Friday, May 31, 2013

CA-NEWS Summary

Toronto mayor vows to run again despite crack scandal, staff exodus

TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto Mayor Rob Ford lost two more staff members on Thursday, two weeks after allegations first surfaced that the leader of Canada's largest city was caught smoking crack cocaine on camera, something he has strongly denied. Security ushered policy advisor Brian Johnston out of city hall around midday on Thursday, and he told reporters he had resigned. Kia Nejatian, the mayor's executive assistant, also left his job, the city confirmed in a statement sent to local media.

Embattled IRS staff remain in jobs despite U.S. tax review scandal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - They've been scorned in televised congressional hearings for unfairly abusing tax laws, threatened with questioning in a criminal investigation and accused of using federal jobs to push a political agenda. At this point in the saga surrounding the Internal Revenue Service and its use of "Tea Party" and other search terms to flag conservative groups while reviewing their applications for tax-exempt status, all of the employees caught up in the scandal are still drawing federal paychecks.

Ricin attack puts spotlight on Bloomberg's gun control push

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Letters laced with the deadly poison ricin sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the lobbying organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns illustrate how the group has emerged as a focal point of anger for opponents of gun control. Three letters containing an "oily substance" that turned out to be ricin were intercepted on their way to Bloomberg's office and the mayors group. A similar envelope was sent to President Barack Obama, the Secret Service confirmed on Thursday.

Baghdad bombs kill 25 in Sunni-Shi'te bloodletting

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A series of bombs battered Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim neighborhoods across Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 25 people in the worst wave of sectarian violence since civil war five years ago. The bloodletting reflects increasing conflict between Iraq's majority Shi'ite leadership and the Sunni minority, many of whom feel unfairly marginalized since the 2003 fall of strongman Saddam Hussein, a Sunni.

U.S. Secret Service says threatening letter sent to Obama

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities intercepted a threatening letter addressed to U.S. President Barack Obama that was similar to ones sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Secret Service said on Thursday. Letters sent to Bloomberg and his gun control group contained material believed to be the deadly poison ricin and contained a reference to gun control, New York police said on Wednesday.

Germans irked as Hollande says EU cannot dictate French reforms

PARIS/BERLIN (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande pledged on Thursday to carry out long overdue reforms of France's pension system and labor markets but said it was up to Paris, not the European Commission, to determine how they are implemented. At a joint news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Hollande defended his comment that the EU executive cannot "dictate" reforms to member states - a defiant, nationalist tone that angered Germany's ruling conservatives.

Moscow suggests missiles have yet to reach Assad

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday Moscow was still committed to sending him advanced anti-aircraft weapons, although a source close to the Russian defense ministry said the missiles had yet to arrive. The prospect of the missiles arriving is a serious worry for Western and regional countries opposing Assad which have called on Moscow not to send them.

U.N. concerned about North Korean defectors in China

GENEVA (Reuters) - A United Nations human rights investigator and the U.N. refugee agency voiced concern on Thursday about the fate of nine North Korean defectors, some of them children, who were sent back to China this week from Laos after trying to cross the border. Chinese authorities are obliged under international law not to return them to North Korea, where they could face persecution and possibly death, Marzuki Darusman, U.N. special rapporteur on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said.

Nigeria arrests Lebanese suspected of Hezbollah ties

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigerian authorities said on Thursday they had arrested three Lebanese in northern Nigeria on suspicion of being members of Hezbollah and that a raid on one of their residences had revealed a stash of heavy weapons. The three suspects were arrested between May 16 and May 28 in the north's biggest city Kano, the city's military spokesman Captain Ikedichi Iweha said in a statement. All had admitted to being members of Hezbollah under questioning.

Tribes clash over Darfur gum arabic land, 64 killed

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Clashes between tribes in Sudan's Darfur region over land producing the gum arabic stabilizer used in soft drinks have killed more than 60 people and displaced 6,500 other, police and the United Nations said. The fluid gum cut from the acacia trees that have grown on the land for years is one of Sudan's most important agricultural export products but part of the output is being smuggled over the border into Chad, where it is sold for hard currency.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-021524702.html

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Summer at the Library?it's for every child and teen, and parents, too ...



A new report from the Pew Research Center states that 94 percent of parents see libraries as important for their children, and a whopping 97percent say it?s important for libraries to offer programs and classes for children and teens. Timberland Regional Library (TRL) wholeheartedly agrees. That?s why the annual TRL summer program means there?s always something for kids and teens to do, read, discover, talk about, and make.

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TRL?s summer program is for youth of all ages from newborns through age 18. It begins at the 27 branch libraries when schools are out in each area in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties. That day, children, teens, parents and caregivers may begin picking up their ?Summer at the Library? kits.

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Each kit is stuffed with newly-designed materials, including an attractive calendar of programs and special events to hang on the refrigerator or family bulletin board, age-appropriate reading and activity logs, coupons and prize-drawing entry forms, and new booklists. There?s a summer theme-related booklist for babies to younger school-age children, another for the middle school ages and a third one for high school teens. All materials, programs and activities are free of charge. All program details will be available at libraries and online at www.TRL.org by the second week of June.

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This News is a service of:
The Daily World??????? Star Electric

Themes let kids dig into interests

?Summer is a time when kids and teens can dig into things they?re interested in,? said Ellen Duffy, TRL?s Youth Services Coordinator. ?Even more than helping kids gain and maintain reading skills, the library is about keeping the excitement about reading and learning and life alive and active! It?s about giving kids and teens opportunities to explore, to play, to make friends ? to discover new characters and places in books.?

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Last year?s summer themes encouraged kids to dream big and teens to ?own the night.? This year we dig down. Through books, programs, activities and special performances, children will ?Dig into Reading,? exploring farms and gardens, dinosaurs and other fossils, and creatures who live below the ground and under the sea. Teens will seek ?Beneath the Surface,? unearthing worlds and creatures hidden underground and in the sea, unraveling secrets and mysteries, discovering the inner self, and shining a light on underground societies.

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Programs and Special Events

Libraries will host professional performances, lead programs and book discussions, and present art activities, scavenger hunts, and stuffed animal sleepovers. They?ll conduct games, activities and contests, both in libraries and online, and guide kids and parents to the best books and films.

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Each Timberland library will present two or more children?s and all-ages performers, including Glenda Bonin (puppets), Brownsmead Flats (folk music), Buck and Elizabeth (music, ventriloquism and humor), Ian Dobson (Caribbean steel drum music and culture), Eric Haines (comedian-juggler-one man band), and Chris Fascione (literature in stories, mime, and clowning). Favorites such as magician Jeff Evans, noise impressionist Charlie Williams, medieval era re-enactors the Knights of Veritas, and others will perform at several libraries.

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In keeping with this year?s children?s theme, new family programs such as, ?Composting? and ?Dig into Dinosaurs,? have been developed by Timberland youth librarians. Full of stories, activities and creative crafts, they will be presented at many branches. Story time programs will also be enriched with theme-related books and activities.

