Official: Kerry could meet with Abbas a third time

JERUSALEM (AP) ? A U.S. State Department official says Secretary of State John Kerry is ready to meet with the Palestinian president for a third time if that would help advance the Mideast peace process.

Kerry is in his third day of shuttle diplomacy and has held discussions with Mahmoud Abbas on Friday and Saturday in Amman, Jordan.

Kerry is having dinner Saturday night with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. It's their third meeting in three days.

It's unclear if or when Kerry might meet Abbas again.

The U.S. official spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

Kerry is currently scheduled to leave Sunday for Brunei for a Southeast Asia security conference.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/official-kerry-could-meet-abbas-third-time-195946504.html

snl Eva Longoria Wardrobe Malfunction drake eva longoria April Macie nicki minaj celebrity apprentice

Iran's president-elect: Nation voted for change

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's newly elected president says his election was a vote for change and vows to remain committed to his campaign promises of moderation and constructive interaction with the outside world.

Hasan Rouhani says moderation in foreign policy does not mean surrender or conflict but rather effective and constructive contact with the world. He made the comments in an address to a conference in Tehran Saturday. His remarks were broadcast live on state TV.

Rouhani has already promised greater openness over Iran's nuclear program but at the same time has sided with the hard-line Islamic establishment that refuses to stop enriching uranium.

He believes it's possible to strike a deal that would allow the Islamic Republic to keep enriching uranium while assuring the West it will not produce a nuclear weapon.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-president-elect-nation-voted-change-083803196.html

ESPYs 2012 venus williams Freeh Report direct tv Savages Home Run Derby 2012 San Diego fireworks

US agency sues Corzine over failure of MF Global

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Jon Corzine once saw a boutique brokerage called MF Global as his best hope to rescale the heights of Wall Street he'd once occupied as head of Goldman Sachs.

Now, MF Global is bankrupt. And Corzine faces a lifetime ban from the futures industry.

On Thursday, federal regulators sued Corzine, a onetime U.S. senator and governor of New Jersey. They allege that he was responsible for the misuse of customer money while CEO of MF Global, which collapsed in 2011.

A civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission seeks to restrict Corzine's ability to trade investments and demands he pay unspecified penalties.

The suit charges that MF Global violated U.S. laws in the weeks before it collapsed by using customer funds to support its own trading operations. About $1.2 billion in customer money vanished when the firm collapsed.

Corzine bore responsibility for the unlawful acts by MF Global because he controlled the firm and its holdings and "either did not act in good faith or knowingly induced these violations," the lawsuit says.

In a conference call with reporters, CFTC Enforcement Director David Meister said Corzine failed to do enough to "prevent the firm from dipping into customers' funds to stay afloat."

MF Global has agreed to pay a $100 million penalty as part of a settlement announced Thursday. The money will come from bankruptcy proceedings.

Corzine has disputed the allegations by the CFTC, which regulated New York-based MF Global. He did so again Thursday through his lawyers.

"Mr. Corzine did nothing wrong, and we look forward to vindicating him in court," attorney Andy Levander said in a statement.

James Giddens, the court-appointed trustee overseeing MF Global's bankruptcy, called the settlement with the CFTC "appropriate." He said the $100 million penalty will be paid only after the firm's customers and creditors have received all their claims.

The CFTC also filed civil charges against Edith O'Brien, the firm's former assistant treasurer. Last year, O'Brien was summoned to a congressional hearing into what happened in MF Global's final days. She declined to answer questions, invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Attorneys for O'Brien didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday.

The lawsuit seeks to bar Corzine and O'Brien from working for any firms that trade commodities or other investments regulated by the CFTC. Corzine and O'Brien would also be barred from trading any such investments on their own. They could still trade stocks and bonds.

Thursday's lawsuit is striking in that regulators have seldom charged individuals with financial crisis-era misdeeds. They have instead imposed fines and penalties against companies, often with no one having to admit blame.

Nearly 90 percent of the money belonging to the firm's U.S. customers has been recovered. Many farmers, ranchers and business owners used futures contracts through MF Global to hedge their risks against fluctuating crop prices. A futures contract allows someone to agree with someone else to buy or sell something ? corn, say, or gold ? at a set price at some point in the future.

The CFTC need not show in court that Corzine personally authorized the use of customer money, said Anthony Sabino of the New York law firm Sabino & Sabino, which specializes in white-collar crime. Top executives can be liable for "failure to maintain internal controls" or "failure to supervise," Sabino said.

Under a 2002 anti-corporate fraud law ? which Corzine co-wrote as a U.S. senator ? CEOs of public companies must personally certify the accuracy of their company's financial statements.

"When the Titanic went down, you didn't blame the cook; you didn't blame the guy in the engine room," Sabino said. "You blamed the captain. And Corzine is the captain of the ship called MF Global."

The CFTC has "a very substantial case" against Corzine and MF Global, Sabino said.

Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor, predicted that Corzine and the CFTC would eventually settle but not before a drawn-out battle.

That the CFTC filed suit against such a major defendant signals confidence that they have a strong case, he suggested.

"A defeat in a case like this, in such a high-profile setting, would come at some cost to the reputation of the agency," said Mintz, now at McCarter & English in New Jersey.

It isn't clear how much money Corzine is worth. He spent roughly $100 million of his fortune to win a U.S. Senate seat and the New Jersey governorship. In 2005, the last full year that he was a U.S. senator, he was estimated to be worth between $125 million and $175 million.

MF Global sought bankruptcy protection in 2011 after a disastrous bet on European countries' debt. Under Corzine's leadership, the firm bet $6.3 billion on bonds issued by Italy, Spain and other nations with deeply troubled financial systems. Those bonds plummeted in value in the weeks before MF Global's failure as fears intensified that some European countries might default.

The firm's $41 billion bankruptcy was the eighth-largest in U.S. history. It was also the first collapse of a Wall Street firm since the 2008 financial crisis ended. Critics have long complained that regulators have failed to aggressively pursue much bigger financial firms, whose high-risk bets nearly toppled the financial system.

Corzine, 66, had been a CEO of Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs before entering politics in 2000. He served as a Democratic U.S. senator from New Jersey and later governor of the state. He took the top job at MF Global in March 2010 after losing his 2009 bid for re-election as governor to Chris Christie.

MF Global was a small commodities broker when Corzine arrived. His vision was to transform the firm into a full-scale investment bank, similar to Goldman. The CFTC's lawsuit says he sought to do so by generating revenue from aggressive trading strategies.

The plan worked for a while even as the firm's investments grew increasingly risky, the lawsuit said. In the second half of 2011, its investments put heavy strains on its cash flow and capital. By October 2011, the lawsuit says, sources of cash were drying up.

