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FREE: Lucky boards and...if you look at the left bottom there are a bunch of boxes. They are labeled: Tons of old stuff for free, enjoy.

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FREE: Spring is coming north of the equator.

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FREE: Had enough clothes ??? How about a clothespin for your nose?

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Source: http://www.scoop.it/t/second-life-good-stuff/p/3997056685/free-picnic-table-bbq-grill-food-and-drink-cooler-fun-freebie-stuff-virtual-vagabond

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Palestinian president arrives on 3-day visit

ISLAMABAD - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived here Saturday on a three-day visit toPakistan.

The Palestinian president who is visitingPakistanon the invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari was accorded a warm welcome at Noor Khan Airbase by Federal Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and high-ranking officials.

This is the first ever visit of President Mahmoud Abbas toPakistanafter the recognition ofPalestineas a non-member observer state by the United Nations.

Pakistanwas co-sponsor in the United Nations General Assembly resolution that granted this status toPalestineon29 November, 2012. Abbas last visitedPakistanin February 2010. President Abbas will be received by President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Sunday, where a formal welcome ceremony would be held in his honour.

His engagements would include delegation-level talks followed by a luncheon hosted by the president. The two leaders are expected to discuss all aspects of bilateral relations and will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Pakistanenjoys excellent relations withPalestineand has always been supportive of their legitimate right to self-determination and has consistently supported the Palestinian cause.

Pakistanhas been supporting the two-state solution and has also been instrumental in helpingPalestineget the observer status in the UN as well as in UNESCO. The two countries have been very cooperative and this visit will further help improve the bilateral relations.

?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Breaking/~3/Di5AEusQ86g/palestinian-president-arrives-on-3-day-visit

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KMOX Home Improvement Show ? CBS St. Louis

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2013/02/16/kmox-home-improvement-show-12/

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NCAA told Miami of dealings with Shapiro's lawyer

The NCAA revealed its relationship with Nevin Shapiro attorney Maria Elena Perez to lawyers involved in the Miami case in mid-January, multiple sources have told CBSSports.com.

The notification to attorneys representing Miami and coaches in the case was made approximately a week before the NCAA went public on Jan. 23 with what it called ?improper conduct? in its dealings with Perez. The NCAA is conducting an external review of its enforcement department based on that finding.

On at least one occasion last month, NCAA enforcement official LuAnn Humphrey read from a prepared statement over the phone to a person involved in the case describing the relationship with Perez. Humphrey did not take questions on the situation.

?That's how they notified they had an issue,? said a source familiar with the NCAA's notification process. ?They called a meeting with each involved party and basically said, ?We want to let you know we've discovered this issue.' They read a statement and said, ?If you have any questions, call Donald Remy.'?

Remy is the NCAA's general counsel. Sources said that the NCAA did not provide details of Elena Perez's involvement with the association. CBSSports.com reported last week that the NCAA's director of enforcement approved at least $20,000 for the use of Perez to ask questions relevant to the Miami case during a bankruptcy deposition conducted by the attorney.

The South Florida attorney is representing Shapiro, the central figure in the ongoing Miami investigation. At the same time in December 2011 that she was working for Shapiro, Elena Perez was being paid to ask questions for the NCAA during a deposition she was conducting in a bankruptcy case regarding Shapiro. In essence, at that moment she would have been doing work for both Shapiro and the NCAA, which was investigating her client's allegations.

Two years ago, Shapiro told Yahoo Sports he provided extra benefits to recruits and former Miami players when he was a high-rolling booster hanging around the program.

Humphrey also told people related to the case that the NCAA was going to claim it had an attorney-client privilege with Perez, according to two sources.

In that case, Perez could be prevented from speaking publicly about her relationship with the NCAA. In legal circles it is generally assumed that someone can have an attorney-client relationship without a signed document. There was no signed retention agreement between Perez and the NCAA. She was paid for some of her services and is currently seeking full remuneration.

CBSSports.com contacted David Swank on the subject of attorney-client privilege. Swank is a University of Oklahoma law professor and former NCAA infractions committee chairman.

?You can have an attorney-client privilege, without a contract. No problem there,? Swank said. ?The attorney-client privilege is going to be invoked [orally] at that point in time. You get in some situations, somebody comes into my office, ?I want you to represent me.' I say, ?Tell me what the situation is.' He spills his guts. I say, ?I can't represent you.' There would still be an attorney-client privilege there. I could not talk about it publicly or give that information to anybody else.?

After her involvement was revealed to attorneys working on the case, the enforcement staff was made aware of professional discipline inquiries regarding Perez at various times in the last few years. The U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida website lists a 2010 situation in which Perez came under the supervision of another attorney. In an appeal case, a judge wrote that Perez was ?ineffective? and her conduct fell below the Florida Bar's ?standard of conduct and professionalism.?

CBSSports.com previously reported the Florida Bar has a file open "on Maria Elena Perez to investigate possible violations ... related to the University of Miami /NCAA case.? Elena Perez has no official public disciplinary history, according to the bar.

The NCAA said last week it expects to receive the results of its external review by the end of this week.

Source: http://feeds.cbssports.com/click.phdo?i=0a1aa0c9c51397af9e747e575fee908d

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Obama slams GOP over delay of Hagel confirmation

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is criticizing Senate Republicans for delaying the confirmation of Chuck Hagel as his secretary of defense. The president said his opponents are using politics while the nation is still in a war in Afghanistan.

