Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Oil near $99 in Asia on Greece debt concern (AP)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia ? Oil fell to nearly $99 a barrel Monday in Asia amid fresh concerns that the eurozone may refuse to grant Greece a fresh bailout.

Benchmark crude for March delivery was down 42 cents at $99.14 a barrel at midday Kuala Lumpur time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 14 cents to finish at $99.56 on Friday.

Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore, said crude prices were volatile after Germany's finance minister warned that the eurozone might not give Greece a fresh bailout unless it can overhaul its state and economy. Analysts fear this could reignite the region's debt crisis.

European leaders were to meet later Monday in Brussels to discuss austerity measures and a tentative deal reached Saturday between Greece and its private investors to avert a disastrous Greek default on its debt.

Shum said supply concerns also weighed on the market although Iran has postponed plans to immediately cut the flow of crude oil to Europe in retaliation for EU sanctions over its nuclear program.

Iran also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil passage, and the head of its national oil company warned Sunday that EU sanctions could push oil prices up to between $120 and $150 a barrel. The market is also awaiting report from an International Atomic Energy Agency team that is currently touring Tehran, Shum said.

"Trade has been flat. The geopolitical tension in Iran and concerns over Greece's debt default are driving oil in different directions. This has helped oil to hold steady," Shum added.

In other energy trading, heating oil rose 1 cent to $3.07 per gallon but gasoline futures were steady at $2.92 per gallon. Natural gas added 7 cents to $2.82 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_as/oil_prices

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The Most Powerful Body In Finance And What They Mean To You ...

My Dear Friends,

I was interviewed today concerning the most powerful body in the financial world that now holds in its hands the near future of all markets, from currencies to commodities, based on a single edict to be given.

The interview is being processed and should be posted here later this evening.

This organization supersedes all governments and central banks today in terms of the financial power they edict. This organization can have a greater impact on your pocketbook than the FASB did when they killed "true value" accounting.

This body is made up of the key players of the five largest banks in the USA and other countries. This body by their actions this week will guarantee QE to infinity.

This is relevant to all your assets, yes all. If you have the time listen to it please. If you don?t have the time listen to it please. If you don?t listen to it do not blame me when all hell breaks loose six months from now.

Not one word about this body was on the airwaves today, yet this group by a simple decision rules the financial plant. They will be making this edict in just a few days. They have to do it again this year. It is then that you know what will hit the fan.

I feel this is it for jsmineset.com tonight. I do not want to write another word and detract from the revelations you will hear.

Your financial future, even if you have never heard of them, is in this organization?s hands. Check in later for the interview. If you don?t check in your finances might just check out.

Please remember you have been informed of this impending edict as a service to the community.

Respectfully,
Jim

Source: http://www.jsmineset.com/2012/01/30/the-most-powerful-body-in-finance-and-what-they-mean-to-you/

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Exxon selling Japanese subsidiary in $3.9B deal (AP)

Exxon Mobil Corp. is selling its Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a deal valued at $3.9 billion.

TonenGeneral Sekiyu will buy 99 percent of the shares of Exxon Mobil Yugen Kaisha, which refines and sells fuel and lubricants, the Japanese refiner said. Exxon Mobil's stake in TonenGeneral will drop to 22 percent from 50 percent.

Exxon Mobil said the deal, announced Sunday, will result in a refining and marketing business "better positioned to meet Japan's energy needs."

Large oil and gas companies have been shedding refining operations in recent years, especially in developed markets where demand for gasoline and diesel has been weak. Tightening car and truck fuel economy rules are expected to keep demand for fuels low for years to come.

Marathon Oil spun off its refining operations last July. This summer ConocoPhillips also plans to split itself in two, separating its refining operations from its more profitable oil and gas exploration and production business. BP and Shell are selling refineries in the U.S. and Western Europe.

Exploring and producing oil and gas is generally more profitable than refining crude into gasoline and diesel. It offers investors a chance for faster growth. Also, oil prices are high and are expected to remain so, which has helped producer profits and funded a boom in new exploration.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_bi_ge/us_exxon_japan

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Boehner's Keystone Pipeline Approval Tactics Hurt Obama Either Way (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, will attempt to attach the approval for the Keystone pipeline onto the new jobs bill, according to ABC News. As someone who has studied the machinations of politics for years, I can see this turning into an interesting fight in the next few months. I can see the Keystone pipeline becoming one of the keystones of the Republican campaign against President Barack Obama.