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?Read & Feed? has become a practice during major system-wide youth programs. All summer, people may bring canned and other non-perishable food items to their TRL branches for local food banks to distribute.

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Beginning at the Beginning

Timberland libraries have a strong focus on early learning with programs throughout the year for preschoolers beginning with babies. This summer, a new Read-to-Me Log suggests activities for families to do with their pre-readers. The activities engage five early learning skills: talking, reading, singing, playing, and writing?or for really little ones?scribbling.

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Children who are about ready to read have a vocabulary of about 15,000 words. Summer story times and other library programs help build that vocabulary by introducing preschoolers to many ?rare? words ? words not often used in conversations with young children.

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Onward: The School Ages

The new Children?s Dig into Reading Log invites kids to extend summer reading experiences by attending library programs, reading about dinosaurs, drawing a picture about a book they have read, making up a story and making frequent visits to the library.?These experiences also have literacy connections, including reading, creative thinking, creative writing, storytelling, and making reading choices based on personal interests.

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?Whether it?s dinosaurs, gardens, bugs, robots, outer space, the deep sea, unicorns, caves, places to see, famous people?kids? natural curiosity inspires and builds a love of learning,? said Duffy.

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Teens set out, ?Beneath the Surface?

New this year, TRL is piloting a program to bring teens together around one book and author. All teens are invited to read or listen to ?Cinder? by Marissa Meyer, the critically acclaimed author of the young adult science fiction series, The Lunar Chronicles. Ms. Meyer will talk with teens about her books and writing career at six Timberland libraries throughout the five counties.

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?Cinder? is a futuristic retelling of the Cinderella tale set in a dystopian New Beijing. Cinder is a gifted mechanic, a cyborg whose robot body parts allow others to treat her as a second-class citizen. When Prince Kai visits her shop with a broken android, and her sweet stepsister Peony contracts the deadly new plague, Cinder pursues a way to help them both, while keeping the secret of her mysterious past and who she really is?beneath the surface.

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Programs around the novel include discussions of the book and creative activities related to the story (?Marissa Meyer?s Lunar Chronicles? and ?Cinder Celebrations?). All teens are invited to visit Meyer at libraries hosting her this July. The schedule for the author visits are as follows:

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July 25

  • Noon-1 p.m.??? Ocean Park Timberland Library, (360) 665-4184
  • 6-7 p.m.?????????? Aberdeen Timberland Library, (360) 533-2360

July 26

  • 2-3 p.m.?????????? Winlock Timberland Library, (360) 785-3461
  • 7-8 p.m.?????????? Olympia Timberland Library, (360) 352-0595

July 27

  • 11 a.m.??????????? -noon?? Centralia Timberland Library, (360) 736-0183
  • 3-4 p.m.?????????? Shelton Timberland Library, ? (360) 426-1362

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TRL has lined up several online activities for teens including two contests, Minecraft and Book Trailers. Visit?www.TRL.org/minecraft?and?www.TRL.org/booktrailer?beginning the week of June 10 for all the details.

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The many at-the-library programs for teens include ?Zines for Teens,? books-and-snacks parties, movies, gaming, Minecraft parties, and numerous arts and crafts activities. Also for teens is a bookmark entitled ?Brainy Ways to Track Your Books,? featuring book-tracking websites and seven ways to ?unearth a zombie.? The bookmark is also a prize entry form.

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Prizes and coupons

Summer at the Library abounds with opportunities to win prizes and mementos. To start things off, during the week of June 24 to 29, each Timberland library will draw three winners of one-day free passes to any Washington State Park. Each pass admits one vehicle to a State park on a summer day of the winner?s choice. The passes are provided by Washington State Parks in honor of the its 100th?Centennial. The drawing is open only to children and teens who sign up for the Library?s Summer Reading Program. One entry per child or teen.

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Other prizes offered by every Timberland library include books, passes to NorthwestTrek or the Point Defiance Zoo and the new Hands On Children?s Museum as well as coupons for free pizza from Papa Murphy?s and small souvenirs of summer at the library. More coupons and prizes from individual libraries are provided by local businesses and Friends of the Library groups.

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To parents and caregivers

Library summer programs help parents keep children active and engaged during the summer. Infants and pre-readers, participating with you, their parents?your children?s first and most important teachers?develop language and a love of books and learning.

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?The library is an exciting summer destination, alive with performers, hands on programs, story times, family events, books, games, computers and welcoming staff. It?s a place to connect with friends, old and new, and to grow,? said Ms. Duffy.?

Source: http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5548

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Wedding Dresses With Dramatic Backs: The #1 Trend For 2013 (PHOTOS)

By Kellee Khalil for Lover.ly

We're calling it: the #1 trend for wedding dresses for 2013 is dresses with elegant and dramatic backs. Intricate backs create a gorgeous, feminine look that we love for brides; slip into one of these wedding gowns and you can be sure that you'll look as gorgeous leaving the reception as you do when you walk down the aisle. Here are our favorite dresses in this style.

  • Lovely Lace

    The delicate pattern on the back of this dress is the most sophisticated heart we've ever seen. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=lace&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">The prettiest lace wedding accessories</a> Photo by: <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/s0IEF6TSSBo_aHR0cDovL3d3dy5taWtlbGFyc29uLmNvbS8=" target="_blank">Sophie</a> on <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/tgdOvtWmyIc_aHR0cDovL3N0eWxldW52ZWlsZWQuY29tL3dlZGRpbmctYmxvZy9lbWVyYWxkLWFuZC1nb2xkLXdlZGRpbmctaW5zcGlyYXRpb24tYXQta29obC1tYW5zaW9uLXBhcnQtaS5odG1s" target="_blank">Style Unveiled</a> via <a href="http://lover.ly/image/439018" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Branching Out

    The pattern on the back of this dress gives it a modern, organic vibe. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=green+florals&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">Gorgeous green wedding florals</a> Photo by: <a href="http://www.stpucchi.com/Home.html" target="_blank">St. Pucchi</a> on <a href="http://lover.ly/image/318263" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Garden Party

    This dress is a modern take on the romantic floral trend. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=floral+print&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">More floral-print fashions</a> Photo by: <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/Pw.v3Sj1UVY_aHR0cDovL21pYmVsbGVpbmMuY29tbWkv" target="_blank">Mi Belle Photography</a> on <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/sDhOnNw1FYY_aHR0cDovL2JyaWRhbG11c2luZ3MuY29tLzIwMTIvMDgvd2VkZGluZy1kcmVzcy1vZi10aGUtd2Vlay1vcmFuZ2UtYmxvc3NvbS1ieS1jbGFpcmUtcGV0dGlib25lLw==" target="_blank">Bridal Musings</a> via <a href="http://lover.ly/image/232689" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Mint Condition

