Friday, August 10, 2012

How will Obama’s deferred action plan affect the economy?

As many as 1.76 million young people could benefit from the Obama administration's deferred action program, which gives illegal immigrants who were brought to the country as children relief from deportation and a temporary work permit. But what will the influx of new legal workers mean for the U.S. economy and government coffers?
Starting next Wednesday, the deferred action program lets people aged 30 years old or younger who were brought to the country when they were children apply for a two-year work permit and temporary legal status. (Applicants can't apply for permanent legal status or citizenship.) The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimates that about 620,000 adults ages 18 to 30 would meet the requirements--the rest of the 1.76 million illegal immigrants who qualify are under 18. Eighty thousand of the potential applicants have a bachelor's or associates degree already, and another 140,000 are currently enrolled in college.
While no formal estimates of the economic impact yet exist, Jeanne Batalova, who studies the program as part of her work at MPI, believes that the net effect will be positive. The program most likely will result in increased tax revenues because authorized workers are less apt to be paid under the table. These new, legal workers will thus be more prone to pay into Social Security and Medicare, programs they will probably never have access to unless Congress passes an immigration reform bill.
"When people work legally it creates better opportunities for everyone because it reduces the likelihood that employers will be turning to undocumented workers," Batalova said.
The lure of a work permit may also encourage more immigrants to stay in school and get their high school diploma, which would also mean higher future wages (and thus, higher tax revenues) than if they dropped out. And for the 220,000 young illegal immigrants who already have an associate's or bachelor's degree or are on their way to one, the work permit will probably help them get a better, higher-paying job that's more aligned with their skill level.
Overall, Batalova would expect that the new permits would have little effect on people who are already legally working, mostly because the number of permits is small compared to the total workforce, and because 60 percent of the eligible illegal immigrant adults are already working.
"While there might be some negative impact on individual people...we don't expect to see a drastic impact on a certain group or in a certain geographic location," she said.
But not everyone agrees with this assessment. Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies tells Yahoo News that because the majority of those eligible for the work permits do not have a college degree he expects their legal status will have little impact on tax revenue. The reason: Lesser-educated workers tend to have lower incomes on average. "By legalizing them you might get more money for Social Security, but [you] might pay more out in [low-income tax credits]," he said.
The work permits will make it harder for American citizens who don't have a college degree--a group that already faces a high unemployment rate--to compete for jobs, says Camarota. The Center on Immigration Studies advocates for reduced legal immigration levels and encouraging illegal immigrants to leave the country through more aggressive enforcement of existing laws.
The administrative costs of the program are less clear. The Department of Homeland Security could need to hire as many as 1,400 new staff to handle the volume of applications, according to the Associated Press; but administration officials told reporters last week that they expect the $465 application fee to cover the costs.

Trump to Have 'Major Role' at GOP Convention, Aide Claims

Donald Trump will have a "major role" at the Republican National Convention, an aide to the real estate mogul tells ABC News.
Trump heads to Tampa the day after receiving the Statesman of the Year award from the Sarasota GOP and will be in Tampa to kick off the start of the Republican National Convention on Aug. 27.
"While I am not at liberty to disclose the specifics of Mr. Trump's time at the RNC, I can say he will be playing a major role and was happy to honor Gov. Romney's request to participate in convention events in Tampa," Trump Executive Vice President and Special Counsel Michael Cohen told ABC News.
The RNC has been rolling out its list of speakers and VIP guests at the convention this week, but Trump's name and any official role have not been mentioned. Cohen said Trump's role at the convention will be detailed in a matter of days.
"This is something unique and interesting that will be memorable for the convention-goers as well as those across the nation watching from home," Cohen said.
GOP convention press secretary Kyle Downey declined to comment on Trump's claim.
"We have announced several headliners earlier this week and will continue to announce more, including the keynote, in the days and weeks ahead," Downey said.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Southwest Airlines promo glitch charges customers for flights aplenty

Southwest Airlines has updated their Facebook page with information for customers affected by a computer glitch that has caused excessive credit card charges for countless people taking part in a 24-hour deal on Friday, and according to our readers writing in, during normal transactions as well .

"Information and update for Customers who recently experienced multiple bookings in error:

The overwhelming response from Customers who took advantage of our August 3 limited time offer launched to celebrate three million Fans on Facebook, created website performance issues at various times during the day. We realize that some Customers were charged more than once for the same reservation and we want to ensure you that we have all hands on deck, actively working to process refunds for any duplicate charges incurred.