Corzine and other employees communicated with one another, by email and sometimes on recorded phone lines, about the firm's "dire situation," the lawsuit says.

It says a treasurer of the firm's parent company, MF Global Holdings Ltd., told a chief financial officer and another employee in a recorded conversation on Oct. 6, 2011, that "we have to tell Jon that enough is enough. We need to take the keys away from him."

Corzine "disparagingly nicknamed the Global treasurer 'the Gravedigger,'" the lawsuit says

Corzine stepped down as MF Global chief in November 2011, a few days after the firm filed for bankruptcy protection.

Three reports on MF Global's collapse, by a House panel and two court-appointed trustees, placed most of the blame on Corzine. It said his risky strategies caused the failure.

Shareholders of MF Global have sued Corzine and other top managers. The investors say they lost about $585 million in just a week as the firm foundered. They accuse MF Global and the executives of making false and misleading statements about the firm's financial strength.

Giddens, the trustee, also joined a lawsuit filed by MF Global customers against Corzine and the other top executives.

Corzine testified at three hearings of House and Senate committees in December 2011 after lawmakers subpoenaed him. It was a rare sight in Washington: A former member of Congress being called by former colleagues to testify publicly about potential violations of law.

Corzine's testimony offered little to satisfy lawmakers or MF Global customers who lost money. Yet his explanations would be hard to disprove, legal experts said.

He said he never intended to "misuse" client money or to order anyone else to do so. Corzine also rebuffed an assertion that he knew about customer money that might have been transferred to a European affiliate just before MF Global collapsed.

O'Brien, the former assistant treasurer, was subpoenaed to testify at a hearing last year about an email she sent that appeared to contradict testimony from Corzine. The email said Corzine ordered a transfer of customer money to cover an overdraft in the firm's bank account in London.

"On the advice of counsel," she told Congress, "I respectfully decline to answer based on my constitutional right."

___

Neumeister and Rexrode contributed from New York.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-agency-sues-corzine-over-failure-mf-global-185641107.html

flight attendant pau gasol trade michael madsen day light savings day light savings spring forward daylight saving time 2012

Real Estate Rebound - Memphis Daily News

VOL. 6 | NO. 27 | Saturday, June 29, 2013

The Business of Law

By Michael Waddell

Updated 2:41PM

The residential and commercial real estate markets are slowly coming back, and residential and commercial real estate attorneys are seeing increased activity thanks to the surge.

Michael Hewgley, chief executive manager and attorney of Mid-South Title, and son Taylor Hewgley talk with Pryor Lott while signing closing documents on her Memphis home. Companies like Mid-South Title have seen business improve along with real estate.

(Daily News/Brian Johnson)

Mid-South Title handles both residential and commercial matters, and the company is seeing a spike in activity, especially in residential, over the past 18 months.

?In February 2012 our orders picked up, and they have not dropped off since,? said Taylor Hewgley, owner and chief operations manager of Mid-South Title. ?In fact, 2012 turned out to be one of the best years we?ve had, even when compared to the bonanza of 2004 through 2006.?

Last year the company opened nearly 1,300 files for an increase of 30 percent to 40 percent over two years prior. The increased activity was due in part to refinancing brought on by interest rates falling to historic lows.

?As the rates fell, we actually refinanced some people three times. Typically if you can improve your rate by a point to a point and a quarter, people are encouraged to refinance,? said Hewgley, who expects some of that activity to lessen as rates begin to creep back up.

To accommodate some of the new business, the company opened a new satellite closing office at the renovated Candy Factory building Downtown in January.

?It?s showing some healthy signs and healthy returns,? Hewgley said. ?It?s a minimal investment, and it?s working out well for us so far.?

The company last opened a new office in Fayette County in October 2006 as business was booming. The anticipation was for its builder clients to head into the submarket.

?Unfortunately, October 2006 is the exact time that our orders began to tail off from a really high volume,? he said. Demand began to drop off, and many builders were left holding lots and unable to secure spec loans.

The downturn forced Mid-South Title to be more nimble in its marketing approach.

?During the downturn, the power that the buyer had over the seller was tremendous, almost to an unhealthy stage.?

?Taylor Hewgley, Owner, Mid-South Title

?At the end of 2007, we had 30 to 35 builders and developers as clients and now we only have five to 10,? he said. ?As those orders dwindled, we had to readjust our efforts to attract more Realtors and mortgage origination lenders.?

Over the past five years after the abruptness of the economic downturn, the cyclical nature of the business has been ?off? thanks to falling interest rates and other factors like the first-time homebuyer credit, according to Hewgley. The drastic drop in home values in 2009 and 2010 diminished the value of the falling rates for some sellers.

?People were afraid to jump into the market or they couldn?t put their house onto the market because they did not want to have to bring money to closing,? Hewgley said. ?It was a very strange, herky-jerky environment. For about 36 months, we really had no idea what the next month was going to bring us.?

Now he thinks buyers who have been on the sidelines for the past few years might have a nest egg saved up to put down significant money for the purchase of a new home.

?During the downturn, the power that the buyer had over the seller was tremendous, almost to an unhealthy stage,? he said. ?We are starting to see that pendulum come back to the middle.?

Jim Warner of Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston PC has represented commercial lenders, landlords and tenants over the past several years and throughout his career. He works primarily with national companies that have a presence in Memphis, particularly in retail shopping centers.

?We?ve seen some large expansions continuing to happen,? said Warner, who cites the redevelopment of the space for anchor tenant Kroger in the Poplar Plaza Shopping Center. ?So selectively there have been projects happening that make great economic sense.?

Martin Tate did have to make some adjustment when the economy went in the tank a few years ago.

?The level of real estate activity dropped off, but our business picked up in other areas,? said Warner, who has been with the firm for 51 years and has specialized in commercial real estate for the past 30 years.

To make up for the constriction in the market, Warner supplemented his workload with general corporate work, including some nonprofit cases. He feels his firm was fortunate to not have to reduce staff during the downturn.

?The types of things we were dealing with several years ago were reflective of the recession, including tenants that were having difficulty staying current on their leases and the refinancing of loans,? Warner said. ?While activity has not come back to the levels prior to 2007, it is beginning to turn, and we are very optimistic about the future.?

Source: http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2013/jun/29/real-estate-rebound/

michigan football askew blue moon ann romney Paul Ryan Speech chris cooley chris cooley

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

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

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/sciam/basic-science

Breezy Point Seaside Heights nj transit PSEG hocus pocus hocus pocus mta schedule

NFL criminal cases put focus on vetting

Two felony charges in one day were more than a bump in the NFL's offseason. They pointed to an ongoing problem for the league ? players who wind up at the center of criminal cases.

Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested Wednesday in Massachusetts, accused of murdering his friend Odin Lloyd. Also Wednesday, Browns rookie linebacker Ausar Walcott was charged with attempted murder in New Jersey.

Both players were cut later in the day by their teams. On Thursday, the league said any club that now wants to sign Hernandez will face a hearing with Commissioner Roger Goodell first.

The question now is whether the veteran tight end and the rookie should have been in the league at all.

"It is difficult, it's always a balancing act," says Tony Dungy, who won a Super Bowl as Colts coach and has served as a mentor to players since leaving the NFL, including Michael Vick after the quarterback served federal prison time for dogfighting. "The league has a security department that sends out information, and every team is different in terms of how much its scouting department does and what areas are concentrated on most.

"It's really a matter of what you do with the information and what your organization feels is important. One thing you have to keep in mind is a lot of the (negative) things that happen come when they are 15 or 17 or 19 years old."

According to FBI statistics cited by the league, the incidence of NFL players getting arrested is much lower than in the general public. The average annual arrest rate of NFL players is roughly 2 percent of about 3,000 players who go through the league each year, including tryouts and minicamps. That's about half the arrest rate of the general U.S. population, the league says. The NFL notes the disparity becomes even more dramatic when the group is narrowed to American men ages 20-34.

But Jeff Benedict, author of several books on athletes and crimes, including "Pros and Cons, The Criminals Who Play In The NFL," believes the FBI statistics are a bad gauge.

"The danger of doing comparisons with the general public is, if you look at these people and their backgrounds, how many of those guys who have been arrested in the FBI numbers have been to college, make a lot of money like NFL players do, and live in safe, good neighborhoods?" Benedict says. "The issue is why any of these guys are doing this when they have all these good things going on in their lives."

The San Diego Union-Tribune, which has tracked NFL arrests "more serious than speeding tickets" dating back to 2000, has listed 36 this year, including Hernandez and Walcott and three players who were charged twice.

By comparison, the NBA says six players of its players have been arrested since last July 1, and Major League Baseball says it's aware of three cases this year worse than a speeding ticket: two DUIs and a misdemeanor drug charge.

While granting that NFL rosters are far bigger than those in the NBA or MLB, Benedict says, "You can't take these tiny snap shots and say the NFL is low."

Of course, even a few cases such as Hernandez's or that of Jovan Belcher ? the Kansas City player who shot his girlfriend to death last December, then committed suicide in front of his coach and general manager ? can create a widespread negative image.

And anyone who has suited up for an NFL team will face extra public scrutiny for even minor transgressions.

That, in turn, puts more pressure on the league's vetting process.

Dungy stresses that the amount of homework teams do is critical because they don't get all that much one-on-one time with prospective players. Some clubs do psychological analyses, even hiring outside agencies to handle them. Though others like the approach, Dungy is not a fan of it and always believed in his gut feeling about a player.

"You have to find out if they have grown from the issues, or there seems to be a pattern, or will these issues always be there," he says.

Bill Polian, who built the Bills, Panthers and Colts into Super Bowl teams as one of the NFL's most successful general managers and team presidents, strongly maintains that the league's vetting process is solid. It delves into players' histories from high school and college before they enter the league. Those investigations have become more sophisticated through the years; background checks include not only public records such as court documents and arrest data, but talking to teammates and coaches, high school principals and other people who have been a part of a player's life and development.

"It uncovers a fair amount of information," Polian says. "It is not designed to uncover information that is usable in court, but it is a process by which the clubs try to ascertain a clear picture of the individual that they are thinking about taking."

But there's no way of knowing how playing football for a living will change a young man.

"First of all, it is important to remember that no team is immune from having a player run afoul of the law, whether it's a speeding ticket up to what we have seen in the Hernandez and Belcher cases, which are as serious as is possible to be," Polian says.

"There's no magic wand a team can wave and change that player who has had serious problems. It's no different than any other workplace in America, just more publicized."

Benedict agrees that teams perform due diligence on draft prospects and they know what they are getting ? or avoiding ? in their draft rooms when it comes to skills or 40-meter dash times or health issues.

"The hardest thing they deal with on draft day is the character question," he says. "That is what keeps them up at night."

Former Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist says the vetting process wasn't particularly thorough for many of his years in the NFL ? he left after the 2007 season ? but he's certain it is more efficient now.

"I think Michael Vick was the turning point on the timeline," Sundquist says. "He was right in their backyard and they didn't know it was going on, an example of a team that had not had a handle on what players were doing."

Sundquist believes teams could get a better handle on developing problems by hiring security firms that are available around the clock to keep watch on players already in the league, even though the NFL's personal conduct policy is very direct in saying it expects "lawful, ethical and responsible" behavior.

"It's better to have a system in place that can monitor or check that guy, a security firm that is part of these guys' lives, not just vetting them," he says. "They are tied to the hip with these guys. I think that investment is well worth it."

Ultimately, if the public grows tired of player misconduct, regardless of the low percentages, it could become a huge problem for the NFL. And it could change how the teams approach player procurement.

"As these issues become a much more public situation in a business that relies upon the public for its goodwill," Polian says, "you are more and more concerned about taking chances on individuals ? no matter what the talent ? if they have problems in their background."

___

AP Sports Writers Dennis Waszak Jr., Brian Mahoney and Ronald Blum contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nfl-criminal-cases-put-focus-vetting-221910656.html

Chris Kyle Russian meteor Meteor Hits Russia Dorner Manifesto Valentines Day Quotes nerlens noel Mark Balelo

FCC listing exposes new Roku Streaming Stick remote with audio out

Roku introduced a new remote with audio out for its third-generation player, and an FCC filing reveals its Streaming Stick will get the same treatment soon. The new remote adds a headphone out and... that's it, since the Streaming Stick already used WiFi Direct for communication and control. Users shouldn't notice much difference however, in our review the batteries lasted for hours even with headphones plugged in. How does this revised unit align with Roku's plans to become the front end for your TV? We're not sure yet, but it appears the dongle is still a part of its plans.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Comments

Via: Zatz Not Funny

Source: Federal Communications Commission

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Rn2WKnCiJAQ/

Ryan Lanza Sandy Hook Univision josh hamilton Susan Rice the Who jon bon jovi

New rules aim to rid schools of junk foods

FILE - In this May 3, 2006 file photo, a student purchases a brown sugar Pop-Tart from a vending machine in the hallway outside the school cafeteria, in Wichita, Kan. High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from school vending machines and cafeteria lines as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items the Agriculture Department said Thursday June 27, 2013.(AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher, File)

FILE - In this May 3, 2006 file photo, a student purchases a brown sugar Pop-Tart from a vending machine in the hallway outside the school cafeteria, in Wichita, Kan. High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from school vending machines and cafeteria lines as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items the Agriculture Department said Thursday June 27, 2013.(AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from school vending machines and cafeteria lines as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items.

