Teen prospect injured, dad killed in crash

Teen prospect injured, dad killed in crash, We have more unfortunate news to pass along on what has already been a sad Sunday here at Big League Stew.

The Cincinnati Reds have confirmed a Jennifer Rios report in the San Angelo Standard-Times that their 2012 fifth-round draft pick, Mason Felt, 18, was critically injured in a one-car accident on Saturday morning just outside of Ozona, Texas.

The accident happened a little after 10 a.m. on Interstate 10, according to Rios' report. Felt, who was driving his 2004 Ford F-150 truck, began drifting into the shoulder and then over corrected, causing him to cross over both lanes of traffic and then flipped over.

He's now considered to be in critical, but stable condition. Unfortunately, his father, Roger Felt, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.As we noted, Mason Felt, a left-handed pitcher out of Hoschton, Ga., was the 172nd overall pick in this past June's amateur draft.

He elected to sign with the Reds for $317,800, rather than attend Oregon State where he was headed on a baseball scholarship. As many aspiring baseball players do, he was following in the footsteps of his father, who spent five seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization during the early '80s.

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Children's choir pays tribute to victims

Children's choir pays tribute to victims, "Saturday Night Live" closed out 2012 with its strongest episode in weeks.

"SNL" alum Martin Short, who appeared on the 1984-85 season, livened up what's been a dull string of episodes with his kinetic, sprightly style. He brought with him a bounty of celebrity cameos (more on that later). Plus, we'll never tire of seeing Paul McCartney perform.

The episode started with, instead of a cold open, the New York City Children's Chorus singing a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" in a nod to Friday's heartbreaking school shooting tragedy. It was classy and dignified, and incredibly moving to hear the kids sing, "Sleep in heavenly peace/Sleep in heavenly peace."

The rest of the evening didn't hold back on trying to be funny, and for the first time in weeks, actually succeeded. The monologue set the evening's zany tone, with Short singing a lascivious version of "It's a Wonderful Time of the Year," with Paul Shaffer at piano. The cameos kept on coming as Short made his way backstage -- Kristen Wiig! Jimmy Fallon! Tom Hanks! Samuel L. Jackson! Tina Fey! Merry Christmas to all!

BEST: Kate Middleton Pregnancy Exam

Short played a royal family liaison sent to teach proper protocol to the Duchess of Cambridge's OB (Bill Hader). He instructs the doctor on how to approach the royal … ahem … and what to call that area of her body. "The governess, the kingmaker, her 'Downton Abbey,'" Short ticks off, as Hader can barely keep a straight face, "The chunnel, Dame Judi Dench, Piccadilly Circus, and Thomas's English Muffin." Then Fred Armisen showed up as Queen Elizabeth, who needs her Judi Dench looked at. We haven't laughed this hard during an "SNL" sketch in … can't even remember.

YES, IT'S BACK!: What's Up With That's Christmas Spectacular
As a little gift, "SNL" brought this out of sketch retirement. The major buzz around last night's edition is that Samuel L. Jackson apparently dropped an F-bomb (he claimed on Twitter that he said "fuh"), and definitely really did say "bulls---." Aside from that, it was a pretty typical "What's Up With That." Jason Sudeikis was hilarious (as usual) as the Running Man. Watch the sketch here.

YES, IT'S BACK! 2: A Tony Bennett Christmas
Alec Baldwin reprised his dead-on impersonation of Tony Bennett, who teamed up with his brother Jerry (Short) to interview Kanye West (Jay Pharoah). The sketch's potty humor had us cracking up: "It sure is easy to get down in the dumps when you can take one." Classic!

WORST: Restoration Hardware Reunion
This one was a head-scratcher. Short and Armisen play two buddies who run into each other at the decor store. They exchange tidings about their odd careers (Short acts in EMT training videos) and activities (Armisen gets painted on). It was definitely the evening's weak link.

