Film Review - Captain America: The First Avenger

 So far, so good for The Avengers this summer. Thor’s a pretty cool guy and now it’s Captain America to show off what he’s got. Sure, he comes with the superhero standards – buff body, noble intentions and a sleek costume – but other than that, he’s nothing more than a poster boy for Marvel movies. Steve Rogers makes for a better propaganda symbol than superhero.

Chris Evans is Steve Rogers, a Brooklyn native desperate to serve his country. Sadly, his intense determination isn’t enough to make up for his slight stature and asthma, amongst other physical deficits, and his enlistment application is stamped with a big red F, time and time again. It isn’t until Steve crosses paths with Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) that he finally gets the chance to prove himself, well, an enhanced version of himself. Erskine straps Steve to some high tech contraption, pumps him full of glowing blue fluid and so Captain America is born.

Meanwhile, Hitler is building the ultimate weapon for himself, or so he thinks. The Nazi regime funnels resources into their deep science division, Hydra, in hopes that the unit’s leader, Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), will deliver a power the Allies cannot defeat. Problem is, Schmidt is obsessed with some sort of otherworldly power, a power his cohorts don’t believe in. When Hitler attempts to shut Hydra down, Schmidt, or Red Skull, is ready to take the reigns and conquer the world for himself. The only one who can stop him? Guess who.

Sure, Steve Rogers is a noble character and his dream of joining the army is endearing, but the entire first act of the film is tainted by poor CGI. Little Steve looks more like a character out of a Tim Burton animation than he does a legitimate smaller version of Evans. In fact, the character would fit perfectly in Tarik Saleh’s Metropia. The only time the pre-Captain America Steve looks legitimate is when his back is to the camera and that’s because that’s the only time he’s 100% a real person.

Things get much better once Steve emerges from the Erskine pod. A mix-up lands Steve in an army propaganda play rather than on the battlefield and that’s where the power of the cheesy time-lapse montage kicks in. We follow Steve from show to show as he gets into the gig and builds an audience. However, when he takes his act overseas and performs for the soldiers, he’s stopped dead in his tracks, as is the film. The switch is so abrupt between goofy wannabe soldier and man on the front lines that it’s hard to digest. Sure, Steve is far more muscular and has super strength, but what does this guy know about infiltrating a heavily armed compound? And who taught him how to parachute out of a plane in the midst of an airborne firefight?

Of course, any superhero film comes with some believability issues, but that’s the challenge, to overcome them and Captain America just doesn’t pull it off. Much of the blame belongs to some terrible effect work, in terms of little Steve and beyond. It’s so glaringly obvious when practical stunt work is used as opposed to CGI, it’s distracting and takes you out of the film.

In terms of the performances, they’re one note almost across the board. The only person that’s the slightest bit engaging and alive is Toby Jones as Red Skull’s right hand man, Dr. Arnim Zola. He’s a bit of an enigma and the fact that you can practically see the wheels turning in his head makes you desperate to get inside it. Otherwise, Captain America offers up a bunch of straight shooters. Evans is the noble hero, Weaving the dubious villain, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, the loyal sidekick and Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter, the Captain’s crush. They’re playing superhero movie stereotypes and make no effort to take them further.

However, again, this is a superhero movie we’re talking about and that also inherently has the power to be somewhat entertaining when working with the basics. There are some visually stimulating action sequences, cool costumes and poignant hero-saves-the-day moments, but otherwise, Captain America has little to nothing to offer. Then again, there is that teaser for The Avengers after the credits.

Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough

Film Review - Captain America: The First Avenger

 So far, so good for The Avengers this summer. Thor’s a pretty cool guy and now it’s Captain America to show off what he’s got. Sure, he comes with the superhero standards – buff body, noble intentions and a sleek costume – but other than that, he’s nothing more than a poster boy for Marvel movies. Steve Rogers makes for a better propaganda symbol than superhero.

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New graphic cigarette warnings unveiled

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The federal government Tuesday unveiled nine graphic images that will be required on all cigarette packs and advertising as part of a powerful new warning strategy.

