Paula Abdul exits 'X Factor'; third to leave show (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Paula Abdul joined the exodus from Fox's disappointing "The X Factor," attributing her departure to business trumping all else.

Abdul said Tuesday she won't return to "dear friend" Simon Cowell's singing contest when it begins its second season later this year. Her announcement followed Monday's exits of fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones.

"I've learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations," Abdul said in a measured statement. She and others involved with the show understand the situation, she said, adding, "Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I've treasured" working on "X Factor."

In a separate statement, Cowell didn't address the reason for the changes but thanked the exiting trio "for everything they did last year."

Cowell and Antonio "L.A." Reid remained on the judging panel. There was no immediate word from producers on who might fill the open seats.

Cowell returned Abdul's good wishes and said he expected he and his former "American Idol" teammate would work on another project in the near future.

Despite respectable ratings, "X Factor" has failed to achieve popularity similar to Fox's "American Idol," which Cowell left to import "X Factor" from the U.K. to the U.S. He had predicted his new show would be a blockbuster.

___

Online:

http://www.thexfactorusa.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_en_ot/us_tv_x_factor_abdul

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Imax Corp signs deal with India's SPI Group (Reuters)

MUMBAI (Reuters) ? Imax Corp has signed a deal with India's SPI Group to build four theatres in India focusing on digitally enhanced "Bollywood" movies, Chief Executive Richard L. Gelfond said.

Imax, which now has three theatres in India, has been slow to build a presence in the country, which produces 1,000 films annually and tops in the world in movie attendance.

"This agreement puts us in position to build critical mass and consider the local release of Bollywood films, which will be key to the success and growth of Imax in this strategically important region of world," Gelfond told Reuters on Monday.

So far, the Canada-based company has released only Hollywood movies in India using its digital technology on its signature giant screens.

"In India, we cannot just build a world class market with North American films," Gelfond said. "We need to make Bollywood films an important factor."

About 90 percent of revenue of the film industry in India is from non-English language movies.

Imax also plans to eventually release Bollywood films in cities such as Toronto and New York, as well as in cities in South East Asia that have large Indian populations.

The annual revenue of India's film industry is projected to grow to $5 billion by 2014 from $3.2 billion in 2010, Imax said in a statement, citing industry reports.

Imax expects the theatres it is building with SPI to open over the next two years.

"Typically in India the partner becomes the licensee of the technology. So (SPI will) build the building and license the technology and we provide the films," Gelfond said.

Overall, the company plans to build five theatres in India in 2012 with SPI and other partners, and expects to have a total of 15 to 17 theatres in the country by the end of 2013.

"We can expect $1 million a year per screen," Gelfond said.

Imax's existing local partners include multiplex operator PVR Ltd and BIG Cinemas, which is part of Reliance Mediaworks owned by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.

Chennai-based SPI Group has interests in infrastructure, retail, manufacturing and services, as well as entertainment.

Gelfond did not disclose financial details of the SPI deal but said the cost of converting a standard format film to Imax format in North America was between $1 million and $1.5 million.

Imax plans to focus on India and Brazil in 2012, he added.

"Out of the BRICS, Russia and China have been strong for us but Brazil and India have been a little bit slow and in 2012 one of our goals is to boost growth in South America and in India," Gelfond said.

Imax now has 75 screens in China, up from about a dozen in 2008, helped by a surge in local content along with Hollywood movies. The company plans to have 200 theatres in China within the next few years, he said.

In India, the company's growth has been hampered by low ticket prices -- often about half of those in Western countries -- and the small size of multiplexes.

"It is only now developers are building larger multiplexes with eight to 10 screens, and our JV with SPI is because they are building large theatres in India," Gelfond said.

The company is in talks with several developers to sign more joint venture agreements, he said.

($1=49.47 rupees)

(Editing by Rajesh Pandathil and Ted Kerr)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/enindustry/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/media_nm/us_imax_corp_deal

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Former Italian President Scalfaro dies at 93 (Reuters)

ROME (Reuters) ? Former Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, who was head of state during the "Bribesville" corruption affair that overturned Italy's old political order in the 1990s, has died, officials said on Sunday. He was 93.

Scalfaro, a former interior minister and speaker of the lower house of parliament, was appointed president in 1992 as the bribery and political funding scandal swept aside a party system which had run Italy since World War Two.

Politicians from the main parties paid tribute to Scalfaro's integrity and sense of responsibility in protecting the constitution which he had helped shape as a young lawyer after the war.

Mario Monti said he spoke to Scalfaro just after becoming prime minister last year. "I expressed to him personally my feelings of gratitude to him for the example he gave of public service," he said in a statement.

Although the head of state holds no executive power, his role in Italy's often turbulent political life can be extremely important as a guarantor of stability and in overseeing the timing of elections and the transition between governments.

Last year's transition between the scandal-plagued government of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Monti's technocrat administration, overseen by the current president, Giorgio Napolitano, underlined the importance of the position.

Scalfaro's own period in office began as the Bribesville scandal was creating a corrosive mistrust in the political system that overshadowed Italy's preparations to join the embryonic single European currency.

"As President of the Republic, he faced some of the most difficult periods of our history firmly and steadfastly," Napolitano said in a statement.

Both Scalfaro's own conservative Christian Democrat party and the centre-left Socialists were shown to have been involved in a vast web of bribery and illegal funding which reached deep into public life and destroyed Italians' faith in government.

His appointment also came shortly after the murder of anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, an event which profoundly shocked Italy and heightened popular disgust with a political class that had failed to protect its own public servants.

Scalfaro, a deeply religious man who attended mass every morning, was one of the founding fathers of the Italian republic in 1946 and became well known in parliament for frequent references to his conversations with the Virgin Mary.

Despite his widely hailed sense of rectitude, he faced accusations in 1993 that he had been implicated in a murky scandal over the alleged theft of millions of dollars in funds for covert secret service operations.

He strongly denied the accusations and in a special televised address, "denounced what he called "an attempt at a slow destruction of the state," suggesting that the affair had been created to undermine confidence in Italy's institutions.

