told he could bring two people but instead showed up with an entourage of nine.

Bobby reportedly became upset when he was told his party could not be seated. He was also refused to sit beside his daughter Bobbi Kristina in the front row.

In a statement put out by his representative after the funeral ended, he explained: 'My children and I were invited to the funeral of my ex-wife Whitney Houston.

We were seated by security and then subsequently asked to move on three separate occasions.
'I fail to understand why security treated my family this way and continue to ask us and no one else to move. Security then prevented me from attempting to see my daughter Bobbi-Kristina.

In light of the events, I gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed as I refused to create a scene.

'My children are completely distraught over the events.

This was a day to honor Whitney. I doubt Whitney would have wanted this to occur.

I will continue to pay my respects to my ex-wife the best way I know how.'

Speaking to CNN, Rev Al Sharpton said: ‘I talked to Bobby. He came to show love and respect to Whitney and Bobbi Kristina. He said all he wanted was to show respect and love. Bishop T. D. Jakes and I spoke to him earlier and he just wanted to show his respects.’

Speaking afterwards, Narada Michael Walden, who produced some of Houston's hits, said it was a 'beautiful service'.

He said: 'Everyone was feeling Whitney's spirit in there, it was beautiful.

'Steve Wonder changed the lyrics of his song to honour her.

It was a great way to remember her'.

Another mourner said: 'It was a wonderful homecoming'.

Legendary singer Roberta Flack, who was among the mourners, said: 'It was incredible and very emotional.

'It was very much something that Whitney as an exquisite and exceptional musician would have loved.

'During the service I could not help but think how young she was.'

Whitney’s body was taken back to the funeral home directly afterwards and took the mile journey along the streets that she grew up in.

The service started off with a brief welcome by City Mayor Cory Booke, pastor Joe Carter took to the altar to read some scripture and start the celebration of Whitney's life.

He said: 'Whitney you are the only woman who could bring all of us together, Whitney today is your day.'

A program featuring a picture of Houston looking skyward read: 'Celebrating the life of Whitney Elizabeth Houston, a child of God'. Pictures of Houston as a baby, with her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston and daughter, Bobbi Kristina filled the program.

'I never told you that when you were born, the Holy Spirit told me that you would not be with me long,' Cissy Houston wrote her daughter in a letter published in the program. 'And I thank God for the beautiful flower he allowed me to raise and cherish for 48 years.'

'Rest, my baby girl in peace,' the letter ends, signed 'mommie'.

Gospel singer Donnie McClurken was the first soloist to sing. He performed Stand which was a request from the Houston family. As he came up to sing he briefly stopped to greet Whitney’s mother Cissy and her daughter Bobbi Kristina.

Members of the congregation stood up and started raising their hands and praising as Donnie McClurken sang to the congregation accompanied by the large gospel choir.

Dionne Warwick, who is officiating the service and introducing the guests to the congregation, told McClurkin after his performance: 'This song means a lot to Cissy and a great deal to Whitney so thank you.'

She then invited Tyler Perry to come and say a few words.

He started by saying: 'It was Pat (Whitney’s sister-in-law) that introduced me to Whitney. I met her a few years ago. She told me about things that she went through. I saw this sadness and heaviness.

'But before she would say what was bothering her she would interrupt and say "But the Lord... But my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ". I’m thankful for all that God has done in her life.

'There was a grace that followed her through her life. There was a grace that kept on carrying her. She loved the Lord.'

He ended by saying: 'God bless you family. We love you Whitney.'

He told the story through tears and laughter at how giving their long term friend was.

Bebe Winans sang a heartfelt rendition of I Really Miss You. The lyrics of which speak of how much he will miss her ‘wit, charm, just want to hold you in my arms.’
'I’ll miss her voice when she will call. I’ll miss her smile most of all. I’m gonna miss you.’

During the song, Bebe’s voice broke as he became emotional and he ended the song in tears.

Dionne Warwick said: ‘That’s someone who truly knew Whitney. He loved the lord and still does.'

She then invited gospel singer Bebe Winans to come up and sing.

Bebe Winans and his sister CeCe Winans came up to the altar. CeCe was a close friend of Whitney’s and is Bobbi Kristina’s Godmother.

'Whitney invited us over to her home and we sat in her closet. It was a huge closet,’ Bebe said.

He told the story of how Whitney changed her tour so they would be the ones to headline instead of her which made ‘Clive Davies’ mad.

He said that she was doing it because they were ‘poor’ and she was ‘rich’ and she wanted to help them and get them more exposure.

Warwick then invited renowned pastor Bishop T. D. Jakes to the pew who met her on the set of the remake of Sparkle, Whitney’s final movie which will be released in August, which he helped to produce.

'Surrounded by friends and admirers enthralled by the beautiful Whitney Houston.

But that’s not what brings you here because you knew who she was. Not what she did. You shared her with the world and we just want to take a moment to say thank you,’ he opened up with saying.

He embarked on a sermon where he talked about the Bible and spoke of love being stronger than death.

'One day you’ll be driving and hear Whitney’s voice in your head, something that she said or did, and you’ll giggle. They may leave you outwardly but they never leave you inwardly,' he finished.

Kim Burrell was next to take to the altar. The gospel singer and pastor says Whitney helped her in the start in her career.

She was supposed to sing I Believe In You and Me, a favourite of Whitney’s, but she instead did a personalised version of A Change Is Going To Come, where she sang that a change had to come in Whitney’s life.

Her lyrics were directed to Whitney’s mother Cissy and sang about how she would get on her knees and pray for her daughter during all the trials and tribulations in her life.
'Whitney a change has come,’ she ended the song with, before going to hug Cissy.

The Bodyguard co-star Kevin Costner got up to share memories of his time with his beloved friend.

He started by saying: 'I would like to thank Cissy and Dionne for the honour of being here. Everyone treating my wife and I so gracefully.'

