2013: A year for big issues in the courts

By Jeffrey Toobin, CNN Senior Legal AnalystDecember 27, 2012 -- Updated 1445 GMT (2245 HKT)Chief Justice John Roberts re-administers the oath of office to Barack Obama at the White House on January 21, 2009. STORY HIGHLIGHTSJeffrey Toobin: 2013 will see pivotal decisions in several key areas of lawHe says Supreme Court could decide fate of same-sex marriageAffirmative action for public college admissions...

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China sets date for 12th National People's Congress

BEIJING: China has fixed March 5, 2013, as the date it will convene a key legislative session, state media reported Friday, with new Communist Party chief Xi Jingping set to become president during the two-week meeting.The date for the start of the first annual session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) was approved at an NPC Standing Committee meeting Friday, the official Xinhua...

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Obama, congressional leaders to meet on fiscal cliff

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: GOP Sen. Alexander says a deal will be reached, either now or soonPresident Obama calls congressional leaders to the White House Democrats, Republicans trade blame over who is preventing an agreementWithout an agreement, everyone's taxes go up next weekAs the fiscal cliff looms, what's your New Year's message to Washington? Go to CNNiReport to share your video.Washington (CNN)...

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East, Gulf Coast port strike averted, for now

Last Updated 12:15 p.m. ET NEW YORK The union for longshoremen along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico has agreed to extend its contract for 30 days, averting a possible strike that could have crippled operations at ports that handle about 40 percent of all U.S. container cargo, a federal mediator announced Friday.The extension came after the union and an alliance of port operators and shipping lines...

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'Mom' Loses Russian Girl Weeks From Adoption

After a roller coaster week, Kendra Skaggs sat down to vent on her blog. She had used that space to document her 13 month journey of adopting a young girl named Polina from Russia. But now, with that dream just weeks away from fulfillment, she described her frustration, fear and anger as she watched it being snatched away."I have no control. I'm on the other side of the world...

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A gunmaker ripe for an ethical takeover

Several .223 caliber rounds near a Bushmaster XM-15; the manufacturer's owner is putting its gun companies up for sale.STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe owner of America's largest gunmaker is putting firm up for saleJohn MacIntosh says billionaires should lead effort to acquire the gun manufacturerHe says they should change corporate practices to discourage violenceMacIntosh: One leading company could push gun...

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Football: Beckham considering several offers

LONDON: David Beckham insists he has no intention of rushing into his next move as the former Manchester United star considers several offers from teams across the world.Beckham left LA Galaxy earlier this month at the end of his contract after helping the California side win the MLS Cup and is now looking for the right option for what will likely be the last club of his illustrious career.The...

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TV

updated 9:03 AM EST, Thu December 20, 2012Earlier this month, we asked CNN readers to vote for their favorite TV shows of 2012. To make narrowing it down a little bit easier, we divided up a long list of contenders into three categories: comedies, dramas and reality series. Here's how you voted:Readers' favorites: Top 15 TV shows of 2012Comedies: No. 5: 'How I Met Your Mother'No. 4: 'The Daily Show...

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Free gun training offered to 200 Utah teachers

(CBS/AP) SALT LAKE CITY - Gun rights advocates plan to offer gun training for 200 Utah teachers Thursday, saying that classroom teachers could stop school shootings by carrying concealed weapons. The Utah Shooting Sports Council said it would waive its $50 fee for concealed-weapons training for the teachers. Instruction featuring plastic guns is set to begin at noon Thursday inside a conference...

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At Cliff's Edge, Reid Decries Boehner's 'Dictatorship'

With only five days left before the federal government goes over the fiscal cliff, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shattered any pretense of cooperation with Republicans in a scathing speech that targeted House Republicans and particularly Speaker John Boehner.Reid, D-Nev., spoke on the floor of the Senate as President Obama returned to Washington early from an Hawaiian vacation...