(Reporting By James Mackenzie, editing by Ben Harding)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/wl_nm/us_italy_expresident

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DMARC Promises A World Of Less Phishing

Some 15 companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, PayPal plan to jointly work on a standard for blocking phishing e-mails by verifying that they come from legitimate companies. It seems obvious that trusted, legitimate companies could come together to do this, but it's only started happening in the last 18 months. DMARC.org - or the Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance - is a new white-list system will be available for use across the Internet.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/G7pyDcYtd0g/

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Germans float direct EU control over Greek budget (AP)

BERLIN ? Germany is proposing that debt-ridden Greece temporarily cede sovereignty over tax and spending decisions to a powerful eurozone budget commissioner before it can secure further bailouts, an official in Berlin said Saturday.

The idea was quickly rejected by the European Union's executive body and the government in Athens, with the EU Commission in Brussels insisting that "executive tasks must remain the full responsibility of the Greek government, which is accountable before its citizens and its institutions."

But the German official said the initiative is being discussed among the 17-nation currency bloc's finance ministers because Greece has repeatedly failed to fulfill its commitments under its current euro110 billion ($145 billion) lifeline.

The proposal foresees a commissioner holding a veto right against any budgetary measures and having broad surveillance ability to ensure that Greece will take proper steps to repay its debt as scheduled, the official said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential.

Greece's international creditors ? the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the European Central Bank ? already have unprecedented powers over Greek spending after negotiating with Athens stringent austerity measures and economic reforms in return for the first bailout.

The so-called troika of creditors is currently negotiating another euro130 billion rescue package for the heavily indebted country. German news magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday cited an unnamed troika official as saying Greece might actually need a euro145 billion package because of its prolonged recession.

The German proposal, first reported by the Financial Times, is likely to spark controversy in Greece.

Despite the quick rejection from the EU Commission, Germany's demand underlines the frustration of the eurozone with Greece's slack implementation of the promised reforms, spending cuts and privatizations. During every verification mission last year, the troika found huge implementation shortfalls, which in turn increased gaps in Athens' budget and intensified the need for a second bailout.

A powerful budget commissioner would further diminish the political leeway of Greece's government, just as politicians there are gearing up for an election set to take place this spring.

A government official in Athens said a similar proposal had been floated last year but got nowhere. Greece would not accept such a measure, he added. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because no formal proposal has been made by the EU or Germany yet.

The unprecedented and sweeping powers for creditors would indeed deal a huge blow to Greece's sovereignty, but they could help mobilize more support for the government in Athens from its European partners.

Several German lawmakers have repeatedly said that giving more money to Greece is unthinkable without stricter enforcement and control of the conditions attached to the rescue packages.

Greece is currently locked in a twin effort, seeking to secure a crucial debt relief deal with private investors while also tackling the pressing demands from its European partners and the IMF for more austerity measures and deeper reforms.

Failure on either front would force the country to default on its debt in less than two months, pouring new fuel on the fires of Europe's debt crisis.

In that case, Greece would likely leave the eurozone, which would bring disaster to the country, destabilize the currency bloc, fuel panic on financial markets and ultimately threaten the fragile world economy.

Despite two weeks of intensive talks, a debt relief agreement with private investors worth some euro100 billion has yet to be reached.

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos met anew with representatives of international banks and other private institutions Saturday, but the talks ended without a final deal and were expected to resume Sunday, officials in Athens said.

With the current troika mission still ongoing and no final deal with the private sector creditors, Greece is unlikely to feature prominently at a summit of the EU's 27 leaders Monday, according to officials in Brussels.

___

Demetris Nellas in Athens and Gabriele Steinhauser in Brussels contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_europe_financial_crisis

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Avastin's Failure in Breast Cancer: New Study May Explain Why It Happened (LiveScience.com)

A new study may explain why the cancer drug Avastin hasn't worked in the treatment of breast cancer patients. Although the drug stops tumor growth for a short time, it often leads to more invasive tumors in the long run.

The reason for this revved-up invasiveness, researchers concluded from experiments done in mice, is that drugs like Avastin increase the portion of a tumor made of breast cancer stem cells.

Although Avastin, when initially given, causes some cancer cells to die and tumors to shrink, what's left behind are the cancer stem cells, according to the study. These cells can then multiply, and they are among the most lethal cancer cells ? they can sprout new tumors more easily than run-of-the-mill cancer cells.

The finding suggests that clinicians could improve Avastin's effectiveness by blocking this unwanted effect of the drug. It's a potentially bright spot for the drug, after a November decision by the Food and Drug Administration that the drug should not be used to treat breast cancer?after studies showed the drug failed to lengthen patient's lives.

"This result explains why they don't work as well as we hoped it would, and it really points to what we need to do to develop drug combinations that are more effective," said Dr. Max Wicha, author of the new study and an oncologist at the University of Michigan.

The new findings, which may also apply to other drugs in the same class as Avastin, were published Monday (Jan. 23) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The seeds of a tumor

Avastin falls into a category of cancer drugs called antiangiogenic agents, which aim to work by blocking the growth of blood vessels that supply tumors with vital nutrients and oxygen. Without a blood supply, tumors will die, the thinking goes.

"There was a lot of excitement about using these drugs to block the blood supply to tumors," Wicha said. "But the first large studies showed that while Avastin seemed to be preventing tumors from progressing for a few months, the tumors would then start to grow again, and be even more aggressive."

Wicha said he and his colleagues suspected the cause of the new, aggressive growth, might be cancer stem cells. "These cells are the most dangerous, if they're left in the body," he explained. "They're like the seeds of a plant."

The researchers tested their theory by giving an antiangiogenic drug to mice with breast cancer tumors. As expected, the tumors shrank and had fewer blood vessels feeding them. When the team analyzed the cells within the tumors, however, the tumors of mice that had been treated with an antiangiogenic drug had five times more stem cells.

Further, the scientists found, the lack of oxygen ? called hypoxia ? in the tissues that followed the death of the blood vessels had the side effect of encouraging the growth of these dangerous cells. If doctors could combine drugs that kill the cancer stem cells with antiangiogenic drugs, they may have a winning formula, Wicha said.

"Our research suggests that it's going to necessary to target both angles of this at the same time," he said.

