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Editor's Note: Watch live coverage of Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks answering questions before the British Parliament in the phone-hacking scandal on CNN.com/Live, the CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and selected Nokia handsets internationally.
[Updated at 6:16 p.m. GMT, 2:16 p.m. ET] Bit of a twist at the end – and an intriguing cliffhanger request from Brooks.
At the end of her session, she asked that, when she is freed from legal constraints – remember, she has been arrested and bailed – she be invited back again to be questioned by the committee. Committee members said they were fine with that.
And with that, Brooks left the hearing.
[Updated at 6:16 p.m. GMT, 2:16 p.m. ET] "There's a lot out there that is not true" Brooks says of claims in the UK media about her social relations with Prime Minister David Cameron and his family.
She also points out that she and her husband, Charlie, a famed race horse trainer and owner, do have a home close to Cameron in southern England. However, the former News International chief executive says she hasn't been to Cameron's official Downing Street residence, nor has she been horse riding with him.
[Updated at 6:14 p.m. GMT, 2:14 p.m. ET] Brooks, who appears well prepared for this inquisition, says she hopes that the truth about the whole phone-hacking scandal will be known as soon as possible and that those found culpable will be punished.
"A newsroom is based on trust," she says. "You rely on the people that work for you to behave in a proper manner."
[Updated at 6:12 p.m. GMT, 2:12 p.m. ET] To give Brooks her due, she is answering questions quite freely, despite the fact that she was arrested Sunday. She could easily claim more than she actually has that her answers might prejudice ongoing police investigations, for example.
She does have a lawyer by her side off camera, but he seems to be having a quiet time of it.
[Updated at 6:02 p.m. GMT, 2:02 p.m. ET] Brooks again says it's "staggering to believe" staff at News of the World would have authorized the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone.
"My instant reaction, like everybody else, was one of shock and disgust that a family who had suffered so much already, that these allegations clearly added immeasurably to their suffering," she said.
Lawmaker Therese Coffey then asks whether Brooks asked her reporters how they got information relating to that story. She replied that the phone hacking was "unknown to me."
[Updated at 5:54 p.m. GMT, 1:54 p.m. ET] The foam attack on Rupert Murdoch continues to reverberate. Filmmaker Jeff Reed told the Press Association: "I feel really let down. The Murdochs came here with the reasonable expectation of being protected. This was quite a juvenile prank, hitting someone with a paper plate of shaving foam.
"It's very undignified and undermines the whole democratic process. I thought it was quite self-defeating. The MPs were all truly shocked. Even some of Mr. Murdoch's most vociferous critics like Tom Watson - you could see the sheer disappointment of all their hard work being undone."
[Updated at 5:46 p.m. GMT, 1:46 p.m. ET] Brooks is repeating her allegation that her own phone was hacked by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed in 2007.
[Updated at 5:43 p.m. GMT, 1:43 p.m. ET] Turning to the issue of payments made to police officers, which has aroused almost as much outrage as phone hacking itself, Brooks attempts to clarify her comments in 2003 to a select committee in which she admitted paying officers in the past.
Brooks now says when she made her earlier comments she was referring to a "wide-held belief" that payments had been made in the past, and not to a "widespread practice."
"I can say that I have never paid a policeman myself. I have never sanctioned, knowingly sanctioned, a payment to a police officer," she said. "In my experience of dealing with the police, the information they give to newspapers comes free of charge."
[Updated at 5:41 p.m. GMT, 1:41p.m. ET] The committee is continuing to question Brooks about Milly Dowler's phone being hacked. Brooks said that Dowler's phone being hacked was the most shocking thing she had heard about journalists at News international.
To put this in context: The interest in the hacking of phones belonging to celebrities, politicians and other public figures had aroused interest – and denials – for several years. However, the anger aroused by the phone hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler took revulsion to a new level – and is what has turned this issue into a crisis for the media, police and some politicians for the past few weeks.
Brooks has said she was on holiday during the Milly Dowler story but thinks Andy Coulson was editing while she was away. Coulson later became press chief for Prime Minister David Cameron but stood down this year as he said the interest in him over his role in alleged phone hacking had become too much of an issue.
[Updated at 5:35 p.m. GMT, 1:35 p.m. ET] Louise Mensch, a Conservative member of Parliament, has been grilling all three executives in addition to questioning comments made by Piers Morgan in his book about the tactic of phone hacking.
The New York Times has gone through the book and seems to be agreeing with Morgan's frustration about the allegations that he possibly knew or took part in phone hacking, based on what he wrote in the book.
"Mr. Morgan wrote that he suspected that he had been a victim of phone hacking, not that his newspaper had used the practice to get information," The New York Times notes in its live blog. "Mr. Morgan wrote that, at one stage, he was puzzled as to how other newspapers had obtained confidential information about him. In one entry in the diary, he wrote: 'I am mystified. But someone suggested today that people might be listening to my mobile messages. Apparently, if you don't change the standard security code that every phone comes with, then anyone can call your number and, if you don't answer, tap in the standard four digit code to hear your messages. I'll change mine just in case, but it makes me wonder how many public figures and celebrities are aware of this little trick.' "
[Updated at 5:30 p.m. GMT, 1:30 p.m. ET] Brooks says the hacking of murder victim Milly Dowler's phone – which sparked the outrage of the last few weeks - by News of the World was "abhorrent," adding that the speed at which we've found things out has been too slow.
However, she says the company acted "quickly and decisively" in investigating the scandal after News International saw evidence in December 2010 that actress Sienna Miller's phone was hacked.
Brooks says she promised that as soon as the company discovered the allegations about Milly Dowler, she promised the family that News International would get to the bottom of it.
[Updated at 5:23 p.m. GMT, 1:23 p.m. ET] Piers Morgan's name has been coming up frequently over the past few hours of questioning regarding the practice of phone hacking.
In response, the CNN journalist tweeted: (@piersmorgan): "To all reporters now chasing this MP's claim – the book is called The Insider: Private Diaries of a Scandalous Decade. Great read. #Murdoch."
He then responded to someone adding, along with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, that he will appear on the Situation Room on Tuesday night to discuss the issue.
[Updated at 5:19 p.m. GMT, 1:19 p.m. ET] A slight break from Brooks' questioning for some post-game on the Murdochs' job today from documentary maker Michael Cockerell on the way they ran their empire: "There has been an extraordinary disconnect going on for the past two and a half hours in terms of what we know of journalism, what we know of tabloid journalism, and this rather corporate-speak that's been going on."
"Rebekah Brooks knows more than anyone. She knows where the bodies are buried. She was editor of News of the World when Andy Coulson was her deputy. She then became editor of The Sun, she then became chief executive of News International. So she knows how journalism works," Cockerell told CNN. "And there was no sense in this meeting today of how journalism works on the front line and how it works as far as the editor is concerned - what the editor really knows of his or her staff is up to. Those kind of questions will need to be asked of Rebekah Brooks, but she may say that because she has been arrested, that because there is an ongoing police investigation, that she can't answer them as fully as she would like."
For those of you still debating whether it was thumbs-up or down for Rupert Murdoch, CNN's Jim Boulden has blogged about the session and says his perfromance showed him to be a "hands-off" CEO, but one who believes he was "the best person to clear this up."
[Updated at 5:17 p.m. GMT, 1:17 p.m. ET] Brooks is now discussing the close of the News of the World and why it shut.
"For the last few months, actually for the last few years, it had been leading the headlines for the wrong reasons," she said.
The decision to close the NOTW is moving into more sensitive territory for Brooks. Many journalists said it had been shut to defuse the crisis, and so Brooks did not have to resign – but she did, on Friday, less than a week later.
[Updated at 5:14 p.m. GMT, 1:14 p.m. ET] Committee member Lousie Mensch is switching to ask questions about the Daily Mail and the comment by its editor, Paul Dacre, that it had never published a story based on phone hacking.
For those of you outside the UK, the Daily Mail is a middle-market tabloid whose influence in many respects can be as strong as the Murdoch stable.
Brooks is saying she didn't really see Dacre's comments. But it's interesting that Mensch, who writes successful novesl as Louise Bagshawe, is broadening the questioning beyond News International.
[Updated at 5:12 p.m. GMT, 1:12 p.m. ET] Brooks admits it "seems extraordinary" that News International re-employed Jonathan Rees as a private investigator despite him being a convicted criminal. She admits that "it may be incredible" that as CEO, she didn't know this, but "that's the truth."
[Updated at 5:10 p.m. GMT, 1:10 p.m. ET] Louise Mensch repeats her allegation that Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) admits in his book that he used phone-hacking while he was editor of News of the World.
The former editor, now a presenter on CNN, responds on Twitter that this is "complete nonsense. "I've never hacked a phone, told anyone to hack a phone, or published any stories based on the hacking of a phone."
Morgan then tweeted: "Ms. Mensch is completely and utterly wrong. She clearly hasn't read my book. Can someone please give her a copy?"
[Updated at 5:04 p.m. GMT, 1:04 p.m. ET] Brooks said it was "abhorrent" that the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler was hacked by someone at the News of the World.
[Updated at 5:02 p.m. GMT, 1:02 p.m. ET] Lawmaker Tom Watson said he will be limited in his questioning because of police proceedings.
He asks Brooks whether she remembers authorizing payments to private detectives, such as Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed in 2007 for hacking the phones of members of the royal family. She says the editor's job was to manage the overall budget of the paper, while the managing editor authorized payments to individual departments. She says she cannot remember making individual payments to private detectives while she was editor of News of the World.
Watson, who did much forensic probing early in the Murdoch hearing, is looking at how much Brooks knew about the hiring of private investigator Jonathan Rees and repeatedly questioning how much she knew, saying that people might find it incredible that she did not know about their role.
"It may be incredible, but it is also the truth," Brooks has replied.
[Updated at 4:55 p.m. GMT, 12:55 p.m. ET] Rebekah Brooks seems slightly more relaxed than the Murdochs, although it's early into this hearing. She also seems less hesitant with her answers.
Possibly it's because Brooks has been here before and appeared before this committee previously. Rupert Murdoch had not, although his son had.
Frankly, her hearing would be hard-pushed for an incident to surpass that which hit the Murdochs nearly an hour ago.
[Updated at 4:52 p.m. GMT, 12:52 p.m. ET] While Brooks continues to answer questions, we take a quick break for a post-game on the Murdochs' performance at the hearing.
Allyson L. Stewart-Allen, an international marketing and corporate diplomacy expert, told CNN: "If you look at all of the comments they made over the course of the past three hours, what comes out loud and clear to me are two executives who appear profoundly out of touch."
[Updated at 4:48 p.m. GMT, 12:48 p.m. ET] Brooks admits that what happened at News of the World was "pretty horrific."
Brooks, the former News International chief executive, says that "of course mistakes were made, but I think we acted quickly" after new information came to light, adding that she did not have the full picture of phone hacking from her staff.
[Updated at 4:44 p.m. GMT, 12:44 p.m. ET] Okay, Rebekah Brooks has started her testimony – 2 hours and 15 minutes after she was due to speak.
She is offering her own apologies at the start of her questioning. She states she was arrested and questioned several days ago and has legal representation so she does not impede those investigations but will try to answer questions as freely as she can.
Just a reminder that Brooks had emerged as one of the stars of UK tabloid journalism during the past 20 years and was the youngest ever editor of a national newspaper.
[Updated at 4:35 p.m. GMT, 12:35 p.m. ET] Testimony from Rupert Murdoch and his son James has concluded. Committee is in a short recess and will return to question former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks.
[Updated at 4:29 p.m. GMT, 12:29 p.m. ET] A popular retweet right now comes from New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller's wife.