If Boehner is not allowed to attach the Keystone approval to the jobs bill, I see him attempting to attach it to every major bill that comes up in the near future. The Republicans, and some Democrats, have made the pipeline a major issue. President Obama has stated he does not want the approval to come before the 2012 election, but supporters of the plan, and Canada, do not want to wait that long. The concern comes over the threats by Canada to take its business elsewhere if the U.S. cannot finalize the plan which has been on the table for over three years.

Even though Speaker Boehner is not running against President Obama, he is in a strong position to help the Republicans right now. By continuing the pressure on Keystone, the president can be shown in a negative light. By not signing off on a plan that would create loads of jobs (actual numbers debatable), the president is shown as being weak on jobs and weak on foreign relations with one of our closest neighboring countries.

By attaching the Keystone pipeline approval on every major bill, Boehner is putting President Obama in a Catch-22 situation. If a bill passes Congress, does the president pass a bill the country needs (such as the jobs bill) and go back on his word about the pipeline or does he veto the bill simply due to the approval and have it held against him later? President Obama would have to fend off attacks by his Republican opponent over his inability to make the approval or his excessive vetoes.

This is a strong political move by Speaker Boehner that not only strengthens his case over the Keystone pipeline, it also sets up the possibility for President Obama to be shown in a negative light. This is a well-planned move during a crucial election year such as this. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120129/pl_ac/10899941_boehners_keystone_pipeline_approval_tactics_hurt_obama_either_way

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Researchers find cancer in ancient Egyptian mummy

(AP) ? A professor from American University in Cairo says discovery of prostate cancer in a 2,200-year-old mummy indicates the disease was caused by genetics, not environment.

The genetics-environment question is key to understanding cancer.

AUC professor Salima Ikram, a member of the team that studied the mummy in Portugal for two years, said Sunday the mummy was of a man who died in his forties.

She said this was the second oldest known case of prostate cancer.

"Living conditions in ancient times were very different; there were no pollutants or modified foods, which leads us to believe that the disease is not necessarily only linked to industrial factors," she said.

A statement from AUC says the oldest known case came from a 2,700 year-old skeleton of a king in Russia.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-01-29-ML-Egypt-Ancient-Cancer/id-e1ac4d45bf884d0ea6f5c8fb2ede8778

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SAG Awards menu is months in the making (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? When your dinner party guests include Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Kate Winslet and Glenn Close, and the whole affair is televised live, it can take months to plan the menu. That's why the team behind the Screen Actors Guild Awards began putting together the plate for Sunday's ceremony months ago.

It was still summer when show producer Kathy Connell and executive producer and director Jeff Margolis first sat down with chef Suzanne Goins of Los Angeles eatery Lucques with a tall order: Create a meal that is delicious at room temperature, looks beautiful on TV, is easy to eat and appeals to Hollywood tastes. Oh, and no poppy seeds, soups, spicy dishes, or piles of onions or garlic.

"It can't drip, stick in their teeth or be too heavy," Connell said. "We have to appease all palates."

The chef put together a plate of possibilities: slow-roasted salmon with yellow beets, lamb with couscous and spiced cauliflower and roasted root vegetables with quinoa. There was also a chopped chicken salad and another chicken dish with black beans.

To ensure the dishes are both tasty and TV-ready, Connell and Margolis, along with the SAG Awards Committee and the show's florist and art director, dined together at this summertime lunch on tables set to replicate those that will be in the Shrine Exposition Center during the ceremony. The pewter, crushed-silk tablecloths and white lilies you'll see on TV Sunday were also chosen months ago.

The diners discussed the look of the plate, the size of the portions and the vegetarian possibilities.

"We'd like the portions a little larger," Connell told the chef.

"And a little more sauce on the salmon," Margolis added.

Come Sunday, it's up to Goins to prepare 1,200 of the long-planned meals for the A-list audience.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_en_ot/us_sag_awards_menu

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Yemeni president heads to US for medical treatment

FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011 file photo, Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Sanaa, Yemen. Yemen's President's office says Yemeni leader Saleh has arrived in London en route to the U.S. (AP Photo/Mohammed Hamoud, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011 file photo, Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Sanaa, Yemen. Yemen's President's office says Yemeni leader Saleh has arrived in London en route to the U.S. (AP Photo/Mohammed Hamoud, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011 file image made from video, Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh speaks on Yemen State Television. Yemen's President's office says Yemeni leader Saleh has arrived in London on route to the US. (AP Photo/Yemen State TV, File)

(AP) ? Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh headed to the United States on Saturday for medical treatment, his spokesman said, the latest stage in an effort to distance him from his country's policies to help ease a transition from his rule.