Two sides of a drug

The new findings didn't surprise Celeste Simon, a molecular biologist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine who studies the role of the body's low oxygen environments to human health.?

"Stem cells really like to reside in a low oxygen area," Simon said.

What the study adds, Simon said, is evidence that drugs like Avastin increase the pool of cancer stem cells living in these low-oxygen conditions.

"The notion is that by making the tumor more hypoxic, you're actually selecting for the more aggressive cells," she said. "This and other papers underscore a growing idea in the therapeutic world that, like all treatments, antiangiogenic drugs need to be very carefully evaluated in terms of their full impact on human health."

But more work is needed, she said, to flesh out the full molecular details of the observation. Tumors implanted into mice, such as the study used, aren't always a perfect mimic of human biology. "While these results are intriguing, they need to be followed up, from my point of view, with experiments on more sophisticated mouse models or primary tumors," Simon said.

Pass it on: ?Although Avastin successfully cuts off the blood supply of breast cancer tumors, it also increases the number of so-called breast cancer stem cells that can lead to tumor growth in the long run.

This story was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @MyHealth_MHND. ?Find us on?Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20120127/sc_livescience/avastinsfailureinbreastcancernewstudymayexplainwhyithappened

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France: Ex-head of breast implant firm charged (AP)

MARSEILLE, France ? French authorities have filed preliminary charges against the former head of a now-defunct company accused of supplying potentially faulty breast implants affecting thousands of women.

A judge in the southeastern city of Marseille placed Jean-Claude Mas, the founder and former chief of Poly Implant Prothese, under investigation for "involuntary injury," defense lawyer Yves Haddad said Friday.

Mas was released on euro100,000 ($130,000) bail after being arrested Thursday, and ordered by an investigating judge to stay in France and not meet with any other former PIP executives, Haddad said.

The suspect PIP implants have been removed from the marketplace in several countries in and beyond Europe amid fears that they could rupture and leak silicone into the body.

The preliminary charges mean investigating magistrates have strong reason to believe a crime was committed but give them more time to probe to decide whether to recommend it go to trial.

Mas, 72, was arrested at his residence in a Mediterranean coastal resort town as part of a judicial investigation into manslaughter and involuntary injury. PIP's former No. 2, Claude Couty, was also detained.

Police investigators searched the Mas residence and held him for questioning for seven hours before he was transferred to appear before investigating judge Annaick Le Goff at the Marseille courthouse.

Mas did not speak to reporters after being released on bail.

"Mr. Mas was finally able to express himself before the judge. He is relieved to have been able to do so," Haddad said. "The magistrate judged that for now there's no reason to charge him for manslaughter because for the moment, there's no sign of evidence of this crime."

"Calm must return to this case," he added.

On the sole charge of involuntary injury, Mas risks up to one year in prison if convicted. That isn't sufficient to allow Le Goff to order him held in custody before trial.

The arrests ended weeks of speculation about whether investigators would be able to assemble enough evidence to detain Mas ? whose location was known to authorities ? or any other possible suspects on legal grounds.

Mas had run PIP until the company was closed in March 2010.

France's Health Safety Agency has said the suspect implants ? just one type of implants made by PIP ? appear to be more rupture-prone than other types. Investigators say PIP sought to save money by using industrial silicone, whose potential health risks are not yet clear.

PIP's website said the company had exported to more than 60 countries and was one of the world's leading implant makers. The silicone-gel implants in question are not sold in the United States.

According to estimates by national authorities, more than 42,000 women in Britain received the implants, more than 30,000 in France, 9,000 in Australia and 4,000 in Italy. Nearly 25,000 of the implants were sold in Brazil.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_breast_implants

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Dow opens near post-crisis peak but ends lower (AP)

A brief morning rally Thursday pushed the Dow Jones industrial average above its highest close since the financial crisis of 2008, but disappointing economic data tempered traders' optimism later in the day, and stocks finished lower.

Solid news on factory orders and strong earnings from U.S. manufacturers, highlighting one of the economy's bright spots, helped the market open higher. The Dow rose 85 points.

But the Dow and broader indexes turned negative after weaker reports on home sales and future economic growth were released in the late morning. The Dow closed down 22.33 points, or 0.2 percent, at 12,734.63.

The Dow and other indexes are still up sharply for the year, and for about 45 minutes Thursday morning, the Dow traded above 12,810.54, its peak from last year and the highest close since the spring before the 2008 financial crisis.

Traders appear less afraid of spillover damage from the European debt crisis, and data on jobs and manufacturing have been consistently strong. The Dow is up more than 4 percent for the year.

"With global risk off center stage and attention going back to the fundamentals, this market was ready to explode, which is exactly what it is doing," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist with ING Investment Management.

The government reported early Thursday orders to factories for long-lasting manufactured goods increased in December for the second straight month, and a key measure of business investment rose solidly.

That strong demand was apparent in quarterly earnings reports from U.S. manufacturers. 3M stock closed 1.3 percent higher after its fourth-quarter profit beat Wall Street's estimates.

Caterpillar, the world's biggest heavy equipment maker, rose 2.1 percent, the most of the 30 companies in the Dow, after beating analysts' estimates last quarter. The company expects to do the same this year as global demand remains high.

Later in the day, the government reported an unexpected drop in new home sales in December, capping the worst year for home sales since record-keeping began in 1963. A private gauge of future economic activity also grew more slowly than expected.

3M and Caterpillar led the gains for the Dow. AT&T dragged the average lower, falling 2.5 percent after its earnings missed Wall Street's forecasts. AT&T depends heavily on the Apple iPhone but recently lost its exclusive rights to sell it in the U.S.

The Dow's post-crisis high during the trading day was 12,928.45, reached May 2, 2011. It traded as high as 12,841.95 on Thursday. The average would need to rise about 11 percent to get to its record high close of 14,164.53, reached on Oct. 9, 2007.

The Standard & Poor's 500 closed down 7.63 points, or 0.6 percent, at 1,318.43. It was dragged lower by volatile financial companies and telecommunications firms including AT&T. Its post-crisis peak was 1,370.58, also set May 2, 2011.