BEST IMPERSONATIONS: A New Twist on Charlie Brown
Everyone in this pre-taped bit was killing it, particularly Short as Larry David (playing Linus), Kate McKinnon as Edie Falco (playing Lucy), and Bill Hader as Al Pacino (Charlie Brown). It basically just centered around them dropping a lot of F-bombs during a children's play, but still amusing. Check out the sketch here.

BEST PAUL MCCARTNEY PERFORMANCE: Holiday Pageant

McCartney was on his game tonight, with a gorgeous rendition of "My Valentine" and a rocking take on "Cut Me Some Slack" with the surviving members of Nirvana. But I particularly enjoyed his final performance. He and Short teamed up to play a singing duo, except McCartney isn't allowed to sing, just play the triangle. Eventually, he does a get a chance … and the stage opens up and he busts out "Wonderful Christmas Time." Happy holidays, indeed.

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Don't get audited: Twelve IRS red flags

Don't get audited: Twelve IRS red flags, Ever wonder why some tax returns are eyeballed by the Internal Revenue Service while most are ignored?

The IRS audits only slightly more than 1% of all individual tax returns annually. The agency doesn't have enough personnel and resources to examine each and every tax return filed during a year. So the odds are pretty low that your return will be picked for review. And, of course, the only reason filers should worry about an audit is if they are fudging on their taxes.

However, the chances of being audited or otherwise hearing from the IRS increase depending upon various factors, including your income level, whether you omitted income, the types of deductions or losses you claimed, the business in which you're engaged and whether you own foreign assets. Math errors may draw IRS inquiry, but they'll rarely lead to a full-blown exam. Although there's no sure way to avoid an IRS audit, you should be aware of red flags that could increase your chances of drawing unwanted attention from the IRS.
1. Making too much money

Although the overall individual audit rate is about 1.11%, the odds increase dramatically for higher-income filers. 2011 IRS statistics show that people with incomes of $200,000 or higher had an audit rate of 3.93%, or one out of slightly more than every 25 returns. Report $1 million or more of income? There's a one-in-eight chance your return will be audited. The audit rate drops significantly for filers making less than $200,000: Only 1.02% of such returns were audited during 2011, and the vast majority of these exams were conducted by mail. We're not saying you should try to make less money -- everyone wants to be a millionaire. Just understand that the more income shown on your return, the more likely it is that you'll be hearing from the IRS.

2. Failing to report all taxable income

The IRS gets copies of all 1099s and W-2s you receive, so make sure you report all required income on your return. IRS computers are pretty good at matching the numbers on the forms with the income shown on your return. A mismatch sends up a red flag and causes the IRS computers to spit out a bill. If you receive a 1099 showing income that isn't yours or listing incorrect income, get the issuer to file a correct form with the IRS.

3. Taking large charitable deductions

We all know that charitable contributions are a great write-off and help you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. However, if your charitable deductions are disproportionately large compared with your income, it raises a red flag. That's because IRS computers know what the average charitable donation is for folks at your income level. Also, if you don't get an appraisal for donations of valuable property, or if you fail to file Form 8283 for donations over $500, the chances of audit increase. And if you've donated a conservation easement to a charity, chances are good that you'll hear from the IRS. Be sure to keep all your supporting documents, including receipts for cash and property contributions made during the year, and abide by the documentation rules. And attach Form 8283 if required.
4. Claiming the home office deduction

Like Willie Sutton robbing banks (because that's where the money is), the IRS is drawn to returns that claim home office write-offs because it has found great success knocking down the deduction and driving up the amount of tax collected for the government. If you qualify, you can deduct a percentage of your rent, real estate taxes, utilities, phone bills, insurance and other costs that are properly allocated to the home office. That's a great deal. However, to take this write-off, you must use the space exclusively and regularly as your principal place of business. That makes it difficult to successfully claim a guest bedroom or children's playroom as a home office, even if you also use the space to do your work. "Exclusive use" means that a specific area of the home is used only for trade or business, not also for the family to watch TV at night. Don't be afraid to take the home office deduction if you're entitled to it. Risk of audit should not keep you from taking legitimate deductions. If you have it and can prove it, then use it.

