Urban renewal? Big U.S. cities showing strong growth

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Urban renewal? New census estimates show that most of the nation's largest cities further enhanced their allure last year, posting strong population growth for a second straight year.

Big cities surpassed the rate of growth of their surrounding suburbs at an even faster clip, a sign of America's continuing preference for urban living after the economic downturn quelled enthusiasm for less-crowded expanses.

Farther-out suburbs known as exurbs saw their growth slip to 0.35 percent, the lowest in more than a decade.

Economists generally had played down the recent city boom as an aberration, predicting that young adults in the recovering economy would soon be back on the move after years of staying put in big cities. But the widening gains for cities in 2012 indicate that young people ? as well as would-be retirees seeking quieter locales ? are playing it safe for a while longer in dense urban cores, where jobs may be easier to find and keep.

Prior to 2011, suburbs had consistently outpaced big cities since 1920, with the rise of the automobile.

The new census estimates are a snapshot of population growth as of July 2012. The Associated Press sought additional analysis from William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, and Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire.

Cities with booming regional economies continue to see the biggest gains ? from Seattle and San Francisco to Austin, Texas, Raleigh, N.C., and Washington, D.C., locales seeing a burst of new apartment construction.

"Cities have become more appealing to young people, with more things to do and places to see," said Mark Obrinsky, chief economist at the National Multi Housing Council, a Washington-based trade group. "Many of the cities are committing themselves to regrowth and development, and in newer cities like Dallas we're beginning to see new restaurants, bars and apartments in the downtown areas that put it a bit closer to being a 24-hour city."

He noted that the division between city and suburbs is blurring, too. There's no longer a clear line between an economic center where people work and suburban bedroom communities. Both can be home to major companies and residences.

Census data show that many closer-in suburbs linked to a city with public transit or well-developed roadways are benefiting from strong city growth, while far-flung areas near the metropolitan edge are fizzling after heady growth during the mid-decade housing boom.

Suburbs in the South and West also are seeing some gains, such as those around Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Jacksonville, Fla.

New Orleans, which saw its population shrivel in the mid-2000s after Hurricane Katrina, continued to post the biggest increase in city growth relative to suburbs in the past year ? 2.5 percent vs. 0.6 percent. Atlanta, Richmond, Va., Denver, Boston and Charlotte, N.C., also showed wide disparities between city and suburbs.

Other big cities showing faster growth compared with the previous year include Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco and Columbus, Ohio.

In all, primary cities in large metropolitan areas with populations of more than 1 million grew by 1.12 percent last year, compared with 0.97 percent in surrounding suburbs. In 2011, the gap between city and suburb growth was narrower ? 1.03 percent vs. 0.96 percent.

During the mid-decade housing boom, city growth had come to a standstill, while exurban growth rose by 2 percent, as the wide availability of low-interest mortgages pushed new residential development outward.

"The country has been exposed to a very difficult five years, and many people are reluctant to take chances," said Johnson, the University of New Hampshire demographer. "Marriages are still down, births are still down. Economists may say that the recession is over, but the recovery has not yet been fully reflected in demographic trends."

Other findings:

?New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Boston each grew faster between 2010 and 2012 than they did annually between 2000 and 2010.

?Texas continued to be the big population winner, accounting for eight of the 15 fastest-growing cities with populations of 50,000 or more from 2011-2012.

?New York remained the nation's most populous city, at 8.3 million, with the rest of the top 10 unchanged. Austin, Texas, moved up from 13th to 11th, supplanting Jacksonville, Fla.; Indianapolis slipped from 12th to 13th.

___

Online: www.census.gov

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/urban-renewal-big-us-cities-showing-strong-growth-040147793.html

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Practice Fusion Continues To Reach Beyond Digital Health Records, Adds Free Expense Tracking To New Booking Engine

Practice Fusion has made a name for itself over the past few years by tapping into enormous demand for digital health information -- particularly health records. From its inception in 2005, the startup has been on a mission to disrupt the slow-moving, archaic world of Healthcare IT by providing a free, web-based electronic medical records (EMR) platform to doctors and their practices.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/AX915sPTGQk/

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Survivors pulled from Oklahoma tornado debris as toll falls

By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson

MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Emergency workers pulled more than 100 survivors from the rubble of homes, schools and a hospital in an Oklahoma town hit by a powerful tornado, and officials lowered the death toll from the storm to 24, including nine children.

The 2-mile (3-km) wide tornado tore through Moore outside Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon, trapping victims beneath the rubble, wiping out entire neighborhoods and tossing vehicles about as if they were toys.

About 237 people were injured and Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said the death toll could rise from the deadliest tornado to hit the United States in two years.

"There may have been bodies that may have been taken to local funeral homes," Fallin said.

Seven of the nine children who were killed died at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which took a direct hit, but many more survived unhurt.

"They literally were lifting walls up and kids were coming out," Oklahoma State Police Sergeant Jeremy Lewis said. "They pulled kids out from under cinder blocks without a scratch on them."

The Oklahoma state medical examiner's office said 24 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage, down from the 51 they had reported earlier. The earlier number likely reflected some double-counted deaths, said Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer for the medical examiner.

"There was a lot of chaos," she said.

Thunderstorms and lightning slowed the rescue effort on Tuesday, but 101 people had been pulled from the debris alive, Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokeswoman Betsy Randolph said.

The National Guard, firefighters from more than a dozen fire departments and rescuers from other states worked all night under bright spotlights trying to find survivors in the town of 55,000 people.

Moore Fire Chief Gary Bird vowed at a news conference to search through every damaged building "at least three times," as authorities urged people to stay away from the area to allow rescue workers to complete the search.

AS LONG AS IT TAKES

President Barack Obama declared a major disaster area in Oklahoma, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local efforts in Moore after the deadliest U.S. tornado since 161 people were killed in Joplin, Missouri, two years ago.

"The people of Moore should know that their country will remain on the ground, there for them, beside them, as long as it takes," Obama said at the White House.

Glenn Lewis, the mayor of Moore, said the whole town looked like a debris field and there was a danger of electrocution and fire from downed power lines and broken natural gas lines.

"It looks like we have lost our hospital. I drove by there a while ago and it's pretty much destroyed," Lewis told NBC.

On Tuesday morning, a helicopter was circling overhead and thunder rumbled from a new storm as 35-year-old Moore resident Juan Dills and his family rummaged through the remains of what was once his mother's home. The foundation was laid bare, the roof ripped away and only one wall was still standing. They found a few family photo albums, but little else.

"We are still in shock," he said. "But we will come through. We're from Oklahoma."

National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center meteorologist Rick Smith said the storm was about 17 miles long with maximum wind speeds of about 190 miles per hour. On the Enhanced Fujita Scale it was ranked EF4, the second most powerful category of tornado.

Authorities warned the town 16 minutes before the tornado touched down just after 3 p.m., which is more than the average eight to 10 minutes of warning, said Keli Pirtle, a spokeswoman for the center.