Emma Gilbey Keller (@EMMAGKELLER) a contributor to Vanity Fair Daily tweeted to her husband: "@nytkeller If someone chucked a pie at you I would totally jump on top of them too."
[Updated at 4:29 p.m. GMT, 12:29 p.m. ET] Asked if Rupert Murdoch would still like to make a closing statement he begins to read the prepared remarks he had originally asked to open the hearing with. The committee had denied him that opportunity.
You can read the full statement here (PDF)
[Updated at 4:26 p.m. GMT, 12:26 p.m. ET] Asked by Louise Mensch if he has considered resigning as chief executive of News Corp, Rupert Murdoch says "No. People I trusted have let me down ... behaved disgracefully. I'm the best person to clear this up."
[Updated at 4:25 p.m. GMT, 12:25 p.m. ET] Committee member Tom Watson says to Rupert Murdoch: "Your wife has a very good left hook."
That's in reference to one of the most bizarre incidents we can recall happening in the UK parliament.
[Updated at 4:20 p.m. GMT, 12:20 p.m. ET] Media law expert Geoffrey Robertson, a senior lawyer, tells CNN the strategy of the Murdochs "was clearly to let James do all the talking."
"The select committee did badly in cross-examination, they were feckless, they didn't get at much truth."
[Updated at 4:19 p.m. GMT, 12:19 p.m. ET] Murdoch issued a less categorical denial than that of his father Rupert that News Corp. reporters hacked into the phones of September 11, 2001 victims, saying he had no evidence of it and that it would have been totally unacceptable. Rupert Murdoch earlier told British lawmakers he did not believe it had happened.
[Updated at 4:16 p.m. GMT, 12:16 p.m. ET] In a committee room now cleared of members of the public and media, James Murdoch says he only became aware of the Milly Dowler allegations when they were reported in the press.
[Updated at 4:10 p.m. GMT, 12:10 p.m. ET] We're back up and running. Rupert Murdoch appearing in shirt sleeves, presumably because his jacket is covered in foam.
The hearing resumes, with lawmaker Louise Mensch saying her questioning will be just as robust as it would have been "before we were so rudely interrupted."
[Updated at 4:04 p.m. GMT, 12:04 p.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch was hit "squarely in the face" by the plate of shaving foam, reports CNN's Jonathan Wald, who was in the the hearing.
Wald added the man told Murdoch "you are a greedy billionaire." Police officers wiped foam off the man's face at Portcullis House, where the hearing is taking place.
[Updated at 4:02 p.m. GMT, 12:02 p.m. ET] CNN's Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) tweets: "Wendi just stole all the headlines. That idiot protester, allowed in by MPs, has single-handedly won the day's PR for the Murdochs."
[Updated at 4:01 p.m. GMT, 12:01 p.m. ET] Video footage shows Rupert Murdoch's wife, Wendi Deng, lunging towards attacker.
[Updated at 3:58 p.m. GMT, 11:58 a.m. ET] Press Association reports that Rupert Murdoch was pelted with a white substance in the attack. Reuters said it was a "white plate with foam."
TV pictures show police detaining a man wearing a checked shirt with what appears to be paint splashed across his face and clothes.
[Updated at 3:54 p.m. GMT, 11:54 a.m. ET] Hearing temporarily suspended as protester apparently lunges towards the Murdochs.
James Murdoch rises to his feet to move out of the way of the protester.
[Updated at 3:52 p.m. GMT, 11:52 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch says people cannot expect total privacy in a transparent society. Referring to the recent scandal about lawmakers' expenses, he says that one solution may be to pay them higher salaries like their counterparts in Singapore who he says are paid $1 million. One of the lawmakers suggests the proposal may not go down that well in Britain.
Rupert Murdoch said it was right for newspapers to campaign to change the law but never to break it. His voice breaking slightly, he cited the example of his father "who was not rich but was a great journalist." He says his father Keith exposed the scandal of the World War I battle at Gallipoli "which I'm very very proud of. I would love to see my sons and daughters follow him."
[Updated at 3:45 p.m. GMT, 11:45 a.m. ET] Lots of commentary coming on from Twitter on what's being dubbed "James-speak." A sampling of the chatter:
Washington Post media blogger Erik Wemple (@ErikWemple) tweeted: James Murdoch–most classic use of passive voice ever in Parliament: "To my knoweldge, certain things were not known."
The Guardian's data journalist and a self-proclaimed "ex-Wikileaker" (@jamesrbuk) tweeted: "I'm glad you asked about that" – James Murdoch's catchphrase today."
And Richard Allen Greene (@RAGreeneCNN) of CNN Wires who is contributing to CNN.com's main story on the phone-hacking hearings tweets: "James #Murdoch has a tendency to tell MPs if he thinks their questions are good or not. Can anyone see how MPs are reacting?"
[Updated at 3:42 p.m. GMT, 11:42 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch avoids commenting on whether editors knew about the illegal activities of some News of the World reporters, because he does not want to jeopardize various inquiries being conducted. However he says Les Hinton appointed Colin Myler as editor in 2007 to "find out what the hell is going on" at the paper.
Asked if the management of News International deliberately kept him in the dark over the hacking, the firm's founder replies: "I may have been lax but it was such a small part of our business."
[Updated at 3:35 p.m. GMT, 11:35 a.m. ET] The website of Murdoch's tabloid Sun newspaper, which was attacked by hackers overnight (they posted a report claiming Murdoch had been found dead), is back online. It carries a very matter-of-fact four-paragraph report that the hearing is taking place.
There's more coverage on the website of Murdoch's broadsheet Times of London, but this is hidden behind a paywall.
[Updated at 3:31 p.m. GMT, 11:31 a.m. ET] James Murdoch says evidence that phone hacking extended beyond Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire only became apparent as result of later civil actions. Before then,News of the World editor Colin Myler and lawyer Tom Crone advised him, he says, to settle cases with out-of-court payments to victims, because there was no evidence of wider illegality.
"The police as well had closed their case and said there is no new evidence here," he said.
However in 2010 new evidence was presented from civil trials, James Murdoch says, which indicated "the circle was wider than the two individuals."
However lawmaker Paul Farrelly strikes back, saying that evidence was sitting in their own files.
[Updated at 3:15 p.m. GMT, 11:15 a.m. ET] James Murdoch admits News International paid the legal fees of private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed in 2007 along with News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman, and says he was shocked to find this out.
When a lawmaker suggests the payment was designed to buy the silence of a phone hacker, James replies that he can understand why someone would infer this.
[Updated at 3:14 p.m. GMT, 11:14 a.m. ET] Not everyone is finding Murdoch & Murdoch's testimony gripping. CNN's Dan Rivers (@danieljerivers) says at least one member of the audience has dozed off.
"Can't believe 1 member of public fell asleep! This is riveting!"
There'll be plenty of people upset about this, given the number of people turned away from the hearing after lining up for hours.
[Updated at 3:05 p.m. GMT, 11:05 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch says both News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her predecessor Les Hinton – his right-hand man for 52 years - will have received "considerable" compensation following their resignation, but the details are confidential.
When asked why he did not accept Brooks' resignation earlier Rupert replies: "Because I trusted her." Eventually he did accept it "because she was in anguish."
[Updated at 3:01 p.m. GMT, 11:01 a.m. ET] Both Murdochs are being pressed on who paid disgraced former royal editor Clive Goodman's legal fees when he was on trial for hacking the phones of members of the royal family.
Murdoch Junior says he doesn't know the details; Murdoch Senior says it "could have been" former News International chief executive Les Hinton, a man Rupert says "he would trust with his life," who authorized the payout.
[Updated at 2:59 p.m. GMT, 10:59 a.m. ET] Laura Rozen, a senior foreign policy reporter for Yahoo News, has a few thoughts on James Murdoch's style today. She tweets (@lrozen): Someone should advise James Murdoch to talk less. the more he talks with that agentless managementese, more annoying he seems"
[Updated at 2:56 p.m. GMT, 10:56 a.m. ET] Our correspondent Dan Rivers (@danieljerivers) who is watching proceedings, tweets: "James Murdoch seems badly prepared his father totally unaware of what's been going on. Awkward silences and repeated denials."
[Updated at 2:52 p.m. GMT, 10:52 a.m. ET] Looks like the questioning of Rupert and James Murdoch is going to run well over schedule. Former News International executive Rebekah Brooks was slated to appear at 2:30 p.m. GMT, 10:30 a.m. ET, but that has clearly been pushed back.
The interviewing panel are clearly relishing their chance to put the world's most powerful media baron on the spot and aren't wrapping it up in a hurry.
This is interesting given the reluctance to attend this hearing initially shown by both Murdochs. Both originally said they were too busy, relenting only after they were threatened with a parliamentary summons.
[Updated at 2:52 p.m. GMT, 10:52 a.m. ET] CNN's Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) tweets that when he was editor of News of the World, "Rupert called me every week for 18ms on News of the World – rarely asked about anything but what stories we had that week."
[Updated at 2:48 p.m. GMT, 10:48 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch says he wouldn't expect to be told in conversations about payouts to victims of phone-hacking in amounts of hundreds of thousands of pounds. Murdoch Senior says conversations would often be just talking about the sports pages.
[Updated at 2:45 p.m. GMT, 10:45 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch says he seldom rang the editor of News of the World, sometimes on a Saturday night to find out "what the news was." He says he rang the Sunday Times editor almost every Saturday.
He adds: "I'm not really in touch."
[Updated at 2:42 p.m. GMT, 10:42 a.m. ET] James Murdoch said he and his father were advised to "fundamentally tell the truth at the hearing and to be as open and transparent as possible."
[Updated at 2:40 p.m. GMT, 10:40 a.m. ET] Pressed to admit that a News Corp. out-of-court settlement with English soccer executive Gordon Taylor was for "illegal activity," James Murdoch conceded the point Tuesday to British lawmakers probing phone hacking by the disgraced Sunday tabloid News of the World.
[Updated at 2:37 p.m. GMT, 10:37 a.m. ET] CNN's Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan), who once worked as a journalist for one of Murdoch's papers, has this to say about the News Corp chief's habit of pounding the table to make his point in answer to questions.
He tweets: "Nothing unusual in Rupert's desk-whacking, He did that in every meeting I ever had with him. To convey both pleasure & displeasure #Murdoch"
[Updated at 2:35 p.m. GMT, 10:35 a.m. ET] More on current Twitter trends: According to twitscoop.com: Murdoch-related terms seem to be dominating the social networking tool at the moment. At 14:20 GMT it's list includes: Murdoch, Rupert, and James. "Humble," also features, a reference to Rupert Murdoch's earlier statement (1:38 p.m. GMT, 9:38 a.m. ET), as does "Burns" for reasons stated in an earlier post about the Simpsons.
[Updated at 2:33 p.m. GMT, 10:33 a.m. ET] Remember that statement the Murdoch father and son wanted to read before they began answering questions? That request was denied by lawmakers but the statement has been released to the media. They had planned, in part, to begin this way:
"My son and I have come here with great respect for all of you, for Parliament and for the people of Britain whom you represent."
"This is the most humble day of my career. After all that has happened, I know we need to be here today. Before going further, James and I would like to say how sorry we are for what has happened - especially with regard to listening to the voicemail of victims of crime."
Read the full statement here (PDF)
[Updated at 2:30 p.m. GMT, 10:30 a.m. ET] Asked whether the scandal will make you think about how you approach your headlines in the future, Rupert Murdoch replies: "I'm not aware of any transgressions. We have a wonderful variety of voices. I'm sure there are some headlines that give offense but it's not intentional."
[Updated at 2:23 p.m. GMT, 10:23 a.m. ET] It would be remiss of us not to mention the numerous Twitter comments comparing Rupert and James Murdoch and two characters from the Simpsons cartoon: scheming nuclear power station boss Montgomery Burns and his craven assistant Smithers.
Mark Borkowski (@MarkBorkowski), a UK-based public relations expert, remarks: "Murdoch is playing the beffudled Mr Burns figure #PR #Genius"
A colleague also points out that #Smithers is among items trending on Twitter.
[Updated at 2:19 p.m. GMT, 10:19 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch denied feeling responsible for illegal phone hacking carried out by his employees, answering a British lawmaker's question simply: "No."
James Murdoch has "no knowledge" that any News Corp. companies are the subject of investigations by the UK's Serious Fraud Office or other regulators, he told British lawmakers investigating phone hacking on Tuesday.
[Updated at 2:16 p.m. GMT, 10:16 a.m. ET] Media critic, new-media columnist for The Guardian in London and professor Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) tweets: "Murdoch calls this a "hysteria" and competitive conspiracy to stop him from getting BSkyB. Wow! Dementia."
