Monday, October 21, 2013

Snowden: No classified documents taken to Russia

In this image made from video released by WikiLeaks on Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden speaks during a presentation ceremony for the Sam Adams Award in Moscow, Russia. Snowden was awarded the Sam Adams Award, according to videos released by the organization WikiLeaks. The award ceremony was attended by three previous recipients. (AP Photo)







In this image made from video released by WikiLeaks on Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden speaks during a presentation ceremony for the Sam Adams Award in Moscow, Russia. Snowden was awarded the Sam Adams Award, according to videos released by the organization WikiLeaks. The award ceremony was attended by three previous recipients. (AP Photo)







WASHINGTON (AP) — Former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden says that he did not take any secret NSA documents to Russia and that intelligence officials in China as well as Russia could not get access to the documents he had obtained before leaving the United States.

In an interview with The New York Times, Snowden said he handed over all the documents he had obtained to journalists during his stay in Hong Kong. The newspaper posted its story on its website Thursday.

Snowden said he did not retain copies of the documents and did not take them to Russia "because it wouldn't serve the public interest," the Times reported. He said his familiarity with China's intelligence abilities allowed him to protect the documents from Chinese spies while he was in Hong Kong.

"There's a zero percent chance the Russians or Chinese have received any documents," he said.

Snowden's leaks of highly classified material have resulted in numerous news stories about U.S. surveillance activities at home and abroad and sparked debate about the legality of those activities and the privacy implications for average Americans.

The Times reported that in the interview, which it said took place over several days in the last week and involved encrypted online communications, Snowden asserted that he believed he was a whistle-blower who was acting in the nation's best interests by revealing information about the NSA's surveillance dragnet and huge collections of communications data.

Snowden said that he had helped U.S. national security by prompting a badly needed public debate about the scope of the intelligence effort. "The secret continuance of these programs represents a far greater danger than their disclosure," he said.

Snowden faces espionage charges in the U.S. On Aug. 1 he was granted asylum in Russia, which is allowing him to remain there for one year.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-17-US-NSA-Surveillance-Snowden/id-4f057cdb51194bd292a67bb704aa47ea
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Norwegian-Somali ID'd as Kenya mall attacker

In this photo taken from footage from Citizen TV, via the Kenya Defence Forces and made available Friday, Oct. 4 2013, a man reported to be Umayr, one of the four armed militants walking in a store at the Westgate Mall, during the four-day-long siege at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya which killed more than 60 people last month. A Kenyan military spokesman has confirmed the names of four attackers as Abu Baara al-Sudani, Omar Nabhan, Khattab al-Kene and Umayr. (AP Photo/ Kenyan Defence forces via Citizen TV)







In this photo taken from footage from Citizen TV, via the Kenya Defence Forces and made available Friday, Oct. 4 2013, a man reported to be Umayr, one of the four armed militants walking in a store at the Westgate Mall, during the four-day-long siege at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya which killed more than 60 people last month. A Kenyan military spokesman has confirmed the names of four attackers as Abu Baara al-Sudani, Omar Nabhan, Khattab al-Kene and Umayr. (AP Photo/ Kenyan Defence forces via Citizen TV)







NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Almost one month after gunmen attacked an upscale mall in Kenya, one of them has been identified as a Norwegian-Somali, officials said Friday, as charred body parts taken from a collapsed portion of the shopping center awaited forensics analysis to determine if they were the remains of the assailants.

The suspect was identified as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, the first time officials have confirmed having a real name of one of possibly four attackers from the Somali militant group al-Shabab who stormed the mall four weeks ago Saturday. Norwegian tax records show a Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow was born in 1990 and was registered at an address in Larvik, southern Norway, as late as 2009.

Charred pieces of bodies, enough to fill two plastic boxes about a foot wide and across, have been recovered from the part of the Westgate Mall that had collapsed as security forces battled the terrorists, officials said Friday. Four AK-47 rifles believed to have been used by the attackers were also recovered from the rubble.

A Kenyan security official said it is possible the remains are of the attackers but it would not be definitively known until tests are carried out. The two boxes were taken to the morgue on Thursday, and on Friday Western forensic examiners arrived there and locked the boxes containing the remains, a morgue official told The Associated Press. A post-mortem was to be carried out later Friday.

FBI agents have been investigating since soon after gunmen invaded Westgate Mall in Nairobi on Sept. 21.

One man living in another Scandinavian country, who only gave his first name, Yussuf, told AP he believes he had met the Norwegian-Somali gunman at a gathering of Somali immigrants in Oslo, Norway's capital, in 2008.

Yussuf recalled the man's name as Abdi and said he was associated with "pretty radical" circles in Norway.

"He was mad. He didn't feel at home in Norway," Yussuf said, declining to give his last name out of fear of reprisals from al-Shabab sympathizers. Yussuf said he had not had any contact with the man since then but added that several people he knew thought they had recognized him in the closed-circuit TV footage of the mall attack.

"We said that it could be him when we looked at the video," Yussuf said.

Newly released video from closed-circuit TV security cameras installed at the mall shows that four gunmen entered the mall and casually opened fire on shoppers, the beginning of a four-day siege that resulted in a massive fire and the mall's partial collapse.

Four AK-47 rifles and 11 magazines of ammunition — all apparently used by the attackers — were also found in the mall rubble, the security official said. A rocket-propelled grenade, likely from Kenyan security forces, was also recovered. The two officials insisted on anonymity because the information has not been released publicly.

The Somali Islamic militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in retaliation for Kenya sending troops into Somalia to go after the extremists. The gunmen stormed the mall just after noon on a busy shopping day. The siege, which set off heavy battles with Kenyan security forces, lasted four days and resulted in RPGs being fired inside the mall, a massive fire and the collapse of the mall's main grocery and department store.

Al-Shabab threatened to carry out more attacks unless Kenyan withdraws its forces from Somalia, a demand Kenya's president says will not be met. And there are indications al-Shabab may be attempting to carry out attacks in other regional countries.

Last weekend a blast rocked a home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in a neighborhood where many Somalis live, and officials said it may have been an accidental detonation of explosives by two Somali militants who planned to attack a soccer game.

Ethiopia's anti-terrorism task force found a gun, grenades, explosives, a detonator and a belt at the home where the explosion took place. The jersey of Ethiopia's national soccer team was found at the site of the explosion, in what was perhaps an indication that the would-be bombers hoped to mingle among soccer fans of a game being played last Sunday, a state TV report said.

Like Kenya, Ethiopia has troops in Somalia. So does another regional power — Uganda — where more than 70 people were killed when al-Shabab detonated bombs in Kampala in 2010 as crowds watched the World Cup soccer final on TV.