'The song I Will Always Love You almost wasn’t. She was meant to sing What Becomes of the Broken Hearted. So what becomes our broken hearts.

'For a moment we should dry our tears, suspend our sorrow and anger. Never forgot that Cissy and Bobbi Kristina are sitting among us.

'Your mother and I had a lot in common,' he said to Bobbi Kristina. 'He’s a boy, she’s a girl. I’m white, she’s black. You’d think we had nothing in common but we did.

'We both grew up in a Baptist church. My grandmother led the choir and played the piano.

Kevin told stories of his childhood in the church that Whitney enjoyed him telling her when they worked together including him 'drinking grape juice' in the back of the church.

He laughed: 'I can see her as a skinny girl running around this place, using her smile to get out of trouble and Cissy having enough of it. Whitney said she was waiting no whisper, her mother Cissy and cousin Dionne.

'As I’m sure of Whitney’s place in musical history. I’m also sure of how she felt about her mother. Was she good enough. Could I have done better.

Did they really like me or were they just being polite because they’re scared of you Cissy?’

He spoke about how there was initial anxiety about Whitney, a black woman, to play alongside Kevin Costner

He said that there was a sigh of relief when it turned out that Whitney was going to be able to do The Bodyguard because she was going to be one tour. But Kevin said he would wait a year for so she would be available.

'Whitney was nervous and scared that she wasn’t good enough for the role. But I told her I would be with her every step of the way.

'I wanted to tell her that the fame was rigged. That I didn’t care how the test went, that she could fall down and start speaking in tongues. That somehow it was a kind of acting method.

'The Whitney I knew despite her worldwide fame always worried. Am I good enough. Am I pretty enough. Will they like me. The part that made her great and the part that made her great was also the part that made her stumble.

'A lot of men could have played my role. But you Whitney were the only person who could have played Rachel Marron.

'People didn’t just like you Whitney. They loved you. I was your pretend bodyguard once. And now you’re gone too soon.

'What you did was the rarest of achievements. You set the bar so high. That your colleagues don’t even sing that little country song. What’s the point.

I think Whitney would tell you, little girls wanting to become singers. Guard your bodies and guard the precious miracle you have.'

Fighting back tears he said: 'Off you go Whitney, off you go. Escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father. When you sing before him. Don’t you worry. You will be good enough.'

Singer Alicia Keys was next to perform and, introducing her Dionne Warwick said she was 'a young lady that Whitney adored'.

Alicia was tearful as she walked to the piano and spoke about her friendship with the singer.

'We called each other Meema. She was such a beautiful human being. Call you for no reason at all but just to say hi. And that’s rare I think sometimes.

'I feel like in so many ways she reached back to me and to Michael and Brandy and Jordin and all these young artists and made us feel strong and capable and loved. I think she is an angel to us. She has been an angel to us.'

Alicia then sang a medley of songs on the piano starting with Send Me An Angel, changing the lyrics to Whitney is an Angel.

She tightly embraced Cissy and Bobbi Kristina as she stepped off the altar.

Clive Davis was introduced next.

He was Whitney’s mentor and guided her career for decades. It was Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party that Whitney was getting ready for on Saturday February 11. She ran a bath in her room at the Beverly Hilton hotel but never made it out. She was found dead minutes later.

He said being in the church was helping him and told of how he lost his mother as a teen when his mother was 47 and he lost his father the following year.

'I’ve felt my mother’s guidance and she’s helped me through my life. You wait for a voice life Whitney’s for a lifetime. A voice like that. A smile like that. And for someone to embody all of those things is astounding.

'Whitney and I spent Tuesday afternoon at the Beverly Hills hotel [days before she died] and saw that she had applied some makeup. She was one beautiful woman.

'We talked non-stop music. In the past every hit we shared was pure joy. When she broke that record of seven consecutive number ones. We felt utter disbelief. We pinched ourselves. She was never arrogant.

'Whitney held my hand when I worried about her getting The Bodyguard. But she dazzled in her close ups during Run To You. She captured the world forever with I Will Always Love You.

'Is there anyone who has sang Star Spangled Banner that remotely compares to her. Will there ever be?' he asked.

He spoke about the songs they listened to and recorded over the years and said the songs were ‘scorching his brain’ right now.

'Yes she spoke to Oprah about her searing battles but when I needed her she was there. She was there for me. And entirely loyal friend,. I believe in you and me.

'I was her industry father and was so proud of it. And Bobbi Kristina - she loved you so very much. She defined not only pure talent but true heart and soul. She will forever be looking after you and never let go of your hand. You should be so proud of your mother.

'She came to see me and was excited about the new cuts from her new movie Sparkle,' he said of the soundtrack.

'I’ve been swimming every day,’ Whitney told Clive. ‘I’m committed to getting my high notes back. No cigarettes. Clive I’ll be ready by August.

Well Whitney I will be ready by August. Everyone in heaven including God are waiting. And I just know you will raise the roof like no one has done before.’

Dionne went to introduce Aretha Franklin who was scheduled to perform but she had evidently not heard that that Aretha had pulled out due to illness and experiencing leg spasms.

'She loved Whitney as if she was born to her. She was her Godmother,’ Dionne said before introducing Ray Watson who was Whitney’s bodyguard.

'I was her bodyguard for almost 11 years. On the set of Sparkle everyone had left and I really wanted to go home.’

He shared a story about driving Whitney a far distance because she didn’t want to fly on that particular journey.

Watson said she was scared because he was carrying ‘precious cargo'.

'I lost a friend, a boss, a sister, but then your spirit came and saw me she said you are free. In those 11 years I was by her side. Through thick and thin,’ he said.

'God gave us an angel – to Miss Houston. We have to give back to our entertainers.

Treat them with dignity and with love. Stop ridiculing them,' he said which made people stand and applaud. 'This lady right here she loved you. I was with her almost every day and I know that.’

Stevie Wonder took to the piano next to serenade the congregation.