Obama called Hagel, who is a former senator and Vietnam veteran, "eminently" qualified for the job Thursday and expressed confidence he would ultimately be confirmed. He said Republicans now insist that every issue and nomination requires a super majority of 60 votes.

Senate Democrats on Thursday came up short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a procedural step that would have permitted a vote on Hagel's confirmation.

Obama said blocking Hagel with a filibuster was "just about unprecedented."

The president made his remarks during a Google online forum to promote his initiatives.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-14-Obama-Hagel/id-2634fa30a49d4fecb07b3dfb24f56e19

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Sony Xperia ZL coming to a swath of Canadian carriers in April

It's not quite a US launch, but it's close: Sony is bringing the more compact of its two 5-inch smartphones, the Xperia ZL, to Canada in April. While that's already good news for locals who like their Xperias extra-large, the real perk will be a change in Sony's tendency toward limited launches in North America. The release will put the ZL on several of the more significant Canadian networks, including heavyweights Bell and Rogers as small-but-significant carriers like Mobilicity, MTS, Videotron and Wind Mobile -- the only major exceptions appear to be Telus and the big providers' budget brands. There's no word on pricing, although we're not expecting a radical break from the norm. We're mostly just left wondering whether the Xperia Z will appear as well, and just which if any of Sony's 1080p flagships will cross the border to the States.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

Comments

Source: Sony

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/14/sony-xperia-zl-coming-to-a-swath-of-canadian-carriers-in-april/

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Allan Donald: South Africa has best bowling line-up

Allan Donald: South Africa has best bowling line-up

7:00am Thursday 14th February 2013 in Sport

Allan Donald has described South Africa's bowling line-up as the best he has seen as the world's top-ranked team prepare to seal a sixth successive Test series win in Cape Town this week.

The Proteas hold a 1-0 advantage in the three-Test series against Pakistan after ripping out the tourists for just 49 in Johannesburg a fortnight ago.

It was not the first time in recent history that South Africa's attack has embarrassed their opposition after skittling New Zealand for 45 last month while Australia managed just 47 last summer.

Worryingly for Pakistan, both of those low scores were recorded at this week's venue.

It is hardly surprising then that South Africa's bowlers have been credited as the major force behind the country's rise to the top of the Test standings.

Bowling coach Donald, who could be surpassed by Dale Steyn as the country's third-highest Test wicket-taker this week, believes they deserve even more credit than that.

"The current crop of bowlers is definitely the best I've seen," Donald, who took 330 Test wickets, told reporters.

"Collectively, when there is a change of bowler, the pressure never stops. The heat is relentless from both ends and the pace is relentless from both ends, and I think that is a big accolade for this group of bowlers.

"We have to make sure that we stay relentless in our approach, but it's fantastic to work with this group of players."

However, Donald has warned his quicks they could be forced to graft in Cape Town after recent hot weather has baked the Newlands surface dry.

That could open the way for Pakistan's spinners, led by Saeed Ajmal, to take control as the match wears on and opener Alviro Petersen is wary of their threat.

"It's not quite a 49 all out pitch," he said.

"If there is one ground where they can bounce back it's Newlands."

If the pitch is to prove benign early on Petersen knows the onus will shift to him and his fellow batsmen to perform.

"Our bowling unit absolutely deserves all the hype they're getting at the moment," he said.

"There is pressure on us batsmen too, because we must also perform.

The Proteas batsman are likely to face a unique test with Pakistan likely to draft in giant quick Mohammad Irfan for his debut. At 7'1" Irfan would be the tallest player to play Test cricket.

"We were all surprised when Irfan wasn't selected for the first Test because he offers something different," Petersen said.

"We've done our homework on him and he's the type of bowler we've never faced in our lives.

"I'm sure he'll play in the second Test so we will have to prepare well for him and try and find a way or come up with a technique to play him."

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq is confident his side can bounce back, but rubbished suggestions they would reinforce their batting line-up after the opening-Test capitulation.

"Wherever you go in the world, six batsmen and a wicketkeeper have to take responsibility," he said.

"We are improving, in terms of batting and in terms of attitude.

"I am really confident that these guys can fight back. Whenever we've had tough times, we have been able to come out of it."

Source: http://www.asianimage.co.uk/sport/10226441.Allan_Donald__South_Africa_has_best_bowling_line_up/?ref=rss

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Stay cool and live longer?

Public release date: 14-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Laura J. Williams
laurajw@umich.edu
734-615-4862
University of Michigan

ANN ARBORScientists have known for nearly a century that cold-blooded animals, such as worms, flies and fish all live longer in cold environments, but have not known exactly why.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute have identified a genetic program that promotes longevity of roundworms in cold environmentsand this genetic program also exists in warm-blooded animals, including humans.

"This raises the intriguing possibility that exposure to cold airor pharmacological stimulation of the cold-sensitive genetic programmay promote longevity in mammals," said Shawn Xu, LSI faculty member and the Bernard W. Agranoff Collegiate Professor in the Life Sciences at the U-M Medical School.

The research was published online Feb. 14 in the journal Cell.

Scientists had long assumed that animals live longer in cold environments because of a passive thermodynamic process, reasoning that low temperatures reduce the rate of chemical reactions and thereby slow the rate of aging.

"But now, at least in roundworms, the extended lifespan observed at low temperature cannot be simply explained by a reduced rate of chemical reactions," Xu said. "It's, in fact, an active process that is regulated by genes."