The Agriculture Department said Thursday that for the first time it will make sure that all foods sold in the nation's 100,000 schools are healthier by expanding fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits to almost everything sold during the school day.

That includes snacks sold around the school and foods on the "a la carte" line in cafeterias, which never have been regulated before. The new rules, proposed in February and made final this week, also would allow states to regulate student bake sales.

The rules, required under a child nutrition law passed by Congress in 2010, are part of the government's effort to combat childhood obesity. The rules have the potential to transform what many children eat at school.

While some schools already have made improvements in their lunch menus and vending machine choices, others still are selling high-fat, high-calorie foods. Standards put into place at the beginning of the 2012 school year already regulate the nutritional content of free and low-cost school breakfasts and lunches that are subsidized by the federal government. However most lunchrooms also have the "a la carte" lines that sell other foods ? often greasy foods like mozzarella sticks and nachos. Under the rules, those lines could offer healthier pizzas, low-fat hamburgers, fruit cups or yogurt, among other foods that meet the standards.

One of the biggest changes under the rules will be a near-ban on high-calorie sports drinks, which many beverage companies added to school vending machines to replace high-calorie sodas that they pulled in response to criticism from the public health community.

The rule would only allow sales in high schools of sodas and sports drinks that contain 60 calories or less in a 12-ounce serving, banning the highest-calorie versions of those beverages.

Many companies already have developed low-calorie sports drinks ? Gatorade's G2, for example ? and many diet teas and diet sodas are also available for sale.

Elementary and middle schools could sell only water, carbonated water, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, and low fat and fat-free milk, including nonfat flavored milks.

First lady Michelle Obama, an advocate for healthy eating and efforts to reduce childhood obesity, pointed out that many working parents don't have control over what their kids eat when they're not at home.

"That's why as a mom myself, I am so excited that schools will now be offering healthier choices to students and reinforcing the work we do at home to help our kids stay healthy," Mrs. Obama said in a statement.

At a congressional hearing, a school nutritionist said Thursday that schools have had difficulty adjusting to the 2012 changes, and the new "a la carte" standards could also be a hardship.

Sandra Ford, president of the School Nutrition Association and director of food and nutrition services for a school district in Bradenton, Fla., said in prepared testimony that the healthier foods have been expensive and participation has declined since the standards went into effect. She also predicted that her school district could lose $975,000 a year under the new "a la carte" guidelines because they would have to eliminate many of the foods they currently sell.

"The new meal pattern requirements have significantly increased the expense of preparing school meals, at a time when food costs were already on the rise," she said.

Ford called on the USDA to permanently do away with the limits on grains and proteins, saying they hampered her school district's ability to serve sandwiches and salads with chicken on top that had proved popular with students.

The Government Accountability Office said it visited eight districts around the country and found that in most districts students were having trouble adjusting to some of the new foods, leading to increased food waste and decreased participation in the school lunch program.

However, the agency said in a report that most students spoke positively about eating healthier foods and predicted they will get used to the changes over time.

One principle of the new rules is not just to cut down on unhealthy foods but to increase the number of healthier foods sold. The standards encourage more whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.

"It's not enough for it to be low in problem nutrients, it also has to provide positive nutritional benefits," says Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest who has lobbied for the new rules. "There has to be some food in the food."

The new rules are the latest in a long list of changes designed to make foods served in schools more healthful and accessible. Nutritional guidelines for the subsidized lunches were revised last year and put in place last fall. The 2010 child nutrition law also provided more money for schools to serve free and reduced-cost lunches and required more meals to be served to hungry kids.

Last year's rules making main lunch fare more nutritious faced criticism from some conservatives, including some Republicans in Congress, who said the government shouldn't be telling kids what to eat. Mindful of that backlash, the Agriculture Department left one of the more controversial parts of the rule, the regulation of in-school fundraisers like bake sales, up to the states.

The new guidelines also would not apply to after-school concessions at school games or theater events, goodies brought from home for classroom celebrations, or anything students bring for their own personal consumption.

The USDA so far has shown a willingness to work with schools to resolve complaints that some new requirements are hard to meet. Last year, for example, the government temporarily relaxed some limits on meats and grains in subsidized lunches after school nutritionists said they weren't working.

The food industry has been onboard with many of the changes, and several companies worked with Congress on the child nutrition law three years ago.

___

Follow Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcjalonick

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-06-27-Healthier%20School%20Foods/id-757968ce53bd4e34acb0c93b5410b475

northern mariana islands summer time coolio ricky rubio day light savings time peter paul and mary edgar rice burroughs

Hartford selling UK variable annuity business

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) ? Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is buying The Hartford's British variable annuity business for about $285 million.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. announced in March that it was exiting the annuity business so that it can focus on its property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds.

Hartford CFO Christopher Swift said in a statement Thursday that the sale of Hartford Life International Ltd. to Berkshire's Columbia Insurance Co. will help reduce the size and risk related to some legacy variable annuities, .

The acquisition is expected to result in a second-quarter net loss of about $110 million, Hartford said.

The deal is targeted to close by year's end.

Berkshire's Oriental Trading Co. also announced Thursday that it is buying toy maker MindWare Holdings Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hartford-selling-uk-variable-annuity-business-110228436.html

Nancy Lanza school shootings Jenni Rivera Adam Lanza Facebook the hobbit mick jagger Newton Shooting

Human Resource and Administration Manager at MTN Business ...

MTN Business Kenya Limited has grown to become one of the leading providers of corporate communications having modern and reliable network infrastructure in the region.
We wish to identify highly competent, proactive and self driven individuals to fill the following positions which are based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Human Resource and Administration Manager

Reporting to the Managing Director, the ideal candidate will be responsible for the development and effective execution of the Human Resources and Administration Strategy.

S/he will ensure attraction and retention of a professional, competent, talented and motivated workforce.?
?

The incumbent shall be responsible for:

• Review and implementation of HR policies in line with legal requirements and best practices.
• Managing the HR budget and ensure timely and effective implementation of the HR and Administration calendar of programmes and initiatives.
• Provide guidance to Managers on HR matters including performance appraisals, succession planning, and labour laws and handling disciplinary matters.
• Reviewing and managing manpower plans, recruitment, selection, induction and orientation of new staff.
• Enhance the company performance management culture by effectively linking it to business strategy, goals, processes, systems, rewards, recognition, succession plans and best practices.
• Ensure HR processes and filling procedures are effectively managed and aligned on the Human Resource Information System.?
• Reviewing and aligning the company training needs/calendar to the business strategy and objectives.
• Reward management including; payroll administration, staff medical scheme, group life, general insurance and staff wellness programs.
• Managing and advising the business on Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA) requirements.
• Leasing with Managers and Team Leaders in developing leave plans and ensuring leave utilization is in line with company policy.
• Managing office utilities including office space, company vehicle and third party contracts.
• Leading and mentoring the HR and Administration team.