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The images include a picture of a man smoking through a tracheotomy hole in his throat, a horribly diseased lung, mottled teeth and gums, a man breathing with an oxygen mask and a man’s body with a large scar running down the chest. They will be accompanied by messages such as, “Warning: Cigarettes are addictive,” “Warning: Cigarettes cause cancer” and “Warning: Smoking can kill you.”

“President Obama is committed to protecting our nation’s children and the American people from the dangers of tobacco use,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. “These labels are frank, honest and powerful depictions of the health risks of smoking, and they will help encourage smokers to quit, and prevent children from smoking.”

Beginning on Oct. 22, 2012, any cigarette makers that do not put the new warnings on their packaging will not be allowed to sell their brands in the United States. The warnings, which will replace those that cigarette packs began carrying 25 years ago, will cover half the front and back of each pack and 20 percent of each large ad.

Each warning will also be accompanied by 1-800-QUIT-NOW, which smokers can call for help quitting.

Armed with new powers approved by Congress last year, the Food and Drug Administration announced in November that the agency would require the new images and unveiled 36 proposed images it was considering.

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The final nine were selected after the agency reviewed the scientific literature, more than 1,700 public comments and a study involving 18,000 people.

Public health authorities and anti-smoking advocates hailed the move as a milestone in the battle against tobacco in the United States that began in 1964, when the surgeon general first declared cigarettes and public health threat. That battle made steady progress for decades, but stalled in recent years, with one in five adults and teens still smoking. President Obama himself struggled for years to quit.

“These new warning labels have the potential to encourage adults to give up their deadly addiction to cigarettes and deter children from starting in the first place,” said John R. Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, in a statement.

At least 30 other countries already require graphic warnings, including some, like Brazil, that go even further than the U.S. messages. Canada, which became the first country to require more graphic warnings in 2000, has seen a significant drop in smoking.

Among the images that were proposed but rejected was one showing a man who appears to be suffering a heart attack, another depicting a corpse in a coffin and another in a morgue with a toe tag.

The warnings are part of a broad new federal anti-smoking strategy. The FDA has restricted the use of the terms “light,” “low” and ”mild,” banned the use of fruit, candy and spice flavorings and is considering taking action to prevent the sale of menthol cigarettes.

Singer-Actress Demi Lovato Splits From Boyfriend

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Singer-actress Demi Lovato has split from 'That 70s Show' actor Wilmer Valderrama after a brief courtship.

The 18-year-old, who has been dating Valderrama, 31, since January, called off the relationship and blamed the couple's 13-year age gap as the reason behind the split.

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Justin Timberlake Says S*x Scenes were Easy

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Justin Timberlake insists there was no awkwardness between him and his ex-girlfriend Cameron Diaz when they shot sex scenes for their new movie 'Bad Teacher'.

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X-Men: First Class Earn $56 Million

Young X-Men don't have the same box-office superpowers as their older selves.

"X-Men: First Class" earned $56 million to top the weekend box office, but the 20th Century Fox prequel found smaller audiences than the franchise's first four big-screen adventures, which featured older versions of the X-Men.

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Renee Zellweger Furious With Bradley Cooper

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Renee Zellweger has been left rocked by claims her ex-boyfriend Bradley Cooper has hooked up with actress Olivia Wilde.

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Jealous Justin Bieber Fans hate Selena Gomez For Beach Romance

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 Selena Gomez is once more receiving death threats after steamy photographs of her on vacation in Hawaii with her boyfriend Justin Bieber were released over the weekend.

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Two New 'Terminator' films could net Arnold Schwarzenegger 24m Pounds

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been offered to star in two new 'Terminator' films that could net him around 24million pounds- the biggest comeback chance in Hollywood history.

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Angelina Jolie: Beautiful Cheryl Cole is causing a stir in America

Angelina Jolie has been impressed by Cheryl Cole's American debut.

Chezza, 27, has just started her new job as a judge on US X Factor and Angelina, 35, is reported to have been telling fans that the Geordie star is 'very beautiful' and is 'causing a stir' in the States.

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Equity loans scarce, even for high credit scorers

Many homeowners long to hear the magic words, "your home equity loan is approved." But for most, this type of loan, which allows a homeowner to borrow against the equity in the home, is hard to get.

The typical barriers are lack of equity, impaired credit, and inadequate income to support additional borrowing. Of those, negative equity, also referred to as being "upside down" or "underwater," may be the most daunting.

