On Thursday, the Pentagon is recommending to Congress that women be allowed to serve in more jobs closer to the front lines.

According to defense officials, the new rules are expected to continue the long-held prohibition that prevents women from serving as infantry, armor and special operations forces. But they will formally allow women to serve in other jobs at the battalion level, which until now had been considered too close to combat.

In reality, however, the necessities of war have already propelled women to the front lines – often as medics, military police or intelligence officers. So, while a woman couldn’t be assigned as an infantryman in a battalion or in a company going out on patrol, she could fly the helicopter supporting the unit, or move in to provide medical aid if troops were injured.

The officials said the new rules will formally allow women to be assigned to a battalion and serve in jobs such as medics, intelligence officers, police or communications officers. The changes would have the greatest effect on the Army and Marine Corps, which ban women from more jobs than the Navy and Air Force do, largely because of the infantry positions.

Defense officials spoke about the report on condition of anonymity because it had not yet been publicly released.

There long has been opposition to putting women in combat, questioning whether they have the necessary strength and stamina, or whether their presence might hurt unit cohesion. There also have been suggestions that the American public would not tolerate large numbers of women coming home from war in body bags.

But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where battlefield lines are scattered and blurred and insurgents can be around every corner, have made it almost impossible to keep women clear of combat. Thousands have served in the two wars, and more than 150 have been killed.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, speaking from his home in Virginia, said he doesn’t see how the new policy helps the national security of the country.

“This does not dismiss the sexual tension issues, nor does it dismiss the differences physiologically between men and women in terms of cardiovascular fitness,” Maginnis said.

The Service Women’s Action Network’s response was mixed.

“On the plus side, this is a huge step in the right direction,” said Anu Bhagwati, former Marine Corps captain and executive director of the network. However, she said it was “extremely disappointing” that the ban would continue on women becoming infantry.

“To continue such a ban is to ignore the talents and leadership that women bring to the military, and it further penalizes servicewomen by denying them the opportunity for future promotions and assignments that are primarily given to personnel from combat arms specialties.”

“It’s time military leadership establish the same level playing field to qualified women to enter the infantry, Special Forces and other all-male units,” Bhagwati said.

The Pentagon report, which initially was due out last spring, comes nearly a year after an independent panel called for the military to lift its ban on women in combat. The Military Leadership Diversity Commission said the Pentagon should phase in additional career fields and units that women could be assigned to as long as they are qualified.

A 1994 combat exclusion policy bans women from being assigned to ground combat units below the brigade level. A brigade is roughly 3,500 troops, and is made up of battalions, which can be about 800 soldiers.

So while a woman serving as a communications or intelligence officer can be formally assigned to a brigade, she can’t be assigned to the smaller battalion. The military has gotten around those rules by “attaching” women in those jobs to battalions, which meant they could do the work but not get the credit for being in combat arms.

And since service in combat gives troops an advantage for promotions and job opportunities, it has been more difficult for women to move to the higher ranks.

While the new rules won’t open up the Navy SEALs or the Army Delta Force to women, some defense officials have said the military may eventually be open to that. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates told North Carolina ROTC students in 2010 that at some point there would be careful steps in that direction.

Already, however, women are serving with special operations forces in support jobs such as intelligence analysts, legal specialists, builders and administration assistants.

In a new program gaining popularity in Afghanistan, women are serving on so-called cultural support teams that go out with commando units. The women on the teams are used to do things that would be awkward or impossible for their male teammates, such as talking to or frisking burqa-clad women.

—

AP Radio Correspondent Mike Gracia contributed to this report.

—

Follow Lolita C. Baldor on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lbaldor

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

On Thursday, the Pentagon is recommending to Congress that women be allowed to serve in more jobs closer to the front lines.

According to defense officials, the new rules are expected to continue the long-held prohibition that prevents women from serving as infantry, armor and special operations forces. But they will formally allow women to serve in other jobs at the battalion level, which until now had been considered too close to combat.

In reality, however, the necessities of war have already propelled women to the front lines – often as medics, military police or intelligence officers. So, while a woman couldn’t be assigned as an infantryman in a battalion or in a company going out on patrol, she could fly the helicopter supporting the unit, or move in to provide medical aid if troops were injured.