Knowledge, skills and ability required:

• University Degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration or Social Studies.
• Post graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from an accredited Institution and membership to the Institute of Human Resource Management.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in Human Resource Management; at least three in senior management level.
• Excellent planning, organisational and analytical skills.
• Good Interpersonal, communication, negotiation and people skills.
• Ability to lead a team, work under pressure and meet? tight deadline.

Application details?

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements for any of the above positions may send their applications and detailed CV, including your qualifications, experience, present position and current remuneration.
?

The forwarding e-mail and cover letter must clearly indicate the job title on the subject line.
?

MTN Business Kenya reserves the right to accept or reject any application.?

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Source: http://www.eajobboard.com/2013/06/human-resource-and-administration.html

Dancing With the Stars 2013 NIT Bracket March Madness 2013 bracket March Madness 2013 selection sunday NIT Tournament clay matthews

Flying the Friendly Skies with Pets | Full Circle Veterinary Alternatives

These days, more and more people are travelling by air with their pets.? ?If you are considering this there are a few things you should know.

First of all, not all airlines allow pets, so before booking your flight make sure that the airline is indeed pet friendly and that they know your pet is flying with you.? There are often additional charges for your pet and there are only a small number of pets allowed on each flight.? You may not be able to wait for that last minute seat sale?- you might get a spot, but your pet may not!

If your pet is small enough it may be able to travel in the cabin with you. ?In this case your dog or cat must fit into a carrier that is able to fit under the seat in front of you. Check with your airline to find out the dimensions of the carriers they allow and be willing to put up with a bit less foot room.

If your dog is larger and must travel in the cargo area then ensure that you have an approved transport crate and that your pet is accustomed to travelling in it. Crates must be large enough to allow your dog to stand, sit, turn around and lie down in a natural position.? It must be solid sided, have adequate ventilation and it must have a leak-proof? bottom.? Label the crate with your name, address, and contact phone number.? Having your flight number and destination on the label is also a good idea.

Don?t forget to have a leash handy at the airport since you often have to remove your dog from the crate so that the crate can be put through the x-ray scanner.? But before even entering the terminal, don?t forget the last minute potty break for Buster.? There are no lavatories in cargo!

Always try to book non stop flights and consider the time of year that you are travelling.? Fly in early morning or late evening in the summer months and try to travel mid day in the winter.

Many airlines require that your pet be examined by your Veterinarian within 10 days of flying and that they have issued a health certificate.? If you are travelling internationally make sure that you have the correct paperwork to allow your pet entry into the country.? Many countries have strict guidelines that may require special testing, vaccinations or paperwork to be filed out?so look into this far in advance. If not there may not be enough time to get results, special import certificates, etc, prior to your travel date.

Happy Flying!!

Dr. Janis M. Fisher, DVM, CVA, CCRT

Source: http://fullcirclevet.ca/2013/06/27/flying-the-friendly-skies-with-pets/

state of the union fat tuesday ash wednesday kate middleton marco rubio marco rubio Zero Hour

Q&A: Probes of IRS treatment of tea party proceed

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The head of the Internal Revenue Service testifies to Congress this week after IRS documents showed that progressive and other groups seeking tax-exempt status were listed along with conservative organizations as meriting close examination by agency screeners.

With IRS chief Danny Werfel preparing to answer questions Thursday from the House Ways and Means Committee, here's where things stand with his beleaguered agency:

Q: Do the latest revelations mean the IRS subjected progressive groups pursuing tax-exempt designations to the same tough treatment that tea party organizations received?

A: In interviews, leaders of some liberal and other groups ? such as advocates of the medical use of marijuana ? say they faced detailed questions and long delays. So far it remains unclear whether the extent of the problems they faced was as widespread as the ones that dozens of conservative groups confronted. Werfel is likely to get questions on that from lawmakers, especially Democrats.

Q: Why were groups' applications examined so closely?

A: The IRS must determine who qualifies for tax-exempt status. One designation sought by many organizations ? called 501(c)(4) for its tax code section ? lets groups help candidates' election campaigns if it isn't their primary activity.

Thanks to vague laws and regulations, that means the IRS must painstakingly study the activities of all politically active groups that apply for that designation. What was different about this episode is that conservative groups ? and apparently others too ? were given close scrutiny because of their names or statements on their applications or websites.

Q: Did President Barack Obama or any top White House, administration or Obama campaign official start or direct the IRS targeting of conservatives?

A: Several Republicans have suggested the operation was directed by Obama allies and was purposely aimed at his conservative adversaries. There is no evidence yet that anyone from the Obama administration or his political organization was involved in the targeting of conservatives.

Q: Then who started it and why?

A: According to Treasury Department Inspector General J. Russell George and testimony to congressional committees, the screening started with a handful of IRS workers in the Cincinnati office who process around 5,000 applications for tax-exempt status every month.

In early 2010, one worker passed an application from a tea party organization to his boss because he thought their tax treatment could attract news media attention. The boss forwarded it to his superiors, including the IRS exempt organizations office in Washington, which oversaw the Cincinnati screeners and expressed interest.

After that, the boss back in Cincinnati ? who told congressional investigators that the IRS wants to treat high-profile cases consistently ? had his screeners look for similar applications. Eventually they and others set aside dozens of such cases.

Q: What did the IRS do with the conservative groups' applications that were set aside?

A: About 40 were shared with an IRS attorney in Washington, who provided technical advice.

That ended up causing a 13-month period ? from October 2010 to November 2011 ? during which no real work was done on tea party applications. According to testimony to Congress and George's report in May, Cincinnati IRS workers thought their Washington bosses were working on guidelines but Washington thought work in Cincinnati was proceeding. There is no evidence yet that Washington's involvement had any other impact on the cases.

Q: Where did the lists come from?

A: According to George, in May 2010 IRS officials began compiling spreadsheets listing characteristics that screeners were supposed to seek. That list contained the term "tea party" by August 2010 but kept evolving.

George has reported that by June 2011, the list also included "patriots" and "9/12," plus mentions of making America better and criticism of how the country was being run. He has said that after several changes, by May 2012 the spreadsheet was revised to shift its focus away from applicants' policy views and instead toward activities permitted by Treasury regulations.

Democrats from the House Ways and Means panel released 15 of the lists this week. They showed that various points the lists included terms like "Progressives" and "Healthcare legislation." As recently as April of this year they contained "Paying National Debt" and "Green Energy Organizations." Werfel, who was given his job in May by Obama, said this week that he ordered use of the lists completely halted earlier this month.