Homeowners who have equity, a strong credit score and enough income to support a second loan payment may still find only limited options.

That's mostly because of changes in the lending industry, said Shari Olefson, a real estate lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and author of Foreclosure Nation. Those changes, Ms. Olefson said, include the following:

Fewer lenders, loan officers, mortgage brokers, and companies that used to heavily promote home equity loans.

Stricter government regulations, requiring lenders to hold higher reserves and generally constraining all types of lending.

Short sales, foreclosures, and borrowers who have decided not to make their payments, even though they can afford to do so.

Lenders that offer equity loans may charge higher interest rates to offset those perceived risks.

Some lenders still approve home equity loans for homeowners who have enough "borrowing power," said Gary Korotzer, senior vice president of marketing for home equity at Wells Fargo in San Francisco.

That power consists of collateral, which refers to the home's value as determined by an appraisal or automated-valuation model, and capacity, which refers to the borrower's income relative to debt obligations, Mr. Korotzer said.

"The best thing to do," he said, "is to come in and talk to a banker about your situation. At the end of the day, it's a combination of factors, and you should have a conversation with someone who can guide you through the process."

Film Review: `Thor`, Hollywood extravaganza at its shiniest best

It will go down in history as the most elaborately planned movie franchisee, spanning years and different movies (including sequels) and multiple characters with individual films. And despite knowing that such an extravaganza can be possible only from the marriage of one between Marvel and Hollywood, you continue to marvel at it. The latest marvelous addition to this collection is "Thor".

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) a god, grows up to be a warrior too arrogant of his strength to maintain a fragile peace in the kingdom. Seeing his arrogance Odin takes his power and casts him to earth so he can learn to be humble.

Devoid of his power and unable to even move his weapon, a hammer forged from a dying star, he, with the help of a kind scientist Jane (Natalie Portman) learns the value of life and a humility and in the end is ready to sacrifice himself to save his friends.

"Thor" was a dangerous gamble for Marvel. He is not one of the popular characters among the avengers. To dedicate and entire movie, some would have said, was foolhardy. But the film "Thor" amply illustrates that if the will is right, creativity can indeed be brought to be a good slave.

"Thor" is Hollywood extravaganza at its best. It is expected of a film of this magnitude to have good effects. However, the film understands that the effects have to serve the story and not mask a nonexistent one. To bring out human elements in a story about gods, takes skill.

Also the costumes, set design and magical elements are put up in such a way as to make the clan of gods look like and advanced alien race rather than a magical race of gods. That gives the story a science fiction angle, like the other films in the Avengers` series, "Iron Man" and "Hulk", and the upcoming "Captain America", instead of a mythical, magical dimension that would not have fit in with the others.

Chris Hemsworth has gained more than few pounds for his role as Thor. From his impish arrogance of "Star Trek" to the magnificent arrogance of a god, he has come a long way both as an actor and as a star.

The film would delight fans of Avengers and Marvel comics with its hidden references. So we see the agent Coulson from SHIELD we first encountered in "Iron Man"; Samuel L. Jackson makes a unaccredited appearance after the end credits; and there`s reference to Tony Stark, Jeremy Rainer in a small cameo is set up to be "Hawk Eye" in the "Avengers" and Loki is set up to the arch-enemy for the "Avengers".

The Marvel master, Stan Lee too makes an appearance in a funny cameo. Fans should sit through the last credits, for a minute extra that has become an USP of this series.

"Thor" makes a good metaphor against vanity. One should not be too proud to be strong and that wisdom is worth aspiring for. Hope Marvel would have the wisdom to continue with good cinema in the next "Captain America" and "Avengers" offerings.

T-Mobile G2X: Official Android 2.3 Gingerbread Release Date Update

If you are already in possession of a T-Mobile G2X, or currently have one on pre-order, we have some excellent news for you. T-Mobile has just confirmed that users will not have to wait long for the official upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

For those of you that are unaware, the 1Ghz dual-core processor ships with Android 2.2 Froyo, but T-Mobile always insisted that Gingerbread would come soon after release. It now looks like they are sticking to their word, with the following Twitter update, as reported from TmoNews:

”@thephilbert Gingerbread is coming to the G2x soon. You won’t have to wait long.”