The tornado cut a broad trail of destruction through the suburbs south of Oklahoma City, with the worst damage in Moore. The storm system threatened more twisters on Tuesday in several southern Plains states, especially northern and central Texas.

Shelters were opened for families who lost their homes and universities offered to house people.

FIVE SCHOOLS HIT

U.S. Representative Tom Cole, who lives in Moore, said the Plaza Towers school, one of five schools hit by the tornado, was the most secure and structurally strong building in the area.

"And so people did the right thing, but if you're in front of an F4 or an F5 there is no good thing to do if you're above ground. It's just tragic," he said on MSNBC-TV.

Miguel Macias and his wife, Veronica, had two children at the Plaza Towers school and found 8-year-old Ruby first after rescue workers carried the girl from the destruction. But their son, 6-year-old Angel, was nowhere to be found, said Brenda Ramon, pastor of the Faith Latino Church where the family are members.

Ramon and several congregation members spent hours helping the family search for Angel and calling area hospitals. The boy was finally located at a medical center in Oklahoma City about five hours after the tornado hit.

"It was heart-breaking," Ramon said. "We couldn't find him for hours." The boy had wounds to his face and head, but was not badly hurt, Ramon said. "Their little bodies are so resilient."

Survivors of the storm suffered injuries ranging from minor cuts and bruises to open wounds, impalements and open fractures, said Dr. Roxie M. Albrecht, the director of trauma and surgical critical care at the Oklahoma University Medical Center, which cared for 51 children and 35 adults.

Witnesses said Monday's tornado appeared more fierce than the giant twister that was among the dozens that tore up the area on May 3, 1999, killing more than 40 people and destroying thousands of homes. That tornado ranked as an EF5 tornado with wind speeds of more than 200 mph.

The 1999 tornado ranks as the third-costliest tornado in U.S. history, having caused more than $1 billion in damage at the time, or more than $1.3 billion in today's dollars. Only the devastating Joplin and Tuscaloosa tornadoes in 2011 were more costly.

Monday's tornado in Moore ranks among the most severe in the United States http://link.reuters.com/gec38t

Diana Tinnin, 60, was at home with her brother when the storm hit. Her three-bedroom ranch-style home had no basement, so they huddled in a bathtub. "I lost my house. Everything fell on top of us."

(Additional reporting by Alice Mannette, Lindsay Morris, Nick Carey, Brendan O'Brien and Greg McCune; Writing by Nick Carey, Jane Sutton and Claudia Parsons; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz and Grant McCool)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/monster-tornado-devastates-oklahoma-town-least-37-dead-010033332.html

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'Voice' coaches try to duck Shakira's rage

TV

Craig Berman TODAY contributor

7 hours ago

NBC

Shakira wasn't shy about defending her contestant against Adam Levine and Usher on Monday.

With just 10 singers left in the competition, the four coaches on ?The Voice? are fighting hard to keep their singers in the game. One of the new judges was especially strident in her defense of someone she thought might be in danger.

Kris Thomas, one of just two singers left on Team Shakira, got tepid reviews from both Adam Levine and Usher, and it?s no exaggeration to say that she found their lack of faith disturbing.

Adam spoke first and said Kris looked like he was thinking too much. Usher soon piled on: ?You were thinking a lot, but your voice is incredible. You can do anything.? He then turned to Shakira and said, ?I really think you could have chosen a better song.?

Shakira took exception. ?I honestly think that song was perfect for him. He showed us everything he's capable to do with his voice. Yeah, he might be a little bit nervous, but hey, give him a break.?

?The important thing about this show is that we?re all just covering the talent that?s here in America, not like, who?s got the strongest personality to not feel nerves at all. That?s impossible,? she continued.

?I didn?t say he was nervous!? Usher protested.

Shakira dismissed him with her hand. She was on too much of a roll to turn back. ?I just want to say one thing ... you have the sound that sets you apart from everyone in this competition," she told her hopeful. "You?re showing me and America why you?re still here in the competition.?

By this point, both Usher and Adam, who sit on either side of Shakira, had gotten out of their seats and were ducking under the armrests, as far from her righteous rage as possible.

?She?s fighting for her team. She?s fighting for you, Kris,? Carson Daly said.

Usher finally got up and moved to sit back down, and Shakira threw her pen at him. Good thing she didn?t have one of Blake Shelton?s special lattes, or he might be in the burn recovery unit at the local hospital today.

Oklahoma on their minds

The tornado that ripped through Oklahoma and killed dozens on Monday wasn?t far from anyone?s mind, and the events were particularly poignant for those on the show with local ties.

Blake was born in Ada, Okla., and still has family there. One of his three remaining acts, The Swon Brothers, are also Oklahomans. Both said that as far as they knew, their family and friends were safe.

?They?re going through hell there. I finally, when we went live here, finally had to set my phone down,? Blake said. ?It makes it hard to sit here and do this tonight, but we?ve got a job and my team is counting on me, so here I am.?

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/voice-coaches-try-duck-shakiras-rage-6C9995501

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Bacteria Never Looked So Beautiful

Think of bacteria, and you probably think of illness, infection, and other unpleasantries. But this picture shows that they have a beautiful side after all.

A contender in the Art of Science competition run by Princeton University, this picture depicts how the bacteria Myxococcus xanthus moves over time. To create it, Mingzhai Sun and Joshua Shaevitz recorded the paths that M. xanthus?social bacteria that move in packs to hunt prey?took over the course of four hours.

Each strand shows the journey of a particular pack of bacteria, and the color changes signify elapsed time?blue represents the start of the journey and red the end. You can see more competitiors in Princeton's Science as Art 2013 gallery. [Art of Science via New Scientist]

Image by Mingzhai Sun and Joshua Shaevitz/department of physics and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics/Princeton University Art of Science Competition

Source: http://gizmodo.com/bacteria-never-looked-so-beautiful-508834359

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Prenatal exposure to traffic is associated with respiratory infection in young children

May 20, 2013 ? Living near a major roadway during the prenatal period is associated with an increased risk of respiratory infection developing in children by the age of 3, according to a new study from researchers in Boston.

"The connection between in utero and early life cigarette smoke exposure and adverse infant respiratory outcomes is well-established, but the relation of prenatal ambient air pollution to risk of infant respiratory infection is less well-studied," said lead author Mary Rice, MD, a pulmonary and critical care fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "Our study extends previous findings by showing that proximity to a major roadway during the prenatal period is associated with increased risk of subsequent respiratory infection in children."

The study results will be presented at the ATS 2013 International Conference in Philadelphia.

The study included 1,271 mother-child pairs enrolled during the first trimester of pregnancy between 1999 and 2002 in Project Viva in eastern Massachusetts. The distance from home addresses to the nearest Federal class 1/2A ("major") roadway was calculated using geographic information system software. Respiratory infections were defined as maternal report of any doctor-diagnosed pneumonia, bronchiolitis, croup or other respiratory infection from birth until age 3.