Ahmed al-Soufi, the press officer for the presidency, told The Associated Press that Saleh had arrived in London and would leave later Saturday for New York for medical treatment in the United States for wounds suffered in a June assassination attempt in the Yemeni capital.

Saleh left Yemen for to neighboring Oman a week ago, planning to head to the United States, after weeks of talks with the U.S. over where he could go. Washington has been trying to get Saleh to leave his homeland, but it does not want him to settle permanently in the United States, fearing it would be seen as harboring a leader considered by his people to have blood on his hands.

In London, a Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed that Saleh's plane was scheduled to land Saturday at a British commercial airport "to refuel en route to the United States." Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy, she said Saleh and those accompanying him were not going to enter the United Kingdom.

Saleh was traveled on a chartered Emirates plane with a private doctor, translator, eight armed guards and several family members, an official in the Yemeni president's office said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the details.

In November, Saleh handed over his powers to his vice president and promised to step down completely after months of protests by millions across the country demanding an end to his nearly 33-year rule. A national unity government was formed between his ruling party and the opposition.

But opponents say he has continued to interfere in the work of a unity government through his allies and relatives in key posts ? particularly his son and nephew, who command the country's most elite and powerful military units. As a result, the past two months have seen persistent violence, power struggles and delays in reforms.

The U.S. and its allies have been pressured Saleh to leave in hopes of removing him from the scene will smoothen the transition.

Saleh agreed to step down in return for a sweeping immunity from prosecution on any crimes committed during his rule, a measure that has angered many in Yemen who want him tried for the deaths of protesters in his crackdown on the uprising against him. Protests have continued demanding his prosecution and the removal of his relatives and allies from authority.

It is also unclear how permanent Saleh's exile is. In a farewell speech before leaving to Oman, Saleh promised to return to Yemen before Feb. 21 presidential elections as the head of his party.

Some in Yemen suspect Saleh is still trying to slip out of the deal and find ways to stay in power, even if it's behind the scenes.

Even since the protests against his rule began a year ago, Saleh has proved a master in eluding pressure to keep his grip, though over the months his options steadily closed around him. He slipped out of signing the accord for the power handover three times over the months before finally agreeing to it.

He was badly burned in a June explosion in his compound in Sanaa. He received medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia for three months. American officials had hoped he would remain there, but the Yemeni leader returned home and violence worsened anew.

His maneuvering and the turmoil on the ground left the United States struggling to find a stable transition in the country to ensure a continued fight against al-Qaida militants based in the country, who make up the most active branch of the terror network in the world. Saleh was a close ally of Washington in the fight, taking millions in counterterrorism aid.

During the past year of turmoil, al-Qaida-linked militants outright took control of several cities and towns in the south, including Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province.

On Friday, government forces battled with the militants near the town of Jaar, which they also control. At least five people were killed in the fighting, Yemeni security officials said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.

___

AP correspondent Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-28-ML-Yemen/id-d7ec9868eb9746018ce2de96ef79fe84

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Researchers Spot Potential Bile Duct Cancer Drug Targets (HealthDay) (Yahoo)

HealthDay - THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers who identified a new genetic signature associated with bile duct cancer say their discovery could lead to targeted treatment for the deadly cancer.

Read the full article...

(From Yahoo Diseases)

Source: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=164002&goto=newpost

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Friday, January 27, 2012

A Scalpel, Not a Hatchet

Second, 100,000 troops just left Iraq; another 33,000 will leave Afghanistan by the end of this year. If Panetta didn?t deactivate some of them, where would they all go? Where, for what contingency or threat, are they needed? For instance, part of Panetta?s plan, which was fully coordinated with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is to deactivate two of the remaining four brigades stationed in Europe. Does anybody have a problem with that?

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=7893fac458b759fe96b5735ef0ad925d

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Android tablets closing in on iPad: researcher (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Tablet computers using Google's Android software narrowed the lead of Apple's iPad on the global market in the fourth quarter, research firm Strategy Analytics said on Thursday.