Q: How many groups were affected?

A: George's report singled out 298 organizations for close study because of potential political activity. Of those, 96 had "tea party," ''patriots" or "9/12" in their names. There is no precise breakdown of the political views of the remaining 202 groups, but they included groups from the right, left and center.

Despite the careful scrutiny they received, George found that as of December 2012 none of the 298 political cases' applications had been denied. Most remained undecided or were approved.

Q: What tough treatment did the groups receive?

A: Most tea party groups waited at least a year for decisions on their applications, with some waiting more than three years. In addition, the IRS sent lengthy questionnaires to many that included queries about their donors and plans, if any, by group leaders to seek public office.

Q: Who wrote these questionnaires?

A: That's unclear, as is why the delays in processing applications persisted so long. Also blurry is why top IRS officials who said they learned about the targeting in spring 2012 didn't tell Congress, even though lawmakers had asked them about it repeatedly because of complaints from tea party constituents.

Q: What's next?

A: Besides Ways and Means, the Senate Finance and House Oversight and Government Reform committees and the Justice Department are pursuing investigations likely to take months.

___

Associated Press writer Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/q-probes-irs-treatment-tea-party-proceed-073022785.html

Under the Dome Naked and Afraid Demi Lovato Patrice Bergeron Adrien Broner Anna Kendrick Allan Simonsen

Federer stunned in 2nd round by Stakhovsky

Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine reacts as he wins against Roger Federer of Switzerland in their Men's second round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine reacts as he wins against Roger Federer of Switzerland in their Men's second round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Roger Federer of Switzerland waves to the crowd as he walks off the court after his defeat to Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine in their Men's second round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine gestures to the crowd after winning against Roger Federer of Switzerland in their Men's second round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, left, is attended to after taking a fall during her Women's first round singles match against Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, second from right, is helped up after taking a fall during her Women's first round singles match against Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LONDON (AP) ? Seven-time champion Roger Federer was stunned by 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round of Wimbledon on Wednesday, his earliest loss in a Grand Slam tournament in 10 years.

The 27-year-old Ukrainian outplayed Federer on Centre Court, serving and volleying his way to a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory that stands out as one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history.

"Magic," Stakhovsky said. "I couldn't play any better today."

The result capped a chaotic day at Wimbledon when seven players were forced out by injuries, and former champion Maria Sharapova fell in the second round to a qualifier. Seven former No. 1 -ranked players all departed the tournament Wednesday.

Federer's loss ended his record streak of reaching at least the quarterfinals at 36 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, a run that began at Wimbledon in 2004, shortly after a third-round exit at that year's French Open.

"It's always a disappointment losing any match around the world, and particularly here," Federer said. "I've had some great moments here, but also some tougher ones. Can't have 'em all. It was a tough loss today."

The owner of a record 17 major championships, Federer hadn't been beaten in the second round or earlier since a first-round defeat at the 2003 French Open.

The 31-year-old Federer said he won't "panic" and will work hard to come back stronger.

"I'm looking forward to what's to come," he said. "Looking forward to next year, that I can do better next year. "

Federer said the end of his quarterfinal run does not represent the end of an era.

"I still have plans to play for many more years to come," he said. " It's normal that after all of a sudden losing early after being in the quarters 36 times, people feel it's different. "

Federer's shock defeat was his earliest at the All England Club since a first-round loss in 2002 to No. 154-ranked Mario Ancic. Stakhovsky is the lowest-ranked player to beat Federer at any event since then.

Wednesday's defeat came on the same grass court Federer has made his own for nearly a decade.

It ended with Stakhovsky converting on his second match point, a 13-stroke rally that finished with Federer hitting a backhand wide.

Stakhovsky fell onto his back in celebration. He later bowed to the crowd as Federer walked off the court with a quick wave.

Federer converted only one of eight break points against Stakhovsky, who broke the Swiss star twice. The Ukrainian piled up 72 winners against 17 unforced errors, while Federer had 56 winners and 13 errors.

While few play serve-and-volley these days, Stakhovsky used the tactic with great success throughout the match to keep Federer off balance. He won 61 out of 96 points at the net.

"I'm still in disbelief," Stakhovsky said. "When you play Roger Federer at Wimbledon it's like you are playing two persons. First you play Roger Federer, then you play his ego, and on the Centre Court of Wimbledon, where he is historical. So that's like playing two against one."

Federer's defeat was the biggest shock on a day full of them.

Earlier, third-seeded Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, was stunned 6-3, 6-4 by 131st-ranked Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal in the second round.

Sharapova slipped and fell several times on the grass on Court 2 and received medical treatment from the trainer in the second set.

It wasn't serious enough to force Sharapova to quit, as so many others did Wednesday either by walkover or mid-match retirements.

Among the casualties: second-seeded Victoria Azarenka (walkover, right knee), men's No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (retirement, left knee), John Isner (retirement, left knee) and Steve Darcis (walkover, right shoulder). Darcis was the man who stunned two-time champion Rafael Nadal in the first round Monday.

Also out: 10th-seeded Marin Cilic (walkover, left knee); 2006 quarterfinalist Radek Stepanek (retirement, left hamstring); and Yaroslava Shvedova (walkover, right arm).

The International Tennis Federation said the seven players forced out is believed to be the most in one day at any Grand Slam event in the 45 years of the Open era.

"I would say (it's a) very black day," Cilic said of the spate of injury withdrawals. "The other days, other weeks, there were no pullouts. Everything just happened today."

If that wasn't enough, the tournament lost all those former No. 1 players: Sharapova, Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic among the women, and Federer and Lleyton Hewitt among the men.

With Azarenka and Sharapova gone, the prospect of Serena Williams lifting the women's trophy for a sixth time look even stronger. Williams, who is riding a 32-match winning streak, had already been considered the overwhelming title favorite.

There were a few moments of normality on this crazy day at the All England Club.

Second-seeded Andy Murray advanced easily to the third round with a 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan on Court 1.

Murray served 11 aces and had 41 winners against only 14 unforced errors for his second consecutive straight-set win. With Nadal and Federer now out of his half of the draw, the U.S. Open champion remains on course in his bid to become the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years.

The 20-year-old Larcher de Brito played the match of her life against Sharapova on Court 2 to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for only the second time.

Larcher de Brito held her nerve in the final 10-minute, 18-point game to serve out the match. She saved two break points and finally converted on her fifth match point when Sharapova hit a forehand into the net.

"I can't believe it," Larcher de Brito said. "I just tried to stay calm. I just played so well. I just hung in there. In the last couple of points or games I just gave it my all and went for it."

Sharapova tumbled several times on the grass. Trailing 3-2 in the second set, her right leg gave way behind the baseline and she did the splits.