The company also confirmed that they were already testing Gingerbread before the G2X launched, and that’s the main reason why users will not have to wait long for the update. Just how long though? We’re hoping that they are talking about a few weeks wait, rather than months.

With that good news aside, it’s nice to see T-Mobile directly responding to questions about future software updates, and it’s certainly a contrast to users of Samsung handsets who are often pulling their hair out in frustration over lack of communication about their respective updates – Gingerbread for the Samsung S for example.

Do you already have a G2X? If so, let us know your overall impressions of the device so far and your thoughts on T-Mobile’s quick response to the Gingerbread update.

Indian Hot Actress Mallika Sherawat's 'date' with USA President Barak Obama

Mallika Sherawat has finally done it. She has got up, close and personal with the US President. The actress was invited for tea with Barack Obama during his campaign stop in the heart of Hollywood.

The topic of discussion was her stay in Los Angeles and she spoke about her upcoming film, Politics of Love, Barack, to which the President commented lightheartedly, "Make sure you invite me to the premiere!"

The star is said to be over-the-moon since the meeting, as its been a dream of hers to meet the US President since his election and her work on the new film, where she learned a lot about the man himself and US politics.

This is one more of her American pursuits for Madam Mallika to tom-tom about.

Obama Launches Task Force to Investigate Gas Prices

President Barack Obama said Thursday that the Justice Department will try to "root out" cases of fraud or manipulation in oil markets, even as Attorney General Eric Holder suggested a variety of legal reasons may be behind gasoline's surge to $4 a gallon.

"We are going to make sure that no one is taking advantage of the American people for their own short-term gain," Obama said at a town-hall style meeting at a renewable energy plant in Reno, Nev.

With the 2012 campaign in mind, theWhite House is anxious to show the public it's taking action to address rising gas prices. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.84 on Thursday, about 30 cents higher than a month ago and almost a dollar higher than a year ago.

Visit WTVR Mobile [mobile.wtvr.com] for the latest news, weather, video, cheap gas prices and more on your phone. CBS 6 has you covered -- at work, at home or on-the-go!

Obama, decrying such levels as yet another hardship "at a time when things were already pretty tough," said Holder was forming the Financial Fraud Enforcement Working Group.

The task force will focus some of its investigation on "the role of traders and speculators" in the oil-price surge, Obama said, and will include several Cabinet department officials, federal regulators and the National Association of Attorneys General.

InWashington, Holder said he would press ahead with the investigation, even though he did not cite any current evidence of intentional manipulation of oil and gas prices or fraud.

"Based upon our work and research to date, it is evident that there are regional differences in gasoline prices, as well as differences in the statutory and other legal tools at the government's disposal," Holder said in a memo accompanying a statement announcing the task force. "It is also clear that there are lawful reasons for increases in gas prices, given supply and demand."

"Nonetheless, where consumers are harmed by unlawful conduct that has the effect of increasing gas prices, state and federal authorities will take swift action," Holder said.

He promised to "be vigilant in monitoring the oil and gas markets for any wrongdoing so that consumers can be confident they are not paying higher prices as a result of illegal activity."

There's not much Obama can do to affect the price of gasoline in short term, something he acknowledged in his remarks. Gas prices have risen steadily as a result of tensions in the Middle East and northern Africa and rising demand from China and other emerging economies.

Given that no evidence has yet surfaced of actual fraud or price manipulation in oil markets, Obama's remarks appeared, at least in part, as more of an attempt to assuage public anger over rising gas prices.

Other presidents have also launched similar inquiries at times of rising oil prices and widespread public suspicions of market manipulation by the oil industry or by speculators.

In an Associated Press-Gfk poll last month, 51 percent of adults said they thought recent increases in gas prices were due to "oil companies that want to boost profits" rather than changes in the global oil market. Nine percent said higher prices stemmed from a combination of both, 37 percent from changes in the market.

Obama renewed his proposal to end roughly $4 billion annually in various government subsidies to oil and gas companies "at a time when they're making record profits and you're paying near record prices at the pump. It has to stop."

Asked by a member of the audience about prospects for advancements in clean energy, Obama predicted that, with time, prices of now-expensive devices such as electric cars would come down.