The Nasdaq shed 13.03 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 2,805.28.

Stocks had their highest close in eight months Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it plans to keep interest rates extremely low until late 2014 to encourage lending and investment and support the economic recovery.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.93 percent late Thursday from 1.99 percent late Wednesday. The prospect of more bond-buying by the Fed helped make Treasurys more attractive. A bond's yield falls as demand for it increases.

Among the other U.S. companies making big moves after reporting quarterly earnings:

? Time Warner Cable Inc. rose 7.8 percent after the company reported earnings far above analysts' estimates. It also raised its dividend 17 percent to 56 cents per share and announced plans to buy back more of its own stock.

? United Continental Holdings, parent of United and Continental airlines, surged 6.3 percent. Its fourth-quarter loss narrowed, its adjusted earnings were more than double what analysts had expected, and the cost of integrating the two companies fell.

? Netflix soared 22.1 percent, the most of any stock in the S&P 500, after the video streaming and DVD-by-mail company reported a huge gain in customers and a bigger fourth-quarter profit than analysts had expected.

? Colgate-Palmolive rose 1.9 percent after saying it will raise prices in the U.S. for the first time in years to cover higher costs for materials. The company's profit declined last quarter, but core sales in emerging markets were much stronger.

___

Follow Daniel Wagner at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

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Personal Finance Software - Which One is Optimal? | Free Videos ...

People who start using personal finance software are often surprised at how easy to use it is, and how it helps them keep track of their household budget. However, there are some programs that are better than other ones so be careful as you choose the one that does everything you need it to do. You can track an investment portfolio, download a financial software from the web or even use one that is entirely web based if you are comfortable enough to do this, the choice is yours. In this article we?ll be taking a look at some personal finance software programs and ways to choose the best one for you.

It doesn?t matter what you are explicit financial aims are, it is evident you desire personal finance software that will make your life easier. On the other hand, if you use it in the approved manner, it can do more than just automate duties that you?d otherwise have to figure out on your own. It can benefit you in enhancing your financial circumstances by letting you see up close what is happening. You can have on the spot access to all the pertinent numbers, for example your expenses, income, bills, bank accounts and investments. So if you buy a personal finance program, make sure you make full use of it so you can enjoy the real advantages it offers.

The Mvelopes Personal Budgeting System is designed for users who wish to be able to access their software on the Internet This personal finance system helps you reduce your expenses by aiding in you in setting up and sticking to a budget. Mvelopes is designed to analyze and identify your different financial transactions and thereby helps you save money. This web based tool is recommended if you mainly want software that helps you manage your budget. For those who wish to also track investments though, a better investment for you would be Quicken or Microsoft Money

If you are looking for a robust budgeting and money marketing software then a simple choice is Quicken Starter Edition 2011. If you are looking to gain control over your personal finances then this software, designed by Quicken one of the best known names in financial software, then this is the edition for you. Track you bank accounts and credit cards easily along with maintaining your household budget. Never have a late fee again, with the convenient bill reminder. It?s even set up to work with Turbo Tax, so you can just export your data to this service to file your taxes. Quicken Starter Edition 2011 was created to be simple to use, and there?s a guided setup feature to get you started quickly. Quicken Deluxe is available, though for those who need something more advanced Personal finance software are available in a plethora of forms, from software you download, to online services to phone apps. Bunches of these programs are rather authoritative and valuable if you spend the time acquiring knowledge of all their elements. The programs we?ve talked about in this article are the ones you might discover are valuable, although you should check out many of them to discover which one has everything you require. Personal finance software can help you understand your finances better, and this can put you at ease.

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Source: http://www.freevideosinfos.com/2012/01/personal-finance-software-which-one-is-optimal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=personal-finance-software-which-one-is-optimal

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Your Mobile Carrier May Be Sending Your Phone Number to Every Site You Visit

You cellphone carrier might be sending your private phone number to sites you access with your smartphone browser. Twitter is aflame today with reports from O2 users in the UK whose cellphone numbers are being added to the HTTP headers of web pages accessed while on 3G. This information could be mined for both SMS [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/Ei45BedIImY/

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Dean Garfield: The State of the Union: More United Than Reported

As President Obama and Gov. Daniels so clearly articulated on Tuesday night, there is much work ahead to get America back on a path of strong economic prosperity. Still-too-high unemployment, the European debt crisis and potential conflict with Iran all present dire challenges. However, in spite of the ignominious and divisive debates that are commonplace during election cycles, it's clear that the country has a shared sense of the state of affairs and clear agreement on a vision for the future.

The United States remains a nation that consistently and selflessly tackles difficult challenges with an eye toward preserving its promise to the next generation. As a nation, we are eyes wide open on our challenges - - two-thirds of Americans believe the nation is on the wrong track, but by overwhelming margins, retain faith that the American Dream is achievable.

The nation is also united in having bigger ambitions for the country than either party seems willing to deliver. In recent years, both political parties have squandered the public's trust, thereby creating significant uncertainties about our leaders' ability to rise to the challenges of this generation. In a recent Zogby poll, 77 percent believe that within five years China will be the world's innovation leader. To many, China is symptomatic of larger global trends that threaten to erode the nation's leadership position.

To meet this challenge, we need an even more aggressive trade agenda that prevents other countries from unfairly keeping our products out of their markets. The free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama passed by Congress last fall and The Trans-Pacific Partnership currently under negotiation are a good start. But we also need to do more, including expanding the WTO's Information Technology Agreement, which would significantly bolster trade in tech products, one of our sweet spots.

Moreover, in spite of the economic uncertainties before us, there is also much consensus on other common sense solutions to move the country forward. We are united in our belief that comprehensive tax reform is necessary. Roughly six in 10 (59 percent) say that so much is wrong with the tax system that Congress should completely change it. We need to ditch our outdated tax code for one that encourages employment creation and an inflow of capital investment. Bringing back foreign-earned capital is essential, as part of an overall tax code that encourages forward-thinking research and development projects.

There is also broad consensus that that the nation's innovative capacity is a unique asset upon which we can build. As such, the administration, both parties, and both bodies of Congress acknowledge opening up valuable spectrum which will allow our nation to keep pace with this revolution, creating jobs, spurring innovation and stimulating development. There is compelling logic to move forward in this area right now.