5. Claiming rental losses

Normally, the passive loss rules prevent the deduction of rental real estate losses. But there are two important exceptions. If you actively participate in the renting of your property, you can deduct up to $25,000 of loss against your other income. But this $25,000 allowance phases out as adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000 and disappears entirely once your AGI reaches $150,000. A second exception applies to real estate professionals who spend more than 50% of their working hours and 750 or more hours each year materially participating in real estate as developers, brokers, landlords or the like. They can write off losses without limitation. But the IRS is scrutinizing rental real estate losses, especially those written off by taxpayers claiming to be real estate pros. The agency will check to see whether they worked the necessary hours, especially in cases of landlords whose day jobs are not in the real estate business.6. Deducting business meals, travel and entertainment

Schedule C is a treasure trove of tax deductions for self-employeds. But it's also a gold mine for IRS agents, who know from experience that self-employeds sometimes claim excessive deductions. History shows that most underreporting of income and overstating of deductions are done by those who are self-employed. And the IRS looks at both higher-grossing sole proprietorships and smaller ones. Big deductions for meals, travel and entertainment are always ripe for audit. A large write-off here will set off alarm bells, especially if the amount seems too high for the business. Agents are on the lookout for personal meals or claims that don't satisfy the strict substantiation rules. To qualify for meal or entertainment deductions, you must keep detailed records that document for each expense the amount, the place, the people attending, the business purpose and the nature of the discussion or meeting. Also, you must keep receipts for expenditures over $75 or for any expense for lodging while traveling away from home. Without proper documentation, your deduction is toast.

7. Claiming 100% business use of a vehicle

Another area ripe for IRS review is use of a business vehicle. When you depreciate a car, you have to list on Form 4562 what percentage of its use during the year was for business. Claiming 100% business use of an automobile is red meat for IRS agents. They know that it's extremely rare for an individual to actually use a vehicle 100% of the time for business, especially if no other vehicle is available for personal use. IRS agents are trained to focus on this issue and will scrutinize your records. Make sure you keep detailed mileage logs and precise calendar entries for the purpose of every road trip. Sloppy recordkeeping makes it easy for the revenue agent to disallow your deduction. As a reminder, if you use the IRS' standard mileage rate, you can't also claim actual expenses for maintenance, insurance and other out-of-pocket costs. The IRS has seen such shenanigans and is on the lookout for more.

8. Writing off a loss for a hobby activity

Your chances of "winning" the audit lottery increase if you have wage income and file a Schedule C with large losses. And if the loss-generating activity sounds like a hobby -- horse breeding, car racing and such -- the IRS pays even more attention. Agents are specially trained to sniff out those who improperly deduct hobby losses. Large Schedule C losses are always audit bait, but reporting losses from activities in which it looks like you're having a good time all but guarantees IRS scrutiny.

You must report any income you earn from a hobby, and you can deduct expenses up to the level of that income. But the law bans writing off losses from a hobby. For you to claim a loss, your activity must be entered into and conducted with the reasonable expectation of making a profit. If your activity generates profit three out of every five years (or two out of seven years for horse breeding), the law presumes that you're in business to make a profit, unless IRS establishes otherwise. If you're audited, the IRS is going to make you prove you have a legitimate business and not a hobby. So make sure you run your activity in a businesslike manner and can provide supporting documents for all expenses.

9. Running a cash business

Small business owners, especially those in cash-intensive businesses -- think taxis, car washes, bars, hair salons, restaurants and the like -- are a tempting target for IRS auditors. Experience shows that those who receive primarily cash are less likely to accurately report all of their taxable income. The IRS has a guide for agents to use when auditing cash-intensive businesses, telling how to interview owners and noting various indicators of unreported income.

