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VIDEO: Wal-Mart’s China Plan To Focus On E-commerce

Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s biggest retailer, is expanding its China business as it seeks to…

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DOMA Ruling Prompts Change in Federal Student Aid Rules

By Philip Elliott Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Students in same-sex marriages will be treated the same as their straight married classmates when it comes to federal college loan applications, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Friday in a shift that reflects this year’s Supreme Court ruling that broadened gay rights.

“We must continue to ensure that every single American is treated equally in the eyes of the law, and this important guidance for students is another step forward in that effort,” Duncan said in a statement.

The Education Department also revised its required Free Application for Federal Student Aid to reflect more inclusive language about students and their parents. The department said it would recognize a student — and parents — as legally married if the couple was legally married in a state that permits same-sex marriages.

The new application forms do not distinguish between gay or straight marriages.

The department also said students’ eligibility for federal aid would be the same in all 50 states, regardless of where the student attends school.

For instance, a same-sex couple from Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal, would be treated the same as a straight couple if one or both applied for a federal student loan to attend a school in one of the 34 states that do not permit gay marriage. The same standards would apply to parents in same-sex marriages.

“As students fill out their FAFSA this coming year, I’m thrilled they’ll be able to do so in a way that is more fair and just,” Duncan said, using the financial aid application’s acronym.

Before the Supreme Court ruled this summer, the Education Department was bound by the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited all federal agencies from recognizing same-sex marriages. The Clinton-era law defined marriage as between one and one woman and hurt many applicants in same-sex marriages.

Friday’s move is the latest from the Education Department to be more helpful to students in same-sex marriages or with married gay parents.

Even before the ruling, Duncan instructed the department to collect information on both of the student’s legal parents, regardless of marital status. That meant children being raised by unmarried couples — regardless of sexual orientation — would have both adults’ incomes factored into financial aid eligibility.

That was an effort to reflect that same-sex couples share financial responsibilities for children, even if their state does not sanction gay marriages.

Kenneth Mehlman also talks about progress after DOMA

Gold has become the most hated commodity lately. What happened to the days when everyone had to own the precious metal? After all, more and more centr…

Gold has become the most hated commodity lately. What happened to the days when everyone had to own the precious metal? After all, more and more central banks around the world are printing money faster than ever. The Federal Reserve (U.S. central bank) is still creating $85 billion a month out of thin air. Other central banks in England, Japan, Asia, and Europe continue to do the same thing. So why has gold struggled so much? It seems that gold is now trading inversely to the USD/JPY (U.S. Dollar vs the Japanese Yen). Today, the USD/JPY is falling sharply and this is causing gold futures to rally. Currently, the USD/JPY chart remains in an up-trend on the daily chart. Up-trending markets are very tough to fight since that is where the momentum is. Should the USD/JPY chart start to fall gold should start to trade higher. Traders and investors might need to take a wait and see approach, but I would say that you shouldn’t get too bearish on gold at this stage of the game. Gold could be setting up to make a sharp move higher very soon if that up-trend in the USD/JPY chart starts to reverse. Nicholas Santiago InTheMoneyStocks.com

The role everyone has is simply coming out and telling their story to their family and their friends and their colleagues. There are so many examples every day

Kenneth Mehlman is awesome

NAF Puts Anti-Zionism on the Table

The New America Foundation(NAF) is one of the most prosperous and influential think tanks in…

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Wake up, there is money to be made! This morning, both of our member services (theResearch Center and Intra Day Stock Chat) are seeing gains in their accounts. 

1st: The Research Center, which is where swing traders and those who are looking to hold positions for days to weeks reside. Research Center members were alerted to enter a currency trade utilizing an ETF, which could have also been traded through other FOREX instruments last week. Today, the first profit target was hit, profits earned, and now members have a breakeven stop in place while they sit back and wait for more gains.  2nd: The Intra Day Stock Chat, during the live trading session this morning, members were alerted to some great trades and earned great profits. Don’t hear it from us, take a look below at what some members posted to our Facebook fan page wall… Try both services for 7 free no obligation days right now, click here

VIDEO: Traders Weigh Jobs Data: Eyes Turn to the Fed

Brendan Conway takes a look at the markets, including three stocks to watch today. Photo: Getty…

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