Statistical analyses of the relationship between exposure to a major roadway and respiratory infection were adjusted for gender, birth weight, maternal education, household income, neighborhood income and education, maternal smoking during pregnancy, postnatal household smoking, breastfeeding, daycare attendance, presence of other young children in the household and season of birth. Of the 1,271 mother-child pairs studied, 6.4% lived less than 100 meters, 6.5% lived 100 to 200 meters, 33.7% lived 200 to less than 1000 meters and 53.4% lived 1,000 meters or more from a major roadway. By the age of 3, 678 (53.3%) of the children had had at least one doctor-diagnosed respiratory infection. After adjustment for possible confounders and risk factors for respiratory infection, children whose mothers lived less than 100 meters from a major roadway during pregnancy were 1.74 times as likely as those living 100 meters or more from a major roadway to have had a respiratory infection. Those living 100 to 200 meters from a major roadway were 1.49 times as likely to have had a respiratory infection.

"In our study, living in close proximity to a major roadway during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of respiratory infection in children, adding to the growing body of evidence linking exposure to traffic with adverse effects on health," said Dr. Rice. "Future research will need to clarify whether the apparent harmful postnatal effects of living close to a major road during pregnancy is due to air pollution from traffic or other exposures related to roads. We plan to further explore this connection using a measure of black carbon, a component of traffic-related air pollution. Using black carbon measures, we also plan to disentangle the associations of pre- vs postnatal air pollution exposures with respiratory infection in early life."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/m5GcSR10byk/130520142747.htm

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Sprint receives SoftBank waiver to consider Dish offer

By Mari Saito

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp said its Japanese suitor SoftBank Corp granted it a waiver allowing it to consider a $25.5 billion rival bid by Dish Network Corp, as pressure mounts on SoftBank to sweeten its offer for the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier.

Sprint said its recommendation in favor of the SoftBank agreement had not changed, although some major Sprint shareholders including Paulson & Co and Omega Advisors have publicly said the Dish offer looks better than SoftBank's deal.

SoftBank, which agreed last October to pay $20.1 billion for a 70 percent stake in Sprint, said it was confident its bid would prevail. It also announced in a separate filing on Tuesday that it would issue 400 billion yen ($3.9 billion) in bonds in June, the largest issuance ever by a non-financial Japanese company, to help pay for the Sprint deal.

Softbank President Masayoshi Son and Dish's billionaire founder Charlie Ergen are fighting a public battle for control of Sprint after Dish offered to trump the Japanese firm's bid last month.

Son traveled to the United States this month to sell his offer to Sprint shareholders.

The waiver from SoftBank on various provisions of their merger agreement, filed in New York on Monday, permits Sprint and its representatives to furnish Dish with non-public information and to engage in negotiations on Dish's offer.

On April 30, SoftBank waived some terms of its Sprint agreement so Sprint could seek more info from Dish but said at the time that the waiver did not allow Sprint to disclose non-public information or to negotiate with Dish.

DUE DILIGENCE

SoftBank had come under pressure to grant the waivers and to consider improving its bid with some major Sprint shareholders continuing to show support for Dish's offer.

Sprint said on Monday it "has not determined that the Dish proposal in fact constitutes a superior offer under the existing merger agreement (with SoftBank)." It added that there could be no assurance the Dish proposal would ultimately lead to a superior offer. Sprint has set a shareholder meeting for June 12 to vote on the SoftBank proposal.

Dish said it welcomed the waiver, which will allow full due diligence with Sprint. "We remain confident that this process will confirm the superiority of our proposal," Dish's Ergen said in a statement.

Dish is working with Barclays Plc, Macquarie Group, Jefferies and the Royal Bank of Canada to help finance around $9 billion in debt needed for its offer.

SoftBank's Son has said Dish would cripple Sprint with debt and is ill-prepared to run a wireless service. Son ruled out raising its bid for Sprint earlier this month.

The Japanese company raised $3.3 billion last month in a dual-tranche bond issued in dollars and euros to help fund the planned Sprint acquisition. It also issued 300 billion yen in bonds to retail investors in March.

SoftBank said on Monday it remained committed to completing its transaction on the terms previously disclosed and expected the deal to close on July 1 or as soon as possible thereafter.

SoftBank shares fell 3.3 percent to 5,880 yen in Tuesday afternoon trade, compared with a 0.1 percent fall in Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei. Its shares have more than doubled since news emerged of its bid for Sprint, compared with the Nikkei's 80 percent rise.

($1 = 102.4650 Japanese yen)

(Additional reporting by Chris Peters and Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore, Ben Berkowitz in New York and Naoyuki Katayama in Tokyo; Editing by Stephen Coates and Edmund Klamann)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sprint-gets-waiver-softbank-permitting-discussions-dish-010741743.html

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Tornadoes slam Kansas, Oklahoma

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) ? A powerful storm system rumbled through the Plains and upper Midwest on Sunday, spawning tornadoes that damaged homes and buildings near Oklahoma City and put the Tulsa area on high-alert.

There were no immediate reports of injuries caused by any of the tornadoes that touched down in Oklahoma and Kansas, including one that hit the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond before moving northeast toward Tulsa, 90 miles to the northeast.

For days, forecasters had been warning about the possibility of tornadoes from a weekend storm, and emergency responders as far north as Minnesota and as far south as Texas were keeping a close eye on the powerful system pushing eastward and northward through the nation's breadbasket.

"I knew it was coming," said Randy Grau, who huddled with his wife and two young boys in their Edmond's home's safe room when the tornado hit. He said he peered out his window as the weather worsened and believed he saw a flock of birds heading down the street.

"Then I realized it was swirling debris. That's when we shut the door of the safe room, said Grau, adding that they sheltered in the room for 10 minutes.

In Wichita, Kan., a tornado touched down near Mid-Content Airport on the city's southwest side shortly before 4 p.m., knocking out power to 7,500 homes and businesses but bypassing the most populated areas of Kansas' biggest city.

"At this point, there are very few reports of damage and no reports of fatalities or injuries, and we're very grateful for that," said Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Randy Duncan.

In Oklahoma, aerial television news footage showed homes that appeared to have suffered significant damage northeast of Oklahoma City. Some outbuildings appeared to have been leveled, and some homes' roofs or walls had been knocked down.

"When I first drove into the neighborhood, I didn't see any major damage until I pulled into the front of my house," said Csabe Mathe, of Edmond, who found a part of his neighbor's fence in his swimming pool. "My reaction was: I hope insurance pays for the cleaning."

"I typically have two trash cans, and now I have five in my driveway."

The Storm Prediction Center had been warning about severe weather in the region since Wednesday, and on Friday, it zeroed in on Sunday as the day the storm system would likely pass through.

