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WASHINGTON, D.C. A labor deal is almost certainly coming sooner than later. The latest proof came Friday. Both coach outlet 2011 sides agreed to a seven-day negotiating extension at the request of a federal mediator. The NFL and NFLPA now have an entire week to get their act together before a work stoppage goes into effect. That's plenty of time to end this drama -- even though history has shown an agreement won't be announced until the 11th hour. If the two sides weren't moving close to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, these talks already would have ended. The NFLPA would have decertified as a union to prevent an NFL lockout of players. Lawsuits and labor complaints would be getting filed. Players and team owners would be publicly kvetching. And fans would be rolling their eyes at how two parties allowed a golden goose worth more than $9 billion in annual revenue to get cooked. The NFL and NFLPA have wisely decided not to light that oven yet. “There has been enough serious discussions to warrant both sides taking this step," NFL lead negotiator Jeff Pash said Friday outside the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. "The mediators felt that. That’s why they requested it of us. "If they believe we’re in a position where we can make progress and get to an agreement, then I think it’s incumbent upon us with our ownership to make that effort.” And not screw things up. That goes for the NFLPA, too. Over the weekend, the league and players union will regroup separately to discuss what has transpired following almost two weeks of mediation. Such discussions have a chance to derail progress only if team owners or the NFLPA's executive boards are unhappy with the proposals being made on the three most significant issues: Revenue sharing, an 18-game regular season and rookie salary cap. This isn't an easy negotiation. It never is in labor disputes when one side (the NFLPA) is happy with the current arrangement and the other (the NFL) wants significant changes. The rhetoric from both sides has added to the tension. Standing in front of the NFLPA complex named after the late Gene Upshaw, union chief DeMaurice Smith gave the kind of lawyeresque speech that his straight-to-the-point predecessor would never deliver. A high-profile attorney before joining the NFLPA, Smith sounded more like he was trying to sway a jury to side with the union in his four-minute "news conference" than provide meaningful perspective on the labor talks. Yes, Smith and the NFL are officially saddled with a gag order from chief mediator George H. Cohen (even though both sides are leaking information like a sieve from the meeting room to some media members during the sessions). Smith, though, branched into propaganda with seven references to the "fans." Smith also coach backpacks referenced the late Dave Duerson as being part of the initial lawsuit that helped bring the CBA into existence in 1993. "He signed on to be a plaintiff in a case to fight for free agency for players," Smith said of Duerson, the ex-Chicago Bears and New York Giants safety who recently committed suicide at the age of 50. "He signed on to be a leader to benefit players who he knew were going to come after him." Duerson, a member of the NFLPA's player benefits board after his retirement, deserves praise for taking a stand. Smith also was sincerely shaken by Duerson's suicide, a decision that may have been influenced by brain trauma suffered while playing football. But skeptics will wonder whether Smith was being exploitative by invoking Duerson's name in a labor negotiation when answering a simple, unrelated question: By agreeing to the one-week negotiating extension, is it fair to say progress is being made and both sides are substantially closer to a deal than before? NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wasn't nearly as loquacious in his media comments after Friday's session. Goodell did once again repeat his now-cliche line that "this is going to get resolved through negotiations, not through litigation." Goodell, though, didn't acknowledge that litigation was the factor that pushed the NFL into a less hard-line negotiating stance. The NFLPA won a lawsuit Tuesday prohibiting the NFL from potentially collecting $4 billion in future television payments to stock a lockout war chest. Once that decision was rendered, it seemed the league was far more willing to make concessions in CBA talks. The only words that ultimately will matter are the ones spoken behind closed doors in CBA talks. But in one week, NFL fans must hope that Smith and Goodell are holding a celebratory news conference together rather than ones in separate locations like on Friday. Otherwise, the silence in negotiations power balance that would likely occur between both sides would be deafening.

