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.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers rookie guard Kyrie Irving has a concussion and is being kept out of Cleveland’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Cavs announced Irving’s injury a few minutes before tip-off Wednesday night. The team said Irving was kneed in the head during the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s game at Miami. He experienced a headache that worsened overnight and during pregame activity on the court. The Cavs said he has been diagnosed with a concussion.

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott did not mention anything about Irving during his pregame press briefing.

Ramon Sessions started for Irving, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft who is averaging 18 points and 5.1 assists per game.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

LSU fans had all but disappeared into the New Orleans night by the final minutes of last month’s dreary BCS title game, leaving en masse when they figured out a team that couldn’t get past the 50-yard-line wasn’t going to magically find a way to cross the goal line. They weren’t alone, with people across the nation abandoning their TVs in hope of finding something even remotely more interesting.

The cartel that runs the BCS got what it deserved in a rematch no one outside of Alabama wanted. A lopsided game with horrible television ratings seemed an appropriate way to cap an awful bowl season that generated less buzz than rapper M.I.A.’s extended middle finger at the Super Bowl.

How bad was it? So bad that it woke up some people who matter.

College football may finally get a playoff system of sorts, if the rumblings out of the Big Ten this week are any indication of the current thought process. The conference that helped spike the idea of teams actually earning their spots in the national title game when it was proposed four years ago, seems to be warming up to it now.

The four-team playoff proposal isn’t perfect, and will invariably still leave some qualified teams out. But it’s the first real step toward reform since the major conferences first banded together to anoint their national champion 14 years ago.

Back then it was all about money and television ratings. Still is, because the more the ratings go south the better a playoff looks.

“The reason for the sagging ratings is the fans are recognizing what these games actually are,” said Matthew Sanderson, co-founder of Playoff PAC, a Washington, D.C., organization in favor of playoffs in college football. “They realize that these aren’t anything other than glorified exhibition games that have little legitimacy.”

BCS officials would surely disagree. They like to think they’ve gotten it right every year, using computer programs no one can explain and polls that defy explanation to pick the two most worthy teams in the country to play for the title.

It’s a system laden with so many flaws that it can’t be trusted. Even when the BCS does get it right, there’s always a school that feels its been wronged.

The four-team playoff wouldn’t eliminate that totally. But it’s a lot easier to pick four qualified teams than just two, even if No. 5 if left fuming on the sidelines.

The format isn’t terribly complicated. The No. 1 team in the rankings would play at home against the No. 4 team. The No. 2 team would host the No. 3 team, and the winners would meet, say, two weeks later on a neutral site.

Had the system been in place this past season, LSU would have hosted Stanford and Oklahoma State would have traveled to Alabama for a semifinal game. Those games would not only have sparked more interest in the title game, but could have changed the complexion of it entirely.

BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said Tuesday there will be meetings later this month on a possible format change, with a goal of a final decision by summer, when negotiations are expected to begin on a new television deal with ESPN to replace the current one that runs through the 2013 season.

“The tricky part is our 11 conference commissioners and the Notre Dame AD may have 12 different opinions about the direction we should go over the next six to eight months,” Hancock said.

Complicating the issue is how to deal with the major bowls, which now host the title game on a rotating basis. Other than the Rose Bowl, though, they’ve been so co-opted by corporate greed and the demands of television that they’ve become increasingly marginalized. Does the Orange Bowl really deserve the BCS title game next year after the West Virginia blowout of Clemson was the least-watched Orange Bowl in nearly two decades?

Sanderson said he is skeptical the BCS will follow through and actually implement a playoff system. If it does, he said, it likely will be a hybrid of the existing system, and not something that brings meaningful reform to the postseason.

“I’m not encouraged by talk, though I would be encouraged by them actually following through,” he said. “For umpteen reasons, I doubt their motives for even engaging in this discussion.”

With good reason, because the BCS was never about giving fans something they wanted. It was – and still is – all about big schools maintaining control of college football and reaping the profits that come with it.

That’s worked well over the years for members of the cartel. They foisted a system on college football that no fan likes, excluded schools they didn’t like and happily collected hundreds of millions of dollars from the TV networks.

Until they actually do change the model, it really is nothing more than talk.