"They've been calling for this all day," Edmond resident Anita Wright said after riding out the twister in an underground shelter. She and her husband Ed emerged from their hiding place to find uprooted trees, downed limbs and damaged gutters in their home.

In Katie Leathers' backyard, the family's trampoline was tossed through a section of fence and a giant tree uprooted.

"I saw all the trees waving, and that's when I grabbed everyone and got into two closets," Leathers said. "All these trees just snapped."

___

Associated Press writer Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Mo., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tornadoes-hit-kan-okla-no-injuries-reported-215334959.html

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Wild, wild Web: Shocking world of online classifieds

>>> a look at online classified , they can be convenient but they can be shady and shocking. "dateline"'s chris hansen has more of his hidden camera look at the wild, wild web.

>> unbelievable from hitmen to sweetheart swindles to people selling bad drugs online we found it all. take a look. we're back in the online classifies, and this time you won't believe what we found. are you a vampire?

>> yes, i am a vampire.

>> this man posted seeking human blood so he could drink it. when was the first time you consumed human blood ? here's an ad from someone calling himself the problem eliminator.

>> i'm all set. we're ready to go.

>> promising he'll take care of a nasty co-worker to are a fee. are you a hitman? then there was jessica , who posted this listing on craigslist saying she's looking for love. she'd be a great catch for any young man, except she says she doesn't want a young man. she wants an old man.

>> i'm a 35-year-old woman looking for love from an older man at least in his 70s.

>> is she for real? a "dateline" senior producer pretends to be a 76-year-old named sam .

>> i want to enjoy life a little.

>> reporter: she tells sam her name is jessica travers and she says she wants to start a new life with him if he wires $7,500.

>> i got some savings.

>> sam says his nephew is delivering the money and that is a "dateline" producer and i comment along as his friend and here comes jessica now.

>> how are you?

>> nice to meet you. i'm jessica .

>> jessica , really? she says sam has already charmed her, even though she has never even seen a photo of him.

>> he makes me laugh, i haven't smiled since god knows what.

>> i ask her why she looks nothing like the photo she posted. that's not really you, is it?

>> no, that was me when i was in high school .

>> in high school ?

>> yes.

>> it's time for me to tell jessica who i am. jessica , there's something i need to tell you and that is i'm chris hansen with "dateline" nbc. everybody changes over the years, i'm not being disrespectful but i don't think that's you.

>> that was me in high school .

>> what year did you graduate from high school ?

>> i stood back a couple of years, so i don't remember the exact date.

>> you don't remember the year you graduated from high school ?

>> no.

>> jessica .

>> i don't remember the exact year.

>> how could you not? everybody knows the year they graduate from high school . jessica has not stayed to finish her lunch, so who was that woman in the photo jessica posted?

>> it's embarrassing.

>> her name is kara mckinnett a college freshman we tracked down in maine.

>> i feel absolutely violated. it's my own personal identity and i feel like that's been taken from me.

>> as it turns out, jessica stole kara's photo from her facebook page. they were friends in high school , the class of 2012 . and that's just the tip of the iceberg . tonight at 8:00 eastern, 7:00 central you'll see all kinds of things that will blow your mind .

>> thank you, chris, we appreciate that, look forward to it and as chris mentioned see his report on dateline 8:00, 7:00 central on nbc.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2c2872b9/l/0Lvideo0Btoday0Bmsnbc0Bmsn0N0Cid0C51914968/story01.htm

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Investigators seek cause of New York commuter train crash

By Greg McCune

(Reuters) - Federal investigators on Saturday searched for the cause of a rush-hour train crash in Connecticut that injured dozens of people commuting home from New York City, three of them critically.

More than 60 people were hospitalized Friday night after an eastbound commuter train derailed and collided with a westbound passenger train near the Connecticut suburb of Fairfield.

Eight people remained hospitalized on Saturday, three in critical condition, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said.

The collision of the Metro North trains forced Amtrak to shut down service indefinitely between New York and Boston.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived at the scene on Saturday to determine the cause. There had been construction and repair work going on in the area and one question was whether debris was on the track.

"They can't rule anything out," said Malloy, adding that he wanted investigators to complete their work as quickly as possible so the busy commuter rail line could be reopened.

The eastbound train was headed to New Haven, Connecticut, when it collided with the train bound for New York's Grand Central Station.

Metro North is a commuter railroad serving the northern suburbs of New York City. It is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a New York State agency. Fairfield is about 50 miles north of New York City.

The rail line serves a major corridor between Boston and New York and thousands of commuters use it every business day.

(Reporting by Karen Brooks and David Bailey; Writing by Greg McCune; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/least-20-hurt-two-trains-collide-connecticut-000707516.html

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Obama takes Cabinet secretaries out to play golf

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama has taken two Cabinet secretaries out for a round of golf ? in the rain.

The White House said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (seh-BEEL'-yuhs) and outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined the president Saturday at Andrews Air Force Base. LaHood is running the Transportation Department until the Senate confirms Obama's choice of Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx as successor.

Reporters saw Sebelius climb into the president's SUV before the motorcade left the White House. She's overseeing the president's health care law.

Before he got into the vehicle, Obama looked up at the grey sky with an outstretched hand. A steady rain was falling by the time he arrived about a half hour later.

White House assistant chef Sam Kass completes the foursome.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-takes-cabinet-secretaries-play-golf-165709657.html

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Team RM Relationships East ? Blog Archive ? Greatest Male ...

Whenever a man participates in a sexual practice, he is usually concerned if they can give their partner probably the most pleasurable experience, to the point that they contemplate using some of the greatest penile enhancement methods that are offered right this moment. But , shouldn? big t you think about your own pleasure too? If you are a guy who is going to experience and give pleasure simultaneously, listed below are several positions that will surely be helpful in this aspect.

Cowgirl position can give you each with maximum sexual penetration, which means excellent sex for the both of you. Most of the work will be done by your partner, although you can always give the woman some hand. You may be considering the luxury of just lying on your as well as watch the woman. If she gets timid about the woman physique, you are able to suggest the reverse cowgirl. It will eventually give great feelings without making your lover feel as she actually is too revealed.

Most of the men have that primal desire of thrusting deeply when having sexual intercourse, yet you will find not many roles that really allow them to do it, which is why some many men left with the sentiments as if they suffer from erection dysfunction. Several positions involve having your woman bend over a furniture piece, which in turn gives you an opportunity of having full penetration. You will have great space between her hip and legs, with her buttocks up, meaning that you are able to thrust really heavy without having to worry of getting her harm.

The two of you will also be able to be pleasured simultaneously with all the inverted rear position. Here, you will only need to lie down in your back, with her lying in your top, dealing with the ceiling. Possess her in a corrected straddle by spreading the woman legs. Her flexibility might be limited however yours won? big t be. In this particular sex position, you can pushed even deeper. When she finds it hard to balance, just hold her firmly on her upper thighs.

