First-class stamp prices to rise as of Jan. 26

First-class stamp prices to rise as of Jan. 26

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2013 file photo, U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Michael McDonald gathers mail to load into his truck before making his delivery run in the East Atlanta neighborhood, in Atlanta. The U.S. Postal Service says it will delay plans to cut Saturday mail delivery because Congress isn't allowing the change. The Postal Service said in February that it planned to cut back in August to five-day-a-week deliveries for everything except packages, as a way to hold down losses. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Mailing a letter is about to get a little more expensive. Regulators on Tuesday approved a temporary price hike of 3 cents for a first-class stamp, bringing the charge to 49 cents a letter in an effort to help the Postal Service recover from severe mail decreases brought on after the 2008 economic downturn.
Many consumers won't feel the price increase immediately. Forever stamps, good for first-class postage whatever the rate, can be purchased at the lower price until the new rate is effective Jan. 26.
The higher rate will last no more than two years, allowing the Postal Service to recoup $2.8 billion in losses. By a 2-1 vote, the independent Postal Regulatory Commission rejected a request to make the price hike permanent.
The higher cost "will last just long enough to recover the loss," Commission Chairman Ruth Y. Goldway said.
Bulk mail, periodicals and package service rates rise 6 percent, which is likely to draw significant consternation from the mail industry.
Its groups have opposed any price increase beyond the current 1.7 percent rate of inflation. They say charities using mass mailings and bookstores competing with online retailer Amazon will be among those who suffer. Greeting card companies also have criticized the plans.
The Postal Service is an independent agency that does not depend on tax money for its operations but is subject to congressional control. Under federal law, it can't raise prices more than the rate of inflation without approval from the commission.
The service says it lost $5 billion in the last fiscal year and has been trying to get Congress to pass legislation to help with its financial woes, including an end to Saturday mail delivery and reduced payments on retiree health benefits.
The figures through Sept. 30 were actually an improvement for the agency from a $15.9 billion loss in 2012.
The post office has struggled for years with declining mail volume as a result of growing Internet use and a 2006 congressional requirement that it make annual $5.6 billion payments to cover expected health care costs for future retirees. It has defaulted on three of those payments.
The regulators Tuesday stopped short of making the price increases permanent, saying the Postal Service had conflated losses it suffered as a result of Internet competition with business lost because of the Great Recession. They ordered the agency to develop a plan to phase out the higher rates once the lost revenue is recouped.
It's unclear if that would take rates for first-class postage back to 46 cents in 2016 or to a level somewhere in between that takes into account future inflation.
The new price of a postcard stamp, raised by a penny to 34 cents in November, also is effective next month.

Police: 4 dead after Louisiana shootings, 3 injured

RACELAND, La. (AP) - A south Louisiana man attacked his former in-laws, his current wife, and the head of a hospital where he'd worked, killing three before killing himself, authorities said.

The shootings happened at four locations in two parishes about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans on Thursday. The first report came about 6:40 p.m., when Lafourche Parish Councilman Louis Phillip Gouaux - who was shot in the throat - called 911 from his home in Lockport, Houma, La., newspaper The Courier reported.

The suspect, Ben Freeman, 38, was the ex-husband of Gouaux's daughter Jeanne, Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Brennan Matherne said in a news release.

Gouaux's wife, Susan "Pixie" Gouaux, was dead when deputies arrived, Matherne said. Louis Phillip Gouaux and his daughter, Andrea Gouaux, were injured and taken to University Hospital in New Orleans. Both were in critical but stable condition, Matherne said.

About 20 minutes later in Raceland, Ochsner St. Anne General Hospital administrator Milton Bourgeois was shot and killed at close range at his home, Matherne said. His wife, Ann Bourgeois, was shot and taken to the New Orleans hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.

Raceland police said Bourgeois was shot at close range and his wife was shot in the leg.

Freeman had been employed at three area hospitals over the last few years, including St. Anne, where Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said he had been a registered nurse before he was fired in 2011. All three hospitals were put on lockdown for a while Thursday.