Xu found that cold air activates a receptor known as the TRPA1 channel, found in nerve and fat cells in nematodes, and TRPA1 then passes calcium into cells. The resulting chain of signaling ultimately reaches DAF-16/FOXO, a gene associated with longevity. Mutant worms that lacked TRPA1 had shorter life spans at lower temperatures.

Because the mechanisms identified by Xu and his collaborators also exist in a range of other organisms, including humans, the research suggests that a similar effect might be possible. The study also links calcium signaling to longevity for the first time and makes a novel connection between fat tissue and temperature response.

Researchers have known that lowering the core body temperature of warm-blooded animals, such as mice, by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit can extend lifespan by 20 percent, but it hasn't been practical for humans to attempt to lower the core body temperature, Xu said.

"But if some aspects of the aging process are initiated in skin and fat cells in humans as they are in nematodes, should we go out to embrace some cold air in the winter?" Xu said.

Xu added that in addition to cool temperatures, the spicy condiment wasabi activates TRPA1 as well, and that feeding wasabi to nematodes increases their life spans. "Maybe we should be going to sushi restaurants more often," he said.

###

Xu is a faculty member in the U-M Life Sciences Institute, where his laboratory is located and all his research is conducted. He is also an associate professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the U-M Medical School.

Other authors on the paper were Rui Xiao and Yongming Dong of the Life Sciences Institute; Bi Zhang and Jianke Gong of the Life Sciences Institute and the College of Life Science and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Tao Xu of the College of Life Science and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Jianfeng Liu of the College of Life Science and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

This work was supported by the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities from the Ministry of Education of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and National Institute of Aging, both of the National Institutes of Health.

Xu lab: www.lsi.umich.edu/facultyresearch/labs/xz-xu

Life Sciences Institute: www.lsi.umich.edu

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 14-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Laura J. Williams
laurajw@umich.edu
734-615-4862
University of Michigan

ANN ARBORScientists have known for nearly a century that cold-blooded animals, such as worms, flies and fish all live longer in cold environments, but have not known exactly why.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute have identified a genetic program that promotes longevity of roundworms in cold environmentsand this genetic program also exists in warm-blooded animals, including humans.

"This raises the intriguing possibility that exposure to cold airor pharmacological stimulation of the cold-sensitive genetic programmay promote longevity in mammals," said Shawn Xu, LSI faculty member and the Bernard W. Agranoff Collegiate Professor in the Life Sciences at the U-M Medical School.

The research was published online Feb. 14 in the journal Cell.

Scientists had long assumed that animals live longer in cold environments because of a passive thermodynamic process, reasoning that low temperatures reduce the rate of chemical reactions and thereby slow the rate of aging.

"But now, at least in roundworms, the extended lifespan observed at low temperature cannot be simply explained by a reduced rate of chemical reactions," Xu said. "It's, in fact, an active process that is regulated by genes."

Xu found that cold air activates a receptor known as the TRPA1 channel, found in nerve and fat cells in nematodes, and TRPA1 then passes calcium into cells. The resulting chain of signaling ultimately reaches DAF-16/FOXO, a gene associated with longevity. Mutant worms that lacked TRPA1 had shorter life spans at lower temperatures.

Because the mechanisms identified by Xu and his collaborators also exist in a range of other organisms, including humans, the research suggests that a similar effect might be possible. The study also links calcium signaling to longevity for the first time and makes a novel connection between fat tissue and temperature response.

Researchers have known that lowering the core body temperature of warm-blooded animals, such as mice, by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit can extend lifespan by 20 percent, but it hasn't been practical for humans to attempt to lower the core body temperature, Xu said.

"But if some aspects of the aging process are initiated in skin and fat cells in humans as they are in nematodes, should we go out to embrace some cold air in the winter?" Xu said.

Xu added that in addition to cool temperatures, the spicy condiment wasabi activates TRPA1 as well, and that feeding wasabi to nematodes increases their life spans. "Maybe we should be going to sushi restaurants more often," he said.

###

Xu is a faculty member in the U-M Life Sciences Institute, where his laboratory is located and all his research is conducted. He is also an associate professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the U-M Medical School.

Other authors on the paper were Rui Xiao and Yongming Dong of the Life Sciences Institute; Bi Zhang and Jianke Gong of the Life Sciences Institute and the College of Life Science and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Tao Xu of the College of Life Science and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Jianfeng Liu of the College of Life Science and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

This work was supported by the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities from the Ministry of Education of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and National Institute of Aging, both of the National Institutes of Health.

Xu lab: www.lsi.umich.edu/facultyresearch/labs/xz-xu

Life Sciences Institute: www.lsi.umich.edu

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/uom-sca021413.php

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This is the Modem World: Japan is not weird

Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.

There's a dotted line between geekdom and Japan -- some of us call ourselves "otaku;" we follow Japanese technology companies; we look to Japanese culture as a beacon of our tech-obsessed future; we dream of visiting Tokyo. And yet we love to criticize Japanese culture, as if to say, "Well, sure, they make cool stuff, but they sure are messed up."

I'm no expert on Japanese culture. While my visits to the island nation number in the double digits and I'm married to a citizen, I'm not about to claim any sort of authority on matters of Japan.

However, I'm pretty sure they're not as weird as we like to say they are. And if they are, we're just as off-kilter.

