Cowboys defensive coordinator Ryan not returning

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was fired Tuesday after his injury-depleted unit struggled in a pair of season-ending losses that kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs for a third straight year.
Ryan was let go a day after running backs coach Skip Peete was fired, and less than a week after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said things were going to get "uncomfortable" at team headquarters in nearby Irving.
"At this time, the decision has been made to move forward in a different direction philosophically on defense," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement. "I have an immense amount of respect for Rob as a person and as a football coach."
Ryan spent two seasons with the Cowboys after he was fired two years into the same job in Cleveland. He didn't hide his displeasure over being let go by the Browns before the Cowboys played them this season. He struck a different tone Tuesday.
"I enjoyed my time here," Ryan told The Dallas Morning News. "I have no hard feelings. But it doesn't matter if I coach here or not. I will find another spot."
The Cowboys finished with four defensive starters on injured reserve, including both Sean Lee and Bruce Carter at inside linebacker — a critical position for Ryan's 3-4 scheme. A fifth starter, nose tackle Jay Ratliff, missed all but six games with ankle and groin injuries. Nickel cornerback Orlando Scandrick was sidelined the last five games with a wrist injury.
Several Dallas players reacted with surprise on Twitter.
"It was a privilege to play under Coach Rob Ryan! One of the greatest," defensive end Jason Hatcher wrote. "Sad day. I'm hurting right now."
The Cowboys finished 14th in total defense this season under Ryan, the twin brother of New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, but couldn't stop the New Orleans passing game or the Washington rushing attack when they still controlled their playoff fate in the last two weeks of the regular season.
Drew Brees threw for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 overtime win for New Orleans. Dallas still had playoff hopes in the finale against Washington, but rookie Alfred Morris rushed for 200 yards despite quarterback Robert Griffin being limited by a right knee injury in the Redskins' 28-18 win.
The Cowboys were 19th in total defense in Ryan's first year but had one of the worst pass defenses in team history.
Following consecutive 8-8 seasons, Dallas is 128-128 since the start of 1997 season. The Cowboys have just one playoff win in that span.

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LB Rolando McClain bonds out of Ala. jail

DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say Oakland Raiders linebacker and former University of Alabama standout Rolando McClain has bonded out of jail on charges of violating rules on car window tint and trying to lie to police about his identity.
Authorities at the Decatur City Jail in Alabama say the 23-year-old McClain was pulled over Tuesday because of the tint violation. When McClain was asked to sign a ticket, police say he provided a false name.
Officials say McClain was taken into custody and posted $1,000 bond.
McClain had been sentenced to jail time on an assault charge. He was accused of firing a gun next to a man's head in 2011, also in Decatur. Those charges were later dismissed.
McClain served a two-game suspension this season for conduct detrimental to the Raiders. The team had no comment on his latest arrest.

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NFL-Cowboys release defensive coordinator Ryan

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Dallas Cowboys released fiery defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Tuesday after another disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs.
Ryan, the twin brother of New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, had spent the last two seasons with the Cowboys where his demonstrative demeanor made him a colorful figure on the sidelines.
The Dallas defense did not show enough improvement, however, as they struggled with injuries and finished last in the NFL in interceptions.
Demanding owner Jerry Jones promised changes after the team finished 8-8 for the second consecutive year. The Cowboys have not reached the post-season since 2009.
"At this time, the decision has been made to move forward in a different direction philosophically on defense," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement.
"I have an immense amount of respect for Rob as a person and as a football coach and I wish him and his family the very best." (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles. Editing by Patrick Johnston)

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Cowboys release defensive coordinator Ryan

The Dallas Cowboys released fiery defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Tuesday after another disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs.
Ryan, the twin brother of New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, had spent the last two seasons with the Cowboys where his demonstrative demeanor made him a colorful figure on the sidelines.
The Dallas defense did not show enough improvement, however, as they struggled with injuries and finished last in the NFL in interceptions.
Demanding owner Jerry Jones promised changes after the team finished 8-8 for the second consecutive year. The Cowboys have not reached the post-season since 2009.
"At this time, the decision has been made to move forward in a different direction philosophically on defense," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement.
"I have an immense amount of respect for Rob as a person and as a football coach and I wish him and his family the very best.