"Having a flat-screen TV used to be a big deal," Obama said. But he said now such TVs are commonplace because prices have dropped so much.

While acknowledging he doesn't spend much time these days behind the wheel, Obama said, "I've been in one of these Chevy Volts. This is a nice car. It drives well."

He said when such vehicles become more affordable, "those of you out there driving that 8-mile-a-gallon SUV" should consider a purchase. Otherwise, by buying gasoline that likely came from imported oil, Americans "are putting money in the pockets of people who do not like us at all," he said.

FromNevada, Obama flew to Los Angeles, his final stop on a three-day West Coast swing focused heavily on raising money for the president's re-election bid. Obama's six money events, all in California, focused on high-dollar donors and young people, both of whom will be integral to a campaign that could set fundraising records.

Before the Reno event Thursday, Obama told supporters inSan Francisco that he was pressing ahead with his agenda in a difficult political environment and that "change turned out to be a lot tougher than expected."

Obama addressed about 200 people who paid up to $35,800 apiece for the fundraiser at San Francisco's St. Regis Hotel, the first of four for the day.

Obama was interrupted by a small group among the paying guests who protested the detention ofBradley Manning, an Army private accused of leaking secret documents to the WikiLeaks website.

"We paid our dues, where's our change?" the protesters sang to the president.

"We'll vote for you in 2012, yes that's true. Look at theRepublicans — what else can we do?"

Obama paused while security removed some of the protesters, then joked, "That's a nice song. You guys have much better voices than I do."

Manning, suspected of illegally passing U.S. government secrets to the WikiLeaks while serving as an Army intelligence analyst in Iraq, was transferred this week to an Army prison inKansas from the Marine brig in Quantico, Va., where he has spent the last nine months.

Between his California events, Obama went to the Electra Therm Co. in Reno, speaking in front of a machine that produces renewable energy from low-temperature heat waste.

Obama's West Coast visit — his most extensive travel since announcing his re-election bid two weeks ago — offered a glimpse of how he will seek to re-energize the independents and first-time voters who carried him to victory in 2008. Obama argues that more work must be done to make the vision of America he promised a reality and that he is the only one who can see those hopes through.

How You Can Have a Billion-Dollar Income in America and Pay No Taxes

When I was growing up, people joked about how much they hated taxes, but they paid them, and we had a solid middle-class society. Real wages rose from WWII through 1973.

Today one of our two major political parties -- nationally and in state capitals -- is unwilling to consider raising taxes no matter the circumstances. Though most of Washington's officials and media are hysterical about the deficit, and willing to hurt anyone in an effort to reduce it, both parties voted in December to extend tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans for two more years.

Despite profits of $14.2 billion -- $5.1 billion from its operations in the United States -- General Electric, the nation's largest corporation, did not have to pay any U.S. taxes last year. Its CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, recently replaced Paul Volcker as leader of President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board as its name was changed to the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

David Cay Johnston worked as an investigative reporter for several newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times from 1976 to 1988, and the New York Times from 1995-2008 where he won a Pulitzer Prize for his innovative coverage of our tax system. He now teaches at Syracuse University College of Law and Whitman School of Management and writes a column at Tax.com. He is the author of two bestsellers, Perfectly Legal and Free Lunch. His next book, The Fine Print, will be published later this year.

Terrence McNally: When I last interviewed you on Inauguration Day 2009, I said, "Due to the scale of our multiple calamities, we may finally be ready to make meaningful changes to business as usual," and I read a quote from Rebecca Solnit: "Obama, who is merely impressive as an individual, is unstoppable as a phenomenon created out of the collective hopes and desires of the public, which must continue dreaming and prodding him forward to make the world we want to see." Your response?

David Cay Johnston: The last two years have demonstrated quite clearly that President Obama, like everybody else who gets a serious shot at being president, has to be acceptable to the establishment, and in particular, acceptable to Wall Street. While we continue to suffer from the serious problems left by the previous administration's policies, the responses have all been very focused on what Wall Street thinks are the solutions.

TM: Obama's first two years have made it clear that in the current system all presidential contenders ultimately represent their funders, and, given Citizens United, that will only get worse.