We love reading about how bizarre they are: pop stars dress like tarts and shave their heads; teenagers engage in self-destructive behavior; city centers explode with uncharted consumerism. We love the spectacle -- we love to amaze at their uniqueness, criticize and feel better about ourselves.

But didn't we invent pop culture's manic spectacle? Don't we enable an obsession with technology that sometimes brings about uncalled-for results?

It's as if our pop stars have never shaved their heads and acted out in unsavory ways.

In fact, we invented it.

So why the obsession with the "weirdness" of Japanese culture, especially in the halls of nerd storytelling?

Some examples: They create extreme science fiction that challenges social norms. They love novelists who make us uncomfortable. They smoke and drink. They're messed up.

Just like us. They keep a worshipful eye on technology, look for the next thing and fear a simpler past when things didn't plug in. They idolize pop artists that harness the latest technologies and trends, pushing the limits of music and movies and art and gaming. They are hungry for the absurd.

They are exactly like us.

I remember the first time I ever went to Japan. It was 1998. After landing in Narita, I took a shuttle bus straight to Shibuya where I knew I'd find the epicenter of all that defined what I thought I would find. Stepping out into Dogenzaka Crossing -- the busiest intersection in the world -- I was tweaked awake by a thousand new sights and sounds. Shrill female voices sold mobile phones that weighed next to nothing. A Starbucks coffee house reminded me of my American roots. Thousands of people dressed exactly alike reminded me that I wasn't in Kansas anymore.

And yet I felt completely at home. These were people who had things to do, jobs to get to, people to meet, friends to see. They weren't selling their undergarments in vending machines or wielding katana for fights to the finish. They weren't ninjas and samurai. No, they were just a modern society who had accepted technology as their collective lord and savior.

Again, exactly like us.

We can point out examples that make us think they are off their rockers -- perverted anime series, wacky pop stars, a moody economy -- but you know what? We have every single one of those things, and we do them just as well, if not better.

I'm not a cultural critic. I'm not an expert on Japanese or American culture. But I have read a thing or two about cultural relativity and I'm pretty sure that we need to chill on the criticism of all things Japanese before we lose sight of ourselves.

Perhaps the reason that we look to Japanese culture as an icon of the measurably bizarre is because, well, it's a reflection of ourselves and a very accurate vision of our future. Back in 1998, I remember marveling at high school students choosing to text one another rather than make phone calls, updating their friends with their "status" and even taking pictures with their mobile phones. Sound familiar?

So the next time you are tempted to say, "You know what they do in Japan?!" Ask yourself this: Is this something we're about to do?

Chances are you'll answer either "Yes" or "Not yet, but I wouldn't be surprised."

---

Joshua Fruhlinger is the former Editorial Director for Engadget and current contributor to both Engadget and the Wall Street Journal. You can find him on Twitter at @fruhlinger.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/13/japan-is-not-weird/

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Florida Morning: Jay Odom pleads guilty - SOTU - Rick Scott needs Democratic votes

If you have suggestions, tips or comments, make sure they find?Matt.Dixon@jacksonville.com. And?for up todate, but not football-free, Tweets about?Florida politics?follow @Mdixon55.?

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Most importantly, if you want Florida?s finest morning tip sheet delivered to your inbox free of charge,?subscribe here.

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Today?s sections?

Florida: Jay Odom pleads guilty, Rick Scott needs Democratic votes, and Florida reacts to the State of the Union

Not Florida: Barack Obama gives State of the Union, Marco Rubio rebuts, and Rand Paul chimes in, too

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Video: Nurse practitoners want more authority?

Florida

Online travel fight checks in at appeals court

A state appeals court Tuesday plunged into a long-running battle between counties and online-travel companies about whether the industry owes disputed amounts of hotel bed taxes. News Service of Florida http://tinyurl.com/abj2ele

Southeast Florida delegations to hold workshop on climate change

Climate change is an issue that has rarely been acknowledged or discussed in the Florida Legislature in the past four years. But on Wednesday, legislators from South Florida counties are being invited to hear presentations on how the region is addressing the issue. Florida Current http://tinyurl.com/b7cbmk8

Marco Rubio as the anti-Mitt Romney

His desperate need for a drink of water created the immediate headline, but Sen. Marco Rubio?s (R-Fla.) much-anticipated speech Tuesday night had a very serious intent: it was as much an exercise in erasing Mitt Romney?s legacy on the Republican Party as it was a traditional response to President Obama?s State of the Union address. Politico http://tinyurl.com/a9a4jjk

Nelson's bill seeks to shorten waits for voters

Thousands of Floridians stood in line for hours to vote in the November election. Sen. Bill Nelson wants to prevent that from happening again. The Orlando Democrat is teaming up with Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California on The LINE Act (for Lines Interfere with National Elections), which calls for national standards for polling sites.?Florida Today http://tinyurl.com/a4x44jz

Florida reaction to State of the Union http://tinyurl.com/bflcbqr

Gov. Scott needs Democratic votes for his newest business tax cut

For the first time in his brief and turbulent political career, Gov.?Rick Scott?needs a little help from Florida?s Democrats to turn one of his wishes into law. Scott?s top legislative priority this year ? a $141 million tax cut for manufacturers ? comes with an asterisk: It has to garner ?Yes? votes from two-thirds of the Legislature to pass. Tampa Bay Times http://tinyurl.com/ak6je9d

Panhandle developer pleads guilty to causing Mike Huckabee to file false campaign reports