Also important to our future is making sure we are developing and attracting the most talented people to our shores. Not too long ago we commonly referred to our nation as a melting pot that was a foundation of strength. We can return to that pride through making smart and targeted adjustments to our immigration policy.

President Obama in his State of the Union address asserted the need for more tourist visas. That is a worthy goal, but we need much more. It is clear that thousands of skilled positions in the tech sector are sadly not being filled due to a lack of qualified workers. By issuing new work visas for highly-skilled immigrants and cutting-edge entrepreneurs, we can ensure that China does not outpace us on the world economic stage.

In this election year, we will hear plenty on what divides us. True, there are real divisions and concerns about issues like income inequality and even how best to deal with online piracy, but we remain united on what matters most: We want to continue as the world's dominant economic and innovating power, maintaining the level of prosperity we have enjoyed for the past 30 years. Together we can attain these goals if we focus on solutions instead of launching salvos against each other for the sake of politics.

?

Follow Dean Garfield on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ITI_techtweets

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dean-garfield/the-state-of-the-union-mo_b_1231861.html

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USDA sets guidelines for healthier school meals (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? School meals for millions of children will be healthier under obesity-fighting U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards unveiled on Wednesday that double the amount of fruits and vegetables in cafeteria lunches - but won't pull French fries from the menu.

In the first major changes to school meals in more than 15 years, the new USDA guidelines will affect nearly 32 million children who eat at school. They will cost about $3.2 billion to implement over the next five years.

"Improving the quality of the school meals is a critical step to building a healthy future for our kids," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

The new meal requirements are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act championed by first lady Michelle Obama. President Barack Obama approved the measure in late 2010.

The guidelines double the amounts of fruits and vegetables in school lunches and boost offerings of whole grain-rich foods. The new standards set maximums for calories and cut sodium and trans fat, a contributor to high cholesterol levels.

Schools may offer only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties and must assure that children are getting proper portion sizes, the USDA said.

The new standards will be largely phased in over a three-year period, starting in the 2012-13 school year.

About 17 percent of U.S. children and teenagers are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one-third of U.S. adults are obese.

FRIES WITH THAT?

Lawmakers altered the guidelines in November. They barred the USDA from limiting French fries and ensured that pizza counted as a vegetable because of its tomato paste.

Trade associations representing frozen pizza sellers like ConAgra Foods Inc and Schwan Food Co as well as French fry sellers McCain Foods Ltd and J.R. Simplot Co were instrumental in blocking changes to rules affecting those items.

Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director for the non-profit Center For Science in the Public Interest, said that the new standards were a big improvement despite food industry lobbying and the congressional revamp.

"The new school meal standards are one of the most important advances in nutrition in decades," she said in a statement.

The Environmental Working Group said the changes could pack a financial punch since they may help reduce medical bills related to diabetes and other obesity-related chronic diseases.

"A healthier population will save billions of dollars in future health care costs," said Dawn Undurraga, EWG's staff nutritionist.

As an example of a new meal, the USDA said an elementary school lunch could be whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce and a whole wheat roll, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, kiwi, low-fat milk, low-fat ranch dip and soft margarine.

That lunch would replace a meal of a hot dog on a bun with ketchup, canned pears, raw celery and carrots with ranch dressing, and low-fat chocolate milk.

As part of the new standards, schools will receive another 6 cents a meal. The USDA also will increase the number of inspections of school menus.

Food and beverages sold in vending machines and other school sites "will also contribute to a healthy diet," the USDA statement said.

The USDA gives school districts funds for meals through its National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/hl_nm/us_usda_meals

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Video: Ed Lazaer: Labor Market Improving

The labor market is improving and there are more quits than layoffs, says Edward Lazear, Stanford University economics professor, who hadss even though the market is improving there is still a "world of hurt."

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46098625/

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Ryan Hiller, Yosemite Employee, Killed By Wind-Blown Tree

LOS ANGELES -- A Yosemite National Park employee has died after strong winds uprooted a huge tree that fell on his tent cabin.

Park spokesman Scott Gediman says 27-year-old Ryan Hiller, of Chapel Hill, N.C., was killed Saturday by a branch from the tree. Hiller worked as a park ranger during busy periods, but had been working as a park concessioner and stayed in the Yosemite Valley stable complex as he waited for the winter ski season.

The strong gusts were part of a winter storm sweeping across Northern California over the weekend.

Gedimane says rain fell on the park and winds knocked down many large trees, but no other injuries have been reported.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/ryan-hiller-yosemite-killed_n_1222812.html

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Firm stops file sharing after Megaupload case (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? FileSonic, a website providing online data storage, has disabled its file sharing services following a U.S.-led crackdown on a rival website and amid heated debate over Washington's attempts to clamp down on online piracy.

Police in New Zealand and Europe have made a number of arrests in recent days related to an investigation led by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Megaupload.com website.

The group have been accused of engaging in a scheme that took more than $500 million away from copyright holders and generated over $175 million in proceeds from subscriptions and advertising. Megaupload's lawyers have said the company simply offered online storage.

FileSonic, which describes itself as the "Unlimited Storage Company," said in a statement on its website that it would only allow users to access their own files.

"All sharing functionality of FileSonic is now disabled. Our service can only be used to upload and retrieve files that you have uploaded personally."

The firm, which lists addresses in Britain and Hong Kong, did not immediately respond to an email sent requesting further comment on the move.

The Megaupload case is being heard as the debate over online piracy reaches fever pitch in Washington where Congress is trying to craft tougher legislation.

(Reporting by Ed Davies in Sydney; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/media_nm/us_internet_piracy_filesonic

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Dramatic Turnaround (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Spokesman: Paterno in serious condition (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno is in serious condition after experiencing health complications from lung cancer.

"Over the last few days Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications," family spokesman Dan McGinn said in a brief statement Saturday to The Associated Press. "His doctors have now characterized his status as serious.

"His family will have no comment on the situation and asks that their privacy be respected during this difficult time," he said.