The U.S. Embassy in Kampala this week said it continues to assess reports that a "Westgate-style attack may soon occur in Kampala." The embassy said it was sharing information with Ugandan authorities and told U.S. citizens "to exercise vigilance and to avoid public venues that attract large crowds."

The Kenyan security forces have come under heavy criticism over allegations they looted many of the shops inside the mall during the siege. Although government officials have denied looting took place, video seen by AP shows soldiers picking items off shelves in a store that appears to be Nakumatt, and then later walking out with bags stuffed with goods.

___

AP writers Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Karl Ritter in Stockholm contributed to this report.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-18-Kenya-Mall/id-5489da63b724459995d6c3bd2cfa8c93
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The Hidden Easter Eggs Which Link Star Wars and Indiana Jones


From a young age I was introduced to what are still two of my favourite movie franchises of all time – Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I suppose it was inevitable, really. With parents who named me after a Doctor Who character, I would expect them to continue being awesome as I grew up.


You may notice that my last name is Jones. If you check out my profile you’ll also see that I majored in history and have a Masters in Museum Studies. Coincidence? Hell no. Indiana Jones was the original inspiration for my academic life choices and I still have every intention of becoming Doctor Jones one day. Mostly for the lols.


Imagine the surprise my seven year old self had when watching Temple of Doom and noticing that the establishment that Indie, Short Round and Willie just escaped from is named ‘Club Obi Wan’? To be put it delicately, my brain nearly exploded. I also couldn’t understand it when my other little girlfriends didn’t care. It’s okay, we’re no longer friends. I found their lack of faith disturbing.


As it turns out, they’re a lot more crossovers between the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies than this one Jedi Master easter egg.


Raiders of the Lost Ark


C-3PO & Obi Wan


So we’re at the beginning of the movie. Indie has just escaped from the infamous rolling boulder, golden idol in hand. He reaches the river bank and swings across a conveniently placed vine to his awaiting sea-plane. If you look closely, you can see that the plane’s serial number is OB-CPO. A subtle but undoubtedly purposeful reference to Obi Wan and C-3PO.


Princess Leia & R2-D2


When Indie and Sallah (John Rhy Davies) are preparing to remove the stone lid off the sarcophagus of the ark, the viewer is privy to a wall of hieroglyphics behind them. One of these is a depiction of Princess Leia inserting the Death Star Plans into R2-D2.


C-3PO & R2-D2


This appearance occurs mere moments after the one above. Indie has just lifted the lid off the sarchophagus and turns around to look at the pillar behind him. Lo and behold there are hieroglyphic versions of C-3PO and R2-D2. I must say that I appreciate the amount of R2 love in this movie.


Temple of Doom


Obi Wan


For those of you who skipped my incessant rambling and got straight to the easter egg list, this reference can be found at the beginning of the movie. Indie, Short Round and the ever unpopular Willie have just escaped a nightclub in Shanghai. As their car speeds past the front of the establishment you can see that it’s called ‘Club Obi Wan’.


Kingdom of the Crystal Skull


Okay, so this isn’t so much an appearance of a character as it is a homage to Star Wars itself. At one point during the movie Indie utters the classic line “I have a bad feeling about this.” The line itself (or variations thereof) is somewhat of a running gag in the Star Wars films, having been spoken by Han Solo, Obi Wan, Leia, C-3PO, Luke and Anakin at various times.


There’s equal opportunity when it comes to Indiana Jones and Star Wars crossovers though. Check out these Indie references from within the Star Wars Universe


The Phantom Menace


Nazis!


During a scene on Coruscant where the camera is panning to look at the busy air traffic, one can spot a couple of familiar looking vehicles – one of which is the Nazi tank from The Last Crusade.


Indie


During the podracing scene there is a point where the camera pans to crowd you can see Indiana walking to his seat.


Empire Strikes Back


Bullwhip


This little gem can be spotted at the beginning of the movie when the main characters are still on Hoth. If you look closely at Han, you will see that on the left side of his utility belt he’s wearing the bullwhip that would be made famous by the Indiana Jones trilogy.


Now I can hear some perceptive readers say “But Tegan, Raiders of the Lost Ark hadn’t even been filmed, let alone released yet.” Right you are! Raiders wasn’t released until a year after Empire, in 1981. However, Lucas had already written the story and already had both the bullwhip and Harrison Ford in mind. This wasn’t the only time that Lucasfilm included preemptive easter eggs within the films – they would often include references to upcoming franchise games also.


Ark of the Covenant


This sacred item turns up when our heroes are in Cloud City on the planet of Bespin. During the incinerator room scene you can see a pile of junk in the background. Amongst the garbage is the iconic wooden box that the Ark is placed into at the end of Raiders. The big giveaway is the Nazi eagle that is printed on the side.


That’s it folks, I hope you’ve enjoyed my Indiana Jones/Star Wars nerdgasm. I also hope that it’s inspired you to rewatch the movies and find these delicious easter eggs for yourself. Sure, you could Google them instead, but where’s the fun in that?


If you liked this article, you might also enjoy:


Bonus Facts:


Star Wars has an overabundance of easter eggs across both trilogies. Here are some of my other favourites, and particularly geeky ones, all from The Phantom Menace. Seriously, that movie as basically one giant easter egg.


  • During the aforementioned Coruscant skies scene, you can see the Voyager from Star Trek flying past.

  • During the senate scene on Coruscant you can see a group of E.T. style aliens sitting at the bottom left of the screen. There are also a group of Klingons, but they’re slightly harder to find.

  • During the podracing scene, Indie isn’t the only famous face in the crowd. If you look closely enough, you may just spot Manny – the main character of the cult hit Grim Fandango. Unsurprisingly, it’s a Lucasarts game. If you look even closer you may even see Cornelius and Zira from Planet of the Apes.

  • There’s a shout out to 2001: A Space Odyssey when C-3PO is initially activated by Anakin. His first words are “I am completely operational, and all of my circuits are functioning perfectly.” This is, of course, an exact line used by the ever terrifying HAL 9000.


Tegan Jones writes for the wildly popular interesting fact website TodayIFoundOut.com. To subscribe to Today I Found Out's “Daily Knowledge” newsletter,click here or like them on Facebook here. You can also check 'em out on YouTube.


This post has been republished with permission from TodayIFoundOut.com.


Image by puuikibeach


Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-hidden-easter-eggs-which-link-star-wars-and-indian-1446924666
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Asian stocks up after US gains, China rebound


BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks rose Monday after U.S. markets gained on stronger corporate profits and China reported a rebound in economic growth in the latest quarter.