10. Failing to report a foreign bank account

The IRS is intensely interested in people with offshore accounts, especially those in tax havens, and tax authorities have had success getting foreign banks to disclose account information. The IRS has also used voluntary compliance programs to encourage folks with undisclosed foreign accounts to come clean -- in exchange for reduced penalties. The IRS has learned a lot from these programs and has collected a boatload of money.

Failure to report a foreign bank account can lead to severe penalties, and the IRS has made this issue a top priority. Make sure that if you have any such accounts, you properly report them when you file your return.

11. Engaging in currency transactions

The IRS gets many reports of cash transactions in excess of $10,000 involving banks, casinos, car dealers and other businesses, plus suspicious-activity reports from banks and disclosures of foreign accounts. A report by Treasury inspectors concluded that these currency transaction reports are a valuable source of audit leads for sniffing out unreported income. The IRS agrees, and it will make greater use of these forms in its audit process. So if you make large cash purchases or deposits, be prepared for IRS scrutiny. Also, be aware that banks and other institutions file reports on suspicious activities that appear to avoid the currency transaction rules (such as persons depositing $9,500 in cash one day and an additional $9,500 in cash two days later).

12. Taking higher-than-average deductions

If deductions on your return are disproportionately large compared with your income, the IRS may pull your return for review. But if you have the proper documentation for your deduction, don't be afraid to claim it. There's no reason to ever pay the IRS more tax than you actually owe.

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Gunman's mother kept hardships hidden

Gunman's mother kept hardships hidden, At the bar, everybody knew her name.
Nancy Lanza was the one who, if she heard you were short on cash, regularly offered to pick up the tab at My Place.

Two or three nights a week, Lanza — the mother of the gunman in Connecticut's horrific school massacre — came in for carryout salads, but stayed for Chardonnay and good humor. The divorced mother of two — still smooth-skinned and ash blonde at 52 — clearly didn't have to work, but was always glad to share talk of her beloved Red Sox, gardening and a growing enthusiasm for target shooting.

But while Lanza spoke proudly about her sons and brought them in for breakfast when they were younger, friends say she held one card very close: home life, especially its trials and setbacks, was off limits.

Now, the secrets Lanza kept are at the center of the questions that envelop this New England town, grieving over the slaughter unleashed by her 20-year-old son Adam, who investigators say killed his mother Friday with one of her own guns before murdering 26 children and teachers at a nearby school.

"Her family life was her family life. She kept it private, when we were together. That was her own thing," said Louise Tambascio, who runs the warmly lit pizzeria and bar with her own sons, and became a shopping and dining companion of Nancy Lanza's.
Friends had met Lanza's younger son, who stared down at the floor and didn't speak when she brought him in.

They knew he'd switched schools more than once and that she'd tried home schooling him. But while she occasionally expressed concern about his future during evenings at the bar, she never complained about anything at all.
"I heard her as a parent. I always said that I wouldn't want to be in her shoes. But I thought, 'Wow. She holds it well,'" said Tambascio's son, John.

Friends told NBC's "Today" show on Monday that Lanza was a devoted mother, especially to her son Adam, and that shooting guns was simply a hobby for her.
Russell Hanoman said Adam Lanza was "clearly a troubled child."
Hanoman said Nancy Lanza told him she introduced guns to Adam as a way to teach him responsibility.

"Guns require a lot of respect, and she really tried to instill that responsibility within him, and he took to it. He loved being careful with them. He made it a source of pride," he said.

California resident Ryan Kraft told KCAL-TV in Los Angeles that when he was a teenager he lived a few doors down from the Lanza family and used to babysit Adam Lanza, then nine or 10 years old. He said the boy "struck me as an introverted kid."
"His mom Nancy had always instructed me to keep an eye on him at all times, never turn my back or even go to the bathroom or anything like that.