[Updated at 2:15 p.m. GMT, 10:15 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch says he is not ultimately responsible for "this fiasco" despite being responsible - the lawmakers remind him - for corporate governance. He blames "the people I trusted and the people they trusted."
[Updated at 2:14 p.m. GMT, 10:14 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch says he has seen "no evidence" that victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States were victims of phone hacking by his employees and does not believe it happened.
[Updated at 2:13 p.m. GMT, 10:13 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch says David Cameron asked him to visit the prime minister's official residence 10 Downing Street after the last general election to thank him for his support. He went in the back door, saying "I did what I was told."
[Updated at 2:12 p.m. GMT, 10:12 a.m. ET] Ian Katz, deputy editor of The Guardian, (@iankatz1000) tweeted: "The greatest puzzle watching this is how Rupert Murdoch has run a $40bn so successfully for so long."
[Updated at 2:04 p.m. GMT, 10:04 a.m. ET] Lawmaker Tom Watson asks when Rupert Murdoch discovered that criminality was endemic at News of the World. Rupert replies: "Endemic" is a very wide ranging word he says, but "he became aware as it became apparent."
He says he was "absolutely shocked, appalled and ashamed when I heard about the Milly Dowler case only two weeks ago." He added that "I was graciously received" by the Dowler family last week.
Watson asks whether anyone at News International passed on to him that parliamentarians had accused individuals at the company of being guilty of "collective amnesia." Rupert admits no one brought it to his attention, adding, "What you're really saying is that they lied."
Watson also asks when Murdoch learned that the company's claim that there was only "one rogue reporter" was not true. Rupert says after a long pause: "I forget. Mr Watson, we have given all our files to the police."
Asked why the company closed News of the World, Rupert says forcefully: "We are ashamed of what had happened and felt we should bring it to a close. We had broken our trust with our readers."
[Updated at 2:00 p.m. GMT, 10:00 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch's performance under questioning is drawing comments on twitter (and, unless we're mistaken, eye-rolling from James Murdoch).
Armando Ianucci (@aianucci) an Oscar-winning satirist, compares his delivery to that of befuddled contestants on a popular British TV quiz show. "You know that bit in Celebrity Mastermind when the celeb goes completely blank on their specialist subject? Like that, but not for charity."
[Updated at 1:59 p.m. GMT, 9:59 a.m. ET]A Freelance reporter for the Independent, @RichardHall, tweets: "Can't imagine Rupert Murdoch has ever been spoken to like this before. Fascinating stuff. #hackgate"
[Updated at 1:57 p.m. GMT, 9:57 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch, taking long pauses, says no one has brought to his attention the fact that Neville Thurlbeck, a senior News of the World reporter, had been found guilty of trying to blackmail women.
He also says he did not investigate after former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks said the newspaper paid police, says he was "misled."
Murdoch added he has "no knowledge" that former News Corp. senior officials Rebekah Brooks and Les Hinton knew of the extent of phone hacking at the News of the World tabloid and he has "no evidence" they did anything wrong.
[Updated at 1:56 p.m. GMT, 9:56 a.m. ET] It's early in the trading day, but worth noting that News Corp, which has seen its share value slide in recent weeks, has opened up compared to the previous day. The opening price is $15.40, compared to the previous day's close of $14.97. The price is still well down on the $18 highs seen at the beginning of July when the phone hacking scandal began gathering steam.
[Updated at 1:52 p.m. GMT, 9:52 a.m. ET] New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter tweets a comment about Rupert Murdoch's answer about his company - one many expected Murdoch would say during this hearing.
@brianstelter: "Is Rupert Murdoch using the we're-a-really-big-company defense?"
[Updated at 1:52 p.m. GMT, 9:52 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch asks to say something. Thumping the table repeatedly, he says News of the World is only 1% of his company; he employs 53,000 people around the world and he has to rely on their integrity.
[Updated at 1:50 p.m. GMT, 9:50 a.m. ET] The direct hearing on the phone hacking, which saw senior police figures testifying, has ended.
[Updated at 1:49 p.m. GMT, 9:49 a.m. ET] Aside from Rupert Murdoch's remarkable interruption, James seems to be doing most of the talking so far. It's also worth mentioning that Rupert's wife Wendi Deng is sitting visibly front-and-center on the benches behind James and his father.
[Updated at 1:48 p.m. GMT, 9:48 a.m. ET] Asked why News International executives said at previous appearances before select committees that there was no evidence of illegality, James Murdoch says the company relied on a police investigation in 2007 and subsequent inquiries. He says he can't say exactly what they knew, but key facts only emerged from civil trials at end of 2010.
Asked who else was involved with phone hacking at News of the World, James says a number of investigations are going on, and he can't comment further. He says News International has established a group within company that is cooperating with the police.
[Updated at 1:38 p.m. GMT, 9:38 a.m. ET] Rupert Murdoch interrupts his son who is apologizing for the illegal phone-hacking, to say: "This is the most humble day of my life."
[Updated at 1:36 p.m. GMT, 9:36 a.m. ET] Now to the main event. James Murdoch sitting alongside his father Rupert asks to read out a statement, but chairman John Whittingdale refuses.
[Updated at 1:28 p.m. GMT, 9:28 a.m. ET] Dan Rivers has managed to get into the committee room where the Murdochs will be grilled. No more tweets allowed," he writes.
[Updated at 1:27 p.m. GMT, 9:27 a.m. ET] It appears we may have a bit of overlapping between the two hearings, but we'll be watching both. We'll bring you continued coverage of comments from outgoing Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates as well as the beginning of coverage of testimony in the second hearing. That hearing, before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee, will focus on testimony from Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks.
[Updated at 1:26 p.m. GMT, 9:26 a.m. ET] Yates has been defending his 2009 review of the phone hacking investigation which recommended that no further action was needed. Asked whether his eight-hour perusal of 11,000 documents was sufficient, he said it was.
"You can criticize me with hindsight," he said. "It was a reasonably sophisticated process."
[Updated at 1:21 p.m. GMT, 9:21 a.m. ET] As anticipation builds for the day's main attraction – the questioning of Rupert Murdoch - Dan Rivers (@danieljerivers) tweets that some members of the public have been lining up since 5:30 a.m. this morning to get a seat at in the gallery.
[Updated at 1:19 p.m. GMT, 9:19 a.m. ET] As with Stephenson before him, Yates' answers have brought up the police force's relationship with Downing Street – which is a key element when considering the scandal's potential to taint the current government.
Yates said he had offered to brief the prime minister's chief of staff over the "nuances" of the phone-hacking affair in September 2010. He said the offer was rejected.
Earlier Stephenson spoke about being warned by a Downing Street official that directly briefing Prime Minister David Cameron about Neil Wallis could compromise the Conservative leader's integrity. He was later unable to put a name to this official.
[Updated at 1:10 p.m. GMT, 9:10 a.m. ET] The questioning has turned once again to the subject of former News of the World executive Neil Wallis. Yates said he asked Neil Wallis if there was anything that could embarrass the Met before he was hired.
Asked about what role he played in the Met's hiring of Wallis's daughter, he said: "The met employs people all the time. I had absolutely nothing to do with her employment…" He added that he was merely "a postbox" for her resume.
Yates says he met Wallis two or three times a year since they first met in 2000 - mostly they had "sport-related" meetings.
"Don't get the impression we're bosom buddies, forever round each other's houses," he said.
[Updated at 1:02 p.m. GMT, 9:02 a.m. ET] Outgoing Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates is facing the panel now. Explaining why he resigned yesterday over the scandal he said he wanted to "stand up and be counted."
He added: "I've done nothing wrong, my integrity is intact and my conscience is clear."
[Updated at 1:01 p.m. GMT, 9:01 a.m. ET] Keith Vaz thanks Fedorcio for coming in, but adds "I'm not sure we're any clearer now than we were at the beginning."
[Updated at 12:56 p.m. GMT, 8:56 a.m. ET] Fedorcio faces detailed questioning on why he asked Yates to perform a "due diligence" check on former News of the World executive Wallis.
He says he asked him to carry out the checks because he knew he had investigating phone hacking; asked by the panel if he knew Wallis and Yates had been close friends since 1998, he says did not.
Repeatedly Fedorcio says: "I had no reason to doubt Mr. Yates's integrity."
[Updated at 12:53 p.m. GMT, 8:53 a.m. ET] More from CNN's Dan Rivers (@danieljerivers) outside the inquiry. He writes: "Just seen Rebekah Brooks in Portcullis House smiling and looking confident."
[Updated at 12:43 p.m. GMT, 8:43 a.m. ET] A bit of post-match analysis on Stephenson from former Metropolitan Police Commander John O'Connor. He says Stephenson "held his end very well." The MPs were looking for a smoking gun, or evidence of doing favors for News International, but they found no such evidence, O'Connor told CNN's Richard Quest.
Stephenson accepted his position as top cop was untenable after it was revealed he accepted $19,000 worth of hospitality from Champneys as it would have implied there was one rule for him and another for ordinary police officers. O'Connor said Stephenson emerged as a "man of great integrity."
O'Connor said he believed some people will ultimately find themselves in the dock over the scandal and some of them will go to jail.
[Updated at 12:39 p.m. GMT, 8:39 a.m. ET] Dick Fedorcio, the Metropolitan police's director of public affairs, has wasted no time in pointing an accusing finger at John Yates.
Fedorcio says he was told by Yates that employing former News of the World executive Neil Wallis would not embarrass the police force.
[Updated at 12:31 p.m. GMT, 8:31 a.m. ET] Stephenson has wrapped things up after an hour and a half with a closing statement in which he praised his police colleagues as "decent hard-working professionals" and sought to clarify the circumstances of his departure.
"I'm not leaving because I was pushed" he said.
He sounded slightly morbid speaking his colleague John Yates. "We're the poorer for his passing," he said.
FYI: Yates, a former assistant police commissioner who blocked an investigation into phone hacking, is very much alive since resigning over the scandal yesterday. He's up for a grilling later.
[Updated at 12:27 p.m. GMT, 8:27 a.m. ET] CNN's Jonathan Wald (@jonathanwaldcnn) is tweeting that the arrival of Associate editor of the Independent Jemima Khan, one of the more glamorous figures in the phone hacking scandal, is causing excitement outside the hearing.
"Flurry amongst the paparazzi around the queue for the #Murdochs & #Brooks hearing as #Jemima #Khan enters the building."
[Updated at 12:23 p.m. GMT, 8:23 a.m. ET] Press Association reports that a small but noisy group of protesters wearing Rupert Murdoch and David Cameron masks are making their presence felt outside the hearing. One held a placard with "smash Murdoch's evil empire" written on it.
[Updated at 12:22 p.m. GMT, 8:22 a.m. ET] Looks like we're already running over schedule, which means that the earlier listing timings for the first hearing have been thrown to the wind. We could end up with the day's two inquiries running simultaneously, but attention will certainly be focused on the Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks.
[Updated at 12:17 p.m. GMT, 8:17 a.m. ET] Pop star George Michael (@georgemichael) has been tweeting about the scandal. He's had his private life delved into many times by the Murdoch press, and has had frequent run-ins with the law.
He just tweeted: "A lot of really decent policemen and women must be watching this scandal in utter horror. They have more right to their anger than you and I."
[Updated at 12:11 p.m. GMT, 8:11 a.m. ET] A bit of apparent buck-passing from Stephenson over the original phone-hacking investigation. He said he asked John Yates, another senior police figure who will be questioned later today, to look into the matter and accepted Yates' finding that the original investigation was successful, despite the fact he reviewed evidence for just eight hours.
[Updated at 12:04 p.m. GMT, 8:04 a.m. ET] The panel is now asking questions about why an initial investigation in 2009 concluded that the phone hacking issue was not pursued further by the Metropolitan police.
Stephenson said there was "no reason whatsoever to think that there was anything wrong with the initial investigation."
[Updated at 12:00 p.m. GMT, 8:00 a.m. ET] The questions are now focusing on Stephenson's 2009 meetings with the editor of the Guardian newspaper – which has broken many of the stories about the phone-hacking scandal. Stephenson has been accused of trying to persuade editor Alan Rusbridger to back off.
Stephenson said he was acting on information available to him at the time. He said he told the paper that the claims about phone hacking they were making were "nothing new."
"I didn't put pressure to lay off," he said, adding that the meetings were not made at the advice of News of the World executive Neil Wallis.