Oil edged up, staying above $100 after briefly dipping below that level last week for the first time in three months.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.7 to 14,670.94 and China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 percent to 2,196.46. Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney also rose.

That came after U.S. stocks rose Friday on unexpectedly strong profits from General Electric Co., Morgan Stanley and other companies. Google surged nearly 14 percent, topping $1,000 a share for the first time.

Investors appeared to put behind them at least temporarily concern over U.S. government finances after political leaders agreed to end a 16-day partial shutdown of official services. Congress agreed Wednesday to fund the government and allow it to borrow through early next year.

Also Friday, investors were encouraged by China's report that economic growth accelerated to 7.8 percent in the three months ended in September, up from the previous quarter's 7.5 percent.

That was despite warnings by some analysts that other indicators show the recovery, supported by government spending, might already be running out of steam.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.6 percent to 23,477.48. Seoul added 0.1 percent to 2,052.49 and Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7 percent to 5,358.50. New Zealand, Singapore and Jakarta also gained.

Taipei bucked the trend, shedding 0.1 percent to 8,428.27.

In currency markets, the dollar gained 0.3 percent to 97.95 yen. The euro shed just under 0.1 percent to $1.3675.

Benchmark crude for November delivery edged up 13 cents to $100.94 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract added 14 cents on Friday to close at $100.81.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-stocks-us-gains-china-rebound-030011400--finance.html
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Sunday, October 20, 2013

Kate Moss Kayaks During her Day at the Beach in Jamaica

Spending the weekend in paradise, Kate Moss hit the beach in Jamaica with her daughter on Saturday (October 19).


The 39-year-old model showed off her bod in a black, strapless one piece swimsuit as she paddled a kayak with Lila and strutted her stuff in the surf.


Later in the day, the British beauty ensured she wouldn't get tan lines by sunbathing topless on the beach.


Soon, Kate will embark on a new adventure, as contributing editor of British Vogue. She'll work on choosing photographers and models for the upcoming Spring issue.


Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/kate-moss/kate-moss-1038870
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Aqua America to Report Earnings for the Third Quarter 2013



BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--




Aqua America, Inc. (WTR) expects to report earnings for the
quarter ending September 30, 2013 on November 8, 2013.



The company’s conference call with financial analysts will take place on
Friday, November 8, 2013 at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The call will
be webcast live so that interested parties may listen over the Internet
by logging on to www.aquaamerica.com
and following the link for Investor Relations. The conference call will
be archived in the investor relations section of the company’s website
for 90 days following the call. Additionally, the call will be recorded
and made available for replay at 2 p.m. on November 8, 2013 for 10
business days following the call. To access the audio replay in the
U.S., dial 888.203.1112 (pass code 9708785). International callers can
dial 719.457.0820 (pass code 9708785).



Aqua America is one of the largest U.S.-based, publicly-traded water
utilities and serves almost 3 million residents in Pennsylvania, Ohio,
North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, Florida
and Georgia. Aqua America is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the ticker symbol WTR. Visit www.aquaamerica.com
for more information.



This release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among
others, the expectation of reporting earnings November 8, 2013. There
are important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking
statements, including finalization of results for the period.



WTRF



Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aqua-america-report-earnings-third-123000610.html
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2 killers registered as felons after their escape

This undated combo of photos provided by the Florida Department. of Corrections shows Joseph Jenkins, left and Charles Walker. Walker and Joseph Jenkins were mistakenly released from prison in Franklin County, Fla., in late September and early October. According to authorities, the the two convicted murderers were released with forged documents. A manhunt is under way for the two men. (AP Photo/Florida Department. of Corrections)







This undated combo of photos provided by the Florida Department. of Corrections shows Joseph Jenkins, left and Charles Walker. Walker and Joseph Jenkins were mistakenly released from prison in Franklin County, Fla., in late September and early October. According to authorities, the the two convicted murderers were released with forged documents. A manhunt is under way for the two men. (AP Photo/Florida Department. of Corrections)







This undated photo provided by the Florida Department. of Corrections shows Joseph Jenkins. Jenkins and Charles Walker were mistakenly released from prison in Franklin County, Fla., in late September and early October. According to authorities, the the two convicted murderers were released with forged documents. A manhunt is under way for the two men. (AP Photo/Florida Department of Corrections)







This undated photo made available by the Florida Department of Corrections shows Charles Walker. Walker and Joseph Jenkins were mistakenly released from prison in Franklin County, Fla., in late September and early October. According to authorities, the the two convicted murderers were released with forged documents. A manhunt is under way for the two men. (AP Photo/Florida Dept. of Corrections,HO)







In this undated image released Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 by the Orange County Circuit Court, in Orlando, Fla., a bogus document authorities say led to the release of a convicted killer is shown. Authorities say this document and others like it led to the mistaken release of two prisoners. (AP Photo/Orange County Circuit Court)







In this undated image released Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 by the Orange County Circuit Court, in Orlando, Fla., a bogus document authorities say led to the release of a convicted killer is shown. Authorities say this document and others like it led to the mistaken release of two prisoners. (AP Photo/Orange County Circuit Court)







(AP) — Within days of strolling out of prison without a hitch, two convicted killers freed by bogus paperwork went to a jail about 300 miles away and registered as felons, records showed. They were even fingerprinted, photographed and filled out paperwork to apparently keep up the ruse.

Authorities are now searching for Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker, who were mistakenly freed from a Panhandle prison within the last month. Both men were serving life in prison but were let go when authorities said forged documents duped the Corrections Department and court system and reduced their sentences to 15 years.

"We're looking at the system's breakdown, I'm not standing here to point the finger at anyone at this time," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said Friday as he appealed to the public to help authorities find the men. He said he believed they were still in the central Florida area.

The release led prosecutors and prison officials to review their records to make sure no one else had been mistakenly freed. The corrections agency also changed its policy to require officials to verify all early releases with judges.

"There's reason to suspect that these aren't the first occasions," Demings said.

Jenkins was released Sept. 27 and registered at the Orange County jail in Orlando on Sept. 30. Walker was set free Oct. 8 and registered there three days later.

Felons are required to register by law. When they do, their fingerprints are digitally uploaded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and a deputy at the jail verifies that they don't have any outstanding warrants, said jail spokesman Allen Moore.

"There would have been nothing to give the individuals that were registering them a clue that something was amiss," Demings said.

By registering, Jenkins and Walker likely drew less attention to themselves. Otherwise, a warrant would have been initiated for their arrests.