The officials said the new rules will formally allow women to be assigned to a battalion and serve in jobs such as medics, intelligence officers, police or communications officers. The changes would have the greatest effect on the Army and Marine Corps, which ban women from more jobs than the Navy and Air Force do, largely because of the infantry positions.

Defense officials spoke about the report on condition of anonymity because it had not yet been publicly released.

There long has been opposition to putting women in combat, questioning whether they have the necessary strength and stamina, or whether their presence might hurt unit cohesion. There also have been suggestions that the American public would not tolerate large numbers of women coming home from war in body bags.

But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where battlefield lines are scattered and blurred and insurgents can be around every corner, have made it almost impossible to keep women clear of combat. Thousands have served in the two wars, and more than 150 have been killed.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, speaking from his home in Virginia, said he doesn’t see how the new policy helps the national security of the country.

“This does not dismiss the sexual tension issues, nor does it dismiss the differences physiologically between men and women in terms of cardiovascular fitness,” Maginnis said.

The Service Women’s Action Network’s response was mixed.

“On the plus side, this is a huge step in the right direction,” said Anu Bhagwati, former Marine Corps captain and executive director of the network. However, she said it was “extremely disappointing” that the ban would continue on women becoming infantry.

“To continue such a ban is to ignore the talents and leadership that women bring to the military, and it further penalizes servicewomen by denying them the opportunity for future promotions and assignments that are primarily given to personnel from combat arms specialties.”

“It’s time military leadership establish the same level playing field to qualified women to enter the infantry, Special Forces and other all-male units,” Bhagwati said.

The Pentagon report, which initially was due out last spring, comes nearly a year after an independent panel called for the military to lift its ban on women in combat. The Military Leadership Diversity Commission said the Pentagon should phase in additional career fields and units that women could be assigned to as long as they are qualified.

A 1994 combat exclusion policy bans women from being assigned to ground combat units below the brigade level. A brigade is roughly 3,500 troops, and is made up of battalions, which can be about 800 soldiers.

So while a woman serving as a communications or intelligence officer can be formally assigned to a brigade, she can’t be assigned to the smaller battalion. The military has gotten around those rules by “attaching” women in those jobs to battalions, which meant they could do the work but not get the credit for being in combat arms.

And since service in combat gives troops an advantage for promotions and job opportunities, it has been more difficult for women to move to the higher ranks.

While the new rules won’t open up the Navy SEALs or the Army Delta Force to women, some defense officials have said the military may eventually be open to that. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates told North Carolina ROTC students in 2010 that at some point there would be careful steps in that direction.

Already, however, women are serving with special operations forces in support jobs such as intelligence analysts, legal specialists, builders and administration assistants.

In a new program gaining popularity in Afghanistan, women are serving on so-called cultural support teams that go out with commando units. The women on the teams are used to do things that would be awkward or impossible for their male teammates, such as talking to or frisking burqa-clad women.

—

AP Radio Correspondent Mike Gracia contributed to this report.

—

Follow Lolita C. Baldor on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lbaldor

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

On Thursday, the Pentagon is recommending to Congress that women be allowed to serve in more jobs closer to the front lines.

According to defense officials, the new rules are expected to continue the long-held prohibition that prevents women from serving as infantry, armor and special operations forces. But they will formally allow women to serve in other jobs at the battalion level, which until now had been considered too close to combat.

In reality, however, the necessities of war have already propelled women to the front lines – often as medics, military police or intelligence officers. So, while a woman couldn’t be assigned as an infantryman in a battalion or in a company going out on patrol, she could fly the helicopter supporting the unit, or move in to provide medical aid if troops were injured.

The officials said the new rules will formally allow women to be assigned to a battalion and serve in jobs such as medics, intelligence officers, police or communications officers. The changes would have the greatest effect on the Army and Marine Corps, which ban women from more jobs than the Navy and Air Force do, largely because of the infantry positions.

Defense officials spoke about the report on condition of anonymity because it had not yet been publicly released.

There long has been opposition to putting women in combat, questioning whether they have the necessary strength and stamina, or whether their presence might hurt unit cohesion. There also have been suggestions that the American public would not tolerate large numbers of women coming home from war in body bags.