At the same time, full mast will need a limber partner in order for it to be accomplished. Ask your partner to lay down on her back again, then raise each her legs to eighty degree position with regards to her body. Kneel before your partner the place the woman legs against your chest while you hold they are all. Additionally it is the best penile enhancement positions while you will be provided tighter action, with her thighs being together.

With regard to lotus position, the majority of the work are going to be made by your partner. Take a seat on the bed or floor with legs entered then pull her in your lap. You may be straddled from your partner with the woman legs wrapped around your waistline.

In the event you watch adult, should you have some concept as to how the dog style sexual intercourse is being carried out. This position is dominated by the can make, not to mention that working from this position is also pretty easy. Here, you can have all the chances of heavy penetration, with increased chances of resulting in an orgasm without necessity for a lot work.

Although the said positions focus more on giving optimum pleasure to males with the best penile enhancement, you happen to be surely still concerned if your partner is also experiencing satisfaction. This is one of the primary concerns of majority of men alts?. The said roles will let you have yourself pleasured whilst you also focus on ways to pleasure your partner.

Source: http://teamrmeast.com/best-male-enhancement-sex-positions-to-pleasure-both-you-and-your-partner/

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Milwaukee bra ban is lifted after publicity campaign

Milwaukee bra ban: A Milwaukee city inspector cited a bowling alley and bar for hanging dozens of bras from the ceiling as a fire hazard. But the owner used publicity to get the bra ban lifted.

By Carrie Antlfinger,?Associated Press / May 18, 2013

Marcy Skowronski, 87, sorts a pile of bras that used hang from the ceiling of her bar and bowling alley, Holler House, in Milwaukee. The city told her recently they were a fire hazard and ordered them to be taken down but later backed down.

(AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)

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A historic Milwaukee bowling alley and bar almost went without the appropriate support after a city inspector decided dozens of bras hanging from its ceiling were a fire hazard.

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Holler House owner Marcy Skowronski said she and some of her friends started the tradition 45 years ago, when they had a few drinks and threw their bras onto skis hanging from the bar's ceiling.

They've amassed dozens of all sizes and colors over the years, even replacing old bras with new ones at the bar's 100th anniversary five years ago. Many times people sign and date the bras or leave notes on them.

But an inspector that visited in April apparently wasn't as accepting of the tradition. She said the bras were a fire hazard and Skowronski needed to take them down.

"They've been hanging there for 45 years," Skowronski said Friday. "I had inspectors here for 45 years. Every year they come and nobody's said anything."

The 87-year-old great-grandmother, who has worked at the bar for 59 years, went to the city Tuesday to appeal but missed the deadline. So her son-in-law took the bras down for fear they would get a fine, which according to the official inspection order can run from $150 to $10,000 a day.

Taking the bras down made Skowronski even more frustrated. She called a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist, hoping publicity would help, and her alderman, Bob Donovan. Donovan made some calls, and within a day the city backed down.

"Long story short, common sense prevailed and the city backed down," Donovan said.

"We're going to have a rehang the bras party over there and perhaps charge at the door," he added. "And any money we are able to bring in, the proceeds will go to buying a little common sense for the Department of Neighborhood Services."

Besides the bras, the bar started by Skowronski's in-laws in 1908 is also known for its two downstairs bowling alleys, which are the oldest certified in America according to its sign.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ffME_tu3IQg/Milwaukee-bra-ban-is-lifted-after-publicity-campaign

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Civil Society Under Attack Around the World ? Global Issues

• by Mandeep S.Tiwana (johannesburg)
• Friday, May 17, 2013
• Inter Press Service

JOHANNESBURG, May 17 (IPS) - In December 2011, 159 governments and major international organisations recognised the central role of civil society in development and promised to create an "enabling" operating environment for the non-profit sector.

Mandeep Tiwana, policy and advocacy manager of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Credit: Mandeep Tiwana

Despite the tall talk at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid and Development Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, today NGOs, trade unions, faith based groups, social movements and community based organisations working to expose rights violations and corruption remain in a state of siege in many parts of the world.

Reports by U.N. officials and respected civil society organisations show that false prosecutions and murderous attacks on activists are rife and threatening to derail international development objectives even as we debate a new framework to replace the Millennium Development Goals, which expire in 2015.

In fact, moves are being championed by some governments to limit civil society participation at high-level meetings of the U.N. General Assembly through a process whereby states can issue politically motivated objections to the inclusion of particular NGOs in key discussions.

Unfortunately, legal restrictions on free speech, formation of civic organisations and the right to protest peacefully appear to be on the rise despite the rhetoric of engaging civil society in global decision making forums.

In many countries civil society groups are being prevented from accessing funding from international sources, as highlighted by the U.N.'s special expert on freedom of assembly and association in his latest report.

In Russia, non-profit advocacy groups receiving international funding are being subjected to intrusive inspections to ensure compliance with a controversial law that?requires NGOs to register under the highly offensive nomenclature of "foreign agents", or face sanctions.

A draft law currently pending in Bangladesh seeks to implement a cumbersome approval process for civil society organisations receiving foreign funding, in an attempt to discourage criticism of the government.

Egypt is mulling over a new law that would allow intelligence and security agencies to exert control over independent civil society groups.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia's most prolific blogger is serving an 18-year sentence for writing about the implications of the Arab Spring for his country. A respected Laotian activist is missing after he criticised state-sponsored displacement of local communities.

In Saudi Arabia, founders of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights have been handed 10 and 11-year sentences for "breaking allegiance to the King." China continues to incarcerate dissident writers calling for democratic reform, including Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiobo.

The situation is alarming in fragile and conflict-affected states. As the civil war rages on in Syria, a number of peaceful civil society activists and journalists are being imprisoned and persecuted in violation of international human rights law.

The actions of?Colombian right-wing paramilitary groups have become so murderous that the country is now the deadliest place in the world for trade unionists.

Women's rights activists challenging patriarchy and religious fundamentalism in Pakistan are gunned down with frightening regularity, while activists from Sri Lanka and Bahrain voicing concerns at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva often face reprisals upon return to their home countries.

In Cameroon and Uganda activists seeking to advance gay rights are not only socially ostracised but also subjected to death threats on a regular basis to prevent them from carrying out their work.

Even in so-called mature democracies, expressing dissent remains an activity fraught with negative consequences. A section of the environmental group Forest Ethics Canada decided to give up its charitable status, including tax advantages, in order to protect itself from intrusive inspections after being blamed by the conservative government of "obstructing" the country's economic development.

Julian Assange, founder of the activist website WikiLeaks, continues to be hounded for his expos? of U.S. diplomatic cables and, arguably, doing what most investigative journalists do.