Global tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 26.8 million units in the fourth quarter, growing 2-1/2 fold from 10.7 million a year earlier, the research firm said.

"Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Amazon, Samsung, Asus and others have been driving volumes," analyst Neil Mawston said in a statement.

Android's market share rose to 39 percent from 29 percent a year earlier, while Apple's share slipped to 58 percent from 68 percent a year before.

The tablet computer market grew 260 percent last year to 66.9 million units as consumers are increasingly buying tablets in preference to netbooks and even entry-level notebooks or desktops.

Strategy Analytics said Microsoft had a 1 percent share of the global tablet market last quarter.

(Reporting By Tarmo Virki; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/wr_nm/us_tablets_research

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Obama tax ideas face long odds ahead of election (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama's bid to get millionaires and multinational companies to pay more taxes may play well with many voters but it faces long odds in the deadlocked U.S. Congress.

Obama used his State of the Union speech on Tuesday to press the case for a new minimum 30 percent tax on Americans earning more than $1 million a year and for tougher treatment of corporations that move jobs out of the United States.

At the same time, he called for tax credits to lure jobs back to the United States.

"Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas," Obama said. "Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world."

Obama, facing a tough re-election campaign, for several years has called for steeper taxes on corporations' foreign profits and closing what he calls tax loopholes that also benefit multinational companies.

Most of these ideas have stalled for years in Congress - even some Democrats say they can wait for a complete overhaul of the tax code.

A tax lobbyist affiliated with Democrats said real debate over the proposed tax changes would have to wait until after the November 6 presidential and congressional elections.

"They would only likely stand a chance in a broader corporate tax reform debate and I just don't think that tax reform is in the cards," the lobbyist said.

Obama and Republicans both say the tax code needs a major rewrite and lawmakers are laying the groundwork for such a reform, but the process is expected to take years. The 35 percent U.S. corporate rate is among the highest in the world and critics say it harms business competitiveness.

Obama is calling for a number of tax policies that could in theory appeal to Republicans, in the name of boosting the flagging economy. For example, he wants to trim tax rates for manufacturers and double a tax deduction for high-tech manufacturing - ideas that might gain some bipartisan backing.

But even that is unlikely in the current environment.

"Tempted as they may be by more tax cuts, anything that smacks of a deal with Obama, or a victory for Obama, especially one that undercuts their theme - however detached from the reality - that Obama is a tax-increaser, will be reflexively resisted by Republicans in both houses," said Norm Ornstein, a congressional watcher at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

BUFFETT RULE

Probably the biggest tax change Obama outlined is a revamp of what he has called the Buffett rule, named for billionaire investor Warren Buffett, to ensure the wealthy pay what he calls a fair share of taxes. Obama proposed a minimum 30 percent tax on millionaires, and eliminating many tax deductions for them - including for housing, healthcare and childcare.

Buffett's secretary - famous for her boss's observation that she pays a higher tax rate than he does - sat in the congressional gallery as a guest of the White House to underscore the point.

A minimum 30 percent tax rate would be about twice the tax rate paid by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the past two years, according to filings he released on Tuesday.

Lower tax rates enacted under former Republican President George W. Bush are set to expire at the end of this year, setting up a fight over extending them in late 2012.

Obama and Democrats want to let the lower rates for the wealthy expire. Obama said given steep budget deficits, Americans face a choice.

"Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else?" Obama asked.

The top individual income tax rate is now 35 percent, but the superwealthy can enjoy lower rates in some cases if they earn most of their income from investments - as does Romney - which are subject to a 15 percent rate.

A version of Obama's so-called Buffett rule has been promoted by Democrats in Congress as a way to pay for extending the payroll tax cut, but has no chance of passing.

Obama had previously proposed limiting deductions for wealthier Americans to a certain percentage of their income, but he went further in Tuesday's speech to advocate cutting out certain tax breaks completely for millionaires.

Even before Obama spoke, Republicans were blasting the speech as a campaign event.

"No Bailouts, No Hand-outs, And No Cop-outs," read one congressional Republican press release.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/pl_nm/us_usa_obama_speech_taxes

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Romney tax returns indicate that he underpaid Mormon church tithe (Daily Caller)

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney underpaid the Mormon church?s recommended 10 percent tithe, tax records released Monday evening indicate.