Which I found odd but I really didn't ask; it wasn't any of my business," said Kraft, who lives in Hermosa Beach. "But looking back at it now, I guess there was something else going on."

Despite the challenges, the trappings of Lanza's life in Newtown were comfortable. When she and then-husband Peter Lanza moved to the central Connecticut community in 1998 from southern New Hampshire, they bought a brand new 3,100-square-foot colonial set on more than two acres in the Bennett's Farm neighborhood. Nancy Lanza had previously worked as a stock broker at John Hancock in Boston and her husband was a successful executive.

When the couple divorced in 2009, he left their spacious home to Nancy Lanza and told her she would never have to work another day in her life, said Marsha Lanza of Crystal Lake, Ill., Lanza's aunt. The split-up was not acrimonious and Adam spent time with both his mother and father, she said.

Those who knew Nancy Lanza recall her as very generous, often giving money to those she met and doing volunteer work.
When a mutual friend sought a loan from an acquaintance, Jim Leff, and Leff asked for collateral, Lanza intervened.

"Nancy overheard the discussion, and, unblinkingly, told him she'd just write him a check then and there," Leff recalled on his blog in a post after Lanza's death. "While I'm far from the most generous guy in the world, it's not often that I feel stingy. But I learned something from that. I should have just written him the check. She was right."
Mark Tambascio recalled the time Lanza invited him and his brother to attend a Boston Red Sox game, buying them tickets atop the outfield wall known as the Green Monster, and refusing any talk of repayment.

There were moments when she appeared carefree. Inside My Place on Sunday, friends passed around a book of photos from a 2008 sailing trip off Newport, R.I., including one showing Lanza, her eyes gently closed and head tilted back as the sea breeze blew through her hair. "Dreamer!" read the caption.

Neighbors knew her from the monthly gathering of women who rotated between homes for games of the dice game bunko. Lanza enthused about gardening, while poking fun of the fact that few could see the result because her house was set back from the road on a low rise, partly cloaked by trees.

"She used to give me a hard time, you know, because I put out all these Christmas lights, and she said, 'I put out mine, too, but you can't even see them,'" said Rhonda Cullens, who lives one street over.

Lanza also began telling friends that she'd bought guns and had taken up target shooting, John Tambascio said.
All three of the guns that Adam Lanza carried into Sandy Hook Elementary were owned and registered by his mother — a pair of handguns and a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle, his primary weapon.

Investigators said Sunday that Nancy Lanza visited shooting ranges several times and that her son also visited an area range.
Ginger Colbrun, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said it's still not clear whether Nancy Lanza brought her son to the range or whether he ever fired a weapon there.

Marsha Lanza told the Chicago Sun-Times that Nancy Lanza wanted guns for protection. "She prepared for the worst," Marsha Lanza told the newspaper. "I didn't know that they (the guns) would be used on her."

Guns were her hobby," Dan Holmes, who got to know Lanza while doing landscaping work for her, told The Washington Post. "She told me she liked the single-mindedness of shooting."

But while trips to shooting ranges gave Lanza an outlet, she returned home to the ever-present challenges of raising a son with intractable problems.
At Newtown High School, Adam Lanza was often having crises that only his mother could defuse.

"He would have an episode, and she'd have to return or come to the high school and deal with it," said Richard Novia, the school district's head of security until 2008, who got to know the family because both Lanza sons joined the school technology club he chartered.

Novia said Adam Lanza would sometimes withdraw completely "from whatever he was supposed to be doing," whether it was sitting in class or reading a book.
Adam Lanza "could take flight, which I think was the big issue, and it wasn't a rebellious or defiant thing," Novia said. "It was withdrawal."

The club gave the boy a place where he could be more at ease and indulge his interest in computers. His anxieties appeared to ease somewhat, but they never disappeared. When people approached him in the hallways, he would press himself against the wall or walk in a different direction, clutching tight to his black briefcase.
Marsha Lanza described Nancy Lanza as a good mother.