State's jobless rate falls to 12.4% in January California's fragile economy is Coach Hobos Bags beginning to recover, but hiring continues to lag behind the nation, particularly because of cutbacks in state and local governments, according to new state data. "As far as California, I do think we're running behind," said Nancy Sidhu, chief economist at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. "In California's case, moving up off the bottom is going to be a little slow." That weakness in the economy is likely to continue as both the state and the nation grapple with budget shortfalls that are likely to lead to hiring freezes and job cuts. Gov. Jerry Brown says he will cut more than $25 billion from the state budget if voters and lawmakers don't approve more taxes. That leaves job creation to the private sector, which has proved reluctant to hire thus far. California employers added just 12,500 jobs to payrolls in January, pushing the unemployment rate down to 12.4%, from 12.5% in December, according to the state Employment Development Department. The nation's labor market was also weak in January, when employers added just 63,000 jobs. But it began to pick up in February, according to a new report out Friday, which showed that U.S. employers added 192,000 jobs in that month. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.9% in February, down from 9% in January. The state's February report won't come out until later this month. There are still 2.2 million unemployed Californians, and many of them, such as Amanda Yollin, feel left out of a labor market that often discriminates against the long-term unemployed. Yollin, a 27-year-old Northridge resident, has been looking for a job since June 2010. She's on food stamps and general relief but lost her apartment Friday. She's planning on staying with friends — or on the street — until she finds work. "I'm seeing all my friends move back home to live with their parents because they can't afford to pay the rent," she said. "But I'm on my own, and it's a hard city to make it in." Yollin, who has worked in retail, theater and veterinary sciences, was the salutatorian of her high school class, and has taken some college classes. But employers tell her she's either too qualified or not qualified enough. "It's just a horrible economy," she said. "I have no job, no money, no savings. I just used my last five bucks to buy some food." In January, the state lost jobs in information, financial activities, professional and business services, educational and health services and leisure and hospitality. Information posted the biggest losses — the sector was down 9,600 jobs. There were some positive signs in the labor market. January marked the fourth consecutive month of job growth. And California's job gains made up nearly 20% of the nation's increase in January, said Michael S. Bernick, former head of the Employment Development Department. That bodes well for February: the nation power balance wholesale added more jobs, so California should as well. But part of the problem in California is that construction, which usually leads the way out of the recovery, is still very weak. The industry is still down nearly 400,000 jobs from its peak employment in February 2006. "Three sectors — construction, financial activities and government — are taking the oomph out of the recovery," said Esmael Adibi, a Chapman University economist. "Job creation is what is going to bring housing back, but with this pace of job creation, we're not going to see a quick turnaround." Los Angeles County's unemployment rate fell to 12.9% in January, from a revised 13% the month before. The county lost 77,300 jobs over the month, shedding positions in trade, transportation and utilities and professional and business services. Observers say the large monthly job losses result from the retail sector dropping seasonal workers after the holiday season ended. Orange County's unemployment rate rose to 9.2% in January, from 9.0% in December. The county lost 21,300 jobs, with retail trade and government employment leading the losses. In the Riverside and San Bernardino County metropolitan area, employers shed 20,000 jobs from payrolls in January, pushing the unemployment rate to 14.2%, up from 14% in December. Unemployment rates remained high throughout the state, with eight counties posting seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates above 20%. Those counties were Colusa (27.8%), Imperial (25.1%), Merced (21.2%), San Benito (20.6%), Siskiyou (21%), Sutter (21.5%), Trinity (21%) and Yuba (20.3%). Charles Chacon, 45, has been looking for a full-time job since the economy turned sour in 2008. The West L.A. construction worker, who attended cinematography school, says he owes $85,000 in school loans and that creditors keep calling to collect. "I tell them, 'I have no money. How am I going to give you money?' " he said. He finds sporadic construction jobs, but says it's a far cry from 2007, when he could easily make $3,000 in a power balance. week and a half. "Now, I'm willing to work anything," he said. "It's pretty bad out there."