"If they had failed to register, that certainly would have cued an inquiry for our department or from law enforcement. If they were part of the scheme, that's something they didn't want to occur," said Demings, who raised the possibility that someone other than the prisoners initiated the plot.

The sheriff said there had been some sightings of the men, and "most" of their families were cooperating, but he didn't go into specifics about either detail. Police were offering a $5,000 reward for help and billboards were going up in the area.

Authorities learned about the mistaken release when one of the murder victim's family notified the state attorney's office. Victims' families are automatically notified when a felon is released, and Demings said a victim's family was notified by mail.

It is not clear exactly who made the fake documents ordering the release or whether the escapes were related. Authorities said the paperwork in both cases was filed in the last couple of months and included forged signatures from the same prosecutor's office and judge.

The state Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Corrections are investigating the error, but so far have not released any details.

"It's very troubling to me that something like this could happen," Demings said. "Two murderers have been erroneously released from prison. It doesn't get any worse than that to me."

Chief Circuit Judge Belvin Perry said Thursday there were several red flags that should have attracted the attention, including that's it uncommon for a request for sentence reduction to come from prosecutors.

The Corrections Department said on Friday it verified the early release by checking the Orange County Clerk of Court's website and calling them.

Corrections Secretary Michael Crews sent a letter to judges saying prison officials will now verify with judges — and not just court clerks — before releasing prisoners early.

Sen. Greg Evers, who chairs the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, said he spoke to Perry on Friday and that the judge will offer a proposal in which judges review all early release documents before court clerks send them to prisons.

"They're working on some fail safe plans," said Evers, a Pensacola Republican. "If the court administrator put these plans in place throughout the state it will solve the problem."

New measures were implemented in the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Office after workers there thwarted the release of a burglary suspect from forged paperwork in 2011. The changes included only accepting judge's orders from the judge's assistant and to treat them especially carefully, said Cindy Guerra, chief operating officer for the office.

"That situation in Orlando, that just doesn't happen here," said her colleague, Louis Tomeo, the office's director of criminal courts. "Our clerks, I venture to say, would have picked up on that easily."

As the Florida court system transitions into a paperless era, special email accounts have been set up for judges. The deadline to go completely electronic is February, though it has already been moved back several times.

Across the country, prisoners have had varying success trying to escape using bogus documents. In 2010, a Wisconsin killer forged documents that shortened his prison sentence and he walked free, only to be captured a week later. In 2012, a prisoner in Pennsylvania was let out with bogus court documents, and the mistake was only discovered months later.

Jenkins, 34, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1998 killing and botched robbery of Roscoe Pugh, an Orlando man.

State Attorney Jeffrey Ashton said he learned Jenkins had been released when Pugh's family contacted his office. They reviewed the paperwork and found that it was a fake, then notified law enforcement.

Later, they discovered Walker's release documents were also fake.

"It is now clear that the use of forged court documents to obtain release from prison is an ongoing threat which all law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, court clerks and prison officials must address and stop," Ashton said.

Walker, 34, was convicted of second-degree murder in a 1999 slaying in Orange County. He told investigators that 23-year-old Cedric Slater was bullying him and he fired three shots intending to scare him.

Ashton said another man serving a life sentence for attempting to kill a law enforcement officer was also scheduled to be released using forged documents, but an investigator discovered the scheme in the spring before any release.

___

Farrington reported from Tallahassee.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap

Follow Brendan Farrington on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bsfarrington

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-18-Prison-Mistaken%20Release/id-6e7002fd3cf74ec29bd03b1a74f5f719
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Will Ferrell leads USC band as Tommy Trojan

Celebs











12 hours ago

Now that's Old School. Will Ferrell, a 1990 graduate of the University of Southern California, showed his school pride on Monday when he led the school's marching band, the Spirit of Troy, dressed in full Trojan regalia.

Ferrell showed off his legs in a gladiator-style skirt and sandals, wore a breastplate, cape, and a warrior helmet with enormous plume. He carried a shiny sword, which at one point he staked into the stage, drawing tremendous cheers. When the band broke into USC's famed "Fight On!", Ferrell sang along, and began spinning his sword like a baton twirler. He finally marched off stage in step with the band.

Ferrell's appearance was part of a charity event hoping to raise money for Cancer for College, a group started by Ferrell's college friend and fraternity brother Craig Pollard, who learned he had cancer at just 15. Ferrell and Pollard spoke to USC students Monday night in a lecture titled, "A Will-Powered Friendship."

On Saturday, Ferrell supported another West Coast football program, making an appearance in the locker room of the University of Washington Huskies.

Ferrell's next film, "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," comes out Dec. 20.








Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/will-ferrell-leads-usc-marching-band-while-dressed-tommy-trojan-8C11406532
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Afghanistan Vet Who Criticized Superiors Awarded Medal Of Honor


President Obama presented the Medal of Honor Tuesday to Army Capt. William Swenson. Swenson is being cited for his actions during a 2009 battle in Afghanistan, when he risked his life to try to save others. It's taken years for him to be recognized, however. He criticized higher-ups after the battle, which cost the lives of five Americans. Swenson's nomination for the Medal was said to be lost at one point. He is the sixth living recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor a member of the military can receive.



Copyright © 2013 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.


ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:


President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor today, the nation's highest decoration for combat bravery. It went to an Army officer who risked his life to save his fellow soldiers, and to recover the bodies of his fallen comrades.


The battle happened back in 2009 - a horrific, six-hour firefight in Afghanistan. The president called former Army Capt. William Swenson a leader who was there for his brothers. NPR's Tom Bowman reports.


TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: Captain Swenson was an adviser to the Afghan Border Police on the morning of Sept. 8th, 2009. He and a team were heading to a meeting with village elders in a remote part of Eastern Afghanistan. Suddenly, they were met by 60 well-armed Taliban fighters. President Obama picked up the story.


PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Rocket-propelled grenades, mortar, machine fire, all of this is pouring in from three sides.


BOWMAN: Capt. Swenson immediately returned fire and called in for air support. But he was told by superiors that he was too close to a village, and that air strikes might kill innocent civilians. Swenson ran under fire and gave aid to Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook, who was shot in the neck.


OBAMA: By this time, the enemy has gotten even closer, just 20 or 30 meters away. And over the radio, they're demanding the Americans to surrender. So Will stops treating Kenneth long enough to respond by lobbing a grenade.


BOWMAN: The Taliban continued to swarm, and there were still Americans trapped by the fighting.


OBAMA: So Will does something incredible. He jumps behind the wheel of an unarmored,Ford Ranger pick-up truck. A Marine gets in the passenger seat and they drive that truck - it's a vehicle designed for the highway - straight into the battle.