In the United Kingdom, the practice of police spies penetrating the environmental movement has prompted a sharp rebuke from the U.N., whose expert on freedom of assembly and association, Maina Kiai, expressed "deep concern" in January about police officers infiltrating non-violent groups who were not engaged in any criminal activities.

As evidence from CIVICUS' State of Civil Society Report 2013 shows, promises made in Busan about creating an "enabling" environment for CSOs were ignored as soon as the proverbial ink had dried.

With discussions on the post 2015 development agenda well underway, influential civil society groups are urging the U.N.'s High Level Panel to explicitly recognise the centrality of an enabling environment for civil society in any new formulation of internationally agreed development goals.

While politicians are currently preoccupied with kick-starting or maintaining economic growth, there is a real danger that civil society's right and ability to engage decision makers in various forums will be further limited.

If global development goals are to succeed, civil society needs to be able to operate free from fear of reprisals for advancing legitimate if uncomfortable concerns. After all, civil society groups contribute substantially to development strategies and help find innovative solutions to complex developmental challenges.

More importantly, they help ensure the representation of a wide range of voices, in particular those of the vulnerable and marginalised in development debates. Perhaps this is why they are being persecuted.

(END/COPYRIGHT IPS)

? Inter Press Service (2013) ? All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

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Brain makes call on which ear is used for cell phone

May 16, 2013 ? If you're a left-brain thinker, chances are you use your right hand to hold your cell phone up to your right ear, according to a newly published study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

The study -- to appear online in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery -- shows a strong correlation between brain dominance and the ear used to listen to a cell phone. More than 70% of participants held their cell phone up to the ear on the same side as their dominant hand, the study finds.

Left-brain dominant people -- who account for about 95% of the population and have their speech and language center located on the left side of the brain -- are more likely to use their right hand for writing and other everyday tasks.

Likewise, the Henry Ford study reveals most left-brain dominant people also use the phone in their right ear, despite there being no perceived difference in their hearing in the left or right ear. And, right-brain dominant people are more likely to use their left hand to hold the phone in their left ear.

"Our findings have several implications, especially for mapping the language center of the brain," says Michael Seidman, M.D., FACS, director of the division of otologic and neurotologic surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford.

"By establishing a correlation between cerebral dominance and sidedness of cell phone use, it may be possible to develop a less-invasive, lower-cost option to establish the side of the brain where speech and language occurs rather than the Wada test, a procedure that injects an anesthetic into the carotid artery to put part of the brain to sleep in order to map activity."

He notes that the study also may offer additional evidence that cell phone use and tumors of the brain, head and neck may not necessarily be linked.

Since nearly 80% of people use the cell phone in their right ear, he says if there were a strong connection there would be far more people diagnosed with cancer on the right side of their brain, head and neck, the dominant side for cell phone use. It's likely, he says, that the development of tumors is more "dose-dependent" based on cell phone usage.

The study began with the simple observation that most people use their right hand to hold a cell phone to their right ear. This practice, Dr. Seidman says, is illogical since it is challenging to listen on the phone with the right ear and take notes with the right hand.

To determine if there is an association between sidedness of cell phone use and auditory or language hemispheric dominance, the Henry Ford team developed an online survey using modifications of the Edinburgh Handedness protocol, a tool used for more than 40 years to assess handedness and predict cerebral dominance.

The survey included questions about which hand was used for tasks such as writing; time spent talking on cell phone; whether the right or left ear is used to listen to phone conversations; and if respondents had been diagnosed with a brain or head and neck tumor.

It was distributed to 5,000 individuals who were either with an otology online group or a patient undergoing Wada and MRI for non-invasive localization purposes.

On average, respondents' cell phone usage was 540 minutes per month. The majority of respondents (90%) were right handed, 9% were left handed and 1% was ambidextrous.

Among those who are right handed, 68% reported that they hold the phone to their right ear, while 25% used the left ear and 7% used both right and left ears. For those who are left handed, 72% said they used their left ear for cell phone conversations, while 23% used their right ear and 5% had no preference.

The study also revealed that having a hearing difference can impact ear preference for cell phone use.

In all, the study found that there is a correlation between brain dominance and laterality of cell phone use, and there is a significantly higher probability of using the dominant hand side ear.

Studies are underway to look at tumor registry banks of patients with head, neck and brain cancer to evaluate cell phone usage. Controversy still exists around a potential association of cell phone use and tumors. Until this is fully understood, Dr. Seidman advises using hands-free modes for calls rather than holding a phone up to the side of the head.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/_2o8TE_Bk8k/130516161655.htm

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Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green return to 'Voice'

TV

Anna Chan TODAY

11 hours ago

NBC

Original "Voice" coaches CeeLo Green and Christina Aguilera will be back on the show next season.

It's official! NBC announced on Friday that original "Voice" coaches Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green are returning to the fall cycle of the show. They will be once again seated alongside fellow coaches Blake Shelton and Adam Levine.

"We locked in a plan several months ago to have the outstanding Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green rejoin Blake and Adam for cycle five, and we?re pleased to announce that the original four coaches are going to be back together in the fall," Paul Telegdy, NBC's president of alternative and late-night programming, said in a statement. "They?re the reason this show was launched so strong for the first three cycles and we owe them a debt of gratitude."

Telegdy also noted that new coaches Shakira and Usher -- who joined the show just this season -- will be back for the Spring 2014 cycle, which will premiere after the Winter Olympics.

"I am so thrilled that our 'Voice' family has grown from four coaches to six," said executive producer Mark Burnett. "The coaching panel of Christina, CeeLo, Adam and Blake was at the heart of this show in its first three seasons and we are so lucky to have found equal success with Shakira and Usher in season four. Our best seasons are ahead of us."

Aguilera and Green both announced in September that they were taking this season off. Aguilera wanted to promote her new album, "Lotus," and tour to support it, while Green wanted to work on new music and a scripted comedy about his life.

Are you excited to have Christina and CeeLo back? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/christina-aguilera-ceelo-green-return-voice-1C9977986

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'American Idol' Report Card: Finale Is Candice Glover's To Lose

Kree Harrison just didn't bring out the big guns for her final performance night.
By Adam Graham

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1707443/american-idol-finale-prediction-kree-harrison.jhtml

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Obama appoints OMB official Danny Werfel to head up IRS

President Barack Obama on Thursday appointed Danny Werfel, an official with the Office of Management and Budget, as acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Werfel replaces Steven Miller, the acting commissioner forced to resign Wednesday over the IRS having targeted conservative groups for special scrutiny.

Werfel, whose appointment will be effective May 22, "will lead efforts to ensure the IRS implements new safeguards to restore public trust and administers the tax code with fairness and integrity," the White House said in a statement. He will serve through the end of the fiscal year.

?Throughout his career working in both Democratic and Republican administrations, Danny has proven an effective leader who serves with professionalism, integrity and skill," Obama added in the statement. "The American people deserve to have the utmost confidence and trust in their government, and as we work to get to the bottom of what happened and restore confidence in the IRS, Danny has the experience and management ability necessary to lead the agency at this important time."