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Wall St set to slip after five-year high, before earnings

U.S. stocks were set to fall at the open on Monday as markets are seen consolidating after the S&P 500 closed Friday at a five-year high and before this week's start ofearnings season.

Last week was the best for U.S. stocks in more than a year as a budget deal and economic data boosted investor confidence.

Investors will likely turn their attention to the fourth-quarter earnings season that kicks off this week. Earnings are expected to be only slightly better than the third-quarter's lackluster results and analysts' current estimates are down sharply from what they were in October.

"We have a cautious market entering fourth-quarter earnings season," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York. "I think it's going to be a disappointing one this time around."

Financial shares will be in focus a day after global regulators known as the Basel Committee gave banks four more years and greater flexibility to build up cash buffers, scaling back moves that aimed to help prevent another financial crisis.

By spurring credit, the easing of the bank rules may help support growth, potentially boosting investments in equities and other relatively risky assets.

"Basel giving banks four more years to get their act together will be good" for stocks, Cardillo said.

Separately, Bank of America shares added more than 2 percent before the market opened after it reached a settlement with Fannie Mae to resolve agency mortgage repurchase claims.

S&P 500 futures dipped 2.5 points and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 17 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 4 points.

Walt Disney Co started an internal cost cutting review several weeks ago that may include layoffs at its studio and other units, three people with knowledge of the effort told Reuters.

Video-streaming service Netflix Inc said it will carry previous seasons of some popular shows produced by Time Warner's Warner Bros Television.

Major U.S. technology companies could miss estimates for fourth-quarter earnings as budget worries likely led some corporate clients to tighten their belts last month.

Amazon shares rose 1.8 percent $263.70 in premarket trading after Morgan Stanley raised is rating on the stock to "overweight" from "equal weight."

Roche's chairman was quoted saying the Swiss pharmaceutical group is no longer considering a bid for the U.S. gene-sequencing company Illumina . Illumina shares were off 8 percent at $50.20 in premarket trading.

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Nigerian banking stock index rises 4.7 pct

The index of Nigeria's Top-10 banks closed up 4.7 percent on Monday, a significant gain for a sector which analysts expect to drive a stock market rally again this year.
Nigerian stocks rose to a 32-month high last Monday, ending 2012 up 34 percent in the index's best performance over the last five years, led by growth in consumer goods and banking.
The banking index gained 24 percent last year, but it trailed the consumer goods sector which rose 42 percent.
Analysts say banking shares have room to close up for a second year running, following a strong recovery in earnings after a 2009 financial crisis that nearly sunk nine lenders.
FCMB gained the maximum 10 percent allowed for stocks eligible for market making. Fidelity Bank, Skye Bank, UBA and Sterling Bank were up more than 9 percent each.
The all-share index gained 1.58 percent to 28,988 points.

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Stocks open lower; S&P 500 eases from 5-year high

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street, pulling the S&P 500 index down from a five-year high it reached last week.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 72 points to 13,364 shortly after the opening bell on Wall Street Monday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell eight points to 1,458. The Nasdaq composite fell 15 points to 3,085.
Home improvement retailer Lowe's fell 52 cents to $35.06 after an analyst at Canaccord cut her rating on the stock to "sell" from hold, saying the company's efforts to improve sales are falling short.
Major U.S. companies begin reporting first-quarter earnings this week, beginning Tuesday with the aluminum maker Alcoa.