Panhandle developer Jay Odom pleaded guilty Tuesday to causing presidential candidate Mike Huckabee to file false campaign reports in 2007. A second charge of laundering $23,000 in contributions to Huckabee will be dropped by prosecutors. Odom was charged with reimbursing 10 donors who each gave the $2,300 maximum contribution to the candidate. Miami Herald ?http://tinyurl.com/aurgh5z

Gaetz would be 'fine' ending CCEs

Senate President Don Gaetz said Tuesday that he'd be willing to go along with eliminating committees of continuous existence, though he acknowledged that the chairman of the Senate's ethics committee wants to consider changing the law affecting the murky campaign?finance?organs rather than getting rid of them. News Service of Florida http://tinyurl.com/a3oqmgm

Not Florida

Pope Says He's Resigning for the 'Good of Church'

Pope Benedict XVI is telling the faithful in his first public appearance since announcing his resignation that he stepping down for "the good of the church." Benedict received a lengthy standing ovation when he entered the packed audience hall Wednesday. He was interrupted by applause by the throngs of people, many of whom had tears in their eyes. Associated Press http://tinyurl.com/atprl92

Economic agenda may test bond between GOP, CEOs

The upcoming battles over?taxes?and spending may reveal whether tensions between corporate America and congressional Republicans that emerged during the fiscal cliff were a rare blip or the new normal. It was one of the strangest twists of last year?s fiscal cliff drama: Long-solid ties between the business community and the GOP quickly strained as corporate titans and their lobbyists urged Washington to essentially do whatever it takes ? including hiking taxes ? to get past the stalemate. http://tinyurl.com/bgwx3tw

Miami-Dade County may require NFL to commit to a Super Bowl before agreeing to stadium fix-up money

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Monday he may require the NFL to award South Florida a Super Bowl as a condition for spending countyhotel taxes?on part of a $400 million renovation of Sun Life Stadium. Gimenez and the Miami Dolphins announced they have agreed to let county voters decide whether to use local tax dollars for an?upgrade?of the team?s stadium and would rush a referendum to be held before the May meeting when NFL owners will award the 2016 and ?17 Super Bowls. Miami Herald http://tinyurl.com/b4dyee2

U.S. Senators, not House members, cross aisle for Obama speech

As President?Barack Obama?laid out his second-term agenda to Congress on Tuesday, Senate Democrats and Republicans made another attempt to show they were willing to set aside partisan differences by sitting next to their ostensible rivals. Reuters http://tinyurl.com/bzk3f3l

In response, Rubio slams tax 'obsession'

Sen. Marco Rubio cast President Barack Obama on Tuesday night as a barrier to free enterprise with an ?obsession? about raising taxes, as he outlined the Republican vision for helping the middle class. USA Today http://tinyurl.com/bakd27s

Speaking for Tea Party, U.S. Senator Rand Paul spreads the blame

U.S. Senator Rand Paul blamed Republicans and Democrats for heavy government spending on Tuesday in an address responding to President?Barack Obama's?State of the Union speech on behalf of the small-government, fiscally conservative Tea Party movement. Reuters http://tinyurl.com/atcpqot

Bonus, budgets on agenda for Lew's Senate grilling

Jack Lew, President?Barack Obama'snominee to lead the U.S. Treasury Department, faces a grilling about a big?bonus?he received from Citigroup and his plans for the government's finances when he testifies before a Senate panel on Wednesday. Reuters http://tinyurl.com/a36g4rp

Senate votes to reauthorize Violence Against Women Act

The Senate has agreed to reauthorize the?Violence Against Women Act, showing bipartisan support for a measure that would revamp domestic violence programs and extend the law?s protections to gays and lesbians and women on tribal?reservations. The 78-to-22 vote puts pressure on the GOP-held House to also act to renew the 19-year-old measure, which Congress has twice reauthorized but which lapsed in 2011 amid partisan disputes over key provisions. Washington Post http://tinyurl.com/al47l2q

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EU ministers to hold meeting on horsemeat

LONDON (Reuters) - British and European Union officials will try to work out on Wednesday how to contain a scandal over horsemeat sold as beef which has shocked consumers and exposed flaws in European systems of food safety control.

The scandal, affecting a growing number of European countries and retailers, began in Ireland when its food safety authority discovered horsemeat in frozen beef burgers.

The revelations raised questions about the food supply chain and prompted governments to send out an EU-wide alert.

Owen Paterson, Britain's Environment Secretary, told parliament on Tuesday he would meet EU officials in Brussels on Wednesday to work out an action plan.

"It is clear from my conversations with European ministers and Commissioner (Tonio) Borg that the European Commission recognises the urgency of the current incidents," he said

The issue first came to light on January 15 when during routine tests the Food Safety Authority in Ireland discovered horsemeat in frozen beef burgers produced by firms in Ireland and Britain and sold in supermarket chains including Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer.

It has caused particular anguish in Britain, where eating horse flesh in virtually taboo.

Concern grew last week when the British unit of frozen foods group Findus began recalling its beef lasagne on advice from its French supplier, Comigel, after tests showed concentrations of horsemeat in a range from 60 to 100 percent.

HORSES FOR COURSES

Food experts say globalisation has helped the industry grow but has also given rise to a complex system which has raised the risk of adulteration, either by those looking to fraudulently pass off cheaper products, or by neglect.