But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where battlefield lines are scattered and blurred and insurgents can be around every corner, have made it almost impossible to keep women clear of combat. Thousands have served in the two wars, and more than 150 have been killed.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, speaking from his home in Virginia, said he doesn’t see how the new policy helps the national security of the country.

“This does not dismiss the sexual tension issues, nor does it dismiss the differences physiologically between men and women in terms of cardiovascular fitness,” Maginnis said.

The Service Women’s Action Network’s response was mixed.

“On the plus side, this is a huge step in the right direction,” said Anu Bhagwati, former Marine Corps captain and executive director of the network. However, she said it was “extremely disappointing” that the ban would continue on women becoming infantry.

“To continue such a ban is to ignore the talents and leadership that women bring to the military, and it further penalizes servicewomen by denying them the opportunity for future promotions and assignments that are primarily given to personnel from combat arms specialties.”

“It’s time military leadership establish the same level playing field to qualified women to enter the infantry, Special Forces and other all-male units,” Bhagwati said.

The Pentagon report, which initially was due out last spring, comes nearly a year after an independent panel called for the military to lift its ban on women in combat. The Military Leadership Diversity Commission said the Pentagon should phase in additional career fields and units that women could be assigned to as long as they are qualified.

A 1994 combat exclusion policy bans women from being assigned to ground combat units below the brigade level. A brigade is roughly 3,500 troops, and is made up of battalions, which can be about 800 soldiers.

So while a woman serving as a communications or intelligence officer can be formally assigned to a brigade, she can’t be assigned to the smaller battalion. The military has gotten around those rules by “attaching” women in those jobs to battalions, which meant they could do the work but not get the credit for being in combat arms.

And since service in combat gives troops an advantage for promotions and job opportunities, it has been more difficult for women to move to the higher ranks.

While the new rules won’t open up the Navy SEALs or the Army Delta Force to women, some defense officials have said the military may eventually be open to that. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates told North Carolina ROTC students in 2010 that at some point there would be careful steps in that direction.

Already, however, women are serving with special operations forces in support jobs such as intelligence analysts, legal specialists, builders and administration assistants.

In a new program gaining popularity in Afghanistan, women are serving on so-called cultural support teams that go out with commando units. The women on the teams are used to do things that would be awkward or impossible for their male teammates, such as talking to or frisking burqa-clad women.

—

AP Radio Correspondent Mike Gracia contributed to this report.

—

Follow Lolita C. Baldor on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lbaldor

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, provides the GOP perspective on an issue that has divided Washington since the start of the Afghanistan war and the use of the Navy prison for those captured. And it split the White House and Congress last year over how to write rules on handling detainees.

The report comes as the Obama administration officials have acknowledged that they are considering whether to release several Afghan Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo and send them to a third country as an incentive to bring the Taliban to peace talks. The step is certain to create an uproar on Capitol Hill, especially among Republicans. The 93-page study is likely to be part of the GOP effort to influence the ongoing debate.

In a rare break on a committee that typically is bipartisan on defense issues, Democrats dissented from the report despite efforts to reconcile their differences.

The report from the Armed Services investigations panel cites testimony before the committee last year that 27 percent of former detainees “were confirmed or suspected to have been re-engaged in terrorist or insurgent activities,” up from 25 percent the previous year. Intelligence officials had indicated that the number would increase.

“The Bush and Obama administrations, reacting to domestic political pressures and a desire to earn goodwill abroad, sought to reduce the Guantanamo population by sending detainees elsewhere,” the report said. “Both administrations faced the persistent challenge of ensuring that the potential threat posed by each detainee had been aptly assessed before transfer or release, and that the countries that received the detainees had the capacity and willingness to handle them in a way that sufficiently recognized the dangers involved.

“Despite earnest and well-meaning efforts by officials in both administrations, the re-engagement rate suggests failures in one or both aspects of the process,” the report concluded.

The report recommended that the Defense Department, CIA and other intelligence agencies report to Congress on the factors that contribute to a former detainee re-engaging in terrorist activities. The committee also is seeking reports on the effectiveness of agreements with other countries.

As of Jan. 1, 779 individuals have been held at Guantanamo, 600 have left the installation, eight died there and 171 remain, the report said, citing the Defense Department.