'Dionne, Cissy and to all the family, I want you to know - as have millions of people said - not just in this time but throughout her career, we loved her so much and that won’t stop,' he said.

'In my fantasy world I had a crush on Whitney,’ he laughed. 'I understand that Ribbons in the Sky is one of the ones that she liked a lot,’ Stevie said before explaining that he changed the lyrics to make it more appropriate for church and the occasion.

'What God gives is never a coincidence and more than a happenstance,’ he sang. ‘Who can lose with God on our side. And no more Whitney do you have to cry. You will always be our ribbon in the sky. And angel from God’s choir of love. Whitney an angel from the choir. From God’s choir of love.’

He received a standing ovation when he finished his heart-wrenching tribute to Whitney.

Pat Houston, Whitney’s manager and sister-in-law was next to speak.
'There is so much I could say about her. A life misunderstood.

Sometimes misunderstood even by herself,’ she said.

'When she did not want to do things she did them anyway. It is this special gift of giving. Some were jealous and envious but Whitney gave anyway. She knew in the final analysis it will be between her and God.

'My hope is that you will remember her. To my mother-in-law – the choice was always hers. There were people that God couldn’t heal,’ Pat said.

'Clive you were the rock that held her together professionally.

She referred to you as industry father. You gave her hope. Thank you for your excellence, your loving kindness, peace, dedication and most importantly your love for Whitney all these years.

'LA Reid there was much love for you. Clive was her industry father. You were her industry uncle.

'Her work ethics were impeccable. She put the spark in Sparkle and Krissy that was for you,’ she said of Whitney’s film role in Sparkle.

Pat then thanked a list of people including agents, managers, friends, Oprah, Tyler Perry, band members.

Cece Winans, Whitney’s close friend, gave a stirring performance of Don’t Cry For Me.
The Grammy-award-winning singer sang a duet with Whitney on the track Count on Me for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack.

She then sang Yes Jesus Loves Me which was the final song that Whitney sang two days before her death.

Bobbi Kristina was seen putting her hand around the waist of her grandmother Cissy and comforting her as she bent over in tears.

Rickey Minor, Whitney’s musical director was the next to speak. He is the musical director for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after leaving American Idol.

He spoke about Whitney’s style, grace and voice and saying that she changed his life.

They collaborated and worked together for 30 years and he shared one of his most memorable moments with her – when she sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.

He said that he had no idea her rendition would have been so successful and even enter the Billboard charts.

Rev Marvin Winans gave the eulogy and started by inviting his siblings and family members to sing the song Tomorrow which Whitney used to sing when she started out her career and was one of her favourites.

Moments after the drama singer Stevie Wonder arrived and was led up the church steps and through the front door.

It is thought the Houston family arrived in four limousines and were given a police escort with motorcycle outriders and two police cars at the front and the back of their convoy.

According to CNN, guests held in their hands an invitation with a cover featuring a photo of a smiling Houston. The six-page funeral program contained color family photos and a note from Cissy Houston, the singer's mother.

Close family friend Aretha Franklin, whom Houston lovingly called Aunt Ree, was expected to sing at the service but was too ill to attend, said a person close to the Houston family who was not authorized to talk about Franklin's decision and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Rev Jackson confirmed to CNN she would not be singing: 'She was at a tremendous event last night at Radio City [Music Hall].

She was up much of the night hosting guests, she had leg spasms.

'She's all right, but she can't do that and reconcile this with her feelings and her schedule.

The flower-covered casket arrived at the church where her powerful voice first wowed a congregation as family made final preparations to remember the pop superstar in her hometown.

Mourners at the New Hope Baptist Church, including the Rev Jesse Jackson, fell quiet as three police officers escorted Houston's silver casket, draped with white roses and purple lilies, a couple of hours before the service.

White-robed choir members began to fill the pews on the podium. As the band played softly, the choir sang in a hushed voice, Whitney, Whitney, Whitney'.

The service marked exactly one week after the 48-year-old Houston -- one of music's all-time biggest stars -- was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel in California. A cause of death has yet to be determined.

To the world, Houston was the pop queen with the perfect voice, the dazzling diva with regal beauty, a troubled superstar suffering from addiction and, finally, another victim of the dark side of fame.

To her family and friends, she was just Nippy.

A nickname given to Houston when she was a child, it stuck with her through adulthood and, later, would become the name of one of her companies. To them, she was a sister, a friend, a daughter, and a mother.

'She always had the edge,' Rev Jackson said outside the church on Saturday. 'You can tell when some kids have what we call a special anointing. Aretha had that when she was 14. Whitney cultivated that and took it to a very high level.

'The memories are so powerful, the music will be with us forever. We have a lot to rejoice about. Today we praise, we preach and we appreciate.

'Whitney had that special something.'

According to the invitation issued to the singer's friends and family, the ceremony was seen as a 'going home' service rather than a funeral.

The invitation, featuring a picture of the smiling star that appears to date back to the peak of her success in the early 1990s, stated: 'With heartfelt gratitude, the Houston family requests the honour of your presence at the home going service for Whitney Elizabeth Houston.'

Pastor Joe Carter, who read the scripture, said the service was a musical celebration of Whitney Houston's life.

Houston's South Orange grade-school principal Henry Hamilton said outside the funeral home before the service: 'It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, she's up there, this is Whitney's day.'

Traffic cones lined the street outside the church where those attending were dropped off for the service.

The electronic sign outside the front simply read 'Whitney Houston' followed by her date of birth then the words: 'We will always love you'.

The streets around the building were closed off for six blocks on either side to ensure the public had no access to the surrounding area.

Most had also apparently followed police instructions not to attend. But small pockets of fans got as close to the church as they possibly could.

Before the service, they had already covered the front of the church in dozens of balloons, flowers and card that formed a deep 12ft by 6ft blanket by the entrance.

On the streets there was a heavy police presence with mounted officers patrolling around, a police helicopter flying overhead and police cars by barricades.