Wes Leonard: A Nation Mourns the Loss of Yet Another All-American In stories, movies and TV shows coach backpacks small towns appear to always possess one storybook-esque golden child. You know the type: quarterback of the football team, basketball star who happens to be an A-student, while volunteering at soup kitchens and helping old people cross the street. Fennville, Michigan is town of roughly 1,500 people, where Wes Leonard was that kid. Last night, immediately after leading his undefeated basketball team to victory with a game-winning layup in overtime, Leonard collapsed on the floor and was pronounced dead a couple hours later at a nearby hospital. According to the Ottawa County chief medical examiner, Leonard’s cause of death was cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart. The 16-year-old Leonard was one of those mythical small town superstars, a two-sport athlete who excelled on both the gridiron and the hardwood. This past season at quarterback he threw for over 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. As a junior guard on the basketball team Leonard had already surpassed the 1,000-point barrier, a milestone reserved for only the elite high school athletes — the kind that people always remember. Fennville superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer told ESPN.com that Leonard as “the quintessential all-American kid.” “He had a great grin and was always cheerful. Younger kids throughout the community looked up to him and idolized him,” Weeldreyer said. “Wes was strong and powerful. As Coach Wallets the quarterback of our championship football team, he could throw a dart 40 yards down the field. He had the body of a linebacker, but brought the ball up the floor for our 20-0 basketball team.” Before this morning Leonard was a young man beloved simply by the small town he grew up in, a place where people know not only know your family, but also your pets names and what everyone got for Christmas. The type of place where Main St. stores close down to watch the home team’s basketball games. Today, Wes Leonard’s death is being mourned by the entire nation, most of whom never knew his name. My former high school tragically lost a young man in a similar fashion roughly a month ago. When after a swim meet, B.J. Giannone collapsed and passed away from cardiac arrest. Like Leonard he was beloved by the entire high school community, another All-American-type kid who couldn’t find an enemy if he tried. Death is hard, but in high school is an exceptionally difficult concept to grasp. To lose a classmate, friend and teammate in one fell swoop is something a teenager will rarely ever be prepared for, and something that never truly leave them. No one can ever seem to find adequate enough words to answer that ultimate existential question ‘why?’ There will never be a condolence for a family never getting to see Coach Wallets Outlet their kid grow up. All that’s left is to mourn and remember.

Libya rebels locked in battles with Gaddafi forces Jeremy Bowen reports from Tajoura near Tripoli, where one anti-government protester spoke about power balance people's fears of being killed Libyan rebels have been locked in fierce battles with pro-Gaddafi forces on two fronts. Rebel-held Zawiya, just 50km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, was the subject of a fierce government assault. Both sides later claimed to be in control. Heavy casualties were reported there and in other key cities, including the eastern port of Ras Lanuf. Dozens of people were also killed and hurt in apparently accidental blasts at an arms dump in rebel-held Benghazi. Hospital sources in the city, Libya's second-largest, said they believed the two explosions were not triggered by an air strike. Reports said at least 17 people had been killed in the blasts. Earlier in the day, clashes briefly erupted after Friday prayers in the capital, Tripoli, but protesters dispersed after security forces fired tear gas and baton rounds. 'Pockets of resistance' Reports from Zawiya said the most senior rebel commander in the city was among those killed there. One resident told BBC Arabic TV that many people had died when a peaceful demonstration came under fire. Another told Reuters news agency up to 50 people could have been killed. A second Reuters witness said he had just come from the hospital and many people were lying dead and injured. "We have counted 30 dead civilians," he said. "The hospital was full. They could not find space for the casualties." Libyan state television said the town had been retaken by pro-Gaddafi forces, although later government reports spoke of "pockets of resistance". After nightfall, some unconfirmed reports said electricity had been cut and there were fears of further government attacks. Fierce fighting was also reported outside Ras Lanuf, with the