Nicki Minaj: Is It Even Cool to Be a Judge on American Idol?

TV Watch American Idol UPDATED 01/03/2013 at 04:45 PM EST • Originally published 01/03/2013 at 04:15 PM EST Nicki Minaj Jonathan Leibson/WireImage Nicki Minaj wasn't always sure about becoming a judge on American Idol.Addressing "a judgmental...

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CDC: 1 in 24 admit nodding off while driving

NEW YORK (AP) — This could give you nightmares: 1 in 24 U.S. adults say they recently fell asleep while driving.And health officials behind the study think the number is probably higher. That's because some people don't realize it when they nod off for a second or two behind the wheel."If I'm on the road, I'd be a little worried about the other drivers," said the study's lead author, Anne Wheaton...

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Fed minutes short-circuit Wall Street rally

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks dipped on Thursday after signs the Federal Reserve has growing concern about its highly stimulative monetary policy, giving investors reason to pull back after a two-day rally. The minutes from the Fed's December policy meeting, released on Thursday, showed increasing reticence about adding to the central bank's $2.9 trillion balance sheet, which it expanded...

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Dozens of Syrians Killed in Explosions Around Damascus

Andoni Lubaki/Associated PressRebel fighters patrol a neighborhood in Aleppo on Wednesday. BEIRUT, Lebanon — Dozens of Syrians were killed or wounded in an explosion at a gas station east of Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Wednesday, and explosions in another Damascus suburb killed at least six people and wounded many more, including women and children, according to videos and reports from antigovernment...

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Julianne Hough: I Was Physically Abused as a Child

By Mike Fleeman 01/02/2013 at 04:45 PM EST When Julianne Hough was 10 years old, she lived in London, away from her parents in Utah, studying dance.That's when the abuse began, she says. "I was abused, mentally, physically, everything," she says in Cosmopolitan magazine's February issue, on newsstands Jan. 8. While...

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"Cliff" deal drives Wall Street rally to start new year

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks kicked off the new year with their best day in over a year on Wednesday, sparked by relief over a last-minute deal in Washington to avert the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts that threatened to derail the economy's growth. In 2013's first trading session, the S&P 500 achieved its biggest one-day gain since December 20, 2011, pushing the...

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Brain image study: Fructose may spur overeating

This is your brain on sugar — for real. Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose, a sugar that saturates the American diet, can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating.After drinking a fructose beverage, the brain doesn't register the feeling of being full as it does when simple glucose is consumed, researchers found.It's a small study and does not prove...

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Laos May Bear Cost of a Chinese Railroad

OUDOM XAI, Laos — Wang Quan, the new Chinese owner of a hotel in this farm town tucked into the tropical mountains of northern Laos, is hoping that the first of 20,000 Chinese workers will arrive here soon to start construction on a new railroad. Justin Mott for The New York TimesA Chinese construction truck passed through a small Hmong village on Route 13 in Oudom Xai Province, Laos....

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Four Android productivity apps you should use in 2013

Happy New Year! Like most folks, I am working on some resolutions for 2013. One resolution I have is to be more productive. One way I am going to do this is by using my Android phone better. Now there are apps that I have, but really have not used to their fullest. As I work on this resolution, I might discover even better apps. For now I will focus on these impressive apps that can make anyone more...

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Restaurateur Joe Bastianich Blogs: Why Quitting Can Be the Best Start to Your New Year

Celebrity Blog 01/01/2013 at 04:40 PM EST Joe Bastianich is a successful restaurateur, vineyard owner and author of the memoir Restaurant Man. He's also a judge on MasterChef, which challenges home cooks to prove they can cut it in top professional kitchens. This week he's blogging about helping people keep...

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