    The hints of color on the back of this dress -- and the bold cutout -- make it stand out from traditional wedding gowns. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=mint+and+pink&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">Light green and pink wedding details</a> Photo by: <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/MZQp9lfFKow_aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jbGFpcmVwZXR0aWJvbmUuY29t" target="_blank">Claire Pettibone</a> on <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/.VJ1RAYMPIM_aHR0cDovL2xvdmVyLmx5" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Ivory Tower

    The buttons going down the back of this ivory dress create a ladylike, vintage vibe. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=gatsby&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">Our favorite Gatsby-inspired wedding looks</a> Photo by: <a href="http://www.badgleymischka.com/" target="_blank">Badgley Mischka</a> on <a href="http://www.weddingchicks.com/2012/05/04/badgley-mischka-spring-2013/" target="_blank">Wedding Chicks</a> via <a href="http://lover.ly/image/128581" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Grin and Bare It

    This isn't your grandmother's lace dress! We love the daring back. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=high-neck+wedding+dress&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">Be on-on trend with one of these high-neck wedding dresses</a> Photo by: <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/5TS0E9AhY4M_aHR0cDovL2FkYW10cnVqaWxsb2Jsb2cuY29tL3ZlcmEtd2FuZy13ZWRkaW5nLWRyZXNzLXRydW5rLXNob3ctbGFzLXZlZ2FzLW52LWNvdXR1cmUtYnJpZGUv" target="_blank">Adam Trujill</a> on <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/GTk8/BYJVAE_aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lbmdhZ2VkYW5kaW5zcGlyZWQuY29tLzIwMTIvMDYvMDYvZGVzaWduZXItYXQtYS1kaXNjb3VudC1kcmVzc2VzLz91dG1fc291cmNlPWZlZWRidXJuZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1mZWVkJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1GZWVkJTNBK0VuZ2FnZWRJbnNwaXJlZCslMjhFbmdhZ2VkKyUyNitJbnNwaXJlZCUyOQ==" target="_blank">Engaged & Inspired</a> via <a href="http://lover.ly/image/144224" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Take a Bow

    Draw attention to a toned back with a low-V and a pretty bow. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=updos&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">The most romantic wedding updos</a> Photo by: <a href="http://www.didobridal.com/" target="_blank">Dido Bridal</a> on <a href="http://lover.ly/image/305456" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Petal Pusher

    Appliques are another huge trend right now; this dress manages to pull it off without trying too hard. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=embroidered+gown&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">See more embroidered wedding gowns</a> Photo by: <a href="http://www.intuzuri.com/index.php" target="_blank">Intuzuri</a> on <a href="http://www.societybride.com/2012/11/30/lavished-in-lace-the-intuzuri-spring-2013-collection-and-martina-liana-fall-2012-collection/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=lavished-in-lace-the-intuzuri-spring-2013-collection-and-martina-liana-fall-2012-collection" target="_blank">Society Bride</a> via <a href="http://lover.ly/image/334404" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Bowed Over

    An open back gives this sweet retro dress a modern twist. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=vintage+dress&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">Find the perfect vintage wedding dress</a> Photo by: <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/L.3HbdmJsjw_aHR0cDovL2xpbGlhLmNvbQ==" target="_blank">Lilia</a> on <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/48cHtQpNgm2_aHR0cDovL3d3dy5pbnNwaXJlZGJ5dGhpcy5jb20vMjAxMC8wNC9tb25kYXktbXVzaW5nLXdlZGRpbmdzLWluc3BpcmVkLWJ5LWF1ZHJleS1oZXBidXJuLw==" target="_blank">Inspired By This</a> via <a href="http://lover.ly/image/14954" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • The Gold Shoulder

    The metallic accents and simple silhouette make this dress so elegant <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=metallics&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">Gold and silver wedding details</a> Photo by: <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/5SBPHa895N2_aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zZWdlcml1c2JydWNlcGhvdG9ncmFwaHkuY29t" target="_blank">Segerius Bruce Photography</a> on <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/XrmGZY5e2cI_aHR0cDovL3d3dy53ZWRkaW5nY2hpY2tzLmNvbS8yMDEyLzA4LzIwL2JyaWRhbC1sb29rcy8=" target="_blank">Wedding Chicks</a> via <a href="http://lover.ly/image/235326" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • Sheer Bliss

    This dress allows you to go backless while still providing a bit of coverage; it would be gorgeous on a winter bride. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=long+sleeve+gown&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">The loveliest long-sleeved wedding gowns</a> Photo by: <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/YPeIAYK/RmY_aHR0cDovL2tpc3N0aGVncm9vbS5jb20v" target="_blank">Elizabeth Messina</a> on <a href="http://r.lover.ly/redir.php/WVopTf6/qMM_aHR0cDovL3d3dy53ZWRkaW5nY2hpY2tzLmNvbS8yMDEyLzAxLzE2L3dlZGRpbmctbm91dmVhdS1tYWdhemluZS8=" target="_blank">Wedding Chicks</a> via <a href="http://lover.ly/image/102976" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

  • In the Open

    An open back adds sass to a short white dress. <a href="http://lover.ly/explore?q=short+wedding+dress&amp;utm_source=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks&amp;utm_medium=guest&amp;utm_campaign=huffpo05-25-13elegantbacks" target="_blank">Find your perfect short wedding dress</a> Photo by: <a href="http://www.stpucchi.com/Home.html" target="_blank">St. Pucchi</a> on <a href="http://lover.ly/image/318245" target="_blank">Lover.ly</a>

More from Lover.ly:

Dozens of bridesmaids dresses your girls will love

Wedding makeup inspiration

Haute heels to wear for your wedding

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/wedding-dresses_n_3353627.html

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Sears Plans To Retrofit 2,500 "Ghostbox" Stores As Data Centers

Sears Plans To Retrofit 2,500 "Ghostbox" Stores As Data Centers

There are over a billion square feet of vacant commercial space in the US right now, most of it in the form of big box stores. This being America, we?ve come up with plenty of intelligent ways to reuse the department stores at which we can no longer afford to shop: Churches. Parks. Clinics. And now, data centers.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/4sMWlm61kos/sears-plans-to-retrofit-2-500-ghostbox-stores-as-data-510333088

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Ferocious Battle Underway in Syria Over Border City (Voice Of America)

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Fast-sinking jellyfish could boost the oceans' uptake of carbon dioxide

May 28, 2013 ? The oceans absorb about 25 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by human activities. Since the industrial revolution, they have taken up about half of the human-made CO2. Billions of planktonic organisms, too tiny to be seen with the naked eye, make this valuable service possible: When carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in seawater, various species convert it to organic carbon and other organic components during photosynthesis. Jellyfish and pelagic tunicates live on smaller plankton and thus consume organic carbon. When they sink to the seafloor at the end of their life cycles, they take the carbon from the surface waters with them, provide it as food to organisms at the bottom or store it in deep water layers after decomposition. As a result, more CO2 can be dissolved in the oceans. Additionally, calcifying organisms incorporate the inorganic carbon in their calcium carbonate shells directly. They also contribute to the biological pump.