BOWMAN: Swenson hopped out and was able to recover the dead, all the while under fire.


SGT. DAKOTA MEYER: You know, we all were just trying to do whatever it took to get in and get those guys out.


BOWMAN: Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, who was in the vehicle that day, recalls what it was like. Meyer himself was awarded a Medal of Honor two years ago, an award that eluded Capt. Swenson until today. What was left unsaid at the ceremony is that the Army originally lost the paperwork for Swenson's Medal of Honor. Army officials called it a bureaucratic bungle. A second packet was submitted in 2011 by Marine Gen. John Allen, then the top commander in Afghanistan. The general also wrote a letter of apology to Swenson for the delay.


Swenson's supporters say the delay was because Swenson criticized Army officers the day of the fight. He pleaded over the radio for help to save his team. Later, Swenson complained to investigators that he was being second-guessed by officers in air-conditioned headquarters. Two Army officers at that headquarters later received letters of reprimand for negligence that directly led to loss of life.


Dakota Meyer wrote a book last year about the 2009 ambush, questioning why Swenson was not awarded a medal. Meyer also wrote a letter to a senior national security official at the White House, calling Swenson a centerpiece of the fight.


MEYER: He's a true definition of a hero.


BOWMAN: Again, Dakota Meyer.


MEYER: I don't know why it took so long but, you know, I'm glad he's finally getting what he deserves.


BOWMAN: Swenson downplayed his own actions standing in the White House driveway after the ceremony.


WILLIAM SWENSON: But this award was earned with a team, a team of our finest: Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy and our Afghan partners standing side-by-side.


BOWMAN: Swenson now lives in Seattle, and often hikes into the nearby mountains. He's been unemployed since he left the Army two years ago.


Tom Bowman, NPR News, Washington.


Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.


NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NprProgramsATC/~3/zTU98T6D-OA/story.php
Category: Bum Phillips   Alison Pill   ashton kutcher  

Enthusiasts Encourage More Women To Give Hunting A Shot





Tara Heaton, left, and Crystal Mayfield with guide Fred Williams at a women's antelope hunt in Wyoming. Before the event, both women had hunted almost exclusively with male relatives, not other women.



Irina Zhorov/Wyoming Public Media


Tara Heaton, left, and Crystal Mayfield with guide Fred Williams at a women's antelope hunt in Wyoming. Before the event, both women had hunted almost exclusively with male relatives, not other women.


Irina Zhorov/Wyoming Public Media


The departure time for Wyoming's inaugural Women's Antelope Hunt was set for 5:30 a.m. — but that was before a snowstorm hit. By 6 a.m., the electricity is still out, wind and snow are howling and antsy women in camouflage are eating eggs by candlelight.


Marilyn Kite, Wyoming's first female state Supreme Court justice and one of the people who dreamed up the hunt, is among them.


"We've found it to be just great recreation, lots of fun, and the camaraderie of it is why you do it really," Kite says. "But we also really like the meat."


Women still only make up a small percentage of all hunters, but that number has increased significantly in recent years. Now, organizations like the Wyoming Women's Foundation want to encourage more growth through mentorship.


The group says hunting is an important way to teach self-sufficiency and economic independence — and taking meat home is a part of that, Kite says. "There's a lot of young women who are single mothers, who are trying to provide for their families," she says. "And [hunting is] certainly one way to do it."



Just to show how outnumbered women currently are in hunting, most of the guides on this women's hunt are men. One of them, Fred Williams, says women who try hunting usually do really well with the sport.


"I think women tend to be actually better hunters because they tend to be a bit more patient, and oftentimes are a much better shot, because they tend to be a bit more focused," Williams says.


By 10 a.m., conditions outside have improved and the hunt is on. Williams and his team of two set off for a private ranch to look for antelope.


Tara Heaton, a Navy veteran, already has some experience hunting, but she says this is different. It gives her an opportunity to meet "different women from around Wyoming, and more hunters, because a lot of my friends growing up weren't hunters," she says.


Heaton is partnered with Crystal Mayfield, a single mom. Before today, both women hunted almost exclusively with their dads and brothers.


As the three drive through the snow, they spot some antelope in the distance. They park and start stalking them on foot.


Williams has Mayfield load a bullet in the chamber and they proceed quietly through a snow-covered field strewn with cottonwoods and cows. When they reach a rise overlooking the grazing antelope, Williams preps Mayfield for her shot. She takes aim, shoots — and misses.


In fact, both women miss their shots today. The 35 mph winds don't help. But on the drive back to the ranch, Mayfield says she's not upset. Even missing is easier in the company of women, she says.


"When I missed that shot, I didn't feel like a loser when I went and told [Heaton] that, 'Oh, I missed it,' " she says. "I didn't feel like she was going to be like, 'Oh, you're a huge loser.' ... My brother easily would have been like, 'Oh, I can't believe you missed that. You're stupid.' "


As is typical in Wyoming, the next day is sunny, wind-free and beautiful. Both Heaton and Mayfield get their antelope, and all but two of the 34 participating women come away with a kill.


One first-time hunter says she can't wait to teach her son how to hunt.


Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/10/18/236366868/enthusiasts-encourage-more-women-to-give-hunting-a-shot?ft=1&f=1055
Category: Tom Foley   abigail breslin   Desiree And Chris   Flossie   Alfonso Soriano  

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Investors heart GOOGLE, king of post-PC world -- MS ships RDP for iOS and Android -- POGUE pans WINDOWS 8.1 -- OBAMACARE website: Testing? What testing?


October 18, 2013 06:00 PDT | 09:00 EDT | 13:00 UTC


Not a TechBrief subscriber? Sign up for a free subscription.