Here is a status of those efforts:

First, we want you to know that we are working to identify duplicate bookings and charges and are proactively cancelling those additional reservations, actively processing refunds to the Customer. In order to process the refunds as quickly as possible, we have called in additional staff to support these efforts.

For those Customers who used debit cards and have received overdraft fees as a result of the additional charges, we will process a reimbursement for all overdraft fees that were caused by duplicate charges from Southwest for a single purchase. If you incurred overdraft fees, please fax documentation of those fees via a letter from your bank or a copy of your account showing the fees to 877-506-0154.

Southwest Airlines is committed to providing Customers with exceptional service both online and onboard. It is our goal to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and minimize any inconvenience to you, our valued Customers."

When Southwest Airlines offered a limited-time promotion on Friday to celebrate reaching three million fans on Facebook, it seems they accidentally racked up duplicate charges on the credit cards of their loyal customers.

The LUZ2LIKE promo code was meant to offer customers 50% off when booking a round-trip with their "Wanna Get Away" fares during seven specific travel dates in the fall. The promo, which arrived by e-mail to customers, only lasted until midnight on Friday.

On Saturday, their Facebook page was flooded with differing stories describing the trials, unresolved issues and even a few happy endings for customers trying to shake off the excess charges. Some lucky folks even posted that they sailed on through the process without a glitch.

When Southwest became aware of the problem, they offered a statement on Twitter, and a similar, expanded version on their Facebook page.

"Thank you for your excitement in taking advantage of the limited-time offer we shared today in celebration of reaching three million Fans on Facebook. Due to the overwhelming response, we experienced some site performance issues at various times throughout the day. We apologize to our Customers for any inconvenience and are proactively cancelling any duplicate itineraries that may have occurred."

Bobi Fox, a customer who wanted to take advantage of the promo code, shared her experience with CNN. She purchased directly off of Southwest's website.

"Customers who purchased tonight got no tickets, no confirmation, and many, like me, were charged on their credit cards repeatedly until credit card companies stopped the purchase process – some customers say they have been called by their credit card companies questioning fraud purchases," she said. " My credit card might be typical, my purchase was repeated 9 times (cost in excess of $2300 for a one pair of round trip tickets from STL to SLC).  This is not unlike what everyone else is experiencing.  Current wait time hold with Southwest customer service:  More than two hours."

Southwest interacted with commenters to let them know that customer service representatives were working around the clock to help reverse the transactions and cancel the excess flights.

But that didn't soothe all of the complaints, and it seems that people are doing a lot of waiting - waiting for charges to be erased, flights to be cancelled and even ticket confirmations for the flights they want.

"I had $4000 limit on my card, I now have zero available because of 25 confirmations," John Seymour wrote on the airline's Facebook page. "I called when I was having errors, and the CS rep told me the website was slammed, and to keep hitting purchase and it would eventually go through. Looks like all of them went through.

"I waited almost three hours last night to speak to someone. Finally got someone on the phone, and I had to remember which specific flights I had picked so that she could look up the flights and cancel the duplicates. She had to send the confirmation for the one flight I did want twice before it ever made it to me. I woke up this morning to 25 or so confirmations, and 25 or so cancellation emails. The charges remain pending on my credit card, so I can't use that card to book my hotel room in Vegas for my trip. Thanks for ruining my Friday night. Wish I had never seen this deal. And I was so glad when you came to Atlanta...."

‎"36 confirmations," Bella Ventresca shared. "Over $7,000.00 in charges to my account, and 2 hours on the phone with SWA. I thought that this was just me, but apparently SOMEONE really dropped the ball here. PLUS it will take 7-10 days to process returns? Unacceptable."

One of the common threads of discord? Waiting on the phone for hours to speak with a customer service rep, and then being cut off the phone call when a human voice finally answered. The comments even spread to other activity on the page, like when Southwest changed their Facebook cover photo from the promotion to a banner showing the airline.

"The Flash Sale made a nightmare out of my day," June Wood wrote. "It just happened to be on a day that I needed to make arrangements but not one of the Flash dates. I was on hold the first time for 3 1/2 hours; then someone picked up the phone and click it was gone again. I tried numerous times throughout the day and evening I was put on hold again for 45 minutes. I was working on the booking from 6pm 8/3 until 2am 8/4. The reps seemed to be exhausted and not able to think clearly. Nice try but don't repeat."