Mark Woolfe, a former senior food safety official, said the European Commission's decision to reclassify a product which closely resembled mince as "mechanically separated meat" had forced suppliers to seek cheap alternatives elsewhere.

"The FSA (Food Standards Agency) bullied by the Commission issued a moratorium on desinewed meat, which was a perfectly good ingredient for value products," he told reporters.

"Manufacturers who were using that for value products had to leave the UK food chain and go and look at overseas suppliers at a price similar to desinewed meat or even lower."

Paterson has said Britain would consider import bans if any health risk was found, although officials have stressed the contaminated products posed no immediate danger to the public.

More cases are expected to emerge during tests on processed beef products in Britain, with results due on Friday.

Paterson, who is meeting senior figures involved in the food chain and Britain's Food Standards Agency later on Tuesday, said it was vital that consumers had confidence in the food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector which contributed 90 billion pounds gross value to the British economy in 2010.

However, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents 80 percent of Britain's retail industry, said public attitude did not appear to have greatly changed, although people were being more selective in their choice of beef burgers.

On Sunday, French supermarkets pulled several products supplied by Findus and Comigel. Tesco said it had found horse DNA exceeding 60 percent in some of its own-brand frozen spaghetti bolognese meals withdrawn from stores last week.

Both France and Britain have said the mislabelling was a result of criminal attempts to defraud customers and they will punish those responsible.

(Additional reporting by Maria Golovnina and Costas Pitas; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-ministers-hold-meeting-horsemeat-160300032.html

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N Korea ignored China's 'strong' warning

2013-02-12 09:02

United Nations - North Korea ignored a "strong warning" from China against staging its suspected nuclear weapon test, a UN diplomat said, as the Security Council planned emergency crisis talks for Tuesday.

The 15-nation council warned the North in a resolution passed last month that it would take "significant" action in the event of a new test or missile launch, and the body has subsequently called an emergency session.

The United States and South Korea, the council president for February, had both called for firm measures against North Korea if it stages a nuclear test.

China, the isolated North's closest ally, made special efforts to try to head off the bomb test, said the UN diplomat who has taken part in recent consultations.

"The Chinese gave the North Koreans a strong warning against carrying out a test as it became apparent that it was imminent," said the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

'Intentions' to impose sanctions

China has "special means of communications" with the entourage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, the envoy added.

"What the North Koreans have done now is a big challenge to the Chinese. There have been consultations in recent days, and in all likelihood China, Russia and the United States will quickly agree that tough action now has to be taken," the diplomat said.

The envoy added that sanctions may not be agreed upon on Tuesday but the "intention" would be made clear.

After North Korea's nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, and North Korea's sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010, it took weeks for the Security Council to agree on statements and sanctions.

China has traditionally shielded its neighbour against international action, warning Western powers against any measures that could cause instability so close to its frontier.

The Security Council ordered tougher sanctions against North Korea last month for a rocket launch it staged on December 12, triggering a defiant pledge by Pyongyang to bolster its nuclear deterrent.

The Security Council added North Korea's state space agency, a bank, four trading companies and four individuals to its existing sanctions list.

China agreed to add to the resolution a threat of "significant action" if the North stages a nuclear test.

- SAPA

Source: http://24.com.feedsportal.com/c/33816/f/607927/s/28786d9e/l/0L0Snews240N0CWorld0CNews0CN0EKorea0Eignored0EChinas0Estrong0Ewarning0E20A130A212/story01.htm

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Mayor wants to downsize Cleveland fire departments

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO)- In an effort to save money, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is removing fire crews from two east?side stations.

Mayor Jackson?said it's part of the integration of fire and EMS crews

As of Monday, the stations on East 116th and East 172nd and Superior will remain open with EMS crews in place of firefighters.

The firefighter's union cautions the local community that this change impacts cuts to their service.?

Carlin Mcnary's always felt pretty secure at his barbershop on E. 116th. His barbershop is located across the street from the fire station.?Mcnary felt a sense of security knowing fire crews were within spitting distance of his business.?But now, Mayor Frank Jackson has decided to take the fire trucks out of this station along with the station on E. 74th and Superior to save money.

Locals interviewed in the neighborhood said they need the fire department because there's always something going on.

Frank Szabo, the President of Local 93 firefighter's union, says that the coding that's used to define emergencies doesn't always tell the whole story. People having medical emergencies often are in need of rescuing, too.?

According to Szabo, the cuts are a creative way of trying to downsize the fire department and kind of try to hide it behind a veil of a service increase when it's really a service decrease because there are less firefighters working every day.

Szabo wonders what would have happened on the scene of a devastating fire that happened on Dunham Avenue last year.? He says the fact that firefighters were located nearby helped them rescue and save the lives of the children inside.??

The Mayor says what's being done is the right step forward for the community.?

Copyright 2013 WOIO. All rights reserved.

Source: http://clevelandeast.woio.com/news/news/89418-mayor-wants-downsize-cleveland-fire-departments

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Fifth Govt Sukuk Sale Expected to Bring in Rp 15t | The Jakarta Globe

The Finance Ministry is targeting Rp 15 trillion ($1.55 billion) from issuing rupiah-denominated Islamic bonds, or sukuk, to Indonesian citizens as part of the country?s effort to plug the budget deficit amid a deepening domestic financial market.

The Shariah compliant debt notes, the fifth issue of its kind, are intended to woo retail investors in the world?s largest Muslim-majority population to participate in financing government projects.