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Morsi hails charter as "new dawn for Egypt", targets economy

CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday hailed an Islamist-backed charter he pushed through despite fierce opposition protests as "a new dawn" for his country, and said he would now tackle a teetering economy.In a televised national address, Morsi said he would reshuffle his government and renewed an offer of dialogue with the largely secular opposition.But while "mistakes...

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Decluttering before the New Year

Time off work during the holidays is a perfect time to tidy up your home and work spaces to start the New Year right.STORY HIGHLIGHTSDo your New Year's resolutions include a push to clean up? Here are some tips to startBeing organized is about being in control, says professional organizer Susan FleischmanCleaning clutter can eliminate the need to buy what you simply can't find(CNN) -- Whatever other...

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World's longest high-speed rail line opens in China

BEIJING China on Wednesday opened the world's longest high-speed rail line that more than halves the time required to travel from the country's capital in the north to Guangzhou, an economic hub in southern China. The opening of the 1,428-mile line was commemorated by the 9 a.m. departure of a train from Beijing for Guangzhou. Another train left Guangzhou for Beijing an hour later. China has massive...

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Weather Death Toll Up to 6 as Storm Churns North

A killer Christmas storm is churning its way north leaving hundreds of thousands without power and snarling travel plans for people trying to get home after the holiday.Six people have died, mostly in weather related car crashes, as the South was hammered by as many as 34 tornadoes and a lethal coating of sleet and snow that spread from the South into the Midwest.Over 280,000...

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Hollywood movies can (mis)educate us

Movies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsMovies for adultsSTORY HIGHLIGHTSDean Obeidallah: A movie or TV show can educate or (mis)educate youObeidallah: Two new films about hot issues are firing up both the left and rightSenators slammed "Zero Dark Thirty," and energy industry...

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Officials confirm 64% of Egypt voters backed new charter

CAIRO: Egypt's electoral commission confirmed on Tuesday that a controversial, Islamist-backed constitution was passed by 64 per cent of voters, rejecting opposition allegations of polling fraud.Those official results tallied with figures given by President Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood immediately after the last round of polling at the weekend in the two-stage referendum.The National...

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Top celebs

updated 9:20 AM EST, Thu December 20, 2012CNN readers' favorites: Celebrity womenNo. 10: Sandra BullockNo. 9: Angelina JolieNo. 8: Katy PerryNo. 7: Taylor SwiftNo. 6: Sofia VergaraNo. 5: Carrie UnderwoodNo. 4: Jennifer LawrenceNo. 3: Jennifer Aniston No. 2: AdeleNo. 1: Catherine, Duchess of CambridgeCNN readers' favorites: Celebrity menNo. 10: Justin TimberlakeNo. 9: Jeremy RennerNo. 8: Brad PittNo....

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Messy, dangerous Christmas weather turns deadly

Updated 2:05 p.m. EST NEW ORLEANS Freezing rain and sleet made for a sloppy Christmas morning trek in parts of the nation's midsection on Tuesday, while residents along the Gulf Coast braced for thunderstorms, high winds and tornadoes. Icy roads already were blamed for a 21-vehicle pileup in Oklahoma, where authorities warned would-be travelers to stay home. Fog blanketed highways, including arteries...

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Gunman Killed Firemen With Bushmaster, Left Note

A convicted killer, who shot dead two firefighters with a Bushmaster assault rifle after leading them into an ambush when they responded to a house fire he set in Western New York, left behind a typewritten note saying he wanted to "do what I like doing best, killing people," police said.William Spengler, 62, set his home and a car on fire early Monday morning with the intention...

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Shootings: Suicide risk gives clues

A sign near a cemetery of a victim in the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.STORY HIGHLIGHTSDaniel Flannery: Studies show there is no distinct profile of school shooters Flannery: We can take lessons from what we know about risk for suicideHe says we can do better to assess a person's risk for violent action toward others Flannery: Communities and schools should pay more attention to kids' mental...

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