Romney has forcefully spoken about his lifelong commitment to both the Mormon church and its tithing rules. He served as a missionary in France during the 1960s and as a Mormon bishop in the 1980s.

As Romney recently told ?Fox News Sunday? host Chris Wallace, ?I made a commitment to my church a long, long time ago that I would give 10 percent of my income to the church, and I?ve followed through on that commitment.?

?So, if I had given less than 10 percent, then I think people would have to look at me and say, ?Hey, what?s wrong with you fella ? don?t you follow through on your promises??? Romney said.

Romney earned $21.6 million in 2010 and $20.9 million in 2011, the two years for which tax records were provided.

In 2010 Romney donated 7 percent of his pre-tax income, or $1.525 million, to the church, and in 2011 he donated 12.4 percent, or $2.6 million. For the two years combined, he donated 9.7 percent of his pre-tax income to the church.

Unlike most religious organizations, which strongly encourage tithing, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires members to give 10 percent to be ?in good standing.? (RELATED: Full coverage of Mitt Romney)

Good standing is required to enter Mormon temples or serve in a leadership position, a church leader explained to The Daily Caller. Verification of the tithing requirement is informal, and relies on an honor system.

In a December interview with Parade Magazine, Romney also mentioned his tithing, saying, ?I?ve given away 10 percent of what I?ve earned, pretax.?

Romney?s charitable trust, the Tyler Charitable Foundation, has also given money to the Mormon church. In 2010, the foundation gave $145,000. A figure for 2011 is not yet available.

A member of the Romney campaign tasked with answering inquiries about the tax returns initially insisted that the Tyler Foundation?s donations to the church made up for the 2010 deficit and satisfied the tithing requirement.

?Your math is off,? the campaign staffer told TheDC.

If the foundation?s giving was included as part of Romney?s tithing, however, income earned by the foundation ? according to 2010 tax returns, a net investment income of around $1.7 million that year ? would negate a positive impact on Romney?s tithing rate that year.

When pressed, the campaign staffer then asserted that Romney?s tax preparers initially underestimated his 2010 income, resulting in a lower contribution to the church, which he made up for with a higher giving rate in 2011. But even with his extra 2011 contribution, Romney still tithed less than 10 percent of his income over the two-year period.

?Mitt and Ann Romney have contributed significant sums to their church and countless other worthy causes,? the Romney campaign said in a statement provided to TheDC. ?The Governor tithes on all his income,? added Romney spokesperson Andrew Saul.

According to a campaign staffer, the Romneys ?have contributed significant sums to their church and have more than met their obligations.?

Join the conversation

Read more stories from The Daily Caller

When Saul Alinsky met George Romney

Romney tax returns indicate that he underpaid Mormon church tithe

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Self-deporting Americans make Romney pipe dream a reality

Former RNC chair: Idea of new GOP prez entrant in February 'just outright stupid'

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20120124/pl_dailycaller/romneytaxreturnsindicatethatheunderpaidmormonchurchtithe

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

No whooping cough deaths in California last year

(AP) ? California did not suffer a single death from whooping cough in 2011, the first year since 1991 that there have been no fatalities in the state from the highly contagious illness, health officials said Tuesday.

The news comes after the state experienced a whooping cough epidemic in 2010 when 9,000 were infected. Most vulnerable to the disease are infants too young to be fully immunized. Ten babies died after exposure from adults or older children.

Cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, dropped to 3,000 last year and authorities were waiting to see how this year goes before declaring the epidemic over.

"Everything seems to indicate we're heading in that direction," said state epidemiologist Dr. Gil Chavez.

Public health officials credited the decline to greater awareness, faster diagnosis and a new state law requiring that middle and high school students get a booster shot before starting school.

At the peak of the epidemic, doctors were urged to spot whooping cough early, send infected babies to the hospital and promptly treat those diagnosed.

"We worked very hard on that and I think it was successful," said pediatrician Dr. James Cherry of the University of California, Los Angeles.

The California Department of Public Health also gave out free vaccines to hospitals and aired public service announcements in English and Spanish.

"People rallied and got vaccinated and it made a huge difference," Chavez said.

Whooping cough cases tend to run in cycles, peaking every five years. It is a highly contagious bacterial disease that in rare cases can be fatal. Whooping cough starts off like a cold but leads to severe coughing that can last for weeks.

A 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that children who don't get vaccinated against whooping cough are 23 times more likely to get the disease than vaccinated kids.