Dahlan Siamat, director of Islamic financing at the Finance Ministry?s debt management office, said that the sukuk would use government infrastructure projects such as toll roads and bridges as the underlying assets.

?Generally, investors prefer projects as the underlying assets,? Dahlan said on Friday ?Moreover, financing from this sukuk could help accelerate those projects.?

The government set the annual coupon rate of the rupiah sukuk at 6.0 percent with a tenor of three years.

As a comparison, commercial banks offered an interest rate of 6.1 percent on average for a year-or-above term deposit.

Bank Indonesia, the central bank, has kept its benchmark rate at 5.75 percent since last February, and the Deposit Insurance Agency only provides guarantees for up to 5.5 percent of term deposits.

The coupon was also lower than the previous sale of 6.25 percent, when it raised Rp 13.6 trillion by selling 42-month notes in November 2012.

In October 2011, the government raised Rp 8 trillion by selling 7.956 percent bonds to individual investors.

Dahlan said that institutional investors could put in minimum bids as low Rp 5 million but not higher than Rp 5 billion.

The offering period for the sukuk began on Friday and will go through Feb. 22, with settlement occurring on Feb. 27. The coupon will be paid on the 27th every month, Dahlan said.

The government has appointed several banks and security companies as selling agents for the debt notes including Bank Central Asia, Bank CIMB Niaga, Bank Mandiri, as well as securities firms Bahana Securities, and Danareksa Sekuritas.

The sukuk does not have a minimum holding period, allowing the retail investors to sell it right away in secondary market to institutional investors or banks.

Bidding terms for retail investors, the target for the bond sale, differ from large institutional investors. The minimum bid for individual investors is set at Rp 5 million, but they cannot bid higher than Rp 3 billion, according to Finance Ministry guidelines.

Dahlan said the government is mulling a plan to introduce a minimum holding period in other issuances next year.

The government, which has been selling rupiah-denominated and dollar-denominated bonds since 2002, has been using proceeds from the debt paper sales to help plug the state budget.

The government needs to plug its budget deficit of Rp 153 trillion, or 1.65 percent of gross domestic product.

Indonesian corporations have also been tapping the bond market.

According Baradita Katoppo, Fitch Ratings Indonesia?s president director, global corporate bond issuances by Indonesian companies have the potential to rise by as much as 30 percent to $13 billion this year. He said the fundamentals of Indonesian companies that plan to sell global bonds were strong and supported by the country?s investment grade sovereign credit upgrade that has drawn international investors.

Investor Daily

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/fifth-govt-sukuk-sale-expected-to-bring-in-rp-15t/570787

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Catholic Hospital: We Didn't Know About Legal Argument ...

Remember the Catholic hospital in Colorado that filed a brief in a malpractice lawsuit arguing that they can?t be held responsible for the death of a pregnant woman?s fetus because fetuses aren?t legally people? They?ve now admitted that was ?morally wrong,? but say they didn?t know about the argument.

Miguel De La Torre, a professor at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, noted that the church often argues for laws recognizing a fetus as a human being.

?If that legislation was to come up again, how could the Catholic Church argue we should protect the rights of a fetus?? he said.

Indeed, last week Colorado?s bishops met with executives at Catholic Healthcare Initiatives, a branch of the church that operates the hospital at the center of the case, to review how the lawsuit was handled. The two released separate statements Monday saying CHI executives had been unaware of the legal arguments and pledging to ?work for comprehensive change in Colorado?s law, so that the unborn may enjoy the same legal protections as other persons.?

But here?s the thing: They won on that argument.

Jeremy Stodghill sued the hospital, some doctors and Catholic Healthcare Initiatives, which owns the company that operates Thomas More. Attorneys for CHI in 2010 filed court papers asking a judge to dismiss the case because the plaintiffs couldn?t prove negligent care killed Lori Stodghill and her fetuses. They also argued that ?under Colorado law, a fetus is not a `person,? and Plaintiff?s claims for wrongful death must therefore be dismissed.?

The trial judge agreed, finding that previous state cases required a fetus to be ?born alive? to have a legal claim. An appellate court upheld the dismissal on other grounds. Stodghill?s attorneys are now asking the state Supreme Court to hear the case.

They now say they?ll stop using the argument, but what exactly does that mean? If the state supreme court takes the case, will the hospital concede the argument and agree to whatever damages? Will they ask that the case be remanded back to the first court to be considered without the conclusion they reached? I don?t know that they can do that. Colorado law is pretty clear on this. Even if the hospital disavows the argument, the law doesn?t change. Their argument was legally correct even if it was hypocritical.

And did they really not know about it? Initially, perhaps. Lawyers make the best argument they can for their clients and this argument was both correct and effective. And clients don?t always read legal briefs. But by the time two courts had ruled on the matter and agreed with that argument, the hospital damn sure knew about it and did nothing to withdraw it or prevent it from being used on appeal.

Source: http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2013/02/11/catholic-hospital-we-didnt-know-about-legal-argument/

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Army refuses to release investigation details - Health & Fitness - The ...

ADAM ASHTON | Staff writer ? Published February 11, 2013 Modified February 10, 2013

Army leaders insist they have fixed flaws in Madigan Army Medical Center?s behavioral health department that resulted in the misdiagnoses of hundreds of patients. But they have refused to release reports that could substantiate their findings and shed light on what happened at the Army hospital last year.