Sharapova took a medical timeout and complained to the umpire about the grass conditions. She said later she believed she strained a hip muscle.

"I don't think I've ever fallen three times in a match before in my career, so that was a little strange," Sharapova said. "But that's certainly not an excuse.

"I think today I've seen a lot of players fall and take a few hits and a few injuries. So I think that's just part of the game, part of what we have to deal with."

Azarenka, the two-time Australian Open champion, pulled out after hurting her right knee in her opening-round win against Maria Joao Koehler. She withdrew minutes before her second-round match against Flavia Pennetta.

It's only the second time in the Open era that a women's player seeded in the top 2 has conceded a match by walkover at any Grand Slam. The last time it happened was in 1974 at the French Open when second-seeded Nancy Richey pulled out before a match.

Murray's victory came not long after his potential quarterfinal opponent, Tsonga, retired with a left knee injury while trailing Ernests Gulbis 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Darcis withdrew a few hours before his scheduled match against Lukasz Kubot of Poland. He said he hurt his right shoulder while diving for a shot in the first set of his win against Nadal.

"Not to go on the court today, it's maybe the biggest disappointing thing I have to do," Darcis said.

The tournament also lost 2002 champion Hewitt, who was ousted by 189th-ranked German qualifier Dustin Brown, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2.

The dreadlocked Brown, who switched nationality from Jamaica in 2010, was in tears after beating the Australian.

"I cried like a little girl," said Brown, who has played mainly on the lower-tier challenger circuit in 2013 and had never won a match at Wimbledon until this year.

Isner, the 18th-seeded American, retired during his second-round match against Adrian Mannarino of France after only two games.

The retirement came three years after Isner beat Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set at Wimbledon in the longest match in tennis history. Now, Isner is out after one of the shortest matches at Wimbledon.

"I always serve and land on my left leg, like I have done 20 million times playing this game, and this is the first time I just felt this sharp pain," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-26-Wimbledon/id-95ef6e193acf4a6ca1c6f2626bf15fe8

shades of grey jennie garth space needle nashville predators king arthur king arthur there will be blood

Respawn Entertainment talks Xbox Live Cloud, praises its multiplayer servers

Microsoft's been quick to point out how it's beefing up the Xbox Live Cloud in preparation for its next wunderconsole, and now Respawn Entertainment is stepping in to detail just what Redmond's architecture means for multiplayer on Titanfall. The firm's Jon Shiring, who works with the game's cloud computing integration, says that the next-gen title boasts vastly improved online play since it leans on Ballmer and Company's cloud hardware instead of users to host sessions. By taking advantage of Microsoft's servers, the futuristic shooter benefits from more reliable bandwidth, snappier matchmaking times, extra CPU power and the elimination of latency-based host advantage and hacked-host cheating, to boot. Naturally, using dedicated servers can cost a ton, but Respawn says Microsoft managed to keep things comparatively inexpensive for developers, in part thanks to its Azure tech. For the dev's comprehensive write-up on just what this revamped Xbox Live architecture may mean for gaming, click the source link below.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft

Comments

Source: Respawn Entertainment

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/24/respawn-entertainment-xbox-live-cloud/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

celebrity apprentice Jodi Arias Trial Live Bay to Breakers Andrea Rebello wfaa prince david beckham

BlackBerry continues to baffle Wall Street as estimates swing wildly

BlackBerry Q1 2014 Earnings Preview

Wall Street?s views on BlackBerry 10 sales have been all over the map in recent months. As we approach the?company?s earnings announcement?for the May quarter on June 28th, wild swings have continued. Investors? reaction to the report is likely to be strong: more than 30% of the entire stock float for BlackBerry has recently been sold short. This could mean a violent short squeeze if BlackBerry OS 10 volumes beat estimates. However, the recent increases in estimates mean that investor expectations may have spiked over the past month: It is possible that?3.5 million Z10 and Q10 units sold during May quarter?is now a bar that BlackBerry has to clear in order to beat the consensus.

[More from BGR: CNN calls Samsung?s Galaxy S4 line ?gadget spam?]

Among the recent estimate changes, RBC?s Mark Sue hiked his BB10 projection from 2.75 million units to 3.5 million ? a 27% jump. A week ago, Societe Generale moved its BB10 projection to 5 million units, roughly 40% above Wall Street?s consensus. SG executed a rare move,?lifting its?rating on BlackBerry shares from?a Sell directly into a Buy. Jefferies is in the 4 million unit camp.

[More from BGR: iOS 7 beta 2: Full change log now available, iPad version released]

Interestingly,?some houses rating BlackBerry?as Neutral are lifting their device volume estimates sharply: UBS has a lackluster share price target of $13, but raised its BB10 estimate from 3 million units to 3.7 million this week. This is another big swing; a 23% unit volume projection?hike in a single report.

Perhaps tellingly, many BlackBerry?bears like BMO Capital?have started talking about discrepancies between sell-in and sell-through, arguing that BlackBerry is shipping far more devices than consumers are buying. This could be a sign that bears are getting nervous about a possible May quarter upside surprise and have started rehearsing explanations about why?even a strong shipment?figure may not actually be all that relevant.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-continues-baffle-wall-street-estimates-swing-wildly-160541549.html

saints bounty program toulouse france ny jets

Murder trial begins in earnest in Florida's Trayvon Martin case

By Tom Brown and Barbara Liston

SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - The murder trial of George Zimmerman, whose fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin triggered nationwide protests last year, begins in earnest on Monday in a Florida courtroom.

Opening statements from lawyers outlining the basic facts in the case, and what they believe the evidence will show, are set to begin at 9 a.m. EDT.

This follows two weeks of jury selection which ended last week with a panel of six female jurors chosen to decide Zimmerman's fate. Due to blanket media coverage the judge ordered the jury sequestered for the duration of the trial.

Zimmerman, who is 29 and part Hispanic, was the neighborhood watch captain in a gated community in Sanford at the time of the killing on February 26, 2012. He has pleaded innocent to the charge of second-degree murder and could face life imprisonment if convicted.

Martin, 17, was a student at a Miami-area high school and a guest of one of the homeowners in the Retreat at Twin Lakes community. He was walking back to the residence after buying snacks at a nearby convenience store when he was shot in the chest during a confrontation with Zimmerman.

Because Sanford police initially failed to arrest Zimmerman, on grounds that he acted in self-defense, many saw the killing as an example of second-class treatment of black victims in the U.S. criminal justice system.

That set off civil rights rallies and cries of injustice across the United States throughout much of last year. It also threw a spotlight on gun use and Florida's controversial self-defense laws.

Much of what happened during Martin's fatal encounter with Zimmerman is still a mystery. Neighbors who witnessed the scuffle and the fatal shot, albeit on a rainy night, are expected to testify.