The 85-year-old Paterno has been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family had called minor complications from cancer treatments.

Paterno was diagnosed with cancer in November, days after getting ousted as head coach in the aftermath of the child sex abuse charges against former assistant Jerry Sandusky.

This was Paterno's second time in the hospital in a month. He's also recovering from a broken pelvis that required a weeklong stay to make it easier for cancer treatments. Paterno first hurt his pelvis in August when he was accidentally bowled over by a player in preseason practice.

The injury forced the Hall of Famer to spend most of the season coaching from the press box ? until trustees dismissed him Nov. 9, four days after Sandusky was first charged.

Sandusky is out on bail and awaiting trial after denying the allegations. Paterno testified before a state grand jury investigating Sandusky, and authorities have said he is not a target of the probe.

But school trustees voted unanimously to oust him anyway ? even though Paterno had announced that morning he would retire by the end of the season ? in part because Paterno failed a moral responsibility to report an allegation made in 2002 against Sandusky to authorities outside the university.

Paterno testified he had relayed the allegation told to him by graduate assistant Mike McQueary to a superior, and the information was then passed on to another school administrator who oversaw the campus police department.

Paterno's lawyer, Wick Sollers, on Thursday called the board's comments self-serving and unsupported by the facts. Paterno fully reported what he knew to the people responsible for campus investigations, Sollers said.

"He did what he thought was right with the information he had at the time," Sollers said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_penn_state_paterno

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NFL officiating getting attention this postseason (AP)

Here's the deal, football fans: NFL officials are going to mess up. Calls will be missed. Others will be made that shouldn't be.

Even the league knows that ? and it wants you to remember, too.

NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson says Friday there have been some rulings this postseason that "we wish had not caused so much attention." Sometimes, he adds, "mistakes are going to be made."

Anderson says the NFL is "never completely satisfied" with officiating and always strives to do better. That's one reason why the league is considering making some game officials full-time employees for next season.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_upon_further_review

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Feedback: Exhibiting quantum behaviour

Exhibiting quantum behaviour

READERS continue to send examples of signs that they feel instruct them to exhibit quantum behaviour. Dermot Bradley, in a caf? in Edinburgh, UK, was instructed to "queue both sides". In contrast, Mark Manning, visiting the beach at the Welsh village of Llangennith, was abjured "Strictly no parking on both sides of the road".

A mathematically eminent reader, meanwhile, tells Feedback that such signs, including the "use all doors" on a train (16 June 2007), do in fact make sense. We pondered this, and realised that, to the people writing the instructions, traffic - whether vehicular or passenger - is much like a gas. It is only when we, as individual "particles" in the traffic, "collapse" the meaning of the sign into an instruction to us personally, that confusion arises. Probably.

A sign near London Bridge station informs us that "Narrow lanes do not overtake ...

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Summary Box: Home building weak in 2011 (AP)

POOR YEAR: December capped a third straight year of depressed home building and the worst on record for single-family construction. Builders started just 606,900 homes, about half the number that economists equate with healthy markets.

WEAKER MONTH: Builders broke ground last month on a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 657,000 homes, the Commerce Department said Thursday. A third straight increase in single-family home building was offset by a drop in volatile apartment construction.

OUTLOOK: Modest improvement at the end of the year lifted hopes for an eventual recovery. But the housing market still appears years away from full health.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_bi_ge/us_housing_starts_summary_box

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Gingrich angrily denies he sought open marriage

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich reacts to a question at the start of the Republican presidential candidate debate at the North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Gingrich is denying that he ever asked his ex-wife for an open marriage and angrily denounced CNN's John King, moderator of Thursday night's Republican debate for raising the issue. Gingrich blasted what he called the "destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media." (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich reacts to a question at the start of the Republican presidential candidate debate at the North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Gingrich is denying that he ever asked his ex-wife for an open marriage and angrily denounced CNN's John King, moderator of Thursday night's Republican debate for raising the issue. Gingrich blasted what he called the "destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media." (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich shakes hands with supporters while standing with his wife Callista Gingrich before speaking at Mutt's Barbeque in Easley, S.C. Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/The Independent-Mail, Nathan Gray) THE GREENVILLE NEWS OUT, SENECA NEWS OUT

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) ? Presidential contender Newt Gingrich on Thursday angrily denied that he asked his second wife for an "open marriage" that would allow him to have a mistress as she claims in an interview broadcast two days before the South Carolina primary.

"Let me be quite clear. The story is false," Gingrich said at a debate, without elaborating.

At the same time, his campaign released his tax returns, showing that he paid more than $994,000 in federal taxes on more $3.1 million in income in 2010.

It was a day of ups and downs for Gingrich, who picked up the endorsement for former rival Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The former House speaker is working to consolidate the support of conservatives behind his candidacy with polls showing him rising in his bid to overtake Republican front-runner Mitt Romney.

"Newt is not perfect but who among us is," Perry said as he bowed out of the race, seeking to provide Gingrich with some political cover in a state filled with evangelicals likely to cringe at Gingrich's two divorces and acknowledged infidelity.

Gingrich's ex-wife threatened to throw his campaign off course.

In excerpts the network released earlier in the day, Marianne Gingrich told ABC News in an interview being broadcast late Thursday that when she discovered Gingrich was having an affair with Callista Bisek, a congressional staffer, he asked his wife to share him.

"And I just stared at him, and he said, 'Callista doesn't care what I do,'" Marianne Gingrich told ABC News. "He wanted an open marriage, and I refused."

She confirmed to The Associated Press that the former speaker had asked her for an open marriage, but she refused his request. She declined to comment further.

At the debate Thursday, Gingrich forcefully denied his ex-wife's charges and castigated debate moderator ? CNN's John King ? for raising the issue at the start of the two-hour long event.

"I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office," Gingrich said. "And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that."

As he stood on stage in Charleston, his campaign released his 2010 income tax returns, which showed he paid roughly 31.6 percent of his adjusted income in taxes, giving about 2 percent to charity. Gingrich criticized rival Romney ? who is worth more than $250 million ? this week for saying he paid only 15 percent.