The latest in a long string of denials and non-disclosures happened last week when Secretary of the Army John McHugh visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He called a press conference Monday to announce the completion of an Army-wide behavioral health investigation that stemmed from the Madigan reports, but he declined to share it.

McHugh said a task force review had generated 24 findings and 47 recommendations, but he would not release them and described only one. He signed a memo intended to bolster Army wellness programs and left open the door to release more information later.

?It is my intent to make major portions of that document available,? he told reporters. ?I?m not here to design any kind of cover up or not put out those data points, and I?ll make those available to you.?

Later in the week, the Army rejected a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The News Tribune and The Seattle Times seeking the Madigan investigations ? a request that the newspapers made in September.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called the slow release of information ?frustrating.?

?We still don?t have all the information we need,? she said Friday. ?We are going to have to keep pressing the military to get it.?

The newspapers requested Army investigations that centered specifically on Madigan. The Army in November issued a ?partial denial? of the requests, contending the reports were ?pre-decisional? and would be used in a broader review of Army programs.

The newspapers appealed the denial in January, pointing to multiple corrective actions the Army had already announced in August, including the reinstatement of Madigan commander Col. Dallas Homas.

In its rejection of the newspapers? appeal issued last week, the Army found that the Madigan reports should remain exempt from public disclosure requirements in the Freedom of Information Act because they contain confidential material that shaped Army decisions.

It again called the Madigan reports ?pre-decisional? because they include findings that were intended to nurture ?frank and open? internal discussions. Releasing the information also could inhibit candor in future investigations, or confuse the public, an Army attorney wrote in the FOIA denial.

McHugh summarized the behavioral health findings in a telephone call to Murray, a member and former chairwoman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. She expects to receive a briefing on the report, and hopes to persuade the Army at least to release more information about its behavioral health findings and recommendations.

Michelle Earl-Hubbard, a Seattle attorney for the Allied Law Group who specializes in open government, said the military ?is not known for openness and accountability.?

The Army?s denial of the newspapers? FOIA requests fits that tendency, she said.

?It is unfortunate in this latest matter, so important to the public and members of our military, the Army is continuing this practice of secrecy and denial. Its citation of the FOIA exemptions at issue appears to be a violation of the law in both spirit as well as letter, particularly at this stage of the investigation,? she said.

The most recent FOIA denial came from the Army?s Office of General Counsel, which reports to the Army secretary, undersecretary and assistant secretaries in the Pentagon.

Officers at Lewis-McChord last week said they were working to release more information that could resolve local questions about the behavioral health investigations.

?We take all FOIA requests seriously,? said Col. Dave Johnson of Lewis-McChord?s I Corps. ?We do our due diligence to try to run them down.?

McHugh?s public information officer, Maj. Chris Kasker, said on Friday that the Army secretary intends to release the Army-wide report.

?The Secretary of the Army not only plans to release the Army Task Force on Behavior Health Report once it?s finalized, but to share with soldiers and their families issues the Army has identified and the ways we intend to fix them. But at this point, it?s a working document, and many of details are still being reviewed and validated. This is too important an issue not to take the time to get right.?

TREND OF SECRECY

The Army?s refusal so far to release more detailed information about its findings at the hospital south of Tacoma has similarities with an incident from 21/2 years ago. Complaints at Madigan surfaced in May 2010 from Oregon National Guard members who felt they were mistreated after returning from a deployment to Iraq.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., demanded answers, and five Army generals promised a thorough report.

The News Tribune filed a FOIA request for the reports that fall and received documents that were almost entirely blacked out. The Army refused to describe what was wrong at the hospital, citing a ?quality assurance? exemption in the Freedom of Information Act that it said was applicable to medical investigations.

The Army Medical Command also wouldn?t allow Col. Jerome Penner, Madigan?s commander at the time, to discuss how the hospital changed its practices as a result of the inquiry.

The denials contrast with reports the Army issued in 2007 describing its investigation into complaints of mistreatment of wounded service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center near Washington, D.C. That investigation resulted in testimony before Congress and the publication of reports calling for changes at military hospitals.

REMARKS SIGNAL END

This time, the Army said the problems were isolated to a forensic psychiatry team that operated only at Madigan.

That team consisted of psychologists who had the final say on diagnoses during medical disability reviews. Sometimes, they changed diagnoses in such a way that patients lost benefits for combat-related ailments such as post-traumatic stress disorder. An Army inspector general obtained a report that showed a Madigan doctor encouraging his colleagues to consider the long-term costs to taxpayers of a PTSD diagnosis.

The forensic psychiatry program was once cited as an example of ?best practices? in Army medicine. In November, the Army announced it gave new diagnoses to 267 patients who passed through the program; 150 of them learned they had PTSD.

In August, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Lloyd Austin sought to settle the controversy by announcing that the forensic psychologists didn?t do anything wrong, but that the Army would nonetheless terminate the widespread application of their services.

?What we found is that the forensic methods are not the right ones for the United States Army disability evaluation system,? he said at the time. ?We learned (Madigan) officials acted in accordance with the standard of practice for civilian disability evaluations. But we also learned that while the evaluation may be fair and appropriate, it?s simply not optimal for the unique cases that the Army diagnoses and reviews. We?ve fixed that.?

His remarks signaled the end of the Army?s investigation, and the beginning of the newspapers? requests for a more detailed account.

Adam Ashton: 253-597-8646 adam.ashton@ thenewstribune.com

Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2013/02/11/2418437/army-refuses-to-release-investigation.html

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