Zimmerman claims Martin was the aggressor, but Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda, who is the lead prosecutor, says the younger man would be alive today had he not been profiled by Zimmerman as "a real suspicious guy."

Setting the stage for a possible fiery opening to the trial, presiding Seminole County Judge Debra Nelson overruled objections from the defense last week and said prosecutors could use such inflammatory terms as "vigilante" and "wannabe cop" in referring to Zimmerman.

She also ruled that prosecutors could say Zimmerman "profiled" Martin and "confronted" him, language suggesting that he initiated the altercation that led to Martin's death.

There is a high bar for the prosecution in a case that will center on Florida's aggressive self-defense laws, however. Under Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which was approved in 2005 and has since been copied by about 30 other states, people fearing for their lives can use deadly force without having to retreat from a confrontation, even when it is possible.

In instructions on "justifiable use of deadly force," that Nelson read to potential jurors last week, she noted that anyone in fear of grievous bodily harm or death is entitled to shoot and kill an assailant rather than back down.

"The danger facing the defendant need not have been actual," Nelson said, suggesting that mere perception of "danger" was enough to make it reality.

"If the defendant was not engaged in an unlawful activity, and was attacked in any place where he had a right to be, he had no duty to retreat and a right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he reasonably believed that it was necessary do so," Nelson said.

(Writing by Tom Brown; editing by David Adams and Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/murder-trial-begins-earnest-floridas-trayvon-martin-case-050411255.html

Kentucky Derby 2013 Barcelona celtics harry connick jr Marc Maron amanda knox Carolyn Moos

Wu-Tang Clan Don't Know If A Better Tomorrow Title Will Stick

Twenty-year anniversary LP is 'in the making right now,' Ghostface Killah tells MTV News before taking Bonnaroo stage.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Rya Backer

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1709477/wu-tang-forever-tomorrow-lp.jhtml

barista university of kentucky oakland news alec baldwin alec baldwin college basketball oakland

A Rifle-Turned-Slingshot That Shoots Knives Is Terrifying

This week Joerg busted out the deactivated M16A1 rifle (which he obviously has) and turned it into a slingshot. The launcher band mounts on the underside of the rifle barrel, and the weapon shoots two Cold Steel "Hide Out" neck knives aka really scary/sharp little suckers.

The slingshot can shoot two knives at once or one at a time. The best image from this video is probably Joerg testing the slingshot on a watermelon and then breaking it open to reveal the two knives inside. I wonder where The Slingshot Channel gets all its test fruit.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-rifle-turned-slingshot-that-shoots-knives-is-terrifyi-549943481

nike foamposite galaxy bill maher seabiscuit dingo nba all star weekend malin akerman jeff carter

Hong Kong lets Snowden leave to Moscow, with Cuba among possible destinations

By James Pomfret

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A former contractor for the U.S. National Security Agency, charged by the United States with espionage, was allowed to leave Hong Kong on Sunday, his final destination as yet unknown, because a U.S. request to have him arrested did not comply with the law, the Hong Kong government said.

Edward Snowden left for Moscow on Sunday and his final destination may be Cuba, Ecuador, Iceland or Venezuela, according to various reports. The move is bound to infuriate Washington, wherever he ends up.

"It's a shocker," said Simon Young, a law professor with Hong Kong University. "I thought he was going to stay and fight it out. The U.S. government will be irate."

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a source at the Aeroflot airline as saying there was a ticket in Snowden's name for a Moscow-Cuba flight. Itar-Tass news agency cited a source as saying Snowden would fly from Havana to Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.

The South China Morning Post said his final destination might be Ecuador or Iceland.

A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was unaware of Snowden's whereabouts or travel plans.

The WikiLeaks anti-secrecy website said it helped Snowden find "political asylum in a democratic country". It did not elaborate, other than to say Snowden was "currently over Russian airspace" with WikiLeaks legal advisers.

The White House had no comment on the WikiLeaks posting.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said last week he would not leave the sanctuary of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London even if Sweden stopped pursuing sexual assault claims against him because he feared arrest on the orders of the United States.

U.S. authorities have charged Snowden with theft of U.S. government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person, with the latter two charges falling under the U.S. Espionage Act.

The United States had asked Hong Kong, a special administrative region (SAR) of China, to send Snowden home.

"The U.S. government earlier on made a request to the HKSAR government for the issue of a provisional warrant of arrest against Mr Snowden," the Hong Kong government said in a statement.

"Since the documents provided by the U.S. government did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law, the HKSAR government has requested the U.S. government to provide additional information ... As the HKSAR government has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr Snowden from leaving Hong Kong."

It did not say what further information it needed, but said Snowden left Hong Kong "on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel".

CHINA SAYS U.S. "BIGGEST VILLAIN"

Hong Kong, a former British colony, reverted to Chinese rule in 1997 and although it retains an independent legal system, and its own extradition laws, Beijing has control over Hong Kong's foreign affairs. Some observers see Beijing's hand in Snowden's sudden departure.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said earlier this month that Russia would consider granting Snowden asylum if he were to ask for it and pro-Kremlin lawmakers supported the idea, but there has been no indication he has done so.

Iceland refused on Friday to say whether it would grant asylum to Snowden, a former employee of contractor Booz Allen Hamilton who worked at an NSA facility in Hawaii.

The South China Morning Post earlier quoted Snowden offering new details about the United States' spy activities, including accusations of U.S. hacking of Chinese mobile telephone companies and targeting China's Tsinghua University.

Documents previously leaked by Snowden revealed that the NSA has access to vast amounts of internet data such as emails, chat rooms and video from large companies, including Facebook and Google, under a government program known as Prism.

In its statement, the Hong Kong government said it had written to the United States "requesting clarification" of earlier reports about the hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by U.S. government agencies.

"The HKSAR Government will continue to follow up on the matter, so as to protect the legal rights of the people of Hong Kong," it said.

China's Xinhua news agency, referring to Snowden's accusations about the hacking of Chinese targets, said they were "clearly troubling signs".

It added: "They demonstrate that the United States, which has long been trying to play innocent as a victim of cyber attacks, has turned out to be the biggest villain in our age."

(Additional reporting by Fayen Wong in Shanghai; Nishant Kumar in Hong Kong; Alexei Anishchuk and Steve Gutterman in Moscow, and Tabassum Zakaria in Washington; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-nsa-contractor-snowden-leaves-hong-kong-moscow-080843121.html

netflix kennedy center honors boxing day george h w bush Belk Led Zeppelin Ned Rocknroll

The Week in Pictures, Obama Faceplant Edition (Powerlineblog)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/314513794?client_source=feed&format=rss

freddie mercury Horshack Beady Eye Eric Idle rory mcilroy Fatboy Slim Rio de Janeiro