[Updated at 11:51 a.m. GMT, 7:51 a.m. ET] We're back to discussing News of the World executive Neil Wallis. Stephenson is being grilled on why Wallis was given a contract as a police media adviser when the Metropolitan police had dozens of press officers.
Stephenson said: "With the benefit of what we know now I'm happy to go on the record that I regret that contract, it's embarrassing."
[Updated at 11:47 a.m. GMT, 7:47 a.m. ET] Explaining his frequent dinner dates, Stephenson said this was proportionate to News International's dominance of the British media.
[Updated at 11:41 a.m. GMT, 7:41 a.m. ET] Stephenson's dietary habits are now under scrutiny. He's being asked to explain why he had 18 lunches or dinners with News of the World executives and "seven or eight dinners" with executive Neil Wallis over a five year period.
He said it was important to improve relations between the Metropolitan police and the media.
[Updated at 11:38 a.m. GMT, 7:38 a.m. ET] The questioning has moved on to Stephenson's acceptance of a free stay (worth $19,000) at a health spa named Champneys, which has links to News of the World executive Neil Wallis – this is the key reason for his resignation.
Stephenson is insisting he had no knowledge that Wallis was connected to Champneys. He says his stay was a legitimate part of rehabilitation from injury.
"I was recovering from a serious illness… wheelchair-bound… concentrating on getting back to work," he said.
He adds: "The owner of Champneys is a family friend… I paid for many treatments. It was damnably unlucky Wallis was connected to this."
[Updated at 11:34 a.m. GMT, 7:34 a.m. ET] A moment of levity caused by what was perhaps a Freudian slip of the tongue from former police commissioner Stephenson: "When I took over as prime minister….," he said before correcting himself.
[Updated at 11:30 a.m. GMT, 7:30 a.m. ET] Stephenson is trying hard to explain his links to Neil Wallis, the News of the World executive. Earlier he said he had no reason to suspect Wallis was linked to phone hacking. He said he first became aware of a connection in January 2011.
"Prior to that I had no reason for concern," he said.
He said he was advised by a Downing Street official not to tell David Cameron about his links to Wallis so as not to compromise the prime minister.
[Updated at 11:25 a.m. GMT, 7:25 a.m. ET] Talking about the arrest of Rebekah Brooks, the former News of the World editor, Stephenson said he was aware the arrest was going to take place up to two days prior to the event. Brooks' spokesman on Sunday told CNN she herself was unaware she was going to be arrested.
[Updated at 11:17 a.m. GMT, 7:17 a.m. ET] Stephenson is answering questions about whether he intended to launch a personal attack on Prime Minister David Cameron when he made his resignation statement on July 17.
In that statement Stephenson made reference to Cameron's links to Andy Coulson, a former News of the World editor hired by the prime minister as a media adviser.
Stephenson insists no personal attack was intended. He rejected accusations that he implied Cameron's integrity had been compromised.
[Updated at 11:15 a.m. GMT, 7:15 a.m. ET] Stephenson says he is not apologetic about claims he accepted hospitality from Neil Wallis, the former News of the World executive. He also said the mayor of London and Britain's home secretary, Theresa May, accepted his resignation with regret.
"The decision was mine and mine alone" he said.
[Updated at 11:09 a.m. GMT, 7:09 a.m. ET] Former commissioner of the Metropolitan police Paul Stephenson is explaining why he resigned.
He says he was trying to remove himself from the story. He said he wanted to stand down well ahead of the 2012 London Olympics to avoid becoming a distraction. "We are in extraordinary times," he says.
[Updated at 11:07 a.m. GMT, 7:07 a.m. ET] And we're off. Paul Stephenson is first up before the hearing of the U.K. parliament's home affairs select committee. Stephenson resigned on Sunday over his links to a former executive editor of the News of the World.
Keith Vaz, who will be leading the questioning the chairman of the hearing, has started by declaring an interest. He said that he was invited to a News International summer party, but did not attend.
[Updated at 11:00 a.m. GMT, 7:00 a.m. ET] CNN's Dan Rivers has Tweeted a photograph @danrivers of the line to get into the hearings, which are open to the public. Demand for seats for the appearances of the Murdochs and Brooks is expected to be heavy.
[Updated at 10:48 GMT, 6:48 a.m. ET] Before we delve into the main event, here's a few useful links to get you all caught up:
CNN.com's main story on today's phone hacking-related developments can be found here. And here's some useful background material to help you wrap your head around the key players at the center of the scandal: Press baron Rupert Murdoch, his son, CEO of News International and an executive at News Corp. James Murdoch and former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks.
For a look back at how all this started, check out our timeline of the key events in the phone-hacking scandal.
[Updated at 10:32 GMT, 6:32 a.m. ET] We'll get started with a rundown of who will be at the hearings today. There are two sessions. The first is a direct hearing on the phone hacking, which will see senior police figures give evidence. The second is a standing government committee, to which senior News Corp. figures have been called to face questions.
First up at 11:00 a.m GMT, 7:00 a.m. ET is Paul Stephenson, who resigned as commissioner of London's Metropolitan police force at the weekend because of the phone hacking scandal. At 11:45 a.m., GMT, 7:45 a.m. ET we have Dick Fedorcio, the director of public affairs at the Met. At 12.15 p.m. GMT, 8:15 a.m. ET we have John Yates, who resigned on Monday as assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police, again as a result of the phone hacking scandal.
The second session, a hearing of the U.K. parliament's culture committee, is the main attraction of the day. At 1:30 p.m. GMT, 9:30 a.m. ET Rupert Murdoch and his son James Murdoch are due to face questions. At 2:30 p.m. GMT, 10:30 a.m. ET we have Rebekah Brooks, the former editor of the News of the World newspaper that was at the epicenter of the scandal.
They are expected followed by, Lord MacDonald, a former director of public prosecutions at 4:30 p.m. GMT, 12:30 p.m. ET; Keir Starmer, current director of public prosecutions at 5:00 p.m. GMT, 1:00 p.m. ET and then at 5:20 p.m. GMT, 1:20 p.m. ET we have Mark Lewis, the legal representative of the Dowler family, whose murdered daughter's phone was targeted by hackers.
[Posted at 10:17 GMT, 6:10 a.m. ET] News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch, his son James and former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks are due to testify Tuesday before British lawmakers investigating the phone-hacking scandal.
Lawmakers on the before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee will want to know what the Murdoch family knew - and when - about the alleged illegal interception of telephone messages of individuals ranging from celebrities and politicians to murder victims and the families of those killed in terror attacks and wars.
Murdoch is engaged in a frantic damage limitation exercise after it was alleged that News of the World had hacked into the phone of Milly Dowler, a teenager who was murdered. The allegation sparked fury in Britain; News International bosses, politicians and police have been trying to defuse the anger ever since.
We'll be live-blogging the hearings from start to finish here.
At the end of the day, we will learn that the haves spend billions making sure the have-nots stay in their places.
Nice hair. Not.
"At the end of her session asked that, when she is freed from legal constraints – remember, she has been arrested and bailed – she be invited back again to be questioned by the committee. The committee said they were fine with that.
No such request for a return date was made by the Murdochs at the end of their hearing. And with that, Brooks left the hearing."
The slugline is absurd, and inaccurate.....
Honestly, does anyone really believe the hacking scandal, the resignations, even the MURDER of the journalist will change anything? Murdoch's empire thrives on sleaze. Why? Because for the most part British society demands it and it sells very well. This circus makes for great entertainment – but that's all it is – entertainment.
I have lived in the UK for almost 12 years now and one thing I can say for sure is this: British governments have a fetish for enquires. It gives them the opportunity to marvel at their own magnificence and point accustory fingers at the very same people they'll pat on the back the moment the cameras disappear. Murdoch knows this. That's why he's so impatient. 'humbled'? This walking dinasour and those who slave for him don't know the meaning of the word. In 6 months these parasites will find new victims to latch onto.
Many good points. The British love to feel important, and hold very important hearings. They also love tabloid journalism as much or more than the US citizenry. Bottom line, an employee hacked a cell phone. BFD. This is the MOST over-hyped story I have ever seen CNN carry on with. Top of the page headlines 24/7. You would think WW3 had begun, but no, this is about a hacked cell phone, with the underlying hope that somehow they will stop the merciless beating they take in the ratings from Fox News every night. This most certainly will not accomplish that, and looks desperate.
This is NOT about a hacked cellphone. This is about the illegal network of bribes and favors that exists among the news, government, police, and at this point possibly the Maffia, in light of the death of Sean Hoare – a key witness – yesterday in London. It does not much matter what set off the inquiry. What matters is the network itself. It looks as if the Matrix has us, and it can also kills us if we do not comply. That is certainly worth investigating.
First off, this woman is one of the ugliest hags I have seen in a while. Secondly, this is a non-story, of a media company employee hacking someone's cell phone. CNN has attempted to hype this story, to keep it in the headlines, to make it out to be the second coming, and it is painfully obvious that they are very desperate to do something, ANYTHING, to end the nightly TROUNCING that they take in the ratings from Fox. This won't do it guys, sorry.
I'm sure every member of the committee is on the list to be investigated by the rest of newscorp's assets.
The Rabid Hyena Liberal Press is ALL over this...because it Attacks Fox News, who is Squashing them. Not Hacking America's TOP SECRETS gets this much news, also Mur der of Border Agents by Holder and Obama selling Guns to Cartels. TOTALLY SICKENING...
I don't need to hack peoples cell phone all they do is blab blab so I have to hear thier converstions any way. Blaw Blaw Blaw.
We are talking huge crimes here by Murdoch & Co.'s News Corp companies.
Now possibly as many as 9,000 victims !! Both US and UK citizens.
Use of known criminal elements in conducting these crimes.
Payoffs into the police organizations in order to obtain private security information and phone numbers of the royal family, child abduction victims, murder victims, politicals, etc.
Allegations of compromising British national security and the security of the Royal Family.
Hacking into the phones of crime victims and deliberately destroying selective evidence in order to create stories that fit Murdoch & Co. ultra-rightwing extremist agenda.
Destroying over 1 million emails in an attempt to thwart authorities investigating its criminal activities.
I mean Wow !! Just Wow !!
We're talking crimes by Murdoch & Co. on an industrial scale !!
As long as you're listing crimes, who do you think might go as far as "suiciding" key witnesses? Say, Sean Hoare? What are the probabilities of a key witness dying of natural causes or suicide at the start of a criminal investigation involving the police, government officials and the most powerful news cartel in the world?
Good grief, with all of her money you would think this woman could afford the top hair stylist in the UK.
Rebekah Brooks looks like Casey Anthony. Now that is scary.
Actually, she looks nothing like Casey Anthony.
This woman is Buyt ugly, and I'm sorry, but yeah that is the most interesting thing in this NON-STORY. Some employee hacked someone elses cell phone, bla bla bla.....and this is top of the page headlines why? Oh yeah forgot, because CNN is hoping to hurt Fox who gives them a nightly beat-down in the ratings.....sorry.
Really? Out of hours of hearings, you people are focusing on HER HAIR?!? The CNN comments section never ceases to lower my view of humanity.
If Murdoch can't manage a $40B empire, which is what he admits when he talks about this "1%" cr@p, then he should be forced to spin off 99% of his company into 99 separate sole-proprietorships owned by 99 other people, and then perhaps he can get by with a company more his size.
And any money he makes by spinning those 99 companies off should be taxed at higher than a 90% tax rate. He hasn't "earned" a penny of that fortune. If he's not accountable and not responsible, he is not the owner. Period.
With her looks, the MP's should have brought a scale and a duck to the hearing...case solved!
The Parliamentary investigation into the Murdoch empire and the associated illegalities and conspiracies most likely will have the same result as Parliament's investigation into the skulduggery surrounding the U.K.'s involvement in the Iraq invasion – a huge zero.
The U.S. should do more investigating as well – but by the F.B.I. rather than Congress. The Murdoch empire amounts to a large propaganda machine which has helped to polarise U.S. politics into a state of virtual non-functioning. But any revelation will not result in effective legislation because the reactionary part of Congress would not permit it, and if legislation were enacted the Supreme Court as usual would overturn any aspect which they regard as interfering with "free" speech, even if that "free" speech actually involves quite a lot of money.