sound of multiple explosions and heavy artillery being heard after opposition fighters advanced on the city. Pro-Gaddafi balance bracelets forces withdrew to Ras Lanuf two days ago after a battle. Rebels at Ras Lanuf later told news agencies they had taken complete control of the town, but there was no independent confirmation. There were also conflicting reports about the situation in Brega. Some government sources said the town was in rebel hands, while others insisted it was not. In other developments: A Libyan warplane bombed the rebel-held Mediterranean port town of Ajdabiya, narrowly missing a munitions dump Several hundred mercenaries from the Tuareg community in the north African country of Mali have just joined government forces, a senior Malian official told the BBC Interpol issued an "orange alert" relating to Col Gaddafi and 15 other Libyans, saying it would help member states enforce sanctions against them In Benghazi, the leader of the opposition National Libyan Council reportedly told cheering crowds in the city they would not give up. "We are people who fight, we don't surrender," former Libyan Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, who went over to the opposition last month, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. "Victory or death. We will not stop till we liberate all this country." Refugee fears The UN refugee agency UNHCR has expressed new concerns that people trying to flee into Tunisia may be finding their way blocked by armed pro-government forces, after a sudden drop in the numbers crossing the border. At least 10,000 people a day were crossing the border earlier in the week, but the number suddenly fell to fewer than 2,000 on Thursday, the agency says. "Many of those who have crossed the border appear to be frightened and are unwilling to speak," said UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming. "We believe that has implications - that they may have been intimidated in some way." Tens of thousands of people, most of them migrant workers, have streamed to the border since the unrest began, sparking a humanitarian crisis. The European Union's humanitarian purses 2011 aid commissioner has demanded that Libya allow help into the country, citing increasing concerns over the situation of refugees in border areas, AFP reported.

NFL, union strike 24-hour extension WASHINGTON -- The NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed Thursday to extend their negotiating deadline until tomorrow Coach Handbags night. The move delays what could have been one of the more historic days in league history. With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire at midnight Thursday, the Players Association was prepared to decertify its union and have its players take the league to court if the owners locked them out at 12:01 a.m. Friday, as expected. League sources confirmed that quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees were among a host of players who had agreed to participate in a class-action suit against the owners, alleging antitrust violations. MCCANN: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT POTENTIAL NFL LOCKOUT League representatives proposed the extension this morning, before the owners and players held their 10th negotiating session before federal mediator George Cohen. Before agreeing to the request, the union wanted identifiable assurances that the owners were serious about getting a deal done. The league has known since 2008 it wanted a new 2011 coach purses CBA that would provide the owners with greater protection against the risks associated with growing the game, however the union accused it of using delay tactics until this week. The extension allows the sides to operate under terms of the current CBA (for the 2010 league year) until midnight tomorrow. That means there can be no trades and no free-agent signings until a new deal is done. At the Super Bowl in February, two owners told SI that if a deal weren't finalized before the deadline, nothing would happen until September at the earliest. That scenario seems plausible because there would be little "real" incentive for either side to do a deal before then. The primary issues that need to be resolved are revenue distribution, a rookie wage scale and an 18-game season. The league generated $9.3 billion in revenues in 2010, of which slightly more than $1 billion went to league off the top as an expense credit to grow the game. The rest of the money was split among the players (57 percent) and owners (43 percent). The league has been seeking an additional $1 billion in expense credits, while the players ostensibly have said: Open your books and show us why you need the money. The NFL had been unwilling to do that before Thursday, although it's still uncertain exactly Coach Wallets how much they disclosed during the session.