To assess the efficiency of the biological carbon pump, data on sinking velocities of the different species are necessary. Together with colleagues from Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, Dr. Mario Lebrato, Biological Oceanographer in Prof. Andreas Oschlies' group at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, conducted field and laboratory experiments with gelatinous plankton remains. Their latest article in the international magazine "Limnology and Oceanography" describes for the first time the sinking speed of organic remains from jellyfish and pelagic tunicates. Together with a previous article in the same journal that calculated biomass export efficiency for these organisms for the first time, these new data allow robust estimates of global carbon export associated with gelatinous plankton.

For their experiments, the scientists collected different species of scyphozoans (true jellyfish), ctenophores (comb jellies), and thaliaceans (salps) in the Baltic, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Southern Ocean. The sinking process was observed and filmed in large transparent cylinders filled with seawater at OceanLab Bremen by Dr. Pedro de Jesus Mendes. Later the proportion of organic carbon and nitrogen of the dry biomass and biomass weight were measured. The work was supported by the European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA), the Kiel Cluster of Excellence The Future Ocean, the German project on ocean acidification BIOACID (Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification), and the US National Science Foundation Office for Polar Programs.

"The sinking speed of jelly remains is much, much higher than what we expected, about 500 to 1600 meters per day," Lebrato sums up. "And, what puzzles researchers working on the biological carbon pump: it is higher than that of non-calcifying phytoplankton and marine snow, the main sinking particles and organic carbon sources to the ocean interior." Fast sinking means that the biomass and its constituents reach the deeper ocean layers without major degradation, where microbial decay releases CO2 that can be stored without direct contact with the atmosphere for millennia. Also, fast sinking provides high quality food resources for benthic organisms, which has already been observed actively feeding on jelly remains. On continental shelves and slope areas, biomass may reach the seabed within a day or less.

Within the studied species, scyphozoans had on average the highest carbon content (26.97 percent), followed by thaliaceans (17.20 percent), and ctenophores (1.40 percent). The jelly carbon content is lower on average than that of phytoplankton or marine snow. But their large populations, occupying at times hundreds of square kilometers in the oceans, combined with a high sinking speed, can deliver large carbon quantities to the seabed.

"Our dataset provides an initial overview and comparison for modelers and experimentalists to use in subsequent studies examining the role of jellies in carbon export and the efficiency of the biological pump," Lebrato says. "We are continuously asked, how much organic carbon and CO2 do gelatinous plankton sink worldwide, whether their export capacities are similar to phytoplankton and marine snow. And if an increase of jellyfish in the future will enhance organic carbon export and CO2 sequestration. Until recently, few people believed that jelly organisms could play any major role in the carbon cycle, thus they have been excluded from large biogeochemical research programs. In consequence, the data available up to now are scarce and we are just starting to comprehend the fundamental properties that will allow us to better understand the role of jellyfish and pelagic tunicates in the global carbon cycle."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/mZn38xSmTbM/130528122512.htm

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Insane Apple rumor: Apple is planning a 12.9-inch iPad Maxi! Horrible name for a...

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/mactrast/posts/627690600593484

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Google Apps Admins Finally Get An Android App To Manage Their Users, Services And Devices On The Go

google_admin_logoGoogle has continuously made its Google Apps Admin Console for IT professionals who manage large Google Apps for Business, Education and Government deployments in their companies more powerful. But one thing it never offered these administrators was a mobile app to manage at least a subset of the Admin console's features. Today, however, Google finally released its first official Android app that allows admins to perform many common tasks right on their phones and tablets.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5wN2BhAhzgE/

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

No Food Stamps for Violent Criminals ? Rapture In The Air Now ~

Totally agree.

Convicted Felons already can't find employment and yet we don't want them to commit crime again. The fact is, we all have to eat to live and desire a warm place to sleep. I don't understand why our Gov. (maybe our churches?) doesn't employ (road const. trash removal, state park improvements, etc etc) these people to provide them a way to move out of crime. And I am not a "Gov fixes things" person, far far from it. But seriously, it would be so much less expensive, to instill a work ethic, and provide a way back into society positively, then to house them again within the prison system, plus the myriad complications that crime imposes; emotionally upon it victims, with insurance rates, with destruction of families etc etc etc. We so often think that punishment is "always" the answer....if it was, the penal system would work, and we would be phasing out prisons instead of building more. (remember I said "always"....sometimes punishment is necessary). sigh....come Lord Jesus. It always comes back to WE NEED JESUS doesn't it.

DL

Source: http://raptureintheairnow.com/news-you-can-use/no-food-stamps-for-violent-criminals

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Palme d'Or race wide open at Cannes Film Festival

From left, director James Gray, actors Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner arrive for the screening of The Immigrant at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

From left, director James Gray, actors Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner arrive for the screening of The Immigrant at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

Actors Adele Exarchopoulos, left, and Lea Seydoux pose during a photo call for the film La Vie D'Adele at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Actress Carey Mulligan, left, and Joel Coen speak as they arrive for the screening of the film Inside Llewyn Davis at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

CANNES, France (AP) ? After two weeks, 20 films and parade after parade down the red carpet, the Cannes Film Festival has not produced a clear-cut frontrunner for the Palme d'Or.

The prestigious award, given to the best film in competition, will be handed out Sunday night, decided upon by a jury headed by Steven Spielberg. And while this year's festival has boasted a cinematic feast, no single film is believed to have clearly set itself apart from the pack.

At least half a dozen films seem to have a realistic chance of winning Cannes' top prize, including the Coen brothers' 1960s folk tale "Inside Llewyn Davis," Paolo Sorrentino's rollicking Roman party "The Great Beauty," Asghar Farhadi's domestic drama "The Past," James Gray's 1920s Ellis Island melodrama "The Immigrant" and Abdellatif Kechiche's lesbian coming-of-age tale "Blue is the Warmest Color."

Consensus is always hard to come by in Cannes, but it does happen. Last year, Michael Haneke's "Amour" was the far-and-away favorite, and went on to win best foreign language film at the Oscars and earn the rare best picture nomination for a non-English film.

In 2011, Terrence Malick's cosmic rumination "The Tree of Life" too was obvious Palme material. But the year before, Cannes was fairly shocked when Tim Burton's jury picked the existential Thai film "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives."

Palme d'Or oddsmaker Neil Young currently has Farhadi in the lead with 5-to-2 odds to win. The Iranian director, whose film is in French, was honored as the best foreign language film two years ago at the Academy Awards for another domestic drama, "A Separation." Having grown into an internationally renowned filmmaker, Farhadi could be in position for the Palme.

But some found his film, with its succession of reveals of past misdeeds, more a feat of mystery novel-like plotting than revealing drama. Certainly, its star, Berenice Bejo ("The Artist"), as a single-mother balancing an ex-husband and a new fianc?, is a possible best actress winner.