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Hugo Chavez's allies re-elect legislative chief

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Allies of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez on Saturday chose to keep the same National Assembly president — a man who could be in line to step in as a caretaker leader in some circumstances.
The vote to retain Diosdado Cabello as legislative leader signaled the ruling party's desire to stress unity and continuity amid growing signs the government plans to postpone Chavez's inauguration for a new term while he fights a severe respiratory infection nearly a month after cancer surgery in Cuba.
The opposition and some legal experts have argued that if Chavez is unable to be sworn in as scheduled on Thursday, the president of the National Assembly should take over on an interim basis.
Cabello's selection quashed speculation about possible political reshuffling in the midst of Chavez's health crisis, and it came as Vice President Nicolas Maduro joined other allies in suggesting that Chavez could remain president and take the oath of office before the Supreme Court later on if he isn't fit to be sworn in on the scheduled date.
"It strikes me that the government has decided to put things on hold, to wait and see what happens with Chavez's health and other political factors, and figure out the best way to insure continuity," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. "Maduro and Cabello are clearly the key players within Chavismo today, each heading separate factions, but for the time being the idea is to reaffirm both and project a sense of unity."
Cabello, a former military officer who is widely considered to wield influence in the military, was re-elected by a show of hands by Chavez's allies, who hold a majority of the 165 congressional seats.
Pro-Chavez party leaders ignored calls to include opposition lawmakers among the legislative leadership, and opposition lawmaker Ismael Garcia said the choices represented "intolerance." None of the opposition lawmakers supported the new legislative leaders.
Hundreds of Chavez's supporters gathered outside the National Assembly to show their support, some holding flags and pictures of the president.
The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly. It also says that if the president is unable to be sworn in before the Assembly, he may take the oath before the Supreme Court, and some legal experts in addition to Chavez allies have noted that the sentence referring to the court does not mention a date.
"When, it doesn't say. Where, it doesn't say either," Cabello told supporters after the session. Apparently alluding to possible protests by opponents over the issue of delaying the inauguration, Cabello told supporters: "The people have to be alert on the street so that there is no show."
Without giving details, Cabello urged them to "defend the revolution."
Maduro argued that Chavez, as a re-elected president, remains in his post after Jan. 10 regardless of whether he has taken the oath of office on that date. "When he can, he will be sworn in," Maduro said.
The latest remarks by the two most powerful men in Chavez's party sent the strongest signals yet that the government wants to delay the 58-year-old president's inauguration.
Former Supreme Court magistrate Roman Duque Corredor disagreed with Maduro, saying that "the constitution doesn't allow an extension" of a presidential term.
"An extension of a term can't be discussed," Duque said told The Associated Press a phone interview. "What would be right is to definitively determine what the president's state of health is." He said the Supreme Court should designate a board of doctors to determine whether Chavez's condition prevents him from continuing to exercise his duties temporarily or permanently.
If Chavez dies or is declared incapacitated, the constitution says that a new election should be called and held within 30 days, and Chavez has said Maduro should be the candidate. There have been no public signs of friction between the vice president and Cabello, who appeared side-by-side waving to supporters after the session and vowed to remain united.
"Come here, Nicolas. You're by brother, friend. They don't understand that," Cabello said, hugging Maduro before the crowd. Referring to government opponents, he said: "They're terrified of that, unity."
But opposition lawmaker Julio Borges said the government's choices of legislative leaders pointed to an arrangement aimed at containing an internal "rupture."
Borges told reporters that he believes there is a behind-the-scenes "fight" in the president's party to avoid Cabello assuming powers temporarily if Chavez is unable to be sworn in on schedule. The lawmaker asserted that there are serious tensions between those who support a "model that's kidnapped from Havana" and a military-aligned wing in Chavez's movement.
Cabello sought to cut off such speculation, saying: "We will never betray the will of the Venezuelan people. We will never betray the orders and instructions of Commander Chavez."
The National Assembly president also dismissed the possibility of dialogue with Chavez's opponents, saying: "There is no conciliation possible with that perverse right."
Both Maduro and Cabello have reasons for presenting a united front, political analyst Vladimir Villegas said.
"They have the responsibility to keep Chavismo united because the division of Chavismo would be the ruin of both of them. For that reason, they're going to do everything possible to stay united," Villegas said.
If the government delays the swearing-in and Chavez's condition improves, the president and his allies could have more time to plan an orderly transition and prepare for a new presidential election.
Opposition leaders have argued the constitution is clear that the inauguration should occur Thursday, and one presidential term ends and another begins. They have demanded more information about Chavez's condition and have said that if Chavez can't make it back to Caracas by Thursday, the president of the National Assembly should take over provisionally.
If such a change were to occur, it might not lead to any perceptible policy shifts because Cabello is a longtime Chavez ally who vows to uphold his socialist-oriented Bolivarian Revolution movement. But the latest comments by pro-Chavez leaders indicate they intend to avoid any such changes in the presidency, at least for now.
"We're experiencing political stability," Soto Rojas said as he announced the choices of legislative leaders put forward by Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela. Referring to Chavez, the former legislative leader said: "Onward, Comandante."
Shifter said the government's stance has left opposition on the defensive, with its only tactic being to insist that Jan. 10 is the established date.
"The opposition's strong objections to the government's plan are unlikely to get much political traction," Shifter said. "What the government is doing may be of dubious constitutionality but it fits a familiar pattern under Chavez's rule and will probably have minimal political costs."
Chavez was re-elected in October to another six-year term, and two months later announced that his pelvic cancer had returned. Chavez said before the operation that if his illness prevented him from remaining president, Maduro should be his party's candidate to replace him in a new election.
Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since before his Dec. 11 operation, his fourth cancer-related surgery since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. The government revealed this week that Chavez is fighting a severe lung infection and receiving treatment for "respiratory deficiency."
That account raised the possibility that he might be breathing with the assistance of a machine. But the government did not address that question or details of the president's treatment, and independent medical experts consulted by the AP said the statements indicated a potentially dangerous turn in Chavez's condition, but said it's unclear whether he is attached to a ventilator.