DCJ: Citizens United is an unbelievably important decision. I have research assistants gathering everything they can about the nature of corporations at the time of the Founders. Justices Scalia and Thomas in particular argue that their view of the Constitution is based on the original intent of the framers, not some amorphous modern idea, right?

TM: Exactly.

DCJ: Under Citizens United, we have granted political rights to corporations, which are not natural entities. In 1977, Justice Rehnquist -- not exactly a raging liberal -- in First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, wrote that it was one thing to grant property rights to corporations in order to protect their property. This is what the Supreme Court did without hearing in the Santa Clara case in 1886 that created personhood for corporations. But he warned, you don't want to do this for political rights, because those belong exclusively to natural persons, i.e. human beings.

At the beginning of the republic, corporations were very tightly controlled: they could exist for a limited period of time to fulfill a specific purpose; they operated often only in a single state and were tightly regulated in every way. Today they can do anything they want to do, anywhere in the world. Citizens United is to the expansion of corporate power what the Big Bang was to the creation of the universe -- it is the whole universe.

Gas Prices rise and Cause 'Split' in Used Car Costs

With the average price for a gallon of gas moving close to $4 a gallon, we're finally starting to see the impact on the used car lot. Buyers are demanding more small, fuel efficient cars and that's pushing the price of four cylinder compacts higher.

How high? Adesa Inc., one of the largest used car wholesalers in the country, says the price of pint-size four bangers has jumped 165 in the last 6 weeks. By comparison, the price of used big pick-ups has dropped 8% over the same period of time.

The split shouldn't surprise us. It's only natural that people would move to more fuel efficient cars and crossovers. But unlike the spike in gas prices back in 2008, most in the used car industry do not think we will see the price of large models plunge.

That's because demand for people buying cars shows no sign of slowing down, even as prices at the pump move higher.

Tom Kontos with Adesa tells me:

"I really don't think there is a tipping point at $4 or $4.50 or $5 obviously there will be a bit of a gradual decline in the sales, but I don't see the type of wholesale you know moving away from those vehicles that we saw back in 2008.

Back then, people actually wouldn't take them in trade, at dealerships. Folks weren't willing to bring their vehicles in for a trade because they were afraid at how low of an offer would be on their trade-in."

Unlike 2008, we are not in a recession and credit is easier to get. That combination, along with an improving job market, is driving greater demand for people buying cars, both new and used. Unfortunately for many used car buyers, there's a very limited supply due to three years of automakers building fewer cars and trucks. That limited supply is further fueling higher used car prices.

That said, we are are clearly seeing a split in prices. And it really accelerated in March, when gas prices skyrocketed. Look at how these used vehicle prices changed between February and March:

Compacts (up) 7.8%

Mid-size (up) 6.7%

Full size SUV (down) 6.8%

Full size pick-up (down) 9.1%

Source: Adesa, Inc.

And as we head into the summer sales season I expect this split in prices to continue. Even if gas prices eventually moderate. This is not what people shopping for a used car will want to hear. And yes, this is one of those periods where buying new may make more sense than buying used.

Paying $4 per gallon of gasoline is quickly becoming a reality across the nation. This week, Illinois became the fourth state to pass the $4 mark, following Alaska, California and Hawaii.

AAA said Tuesday's national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $3.79. The Energy Information Administration expects that price will climb to $4 per gallon by July.

The national average hasn't been that high since July 2008.

Keri Hilson Poses N*de

Pretty girl rocker Keri Hilson recently graced the pages of Allure Magazine's annual Body Issue in the nude, along with Ashley Tisdale, Bridget Moynahan and Kaley Cuoco.


Every year, the magazine handpicks female celebrities to do a nude shoot for this issue, which is meant to help empower women and help women overcome body issues. In the past, Serena Williams has posed nude, as well as Kelly Rowland, Gabrielle Union, and Jill Scott.

When talking about posing for the issue, Keri said: "We do a lot of things to seek validation: I have to get more expensive handbags or fake lashes or fake boobs. This shoot was about dropping all that. It’s so empowering to embrace my insecurities."

Budget battle came down to 3 men and their weaknesses

House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) entered budget negotiations at the head of a rambunctious Republican majority. Quietly, though, he worried that conservative lawmakers might desert him if the deal he struck didn’t meet their expectations.