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First Look at Amber Tamblyn on 'Two and a Half Men' [Exclusive]
Charlie Sheen may be long gone from "Two and a Half Men," but his spirit will still live on this season in the form of Charlie Harper's long-lost daughter Jenny, played by Amber Tamblyn.
In these exclusive first look images, the sassy and self-assured Jenny meets her Uncle Alan (Jon Cryer). And much like her character, Tamblyn's first meeting with Cryer was an audacious one.
[Photos: All the Guest Stars From Fall's TV Lineup]
"I told Jon Cryer to go 'F' himself in the audition in front of [creator] Chuck Lorre," Tamblyn said. "True story." An interesting tactic!
Jenny, like her father before her, loves women — she's a flirtatious lesbian who wants to break into the acting biz.
"There's definitely a lot of Charlie Harper in the character I'm playing," Tamblyn noted. "She's the modern gay Katharine Hepburn with a sailor's mouth. Her liver is its own superhero."
And even though the title of the CBS sitcom is "Two and a Half Men," Lorre is thrilled to introduce a major female character.
"I think it would be great to have a voice on the show from a different perspective," he told TV critics a few weeks ago. "The show has had enough testosterone to last a lifetime."
As of now, the former "House" star is signed up for five episodes, with the option for more. So far, it's been a great experience for Tamblyn.
[Related: See Which New Shows Are Joining the CBS Lineup This Fall]
"Hands down one of the best experiences of my 20 year career," she raved. "The cast has been incredibly kind and supportive in guiding me through such unfamiliar steps. I've never done a sitcom before, I come mostly from dramatic roles, so there has been a large learning curve for me.
"But everyone, and I mean everyone — from writers to camera operators to wardrobe — have made me feel like a million bucks."
Maybe the spirit of Sheen doesn't live on anymore, then.
Season 11 of "Two and a Half Men" premieres Thursday, 9/26 at 9:30 PM on CBS.