Houston's fans were so desperate to be at the service that some journeyed 500 miles from Canada or slept in their cars overnight by the church to be there.

With no single point of focus, they ended up grouping in bunches of 50-100 at various points around the perimeter of the fenced off zone singing Houston's hits like I Will Always Love You and I'm Every Woman.

Vendors sold T-Shirts and posters with Houston's name on them whilst one man used a pair of opera glasses to see what was going on. Others had radios they were carrying around with Houston's music blaring out of them.

Most of the fans wanted to be there on what they said was a 'historic day' but there was also frustration and anger that they had been kept back at least three blocks from the church with one man claiming Houston's mother Cissy had 'betrayed' them.


Melanie Moulton, 37, had set off in her car from her home in Whitby, Ontario in Canada at 3am on Friday and arrived in Newark around 2pm that afternoon. Her mother Rita, 61, had travelled with her too and the pair spent a night in a hotel nearby to make sure they were able to get a good spot.

The journey was around 500 miles and the pair estimated they spent 'hundreds of dollars' on the trip including gas and accommodation.

Melanie Moulton said: 'If I had lived on the other side of the world, I would still have come here today. I've loved Whitney since I was a girl and hearing her music made me to get into music production. It's just such a loss she has gone. She was my inspiration'.

Security guard Deehaven Murphy, 33, said: 'Whitney shows you how to love, she teaches you how to love. There will be a void in my life now she's gone.

'It's sad how we are being kept back so far and her mother should have let the real fans pay their respects. Her mother is responsible for this and she has snubbed the fans, she betrayed us.

Hairstylist Sheena Braxton, 46, and her friend Rochelle Johnson, 44, also a hairstylist, had worked through the night at their home in Waldorf, Maryland to print up T-Shirt in Houston's honour.

They hardly slept and set off at 5am to get to New Jersey.

Miss Braxton said she had printed up 144 T-Shirts that she was selling for $10 each as a 'tribute'.

She said: 'Whitney could touch you like nobody could imagine. There won't ever be anybody else like her.

'When I first heard the news I was at home on my couch and a chill came over my body and I said: 'No, not Whitney, no way'. I feel so close to her, her music touches your soul.
'I just wanted to be here to pay my respects. She meant so much to me.'

Yesterday, the late singer's family members - including her mother Cissy and daughter Bobbi Kristina - took the opportunity to pay their respects in private.

Bobbi Kristina, 18, seen for the first time since being rushed to hospital after collapsing through stress following her mother's passing, was seen arriving at Whigham Funeral Home in the singer's hometown of Newark, New Jersey, alongside her tearful grandmother Cissy Houston.

They were later joined by famous faces including Houston's life-long friend and mentor Clive Davis and as well as the singer's cousin Dionne Warwick.

Funeral director Caroline Whigham told the crowd gathered outside that the viewing 'was done in privacy between a mother, a daughter, two brothers and a family,' according to People magazine.

Cissy was escorted into the building by a priest and held hands with a woman in a crisp white shirt yesterday afternoon. The former gospel singer was dressed smartly in a black coat with an orange and brown leopard print scarf wrapped around her shoulders.

Whitney's daughter Bobbi Kristina, pictured in public for first time since she was rushed to hospital following the singer's death in a Beverly Hills hotel, arrived at the funeral home in dark jeans, white vest and a black jacket.

She appeared controlled as she entered the funeral home. 'There are moments when she is strong and moments when it all hits her,' a source told People magazine. 'She can't escape it.'

The 18-year-old is the daughter of Houston and her former husband Bobby Brown. It has been reported that the teen will now live with her grandmother 'indefinitely' according to HollywoodLife.com.

However, a new report on TMZ.com this morning claimed that Houston's family are keen for Bobbi Kristina to enter a 'live-in rehab facility' as soon as possible, but are willing to wait until after the funeral to allow the teenager time to grieve her mother's passing.

The website claims that Bobbi has, for the past three of four years, struggled with 'substance abuse issues', and her family are said to be keen for her to seek help before her problems get any worse.

The teenager hid her eyes between a pair of sunglasses and held the hand of a friend as she walked past security. Family and friends were greeted by what appeared to be an Egyptian-decorated casket outside the home.

As well as close family of Whitney in attendance friends also gathered together to pay their respects.

Aretha Franklin believed Whitney Houston had overcome her demons and was primed for a comeback, which made learning of the troubled singer’s death all the more shocking.

The Queen of Soul said she was watching TV in her hotel room in Charlotte, North Carolina, when she learned of Houston’s death in a hotel suite across the country in Beverly Hills, California.

She said she had seen recent video of Houston, 'and she looked fresh, she looked healthy and she looked gorgeous. And I thought, "Yes, she has conquered her challenges and she’s on the way".'

Now her fans should remember Houston for her artistry, Franklin said, and not focus on the challenges she faced with substance abuse.

Her last album, I Look To You, debuted on the top of the charts when it was released in 2009 with strong sales, but didn't have the staying power of her previous records. A tour the next year was doomed by cancellations because of illness and sub-par performances.

But a comeback was on the horizon. She was to star in the remake of the movie Sparkle and friends and family said she was working on new music.

Ray J, who was dating Whitney in the months before her death finally broke his silence.

The 31-year-old released a statement that said: 'Over the past few days, I've tried to process the emptiness that I am experiencing. What my heart feels cannot be expressed in words. The world lost an icon, but I lost my close friend.'

Alluding to a nickname given to Whitney by her father he added: 'Nippy, I miss you so much!'

'You were so happy and full of love. Your smile will live in my heart forever.'
Ray J was seen at LAX airport on Friday catching a flight to New Jersey ahead of Whitney's service today.

It has also revealed yesterday that Mel Gibson reached out to the I Didn’t Know My Own Strength singer a few years ago to try and deal with her addiction issues.
The Braveheart star was invited to the funeral by Whitney's family but is unable to attend because of prior family commitments, TMZ reports.