>> DRIVING THE DAY: Google beats expectations, posts $10.74 EPS on revenue of $14.9 billion in Q3, by Brad Reed: "The $14.9 billion in revenue represented a 12% year-over-year increase from the revenue the company posted in the third quarter of 2012. One of the few negatives for Google on the quarter was that its cost-per-click -- a key metric used to determine how much money Google can charge for advertisements -- deceased by 8% year-over-year in Q3 2013. The company also posted some bad news from its Motorola Mobility segment, which saw its revenues decline from $1.78 billion in Q3 2012 to just $1.18 billion in Q2 2013 while posting a $248 million loss on the quarter." BGR
>>>> Google shares jump $53 after strong results, adding $17B in value VentureBeat
>>>> Google flies high -- but Motorola sinks further InfoWorld 
>>>> YouTube traffic from mobile devices nearing 50% CITEworld
>>>> Google's infrastructure spending skyrockets to $2.3B in third quarter GigaOM
>>>> Google Nexus 5 listing appears in the Play Store, teases 16GB for $349 Engadget


>> ROTTEN TOMATOES: Reconciling two worlds with Windows 8.1, by David Pogue: "The more you work with Windows 8, the more screamingly obvious the solution becomes: Split it up. Offer regular Windows on regular computers, offer TileWorld on tablets. That way, everyone has to learn only one operating system, and each operating system is suited to its task." NY Times (paywalled)
>>>> "Dear David Pogue, what a classic Pogue piece. Funny, inaccurate, opinionated in the skewed way only you can bring." Tweet from Microsoft PR head Frank X. Shaw
>>>> "What a classic @fxshaw tweet. Acerbic, vague, and insulting in the superior way only he can bring. (@nytimes @Pogue)" Kevin Fox
>>>> Windows 8.1 is the first rough draft of 'One Microsoft' Time
>>>> Users hit by Blue Screen, 0xC1900101 - 0x40017 error with Windows 8.1 update InfoWorld


>> PRO TIP: Want Office on your iPad or Android tablet? Try Microsoft's new Remote Desktop app for iOS, by Kevin Tofel: "Until Microsoft releases a touch-optimized version of Office for iPad, the next best solution might be the new Remote Desktop app for iOS. Microsoft released the free software on Thursday for iOS and Android, allowing users to remotely connect and control a Windows PC from a phone or tablet. There are a number of uses for such a product but the first one that came to my mind was using Office on an iPad via the Remote Desktop client. Microsoft is working on a version of Office for Apple's tablet but there's no release date information yet available." GigaOM
>>>> Microsoft takes RDP to Android, iOS, but not Windows Phone ZDNet


>> OPEN SOURCE CLOUD: OpenStack Havana rolls out networking, orchestration, and metering upgrades, by Serdar Yegulalp: "OpenStack has generally become the way for an enterprise to create its own private cloud solution, but its sprawl and complexity have been daunting. Vendor interest in OpenStack hasn't necessarily translated into broader interest in the three years it's been around. And since most of the changes to OpenStack in Havana are incremental -- lots of little details here and there, as opposed to a few big game-changers -- the song remains mostly the same." InfoWorld


>> DEADPOOL: Lenovo approaches BlackBerry, by Dana Mattioli, Dana Cimilluca, Liz Hoffman: "A Lenovo purchase of BlackBerry would be one of the biggest and most noteworthy Chinese acquisitions of a Western company. It would again highlight the desire of companies in the world's second-largest economy to become bigger players in the West, where they stand to gain both industrial expertise and a wider array of products to sell their customers." Wall Street Journal (paywalled)
>>>> Lenovo will face obstacles in any BlackBerry deal Reuters


>> CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS: Infosys prepares U.S. settlement over visa use, as it faces new class action suit, by Patrick Thibodeau: "One of the largest users of H-1B visas, Infosys, is facing a federal class action discrimination lawsuit filed against it by four people, and may be close to reaching a potential multimillion dollar settlement with the U.S. government over allegations it misused visitor visas. In the class action suit, four IT and sales people broadly claim that Infosys, an India-based IT services provider, has a U.S., workforce that consists of 'roughly' 90% South Asian, primarily Indian, citizens." Computerworld


>> DEMOTIVATIONAL POSTER: Troubled Obamacare website wasn't tested until a week before launch, by Richard Pollack: "The root cause of the problems was a pivotal decision by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services officials to act as systems integrator, the central coordinator for the entire program. Usually this role is reserved for the prime information technology contractor.... As a result, full testing of the site was delayed until four to six days before the fateful Oct. 1 launch of the health care exchanges." Washington Examiner


>> Silk Road's main competitor shuts down indefinitely The Verge


>> The streak is over: Xbox 360 dethroned by PS3 after 32 months atop U.S. market GeekWire


>> Samsung set-top box uses mediocre Smart TV software to compete with Roku, Apple TV The Verge


>> AMD reports Q3 profit after reducing reliance on PCs Computerworld


>> E-Loan specialist Wonga buys BillPay, the PayPal of Germany, to move deeper into payments TechCrunch


>> The 'good enough' mobile app is on the rise -- but develop with caution InfoWorld


>> AT&T announces $5 tablet day passes, deal to power Tesla's in-car wireless AllThingsD


>> Programmers at Juniper -- not Google or Facebook -- rake in the most dough PCWorld


>> Where it makes sense to avoid the cloud InfoWorld


>> What's driving the Internet of things? GigaOM


>> Really? Java developers love writing non-Java InfoWorld


>> Algorithms for the traveling salesperson problem Peter Norvig


>> TWEET O' THE DAY: "Google has around one billion users. You're one of them. So *you* create about $60 of revenue and $12 of profit for them annually. Fun fact." @mikko


FEED ME, SEYMOUR: Comments? Questions? Tips? Shoot mail to Trent or Woody. Follow @gegax or @woodyleonhard.


Pass it on. Tweet us!


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Source: http://images.infoworld.com/t/technology-business/investors-heart-google-king-of-post-pc-world-ms-ships-rdp-ios-and-android-pogue-pans-windows-81-obamaca?source=rss_business_intelligence
Tags: Bosses Day 2013   steelers   floyd mayweather   Sons Of Anarchy Season 6   Karen Black  

Don't even bother trying to upgrade to Windows RT 8.1 today


windows rt 8.1


If you're one of the few people who own a Windows RT tablet (don't all raise your hands at once, now), you just got a chunk of your Saturday back. Citing a "situation affecting a limited number of users updating their Windows RT devices to Windows RT 8.1," Microsoft has pulled the upgrade from the Windows Store. The company hasn't supplied an explanation, though various sources cite boot configuration issues that can cause the update to fail. Microsoft says it is "working to resolve the situation as quickly" and "will provide updates as they become available."
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/19/dont-bother-trying-to-upgrade-to-windows-rt-8-1-today/?ncid=rss_truncated
Category: Avril Lavigne   yosemite national park   detroit lions   heidi klum   Nexus 7  

Les News, 101413



Macaulay Surfaces, Madonna Banned, McGowan Marries





  • • Pizza cocktails are now a thing. [Buzzfeed]

  • Cheyenne Jackson shows off his new boyfriend. [Queerty]

  • Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds make their way to New Orleans. [PopSugar]

  • Macaulay Culkin shows up at NY Comic-Con. [GossipCop]

  • Kellan Lutz is the new Hercules. [Towleroad]

  • • Everthing’s Eventual. [Oh La La]

  • Madonna banned from a movie theater for texting. [Newser]

  • • This is what Bob Costas thinks of the Washington Redskins name. [Heavy]

  • The Wanted release a new music video. [Idolator]

  • Rose McGowan got hitched. [Starpulse]

  • Naya Rivera is lookin’ for the perfect wedding dress. [Global Grind]

  • • Now Zac Efron is hanging with Lily Collins. [LaineyGossip]

  • Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live) is 26, Usher is 35, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks is 39, Karyn White is 48, Lori Petty (Tank Girl, A League of Their Own) is 50, Thomas Dolby is 55, Greg Evigan (My Two Dads, B.J. and the Bear) is 60 and Roger Moore is 86 years old. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.




