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Fireworks burst over the Sydney Opera House, right, as New Year’s celebrations begin in Sydney, Australia.  (Photo by Rick Rycroft / AP) Renton, Wash. shooters recreate Old West, live ammo and all It’s just another weekend of fun for a bunch of mostly middle-aged guys, and a few women, all packing heat, all dressed up in cowboy outfits and all living out the Old West fantasy in Renton, Wash. Seattle Times Farmers seeking high profits add acreage, harvest ‘rottenest’ land Sharp increase in farm earnings have driven the price of farmland up and encouraged farmers to use more and more land, even parcels once thought too poor in quality to warrant a second glance. MSNBC Special section: A new year dawns for US agriculture in 2012 Western Farm Press   World rings in 2012, bids adieu to a tough year With fireworks and celebrations from New Zealand to Times Square, the world eagerly welcomed a new year and hope for a better future, saying goodbye to a year of natural disasters and economic turmoil. USA TODAY New Year’s Eve celebrations usher in 2012 across the world Guardian Ringing in 2012: Samoa’s time zone skip YouTube Clashes erupt as Syrian protests spread At least 32 people have been killed during protests against the Syrian government as Arab League monitors observed hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooding streets all across the country. Al Jazeera Blog: As monitors continue their work, Syria releases prisoners  (NPR) The Two-Way US seals deal to sell $3.48B in missiles, technology to UAE The U.S. has reached a deal to sell $3.48 billion worth of missiles and related technology to the United Arab Emirates, as part of a buildup of defense technology among friendly Mideast nations near Iran. Star Tribune   NATION Beer pong champs get ready to defend their title You know “beer pong,” right? It’s that literally intoxicating game played in basements, college dorms and frat houses everywhere. Silly, right? Only if you find $50,000 silly. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Baby illnesses not linked in Mead Johnson formula withdrawal U.S. regulators tracking the origins of illnesses in 4 infants say they haven’t found evidence of connections among the cases that triggered withdrawal of Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. baby formula. Bloomberg Court OKs immunity for telecoms in wiretap case An appeals court upheld a 2008 law immunizing telecom companies for their roles in wiretapping calls, but revived a suit that accused the government of illegally intercepting millions of messages. BusinessWeek Blog: Court revives NSA surveillance case  (Wired) Threat Level POLITICS Obama campaign fundraising off Romney ‘birther’ quip The Obama campaign is using a campaign trail gaffe by Mitt Romney’s son Matt to fundraise from supporters. Politico Special section: Updates on Obama presidency Politico Super PACs go into stealth mode through 1st contests Super PACs have taken advantage of a pair of loopholes that will let them keep their donors secret until after votes are cast in the first 4 big contests. Politico Blog: Live: Iowa GOP caucus 2012  (Guardian) Richard Adams BUSINESS Top architects go local A new wave of houses are going up around the country. They are strongly tied to their particular locations, in contrast to decades of architecture that produced identical houses thousands of miles apart. Wall Street Journal Growth in US may accelerate even as Europe shrinks Rising confidence, fewer firings and gains in holiday sales show the U.S. economy is picking up, defying a slowdown in Europe and much of the rest of the world. Bloomberg World stock markets end down after a tumultuous year BBC Merger 2012: year of the hostile takeover The slow-growth environment overall makes it more enticing for many companies to buy competitors, an easier way to generate returns to shareholders. CNNMoney EDUCATION Survey finds education grantmakers getting more strategic in 2011 Philanthropies maintained consistent funding levels for education during 2011, on average, but were more strategic and deliberate with dollars, according to a new report on trends in education philanthropy. Education Week New York bill would require bachelor’s degrees for registered nurses New registered nurses would have to earn bachelor’s degrees within 10 years to keep working in New York under a bill lawmakers are considering as part of a national push to raise educational standards for nurses. NY Daily News HEALTH A deadly balance Tempting a flu pandemic is downright foolish. Yet it is impossible for scientists to understand influenza or create vaccines without at least some risk. The question, then, is what level of risk is acceptable. Economist US military targeting ‘Spice’ drug users Military officials have launched an aggressive testing program that has led to the investigation of more than 1,100 suspected users of the herbal mix “Spice,” according to military figures. Star Tribune RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY Dark holiday in Detroit as Catholic church downsizes Like many Catholic churches around urban America, the St. Leo Catholic Church in Detroit, built more than 120 years ago, has been hit by a shortage of priests and a dwindling supply of parishioners. Reuters God, the government and Roger Williams’ big idea Banished from Massachusetts, Puritan minister