Among those vaccinated, authorities recommend a booster shot for older children and teens to guard against the vaccine wearing off.

___

Online:

http://www.dhs.ca.gov/

___

Follow Alicia Chang's coverage at http://www.twitter.com/SciWriAlicia

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-01-24-California%20Whooping%20Cough/id-cc5da15b94e940a8b5416482b901af59

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eye3 hexicopter helps your DSLR take flight for $999

Your camera wants to take flight -- trust us, it does -- and an ambitious new project aims to make your DSLR's aeronautic ambitions a reality. The eye3 hexacopter is a six-armed carbon-fiber unmanned arial vehicle (UAV) that hopes to make aerial photography accessible to the masses. Designed by a couple with a hankering for robotics, the flying machine is modular (for easy repair) and navigates using a combination of Google Maps and open-source code. Those without a pilot license need not worry: the eye3 utilizes the oft-improving APM2 software for a "compact yet powerful" autopilot experience. The UAV can carry a payload of five to ten pounds, boasts three CPUs and has a 350-watt motor strapped to each tentacle. Fly past the break to watch a video from eye3's creators... get to the choppa'!

Continue reading eye3 hexicopter helps your DSLR take flight for $999

eye3 hexicopter helps your DSLR take flight for $999 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/cYj32a8JGls/

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

EMBL Monterotondo researcher wins award for early career scientists

EMBL Monterotondo researcher wins award for early career scientists [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Sonia Furtado Neves
sonia.furtado@embl.de
European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Rocio Sotillo, a staff scientist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, is one of 28 outstanding young biomedical scientists who have been honoured with a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Early Career Scientist award this year. The prize, $650,000 for five years, is designed to give a boost to international scientists working in selected countries outside the United States. The award recognises the potential of Sotillo's research and will help her to establish an independent research programme.

Sotillo's group at EMBL Monterotondo is generating more accurate mouse models for studying cancer and developing treatments. She and her team will use these models to investigate, at a molecular level, how errors in cell division leave cells with fewer or more chromosomes than normal, and how this causes tumours to develop or relapse. To bring such studies into the context of human cells, Sotillo and colleagues at EMBL are also developing new ways to grow lung cancer cells in three-dimensional cultures. Sotillo gained her PhD in molecular biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Spanish National Cancer Center in 2002. Subsequently she conducted postdoctoral work at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She has been working at EMBL Monterotondo since September 2010.

###


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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


EMBL Monterotondo researcher wins award for early career scientists [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Sonia Furtado Neves
sonia.furtado@embl.de
European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Rocio Sotillo, a staff scientist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, is one of 28 outstanding young biomedical scientists who have been honoured with a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Early Career Scientist award this year. The prize, $650,000 for five years, is designed to give a boost to international scientists working in selected countries outside the United States. The award recognises the potential of Sotillo's research and will help her to establish an independent research programme.

Sotillo's group at EMBL Monterotondo is generating more accurate mouse models for studying cancer and developing treatments. She and her team will use these models to investigate, at a molecular level, how errors in cell division leave cells with fewer or more chromosomes than normal, and how this causes tumours to develop or relapse. To bring such studies into the context of human cells, Sotillo and colleagues at EMBL are also developing new ways to grow lung cancer cells in three-dimensional cultures. Sotillo gained her PhD in molecular biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Spanish National Cancer Center in 2002. Subsequently she conducted postdoctoral work at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She has been working at EMBL Monterotondo since September 2010.

###


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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/embl-emr012412.php

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Source: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/outdoor/western_direct_insurance_sleeping

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Jackson: Film saved life of West Memphis 3 suspect