Others were not amused when some Southwest fans began posting comments in support of the airline, such as "Best airline out there," and "I love Southwest."

"More disturbing than being charged $5000 dollars for a flight to Cleveland and waiting to see if I'm charged over limit fees as a result, is the number of people who are posting pointless "I love Southwest" comments or telling people not to be upset," Steve Kafkas wrote on the Facebook page."

"I'm a loyal Southwest customer, but at the moment I don't know that I would risk buying another ticket from Southwest. How about a statement with a few more specifics than "we're working on it" and that hours after the fact. For example, can people really cancel their flights online and get refunds? If so, why not post that here or on your website? If not, then tell people, because there are people suggesting it on this page."

Because of being charged multiple times, sometimes upwards of 30 separate occasions, customers complained that the strain on their credit cards for the unexpected charges had a domino effect on their finances.

"I was sympathic [sic] to the situation before I actually spoke with a rep from Southwest who said, there is nothing she can do...southwest will refund the charges when they get to it and it will take 8 -10 business days before I get my money back and now I have to call customer relations to get the overlimit fees back, and I was charged interest on the $1400 on the duplicate charges and I have to pay for the long distance fees to call customer relations as they do not have a 1-800 number...SERIOUSLY?!?!? Are you freaking kidding me?" Suzanne Worrell wrote in a blazing post.

"You guys screwed up, took MY money through no fault of my own and now you are telling me I have to work to get it back and I am gonna be out more money??? For a company that prides itself on customer service you guys are falling on your face!! I spent over 5 hours last night on hold just to be disconnected, I can't buy groceries or gas because you guys have taken all of my money and there is nothing you can do about it??? This is CRIMINAL!!! I get there was a glitch but compensate me, fix it, don't tell me I have to call someone else on Monday to get it fixed! I am so disappointed and angry at Southwest!"

People also complained in their comments about not receiving the LUZ2LIKE email promotion to even know about the sale, and that because of the glitch, Southwest should extend the promotion. Others immediately responded by saying they were lucky they didn't receive the promotion because of the charge errors that resulted for many of them.

Teri Landrum shared her experience on the Facebook page for how to try cancelling the flights online, but other users said that the site hasn't been working for them.

"Hopefully this will help someone – Go to southwest.com, log in to RR Account, click My Account link under "Hello Teri", click View All next to Upcoming Trips, click Cancel Reservation, Under Travel Funds, it should say "Refundable" and the $ amount." Landrum wrote. "Select "Request a Refund", then click Yes, Cancel. When you go to cancel the next one, make sure you select the next one in the list because the list doesn't remove your cancelled ones and when you have 17 to cancel, it can get confusing."

Perhaps the complaint that resonates the most is how Southwest's customers felt punished, rather than rewarded, for being fans of the airline.

"I appreciate your generous sale but this is the last time I will ever fly southwest," Christine Ylan Ho wrote. "Maybe you've made this mistake yesterday but the lesson here is how you've dealt with it, which is poorly. Good intentions but you should have been prepared to deal with the ramifications of charging thousands of dollars, especially to those who need access to that money to survive. Egregious really. IMPROVE YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS KIND OF CRISIS. I do not like your facebook page."

Readers have also written in, telling CNN that the problem is not solely aligned with the promotion.

"I bought a one-way ticket at the regular price, and got 14 confirmations and 14 charges on my credit card," Cathy Gallagher commented. "SWA hung up on me after a 3 hour wait. I am much more concerned about the national security implications of the problem than the overcharges. What kind of computer system can confirm me 14 times on the same flight? How do they know who is actually on those planes?"

Are you having issues with the Southwest promo? Let us know in the comments below. And if you are with Southwest and want to add to the conversation, our audience would like to hear what you have to say, too.