Freeman's wife, Denise Taylor Freeman, was found dead in the couple's home in Houma in Terrebonne Parish. Matherne said her cause of death was not immediately known.

A shotgun was used in the shootings, deputies said.

Ben Freeman was found along U.S. Highway 90 near Bayou Blue, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Lafourche Parish sheriff said Jeanne Gouaux had filed multiple protective orders against Freeman, who had pleaded guilty to harassment charges and was allowed only supervised visits with their four children. The last protective order expired less than a month ago, he said.

"Clearly, there has been a very difficult and complicated divorce/custody issue going on," Webre said during a news conference late Thursday.

Webre could not comment on why Ben Freeman was terminated from St. Anne Hospital, but noted that police were called there after Freeman damaged a room. He told police then that he would seek mental help, Webre said.

Yes, It’s Real: Tim Draper Gives Details On Ballot Initiative To Make Silicon Valley A State

Silicon Valley is no stranger to unusual ideas, and today the world got to witness another: noted investor Tim Draper is proposing a ballot proposition to split California into six separate states. There were obviously a lot of questions raised by Draper’s “Six Californias” proposal after we first broke the news last Thursday, so the man with the controversial plan held a press conference this afternoon.
“The status quo is just not going to work,” said draper. “The existing breadth of industry and various interests in California is untenable.”
Draper’s ballot proposition itself breaks California into six entities: Silicon Valley, West California, Jefferson, South California, Central California and North California.
Other than Draper’s desire to decentralize Californian governance, we really didn’t know how it would all go down until today. So, here are your burning questions answered:
How Will California Be Redrawn?
“We allowed great flexibility” for individual counties to finely tune the rough outline of the six different territories, Draper said during the press event. He expects the citizens to crowdsource many of the ideas around water rights, a new state flag, and other official duties.
What About Congress?
Each state is supposed to get two senators, this would add 10 more to Congress (five additional states total). So, presumably, federal authorities will have to buy more chairs for the Senate floor, and also completely shift around the tight two-party balance that the Senate has maintained for over 200 years.
“They’ll be nervous about change,” says Draper, who thinks government will eventually accept a better governed region.
Who’s Paying For This?
Draper is bootstrapping his own political brainchild. “I will make sure it gets on the ballot, he said. This can cost millions of dollars and there’s no big partners yet on board. But Draper says he’s seen a lot of grassroots interest.
There’s still a lot of process questions that have to be worked out. What happens after it passes? Who’s in charge of creating new governors, redrawing congressional districts, and distributing natural resources? Draper couldn’t answer these in great detail, because they’ll supposedly be answered over the next several months.
When Draper first proposed this idea to me at the Nantucket Project conference, I had my doubts. But, yes, this is in fact happening. Six Californias. Draper expects to hold another press conference when he gets a million signatures.

Rodman holds tryouts for Pyongyang exhibition game

APTOPIX North Korea Rodman

Former NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman holds a cigar as he speaks to North Korean basketball players during a practice session in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Dec. 20, 2013. During the session, Rodman selected the members of the North Korean team who will play in Pyongyang against visiting NBA stars on Jan. 8, 2014, the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

By ERIC TALMADGE
Associated Press

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- Former NBA star Dennis Rodman held tryouts Friday for a North Korean team to face a dozen NBA veterans in an exhibition game on leader Kim Jong Un's birthday next month - though he hasn't convinced all the players on the American team that it's safe to come to Pyongyang.

The flamboyant Hall of Famer said plans for the Jan. 8 game are moving ahead but some of the 12 Americans he wants are afraid to come.

Some foreign analysts say the dramatic purge and execution of Kim's once-powerful uncle less than a week ago has cast doubt on Kim's future. But officials here say there is no instability and Kim remains firmly in control.