"If he had needed consulting, she would have gotten it," Marsha Lanza said. "Nancy wasn't one to deny reality."

But friends and neighbors said Lanza never spoke about the difficulties of raising her son. Mostly she noted how smart he was and that she hoped, even with his problems, that he'd find a way to succeed.
"We never talked about the family," John Tambascio said. "She just came in to have a great time."
___
Associated Press writer Matt Apuzzo in Southbury, Conn. and Michael Tarm in Crystal Lake, Ill. contributed to this report.

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Funerals begin for young Newtown victims

Funerals begin for young Newtown victims, The first two funerals for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre are scheduled for later today when Newtown, Conn., will bury 6-year-olds Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto.

Noah's family will greet the public before the funeral service begins at 1 p.m. at the Abraham L. Green & Son Funeral Home in Fairfield, Conn. The burial will follow at B'nai Israel Cemetery in Monroe.

Jack's service will take place at 1 p.m. at Honan Funeral Home in Newtown. The burial will follow the service at Newtown Village Cemetery.Noah and Jack were two of the 20 children who were killed Friday morning at Sandy Hook Elementary School when Adam Lanza allegedly sprayed two first-grade classrooms with bullets that also killed six adults.
Noah's twin sister, Arielle, was one of the students who survived when her teacher hid her class in the bathroom during the attack.

As millions of Americans try to make sense of the shootings, memorials and personal tributes have been emerging to remember the children and their educators.

After hearing that Jack was a huge New York Giants fan, Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz wrote "R.I.P. Jack Pinto," "Jack Pinto, my hero" and "This one is 4 U!" on his cleats and gloves before playing the Atlanta Falcons Sunday afternoon. Cruz tweeted photos of his tribute shortly before the game, along with his condolences.

Cruz told reporters he spoke to the family Saturday after hearing Jack was a Giants fan. Cruz was told the family planned to bury Jack in Cruz's No. 80 Giants jersey.
"There are no words that can describe the type of feeling you get when a kid idolizes you so much that, you know, unfortunately they put him in a casket with your jersey on," Cruz said Sunday.

"I also spoke to an older brother and he was distraught as well. I told him to stay strong and I was going to do whatever I can to honor him," Cruz said. "He was fighting tears and could barely speak to me."

Cruz said he plans to give the gloves he wore during the game to the boy's family, and spend some time with them.

Like many parents holding their children a little tighter in wake of the school shooting, Cruz told reporters his 11-month-old daughter, Kennedy, slept in his bed Friday night.

"We slept together that night," he said, "and it was a good feeling. It was one that I cherished."

The Giants were shut out by the Falcons, 34-0, and Cruz was held to three catches for 15 yards with no touchdowns. Cruz had hoped to score at least one touchdown for arguably his biggest fan.

"I probably would have pointed up to the sky, tapped my shoes or something special just to let him know I was thinking of him," Cruz told Newsday.

More funerals are planned for later this week. Jessica Rekos, 6, will be buried Tuesday at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church.

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School Shooting Details

School Shooting Details, That's what President Barack Obama told those attending a memorial service Sunday in Newtown, Connecticut, two days after a man shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 people -- 20 of them children no older than 7, who would never go on a date, drive a car, marry or have kids of their own.....CNN

Obama offered his condolences, saying, "All across this land of ours, we have wept with you." He praised the residents of Newtown for having pulled together and "loved one another" with a spirit all could emulate. And he asked whether more could be done to prevent more parents, sisters and brothers, like those in this quiet New England town, from suffering similar heartaches.

"Can we honestly say we're doing enough to keep our children -- all of them -- safe from harm?" Obama said, adding that "if we don't get that right, we don't get anything right."

"If we're honest with ourselves, the answer is no." Read the full text of the president's speech His call to action capped an emotional prayer service at Newtown High School, in which local leaders of several religions -- a Jewish rabbi singing a prayer, a Muslim man choking back tears, and several Christian leaders offering perspective -- attempted to comfort a shattered community. Nine hundred watched in the school's auditorium, including several children toting teddy bears, and another 1,300 saw the proceedings from a nearby overflow room.