subset: commoncrawl


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Money & Life
(Financial Planning Association of Australia)
At a time when spending is becoming ever more streamlined, it's even more important for kids to understand the value of money. But how can parents and schools teach important money lessons without making kids feel anxious about not having enough or want more than they really need? Discover tools and concepts that can help with financial literacy, at home and in schools.
As kids, we learn a great deal about our values from what our parents do and say. And while providing perfect examples to follow might be an unrealistic goal, most of us can get by when it comes to demonstrating respect, kindness, determination and many other important values. But are your own money habits setting a good example for your kids? And even if you are a model citizen when it comes to saving, spending and budgeting, is it enough to instil a positive approach to money in the next generation?
Getting the balance right – apathy vs anxiety
There's growing concern that kids and young adults growing up in the age of tap and go technology aren't learning fundamental money and life lessons. In a survey of 1100 teens more than half of them didn't understand just how long it takes – and how much it costs – to clear credit card debt when you only repay the minimum each month1. So it's easy to get the impression young people don't really know or care what happens when you spend more than you earn and get into debt as a result.
However, chances are many Australia kids will come from a family where debt and financial stress are a concern. With our average amount of household debt reported to be more than twice what it was 12 years ago2, it's hard to see how they can learn to be careful spenders and savers from Mum and Dad. And they may also be picking up on their parents' concern about family finances and learning to feel anxious about not having enough money.
A healthy attitude to money
To get the balance right between anxiety and lack of engagement on money matters, clinical psychologist and author Dr. Shefali Tsabary has some sound words of advice for parents. "[Money] can only be effective in our lives if there are clear boundaries" says Tsabary. "I always tell [my daughter] that there's enough money for every single thing you desire. But the key is to know what we truly need and then wait for what you need and create a plan for it in the future. But it is always a yes. I always want to create a sense of abundance. It's always a yes, [but] it may not be a yes right now3."
Hearing this, many parents might fear their kids are going to feel even more "entitled" to getting what they want. But as Tsabary explains, it's actually a strategy that can encourage kids and teens to be grateful rather than grasping. "I do believe that much of our fear around money comes from the state of scarcity that parents create in their children, and actually they make them more thirsty for it rather than making them feel like 'I have enough and be grateful for what I do have,'" she says4.
Pocket-money protocol
For many families, introducing pocket money is the first chance children have to learn about money boundaries and creating a plan. Having the patience to let those gold coins pile up can certainly help you learn that buying what you want takes patience. But parents can be quite divided on whether pocket money is earned or given freely. Should your pocket money system teach kids you have to work to earn? Or do you expect kids to muck in and do their bit for the family regardless of whether they get paid for it?
This is where other values start to become part of the money lesson and choosing which one to teach is very personal. Do you value a strong work ethic more than commitment to family? Chances are you both are important to you and choosing which to put first is tricky. If that's the case, then perhaps you can introduce standard chores kids will do without payment but offer opportunities for them to do extra chores in order to earn.
Money lessons from the classroom
Kids can certainly learn a lot from parents about healthy money habits. But they're likely to have better knowledge and self-control when it comes to their finances when they're experimenting with money management in the classroom too. This is where tools like Banqer's financial literacy software can really make a difference, for kids and their teachers.
Banqer's founder Kendall Flutey developed the product to offer schools a comprehensive, flexible and user-friendly "sandbox" environment for teaching important financial concepts. "In order to ensure a standardised level of financial education is received by every child in Australia, I believe the place for financial lessons to be learnt is in our schools," says Flutey. "Schools can play a really strong role reinforcing the normalisation of financially focused conversations. And it can act as the sandbox environment, a place where kids can make monetary mistakes, understand the consequences and learn from the experience."
Both teachers and students at Ringwood North Primary School are reaping the benefits of the Banqer approach to starting financial literacy early. 26 year-old teacher Ben Allen used a manual ledger as his system for teaching the basics of money management for four years. Since local financial planner Corin Jacka CFP® of Priority1 Wealth Management Group introduced Banqer to the school, Ben has enjoyed even more opportunities to teach financial concepts in the classroom and won back hours of precious time in his busy schedule.
"Banqer is a much simpler way to keep track of all this," says Ben "It's a great addition to our program and helps the smooth running of things. I love how we can see, access, pay and monitor students' accounts and how it is all in one central location. I also like how there are different modules, including tax, super and income. I think it is a very comprehensive program with lots of lifelong financial skills being taught."
And the verdict from the student perspective? 10 year-old Abbey started using Banqer in Year Four at Ringwood North. Since then she's made saving money one of her most important goals, when she's not busy with sport or soccer. "Banqer has really taught me a lot of things," she says. "How to save money using an account and how to use money in a wider range of ways." Abbey has also changed her spending habits as a result. "I should save my money for a big purchase instead of wasting it on smaller purchases," says Abbey. "If you keep putting your money aside your savings will grow."
Looking for ways to help your kids get money-wise? Discover some more money lessons for kids and get tips for teaching your teen to manage their finances when they're heading off to uni
1 ABC News, Cashless kids: Is tap-and-go technology promoting financial illiteracy?, Kathy McLeish, 17 August 2017 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-17/cashless-kids-what-is-tap-and-go-doing-to-the-younger-generation/8812168
2 News.com.au, ABS Research reveals household debt has doubled over 12 years, Sophie Elsworth, 13 September 2017, http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/budgeting/abs-research-reveals-household-debt-has-doubled-over-12-years/news-story/43f29dc69102cf86ef2184bbdf78b244
3 Business Insider Australia, A psychologist explains how parents can teach their children to value money without being greedy, Emmie Martin, 11 January 2017https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-teach-children-to-value-money-without-being-greedy-2017-1#fy6w4l4SZQueUmPI.99
4 Business Insider Australia, A psychologist explains how parents can teach their children to value money without being greedy, Emmie Martin, 11 January 2017https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-teach-children-to-value-money-without-being-greedy-2017-1#fy6w4l4SZQueUmPI.99


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American Cancer Society: cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer
Breast cancer overview, detailed guide, treatment decision tool, news, research and prevention. Includes local office locator.
Breastcancer.org: breastcancer.org/community
Discussion boards, blog, chat rooms, ask-the-expert online conferences, email updates, booklets, recommended reading and links, medical expense tax deduction information.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Breast Cancer and Mammography Information: apps.nccd.cdc.gov/cancercontacts/nbccedp/contacts.asp
Includes locator link to places where you can get free or low-cost mammograms or Pap smears. 888-842-6355. Email
FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered): facingourrisk.org
For women at risk of developing hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer, information about finding medical and financial assistance and how to manage and live with hereditary risk factors. 866-824-RISK. Email
HealingWell.com: healingwell.com/breastcancer
Breast cancer resource center includes message forums, chat rooms, e-mail, books, videos, newsletters, news, information and a resource directory.
KidsHealth for Kids Breast Cancer Information: kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/breast_cancer.html
Breast cancer information described in language that kids can comprehend.
National Cancer Institute: cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast
Treatment, prevention, causes, clinical trials, cancer literature, research, screening and testing. 800-4-CANCER. LiveHelp online chat available.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure: komen.org
Comprehensive information and links to your local affiliate office, including community-based education and screening and treatment programs.
Free housecleaning for those with breast cancer: cleaningforareason.org
This nationwide nonprofit coordinates free maid service for women who are undergoing treatment. Call 877-337-3348.


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CrеаtivеМаrкеt - Maritime Champion Font 26745
14 OTF | 0.37 Mb
14 OTF | 0.37 Mb
Make no mistake, Maritime Champion is not simply seaworthy. This peacoat grubbing, all hands on decking, accordion serenading font is not for the faint of heart. He's all caps all the time. Even the lightest of his six weights is enough to anchor a Man-o-War in any Caribbean maelstrom. This 14 font family includes six weights, a stencil style that comes in four weights, and a Shoreline style that comes in four weights. It's an all caps family that includes lots of language options and opentype fractions.


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Fujifilm FinePix F50fd
Written by Gordon Laing
The Fujifilm FinePix F50fd is a 12 Megapixel compact camera with a 3x optical zoom lens and built-in sensor-shift stabilisation. Announced in July 2007, it numerically follows the F40fd, but is the real successor to the legendary FinePix F30 and F31fd models. These shunned high resolutions for excellent performance at high sensitivities and set the benchmark for what could be achieved with a compact under low light. As such the new F50fd has a lot to live up to.
The F50fd certainly makes big noises – hopefully not literally – about high sensitivities, sporting nothing less than a 6400 ISO option, albeit operating at a reduced resolution of 3 Megapixels. The 3200 ISO mode operates at 6 Megapixels, but for the full 12 Megapixel resolution you'll need to work between 100 and 1600 ISO. The F50fd also now includes image stabilisation which should further help shooting under low light.
Like its predecessors the F50fd allows a fair degree of manual control with a switchable Aperture and Shutter priority mode, alongside fully automatic modes which also include face detection. And like Fujifilm's latest models, the memory card slot supports the choice of media: xD or the much more common and affordable SD cards.
So while the new FinePix F50fd has a rather conservative 3x optical zoom range with no 28mm wide angle capabilities, it still ticks many boxes compact buyers look for these days, including high resolution, image stabilisation and face detection to name but three.
The big question though is what impact the considerable jump from 6 Megapixels on the F30 / F31fd to 12 Megapixels on the F50fd has had on noise levels. Both sensors measure virtually the same size, so unless Fujifilm's managed to create an extremely efficient system or change the laws of physics, there's inevitably going to be some compromise.
In our full review of the Fujifilm FinePix F50fd we'll answer that by testing it under real-life conditions against rival models across their entire sensitivity ranges – and crucially see how it also measures up against its legendary predecessor. To see the camera's highlights, check out our FinePix F50fd video tour.
Testing notes
Following our convention of using default factory and best quality JPEG settings to test cameras unless otherwise stated, the F50fd was set to its best quality 12MF mode, Auto White Balance, Multi Metering and the Standard F-Mode colour mode. The anti-shake mode was enabled for all handheld shots, and disabled for tripod-based tests.