Werfel has been serving as the administration's point-person on the sequester.

Obama announced Wednesday night that Miller was asked to resign following the revelations that IRS employees targeted conservative-sounding groups applying for tax-exempt status. And the president added at a press conference earlier on Thursday that a replacement was imminent.

"We will be putting in new leadership that will be able to make sure that?following up on the IG audit?that we gather up all the facts, that we hold accountable those who have taken these outrageous actions," Obama said at a Rose Garden press conference with the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "As I said last night, it is just simply unacceptable for there to even be a hint of partisanship or ideology when it comes to the application of our tax laws."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-choose-omb-official-danny-werfel-head-irs-191121420.html

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Behind the I.R.S. Mess: A Campaign-Finance Scandal - NYTimes.com

Let?s stipulate that the scandal involving the Internal Revenue Service?s targeting of conservative nonprofit groups portrays government as if drawn in caricature ? an almost Keystone Kops-style comedy of errors on the part of low-level staffers, with a vein of possible political bias.

Of course, the matter needs to be fully investigated, those responsible need to be held accountable and procedures need to be put in place to ensure that nothing like this can happen again.

But let?s also remember what the I.R.S. brouhaha is not. Unlike the abuse of the I.R.S. by President Richard M. Nixon, in this case there?s no evidence that anyone in the White House had any involvement in ? nor even any knowledge of ? what was going on within the agency?s Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division.

In the post-Watergate years, legislation was passed to protect the I.R.S. against political meddling from the executive branch. That included ? unusually ? a five-year term for the I.R.S. commissioner.

Until his departure in November 2012, the I.R.S. commissioner was Douglas Shulman, an appointee of President George W. Bush. (Yesterday, the acting commissioner, Steven Miller, who was a career civil servant, resigned under pressure.)

And finally, note that when Lois Lerner, the head of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division, learned that applications were being singled out if they contained words like ?Tea Party? in their names, she ordered that the practice be stopped. Regrettably, a bureaucratic ant colony succeeded in circumventing her instruction for several months.

By way of background, the decision in 2010 to target groups with certain words in their names did not come out of nowhere. That same year, the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case substantially liberalized rules around political contributions, stimulating the formation of many activist groups.

In the year ended Sept. 30, 2010, the division received 1,741 applications from ?social welfare organizations? requesting tax-exempt status. Two years later, the figure was 2,774. Meanwhile, the staff of the division tasked with reviewing these applications was reduced as part of a series of budget reductions imposed on the I.R.S. by anti-tax forces.

A far higher proportion of the new applicants wanted to pursue a conservative agenda than a liberal agenda. So without trying to defend the indefensible profiling, it wouldn?t be that shocking if low-level staff members were simply, but stupidly, trying to find an efficient way to sift through the avalanche of applications.

One of the bigger ironies about the I.R.S. imbroglio is that it had nothing to do with taxes. These newly formed entities didn?t seek 501(c)(4) status to avoid taxes ? these groups don?t earn profits and therefore don?t pay any taxes, regardless of their status. The important benefit that came from achieving 501(c)(4) status was freedom from having to disclose the names of any of their donors.

That?s right, what the I.R.S. was really deciding in these cases is which organizations have to disclose their funders and which don?t. And what it was trying to do ? however dumbly it went about it ? was to reduce the abuse of the campaign-finance rules, not the tax laws.

Without 501(c)(4) status, these groups would have had to organize as what are known colloquially as ?super PACs.? While this would have afforded them greater flexibility to overtly support candidates, the names of their donors would have to be made public.

In theory, 501(c)(4)?s are supposed to be social welfare organizations. But the rules are vague and are often stretched.

Some groups have interpreted the regulations as permitting them to spend as much as 49 percent of their funds directly advocating for or attacking the election of candidates, maintaining all the while the secrecy of their donors? names.

Perhaps most incredibly, a 501(c)(4) can even transfer a portion of its funds to a super PAC, which can ? thanks in part to the Citizens United decision ? freely support candidates for office

Karl Rove established just such a structure by pairing a 501(c)(4) organization (Crossroads GPS) with a super PAC (American Crossroads). By some accounts he raised as much as $300 million for these entities. And yet there?s no evidence that the I.R.S. ever questioned the 501(c)(4) status granted to Crossroads GPS.

So let?s, by all means, find the wrongdoers at the I.R.S. and punish them. But the biggest take-away from the I.R.S. mess should be that our campaign-finance system is in desperate need of overhaul.

Source: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/16/behind-the-i-r-s-mess-a-campaign-finance-scandal/

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Japan PM's "Third Arrow" reforms seen short of overhaul

By Linda Sieg and Kaori Kaneko

TOKYO (Reuters) - Anyone expecting a broad overhaul of Japan's economy that would remove barriers to competition will likely be disappointed when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launches his "Third Arrow" policy next month, but those with more modest expectations may be pleased.

Abe has promised to make structural reform and deregulation a key part of his growth strategy, the third tranche of his "Abenomics" prescription after hyper-easy monetary policy and big spending.

The monetary and fiscal stimulus has already sparked Japan's fastest economic growth in a year in the first quarter, but corporate investment has yet to follow suit.

"The 'Third Arrow' was never going to be a magic bullet because deregulation means changing behavior and moving from vested interests to new entrant investment," said Jesper Koll, head of Japanese equities research at JP Morgan in Tokyo.

"But they are pushing ahead. There is a growth strategy. The radical stuff is out and it was never going to be there, because you are in a country that is obsessed with creating a Japanese-style capitalism rather than market fundamentalist, Anglo-American-style capitalism. It's still Japan."

Some fresh details of the strategy could be revealed on Friday, when Abe is set to speak to business executives and academics. He unveiled some plans last month, including steps to make it easier for women to work.

Proposals by a panel on industrial competitiveness and another on regulatory reform are likely to form the bulk of the growth strategy. Abe, who took office in December after his Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) election win, says he wants to announce the policy ahead of a June 17-18 Group of Eight summit in Northern Ireland.

Among proposals that are seen as positive are plans to deregulate the energy sector by breaking up utilities' grip on the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity; setting up a U.S.-style National Institute of Health to consolidate and prioritize medical science investment, and Abe's decision in March to enter talks on a U.S.-led free trade pact.

"Right now, I'd give them a 'B' for where they are and it could end up anywhere from an 'A' to a 'D' depending on how they follow through," said Byron Sigel, a former U.S. trade official who negotiated trade deals with Japan in the 1990s.

"It's all in the implementation, and how much political capital people are willing to spend to make tough structural adjustments - and they will be difficult."

GOOD INTENTIONS?

Japan has a long history of crafting economic reform packages full of bold prescriptions and good intentions, many of which have ended up as empty promises. This time Tokyo is under international pressure to follow its hyper-easy monetary policy, which has so far escaped criticism despite the yen's dive, with reforms to ensure sustainable growth.