The aim was to show those suffering in Newtown they were not alone. With the help of their neighbors, they could move past this "act of unfathomable violence and destruction," explained the Rev. Matt Crebbin, senior minister at Newtown Congregational Church.

"We needed this," Crebbin said of the service. "We needed to be together."
Remembering the victims

That sentiment was echoed by Obama, who said the nation stands with Newtown. Then he went further than that, saying that the country owes it to them -- and to the people of Tuscon, Arizona; Oak Creek, Wisconsin; Aurora, Colorado, communities that also have been sites of mass shootings in the last two years -- not just to remember the victims, but take steps to prevent more bloodshed in the future.

The president didn't specify what steps he favors, but he did promise to put the power of his office toward preventing more senseless grief -- saying, "We can't accept events like this as routine."

"These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change." Analysis: Why gun controls are off the agenda in America Clearer picture of what happened, but not why
The first calls came into police around 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Adam Lanza used "an assault weapon" to "literally (shoot) an entrance into the building," Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said Sunday. The nightmare got worse as he moved through Sandy Hook's halls.

Timeline of the shooting Using a Bushmaster AR-15 "assault-type rifle," the 20-year-old fired "multiple magazines" -- each of which contained 30 bullets -- to gun down six adults and children in two classrooms, said Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance. He then took out a handgun and shot himself in a classroom as law enforcement officers approached, officials said.

All the victims were shot multiple times, said H. Wayne Carver II, Connecticut's chief medical examiner. Their deaths -- as well as that of Nancy Lanza, Adam's mother who suffered "multiple gunshot wounds" at their Newtown home -- are classified as homicides.

"This probably is the worst I have seen or the worst that I know of any of my colleagues having seen," said Carver, who did autopsies on seven victims.
Why did Lanza do it? That much, at least publicly, remains a mystery.
He had no criminal record. He and his mother, who collected guns, had visited a gun range at least once, ATF spokeswoman Ginger Colbrun said.

The few who spoke of Lanza publicly, including an aunt and former classmate, described him as very intelligent and quiet.

His father, Peter Lanza, released a statement Saturday saying his family is "grieving along with all those who have been affected by this enormous tragedy."
"We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can," the father said.

Authorities shared that sentiment. Even as they have offered more details on what happened Friday morning, they haven't given a motive.
"We will and we are searching diligently and nonstop to attempt to answer that," said Vance, the police spokesman.
Tears and hope
At Sunday's memorial service, Obama solemnly read out the first names of those Lanza killed.
"God has called them all home," he said.
Share your tributes
And for every victim, there's a story.
Six-year-old Emilie Parker was "bright, creative and very loving," her father, Robbie Parker, recalled Saturday.

"My daugher Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing up and giving her love and support to all of those victims, because that is the type of person she is," he said. "...This world is a better place because she has been in it."
Victoria Soto, 27, moved her students away from her first-grade classroom door when she heard gunfire. She is being hailed for having saved some of her students, even though she herself didn't survive.

"She was truly selfless," her mother Donna Soto said Sunday. "She would not hesitate to think to save anyone else before herself and especially children. She loved them more than life."

Many more tears will be shed in the coming days, as victims are laid to rest.
The first two funerals tied to the massacre -- for Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto, both Sandy Hook students -- will begin Monday at noon and 1 p.m. respectively, according to the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association.

Malloy, Connecticut's governor, said Sunday that they will never be forgotten. At the same time, he expressed hope that the strength of community will make a difference.
"We will go on. We will find strength," he said at Sunday's memorial service. "We will get better."
What really makes schools safer?