The report noted that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld held the view that the military should not be a jailer and there was a plan to get detainees out. President Barack Obama also had vowed to close Guantanamo, though he has met strong resistance in Congress.

Lawmakers repeatedly have added provisions to various bills blocking the government from transferring detainees from Guantanamo to the United States, or barring the construction of facilities domestically to house terror suspects.

Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the report failed to take into account “the national security gains of shutting down the facility at Guantanamo. That is a goal that the Bush administration sought to achieve, and it is rightly a goal of the Obama administration. I continue to believe that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is a black eye for our nation abroad, serving as a powerful recruiting tool for terrorists. We have the ability to close the facility, and we should be working towards that end.”

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, provides the GOP perspective on an issue that has divided Washington since the start of the Afghanistan war and the use of the Navy prison for those captured. And it split the White House and Congress last year over how to write rules on handling detainees.

The report comes as the Obama administration officials have acknowledged that they are considering whether to release several Afghan Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo and send them to a third country as an incentive to bring the Taliban to peace talks. The step is certain to create an uproar on Capitol Hill, especially among Republicans. The 93-page study is likely to be part of the GOP effort to influence the ongoing debate.

In a rare break on a committee that typically is bipartisan on defense issues, Democrats dissented from the report despite efforts to reconcile their differences.

The report from the Armed Services investigations panel cites testimony before the committee last year that 27 percent of former detainees “were confirmed or suspected to have been re-engaged in terrorist or insurgent activities,” up from 25 percent the previous year. Intelligence officials had indicated that the number would increase.

“The Bush and Obama administrations, reacting to domestic political pressures and a desire to earn goodwill abroad, sought to reduce the Guantanamo population by sending detainees elsewhere,” the report said. “Both administrations faced the persistent challenge of ensuring that the potential threat posed by each detainee had been aptly assessed before transfer or release, and that the countries that received the detainees had the capacity and willingness to handle them in a way that sufficiently recognized the dangers involved.

“Despite earnest and well-meaning efforts by officials in both administrations, the re-engagement rate suggests failures in one or both aspects of the process,” the report concluded.

The report recommended that the Defense Department, CIA and other intelligence agencies report to Congress on the factors that contribute to a former detainee re-engaging in terrorist activities. The committee also is seeking reports on the effectiveness of agreements with other countries.

As of Jan. 1, 779 individuals have been held at Guantanamo, 600 have left the installation, eight died there and 171 remain, the report said, citing the Defense Department.

The report noted that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld held the view that the military should not be a jailer and there was a plan to get detainees out. President Barack Obama also had vowed to close Guantanamo, though he has met strong resistance in Congress.

Lawmakers repeatedly have added provisions to various bills blocking the government from transferring detainees from Guantanamo to the United States, or barring the construction of facilities domestically to house terror suspects.

Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the report failed to take into account “the national security gains of shutting down the facility at Guantanamo. That is a goal that the Bush administration sought to achieve, and it is rightly a goal of the Obama administration. I continue to believe that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is a black eye for our nation abroad, serving as a powerful recruiting tool for terrorists. We have the ability to close the facility, and we should be working towards that end.”

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, provides the GOP perspective on an issue that has divided Washington since the start of the Afghanistan war and the use of the Navy prison for those captured. And it split the White House and Congress last year over how to write rules on handling detainees.

The report comes as the Obama administration officials have acknowledged that they are considering whether to release several Afghan Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo and send them to a third country as an incentive to bring the Taliban to peace talks. The step is certain to create an uproar on Capitol Hill, especially among Republicans. The 93-page study is likely to be part of the GOP effort to influence the ongoing debate.

In a rare break on a committee that typically is bipartisan on defense issues, Democrats dissented from the report despite efforts to reconcile their differences.

The report from the Armed Services investigations panel cites testimony before the committee last year that 27 percent of former detainees “were confirmed or suspected to have been re-engaged in terrorist or insurgent activities,” up from 25 percent the previous year. Intelligence officials had indicated that the number would increase.

“The Bush and Obama administrations, reacting to domestic political pressures and a desire to earn goodwill abroad, sought to reduce the Guantanamo population by sending detainees elsewhere,” the report said. “Both administrations faced the persistent challenge of ensuring that the potential threat posed by each detainee had been aptly assessed before transfer or release, and that the countries that received the detainees had the capacity and willingness to handle them in a way that sufficiently recognized the dangers involved.