President Obama had his own problem: He was trying to change his public image in midstream, from America’s top Democrat to a chief executive immune from partisan squabbling.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) had watched his party lose its momentum. For all his power, his job had shrunk to defending Democrats’ past gains.

Last week, their first big public fight since Republicans took over in November played out in 3 a.m. meetings, angry press conferences and tense sessions at the White House — which hit their boiling point late Thursday night when Vice President Joe Biden lost his temper at Boehner. It ended with a late-night handshake at the Capitol and Republican cheers in a crowded basement.

The detailed story of that week — relayed Saturday by aides invested in portraying their man as the hero — shows that all three were trying to camouflage weaknesses with bluffing and public confidence. They settled only in the face of a shutdown — the one thing they feared more than giving in.

In the end, Boehner got the huge budget cut conservatives wanted. Obama got to take credit for bringing the sides together. And Reid got a chance — in a dispute over funding for women’s health groups — to rally a beleaguered Democratic base.

Outside the White House and Capitol, their long staredown had a serious cost.

For days, a city had been creakily, and expensively, preparing to shut itself down. And a country had watched in amazement: Was the U.S. government really fighting over whether to reauthorize itself?

Boehner’s problem

For Boehner, last week was a chance to prove his toughness, and conservative bona fides, to the fractious Republicans he leads.

His problem had been made clear a month ago. The House was set to vote on a stopgap budget to keep the country running, but 54 members of his caucus pressed the red button for “no.” The bill passed, but they sent Boehner a message: He didn’t have the unqualified support of all 241 House Republicans.

“If you don’t have 218, you’re not speaker,” one of Boehner’s close friends said, adding that they “cut his legs off.”

The roots of Boehner’s problem stretched back to last fall’s elections, which propelled him to power. On the campaign trail, Republicans promised that they would cut INR 4,397.33 billion from Obama’s budget proposal.

Now, there were 87 new freshmen in the Capitol, and many of them believed that would happen.

But it was a promise Boehner couldn’t keep. Democrats in the Senate rejected it out of hand.

As the last week began, Boehner was determined not to seem wobbly. In private meetings with Democrats, he repeated a mantra: “Nothing will be agreed to, until everything is agreed to.”

And so, nothing was.

Who’s essential?

As a shutdown drew closer, Office of Management and Budget employees began to work late nights, scarfing Five Guys burgers and cold, wilted french fries. The questions came in: Will I be paid? Can I still use my BlackBerry if I can’t come to work?

Unclear, they said. And no.

Other agencies began an awkward sorting process. Who was “essential,” and would work in a shutdown?

“Any furlough is not a reflection on you or your performance,” Labor Secretary Hilda Solis wrote in a memo, hinting at the sting of being “nonessential” in a town that defines people by their work. “I value every single one of you and the work you do.”

Outside Washington, the assignments seemed even more surreal. At Mojave National Preserve in California, workers warned visitors they’d have to leave within 48 hours of a shutdown.

Not that anyone would notice.

“If we were furloughed, we wouldn’t have the staff to find them anyway,” park employee Danette Woo said.

‘This is it’

As the stalemate dragged on into Thursday night, President Obama summoned both Reid and Boehner to the White House. All week, Obama had sought to appear as Washington’s peacemaker, not as a partisan warrior on the Democratic side.

But there was a problem: Boehner wouldn’t give in and make peace.

With almost 24 hours to go until the government shut down, Obama gave Boehner an ultimatum on the speaker’s push to include abortion-related restrictions in the bill.

“John, I will give you D.C. abortion. I am not happy about it,” Obama said, according to a Democrat and Republican in the Oval Office. Boehner had been pushing to include both the restriction of government funding on abortions in the District of Columbia and a provision that would have placed limits on funds going to nonprofit groups that provide abortion services nationwide, including Planned Parenthood.

With the D.C. provision in hand, Boehner continued to push the president, aides said.

“Nope, zero,” Obama told Boehner. “Nope, zero. John, this is it.”

And that was it — for a little while. Later, White House aides said, Boehner returned to the issue. Evidently, he had pushed Biden too far.

If Republicans didn’t buckle on this provision, an angry Biden warned, “We’re going to have to take it to the American people.”