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Instagram Deal

Instagram Deal, Weeks before he accepted a $1 billion offer from Facebook Inc, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom had verbally agreed to sell his photo-sharing company to Twitter Inc for $525 million in March - but then called off the deal, according to a New York Times report citing unnamed sources.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ultimately acquired Instagram after pushing through a cash-and-stock deal just weeks before Facebook's May initial public offering. The transaction closed in September at a $715 million valuation, reflecting Facebook's stock drop since the offering.

During negotiations with Instagram, Twitter executives had handed Systrom a term sheet outlining the details of the proposed deal, the Times reported, but Systrom later told California state regulators under oath that his company had not received any "formal offers or term sheets" from potential buyers aside from Facebook.

Relations between Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have soured since Facebook successfully swooped for the photo service. Earlier this month Instagram shut off a functionality that allowed Twitter to display Instagram pictures, while Twitter introduced its own photo color-filters to compete with Instagram.

A spokeswoman for Facebook declined comment. Twitter could not be immediately reached for comment.

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Saber-toothed cat fossils

Saber-toothed cat fossils,  Researchers say a pair of fossils unearthed in the hills north of Las Vegas belonged to a saber-toothed cat.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports a team from California's San Bernardino County Museum identified the fossils dug up in June as being front leg bones from the extinct predator.

Kathleen Springer, the museum's senior curator, says the saber-tooth fossils are thought to be approximately 15,590 years old.

The discovery marks the first of its kind in the fossil-rich Upper Las Vegas Wash. Springer heads a team that's been studying the wash for a decade and been collecting fossils there under a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management since 2008.

She says the bones of Las Vegas' only known saber-toothed cat are still being studied. There are no immediate plans to display them, but Springer expects that to happen eventually.

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'The Hobbit' tops box office with $84.8 million

'The Hobbit' tops box office with $84.8 million, Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" led the box office with an opening of $84.8 million, a start better than the three previous "Lord of the Rings" films.

Studio estimates Sunday had the Warner Bros. 3D epic as the biggest December opening ever, surpassing Will Smith's "I Am Legend," which opened with $77.2 million in 2007.

Despite generally poor reviews, the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's first novel in the fantasy series was an even bigger draw than the last "Lord of the Rings" films, "The Return of the King." That film opened with $72.6 million.

While Jackson's "Rings" movies drew many Oscar nominations, the path for "The Hobbit" has been rockier. It received no Golden Globes nominations on Thursday. Its 48-frames-per-second, double the usual rate, also has been criticized.

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Holiday regifting common among colleagues, survey finds

Holiday regifting common among colleagues, survey finds,  Candy dishes, winter scarves, unmemorable vacation souvenirs – if your office exchanges holiday gifts, unwanted presents from birthdays and holidays past, or even something unwrapped at last year's office party, may find their way under the tree for you.

When it comes to holiday cheer in the workplace, nearly four in 10 workers have passed a gift from a family member off to a colleague or friend, according to an Accounting Principals survey.

Less common, but far from unheard of, is regifting within the same office. About one in six workers admit to having accepted a gift from a colleague, only to then pass it off to another colleague.

Related: Holiday shoppers may see big discounts soon

And, if you do get something brand new, your officemate is likely to have spent less than $50. Three-quarters of workers spend that amount on an office gift exchange, the survey found. A gift to a manager is likely to be more expensive.

However, most gifts are exchanged among colleagues at the same level, or are gifts of appreciation given to support staff, the survey found.

Three-quarters of respondents hope to receive money or gift cards, while one in four say they would be happy with baked goods.

While regifting might be common at the office, if the recipients know their colleagues have been naughty instead of nice, they are not telling. Just 3 percent of those responding to the survey say they have been caught in the act.

Employees are probably expecting some crisp, green cash – and not likely to be regifted – from their employers. Close to 80 percent said they expected a gift from the company, the survey found.

The telephone survey was conducted by Braun Research for Accounting Principals between Nov. 9 and Nov. 13, using a sample of 503 employed Americans who exchanged gifts during the holidays within the last year.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

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