Police have reportedly obtained her medical records and are investigating what drugs were supplied to her in her final days.

No cause of death has been identified yet and officials are waiting for the results of toxicology tests.


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Sources: AP, CNN, Daily Mail, NJ.com, TMZ, Youtube, Google Maps

What's In Obama's Debt Ceiling Agreement? Fact Sheet (Highlights)

Fact Sheet: Bipartisan Debt Deal: A Win for the Economy and Budget Discipline


Bi-partisan Debt Deal: A Win for the Economy and Budget Discipline

* Removes the cloud of uncertainty over our economy at this critical time, by ensuring that no one will be able to use the threat of the nation’s first default now, or in only a few months, for political gain;

* Locks in a down payment on significant deficit reduction, with savings from both domestic and Pentagon spending, and is designed to protect crucial investments like aid for college students;

* Establishes a bi-partisan process to seek a balanced approach to larger deficit reduction through entitlement and tax reform;

* Deploys an enforcement mechanism that gives all sides an incentive to reach bipartisan compromise on historic deficit reduction, while protecting Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries and low-income programs;

* Stays true to the President’s commitment to shared sacrifice by preventing the middle class, seniors and those who are most vulnerable from shouldering the burden of deficit reduction. The President did not agree to any entitlement reforms outside of the context of a bipartisan committee process where tax reform will be on the table and the President will insist on shared sacrifice from the most well-off and those with the most indefensible tax breaks.

Mechanics of the Debt Deal

* Immediately enacted 10-year discretionary spending caps generating nearly $1 trillion in deficit reduction; balanced between defense and non-defense spending.
* President authorized to increase the debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion, eliminating the need for further increases until 2013.

* Bipartisan committee process tasked with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, including from entitlement and tax reform. Committee is required to report legislation by November 23, 2011, which receives fast-track protections. Congress is required to vote on Committee recommendations by December 23, 2011.

* Enforcement mechanism established to force all parties – Republican and Democrat – to agree to balanced deficit reduction. If Committee fails, enforcement mechanism will trigger spending reductions beginning in 2013 – split 50/50 between domestic and defense spending. Enforcement protects Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries, and low-income programs from any cuts.

1.) REMOVING UNCERTAINTY TO SUPPORT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY

* Deal Removes Cloud of Uncertainty Until 2013, Eliminating Key Headwind on the Economy: Independent analysts, economists, and ratings agencies have all made clear that a short-term debt limit increase would create unacceptable economic uncertainty by risking default again within only a matter of months and as S&P stated, increase the chance of a downgrade. By ensuring a debt limit increase of at least $2.1 trillion, this deal removes the specter of default, providing important certainty to our economy at a fragile moment.

* Mechanism to Ensure Further Deficit Reduction is Designed to Phase-In Beginning in 2013 to Avoid Harming the Recovery: The deal includes a mechanism to ensure additional deficit reduction, consistent with the economic recovery. The enforcement mechanism would not be made effective until 2013, avoiding any immediate contraction that could harm the recovery. And savings from the down payment will be enacted over 10 years, consistent with supporting the economic recovery.

2.) A DOWNPAYMENT ON DEFICIT REDUCTION BY LOCKING IN HISTORIC SPENDING DISCIPLINE – BALANCED BETWEEN DOMESTIC AND PENTAGON SPENDING

* More than $900 Billion in Savings over 10 Years By Capping Discretionary Spending: The deal includes caps on discretionary spending that will produce more than $900 billion in savings over the next 10 years compared to the CBO March baseline, even as it protects core investments from deep and economically damaging cuts.
* Includes Savings of $350 Billion from the Base Defense Budget – the First Defense Cut Since the 1990s: The deal puts us on track to cut $350 billion from the defense budget over 10 years. These reductions will be implemented based on the outcome of a review of our missions, roles, and capabilities that will reflect the President’s commitment to protecting our national security.

* Reduces Domestic Discretionary Spending to the Lowest Level Since Eisenhower: These discretionary caps will put us on track to reduce non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was President.

* Includes Funding to Protect the President’s Historic Investment in Pell Grants: Since taking office, the President has increased the maximum Pell award by $819 to a maximum award $5,550, helping over 9 million students pay for college tuition bills. The deal provides specific protection in the discretionary budget to ensure that the there will be sufficient funding for the President’s historic investment in Pell Grants without undermining other critical investments.

3.) ESTABLISHING A BIPARTISAN PROCESS TO ACHIEVE $1.5 TRILLION IN ADDITIONAL BALANCED DEFICIT REDUCTION BY THE END OF 2011

* The Deal Locks in a Process to Enact $1.5 Trillion in Additional Deficit Reduction Through a Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Committee: The deal creates a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Committee that is charged with enacting $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction by the end of the year. This Committee will work without the looming specter of default, ensuring time to carefully consider essential reforms without the disruption and brinksmanship of the past few months.

* This Committee is Empowered Beyond Previous Bipartisan Attempts at Deficit Reduction: Any recommendation of the Committee would be given fast-track privilege in the House and Senate, assuring it of an up or down vote and preventing some from using procedural gimmicks to block action.

* To Meet This Target, the Committee Will Consider Responsible Entitlement and Tax Reform. This means putting all the priorities of both parties on the table – including both entitlement reform and revenue-raising tax reform.

4.) A STRONG ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM TO MAKE ALL SIDES COME TOGETHER

* The Deal Includes An Automatic Sequester to Ensure That At Least $1.2 Trillion in Deficit Reduction Is Achieved By 2013 Beyond the Discretionary Caps: The deal includes an automatic sequester on certain spending programs to ensure that—between the Committee and the trigger—we at least put in place an additional $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by 2013.

* Consistent With Past Practice, Sequester Would Be Divided Equally Between Defense and Non-Defense Programs and Exempt Social Security, Medicaid, and Low-Income Programs: Consistent with the bipartisan precedents established in the 1980s and 1990s, the sequester would be divided equally between defense and non-defense program, and it would exempt Social Security, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families, and civilian and military retirement. Likewise, any cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side.