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Early voting is already going on and for those states without it, expect a mad rush on Tuesday. But according to my friends who insist that efforts to reform voting laws are foolish "because voter fraud doesn't happen," there is absolutely no need to worry. Everything is under control. The American people wouldn't stoop to such scurrilous tactics. Well, somebody needs to hop on a plane and fly out to Vegas and tell the cops that.
Las Vegas Woman Arrested After Trying To Vote Twice
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — FBI agents arrested a woman Friday in Las Vegas on charges that she tried to vote twice in the presidential election, Secretary of State Ross Miller said.
A criminal complaint accuses Roxanne Rubin of casting a ballot at an early voting location in Henderson on Oct. 29, then trying to vote again at a polling site in Las Vegas on the same day.
Miller said poll workers questioned Rubin when they found her name in a database that showed she had already cast a ballot, but she denied having voted and insisted she be allowed to vote.
If the allegations are proven, this woman wasn't some confused senior citizen who sent in an absentee ballot early then forgot about it and went down to try to vote in person. Both of these events took place on the same day. It seems to be a clear cut attempt to violate election law.
Now here comes the uncomfortable part – for both sides, as you will see – of this story. The woman in question was a Republican. And she was trying this in a state where several races are still up for grabs. Yes, I know… we don't like to hear about one of our own pulling a stunt like this, but the story must be even worse for Democrats this weekend. I mean, think about it. They must be champing at the bit to scream and point their fingers and say, "Look! The Rethuglicans are cheating!" But if they do that, then they have to admit that voter fraud happens and steps need to be taken to thwart it.
Of course, this is a story which only involves one person's vote. What about cases where it's more institutional and affects lots of votes? Doesn't happen, you say? Well how about this one from the also wavering state of Colorado?
Machines switched Romney votes to Obama
The Colorado Secretary of State's Office is investigating after some Pueblo voters say voting machines switched their pick from Mitt Romney to Barack Obama.
The Pueblo County Republican Party said they've heard of more than a dozen reports of the problem.
One voter, who didn't want to use her name, told KRDO Newschannel 13 that when she hit the touchscreen for Romney, a check mark appeared next to Obama's name. She said she asked for help to fix the problem, but still feels unsure about her vote.
"I wonder where my vote really counted," she said.
You're right to wonder, madam. We all should. The system is about as secure as a Swiss Cheese, and every time we ask about making it more secure, we're accused of disenfranchising, racism, hating puppies and all manner of things. It's simply amazing.
Fortunately, in the Vegas case, the system detected it immediately. But does every state have such safeguards in place? I'm asking because I honestly don't know and I very much doubt it. And as to the voting machines in Colorado, I'm on board with the woman they interviewed. The touch screen machines we use in NY now don't even show you the selections you made and give you a chance to review them before finalizing. I have about as much faith that my vote is being correctly recorded as I do in Abba releasing a comeback album that sells 50 million. They system, both in terms of voting laws and the machines we use for it, is screaming out to be fixed and the legitimacy of our elections is already in question.


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Caffeine is a chemical. Drink 200 milligrams (a 12-ounce coffee or 32-ounce tea) 15 minutes before a workout, and it may dull signals from neurotransmitters in your brain that perceive pain, says Mark Tarnopolsky, M.D., director of the Neuromuscular and Neurometabolic Clinic at the McMaster University Medical Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. That pain blunting can last up to five hours. But the amount you consume, and when, is key. You won't suddenly become invincible drinking more than 200 mg, according to research in Caffeine for Sports Performance. Piling on caffeine is just likely to make you feel anxious and even shaky. Your body also needs those 15 minutes to absorb the chemical. The jolt you feel with your first sip? It's a Pavlovian response to the drink's taste, not to the actual drug, explains Bruce Goldberger, Ph.D., director of toxicology at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
But it's not huge. In research on cyclists, runners and cross-country skiers, the latte lift helped athletes push only 1.5 percent to 4 percent longer. Not major, but that little bit can make a difference if you're on your 50th burpee in boot camp or trying to post a PR in a half marathon. How the boost works: Caffeine causes muscles to release more calcium, which cues muscle fibers to contract with added force. As a result, you get this surge of I-can-do-it energy that allows you to bang out an extra rep or sprint another few seconds. The crazy part? Caffeine's performance-enhancing perception is so strong that in a British study, exercisers who hadn't had the drug, but who believed they had taken the stimulant preworkout, pushed up to 3 percent harder.
You may skip a preworkout espresso because you've heard caffeine is a diuretic. Nope. Coffee can be as hydrating as water, claim researchers at the University of Birmingham in England, who found that people who have four cups a day show no changes in total body water. That's not carte blanche to drink Venti upon Venti. Overdoing it can cause heart palpitations and stomach issues, which can wreck your workout, Dr. Tarnopolsky says. Bottom line: When it comes to caffeine, more doesn't equal better. Good news in the land of $4 coffee.
Get more in the May issue!
• Sexy Summer Swimsuits to Flatter Every Body
• Your Fave Carby Foods Made Healthy and Delicious
• Look Naturally Beautiful With These Healthy Beauty Products
And so much more!
Or check out our digital editions!
Photo Credit: Satoshi. Coffee art by Michael Breach


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Fundraising Ideas
Best fundraising ideas for Schools, Sports Teams, Churches, Non Profits, and Individuals that need to raise money.
School Fundraising Ideas
Fund the tools to help you and your students raise the bar in education.
Sports Fundraising Ideas
Give the home team the financial support
they need for the right equipment.
Church Fundraising Ideas
Raise the support you need to back
mission trips or church projects.
Non Profit & Service
Support your cause and organize supporters to help fund your group.
Candy & Lollipops
Satisfy your sweet tooth and reach your
goal at the same time.
Brochure Sales
Sell the highest quality products to friends and family with no cost upfront.
Discount Cards
A customized fundraiser that supports
local business and you at the same time.
Scratch Cards
Try something different with this unique
and highly profitable custom fundraiser.
Raise Money Online
Sell products through Facebook and
take donations online for your cause.
Fundraising Ideas for a Rapidly Changing World
Fast Track Fundraising has been helping with fundraisers for schools, non profits, sports and church groups for more than 10 years. Over that time period we've helped groups raise more than $50,000,000. So we've obviously learned a thing or two about which fundraisers work and which don't. So let us help you.
Lots of things have been changing in fundraising. Did you know that rising chocolate and beef prices has completely changed candy fundraising? Major manufacturers like Hershey's and Mar's have either left industry or have priced themselves out of the market. The same is true with many beef products. With beef at record prices beef based products have begun to shrink just like candy bars have. Of course there are still good choices if you want a candy fundraiser.
When you think back 10 or 20 years there's not a lot you do now that's the same as you did back then. The same is true of fundraising,
We believe that every group should be able to raise the money they need without a lot of stress or grief. We want to help from the moment you start looking for the best fundraiser and continue helping to making sure you've made the highest profits when you're done.
We firmly believe that the most important step is choosing the best fundraiser so we've designed our site to help you do that. At the top of the page you will see links to sections showing the top fundraisers by group type. We really suggest you start with this resource because it will show you which products have been working for your group type.
If there are specific fundraising products you are interested in, we also have overview sections designed to offer in depth information by product group. If you want to talk to one of our fundraising advisors call us toll free 1-888-778-2580.
$10 Cookie Dough Fundraiser
Cookie dough has been one of the top fundraiser products for years. This no upfront program is perfect for medium to large groups. Our new $10 price point has group after group reporting record cookie dough sales.
How it works....
Discount Card Fundraiser
Sell discount cards that supporters love and will buy year after year. Choose and sign up your own merchants for the highest possible profits anywhere.
How it works....
Earth Candle Fundraiser
Earth candles have been our top candle fundraiser for the past 4 years. If you are looking for a fundraiser that has no upfront cost and offers a top notch product that is easy to sell you should consider this fundraiser.
How it works....
Lollipop Fundraising
Lollipop fundraisers are a no brainer for so many groups. Most of our lollipops sell for $.50 so they are very affordable. You make 50% profit. There's only a one case minimum and shipping is FREE.
How it works....
View All Fundraising Ideas»
We provide fundraising products and easy fundraising ideas for non profit organizations. When you start a fundraiser with us, you are supported from start to finish with a personal fundraising consultant. Shop with confidence! Groups nationwide choose us year after year for our quality of service and extended, no-money up front payment plans.
We strongly believe product fundraising offers schools, sports and church groups a unique opportunity to raise money making high profits selling products people are accustomed to purchasing to support a fundraising effort.
However we also know that product fundraising is not the only option out there. We want to be viewed as a top resource for all fundraising ideas so we want to offer some fundraisers that do no require any product sales as well.
1. One of the best new fundraisers for elementary and middle schools that we've seen in a long time is an old-fashioned read-a-thon but done digitally. We suggest you consider the Read-a-thon Fundraising Company.
2. Simply ask for donations. You can do that with your own campaign or you can use a company like GoFundMe or Rally.
3. Car Washes are also a good way to raise money. You'll need a good location and lots of promotional activitiy. And you will need lots of volunteers.
4. Partnering with local restaurants is also a great fundraising idea. Many local restaurants will gladly share some of the revenue brought in on a specific night if you agree to heavily promote the event. The restaurant is obviously looking for increased sales so your group would have to be large enough for them to justify participation.
5. Raffles are another great way to raise money, especially for larger groups. It helps if you can get a company or individual to donate an attractive prize that makes people more likely to purchase multiple tickets.
The Best Fundraising Ideas
We hope you will think about Fast Track Fundraising each and every time you need to raise money. We are always here to help you make the best decision for your group.
Read More Success Stories »
Beef Jerky Fundraiser : Great Fundraiser
"I have been using these guys for a few years now to do my fundraising. The beefsticks are the best and the kids love them. I've never had any problems and they've gone out of their way to help me get exactly what I need. Joe G. is the best." - Rachel Ham, Crestline PTO (01-10-2012)
Awareness Bracelet Fundraiser : Fundraiser for a co-worker Mike Frisch
"I work for the railroad and we raised $4000.00 selling bracelets. Best fundraiser out there. The bracelets sell themselves." - Rob, Do the right thing (08-13-2011)
Smencils Fundraiser : Smencils Rock!
"Our Smencils sales were fantastic! The students absolutely LOVE them and always ask for more. We only bought 500 because we are a small school, but we could have sold three times that! The best part is that they are made from 100% recycled newspaper, so our students who were learning about the loss of the world's rainforests were eager to promote their sales. The proceeds went to the Rainforest Alliance, where we help preserve acres of rainforest habitat. Thanks to Smencils, the children's influence on their world grows by acres every year!" - Laura P., Clear Fork TAG class (05-27-2011)
Read More Fundraiser Reviews »