Nonetheless, they were close to agreeing to a dollar amount, or so the White House thought. By the next morning, though, White House aides said Boehner’s staff appeared to be asking for more cuts.

Obama Demands Budget Deal to Avert Government Shutdown

President Barack Obama said he hopes lawmakers can reach a last-minute deal today to avert a government shutdown after a third round of talks with congressional leaders last night failed to end an impasse over the federal budget.

After meeting with House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Obama said issues remained unresolved and he hoped for a breakthrough that would prevent a shutdown, set to begin at midnight tonight.

“I’m not yet prepared to express wild optimism but I think we are further along,” he told reporters. “My hope is, is that I’ll be able to announce to the American people sometime relatively early in the day that a shutdown has been averted.”

The president canceled a scheduled trip to Indianapolis, where he was to promote his energy policies. He had met with Reid and Boehner earlier yesterday and late on April 6 in an effort to reach an accord.

Without an agreement, the government would begin shutting down for the first time in 15 years. Roughly 800,000 “non- essential” federal employees would be furloughed, affecting a host of government services. National parks would close, those filing paper tax returns wouldn’t receive refunds, government permits would be unavailable, and most passport applications would go unprocessed.
‘Extremely Narrow’

Neither Obama nor Reid identified the outstanding issues. Reid said they were “extremely, extremely narrow,” yet “the sad part about it, we keep never quite getting to the finish line.” He said he is “not really confident” that a deal will be reached, though “I’m very, very hopeful.”

Boehner said in a statement with Reid that they had “narrowed the issues” and would “continue to work through the night to attempt to resolve our remaining differences.”

Concern that an impasse over the federal budget may lead to a shutdown helped push down stocks yesterday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 17.26 points, or 0.1 percent, to 12,409.49 at 4 p.m. in New York and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 0.2 percent.

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber’s second- ranking Democrat, said yesterday that lawmakers are divided by provisions, known as policy riders, woven into a bill funding the government for the rest of this year. They would change administration policies on environmental regulations as well as funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions among other health services.
‘Policy Questions’

“It appears that the debate is no longer over deficit reduction,” Durbin said. “It has really devolved into a debate over policy questions that have nothing to do directly, maybe even indirectly, with the budget deficit that we face or the money we’re going to spend.”

Lawmakers had also been debating about $40 billion in cuts from the government’s $3.7 trillion annual budget.

Yesterday, the administration threatened to veto a House- approved measure that would keep the government open for business until April 15, cut $12 billion in spending and fund the Pentagon through Sept. 30, the end of the 2011 fiscal year. The administration called the measure a “distraction from the real work” of forging a compromise.

“Non-essential” federal workers face the prospect of going without pay during the impasse. Representative Jim Moran, a Virginia Democrat, is advising federal workers living in his district just outside Washington to conserve cash, warning a shutdown could stretch into next week. With so much concern over the budget deficit, he said, lawmakers may not agree to provide federal workers with back pay as they have in the past.
‘Conserve Their Money’

“They’re going to have to conserve their money to make their mortgage and car payments -- they’re going to have to determine what are the essentials,” Moran said. He estimated that 100,000 workers in the Washington area may be furloughed.

Many government programs would continue during a shutdown, said Jeff Zients, deputy director of the White House budget office.

Social Security checks will continue to flow, the postal service will continue to deliver the mail, military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya will continue and the air traffic control system will continue to operate, Zients said.

“Generally speaking, services that are critical to safety of life and protection of property are excepted from a shutdown,” he told reporters. So too, he said, are programs that don’t rely on the budget bill being debated for their funding.
Getting Their Paychecks

Elected officials, including Obama, Boehner and Reid, would be paid as usual during a shutdown unless Congress changes the law. Democratic Senators Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Joe Manchin of West Virginia all announced they would forgo their paychecks during a shutdown.

Soldiers, law enforcement officials and others whose jobs are deemed essential would continue to work, yet wouldn’t get paychecks until the budget impasse is resolved.

Obama said the dispute “could severely hamper the recovery and job growth.”

“We’ve been working very hard over the last two years to get this economy back on its feet,” he said. “For us to go backwards because Washington couldn’t get its act together is unacceptable.”