“Despite earnest and well-meaning efforts by officials in both administrations, the re-engagement rate suggests failures in one or both aspects of the process,” the report concluded.

The report recommended that the Defense Department, CIA and other intelligence agencies report to Congress on the factors that contribute to a former detainee re-engaging in terrorist activities. The committee also is seeking reports on the effectiveness of agreements with other countries.

As of Jan. 1, 779 individuals have been held at Guantanamo, 600 have left the installation, eight died there and 171 remain, the report said, citing the Defense Department.

The report noted that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld held the view that the military should not be a jailer and there was a plan to get detainees out. President Barack Obama also had vowed to close Guantanamo, though he has met strong resistance in Congress.

Lawmakers repeatedly have added provisions to various bills blocking the government from transferring detainees from Guantanamo to the United States, or barring the construction of facilities domestically to house terror suspects.

Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the report failed to take into account “the national security gains of shutting down the facility at Guantanamo. That is a goal that the Bush administration sought to achieve, and it is rightly a goal of the Obama administration. I continue to believe that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is a black eye for our nation abroad, serving as a powerful recruiting tool for terrorists. We have the ability to close the facility, and we should be working towards that end.”

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, provides the GOP perspective on an issue that has divided Washington since the start of the Afghanistan war and the use of the Navy prison for those captured. And it split the White House and Congress last year over how to write rules on handling detainees.

The report comes as the Obama administration officials have acknowledged that they are considering whether to release several Afghan Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo and send them to a third country as an incentive to bring the Taliban to peace talks. The step is certain to create an uproar on Capitol Hill, especially among Republicans. The 93-page study is likely to be part of the GOP effort to influence the ongoing debate.

In a rare break on a committee that typically is bipartisan on defense issues, Democrats dissented from the report despite efforts to reconcile their differences.

The report from the Armed Services investigations panel cites testimony before the committee last year that 27 percent of former detainees “were confirmed or suspected to have been re-engaged in terrorist or insurgent activities,” up from 25 percent the previous year. Intelligence officials had indicated that the number would increase.

“The Bush and Obama administrations, reacting to domestic political pressures and a desire to earn goodwill abroad, sought to reduce the Guantanamo population by sending detainees elsewhere,” the report said. “Both administrations faced the persistent challenge of ensuring that the potential threat posed by each detainee had been aptly assessed before transfer or release, and that the countries that received the detainees had the capacity and willingness to handle them in a way that sufficiently recognized the dangers involved.

“Despite earnest and well-meaning efforts by officials in both administrations, the re-engagement rate suggests failures in one or both aspects of the process,” the report concluded.

The report recommended that the Defense Department, CIA and other intelligence agencies report to Congress on the factors that contribute to a former detainee re-engaging in terrorist activities. The committee also is seeking reports on the effectiveness of agreements with other countries.

As of Jan. 1, 779 individuals have been held at Guantanamo, 600 have left the installation, eight died there and 171 remain, the report said, citing the Defense Department.

The report noted that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld held the view that the military should not be a jailer and there was a plan to get detainees out. President Barack Obama also had vowed to close Guantanamo, though he has met strong resistance in Congress.

Lawmakers repeatedly have added provisions to various bills blocking the government from transferring detainees from Guantanamo to the United States, or barring the construction of facilities domestically to house terror suspects.

Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the report failed to take into account “the national security gains of shutting down the facility at Guantanamo. That is a goal that the Bush administration sought to achieve, and it is rightly a goal of the Obama administration. I continue to believe that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is a black eye for our nation abroad, serving as a powerful recruiting tool for terrorists. We have the ability to close the facility, and we should be working towards that end.”

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Facebook Inc. said in a filing Wednesday it will pay Zuckerberg, 27, a base salary of $500,000 per year. Zuckerberg’s 45 percent target bonus will be based on his performance.

Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg will receive a base salary of $300,000. Her target bonus is also 45 percent, the same as the other execs.

David Ebersman will continue to serve as chief financial officer and he will get a base salary of $300,000.