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Hsia Kuei
Hsia Kuei shyä gwā [key], c.1180–1230, Chinese painter of the Sung dynasty. Little is known of his life. He and his contemporary Ma Yüan were regarded as the greatest landscape painters of the day and were the founders of the so-called Ma-Hsia school of landscape painting. Hsia was especially known for his skillful use of empty spaces, which he outlined with firm, decisive strokes. Many later artists tried to recapture his style. Twelve River Views in the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Mo., is one of the better examples of many paintings attributed to him.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Asian and Middle Eastern Art: Biographies


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TORONTO – A steady drip of losses is expected on the Toronto stock market as a new trading year is about to open amid growing uncertainty about how U.S. political leaders will deal with a deep partisan divide over budget deficits.
Traders have been reluctant to make big commitments on the markets as the end of December approached and with that, the fiscal cliff — the automatic imposition of big spending cuts and significant tax increases set to take effect Jan. 1.
The worry is that with the U.S. economy already weak, the double-whammy of those measures could easily tip the country back into recession, taking other economies along with it.
Investors will also take in data showing that the U.S. economy continued to improve in December despite the uncertainty surrounding the potential fiscal crisis.
"The economy is going along in the three per cent clip now in the U.S. so it's pretty solid," said John Stephenson, portfolio manager at First Asset Funds Inc.
"And the data has been improving over the last couple of quarters so I think, in general, things are looking better but the cliff is a worry and this indecision again heightens the political risk that now marks the U.S. economy."
The latest readings on U.S. job creation, new home sales and the American manufacturing and service sectors are all being released in this week.
And in Canada, the December employment report comes out at the end of the week.
Fiscal cliff concerns left the TSX losing some ground last week, down 69.58 points or 0.56 per cent while the Dow industrials fell 1.9 per cent.
The latest dip left the TSX up barely three per cent year to date.
Stock indexes held up in December with many traders convinced that Democrats and Republicans would reach a deal on raising more income and cutting spending, although likely at the last minute.
But pessimism increased as the Dec. 31 deadline approached and the two sides appeared as deadlocked as ever.
There was particular disappointment at the end of last week as a meeting Friday afternoon between President Barack Obama and congressional leaders yielded no new offers from either side.
And that means the collective patience of the markets could be wearing thin.
"If they can't come to an agreement in three weeks time, or a month's time, then I think all bets are off and the market heads substantially lower," said Stephenson.
On the economic front, the major report of the week comes out Friday when the U.S. Labour Department is forecast to report that job growth came in at 140,000 in December, down slightly from November's 146,000 read.
In Canada, Statistics Canada releases its December employment survey. Economists expect the agency to report that the economy cranked out a modest 5,000 jobs, a not surprising pullback after having generated more than 50,000 jobs in two of the previous three months.
Economists expect that data out Thursday will show the housing recovery continues in the U.S. New home sales are expected to rise to an annual rate of 380,000 units in November from 368,000 in October, a level not seen in at least three years.
The Institute for Supply Management is expected to report Wednesday that the manufacturing sector crawled out of contraction territory — but just barely. The index is expected to hit 50, the saw-off point between expansion and shrinkage.
And the ISM's non-manufacturing index, out Friday, is expected to show growing expansion, rising to 55 in December from 54.7 in November.


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Zipper Tote- Sam Houston State
The perfect tote for showing off your team spirit, keeping your style, and having room for all of the things! This roomy tote made from durable polyduck material, features long comfortable straps and a zippered closure. Makes a great gym bag, overnight tote or laptop carrier.
Size: 18" x 16" x 5"
Lined interior easily wipes clean. Spot clean exterior.
Quick Ship Times* + Easy Returns!
If you are not overjoyed with your purchased, contact us within 14 days for a full refund or exchange.


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About 75 workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have been accidentally exposed to dangerous anthrax bacteria this month because of a safety problem at some of its labs in Atlanta, the federal agency revealed Thursday.
Independent experts say it appears to be the largest incident involving anthrax, a potential bioterrorism agent, in a U.S. lab in at least a decade. CDC officials say the risk of infection seems very low, but the employees were being monitored or given antibiotics as a precaution.
"Based on the investigation to date, CDC believes that other CDC staff, family members, and the general public are not at risk of exposure and do not need to take any protective action," a statement from the agency says.
The problem was discovered last Friday, and some of the anthrax may have become airborne in two labs the previous week, the statement says.
The safety lapse occurred when a high level biosecurity lab was preparing anthrax samples. The samples were to be used at lower security labs researching new ways to detect the germs in environmental samples. The higher security lab used a procedure that did not completely inactivate the bacteria.
Workers in three labs who later came into contact with these potentially infectious samples were not wearing adequate protective gear because they believed the samples had been inactivated. Procedures in two of the labs may have spread anthrax spores in the air.
Live bacteria were discovered last Friday on materials gathered for disposal. Labs and halls have been tested and decontaminated and will reopen "when safe to operate," the CDC statement says. Because proper procedures were not followed, the agency said workers will be disciplined "as necessary."
"It's really unfortunate that this happened. It's unacceptable and we're going to do everything we can to understand why it happened and what we need to do differently to make sure it doesn't happen again," said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner.
He said the incident was revealed on Thursday, nearly a week after it was discovered, because the first priority was investigating the extent of the problem and notifying workers.
"When we learned what had happened we moved as swiftly as possible to contact anyone who was possibly exposed," he said.
Skinner said he did not know how many employees were taking antibiotics or how they were exposed.
Anthrax infections can occur through skin contact but "if you inhale it and you get it in the lungs, that's a lot more dangerous," said Paul Roepe, an infectious disease specialist at Georgetown University Medical Center. The ability of antibiotics to prevent infection depends on how quickly they are started, he said.
Anthrax created fear in 2001, when five people died and 17 others were sickened from letters containing anthrax spores sent through the mail. The FBI blames the attacks on a lone government scientist, Bruce Ivins, who committed suicide.
Scott J. Becker, executive director of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, said this appears to be the largest potential anthrax exposure in a lab since then, and he urged the CDC to fully disclose the results of its investigation.
"It's important to learn what happened there so we can ensure it doesn't happen again," he said. Labs "work on anthrax all the time," and the CDC's statement seems to suggest human error, "not a system failure."
"They're taking all the necessary steps" for potentially exposed workers, he added.
CDC anthrax: http://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/


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Merry Christmas to all. May your days be filled with music. With everyone singing along! Phil
Type: Posts; User: Phil
Merry Christmas to all. May your days be filled with music. With everyone singing along! Phil
Merry Christmas to all the old gang and also to all the new members.
Best wishes to all. Phil
Belated wishes to all for a happy Canada day. And also a happy July 4 to our U.S. members
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas for 2016 and a Happy New Year filled with music!
I will second that comment, sparky. To you and yours, and all the other members and guests. All the best in 2015!!
Feeling for you and your wife and family. Far too young for this to happen with no answers.....Phil
Wishing the same to you, sparky. And thanks for all the help you have always given to me and to others.
Best wishes to all the members and guests also.........................Phil
Im a friend of phils. There is a vh1 video on youtube of eric clapton playing robert johnsons ramblin on my mind ive searched the usual haunts for tab but cant find that version any help would be...
Gary; .................Many, many thanks!!
Not exactly as I remembered it. But then again it has been how many years???? Not to incriminate you, but do you remember this song? I'm thinking late...
Thanks, Gary. Much appreciated!!
Whoops. Found it when I posted the full lyrics on GOOGLE. Didn't correct the spelling, but I am searching for the mp3. Any help appreciated.
Connie Eaton & Dave Peel
Looking for the lyrics and also the mp3 of this song. Probably goes back to the 70's. I'm thinking male singer, but possibly a duet. I think the title is THE QUESTION. Searching GOOGLE but no luck so...
Really got something going with that request I see. Glad to see everything back to normal and all the old crew back!! Missed checking this site everyday. (Still checked but nothing there!!)
Sounds interesting. I did a couple of searches also, but came up bare. I would interested in an mp3 if someone finds it.
Any ideas on the artist?????
Again many thanks for the album. Will get it downloaded tomorrow and on my stick to bring home to my computer. I can always rely on my friends here, when all else fails.
And I do enjoy...
Many thanks, Sparky. Already listened to it 10 times.
OK Did some more research and now the title seems to be NO ONE ELSE performed by Delia Bell, or by Delia Bell and Bill Grant. Would really like a copy of this song.
Well I did enjoy them Gary. And thanks very much for sending them to me.
Gary W
If and when you attempt SILVER BELLS then I want a copy. But if you post it to the download site I will try that. I enjoy saying, "My friend did that". We are all friends, right?
But yeah, I...
Got them, sparky. Thanks a lot.
Can I get;ARE YOU MINE
Thank you. Sonny boy - on...
Well I am a Sonny James fan. Would it be too much to ask for a song list? I do have a few of his songs, and I do have to pay by the MB.
But I do have a song by Sonny when he was just a kid. Willing...
Gary W;
If I think I know the answer, I will certainly jump in. But not doing well on these lately.
Well, I knew all of that. But I thot this quiz was just for Gary W....... Yeah, right.....!!!!!!!!
But I do like to keep checking in on the quizes. keep them going!
Great song! I like it! I already had it. But thanks for the reminder.


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"Within this web presentation, the Massachusetts Historical Society brings together historical manuscripts and rare published works that serve as a window upon the lives of African Americans in Massachusetts from the late seventeenth century through the abolition of slavery under the Massachusetts Constitution in the 1780s.
"Although the complex role of African Americans, both enslaved and free, in colonial Massachusetts is an important part of our state and local history, the struggle for personal liberty in Massachusetts is central to a full understanding of our national history.
"This website features 117 items from the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. This group of unique manuscripts and rare published materials includes handwritten documents and letters by African Americans (Phillis Wheatley and members of the Hartford family), the earliest antislavery pamphlet published in Massachusetts (The Selling of Joseph, printed in 1700), petitions of African Americans requesting freedom, documents certifying the freedom of specific individuals, materials relating to two African Americans involved in landmark legal cases that brought an end to slavery in Massachusetts (Elizabeth Freeman and Quock Walker), warrants and depositions for runaway slaves, bills of sale and account books documenting slave transactions, and a series of letters written in 1795 in which some notable men share their perspective on the history and end of slavery in Massachusetts."
Explore: African Americans and the End of Slavery in Massachusetts