10 budget friendly all-inclusive resorts

It's a fact that all-inclusive resorts can be expensive, with the average nightly rate at some of the bigger chains running $450 -- per person. And when you find one in your price range there's usually a caveat -- the beach is a 15-minute drive away, or the "all" only includes non-alcoholic beverages (those margaritas by the pool really add up).
Though it wasn't easy, Budget Travel found 10 affordable beachfront all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America (plus one Mediterranean resort so charming we couldn't resist including it) starting at $100 per person, per night.
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And they really are all-inclusive: a double room, three meals a day, drinks (from soda to cocktails), and lots of activities. And each one has an added bonus, too, from tennis lessons to scuba instructions. The only thing not included? Caveats.
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Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
This 658-room resort in Punta Cana gives you a lot of choice for how to spend your evening: there are eight restaurants, plus nine bars including a piano bar and a sports bar.
Not that there aren't choices during the day as well: The main pool is more than 1,300 feet long (there is also a children's pool and a whirlpool) and catamarans and windsurfers are available on the beach. The snorkeling right off the beach is top-notch, and all the equipment you need is also included.
Bonus: Every room at the resort is a suite with a terrace or balcony (and a Jacuzzi tub).
Playa Bavaro, Punta Cana, 809/221-9898, majestic-resorts.com. From $150 per person, per night.
Krystal Cancun, Mexico
This Riviera Maya resort makes the most of its location: the pool runs lengthwise along the sand, and there's even a beachfront infinity whirlpool.
The Krystal, which is in the heart of the Hotel Zone on Punta Cancun, has 453 rooms, and each one has a view of either the Caribbean Sea or Cancun Lagoon. The rooms were also renovated in December 2011 with updates like marble floors, flat-screen TVs, and rain showers -- perfect for washing off all that sand.
Bonus: One of the downsides of an all-inclusive resort is that you have to eat every meal on-site. Krystal includes a Discover Cancun pass that covers one dinner at a local restaurant.
Paseo Kukulcan Km 9.5, Cancun, 800/437-9605, krystal-hotels.com. From $100 per person, per night.
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Iberostar Costa Dorada, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic
Iberostar operates six hotels in the Dominican Republic, but this resort 10 minutes from Puerto Plata gives you the most for your money. The 516 rooms (which all have either a terrace or balcony) are located in thatch-roof buildings painted cheerful shades of yellow and purple. The entire property underwent a full renovation in 2011 resulting in completely remodeled rooms, a new lobby and a renovated kids' club.
There are three a la carte restaurants (Brazilian, Mexican and seafood from the local waters) plus a buffet restaurant. If you aren't content to just sit on the beach or the massive pool, there are activities all around the resort, from archery to merengue lessons.
Bonus: While some all-inclusive resorts only serve house-brand liquor, bartenders at Costa Dorada pour from imported names as well (Tanqueray, Stoli, etc.).
Carretera de Luperon Km 4, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, 888/923-2722, iberostar.com. From $100 per person, per night (three-night minimum).
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ClubHotel Riu Negril, Jamaica
Head out to the far western tip of Jamaica and you'll find this lively beachfront resort in Negril. It is right on the beach, but the place to be is by one of the umbrella-shaded loungers around the two gigantic pools (both are well over 3,000 square feet).
There is a party atmosphere here, and the complimentary mini bars and liquor dispensers in the 420 guest rooms are regularly restocked. If you want to go all out, head to the Pacha nightclub, where reggae is sure to be spinning. If you are looking for quiet, try the solarium terrace.
Bonus: The resort often adds credits to the Renova Spa in the all-inclusive packages, such as $20 per person toward a 50-minute massage (massages start at $100).
Norman Manley Blvd., Negril, Jamaica, 888/748-4990, riu.com. From $101 per person, per night.
Royal Decameron Golf Beach Resort & Villas, Farallón, Panama
This 1,170-room mega resort does things big from its spot on a mile of secluded beach. There are eight pools, 10 restaurants and 11 bars (including one swim-up), which means you'll rarely do or see the same thing twice.
Play in the Pacific with free paddleboards, kayaks or windsurfers, or check out the local underwater residents with the provided snorkel gear. The nightlife is also big here and the party goes long after the sun sets (which probably has something to do with the open bar).