So, too, is the star of "Blue is the Warmest Color," Adele Exarchopoulos. The 19-year-old actress was one of the breakout stars of the festival in the three-hour French film.

But the American entries this year have been very strong. Perhaps no film was better received at Cannes than "Inside Llewyn Davis," along with its newcomer star, Oscar Isaac, who performed live songs for the film. The Coens won the Palme in 1991 for "Barton Fink."

Gray's "The Immigrant," starring Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix, divided critics between those hailing it as a classically made masterpiece and those unmoved by its operatic emotions. But the handsomely photographed, finely acted New York period piece may have played well with Spielberg's jury.

"I'm trying to live in the bubble as best I can," Gray said Saturday. "If a film's reception is great, then you believe your own hype. If it goes poorly, then you think of yourself as a bum ? neither of which is usually the case. Usually the case is you're either hostage to or a beneficiary of a certain kind of festival gestalt."

Alexander Payne's father-and-son story "Nebraska," starring Bruce Dern and Will Forte, could also stir the jury with its austere, black-and-white Midwest road trip.

Psychological guesswork of jury presidents is de rigueur at Cannes. This year, many expect Spielberg will steer away from rewarding a filmmaker from his native country. He leads a starry, international group of eight others: Ang Lee, Nicole Kidman, Christoph Waltz, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, Japanese director Naomi Kawase, French actor Daniel Auteuil and Bollywood star Vidya Balan.

One of the boldest, most ambitious films in competition was Sorrentino's "The Great Beauty," which stars Toni Servillo as a Rome journalist who begins to question a lifetime of late nights. Wildly stylistic but also emotionally personal, it was one of the biggest critical hits at Cannes.

On the outside are wild cards like Steve Soderbergh's Liberace melodrama "Behind the Candelabra," Kore-eda Hirokazu's switched-at-birth drama "Like Father, Like Son" and Chad-born Mahamat-Saleh's disabled dancer tale "Grigris."

Soderbergh's film, starring Michael Douglas, will air on HBO in the U.S. just hours after the Cannes closing ceremony. The director is withdrawing from moviemaking, so a win at Cannes would be fitting symmetry. His first film, "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," won the Palme d'Or in 1989.

On the first day of the festival, jury member Lee said he was praying the jury would be overwhelmed by a self-evident Palme winner, so they would have to avoid "rationalizing" their choice through debate. Perhaps the jury was hit by a thunderbolt that didn't resound as clearly for festivalgoers. But most likely, Lee's prayers went unanswered.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-25-France-Cannes-Palme%20Preview/id-e4e04b144755405f9a4856a746353aa6

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If Tumblr Were a Person, They'd Be This Annoying

Cloying, GIF-happy, nostalgic, attention span devoid?this woman-as-website impression could only be better if she, well, did some really horrible things! But it's otherwise perfect.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/j7ML7-vsHt0/your-new-favorite-video-if-tumblr-were-a-person-509741054

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Seen and heard in Cannes

CANNES, France (AP) ? Associated Press journalists open their notebooks at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival

UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENTS FOR ACTRESS AS DAD WATCH LOVE SCENES:

Talk about awkward.

Not only did Adele Exarchopoulos' father watch the graphic sex scenes between her and another woman in the movie "Blue Is The Warmest Color (La Vie D'Adele)," in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, she was with him when he took in the film at its premier.

"During the love scenes I was ill at ease with my father being there, but at the same time I wanted him to be there. And I knew that he would probably have a very good reaction because it's all a question of intelligence and he's intelligent and therefore would understand," said Exarchopoulos.

She added:

"During the sex scene I was looking at him, like, 'Oh my god, how does he feel' because I don't want to make him uncomfortable, you know?" the 19-year-old said in an interview. "I think I was trying to take a certain distance from what was happening during the love scenes."

In the film, Exarchopoulos stars as 15-year-old Adele. She's heterosexual, but after meeting co-star Lea Seydoux's Emma, falls in love and begins to struggle with her sexuality.

Exarchopoulos said she and Seydoux shared nervous giggles before filming the intimate scenes, but that's it.

"It really developed, there was no choreography at all. We tried to put ourselves in the situation, and it helped in a way that I was new to the situation because my character is new to the situation as well," she said. "So it was alright that I was destabilized. Lea was leading me and I was kind of following in the flow. But I must say it was a strong thing to play."

This is one of two films Seydoux is promoting at this year's festival. The other, "Grand Central," from director Rebecca Zlotowski, is showing in the Un Certain Regard category.

The actress, who cut her hair and dyed it blue for "Adele," said she liked the challenge of her role.

"I really enjoyed playing this part, this tomboy even if it was very difficult sometimes. I like to play parts that are complex, and I like ambiguity and I like contradictions as well, she's like, I like to really give something very subtle," she said.

?Reetu Rupal, http://www.twitter.com/r2today

LI YU CHUN IS BREAKING THE MOLD

Li Yu Chun doesn't exactly mesh with the image of most starlets who walk on the red carpets at the Cannes Film Festival.

Instead of flowing gowns, the Chinese singer has worn dramatic capes that accompany striking pantsuits. And while many female celebrities sport cascading locks, Chun has her hair cut short, pixie style.

"A lot of people are asking me 'Why aren't you wearing a long dress like a princess?'" said Chun, who came to the festival as a representative of the cosmetics brand L'Oreal. "I have another personality and that is why I have to show my own personality with the suits that fit me. That is why I love to work with L'Oreal because they have given me self-confidence."

Chun, who is known for her boyish, androgynous looks, said she was surprised to be chosen as a L'Oreal ambassador since she represents a different look than some of their other representatives at the festival, like Freida Pinto, Julianne Moore, Aishwarya Rai and Eva Longoria.

"Usually they choose girls with long hair and big waves in her hair and that is not exactly my image," she laughed. "That is why I was surprised but happily surprised."

Chun shot to fame when she won "Chinese Best Voices," that country's version of "American Idol. She said she was excited to be in Cannes for the festivities, but was also getting some work done as well.

"I am also participating in their meetings to discuss about how to represent and how to organize promoting events," the 29-year-old said. "They are organizing a lot of activities for me too and this is why I find it very very exciting."

? Sian Watson, http://www.twitter.com/sianwatson

'JIMMY P' ROLES WERE MADE FOR DEL TORO AND AMALRIC ? LITERALLY

For director Arnaud Desplechin, it was either Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric for "Jimmy P" or no movie.

"I thought if I can't have them, I won't do the film," he said in an interview this week.

Luckily for him, both Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric said yes to the project.

In "Jimmy P (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian)," Amalric plays real-life French analyst Georges Devereux, who moved to the United States in the 1930s. He spent time living with Mojave Indians and helped develop the field of ethno-psychiatry, which studies the ways mental illness is understood in different cultural contexts.