* Sequester Would Provide a Strong Incentive for Both Sides to Come to the Table: If the fiscal committee took no action, the deal would automatically add nearly $500 billion in defense cuts on top of cuts already made, and, at the same time, it would cut critical programs like infrastructure or education. That outcome would be unacceptable to many Republicans and Democrats alike – creating pressure for a bipartisan agreement without requiring the threat of a default with unthinkable consequences for our economy.


5.) A BALANCED DEAL CONSISTENT WITH THE PRESIDENT’S COMMITMENT TO SHARED SACRIFICE

* The Deal Sets the Stage for Balanced Deficit Reduction, Consistent with the President’s Values: The deal is designed to achieve balanced deficit reduction, consistent with the values the President articulated in his April Fiscal Framework. The discretionary savings are spread between both domestic and defense spending. And the President will demand that the Committee pursue a balanced deficit reduction package, where any entitlement reforms are coupled with revenue-raising tax reform that asks for the most fortunate Americans to sacrifice.

* The Enforcement Mechanism Complements the Forcing Event Already In Law – the Expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts – To Create Pressure for a Balanced Deal: The Bush tax cuts expire as of 1/1/2013, the same date that the spending sequester would go into effect. These two events together will force balanced deficit reduction. Absent a balanced deal, it would enable the President to use his veto pen to ensure nearly $1 trillion in additional deficit reduction by not extending the high-income tax cuts.

* In Securing this Bipartisan Deal, the President Rejected Proposals that Would Have Placed the Sole Burden of Deficit Reduction on Low-Income or Middle-Class Families: The President stood firmly against proposals that would have placed the sole burden of deficit reduction on lower-income and middle-class families.

This includes not only proposals in the House Republican Budget that would have undermined the core commitments of Medicare to our seniors and forced tens of millions of low-income Americans to go without health insurance, but also enforcement mechanisms that would have forced automatic cuts to low-income programs. The enforcement mechanism in the deal exempts Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare benefits, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families, and civilian and military retirement.





President Obama speaks in support of the bipartisan deal to reduce the deficit and raise the debt limit

Tonight, President Obama spoke in support of a bipartisan deal to reduce the nation's deficit and avoid default. It extends the debt limit to 2013, removing the cloud of uncertainty over our economy and ensuring that no one will be able to use the threat of default now or in only a few months for political gain. The bipartisan compromise assures that the United States meets its obligations – including monthly Social Security checks, veterans’ benefits, and the government contracts we’ve signed with thousands of businesses.

In order to receive the support from both parties -- as the President has consistently stressed -- the agreement has a few important elements:

*
A down payment on deficit reduction with historic long-term spending restraint: Nearly $1 trillion in spending cuts -- done in a way to not harm the economic recovery, are balanced between domestic and pentagon spending, and protects critical initiatives like aid for college students;
*
Expedited process for balanced deficit reduction: Puts in place a longer term process for additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction through a committee structure that will put everything on the table, including tax and entitlement reform. To prevent either side from using procedural tricks to prevent Congress from acting, the committee’s recommendations will receive fast track authority, which means they can’t be amended or filibustered.
*
Sets the stage for a balanced package, including revenues: The American people and a growing number of Republicans agree that any deficit reduction package must be balanced and included revenue.
o
If the Committee does not succeed in meaningful balanced deficit reduction with revenue-raising tax reform on the most well-off by the end of 2012, the President can use his veto pen to raise nearly $1 trillion from the most well-off by vetoing any extension of the Bush high income tax cuts.
*
A proven enforcement mechanism: An enforcement mechanism that will compel painful enough cuts to both sides that it will force congress to act. Enforcement mechanisms by their very nature should include measures that neither side supports so as to ensure action.
o
If Congress fails to act, beginning in 2013 there will be $1.2 trillion in spending cuts through 2021 – 50 percent from domestic spending and 50 percent from defense spending. Low income programs, including Medicaid, and Social Security and Medicare benefits would be exempted. Medicare cuts would be capped, limited to the provider side.
* Does not accept entitlement reforms without equal consideration of revenue raising tax reform, and ensures that low-income and middle class families are not forced to bear a disproportionate share of the burden from deficit reduction.

This fact sheet provides and even more comprehensive overview of the deal.
Here are President Obama's full remarks:


"Good evening.

There are still some very important votes to be taken by members of Congress, but I want to announce that the leaders of both parties, in both chambers, have reached an agreement that will reduce the deficit and avoid default -- a default that would have had a devastating effect on our economy.

The first part of this agreement will cut about $1 trillion in spending over the next 10 years -- cuts that both parties had agreed to early on in this process. The result would be the lowest level of annual domestic spending since Dwight Eisenhower was President -- but at a level that still allows us to make job-creating investments in things like education and research. We also made sure that these cuts wouldn’t happen so abruptly that they’d be a drag on a fragile economy.

Now, I've said from the beginning that the ultimate solution to our deficit problem must be balanced. Despite what some Republicans have argued, I believe that we have to ask the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share by giving up tax breaks and special deductions. Despite what some in my own party have argued, I believe that we need to make some modest adjustments to programs like Medicare to ensure that they’re still around for future generations.

That's why the second part of this agreement is so important. It establishes a bipartisan committee of Congress to report back by November with a proposal to further reduce the deficit, which will then be put before the entire Congress for an up or down vote. In this stage, everything will be on the table. To hold us all accountable for making these reforms, tough cuts that both parties would find objectionable would automatically go into effect if we don’t act. And over the next few months, I’ll continue to make a detailed case to these lawmakers about why I believe a balanced approach is necessary to finish the job.

Now, is this the deal I would have preferred? No. I believe that we could have made the tough choices required -- on entitlement reform and tax reform -- right now, rather than through a special congressional committee process. But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need, and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year.