Bonus: Though the base-rate is for a garden-view room, each one has a terrace or balcony overlooking the tropical foliage.
Avenida Principal Farallón, Km 115, 011-507/993-2255, decameron.com. From $106 per person, per night.
Coral Beach Hotel & Resort, Paphos, Cyprus
While the other resorts listed here are close to the U.S., this all-inclusive trades the Caribbean for the Mediterranean -- and it's worth the trip. The 420-room resort is located on the edge of the UNESCO-protected Akamas Peninsula on Cyprus's western coast.
The beach is lined with blue loungers, as is the 164-foot pool (keep an eye out for members of the British Olympic swim team; they use the pool for training). Have dinner overlooking the boats bobbing in the harbor from the terrace where blue-and-white-checked tablecloths flap in the sea breeze. Then watch some local folk dancing. Who knows, after a glass or two of zivania, you might join in.
Bonus: If the scenic surrounding inspires your creative side, the resort offers free art classes in pottery and glass-painting.
Coral Bay, Paphos, 011-357/26-88-10-00, coral.com.cy. From $144 per person, per night.
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Sunscape Dorado Pacifico Ixtapa, Mexico
The Sunscape's budget friendly price makes it a deal, but most people travel here for the location on a sandy beach on quiet Playa del Palmar. The resort re-opened in November 2011 after a $10 million upgrade to all the rooms (including new furniture, flat-screen TVs and fully renovated bathrooms) and restaurants as well as the addition of a new spa (alas, massages aren't covered in the all-inclusive rate and start at $68).
There are only 285 rooms, but you'll find the choices typical of a much larger resort. There are four bars plus eight restaurants ranging from seafood to Italian to Mexican (and the small size means no reservations are required).
Bonus: Embrace your inner Serena Williams or Roger Federer and perfect your serve at the free tennis clinics.
Paseo de Ixtapa S/N Lote 3-A, Ixtapa, 800/087-4890, sunscaperesorts.com. From $151 per person, per night.
Jolly Beach Resort & Spa, Antigua
Set on 40 acres (including a mile of white sand), the Jolly Beach Resort & Spa is great for those who want to get out on the turquoise water. Kayaks, Hobie Cats and paddleboats are all at the ready and there are also two pools.
Would you rather just take in the view of the waves? The 464 rooms all have at least partial ocean views. The resort also has five restaurants, ranging from a casual beach take-out place to the Italian Bocciolo.
Bonus: A proper afternoon tea with scones and cucumber sandwiches is also offered every day in the courtyard -- a nod to the island's British roots.
Bolans Village, Antigua, 866/905-6559, jollybeachresort.com. From $171 per person, per night.
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Barceló Langosta Beach, Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Staying here affords travelers the best of both worlds: The resort is on a secluded beach surrounded by rainforests and a national park, but is less than a mile from the popular town of Tamarindo.
This is a low-key resort, with just one buffet restaurant and one a la carte restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine (there is an additional $36-$42 fee for the a la carte restaurant) and one bar, plus a small casino and an amphitheater with daily entertainment. But the 134 rooms have views of the Pacific Ocean or the estuary of Las Baulas (part of the national park).
Bonus: Tipping for the staff is included in the rate, so no need to reach for your wallet every time you order another round.
El Robledal, Tamarindo, 800/227-2356, barcelo.com. From $180 per person, per night.
Paradise Island Harbour Resort, Bahamas
At just 246 rooms, this family friendly resort is a fraction of the size of the 4,000-room Atlantis next door. But it's also a fraction of the price for the all-inclusive option. Paradise Island is on a private beach and has a large pool and three places to dine (a pool-side grill, a buffet, and a steak and seafood a la carte restaurant).
Unwinding is the first order of business here, so you won't find the same 24/7 whirl of activity here as at the mega resorts. But that doesn't mean anyone in your family will be bored. The kids' camp keeps them busy with sand castle building and craft making, plus sports like pool volleyball and beach bowling.
Bonus: If you've ever wanted to learn how to dive, this is the place: the resort offers a complimentary scuba lesson in the pool.
Harbor Dr., Paradise Island, Nassau, 888/582-0192, paradiseislandbahama.com. From $200 per person, per night.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Federer edges Del Potro in Olympic semifinals