Del Toro is his patient Jimmy Picard, who returned from World War II in France with a head injury and debilitating psychological symptoms his doctors were unable to diagnose.

Desplechin said it's the first time he's written a film with actors already in mind.

"I was so nervous when I started it because it was quite difficult to produce because the film is half French, half American, so it was quite tricky," he said. "So before writing it I was thinking who could play in that? I wrote it really for Benicio and Mathieu, they were the two guys."

Reetu Rupal, http://www.twitter.com/r2today

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/seen-heard-cannes-104555429.html

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Granderson hurt as Yankees beat Rays 9-4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) ? Another injury marred a New York Yankees' victory.

Outfielder Curtis Granderson broke the knuckle on his left pinky finger in the Yankees' 9-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi had no official timeline for how long Granderson will be out, but indicated it could be a minimum of four weeks.

"It is what it is," said Granderson, who will see a hand specialist in New York on Monday. "You can't change it right now, you've got to move forward."

Granderson broke the knuckle getting hit by Cesar Ramos' pitch in the fifth. After later scoring, he was replaced defensively by Ichiro Suzuki in the bottom of the inning.

Granderson missed the first 38 games this season with a broken right forearm, the result of a hit by pitch in his first at-bat at spring training.

"Another bump in the road," Granderson said.

Granderson said at this point he was told surgery will not be required.

"It's sad," Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano said. "It's really tough. He's one of those guys you're going to miss. Hopefully he gets back soon."

David Phelps (3-2), who retired his first 13 batters before James Loney hit a one-out double in the fifth, allowed four runs and six hits in 7 2-3 innings. He left in the eighth after he was hit on the right forearm by a drive up the middle by Ben Zobrist.

X-rays were negative, and Phelps did not rule out making his next start.

"It's a little sore," Phelps said. "See how that feels tomorrow morning will be a bigger thing. I'll be fine."

The Yankees have been hit hard by injuries this season. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis are among the players on the disabled list.

"I'm happy that we won the game, but you lost a really good player," Girardi said. "That's never a good thing."

Brett Gardner, Lyle Overbay and Jayson Nix each drove in two runs for the Yankees.

Gardner made it 5-0 with a two-run homer off Roberto Hernandez (2-5) during the fourth. The Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the second on Overbay's two-run double and an RBI single by Nix.

Tampa Bay slugger Evan Longoria went 0 for 4 and had his career-best 16-game hitting streak end.

Nix walked with the bases loaded, Chris Stewart had a run-scoring single and Cano picked up an RBI when he was hit by Ramos' pitch as the Yankees went ahead 8-0 in the fifth.

Matt Joyce had an RBI double during the Rays' three-run sixth.

Nix tripled and scored to put the Yankees up 9-3 on a wild pitch in the seventh.

After falling behind 3-0 in the third, the Rays intentionally walked Cano with runners on first and second and two outs. The move proved successful when Hernandez got an infield pop fly from Vernon Wells.

Hernandez gave up five runs, six hits and three walks in four innings. He was coming off a start last Saturday against Baltimore where he allowed five runs and eight hits over two innings.

"Pitching won the game for them and not for us," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I thought we had some good at-bats, but they did beat us on the mound. We have to pitch better to win."

Tampa Bay's Matt Moore will look Saturday to become the fifth-youngest pitcher since 1916 to start a season 9-0 exclusively as a starter. The 23-year old left-hander will go against Vidal Nuno (1-1).

According to the Rays, if Moore gets the win Saturday, only Ken Holtzman (1967), Livan Hernandez (1997), Roger Clemens (1986) and Jered Weaver (2006) will have accomplished the feat at a younger age.

NOTES: Maddon said AL Cy Young Award winner David Price, who went on the 15-day disabled list May 16 with a left triceps strain, is getting well. "I don't have any kind of finish line there yet," Maddon said. ... The Yankees are 11-5 since May 8.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/granderson-hurt-yankees-beat-rays-9-4-033434032.html

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Saturday, May 18, 2013

The 'Hangover' Wolfpack Offers Updates On 'Vacation' Reboot And 'American Sniper'

Last week, we traveled to Las Vegas to sit down with the Wolfpack to talk "The Hangover" for one last time before the trilogy ends next week. We'll have more about that movie closer to the release date, but we took some time out of our interview to ask a few questions about Bradley Cooper's [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/05/16/hangover-vacation-reboot-american-sniper/

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Friday, May 17, 2013

Space life 'too good not to share'

Commander Hadfield talks about his experiences in space and about adapting to life on Earth again

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has said his life in space had to be shared on social media, in his first public appearance since returning to Earth.

Cmdr Hadfield, 53, said his experiences in space were "too good" to keep to himself. He landed on Tuesday.

With nearly 1 million Twitter followers, Cmdr Hadfield said he was pleased with the interest in his work.

He had been on the International Space Station since December 2012 and in command of the vessel since March.

While in space, Cmdr Hadfield tweeted about his life at the space station, sharing striking images of the Earth from space.

"There is beautiful imagery, there's poetry in what is happening, there is purpose in what is happening," Cmdr Hadfield said of his work on the space station. "There is a beauty to it, there is hope in it and it's an international thing."

Sore and dizzy

His social media activities included singing a song with children around the world and filming a cover of David Bowie's hit Space Oddity.

But Cmdr Hadfield insisted his social media activities were secondary to his main functions at the space station.

He said life in space was extremely busy, with no spare time to be idle.

At his first news briefing in Houston, Texas, where the astronaut is undergoing rehabilitation, Cmdr Hadfield described the physical sensations of being in space and landing on Earth.

His first sensation of Earth was the smell of spring after landing in the Kazakh steppe on Tuesday, he said.

Emphasising the differences between life in space and "reality" on Earth, Cmdr Hadfield said he was "readapting to it physically and mentally".

Cmdr Hadfield added that upon his return to Earth he noticed the weight of his tongue and lips and was remembering how to speak under the force of gravity, while his neck and back felt sore from having to support his head again.

"It feels like I played a hard game of rugby yesterday or played full-contact hockey yesterday and I haven't played in a while," he said. "My body is just sore and I'm dizzy, but it's getting better measurably by the hour."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22558062#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Thursday, May 16, 2013

How one group got past IRS scrutiny

MediaTrackers.org

In May 2011, Drew Ryun, a conservative activist and former Republican National Committee staffer, began filling out the Internal Revenue Service application to achieve nonprofit status for a new conservative watchdog group.

He submitted the paperwork to the IRS in July 2011 for a research site called Media Trackers, which calls itself a "non-partisan investigative watchdog dedicated to promoting accountability in the media and government." Although the site has investigated Republicans like Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Gov. Rick Scott, the site's organizers are unapologetically conservative.

"One thing we don't hide is: 'Yeah, we're conservative?free-market, free-enterprise, full-spectrum conservative,'" Ryun told Mother Jones magazine last year.