Those longing for sweeping changes, however, look set to be disappointed by decisions to put off politically painful measures, at least until after a July upper house election that Abe's LDP needs to win handily to ensure that policy proposals are quickly followed by legislation.

"They are not touching the vital points, such as medical care and agriculture," said Junji Annen, a Chuo University professor who sits on the deregulation panel. "Utilities' reform is coming out better than expected, but that is a sign of the times," he said, noting that the clout of the politically powerful utilities had been weakened by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The package is expected to contain a target of doubling Japan's miniscule agriculture exports to 1 trillion yen ($9.76 billion), a target Abe may mention when he speaks on Friday.

But it is likely to put off steps to ease barriers to corporate investment in farming in a nod to a heavily protected farm lobby, already upset by Abe's decision to join talks on the U.S.-led Transpacific Trade Partnership pact.

"It is true there are certain sensitivities because of the upper house election," Takeshi Niinami, CEO of convenience store chain Lawson Inc and a member of the competitiveness panel, told reporters this week. "Agriculture is one such issue."

Others areas where the package is likely to come up short are steps to free up Japan's rigid labor market to make it easier for firms to shift to growth industries from depressed sectors, improvements in corporate governance and addressing the question of immigration to make up for Japan's shrinking population.

Niinami, for one, held out hope that touchy topics would be taken up after the July election, but Chuo University's Annen took a more pessimistic view. "They won't drop these topics altogether but the question is will they continue (debate) vigorously, or reluctantly?" he said.

"It is entirely possible that the LDP wins the election by a landslide and just goes back to its old ways of catering to vested interests." ($1 = 102.4250 Japanese yen)

(Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-pms-third-arrow-reforms-seen-short-overhaul-042337299.html

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Vatican: Cardinal O'Brien leaves Scotland to pray, atone after admitting to sexual misconduct

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican says the Scottish cardinal who resigned as archbishop after admitting to sexual misconduct will leave Scotland for several months of prayer and atonement.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien recused himself from the March conclave that elected Pope Francis pontiff after a newspaper reported unnamed priests' allegations that he acted inappropriately toward them.

O'Brien subsequently acknowledged he had engaged in unspecified sexual misbehaviour. He resigned as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, apologized and promised to stay out of the church's public life.

On Wednesday, the Vatican said O'Brien, once Britain's highest-ranking Catholic leader, had decided in agreement with Francis to leave Scotland for several months of "prayer, penance and spiritual renewal." A statement says his future arrangements would be decided on in agreement with the Holy See.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-cardinal-obrien-leaves-scotland-pray-atone-admitting-123636225.html

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Anti text-and-drive 'rampage' ?joined by top 4 cellphone carriers

Your gadgets

Peter Svensson Associated Press

4 hours ago

AP

A driver uses an iPhone while driving Wednesday, in Los Angeles.

The country's four biggest cellphone companies are set to launch their first joint advertising campaign against texting while driving, uniting behind AT&T's "It Can Wait" slogan to blanket TV and radio this summer.

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile will be joined by 200 other organizations backing the multi-million dollar ad campaign.

The campaign is unusual not just because it unites rivals, but because it represents companies warning against the dangers of their own products. After initially fighting laws against cellphone use while driving, cellphone companies have begun to embrace the language of the federal government's campaign against cellphone use by drivers.

AT&T and Verizon have run ads against texting and driving since 2009. In 2005, Sprint Nextel Corp. created an education program targeting teens learning to drive.

"Every CEO in the industry that you talk to recognizes that this is an issue that needs to be dealt with," AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said in an interview. "I think we all understand that pooling our resources with one consistent message is a lot more powerful than all four of us having different messages and going different directions."

Beyond TV and radio ads, the new campaign will stretch into the skies through displays on Goodyear's three blimps. It will also include store displays, community events, social-media outreach and a national tour of a driving simulator. The campaign targets teens in particular.

AT&T Inc. calls texting and driving an "epidemic," a term it borrows from the federal Department of Transportation. The U.S. transportation secretary has been on a self-described "rampage" against cellphones since his term began in January 2009.

Stephenson said that "texting while driving is a deadly habit that makes you 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash." The figure refers to a 2009 government study of bus and truck drivers. It isn't based on crashes alone, but on the likelihood the drivers showed risky behavior such as lane drifting or sharp braking, sometimes culminating in a crash.

The unified ad campaign comes as some researchers are starting to say that while texting and driving at the same time is clearly a bad idea, it's not contributing measurably to an increase in traffic accidents. The number of accidents is in a long-term decline, and the explosion of texting and smartphone use doesn't seem to be reversing that trend.

In the 2009 government study, texting, email and surfing on the cellphone was a factor in about 1 percent of crashes, well below epidemic levels.

"There's no question that phone use is causing crashes. But so far it doesn't appear to be adding to the overall crash problem," says Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, which is funded by the insurance industry. The institute's analysis is based in part on comparing accident rates before and after states enact bans on hand-held cellphone use while driving. Most states ban cellphone use at least for some drivers; 39 states and the District of Columbia ban text messaging for all drivers.

James Sayer, a research scientist at the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute, has suggested that the debate over driver distraction "needs to address far more than cellphones. Only addressing the 'new' forms of distraction will have limited impact in terms of total lives saved." Sayer made the remarks in a presentation to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Nonetheless, the cellphone industry and the federal government have focused their attention on cellphones.

The government's Distraction.gov site singles out cellphones as the greatest danger among all sources of driver distraction. In an interview last year with The Associated Press, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that in 2010, 3,092 lives "could have been saved if someone had the sense to put down their cellphone."

That figure is based on a misunderstanding of the department's statistics, which showed that 3,092 people were killed in crashes involving distractions of all kinds, including eating, drinking, fiddling with the car stereo and talking to passengers. The number of deaths in 2010 that the Department of Transportation attributes to cellphone use was 408, or 1.2 percent of the total traffic death toll.

That figure could be an undercount, though, as it's hard for police to figure out after a crash if a cellphone was involved. Sayer suggested that the real share of traffic deaths caused by cellphones is 3.5 percent.

In campaigning against the use of their products, cellphone companies are in the company of liquor makers, which include discrete reminders not to drink and drive in their advertising. However, drunk driving remains a far bigger killer than cellphone use, accounting for 10,228 traffic deaths in 2010, or 31 percent of the total.

"We have people using our technology, and when they use our technology it has some rather traumatic impacts on society," Stephenson said in the interview. "I think it's a logical place for us to engage."

The four-way industry collaboration around the "It Can Wait" campaign will last until September, Stephenson said, but it could continue if the partners agree.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2be8466d/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Canti0Etext0Edrive0Erampage0Ejoined0Etop0E40Ecellphone0Ecarriers0E1C9911876/story01.htm

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