Roger Federer leaned on the net, exhausted but exhilarated after winning the final set 19-17 to earn his first Olympic singles medal.
"It has been a long time coming," he said.
The wait included an Olympic marathon Friday, when Federer played for four hours, 26 minutes to beat Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 3-6, 7-6 (5), 19-17. It was the longest three-set men's match of the Open era.
"I definitely got a sense that it was something special," the top-seeded Federer said. "The deeper we went into the match, the more I thought, 'Wow, this is so cool to be part of a match like this.'"
Federer converted only two of 13 break-point chances, the second coming in the next-to-last game, and had several nervous moments. But he held serve 12 times in the final set to stay in the match.
With the comeback victory, the four-time Olympian is assured at least a silver. On Sunday he'll play in the final against No. 3 Andy Murray of Britain, who beat No. 2 Novak Djokovic of Serbia 7-5, 7-5.
Federer and Swiss teammate Stanislas Wawrinka won the gold in doubles in 2008. But Federer had been 0 for 3 in Olympic singles, the biggest blemish on a resume that includes a record 17 Grand Slam championships.
His latest title came at Wimbledon a month ago against Murray, who relishes the shot at a rematch on the same court.
"I hope it's a great match," Murray said, "because the way the matches went today, I think the tournament deserves a great final. I hope we can provide that."
Serena Williams also clinched her first Olympic singles medal, beating No. 1-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-2. On Saturday, the No. 4-seeded Williams will face first-time Olympian Maria Sharapova, who beat Russian teammate Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-3.
Williams teamed with sister Venus to win the gold in doubles in 2000 and 2008. They have a chance to clinch at least a silver in the semifinals Saturday.
Americans Bob and Mike Bryan are assured at least a silver after beating Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals of men's doubles. Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond advanced to the first Olympics mixed doubles final since 1924 by beating Del Potro and Gisela Dulko 6-2, 7-5.
For duration, Federer's latest victory didn't rival John Isner's 70-68 final-set win at Wimbledon in 2010, or even Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's 25-23 win in the third set at the Olympics this week. But the match offered epic drama magnified by the setting and the stakes for Federer.
He improved to 12-0 this summer at the All England Club, including a record-tying seventh Wimbledon title a month ago.
There were no match points until the final game. After a couple of wobbly moments by Federer, including a double fault, he sealed the victory when Del Potro dumped a backhand in the net.
Federer lifted his arms in jubilation, then leaned wearily on the net while awaiting congratulations from the big Argentine. They shared a warm embrace.
"I felt for him in a big way," Federer said, "because I've been there as well."
Said Del Potro: "It's not an easy situation. Someone always has to win these matches, and today it was his turn."
Del Potro will play Djokovic for the bronze Sunday.
The 6-foot-6-inch Argentine had the edge on Federer for most of the first two sets, reaching the net more often and winning most of the baseline rallies, starting with a 23-shot exchange in the opening game. Del Potro showed little effort as he snapped explosive forehands that had Federer scrambling and lunging.
"Not enough, Roger!" a British spectator shouted when Federer fell behind.
The near-capacity crowd on sunny Centre Court was clearly in Federer's corner. Fans clapped and chanted "Ro-ger!" during a changeover, and later "Let's go, Roger!" More than once a Swiss cowbell clanged.
Small clusters of Argentine fans broke into song, and the match — like the entire tournament — took on an atmosphere more festive than during Wimbledon.
Federer's comeback came slowly. He was on the verge of digging a deeper hole midway through the second set, when he faced a break point and needed 16 points to hold for a 3-2 lead. He played another patchy game at 4-all, when he misplayed an overhead, blew an easy volley, squandered a 40-love lead and faced another break point.
He managed to hold again, and never trailed in the tiebreaker. Then the match proceeded on even terms for the next couple of hours.
In the 15th game of the final set, Del Potro twice won rallies after clipping the net cord with shots, the second time to erase a break point. Federer's bad luck had him screaming in frustration.
But for the most part, he managed to keep any annoyance in check. In the 31st game of the final set, when he mishit back-to-back forehands — the second sailed long — he gave his wife a wry grin.
"I was very tense at certain times," Federer said. "I was seeing myself as a loser many times during the match. But at the same time also I did see myself with medals. So you go through many emotions."
Federer broke for the first time in the 19th game of the final set when Del Potro double-faulted twice. That gave Federer a chance to serve for the victory at 10-9, but he was broken at love.
He waited 16 games for another chance, while repeatedly holding easily. Del Potro made three unforced errors in the 35th game to lose serve for only the second time, and eight points later the marathon reached the finish line.