Gingrich gave $81,133 in cash or checks to charities, about 2.6 percent of his income. That is considerably less than the average of $259,692 that households earning at least $2 million a year gave to charities in 2009, according to research from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Personal financial disclosure forms filed last summer show Gingrich is worth more than $6.5 million. He reported at least $500,000 in assets from Gingrich Productions, his media company that produces books and films.

Two days before the pivotal South Carolina primary, Gingrich's political and private life were clashing just as new polls showed him rising as he looks to overtake Romney in the third state to weigh in on the presidential race. Gingrich has seen his crowds grow in recent days after a strong performance in a debate Monday.

It was unclear how the new revelations from Marianne Gingrich would play in a state where religious and socially conservative voters hold sway. The interview's mere existence shines a spotlight on a part of Gingrich's past that could turn off Republican voters in a state filled with religious and cultural conservatives who may cringe at his two divorces and acknowledged marital infidelities.

Marianne Gingrich has said Gingrich proposed to her before the divorce from his first wife was final in 1981; they were married six months later. Her marriage to Gingrich ended in divorce in 2000, and Gingrich has admitted he'd already taken up with Bisek, the former congressional aide who would become his third wife. The speaker who pilloried then President Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky was himself having an affair at the time.

Earlier in the day, a Gingrich spokesman suggested, like Gingrich's daughters did a day earlier, that Marianne Gingrich's comments may be suspect given the emotional toll divorce takes on everyone involved.

"Divorces are very tough and people have very different recollections of how things happen," R.C. Hammond said.

Equally uncertain was whether Gingrich would get a boost from Perry's endorsement, given that the Texas governor had little support in the state, and get conservative voters to coalesce behind his candidacy. Complicating Gingrich's effort is another conservative, Rick Santorum, who threatens to siphon his support.

A CNN/Time South Carolina poll released Wednesday showed Gingrich in second place with support from 23 percent of likely primary voters, having gained 5 percentage points in the past two weeks. Romney led in the poll with 33 percent, but he had slipped some since the last survey. Santorum was third, narrowly ahead of Texas Rep. Ron Paul and well ahead of Perry.

Regardless of the South Carolina outcome, Gingrich was making plans to compete in Florida's primary on Jan. 31.

Confidence exuded from Gingrich, who rose in Iowa only to be knocked off course after sustaining $3 million in attack ads from an outside group that supports Romney. Gingrich posted dismal showings in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

By the time the race turned to South Carolina, he was back on course ? and criticizing Romney as a social moderate who is timid about attacking the nation's economic troubles.

___

Ray Henry in Atlanta and Jack Gillum in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-19-Gingrich/id-4d997a2f794b40c3929c385c796b8fa3

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CDC: Many teen moms didn't think it could happen

ATLANTA (AP) ? A new government study suggests a lot of teenage girls are clueless about their chances of getting pregnant.

In a survey of thousands of teenage mothers who had unintended pregnancies, about a third said they didn't use birth control because they didn't believe they could pregnant.

What were they thinking, exactly, isn't clear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey didn't ask teens to explain their reasoning.

But other researchers have talked to teen moms who believed they couldn't get pregnant the first time they had sex, didn't think they could get pregnant at that time of the month or thought they were sterile.

"This report underscores how much misperception, ambivalence and magical thinking put teens at risk for unintended pregnancy," said Bill Albert, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

Other studies have asked teens about their contraception use and beliefs about pregnancy. But the CDC report released Thursday is the first to focus on teens who didn't want to get pregnant but did.

The researchers interviewed nearly 5,000 teenage girls in 19 states who gave birth after unplanned pregnancies in 2004 through 2008. The survey was done through mailed questionnaires with telephone follow-up.

About half of the girls in the survey said they were not using any birth control when they got pregnant. That's higher than surveys of teens in general, which have found that fewer than 20 percent said they didn't use contraception the last time they had sex.

"I think what surprised us was the extent that they were not using contraception," said Lorrie Gavin, a CDC senior scientist who co-authored the report.

Some of the teen moms were asked what kind of birth control they used: Nearly 20 percent said they used the pill or a birth control patch. Another 24 percent said they used condoms.

CDC officials said they do not believe that the pill, condoms and other forms of birth control were faulty. Instead, they think the teens failed to use it correctly or consistently.

Only 13 percent said they didn't use birth control because they had trouble getting it.

Another finding: Nearly a quarter of the teen moms said they did not use contraception because their partner did not want them to. That suggests that sex education must include not only information about anatomy and birth control, but also about how to deal with situations in which a girl feels pressured to do something she doesn't want to, Gavin said.

The findings are sobering, Albert said. But it's important to remember that the overall teen birth rate has been falling for some time, and recently hit its lowest mark in about 70 years.

Albert said it would be a mistake to come away from the report saying, "They can't figure this out?" ''Most of them are figuring it out," he said.

___

Online:

CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-19-Pregnant%20Teens/id-ada17895e3164bfab969eb53ae65e1be

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Abdul-Jabbar thrilled with ambassador appointment (AP)

NEW YORK ? In a move to engage young people worldwide, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a global cultural ambassador.

The Hall of Famer and NBA career scoring leader will promote the importance of education, social and racial tolerance, cultural understanding and using sports as a means of empowerment.

His appointment was announced Wednesday by the State Department.

"It's a great honor and I'm thrilled that they see me as the person that could get this done," he said in a phone interview.

The 64-year-old said he remembers a similar program under President John F. Kennedy where speakers came to his school in Harlem.

"So now I get to follow in the footsteps of one my heroes," he said.

Ann Stock, assistant secretary of state for education and cultural affairs, said Abdul-Jabbar will travel the world to engage a generation of young people to help promote diplomacy.

Stock said Tuesday the appointment is part of Clinton's vision of "Smart Power" that combines diplomacy, defense and development to "bridge the gap in a tense world through young people."

Abdul-Jabbar said he will share his take on life in America, adding: "I'll be doing a few basketball clinics, too."

He will make his first official trip Sunday when he travels to Brazil for a number of events centering on education.

"I look forward to meeting with young people all over the world and discussing ways in which we can strengthen our understanding of one another through education, through sports and through greater cultural tolerance," he said.