Eight months passed without word from the agency about the group's application, Ryun said. In February 2012, Ryun's attorney contacted the IRS to ask if it needed more information to secure its nonprofit status as a 501(c)3 organization. According to Ryun, the IRS told him that the application was being processed by the agency's office in Cincinnati, Ohio?the same one currently facing scrutiny for targeting conservative groups?and to check back in two months.

As directed, Ryun followed up with the IRS in April 2012, and was told that Media Trackers' application was still under review.

When September 2012 arrived with still no word from the IRS, Ryun determined that Media Trackers would likely never obtain standalone nonprofit status, and he tried a new approach: He applied for permanent nonprofit status for a separate group called Greenhouse Solutions, a pre-existing organization that was reaching the end of its determination period.

The IRS approved Greenhouse Solutions' request for permanent nonprofit status in three weeks.

In December 2012, Ryun simply made Media Trackers a project of Greenhouse Solutions and withdrew the Media Trackers application.

The reason for the difference in timing could have nothing to do with the group's name. Greenhouse Solutions was applying for "permanent" nonprofit status after existing as a nonprofit group for some time. Media Trackers, a new group, was just beginning the first steps in the application process. Having a previous file with the IRS could very well have been the reason Greenhouse's application was approved so quickly.

But when news broke last week that the IRS had applied heavier scrutiny to conservative groups seeking nonprofit status from 2010-2012, Ryun said he became convinced that his second application was approved quickly because he applied under the Greenhouse Solutions title, which he called a "liberal-sounding name."

"Within three weeks, Greenhouse received permanent nonprofit status from the IRS, and the IRS approval was transmitted to us from its Cincinnati office. We then rolled the Media Trackers project into Greenhouse and began work on a number of new projects," Ryun told Yahoo News in an interview. "Do I think we benefited from what many think is a liberal-sounding name? Absolutely."

The IRS website explains why some requests for tax-exempt status take longer than others to process.

"Sometimes, representatives of exempt organizations and practitioners question why certain applications for tax exemption are processed faster than others. Not all applications are the same," the site reads. "While many are complete when received and involve straight-forward scenarios, others may be incomplete or involve complex issues that require further development."

The IRS is currently under fire from both Democrats and Republicans, and Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday announced that he had directed the FBI to launch a criminal probe into the IRS. The same day, the Treasury inspector general for tax administration submitted a review of the IRS' practices, which found that the agency had used "inappropriate criteria" to determine which groups were eligible for nonprofit status. Current and former IRS officials are expected to testify about the issue before House committees starting Friday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/conservative-activist-green-name-gets-irs-stamp-approval-193457897.html

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Boston bomb suspect's nasty note

As police searched for him, and as he lay bleeding in his boat hideout, Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrote "F*** America" on the side panel of the boat, police in Massachusetts told ABC News.

Officers said they also discovered the phrase "Praise Allah" on the boat's side panels and several anti-American screeds, including references to Iraq, Afghanistan and "the infidels."

A Massachusetts official showed ABC News what he said was a cell phone picture of the phrase "Praise Allah," written in black ink, with a bullet hole above it, believed to have been written by Dzhokhar as he hid inside the boat in Watertown, Mass.

Also seen in the picture was the faintly written word "brother," which the official said was part of a reference by the younger Tsarnaev "that was something about his brother is lucky to be with Allah first."

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed hours earlier during a shootout with police several blocks away from the location of the boat.

Spokespeople for the Massachusetts State Police and the Watertown police had denied the existence of the writings when first asked about them by ABC News two weeks ago.

Today, both departments referred reporters to the FBI. A federal law enforcement official confirmed reports first broadcast by CBS News that writings had been discovered inside the boat.

The discovery of writings intensified tensions between the FBI and local police when FBI agents believed some Boston officers and state police had taken cell phone pictures of the writing.

Agents demanded the phones of all officers at the scene the night of the capture of Dzhokhar be confiscated to avoid the photos becoming public before being used as evidence at trial, according to two law enforcement officials.

A FBI spokesperson said agents cannot confiscate phones without a warrant and officials said none of the police approached would agree to turn over their phones to the FBI.

Dhzokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev are accused of setting off a pair of bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon April 15, killing three people, including an eight-year-old boy, and injuring more than 260 others. Tamerlan was killed in a shootout with police days after the attack, while Dhzokhar was wounded and later captured in the boat.

FULL COVERAGE: Boston Marathon Explosion

CLICK HERE to return to The Investigative Unit homepage.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/f-america-boston-marathon-bomb-164144997.html

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Stem cells recovered from cloned human embryos

NEW YORK (AP) ? Scientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson's disease and diabetes.

A prominent expert called the work a landmark, but noted that a different, simpler technique now under development may prove more useful.

Stem cells can turn into any cell of the body, so scientists are interested in using them to create tissue for treating disease. Transplanting brain tissue might treat Parkinson's disorder, for example, and pancreatic tissue might be used for diabetes.

But transplants run the risk of rejection, so more than a decade ago, researchers proposed a way around that: Create tissue from stem cells that bear the patient's own DNA, obtained with a process called therapeutic cloning.

If DNA from a patient is put into a human egg, which is then grown into an early embryo, the stem cells from that embryo would provide a virtual genetic match. So in theory, tissues created from them would not be rejected by the patient.

That idea was met with some ethical objections because harvesting the stem cells involved destroying human embryos.

Scientists have tried to get stem cells from cloned human embryos for about a decade, but they've failed. Generally, that's because the embryos stopped developing before producing the cells. In 2004, a South Korean scientist claimed to have gotten stem cells from cloned human embryos, but that turned out to be a fraud.

In Wednesday's edition of the journal Cell, however, scientists in Oregon report harvesting stem cells from six embryos created from donated eggs. Two embryos had been given DNA from skin cells of a child with a genetic disorder, and the others had DNA from fetal skin cells.

Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon Health & Science University, who led the research, said the success came not from a single technical innovation, but from revising a series of steps in the process. He noted it had taken six years to reach the goal after doing it with monkey embryos.

Mitalipov also said that based on monkey work, he believes human embryos made with the technique could not develop into cloned babies, and he has no interest in trying to do that. Scientists have cloned more than a dozen kinds of mammals, starting with Dolly the sheep.

The new work was financed by the university and the Leducq Foundation in Paris.

Dr. George Daley, a stem cell expert at Children's Hospital Boston who didn't participate in the work, called the new results "one landmark step in a very long journey" toward creating DNA-matched transplant tissue.

Now, Daley said, scientists must compare the embryo-cloning approach with another technology that reprograms blood or skin cells directly into substitutes for embryonic stem cells. This reprogramming approach is technically simpler and doesn't involve embryos or require the donation of human eggs, and it was widely acclaimed when it was reported in 2007. Its Japanese developer shared a Nobel Prize last year.

But these substitute cells show some molecular differences compared to embryonic ones, which has led to questions about whether they can safely be used for treating patients. So it's essential to compare the cells from the two methods, Daley said.