Ennis sets record for heptathlon hurdles

Talk about your crowd pleasers.
In an opening session of Olympic track unlike any in recent memory, heptathlete Jessica Ennis and a handful of her British teammates gave fans at jam-packed Olympic Stadium a show worth the early wake-up call.
With nearly all 80,000 seats filled for the first taste of Olympic track and field Friday, Ennis wowed the home crowd by finishing the 100-meter hurdles in 12.54 seconds, the fastest time ever in the heptathlon's first event.
How fast? It matched Dawn Harper's gold-winning time in the 100-meter hurdle final at the Beijing Games — and would've been good enough to take that title at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
"Amazing. So loud. When you step up to jump or get in your blocks, they really get behind you. It's a great feeling," Ennis said. "I felt strangely calm. I'm normally quite nervous before the hurdles. Just coming out in the stadium and seeing the crowd was such an amazing feeling. It kind of gives you goose bumps."
Imagine what a treat it was for the home fans, who have been wringing their hands over every aspect of these games: the megamillion-pound costs, the security, the quality of the subway and train service and, of course, the quality of the athletes who would be representing the host country.
On this particular morning, everything worked out better than they could have hoped.
Fans rolled out of bed, poured into the javelin trains heading to Olympic Park, jammed the turnstiles at the stadium and were in place before Ennis left the warm-up area shortly before 10 a.m. They waved their Union Jacks and cheered every British athlete with roars often reserved for gold medalists.
"The crowd — I have no words to describe," said British triple jumper Yamile Aldama. "I've been to five Olympic Games and in qualifying, you never experience this. Never. It's just always kind of empty because it's in the mornings. This is great. This is 'Great' Britain. British people are great. They like athletics. They like sport."
And to think, a short week ago, so much of the buzz at these Olympics was about fans not showing up to events.
"A fabulous, fabulous experience," said British shot putter Carl Myerscough, who finished 14th in qualifying and won't move onto the final. "It's what I expected. I knew it was going to be amazing. You can't really replicate it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime feeling. All the more reason I'm disappointed. I maybe was guilty of trying too hard."
Ennis, dealing nicely with the pressure of competing on home turf with gold-medal expectations, broke the 7-year-old world mark in the heptathlon hurdles (12.62) held by Frenchwoman Eunice Barber and the Olympic record (12.69) held since 1988 by six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
"I literally cannot believe that," Ennis said. "That's crazy, so crazy. I'm just so glad I did it here."
The deafening roars kept coming for Ennis each time she cleared a height in the second of heptathlon's seven events, the high jump. When she finally missed, the crowd gasped and groaned.
Not to worry. Ennis' mark of 6 feet, 1¼ inches left her in the lead with 2,249 points — 25 ahead of American Hyleas Fountain, the 2008 silver medalist, with the shot put and 200 meters set for Friday night.
Heptathlon is often one of the more overlooked, underappreciated events at a track meet. Not on this day, though.
"It's a great start to the athletic program now," Ennis said. "I want to perform the best I can. Hopefully, that will roll on to the next few days."
Ennis was one of five women to set personal bests in the fifth hurdles heat alone, doing nothing to tamp down thoughts that the track in London, advertised as one of the fastest in the world, may live up to its billing.
"I had to get a bit closer to the screen to doublecheck the time," said Britain's world-champion 400-meter runner, Dai Greene. "Those sort of things are amazing for team morale."
Greene responded by winning his opening heat in 48.98 seconds.
Britain's Christine Ohuruogu, the defending women's 400 Olympic champion, qualified in 50.80 seconds.
Aldama made it through in the triple jump with a second-place finish and another British heptathlete, 19-year-old Katarina Johnson-Thompson, finished second in the high jump, drawing huge applause when she cleared 6-2¼ (1.89). She finished the morning in third place overall, 103 points behind Ennis, and came off the track beaming.
"It's hard to frown out there," she said.
In one of the day's few down notes, three-time hammer world champion Ivan Tsikhan of Belarus was kicked out of the Olympics because a retest of a sample he gave at the 2004 Olympics came back positive. He won the silver medal that year.
The morning also featured preliminary heats in the women's 100 meters, with the Jamaican sprinters — Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart — still waiting for Friday night's session.
Meanwhile, American Sanya Richards-Ross qualified in the 400 in 51.78 seconds, practically walking the last 20 meters in a downpour. Often a headliner at meets where she runs, Richards-Ross knew she got second billing this morning.
"You saw Jessica Ennis in the 100. Everybody in the back was kind of buzzing. There's going to be some phenomenal performances here," Richards-Ross said.
Though it's not unheard of for a big crowd to show for a morning session — such as when one of China's most famous athletes, hurdler Liu Xiang, was supposed to run in prelims at the Beijing Games — more often than not, these are sparsely attended, somewhat sleepy affairs, primarily because mornings almost always mean preliminaries. The big events, as well as the medals, are reserved for the evenings.
There was nothing sleepy about this morning, however, and even the head of track's governing body took notice.
"I do not remember the last time this happened, and it shows the great affection Britain has for our sport," IAAF President Lamine Diack said.