Mike Schroepfer, Facebook’s vice president of engineering, will receive a base salary of $275,000.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The outlook by National Association of Home Builders Chief Economist David Crowe calls for U.S. sales of new homes and single-family home construction to improve this year compared to 2011, when they hit record lows.

The forecast still leaves new home sales and construction well below the levels of a healthy housing market, however. That reflects the severity of the industry’s downturn, and it suggests the housing market could be years away from full health.

“I’m looking at 2012 as sort of a ramping event to get a much more solid recovery in 2013,” Crowe said in a telephone interview.

The economist, who presented his forecast at the trade association’s annual conference in Orlando, Fla., sees sales of new, single-family homes climbing 19 percent this year to 360,000, up from 303,000 last year.

Next year, he expects those sales to rise by a whopping 40 percent to 505,000.

Even if the forecast proves true, that still leaves new home sales below the 700,000-a-year pace that economists say must be sold in a healthy economy.

Crowe’s outlook also hinges on unemployment staying below 8.5 percent and the economy adding more jobs. And he’s assuming that tight mortgage-lending requirements will ease this year, enabling more homebuyers to qualify for financing.

Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft, who also issued a housing outlook at the NAHB conference, said he expects total home sales to grow between 2 percent to 5 percent this year, thanks in part to still-low mortgage interest rates. He anticipates the average rate on a 30-year mortgage will remain below 5 percent this year.

Many economists are expecting a brighter year for housing, citing positive economic data in recent months. The nation’s gross domestic product expanded slightly last year. The nation has been steadily adding more jobs. And the national jobless rate has fallen from 9 percent as recently as September to 8.3 percent last month.

Still, the housing market has to come up from the deep trench it sank to in 2011.

Last year was the weakest year for single-family home construction on record. And sales of new homes sank to the lowest level on records going back a half-century.

High unemployment, uncertainty over the economy and concerns that home prices could fall further kept many prospective home buyers on the sidelines. Others opted to buy cheap foreclosures rather than new homes.

While new homes sales represent a fraction of the housing market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to the NAHB.

In 2011, builders began work on 606,900 homes. That was slightly better than in the previous two years, but only about half the number that economists equate with healthy markets.

Crowe’s forecast calls for builders to break ground on 706,000 homes this year, an increase of 16 percent. He sees that rising 27 percent next year to 895,000.

Looking only at single-family homes, which account for roughly 70 percent of the market, Crowe projects construction will be started on 499,000 homes this year. That represents a 16 percent gain from last year. He anticipates a 32 percent jump in 2013.

Sales of previously occupied, single-family homes improved slightly last year, rising to 2.7 percent to 3.81 million. Crowe is expecting they will climb about 15 percent this year to 4.38 million homes, and about 23 percent next year to 5.36 million.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The news sent shares of the San Francisco-based company plummeting more than 43 percent in after-hours trading.

Diamond Foods, which makes Emerald Nuts and Pop Secret popcorn, has been embroiled in a dispute over the payments for several months. The company said that its audit committee found that the payments were booked in the wrong period.

The payments – an estimated $20 million in 2010 and $60 million in 2011 – skewed the company’s financial results.

Diamond Foods placed its CEO Michael Mendes and Chief Financial Officer Steven Neil on administrative leave. The company is looking for permanent replacements. In the meantime, it appointed Rick Wolford, a Diamond Foods director and former CEO of Del Monte Foods, as its acting CEO. Michael Murphy, of Alix Parners, will serve as acting chief financial officer.

The deal could put Diamond Foods’ plans to acquire the Pringles brand from Procter & Gamble Co. in jeopardy. The deal, worth $1.5 billion when it was announced in April, would be the biggest acquisition ever for Diamond Foods and make it the second-largest snack maker in the nation behind PepsiCo Inc.

The collapse of Diamond Foods’ shares also hurts its ability to finance the deal.

Cincinnati-based P&G called the news from Diamond Foods “very disappointing.” It said in a statement that it is evaluating its next steps and keeping all its options open.

“Pringles remains a valuable asset and it has attracted considerable interest from other outside parties,” P&G said.

Shares of Diamond Foods were halted in trading earlier in the day but fell $15.88 to $20.78 in after-hours trading. Its shares have been on a downward slide since hitting $96.13 in late September.