Most importantly, it will allow us to avoid default and end the crisis that Washington imposed on the rest of America. It ensures also that we will not face this same kind of crisis again in six months, or eight months, or 12 months. And it will begin to lift the cloud of debt and the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over our economy.

Now, this process has been messy; it’s taken far too long. I've been concerned about the impact that it has had on business confidence and consumer confidence and the economy as a whole over the last month. Nevertheless, ultimately, the leaders of both parties have found their way toward compromise. And I want to thank them for that.

Most of all, I want to thank the American people. It’s been your voices -- your letters, your emails, your tweets, your phone calls -- that have compelled Washington to act in the final days. And the American people's voice is a very, very powerful thing.

We’re not done yet.

I want to urge members of both parties to do the right thing and support this deal with your votes over the next few days. It will allow us to avoid default. It will allow us to pay our bills. It will allow us to start reducing our deficit in a responsible way. And it will allow us to turn to the very important business of doing everything we can to create jobs, boost wages, and grow this economy faster than it's currently growing.

That’s what the American people sent us here to do, and that’s what we should be devoting all of our time to accomplishing in the months ahead.

Thank you very much, everybody."

Sources: CNN, Huffington Post, MSNBC, White House.gov, Youtube

Highlights Of Obama's Wall Street Reform Bill, What's In It?

Wall Street Reform: What's In The Bill?


After more than a year of work and two weeks of negotiations, lawmakers early Friday finished melding different versions of Wall Street reform.

The final bill won't be ready for a few days, but here's CNNMoney.com's breakdown of key provisions that aim to protect consumers, prevent firms from getting too big to fail and crack down on risky bets that leave taxpayers on the hook.

Creating a consumer agency:

Establishes an independent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau housed inside the Federal Reserve. Fees paid by banks fund the agency, which would set rules to curb unfair practices in consumer loans and credit cards. It would not have power over auto dealers.

Credit scores:

All consumers have been able to get one free credit report a year from the credit rating agencies. But the bill would also allow a consumer to get an actual credit score along with a report.

Interchange fees:

Lawmakers want the Fed to crack down on debit card swipe fees, which retailers pay to banks to cover the operational cost of transferring money. The Fed could cap the fees and make them more reasonable and proportional.
0:00 /2:30Behind the derivatives reform debate

Banning 'Liar loans':

Lenders would have to document a borrower's income before originating a mortgage and verify a borrower's ability to repay the loan.

Mortgage help for unemployed:

Unemployed homeowners with good credit would be eligible for low-interest loans to help them avoid foreclosures. The bill would spend $1 billion on such relief, using funds that had been directed for Troubled Asset Relief Fund bailing out the financial system.

Fixed-equity annuities:

Prohibits tougher federal rules on life insurance products, in which customers pay a lump sum upfront in exchange for monthly income over time, pegged to an index. The Securities and Exchange Commission had been gearing up to step in and start requiring more disclosure for these products, often sold to seniors, that are currently regulated by state insurance commissioners. Lawmakers decided to stop the SEC from tougher federal regulation.
Too big to fail

New oversight power:

Creates a new 10-member oversight council consisting of financial regulators to look out for major problems at financial firms and throughout the financial system. The Treasury Secretary gains a key role in enforcing tougher regulations on larger firms and watching for systemic risk. The council also has veto power over new rules proposed by new consumer regulator.

Unwinding powers:

Gives the FDIC new powers to take down giant financial firms in the same way it takes down banks. Banks would be taxed to reimburse the federal government for the cost of resolving these firms after a failure occurs.
Wall Street reform bill ready for final votes

Breaking up Banks:

Gives regulators strengthened powers to break up financial companies that have grown too big, but only if the firms threaten to destabilize the financial system.

Checking on the Fed:

Allows Congress to order the Government Accountability Office to review Fed activities, excluding monetary policy. Audits would be allowed two years after the Fed makes emergency loans and gives financial help to ailing financial firms.

Forcing 'skin in the game':

Firms that sell mortgage-backed securities must keep at least 5% of the credit risk, unless the underlying loans meet new standards that reduce risk.

Financial system fee:

Banks and financial firms would be taxed to pay for the $19 billion cost of implementing the Wall Street reform bill.
Risky bets

Regulating derivatives:

Attempts to shine a light on complex financial products called derivatives that many blame for bringing down American International Group (AIG, Fortune 500) and Lehman Brothers. Would force most derivatives to be bought and sold on clearinghouses and exchanges. Some derivatives, including those traded by agriculture companies and airlines to mitigate risk, would still be unregulated.

Spinning off swaps desks:

Big banks that want to engage in nontraditional bets, such as on mortgage products or certain commodities, would have to spin off their swaps divisions.

Reining in risky bets:

Limits giant Wall Street banks from making trades on their own accounts, although with a long lead time and opportunities for delays up to seven years. While the original proposal would have banned banks from owning hedge funds, the bill would allow banks to sink up to 3% of capital into hedge funds or private equity funds.

Improving credit ratings:

Agencies that rate securities must disclose their methodologies. The Securities and Exchange Commission would have to study a way to find an independent way to match credit rating agencies with financial firms seeking ratings. After two years, they'd have to implement such a process, or appoint a panel to independently match ratings agencies with firms that need securities rated.

Curbing executive pay:

The bill would also impose new rules for how all publicly-traded companies, not just banks and other financial firms, pay top executives. Shareholders will be given a nonbinding advisory vote on how top executives are paid while in office. Shareholders also get a nonbinding advisory vote on executives' outsized severance payments, or so-called "golden parachutes."

The new rules would also beef up oversight of pay practices within the financial industry, which some critics have suggested helped fuel the crisis by encouraging workers to place risky bets. The bill, for example, would require industry regulators to draft their own set of rules aimed at eliminating risky pay practice among banks and other financial firms.