Exclusive: Fired Barclays trader draws scrutiny in Libor probe

A 30-year-old former Barclays Plc swaps trader in New York, who was fired from the bank in 2010, is among those drawing scrutiny from prosecutors in the deepening scandal over the manipulation of global benchmark interest rates.
U.S. prosecutors in Washington, D.C. are looking at Ryan Reich's activities while at Barclays between August 2006 and March 2010, said several people familiar with the situation, who declined to be identified because the bid-rigging investigation is ongoing.
Reich, now a portfolio manager with New York-based hedge fund WCG Management, was dismissed from Barclays for allegedly sending inappropriate emails seeking internal bank information, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
One of those sources, who used to work for the bank, said the information Reich sought concerned how the Libor benchmark rate was going to be priced, information that could have been useful for his trading positions.
Reached by telephone on Friday, Reich declined to comment. A spokeswoman at the U.S. Department of Justice did not return phone calls or emails seeking comment.
Libor, the London interbank offered rate, is used to set rates on trillions of dollars of contracts for everything from home mortgages to credit cards. The investigation has embroiled banks on both sides of the Atlantic and involves yen and euro rates as well as those for the dollar.
Lawyers familiar with the investigation say federal prosecutors continue to reach out to individuals to gauge interest in cooperating or taking pleas. They said prosecutors are expected to begin making decisions on charging individuals late this month or in early September.
Indeed, many of the traders under scrutiny do not believe they did anything wrong because their employers and regulators had some awareness of their activities, the lawyers said. Information released by the New York Fed shows that bank regulators in the United States and Europe knew some banks were submitting low Libor bids during the financial crisis to make institutions appear healthier than they were.
A person familiar with Reich's dismissal from Barclays said that the young trader, who joined Barclays just two years after graduating from Princeton University, was directed by his supervisors to send the emails and they were aware of everything he was doing.
The person, who did not want to be identified, said the practice of sending emails to gather information on future Libor pricing went back to the 1990s at Barclays, long before Reich joined the firm.
"This was systemic at Barclays," said the person.
Barclays declined to comment.
INCONSPICUOUS
Reich was a part of a low-profile New York trading desk at Barclays that is now increasingly in focus as prosecutors and regulators extend their investigation of the Libor scandal, which began to come to light in 2008. In June, Barclays paid a $453 million penalty to authorities in the United States and the UK to settle allegations some of its traders colluded with people at other banks to manipulate Libor.
In the United States, federal authorities and regulators are focusing on the activities of the Barclays desk on which Reich worked. It traded U.S. Treasury and U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar interest rate swaps.
Reuters previously reported that Jay Merchant, one of that desk's top traders, who in 2009 served as head of U.S. dollar swaps trading, is being scrutinized by federal authorities as well. Merchant moved to UBS in late 2009 to run that firm's swaps desk.
Ritankar "Ronti" Pal, who Merchant reported to and who had overseen all of the desk's trading since 2006, recently left Barclays, according to people familiar with the matter. A man who appeared at an address listed for Pal declined comment and called for building security to escort a reporter away. Pal didn't respond to a written request for comment.
The Libor investigation is focusing on allegations that traders at various banks colluded to try and rig the price of Libor to impact the interest rate on swaps, a type of derivative contract. On many swaps, the interest paid is a floating rate, so depending on which side a bank sat on a trade it would have an interest in getting either a lower or higher Libor rate.
One thing authorities are looking into is whether traders at banks were trying to get information ahead of time to know where Libor was going to be set for the next day, or work with other traders to influence the rate.
As reported last week by Reuters, people familiar with the investigation said authorities are looking at whether some individuals on the Barclay's trading desk tried to influence the rate on Libor by communicating with other traders in London to get a higher return on certain swaps the desk was trading.
Traders at JPMorgan Chase & Co also had dealings with some of the Barclays traders under scrutiny, according to a person familiar with the investigation. JPMorgan declined to comment.
Reich filed an employment arbitration case against Barclays following his dismissal. The case was eventually resolved, though terms were not disclosed.
POSSIBLE CHARGES
Another lawyer familiar with the investigation said prosecutors could charge traders with wire fraud, a charge that does not require them to actually have succeeded in manipulating Libor, but merely have sought to do it. Wire fraud is often used when individuals communicate through emails or cell phones as part of a conspiracy charge.
Reich's current employer, WCG Management, is a macro hedge fund that specializes in trading bonds, currencies and interest rate swaps. It oversees $3.4 billion in assets and is led by Barry Wittlin, a former top proprietary trader with Merrill Lynch.
Officials at WCG did not respond to a request for comment.
People familiar with the investigation said there is no indication authorities are looking at the hedge fund and authorities are not looking at any of Reich's activities at the fund.