Diamond Foods said it takes the integrity of its financial statements seriously and is working to complete the restatements as soon as possible.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The bicycle repairman and preacher turned to art to spread the word of God and was considered the grandfather of the American folk art movement.

He started building the garden in 1961 and filled it with quirky mosaics, sculptures and buildings. It was featured in the 1983 R.E.M video for “Radio Free Europe.”

Jordan Poole with the Paradise Garden Foundation said Thursday that Chattooga County used private donations and grant money to buy the small plot for $125,000.

The foundation will continue to restore the garden, which has fallen into disrepair since Finster died in 2001.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The planned revisions would enable Google to bundle the personal information gathered by its Internet search engine and other services so the company can gain a better understanding of its users and potentially sell more advertising.

But the Electronic Privacy Information Center contends Google’s policy switch will violate restrictions imposed in an agreement reached with the FTC last year. A lawsuit filed Wednesday by the group is trying to force FTC to enforce those rules. The complaint also is seeking a court order to block Google’s policy changes from taking effect March 1.

European regulators already have asked Google to delay the policy changes.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Jesse Curtis Morton, also known as Younus Abdullah Mohammad, was charged last year with communicating threats and has been in custody since he was arrested in Morocco in October.

A plea agreement hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria has been scheduled for Thursday. Morton’s lawyer, James Hundley, confirmed Morton will plead to three counts, including conspiracy and communicating threats. Each count will carry a maximum sentence of 5 years, Hundley said.

Last year, another operator of the Revolution Muslim website, Zachary Chesser, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He admitted he posted threats against the “South Park” creators for an episode that supposedly defamed the prophet Muhammad.

Chesser went even further, twice trying to travel to Somalia to join the terrorist group al-Shabab. On his second attempt, he traveled with his infant child in tow on the theory that he would appear less suspicious to authorities.

Chesser’s lawyer portrayed his client as a drifting teenager who latched on to activities and philosophies with a freakish intensity. Before converting to Islam, he participated in high school sports and later joined a Korean breakdancing team at his school. He spent years as a vegetarian and dabbled in Buddhism. He became so fascinated with Japanese anime that he spent four years studying Japanese and traveled to Japan on a school trip.

And, when he became infatuated during his senior year with a Muslim girl, he converted to Islam. He quickly drifted toward a radical, fundamentalist interpretation of the religion.

An FBI affidavit states that Chesser and Morton met in person only once and coordinated closely in trying to craft statements that would threaten and terrorize the South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, but could also be plausibly protected under constitutional guarantees of free speech.

Specifically, the two crafted a statement that said “it is likely the creators of South Park will indeed end up like Theo Van Gogh,” a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered in 2004 for making a movie that was perceived as insulting to Islam.

Hundley said free speech issues were certainly a part of the case, but that his client ultimately made the decision to plead guilty.

“It’s a speech case,” he said. “Is this free speech or speech that crosses the line into criminal conduct?”

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The show’s producers, including Emmy-nominated star Hugh Laurie, said it was a “painful” decision but that the time had come to bring “House” to a close.

The drama stars Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant but troubled physician with a gift for unraveling medical mysteries. Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard and Charlyne Yi are part of the ensemble cast.

In a statement Wednesday, Laurie and his fellow producers said they imagined Dr. House as an “enigmatic creature,” and that it was best for him to vanish while there was still mystery in the air.

The season finale date for “House,” which airs 9 p.m. EST Monday, was not announced.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The show’s producers, including Emmy-nominated star Hugh Laurie, said it was a “painful” decision but that the time had come to bring “House” to a close.

The drama stars Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant but troubled physician with a gift for unraveling medical mysteries. Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard and Charlyne Yi are part of the ensemble cast.

In a statement Wednesday, Laurie and his fellow producers said they imagined Dr. House as an “enigmatic creature,” and that it was best for him to vanish while there was still mystery in the air.

The season finale date for “House,” which airs 9 p.m. EST Monday, was not announced.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The show’s producers, including Emmy-nominated star Hugh Laurie, said it was a “painful” decision but that the time had come to bring “House” to a close.

The drama stars Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant but troubled physician with a gift for unraveling medical mysteries. Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard and Charlyne Yi are part of the ensemble cast.