"You know, they're still afraid to come here, but I'm just telling them, you know, don't be afraid man, it's all love, it's all love here," Rodman told The Associated Press after the tryouts at the Pyongyang Indoor Gymnasium. "I understand what's going on with the political stuff, and I say, I don't go into that venture, I'm just doing one thing for these kids here, and for this country, and for my country, and for the world pretty much."

Rodman, who arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday, said he expects to announce the roster soon. He also said he is planning another game in June.

Rodman, wearing a pink button-down shirt and puffing on a cigar, watched as a couple dozen local players took to the basketball court for the tryouts. After the session, he told the players that each of the 12 he chooses will get two new pairs of tennis shoes.

When asked why he liked basketball, North Korean player Kim Un Chol told Rodman he started playing the game because he was impressed by it on TV, and said he also wants to be good at the sport because it is a favorite of leader Kim and his late father, Kim Jong Il.

Rodman asked all the players if they felt the same way. They nodded in unison.

"I want you guys to do one thing for your leader," Rodman then told them. "It's his birthday. It's a very special, special day for the country."

Rodman and Kim have struck up an unlikely friendship since he traveled to the secretive state for the first time in February with the Harlem Globetrotters for an HBO series produced by New York-based VICE television.

He remains the highest-profile American to meet Kim since the leader inherited power from his father in 2011.

Known as much for his piercings, tattoos and bad behavior as he was for basketball, Rodman has mostly avoided politics in his dealings with the North and has avoided commenting on the North's human rights record or its continued detainment of American Kenneth Bae for allegedly committing anti-state crimes.

On Friday, he stressed that he hopes the game will be friendly, without political or nationalistic overtones.

He said the former NBA players will take on the North Koreans in the first half, but the teams will be mixed for the second half.

"It's not about win or loss. It's about one thing - unite two countries," Rodman said.

Rodman visits North Korea to train national team

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Thursday to help train the national team and renew his friendship with the North's young leader, Kim Jong Un, a visit unaffected by the recent execution of Kim's uncle in a dramatic political purge.

Rodman was met at Pyongyang's airport by Vice Sports Minister Son Kwang Ho. He made no public comments, but told a mob of reporters earlier at Beijing's airport that he expected, as on previous visits, to meet with Kim and make final arrangements for a Jan. 8 exhibition game in Pyongyang marking the leader's birthday.

"I know (Kim) is waiting for me to come back. So hopefully we will have some conversation about some things that's going to help the world," Rodman said.

His visit comes less than a week after North Korea announced the execution of No. 2 official Jang Song Thaek, an unprecedented fall from grace of one of the most powerful figures in the country.

Jang's execution marks North Korea's most serious political upheaval in decades and has sent North Korea watchers speculating over the stability of the Kim dynasty. However, Rodman's visit - should it proceed uneventfully - could be a sign that Kim is firmly in charge and unconcerned with any potential challenges to his rule.

Asked about the execution, Rodman said that had nothing to do with his visit. He said he wasn't worried about his personal safety in the North, despite the recent detentions of two Americans there, one of whom, Kenneth Bae, has been held for more than two years.

Rodman and Kim have struck up an unlikely friendship since the Hall of Famer traveled to the secretive Communist state for the first time in February with the Harlem Globetrotters for an HBO series produced by New York-based VICE television.

He remains the highest-profile American to meet Kim since the leader inherited power from father Kim Jong Il in 2011.

Known as much for his piercings, tattoos and bad behavior as he was for basketball, Rodman has mostly avoided politics in his dealings with the North. He's mainly focused on using basketball as a means of boosting understanding and communication and studiously avoided commenting on the North's human rights record, regarded as one of the world's worst by activists, defectors and the U.S. State Department.

Defectors have repeatedly testified about the government's alleged use of indiscriminate killings, rapes, beatings and prison camps holding as many as 120,000 people deemed opponents of Kim, the third generation of his family to rule.

Rodman said he planned to return to North Korea in two weeks with a roster of 12 American basketball players, but offered no names.