—-

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org or follow at http://twitter.com/timdahlberg

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

LONDON (AP) — The soap opera of English soccer reached yet another a noisy climax Wednesday when national team coach Fabio Capello quit angrily just eight hours after potential successor Harry Redknapp was cleared in a London court of tax evasion charges.

Just four months from the European Championship, Capello’s employers stripped John Terry of the England captaincy over racism charges without consulting the manager – and as a result now finds itself seeking a new team leader.

The career of Redknapp, a hugely popular Londoner who is currently manages the Premier League team Tottenham, had been on hold until the end of his trial.

But in a coincidence of timings, Redknapp was cleared by a jury on Wednesday and installed as favorite to assume one of the most high-profile jobs in international soccer following Capello’s sudden exit.

The headline in The Times seemed to sum up the day: “Harry walks, Fabio runs.”

Capello, a 65-year-old urbane Italian, had enjoyed some success in the England job but had never won the affections of a soccer-mad public hungry for the nation’s first major title since 1966.

Now he has walked out on the $9 million-a-year job, dismayed at being publicly undermined by the English Football Association’s decision to fire Terry against his wishes last week despite the defender facing a criminal trial on racism charges.

Such a public spat with his employers made the Capello’s position untenable. He quit during an hourlong meeting with FA officials that focused on Capello’s TV outburst.

“We have accepted Fabio’s resignation, agreeing this is the right decision,” FA Chairman David Bernstein said. “We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future.”

Bernstein does not have to rush into a replacing Capello. And it seems certain that the next manager will not be another foreigner after four years of a coach who spoke halting English.

At least, an English coach would already be accustomed to the drama surrounding the national team.

Terry was restored as England captain 11 months ago despite Capello dramatically dropping the defender from the honor before the 2010 World Cup for allegedly having an affair with the ex-girlfriend of teammate Wayne Bridge, who subsequently quit the national team.

Off-field antics also caused a distraction four years in Germany.

The players’ wives and girlfriends – the so-called WAGS – dominated the headlines at the 2006 World Cup with their trips into the spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany, where the team was also based.

Although they were largely banned from the 2010 World Cup by the strict Capello, England endured a worse tournament – getting routed 4-1 by Germany in the second round.

After a lengthy honeymoon following a perfect World Cup qualifying campaign, the aura of a once-renowned disciplinarian started to fade at South Africa 2010.

Capello started to feel the kind of pressure he was used to when coaching Real Madrid and AC Milan, with his decision-making coming under scrutiny and memories revived of the misery under predecessor Steve McClaren, whose team failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

Capello clung onto his job after the World Cup, reviving the spirit in the England camp and starting to bring young talent into the team ahead of Euro 2012 – but now comes another period of transition before England’s opener on June 11 against France.

“The question everyone is asking, fans and players, where do we go from here?” England midfielder Jack Wilshere wrote on Twitter. “Euro’s is just around the corner and we have no manager?!?”

An interim coach could take charge of the team for the Feb. 29 exhibition against the Netherlands before the role is filled full time, according to Gareth Southgate, the former England captain who is now the FA’s head of elite development.

That could leave Redknapp clear to complete the season with Tottenham, which is third in the Premier League and in contention for the title, before spearheading England’s Euro preparations.

“He’s got to be an outstanding candidate,” Southgate said. “Harry is at the top of the list.”

Support is gathering among players for Redknapp.

“Got to be english to replace (Capello),” England striker Wayne Rooney wrote on Twitter. “Harry redknapp for me.”

Capello, though, leaves, the England coach with a record that even eclipses Alf Ramsey, whose 1966 World Cup triumph is still the last – and only – time the country has won a major tournament.

He won 28 matches, lost six and drew eight – a 67 percent success rate compared with Ramsey’s 61 percent.

© 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.

—-

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.

—

Online:

http://www.grammy.com

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The University of Connecticut has proposed reducing the number of games it will play next season if the NCAA grants a waiver to allow the Huskies to play in the 2013 men’s basketball tournament.

The school currently is barred from the NCAA tournament, a penalty for years of below-standard academic results, but it requested a waiver last month.

That document, obtained this week by The Associated Press under a Freedom of Information request, outlines proposed self-imposed penalties to be instituted if the request is granted.