Damien Echols and his wife Lorri Davis, producers of the documentary film "West of Memphis," are interviewed at the premiere of the film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The film uncovers new evidence surrounding the arrest and conviction of three men -- Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. -- for the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Damien Echols and his wife Lorri Davis, producers of the documentary film "West of Memphis," are interviewed at the premiere of the film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The film uncovers new evidence surrounding the arrest and conviction of three men -- Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. -- for the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Damien Echols, left, a producer of the film "West of Memphis," mingles with Mark Byers at the premiere of the documentary film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Echols spent 18 years on death row in Arkansas after being accused, along with Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr., of the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old boys including Byers' son Christopher. In August 2011 the three men were released from prison after entering pleas that allowed them to maintain their innocence, while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict them. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Damien Echols, center, a producer of the film "West of Memphis," mingles with Pam Hobbs, left, and Mark Byers at the premiere of the documentary film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Echols spent 18 years on death row in Arkansas after being accused, along with Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr., of the murders of three eight-year-old boys including Byers' son Christopher and Hobbs' son Stevie. In August 2011 the three men were released from prison after entering a plea that allowed them to maintain their innocence, while acknowleding that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict them. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Amy Berg, left, director and screenwriter of the documentary film "West of Memphis," poses with, from left, producers Damien Echols and his wife Lorri Davis, and producer Peter Jackson at the premiere of the film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The film uncovers new evidence surrounding the arrest and conviction of three men -- Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. -- in the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Damien Echols, left, a producer of the film "West of Memphis," mingles with Mark Byers at the premiere of the documentary film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Echols spent 18 years on death row in Arkansas after being accused, along with Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr., of the murders of three eight-year-old boys including Byers' son Christopher. In August 2011 the three men were released from prison after entering pleas that allowed them to maintain their innocence, while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict them. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

(AP) ? Peter Jackson believes Damien Echols would be dead now if not for a 1996 documentary that cast doubt on the man's guilt in three child murders.

And Amy Berg, Jackson's colleague on the Sundance Film Festival premiere "West of Memphis," believes former Death Row inmate Echols and two other men might still be in prison if not for the independent investigation launched by "The Lord of the Rings" filmmaker and his wife, Fran Walsh.

There's no better testament at Sundance to the power of art and artists than "West of Memphis," which premiered Friday night at Robert Redford's independent-film showcase. Sundance films often come from mavericks who challenge the establishment. "West of Memphis" is a tale of artists not only challenging the system, but also beating it.

Jackson, Walsh and Berg said "West of Memphis" amounts to the fair trial Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley ? known as the West Memphis Three ? never got as Arkansas teenagers when they were convicted in 1994.

"We went into this case believing that they didn't do it, and the facts and the evidence we came out with at the end completely supported that," Jackson said in an interview. "So is the documentary sort of providing the prosecution's point of view? No, it's not. We're not interested in that. They had their go back in 1994. ... The documentary, it's the case against the state, really."

The case was a shocker in the rural Arkansas community where 8-year-old Cub Scouts Michael Moore, Steve Branch and Christopher Byers were slain in 1993. Found naked and hogtied, two of the boys drowned in a drainage ditch, while the third bled to death, his genitals mutilated, evidence prosecutors used to claim the children were killed in a satanic ritual.

The defendants were convicted based in part on a confession Misskelley later recanted. Misskelley and Baldwin were sentenced to life in prison, while Echols was condemned to death and once came within weeks of execution.

The case became a cause after Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's documentary "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills," which premiered at Sundance in 1996 and questioned whether justice or misguided public opinion was served in the trial. Over the years, celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Patti Smith, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks joined the effort to free the men.

Jackson and Walsh watched "Paradise Lost" in 2005 and were outraged over the case. From their home base in New Zealand, they got in touch with Lorri Davis, who had met and married Echols while he was on Death Row and was leading the fight to free the men.

"Justice should be beyond popular opinion, and in this case, it wasn't," Walsh said. "The popular opinion was these guys were guilty, therefore, they're going down. It really was a done deal."

Over the next six years, Jackson and Walsh financed their own investigation, hiring forensics experts, gathering DNA evidence and tracking down witnesses to show that the prosecution had convicted innocent men.

"The way Peter and Fran just attacked the case, it made us feel like we had hope for the very first time," Echols, 37, said in an interview alongside Davis.

The hope was well-founded. Helped by evidence Jackson and Walsh's investigation collected, the case seemed headed toward a retrial.

Then last August, both sides agreed to a rare legal maneuver in which Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley entered guilty pleas that allowed them to maintain their innocence and gain their freedom for prison time already served.

Some people in Arkansas, including the family of one of the murdered boys, still believe the three men are guilty. Yet as the years passed, even the families of the other two dead boys became convinced that prosecutors went after the wrong suspects. The mother of one boy and stepfather of another came to Sundance, sharing hugs at the premiere with Echols, who said he's "happy to call them friends now."