Since his retirement in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar has been involved in projects focused on African-American history and socio-economic justice. His 2011 documentary, "On the Shoulders of Giants," sought to highlight these issues. He has also launched the Skyhook Foundation, which works to improve children's lives through education and sports.

Last year, he received the Lincoln Medal for his commitment to education, understanding and equality and his contributions that exemplify President Abraham Lincoln's legacy.

His latest book, "What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors," was released earlier this month.

He says Clinton told him: "In Brazil, they would be shocked to find out black Americans were so much involved inventing so many useful items that we use today."

The former UCLA star scored 38,387 points during his 20-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.

___

Online:

http://kareemabduljabbar.com/osg/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_en_ce/us_people_abdul_jabbar

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Video: Washington, Oregon brace for snow blast

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

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46031988/

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Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered across the nation (Reuters)

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Americans honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday with a traditional day of service as well as a new wave of economic injustice protests by Occupy Wall Street.

On the first King holiday since the now-global Occupy movement launched in New York City in September, the reignited debate over inequality drew hundreds of protestors to march in wintry temperatures in Manhattan, stopping at a Bank of America branch to shout, "The banks got bailed out, we got sold out."

At least two protesters were loaded into a police van at the march, held "because Dr. King dedicated the last months of his life to planning a campaign for the right of all to a decent-paying job," leaders said in a statement.

King was organizing a Poor People's Campaign, the next phase in the civil rights movement, before he was murdered in 1968.

"I came here on the one hand to honor (King's) birthday, but also for the things that he stood for," said Jim Glaser, a retired teacher from suburban Nyack, New York, at the march.

"We have to have a government that's responsive to people, ... a government that people can have some influence on," he said.

At New York's African Burial Grounds, schoolchildren played "We Shall Overcome" on violins before protesters marched to the Federal Reserve in downtown Manhattan.

"What Occupy Wall Street is trying to do is exactly what (King) was trying to -- focus on economic injustice and to inform and educate the American public," said Norman Siegel, former director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

"I think (King) would be very pleased because Occupy Wall Street is the children of Dr King's dream," Siegel said at the 18th century burial ground, part of the National Park Service.

Protesters in the Occupy movement complain that billions of dollars in bailouts were given to banks while many Americans still suffer with joblessness and housing foreclosures. They say minorities were disproportionately affected by predatory lending practices.

The movement has influenced the national political conversation, with President Barack Obama echoing some of its themes in calling for a "fair shot" and "fair share" for all.

Community and civil rights leaders urged Americans to honor King's crusade for nonviolence and racial brotherhood by doing volunteer work.

The president, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughter Malia marked the day by helping spruce up the library at a school in a predominantly African-American community in northeast Washington.

"At a time when the country has been going through some difficult economic times, for us to be able to come together as a community, people from all different walks of life, and make sure that we're giving back, that's ultimately what makes us the strongest, most extraordinary country on earth," Obama said.

This year's King holiday came as officials in more than a dozen states implement new laws requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls. Critics say the restriction violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- one of the key accomplishments of the movement King led.

Across the nation, formal events such as prayer services, performances and parades were staged for King's birthday, which became a federal holiday in 1986. Post offices, government buildings and most public schools were closed.

King, a Baptist pastor who advocated for nonviolence, racial brotherhood and equal rights and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, was assassinated in 1968 as he stood outside his motel room in Memphis, where he had gone to support striking sanitation workers.

The convicted assassin, a segregationist and drifter named James Earl Ray, confessed to the killing but later recanted. He died in prison in 1998.

(Additional reporting by Lily Kuo, Ellen Wulfhorst and Karen Brooks, editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Barbara Goldberg)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/us_nm/us_mlk_holiday

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Wikipedia to shut for 24 hours to stop anti-piracy act (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Wikipedia, the popular community-edited online encyclopedia, will black out its English-language site for 24 hours to seek support against proposed U.S. anti-piracy legislation that Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said threatens the future of the Internet.

The service will be the highest profile name to join a growing campaign starting at midnight Eastern Time on Wednesday that will see it black out its page so that visitors will only see information about the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA).

The information will urge Wikipedia readers to contact their local congressman to vote against the bills. Other smaller sites leading the campaign include Reddit.com and Cheezeburger.

"This is a quite clumsily drafted legislation which is dangerous for an open Internet," said Wales in an interview.

The decision to black out the site was decided by voting within the Wikipedia community of writers and editors who manage the free service, Wales said. The English language Wikipedia receives more than 25 million average daily visitors from around the world, according to comScore data.

The bills pit technology companies like Google Inc and Facebook against the bill's supporters, including Hollywood studios and music labels, which say the legislation is needed to protect intellectual property and jobs.

The SOPA legislation under consideration in the House of Representatives aims to crack down on online sales of pirated American movies, music or other goods by forcing Internet companies to block access to foreign sites offering material that violates U.S. copyright laws. Supporters argue the bill is unlikely to have an impact on U.S.-based websites.

U.S. advertising networks could also be required to stop online ads, and search engines would be barred from directly linking to websites found to be distributing pirated goods.

Google has repeatedly said the bill goes too far and could hurt investment. Along with other Internet companies such as Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter and eBay, it has run advertisements in major newspapers urging Washington lawmakers to rethink their approach.

White House officials raised concerns on Saturday about SOPA saying they believe it could make businesses on the Internet vulnerable to litigation and harm legal activity and free speech.

"We're happy to see opposition is building and that the White House has started to pay attention," said Wales.

News of the White House's comments prompted a prominent supporter of the bill News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch to slam the Obama administration.

"So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery," he posted on his personal Twitter account Saturday. News Corp owns a vast array of media properties from Fox TV, the Wall Street Journal to Twentieth Century Fox studios.

Wales said the bill in its current form was too broad and could make it difficult for a site like Wikipedia, which he said relies on open exchange of information. He said the bill also places the burden of proof on the distributor of content in the case of any dispute over copyright ownership.

"I do think copyright holders have legitimate issues, but there are ways of approaching the issue that don't involve censorship," Wales said.

(Reporting By Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/tc_nm/us_sopa_wikipedia

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