Roger Williams originated a principle that remains contentious to this day — separation of church and state. Smithsonian Magazine   Columns And Op-Ed The opinions in the items below are not necessarily those of DailySource or our editors. Read more. Column (Joshua Foust): Unaccountable killing machines: the true cost of US drones The Atlantic Editorial: IMF chief Lagarde: the 2012 Woman of the Year? Christian Science Monitor Column (Peter Jones): Middle East in 2012 Globeandmail.com Editorial: Make it federal Economist Column (Dr. Zachary F. Meisel and Dr. Jesse M. Pines): Should your doctor be napping on the job? TIME Column (Paul Schmitz): Lessons from famous college dropouts CNN Column (David Rhode): What does it mean to be ‘middle class’? The Atlantic Column (Erik Marcus): Will the Butterball raid yield any real results? Grist   Site edited by: Brooke Coggiano, Brian Lam, Sam Dieter, Harsha Malik, Erkinaz Shuminov, Cynthia Vidal, Kevin Augustine, Tanya Flowers and Shahinaz Ayoub.   GOOD NEWS Charities get last-minute, end-of-year boost from donors Chalk it up to the holiday spirit — or just smart tax planning — but charitable giving is looking up this month. CNNMoney DWI arrests going down on year’s big party night In recent years, the number of drunk-driving arrests on New Year’s Eve have been no higher than any weekend in Minnnesota, with no alcohol-related traffic deaths during the past 3 years. Star Tribune DWI offenders sentenced to sobriety Pioneer Press Gray wolf crosses into California, 1st seen in state in 88 years A lone gray wolf has crossed the border into California, marking the return of a fabled creature that vanished from the state 88 years ago. San Jose Mercury News WORLD ‘Iraq Day’ marks deadline for withdrawal of US troops Television stations in Baghdad are calling it “Iraq Day,” the deadline for American troops to completely withdraw from the country under a U.S.-Iraqi security pact. CNN 2011: world stories that defined a year Every year brings changes, but some years really are turning points. The 2011 qualifies for membership in the second tier of ‘Quite Important Years.’ New Zealand Herald 2011 reflections: suddenly, a new era in the Middle East Christian Science Monitor Fond farewells: remembering those who left us in 2011 TIME How Brazil is opening up access to official information Brazil’s state officials and organizations are rushing to comply with the demands of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s new freedom of information bill. BBC ENVIRONMENT Scientists monitoring restless Alaska volcano after ash plume Scientists are watching a remote Alaska volcano after it belched out an ash cloud that quickly dissipated. Officials said airline flights over the region had not been disrupted. Reuters Solar power lights up Bangladesh Much of Bangladesh’s rural population lived without electricity until low power solar systems transformed their lives. Al Jazeera Moss has cloned itself for 50,000 years A moss living in the Hawaiian Islands appears to be an ancient clone and may be one of the oldest multicellular organisms on Earth. National Geographic SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY NASA’s Grail gravity twin satellites set to orbit the moon Twin satellites are due to go into orbit around the Moon, giving scientists remarkable new insights into the internal structure of the lunar body. BBC Is it time to overhaul the calendar? Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland say they have a better way to mark time: a new calendar in which every year is identical to the one before. Scientific American LIVING AND ENTERTAINMENT Sweet, sparkly Moscato pops with celebrity props Hip-hop artists sing about it, a housewife sells it and the world is abuzz about Moscato, a sweet, lightly fizzy wine. Reuters Europe braces for New Year’s Eve New EU guidelines will allow New Year’s Eve revelers to set off fireworks packing more than twice the punch of those permitted previously. Firefighters warn of higher risk of injuries and fires. Spiegel International Oprah Winfrey Network finding footing Starting a cable network is difficult to do, even for the queen of daytime talk television, Oprah Winfrey. NPR SPORTS Alistair Overeem’s purse held in escrow A Nevada District Court issued an order that will put the purse of Alistair Overeem for his UFC 141 fight against Brock Lesnar into escrow while a management group suing the fighter tries to claim the money. ESPN Too many athletes warming up wrong says Australian sports scientist Australian scientist James Zois said too many athletes are overusing static stretches as warm-ups that can be counter-productive, reducing athletes’ performance power. Medical News Today   IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ‘Talking’ cars could reduce pile-ups “Talking” cars may soon be a reality — even without the need for human-like facial features, researchers claim. BBC   Photo of the Day Afghan refugees play in a slum located on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan.  (Photo by Muhammed Muheisen / AP)	DailySource Most Popular Most viewed Most shared Most recent Connect with Us Or enter Amazon via the box below and they will donate 4-7% of all purchases you make in the next 24 hours to us. Take a Quick Tour The Daily Quote Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will. 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