Lawmakers Stuck in Stopgap Mode While Budget Problems Fester Lawmakers entered what could well be a merry-go-round of negotiations over spending cuts Thursday, raising concerns that Washington is pushing off the big decisions with short-term agreements Coach Leather Hangbags while other problems fester. Ahead of a high-profit budget summit, the White House said Thursday afternoon that Democrats would be willing to put more cuts on the table -- another $6 billion, according to National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling. One GOP aide estimated that put the Democrats' total offering at about $10 billion. "That's it?" the aide said. The initial joust signals that more short-term agreements will be needed before the two parties can come together on a spending package for the rest of the year. It only complicates a debate that gets more confusing and contentious by the day. Vice President Biden offered no clues as to what comes next, issuing an ultra-brief statement after the meeting saying: "We had a good meeting, and the conversation will continue." The goalposts in the budget debate keep moving. After Republicans swept into office on, among other things, a pledge to initially cut spending by $100 billion, GOP leaders proposed a plan for the rest of 2011 that fell far short of that. Then they offered a new plan to cut $61 billion from last year's levels, under pressure from Tea Party freshmen. But that bill, after passing the House, is stuck in the Senate and lawmakers are in the meantime negotiating short-term extensions -- adding layer upon layer to the budget debate, kind of like dreams within dreams in the hit movie "Inception." While they struggle to bust through those layers and deal with substantive discussions about spending, the nation's debt is creeping ever closer, once again, to its ceiling as other policy challenges cry out for congressional attention -- among them a crisis in Libya, unemployment and border security. President Obama signed a two-week spending bill cutting $4 billion Wednesday after it cleared Congress. But senior congressional aides on both sides of the aisle concede lawmakers will likely have to hammer out yet another stopgap extension while they figure out what to budget for the rest of 2011. House Republican Leader Eric Cantor said Thursday he'd be open to supporting more two-week budget bills, cutting $4 billion at a time. Then comes the much-bigger debate over the 2012 budget. Michael Franc, with the conservative Heritage Foundation, said the government is only creating more uncertainty -- on top of uncertainty over the tax code, health regulations and other areas -- by budgeting two weeks at a time. "It's disruptive," he said, not just for the government agencies but the companies that contract with them. He warned that grant and contract funds could go into a holding pattern, and Coach Hobos Bags those applying for them might think twice. Sal Russo, chief strategist with the Tea Party Express, said his group is not exactly tickled by what they're seeing out of Washington. "We're not satisfied," he told FoxNews.com. "Their message from the last election, unequivocally, was government spending and debt has become excessive, unsustainable and it interferes with the ability of the economy to recover. ... So it's obvious (from) the fact the debate continues like this, there are a lot of people who haven't gotten the message." Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips also sounded off on his organization's website, saying House Speaker John Boehner looks "like a fool." Russo said more Republicans grasp the fiscal crisis than Democrats, but urged Republicans to more "aggressively" attack the problem. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are voicing frustration with their own difficulty in breaking new ground. Tempers are flaring even as they claim to be finding a modicum of common ground. Before the Senate passed the two-week extension, Boehner said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ""owes the American people an explanation" for not taking action on the original funding bill that passed the House and would cut $61 billion in federal spending. Reid's spokesman immediately fired back, saying: "That's tough talk from someone who is being bossed around by a bunch of (freshmen)." Thursday wasn't any better. With Republicans complaining that Democrats were not giving them anything to work with, the White House set up the meeting with Biden and bipartisan congressional leaders. Though Republicans accepted the invite, they kept expectations low and had nothing to say when it concluded. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, on the Senate floor, mocked the White House for responding to Wednesday's vote with a meeting. "Republicans are happy to go," he said. "But putting a meeting on the schedule doesn't change the fact that neither the White House nor a single Democrat in Congress has proposed a plan that would allow the government to remain open and that would respond to the voters by reining in spending. All we get is talk." Senate Democrats were planning to come with a proposal that includes more spending cuts. Though Republicans were dismissive, the White House estimated the total cuts offered amount to about $51 billion. But that includes $41 billion in savings when Coach Leather Hangbags compared against the president's 2011 budget proposal, which was never enacted. The other $10 billion came from the $4 billion in the latest stopgap bill as well as an additional $6 billion.