"I hope this game brings a lot of countries together, because as I said, sports it is so important to people around the world," Rodman said. "So I hope this is going to engage American people, especially (President Barack) Obama, to just to try to talk to them."

Target Hacked: Retailer Confirms 'Unauthorized Access' Of Credit Card Data

Target confirmed Thursday that previous reports about the unauthorized access of customers' credit card data were true.
In a press release posted on the Target website, the Minneapolis-based retailer admitted that approximately 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been impacted by the breach.
Affected customers made purchases in U.S. stores from Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, 2013.
Target is currently working with law enforcement and financial institutions to resolve the issue.
“Target’s first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,” Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Target stated in a press release. “We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice.”
Here's more from the Associated Press:

Target Corp. advised customers who suspect there has been unauthorized activity on their cards should call them at 866-852-8680. Target is just the latest retailer to be hit with a data breach problem. TJX Cos., which runs stores such as T.J. Maxx and Marshall's, had a breach that began in July 2005 that exposed at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards to possible fraud. The breach wasn't detected until December 2006. In June 2009 TJX agreed to pay $9.75 million in a settlement with multiple states related to the massive data theft but stressed at the time that it firmly believed it did not violate any consumer protection or data security laws.

These 10 Billionaires Made the Most Money in 2013

Many familiar faces make an appearance on Wealth-X's list of the billionaires who made the most money this year.

Businessmen like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who have dominated wealth rankings for years, continued to add billions of dollars to their already sizable fortunes.

Here's the full list, ranked by billions made from Jan. 1 to Dec. 11, 2013:

10. Carl Icahn made $7.2 billion

The corporate raider had a big year after bets on Netflix and Herbalife (HLF) yielded Icahn Capital Management $800 million and $500 million profits, respectively. He tweeted his thanks to Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings and Kevin Spacey, star of the streaming service's hit show, "House of Cards."

9. Lui Chee Woo made $8.3 billion

The founder of Galaxy Entertainment Group became Asia's second-richest man in 2013 as gambling revenue grew at a record pace in Macau. Lui is looking to expand his flagship casino in the city's Cotai area, which is known by many as the Asian version of the Las Vegas Strip.

8. Larry Page made $9.3 billion

Google's co-founder and CEO made $3 billion in 24 hours when Google (GOOG) stocks hit an all-time high in October, breaking $1,000 for the first time. Android became the world's most popular operating system, running on 43 percent of the globe's smartphones.

7. Sergey Brin made $9.3 billion

Brin, Google co-founder and head of special projects with Google X, made $2.9 billion in the October stock surge. As of Dec. 11, Brin is worth an estimated $30 billion, a 4.8 percent percent increase over the year.

6. Masayoshi Son made $10.3 billion

The founder of Softbank, Asia's top Internet and telecommunications corporation, lost $70 billion in the dot-com crash, but he's surging back in a big way.

The purchase of Sprint (S) and a large investment in Finnish game-maker Supercell are highlights in a year that saw Son's personal net worth more than double, growing from $8.8 billion to $19.1 billion.

5. Mark Zuckerberg made $10.5 billion

Facebook (FB) stock hit an all-time high in October, and revenue continues to grow despite questions about the longevity of the product.

4. Jeff Bezos made $11.3 billion

The founder and CEO of Amazon (AMZN), which made $17.1 billion in net sales in the third quarter, raised some eyebrows when he bought the Washington Post for $250 million this summer.

3. Sheldon Adelson made $11.4 billion

According to Wealth-X, the casino mogul's personal net worth grew to an estimated $35.3 billion this year thanks to profits from his gambling properties in Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore.

2. Bill Gates made $11.5 billion

The world's wealthiest man ended the year with a personal net worth of $72.6 billion, up nearly 19 percent from $61.1 billion in 2012.

1. Warren Buffett made $12.7 billion

Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK-A) (BRK-B) CEO personally made about $37 million a day in 2013, a year that saw the company's acquisition of Heinz and Nevada's NV Energy.

Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.