Those include forfeiting the revenue awarded to the Big East for participating in the 2013 tournament, reducing the number of regular-season games played in the 2012-13 season from 27 to 23 and barring coach Jim Calhoun from meeting off-campus with prospective recruits during the fall 2012 contact period.

“Collectively, the university’s proposal will clearly send the message that the institution fully accepts the responsibility for past failings,” the school writes in its waiver request. “It will result in the economic equivalent of a postseason ban without harming the very students the NCAA is trying to protect.”

Messages seeking comment were left for the NCAA and the Big East conference, which would lose revenue under the proposal.

The schedule changes also would include eliminating exhibition games next season, but would not impact the team’s play at the in-season Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands. The school said all hours that would have been spent in competition will instead transfer to study hall, tutor sessions or meetings with advisers.

The school said Calhoun will bring a current or former NBA player to inner-city schools for at least five educational sessions on the importance of academic achievement.

“We believe that we have made a very compelling case to the NCAA and will be deeply disappointed if our request for a waiver from the 2013 men’s basketball postseason ban is denied,” UConn President Susan Herbst said in a statement. “Our team’s academic performance improved tremendously in 2010-11, and in the fall 2011 semester. We developed a new long-term academic plan for our team, and it has already shown positive results.”

The waiver request outlines the school’s Academic Improvement Plan – new programs and penalties the school has in place to improve the team’s academic standing.

That includes mandated sanctions for any player who misses three or more classes during the academic year and daily checks of course work for student-athletes who have a grade-point average of 2.3 or lower.

One player, whose name is redacted in the copy of the document released to the AP, was already benched by Calhoun this season after missing two classes.

In addition, Herbst is now receiving a weekly academic progress report for all team members.

Under rules approved in October, a school must have a two-year average score of 930 or a four-year average of 900 on the NCAA’s annual Academic Progress Rate, which measures the academic performance of student athletes.

The defending national champions would be academically ineligible in 2013, because the NCAA plans to use data from the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years.

Walter Harrison, the chairman of the NCAA’s Committee on Academic Performance, said that the body will be meeting on Feb. 20 to discuss whether to adjust reporting dates to allow schools to use their most recent data in qualifying for tournaments. For the 2013 men’s basketball tournament, that would mean scores from the 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic year.

UConn would qualify for the tournament under that scenario.

“I don’t know what to expect,” Harrison said. “We could just decide to keep the current policy in place. Secondly, we could decide that we want to make a change, and that may require board approval, which would mean it wouldn’t happen until April. The third possibility is we might not make any decision, and talk about it again in April.”

UConn also has implemented new standards for incoming basketball classes. Recruiting classes need to outperform their predecessors when it comes to SAT scores and grades.

For example, players enrolling next season will need to achieve a minimum 2.98 core-course grade point average or a 1020 on the SAT to meet the new guidelines.

Once enrolled, students will have new academic rules to follow, including:

- Attend at least nine hours of summer school each year.

- Class work checked daily as freshmen by a member of the basketball staff (it also applies to any player with a grade-point average of 2.3 or lower).

- Complete required course work before registering for elective courses

- Adhere to a “graduation plan” created to ensure each player is on a path to graduate, even if they leave school early for the NBA or other opportunities.

The report also notes that Calhoun’s contract calls for him to forfeit $100,000 to the University of Connecticut Foundation General Scholarship Fund for any scholarship lost due to an Academic Progress Report penalty.

Herbst made it clear in her statement that she supports Calhoun, who was a member of the committee that came up with the new academic plan.

“I cannot think of many people in this world who have improved the lives of young men more profoundly than Jim Calhoun, our Hall of Fame coach, and highly-valued member of this university community,” she said.

The school said the academics of the basketball team are improving. It notes in the waiver request that the team attained perfect APR eligibility and retention scores for the Fall 2011 semester. The school also noted that it has just one player on the team left from the group that scored low enough to warrant sanctions.

“On a personal level, and as an educator, I would be very sorry to see such harsh punishment of the outstanding young men on our current basketball team,” Herbst said. “I believe that it would be wrong to punish these students, caught in the fallout from a sudden passage of new rules – rules that did not exist when they enrolled at UConn.

“That would be a fundamental injustice to our team and to our university.”

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.