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Sources: CNN, Google Maps

Kobe Bryant & Phil Jackson Do It Again In 2010! Lakers Win! 83-79 (Highlights Video)

Bryant, Artest Rally Lakers To 16th Championship



Purple and gold confetti raining down upon him, Kobe Bryant hopped up on the scorer's table, shook his fists and extended five fingers.

When he hopped down, Boston's legendary Hall of Fame center Bill Russell was waiting to shake his hand.

A Game 7 classic -- and this time, it finally went the Lakers' way.

Beating Boston for the first time in a Game 7, the Lakers came up champions again after trailing in the last quarter of the last game of their season.

Kobe Bryant, the finals MVP, scored 23 points despite 6-of-24 shooting and the Lakers won their 16th NBA championship Thursday night, dramatically rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Game 7 of the NBA finals.

Bryant earned his fifth title with the Lakers, who repeated as NBA champions for the first time since winning three straight from 2000-02.

"This one is by far the sweetest, because it's them," Bryant said. "This was the hardest one by far."

"I wanted it so bad, and sometimes when you want it so bad, it slips away from you. My guys picked me up."

Ron Artest added 20 points for the Lakers, who shot terribly while trailing for most of the first 3 1/2 quarters. Yet they reclaimed the lead midway through the fourth quarter and hung on with big shots from Pau Gasol and Artest.

"Well, first all I want to thank everybody in my hood," Artest said in an ABC interview right after the game. "I definitely want to thank my doctors ... my psychiatrist, she really helped me relax a lot."

With their fifth title in 11 seasons, the Lakers moved one championship behind Boston's 17 banners for the overall NBA lead.

Amid the confetti and streamers after the final buzzer, Magic Johnson rushed the court to congratulate Bryant, who now has the same number of titles, and to hug Artest, the only new addition to the Lakers' championship roster from last season. Artest has been a liability for much of the postseason, but the former head case came up with a remarkable game on the Lakers' biggest night, playing sturdy defense along with his scoring.

Paul Pierce had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who just couldn't finish the final quarter of a remarkable playoff run after a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Garnett added 17 points, but Boston flopped in two chances to clinch the series in Los Angeles after winning Game 5 back home.

After three quarters of mostly terrible offense, the Lakers tied it at 61 on Artest's three-point play with 7:29 left. Bryant's free throws 90 seconds later gave the Lakers their first lead of the second half, and the Lakers went up by five points before Bryant and Sasha Vujacic hit free throws in the final seconds to keep Los Angeles ahead.

The Lakers will relish this title because they took it from the Celtics, their greatest rivals, with fourth-quarter poise and defense. The teams have met in 12 NBA finals, but the Lakers won for just the third time.

Exactly two years to the day after Boston beat the Lakers by 39 points to clinch the 2008 title, Los Angeles got revenge for perhaps the most embarrassing loss of Bryant's career -- even if he did little more than grab 15 rebounds for most of the night.

But forget how it looked, because history will. Bryant even did something Jerry West and Magic Johnson never could: He beat the hated Celtics in Game 7 of the finals.

The Celtics had never lost a seventh game in the finals. Despite nursing a lead through most of the night while holding the Lakers to ridiculously low shooting percentages until the final minutes, Boston couldn't close it out on the coast, becoming just the seventh team to blow a 3-2 finals lead after winning Game 5.

Los Angeles had lost a seventh game to Boston four times previously -- but those teams didn't have Bryant, who's just one title shy of Michael Jordan's six rings after winning his second title without Shaquille O'Neal, his partner in the first three.

With that fourth-quarter escape act, Bryant and fellow five-time champion Derek Fisher even earned the right to celebrate a title at home for the first time since winning their first rings in 2000.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson won his 11th title overall, his fifth in Los Angeles -- and perhaps the last for the winningest playoff coach in NBA history. Weary of the regular-season grind and facing a likely pay cut with the Lakers, Jackson hasn't determined his future, though he previously said another title would make him more likely to chase an unprecedented fourth threepeat next season, when he'll be 65.

With his hands already full, maybe Jackson will follow Russell's lead and put that 11th championship ring on a chain around his neck -- and Bryant isn't likely to settle for just one handful of rings.

The Celtics had much more poise from the opening tip in Game 7, playing vicious defense that forced Los Angeles to miss 21 of its first 27 shots. Bryant and Gasol were a combined 6 for 26 in the first half while the Lakers made just 26.5 percent of their shots, and only Ron Artest's 12 points and relentless effort kept the Celtics' halftime lead to six points.

The Lakers are the first team to rally from a 3-2 deficit to win a finals since Houston did it in 1994, beating the New York Knicks. Boston did it twice to the Lakers, including an infamous 1969 finale in which thousands of celebratory balloons never were released from the Forum rafters in Inglewood.

Staples Center had no such problems, unleashing a downpour of streamers and confetti when the Lakers finally finished it off. Although Los Angeles stumbled to the brink of elimination for the first time in these playoffs last weekend in Boston, Bryant's teams still are spectacular finishers: They've closed out their playoff opponents on the first try 10 times while winning three straight Western Conference titles over the last three years.

Bryant further cemented his place in the NBA's highest circles by leading the Lakers to back-to-back titles, something no other NBA superstar has accomplished since he and O'Neal did it nearly a decade ago. He also picked up a unique bit of Lakers credibility by sending home the Celtics in a Game 7, which West failed to do in three tries and Johnson couldn't manage in 1984.

Game notes:

Home teams improved to 14-3 in Game 7 in the finals.

No road team has won a title in Game 7 since 1978. ... The Lakers are 14-1 in a seventh game at home, losing only the 1969 finale to Boston. ... Garnett nearly flattened Jack Nicholson when he chased a loose ball into the front row in the second quarter, but the Lakers' most famous fans got back up smiling. Other fans near courtside included Jake Gyllenhall, Kirsten Dunst, Ryan Seacrest, Timbaland, director Todd Phillips and George Lopez in purple-and-yellow plaid pants.


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Sources: ESPN, NBA.com, NBC Sports, Google Maps