In a statement Wednesday, Laurie and his fellow producers said they imagined Dr. House as an “enigmatic creature,” and that it was best for him to vanish while there was still mystery in the air.

The season finale date for “House,” which airs 9 p.m. EST Monday, was not announced.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Atkins was arrested last November at his home in Brentwood after his wife Tammy Jo Atkins told police he attacked her and tried to suffocate her with a pillow after a night of drinking.

A Tennessee judge on Wednesday agreed to retire the charge, meaning it will be removed from Atkins’ record if he stays out of trouble for 11 months and 29 days and completes 30 hours of community service.

Attorney Rose Palermo says Atkins passed court-ordered anger management, drug and alcohol evaluations. He did not admit any guilt as part of the deal.

The platinum-selling singer, known for No. 1 hits “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)” and “Take a Back Road,” and his wife are divorcing. Atkins said in a statement last December that his wife’s accusations against him led to the divorce. Palermo says the couple is currently sharing custody of their son, Elijah, and they are working on the details of the custody agreement and divorce.

Tammy Jo Atkins told police in November the couple had been arguing all night and that her husband was drinking. She claimed he tried to smother her with a pillow during the night and then in the morning grabbed her face and shoved. She said the alleged assault happened in front of their son and caused her to fear for her safety.

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Online:

http://www.rodneyatkins.com

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The online deals site, reporting for the first time as a public company, said its fourth-quarter revenue nearly tripled, but it lost money and its shares fell sharply after hours.

Groupon’s net loss totaled $42.7 million, or 8 cents per share, for the final three months of 2011. A year earlier, as a private company, it booked a larger loss of $378.6 million, or $1.08 per share.

The company said its adjusted loss was 2 cents per share in the latest quarter. On this basis, analysts were expecting a profit of 3 cents per share, according to FactSet.

Groupon said an unusually high international tax rate hurt the quarter’s adjusted results.

Its stock fell $2.29, or 9.3 percent, to $22.29 in after-hours trading.

Groupon’s revenue was $506.5 million, nearly triple the $172.2 million it reported for last year’s fourth quarter. Analysts, on average, had expected lower revenue $473.1 million, according to FactSet.

Groupon, which went public in November, makes money by taking a cut from the online deals it offers on a variety of goods and services such as restaurant meals and weekend getaways. Investors are watching whether this business model is sustainable and leads to growth over the long term, and whether the company can grow its customer base as well as the amount of money it makes from each subscriber.

The quarter’s gross billings were $1.25 billion. That’s how much customers paid for all the Groupons the company sold. It doesn’t include taxes or account for the money the company paid to merchants.

For the current quarter Groupon expects revenue of $510 million to $550 million. Analysts are forecasting $501 million.

Groupon’s stock has traded in the range of $14.85 to $31.14 since pricing at $20 ahead of its initial public offering on Nov. 4.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The original lineup of Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks will be joined by Grammy nominees Foster the People and Maroon 5 in a special performance.

A news release Wednesday also says The Civil Wars, Diana Krall and Joe Walsh have been added to the performance lineup and Common, Reba McEntire and Diana Ross will be presenters.

The Beach Boys announced late last year that they would reunite to celebrate their 50th anniversary with a new album and tour.

The Grammy Awards will be broadcast live Sunday night on CBS.

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Online:

http://www.grammy.com

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Martin commented on Twitter about a commercial during the Super Bowl that showed soccer star David Beckham in underwear: “If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him.”

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said the remark advocated violence against gays. Martin said that he was making a joke about soccer and that he doesn’t support violence against anyone.

Martin also tweeted: “Who the hell was that New England Patriot they just showed in a head to toe pink suit? Oh, he needs a visit from (hash)teamwhipdatass.”

Martin later issued an apology on his website saying he was “truly sorry” to those who felt his tweet was anti-gay, homophobic or advocating violence. “I’m disheartened that my words would embolden prejudice,” he said.

CNN said Wednesday that Martin’s remarks were “regrettable and offensive” and he will not be on air “for the time being.”

“Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated,” CNN said.

GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro said CNN “took a strong stand” against demeaning language and anti-gay violence. He said GLAAD looked forward to discussing the network’s decision with CNN and Martin.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.