The new results mean "we have another tool," he said. "We have to learn more about this tool."

Daley said he believed scientists will prefer using the reprogramming approach unless it can be proven "beyond a shadow of a doubt" that embryo cloning produces better cells for treating patients.

Mitalipov said he believed his technique would present a particular advantage for treating patients with a certain type of rare diseases. These are caused by mutations in genes of the mitochondria, the power plants of cells. He noted his technique, unlike the cell-reprogramming approach, would supply tissue with new mitochondrial genes that could replace defective ones. Those new genes would come from the egg.

The Rev. Tad Pacholczyk, director of education for National Catholic Bioethics Center, an independent think tank in Philadelphia, reiterated his opposition to embryo cloning, calling the approach unethical.

"It involves the decision to utilize early human beings as repositories for obtaining desired cells," he said. "You're creating them only to destroy them."

Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society in Berkeley, Calif., said she was glad that Mitalipov doubted the embryos could be used to clone babies. She said the report still provides a good opportunity for the federal government to ban the use of cloning for reproduction.

___

Online:

Journal Cell: http://www.cell.com/

___ Malcolm Ritter can be followed at http://www.twitter.com/malcolmritter

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stem-cells-recovered-cloned-human-embryos-161354791.html

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Philadelphia abortion doctor gets third life sentence

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? A Philadelphia doctor was sentenced Wednesday to a third life term for killing an aborted baby that he described as so big it could "walk to the bus."

Dr. Kermit Gosnell was convicted this week of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies born alive at his rogue clinic, then stabbed with scissors. He was given two life sentences Tuesday in a deal with prosecutors that spared him a potential death sentence, and the third sentence was handed down Wednesday.

The sentences offer no chance at parole, meaning Gosnell, 72, will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The case has made Gosnell a flashpoint in the nation's bitter debate over legalized abortion.

Prosecutors argued that Gosnell savagely killed late-term babies born alive by severing their spines, and taught several staff members the technique. Nine former clinic workers were convicted in the case, and four others pleaded guilty to murder.

Despite the notoriety of the case, Gosnell has seemed oddly serene in court during the two-month trial, and apparently sees himself as a medical pioneer and tireless advocate for inner-city patients.

"I wanted to be an effective, positive force in the minority community," Gosnell told The Philadelphia Daily News in a 2010 interview, when he predicted he would be "vindicated" of the allegations in a harrowing grand jury report. He chose not to address the judge during Wednesday's sentencing.

But prosecutors said he grew increasingly reckless as he accumulated millions of dollars from his rogue clinic, which was described as a "pill mill" for addicts by day and an "abortion mill" by night.

The jury spent 10 days deliberating before finding that Gosnell had killed babies or had them killed. And the jury found him complicit in the death of the 41-year-old patient, a Virginia woman who was repeatedly sedated by his untrained medical assistants. He was also sentenced Wednesday to 2 ? to five years in her death.

Gosnell was also convicted of hundreds of abortion law violations for performing illegal, third-term abortions or failing to counsel women and teens. Gosnell was acquitted in the deaths of four other infants.

Prosecutors have declined to comment on the verdict, citing a gag order that was expected to be lifted Wednesday when Gosnell's sentence is finalized.

Prosecutors had planned to seek the death penalty because Gosnell killed more than one person and his victims were especially vulnerable given their age. But Gosnell's own advanced age had made it unlikely he would ever be executed before his appeals ran out.

Gosnell's lawyer, Jack McMahon, said his client accepts the verdict and isn't sorry he went to trial. He said Gosnell gave up a somewhat better deal early on but wanted to air the issues in court and is satisfied that he did so.

"He wanted this case aired out in a courtroom and it got aired out in a courtroom in a fair way. And now he's accepting what will happen. He's an intelligent guy," said McMahon, who said Gosnell would now plead to federal drug charges that are still pending.

The sentencing deal, reached after hours of terse negotiations Tuesday, spares Gosnell's family the task of pleading for his life in court, McMahon said. Gosnell has six children, the youngest of them a teenager born to his third wife, who has also pleaded guilty in the case.

"He's a proud man. To bring his young family into court was something he did not want to do," McMahon said.

A 2011 grand jury investigation into Gosnell's alleged prescription drug trafficking led to the gruesome findings about his abortion clinic. During an FBI raid, authorities found 47 aborted fetuses stored in clinic freezers, jars of tiny severed feet, bloodstained furniture and dirty medical instruments, along with cats roaming the premises.

Prosecution experts said the Delaware teen carrying Baby A, whose death Gosnell was sentenced in Wednesday, was nearly 30 weeks pregnant when Gosnell aborted her fetus. A second baby was said to be alive for about 20 minutes before a clinic worker snipped the neck. A third was born in a toilet and was moving before another clinic employee severed the spinal cord, according to testimony.

A fourth baby let out a whimper before Gosnell cut the neck, prosecutors alleged. Gosnell was acquitted in that baby's death, the only one of the four in which no one testified to seeing the baby killed.

McMahon has argued that none of the fetuses was born alive and that any movements were posthumous twitching or spasms.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pa-abortion-doctor-gets-third-life-sentence-155017106.html

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Cutting-edge bacteria research leads to more effective treatment of complex infections

Cutting-edge bacteria research leads to more effective treatment of complex infections

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Bacteria are life forms, which, like all other life forms, struggle for the best living conditions for themselves. Therefore they will try to avoid getting attacked by the human immune system, and therefore they have developed various ways to protect themselves from the human immune system. When safe from the immune system, they can focus on breeding and multiplying, and if they become numerous enough, the human body will experience their presence as an infection. Some bacteria are relatively harmless, while others are fatal. The bacteria avoid being attacked by the human immune system by forming a biofilm - a surface to protect them against the immune system.

"The biofilm contributes to bacterial resistance, and that can cause severe, persistent infections around heart valve implants and in lungs and the urinary tract," explains postdoc. Mikkel Girke J?rgensen from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Southern Denmark. Together with professor Poul Valentin-Hansen from the same institution and scientists from American Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, and Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, he stands behind the new discovery.

The researchers now understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms behind the formation of biofilms. The mechanism involves small RNA molecules, which can affect bacterial gene expression and thus the decision of whether to form biofilm or not.

Bacteria can move by using their so-called flagella to swim with. When they need to form biofilms, they "turn off" the flagella, stop moving and start to form a biofilm.

"We have now established what decides whether they swim or not - and that determines whether they form biofilms or not," explains Mikkel Girke J?rgensen and continues:

"Prospects for the pharmaceutical industry are huge. This increased understanding of biofilm formation may be the first step in creating new ways to treat complicated infections in the future. "

###

The researchers' work is published in the prestigious journal Genes and Development, 15 May 2013, Vol 27, No. 10.

University of Southern Denmark: http://www.sdu.dk/

Thanks to University of Southern Denmark for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128265/Cutting_edge_bacteria_research_leads_to_more_effective_treatment_of_complex_infections

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