Source: http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2013-10-14/les-news-101413
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The President's Brilliant Pivot


That quote, from Sun Tzu’s ancient Chinese treatise “The Art of War,” perfectly captures President Obama’s strategic victory over Tea Party members of Congress on the government shutdown and the debt ceiling debate. It also explains his immediate pivot to another topic that Tea Partyers hate and over which their obstinacy is likely to get the party hammered again: comprehensive immigration reform. This is a brilliant tactical move on the president’s part. And Republicans know it. As the G.O.P. was nearing its moment of collapse on the shutdown and debt ceiling, Representative Raúl Labrador, Republican of Idaho, said, “I think it’d be crazy for the House Republican leadership to enter into negotiations with him on immigration.” He continued: “And I’m a proponent of immigration reform. So I think what he’s done over the last two and a half weeks — he’s trying to destroy the Republican Party. And I think that anything we do right now with this president on immigration will be with that same goal in mind: which is to try to destroy the Republican Party and not to get good policies.”






Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/10/19/the_president039s_brilliant_pivot_318189.html
Category: dodgers   Mexico vs Panama   Spring High School   Electric Zoo   david ortiz  

Reporter Glenn Greenwald, eBay Founder Forming New Venture





Reporter Glenn Greenwald, who became famous reporting on NSA contractor Edward Snowden's disclosure of the NSA's government surveillance programs, is leaving the Guardian to form a new media company with eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.



Vincent Yu/AP

Glenn Greenwald, the reporter and blogger who broke the story on the National Security Agency's massive surveillance program, is leaving Britain's Guardian newspaper to join a new media venture.


Reuters reported Wednesday that the project will be funded by billionaire philanthropist Pierre Omidyar. The 46-year-old Omidyar founded auction site eBay in 1995 and became a billionaire at the age of 31 during the site's 1998 initial public offering.


Forbes estimates Omidyar's net worth at $8.5 billion. He has funded journalism projects before through his Omidyar Network, a "philanthropic investment firm" he runs with his wife, Pamela.


However, in a conversation with NYU's Jay Rosen on Tuesday, Omidyar revealed that the new venture will be funded outside of his philanthropy and with his own personal investment. He also said that there is no print product involved and it is an all-digital, for-profit news venture. It will also not be a niche product and will cover sports, business, entertainment and technology.


The news site, he said, will be based on a "personal franchise model." In essence it appears the goal is to seek out more journalists like Greenwald who "have their own reputations, deep subject matter expertise, clear points of view, an independent and outsider spirit, a dedicated online following, and their own way of working."


In a statement posted on the Omidyar Group site, he said: "I want to find ways to convert mainstream readers into engaged citizens. I think there's more that can be done in this space, and I'm eager to explore the possibilities."


The initial news of Greenwald's departure and the new media site was first reported on Tuesday by Buzzfeed. In an ironic twist, the news was leaked early, before Greenwald and Omidyar were prepared to announce it, so further details were not provided at the time.


Guardian spokeswoman Jennifer Lindauer said they were "disappointed" to lose Greenwald, but that they were leaving on good terms and considered him "a remarkable journalist."


Greenwald posted this statement on his blog on Tuesday:




"My partnership with the Guardian has been extremely fruitful and fulfilling: I have high regard for the editors and journalists with whom I worked and am incredibly proud of what we achieved.


"The decision to leave was not an easy one, but I was presented with a once-in-a-career dream journalistic opportunity that no journalist could possibly decline."




The new site also sought to hire Laura Poitras, reports the Washington Post, the filmmaker who was instrumental in linking former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to Greenwald and Barton Gellman of The Washington Post.


Greenwald told Buzzfeed in August that he and Poitras will continue to be the only two people with full access to the documents provided by Snowden.


Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/16/235509247/reporter-glenn-greenwald-ebay-founder-forming-new-venture?ft=1&f=1006
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Review: 3 PhoneGap toolkits tame mobile app development


October 16, 2013







Review: 3 PhoneGap toolkits tame mobile app development

Credit: iStockphoto



The very first road to the various app stores from Apple and Google was paved with native code. If you wanted to write for iOS, you learned Objective-C. If you wanted to tackle Android, Java was the only way. Similar issues popped up with all the other smaller players in the smartphone market.


Then some clever developers came to a realization: All the smartphones offered a nice option for displaying HTML in a rectangle on the screen. You have to write a bit of native code that pops up this rectangle in the native language, but everything inside the rectangle is controlled by the same languages that control the browser.


[ How are your HTML and JavaScript skills? Find out in InfoWorld's JavaScript IQ test and HTML5 IQ test. | Get up to speed on all the tips and trends programmers need to know by downloading the Developers' Survival Guide. | Keep up with the latest developer news with InfoWorld's Developer World newsletter. ]


Many developers immediately recognized the beauty of this. They wrote a generic native app with one big rectangle that took over the screen, then they handed off control to the JavaScript team. The result could run on all smartphones with only a few minor changes. Not only that, but the developers could use their JavaScript and HTML chops without learning too many details of the various platforms.


The early years weren't kind to this vision. Apple reacted harshly and banned some HTML apps from the App Store. Developers quickly found they couldn't get too creative with the JavaScript or the HTML before the phone started hiccuping and coughing. The HTML-based apps were often rougher and less polished than their native cousins.


That started changing several years ago. Apple relented and recognized that HTML was not dangerous. Then the hardware got faster, smoothing over many glitches. Today, some of the HTML-based apps I've been writing perform just as well as native apps -- and they're much easier to port.


Now these toolkits are being combined with cloud-based services that add cross-platform builds and app distribution to the mix. The leader of the movement, a once open source project named PhoneGap, is running strong and attracting competition from AppGyver, a startup that wants to make it all even easier. In the meantime, Telerik Icenium is evolving along a parallel path and offering a strong collection of development tools and UI widgets sewn together with JavaScript and HTML. All these tools open up the world of apps to developers who already are skilled in building Web applications.





Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/application-development/review-3-phonegap-toolkits-tame-mobile-app-development-228814?source=rss_infoworld_test_center_articles
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Why Scientists Are Trying Viruses To Beat Back Bacteria





Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that causes severe diarrhea, can be difficult to treat with antibiotics.



Stefan Hyman/University of Leicester


Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that causes severe diarrhea, can be difficult to treat with antibiotics.


Stefan Hyman/University of Leicester


Not all viruses are bad for us. Some of them might even help up us fight off bacterial infections someday.


Naturally occurring viruses called bacteriophages attack specific types of bacteria. So researchers at the University of Leicester decided to try and take advantage of phages' bacteria-destroying powers to treat infections with Clostridium difficile, a germ that that can cause severe diarrhea and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.


Over the last six years, microbiologist Martha Clokie has isolated hundreds of phages that can kill various strains of C. difficile. Now her lab has teamed up with the pharmaceutical company AmpliPhi to try and turn phages into a product, perhaps a pill, that could be used in humans.


There's no guarantee the approach will work, and so far it hasn't been put to a rigorous test in humans infected with C. difficile. Still, there are some good reasons to check it out.


C. difficile is difficult to treat with antibiotics and is resistant to many of them. Another problem is that the germ often strikes when people take antibiotics to treat other infections. The antibiotics kill good bacteria along with the bad, weakening the gut's defenses against C. diff.


Doctors are using fecal transplants and synthetic poop as possible solutions. But Clokie says that phages could be a useful alternative. "We're simply harnessing the natural enemy of the bacteria," she tells Shots.


Unlike bacteria, Clokie says, phages are very specific about what they attack—right down to the sub-species. In fact, a single phage wouldn't be able to take on all the strains of C. difficle. So Clokie is working to develop a cocktail of viruses that would be able to kill the most common strains.


While the bacteria can evolve and try to outsmart the viruses, the viruses can do the same, Clokie says. They've been involved in this arms race for thousands of years.


As long as they can come up with the right cocktail, there's a very good chance that this phage therapy could work, according to Tim Lu, an associate professor of bioengineering at MIT. "If you know what you want to kill, it's kind of like a silver bullet targeting that bacteria," he tells Shots.



And delivering the phages to a person's gut shouldn't be a challenge, Lu says.


Phages are already approved for use in meat and poultry production. Manufacturers sometimes spray food with phages that target listeria, a common food-borne bacterium.


But using phage therapy in humans is a bit more complicated. "Phages were discovered before antibiotics came around," Lu says. And they've been used in humans, he says. But the problem is, they have yet to be tested in well-controlled clinical trials.


There's also the question of intellectual property. Phages are naturally occurring, and therefore they're difficult to patent, which could discourage pharmaceutical companies.


Ultimately, Lu says, "The science is real." The stuff does work. But, he says, "It's a change in the way we think about treating infections, I think that's the biggest hurdle in a way."


Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/10/18/237080008/why-scientists-are-trying-viruses-to-beat-back-bacteria?ft=1&f=1019
Related Topics: Rashad Johnson   2013 Emmy Winners   Yom Kippur 2013   lollapalooza   Aaron Paul  

Friday, October 18, 2013

Guggenheim Partners to Bankroll Beverly Hilton's Transformation (Exclusive)


This story first appeared in the Oct. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.



One of the biggest on-again, off-again real estate deals in Los Angeles is back on in a big way. 


The Beverly Hilton Hotel, opened by Conrad Hilton in 1953, has played backdrop to a host of Hollywood highs and lows (Esther Williams gave swimming lessons to the visually impaired; Whitney Houston drowned in a bathtub there in 2012). Now, the plan to turn the 569-room hotel into the West Coast's first Waldorf Astoria is picking up steam. Guggenheim Partners (THR's parent company) will be lead investor and co-developer on the project, which starts construction in 2014 and won't be completed for "several years," according to one commercial real estate expert.


PHOTOS: Exclusive Photos of Beverly Hills Hotel's New Pool 


The enterprise originally was proposed in 2006 by Hilton Worldwide, which owns the Waldorf Astoria brand, as a $500 million development that would demolish the existing hotel's main tower and replace it with a 170-room, 12-story Waldorf Astoria, as well as two separate luxury condo buildings. The plan was approved by the Beverly Hills City Council, but progress ground to a halt when the recession hit.


The hotel's current owner is Beny Alagem, co-founder of Packard Bell Electronics and CEO of Oasis West Realty LLC, which purchased the 8.9-acre property in 2003 from Merv Griffin, who had owned it since 1987. A spokesperson for Oasis West declined comment.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/business/~3/tB6_Myjb3-s/story01.htm
Tags: 12 Years a Slave   notre dame football   Galaxy Note 3   justin timberlake   Deanna Burditt  

Ramirez, Jay Not In Lineups For Game 6 Of NLCS


ST. LOUIS (AP) — Hanley Ramirez was not in the Los Angeles Dodgers starting lineup for Game 6 of the NL championship series Friday night, hindered by a rib injury sustained when he was hit by a pitch in the series opener.


Jon Jay, slumping at the field and at the plate, was not in the St. Louis Cardinals' batting order against Clayton Kershaw. St. Louis led the best-of-seven series 3-2.


Manager Mike Matheny noted he often loads his lineup with right-handed hitters against difficult lefties. Although the Cardinals were 3-0 in three starts against Kershaw coming in, they were just 19-23 against left-handers.


Kershaw held left-handed hitters to a .165 average in the regular season. He allowed an unearned run over six innings in a 1-0 Game 1 loss.


"It's no secret how effective Kershaw has been against left-handed hitters and he's a tough assignment," Matheny said. "Sometimes you can put another piece in there and hopefully get a little jump."


Manager Don Mattingly had been optimistic a day earlier that Ramirez would be ready with a day off to heal. Nick Punto was down to bat eighth and play shortstop for the Dodgers.


Mattingly said it was possible Ramirez would be available to pinch hit. He had anticipated Ramirez batting cleanup, but moved Yasiel Puig into that slot.


"I expected he'd be a little better," Mattingly said. "Maybe with the lack of activity it's gotten stiffer and tighter. He feels worse today than he did yesterday."


Shane Robinson got his first start of the postseason in place of Jay, batting seventh and playing center field. Robinson's pinch homer in Game 4 was his first hit of this postseason and Matheny noted "he plays a plus defense."


Jay was batting .176 (3 for 17) in the NLCS. He failed to take charge on a catchable fly ball by Mark Ellis and the ball fell in for a double that keyed the Dodgers' go-ahead rally in Game 3.


Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=237196660&ft=1&f=
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