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US family builds Haiti orphanage for daughter

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — An American family who lost their daughter in a massive earthquake in Haiti three years ago has finished building an orphanage in her memory.
The parents of Britney Gengel, Leonard and Cherylann, led about 150 family and friends, including U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, in a solemn ceremony Saturday at the Be Like Brit orphanage in the coastal town of Grand Goave.
"It was a beautiful ceremony and had a great dedication," said Leonard Gengel, 52, of Rutland, Massachusetts.
The brick-and-mortar homage cost about $1.8 million to build, all raised through donations. The 19,000-square-foot (nearly 1,800-square-meter) facility has seismically resistant walls and a medical clinic.
Built in the shape of a letter "B," the orphanage will house 33 boys and 33 girls, representing the number of days Britney's body lay under the rubble.
Gengel was a 19-year-old sophomore at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, who had gone to Haiti to hand out meals for a Christian charity. She died when the hotel where she was staying, the Montana, collapsed.
On Saturday, Haiti will mark the 3rd anniversary of the earthquake that officials say killed more than 300,000 people and displaced more than a million others. The disaster is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in modern history.

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Venezuela looks for missing plane with Missoni CEO

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The search for a missing plane carrying Italian fashion executive Vittorio Missoni and five other people has entered its third straight day on Sunday with no signs of the aircraft.
Venezuela's government said authorities would not call off the search involving the National Civil Aviation Institute, Coast Guard and Navy until they find the BN-2 Islander plane that disappeared off South American country's coast and all of those who were on board.
"All the authorities involved in these tasks are not reducing the intensity of the search until they locate the plane as well as its crew and passengers," the government said in a written statement. It said search teams are using a plane and two helicopters as well as several coast guard vessels and 29 divers.
The small, twin-engine plane was reported missing hours after taking off Friday from Los Roques, a string of islands and islets popular among tourists for their white beaches and coral reefs.
The plane was carrying the CEO of Italy's iconic Missoni fashion house, his wife, two Italian friends and two Venezuelan crew members.
Officials from Venezuela's civil aviation agency have said that authorities declared an alert after the plane didn't make contact with the control tower at the Caracas airport or with the tower in Los Roques. The plane took off at 11:39 a.m. on Friday and had been expected to arrive at Caracas' Simon Bolivar International Airport 42 minutes later, according to officials.

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