Three years into their investigation, Jackson and Walsh contacted director Berg, whose 2006 priest-molestation documentary "Deliver Us from Evil" earned an Academy Award nomination. Berg signed on to direct "West of Memphis," which traces the 18-year history of the case and features interviews with Jackson and many witnesses and experts he and Walsh worked with.

"I would submit this film to court, so that's how strongly I feel about it," said Davis, a producer on the film along with Echols, Jackson and Walsh.

The film also builds a case that a stepfather of one of the murdered boys should be investigated.

Jackson said that without "Paradise Lost," ''Damien would be dead by now, so I do believe that film saved his life. And I'm hoping that our movie goes some way toward exoneration and catching the person that killed those three kids."

Walsh and Jackson stop short of saying their efforts led to the release of Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley. Yet Berg thinks the evidence brought to light by Jackson and Walsh was crucial.

"Without the discovery of the DNA, there's no way that these guys would be walking free, and that came so much from Peter and Fran and their investigation," Berg said.

Since his release, Echols has lived a nomadic life with Davis. He went to New Zealand to visit the set of Jackson and Walsh's upcoming "Lord of the Rings" prequel "The Hobbit" and has been staying with other friends while trying to decide on his future.

Sitting with his arm entwined around Davis', Echols said the hardships he endured were worth it because of the life he now has ahead of him.

"If I had to go through everything I did in the last 18 years to be with Lorri and to be in this situation, no, I wouldn't change it," Echols said. "I would go through it again if it meant being with Lorri."

___

Online:

http://www.sundance.org

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-21-Film-Sundance-West%20Memphis%20Three/id-daddc14e1bbd4efa874c5d9a57d3180a

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

AP IMPACT: Health overhaul lags in states (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Here's a reality check for President Barack Obama's health overhaul: Three out of four uninsured Americans live in states that have yet to figure out how to deliver on its promise of affordable medical care.

This is the year that will make or break the health care law. States were supposed to be partners in carrying out the biggest safety net expansion since Medicare and Medicaid, and the White House claims they're making steady progress.

But an analysis by The Associated Press shows that states are moving in fits and starts. Combined with new insurance coverage estimates from the nonpartisan Urban Institute, it reveals a patchwork nation.

Such uneven progress could have real consequences.

If it continues, it will mean disparities and delays from state to state in carrying out an immense expansion of health insurance scheduled in the law for 2014. That could happen even if the Supreme Court upholds Obama's law, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

"There will be something there, but if it doesn't mesh with the state's culture and if the state is not really supporting it, that certainly won't help it succeed," said Urban Institute senior researcher Matthew Buettgens.

The 13 states that have adopted a plan are home to only 1 in 4 of the uninsured. An additional 17 states are making headway, but it's not clear all will succeed. The 20 states lagging behind account for the biggest share of the uninsured, 42 percent.

Among the lagging states are four with arguably the most to gain. Texas, Florida, Georgia and Ohio together would add more than 7 million people to the insurance rolls, according to Urban Institute estimates, reducing the annual burden of charity care by $10.7 billion.

"It's not that we want something for free, but we want something we can afford," said Vicki McCuistion of Driftwood, Texas, who works two part-time jobs and is uninsured. With the nation's highest uninsured rate, her state has made little progress.

The Obama administration says McCuistion and others in the same predicament have nothing to fear. "The fact of states moving at different rates does not create disparities for a particular state's uninsured population," said Steve Larsen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

That's because the law says that if a state isn't ready, the federal government will step in. Larsen insists the government will be ready, but it's not as easy as handing out insurance cards.

Someone has to set up health insurance exchanges, new one-stop supermarkets with online and landline capabilities for those who buy coverage individually.

A secure infrastructure must be created to verify income, legal residency and other personal information, and smooth enrollment in private insurance plans or Medicaid. Many middle-class households will be eligible for tax credits to help pay premiums for private coverage. Separate exchanges must be created for small businesses.

"It's a very heavy lift," said California's health secretary, Diana Dooley, whose state was one of the first to approve a plan. "Coverage is certainly important, but it's not the only part. It is very complex."

California has nearly 7.5 million residents without coverage, more than half of the 12.7 million uninsured in the states with a plan. An estimated 2.9 million Californians would gain coverage, according to the Urban Institute's research, funded by the nonpartisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Democrats who wrote the overhaul law had hoped that most states would be willing partners, putting aside partisan differences to build the exchanges and help cover more than 30 million uninsured nationally. It's not turning out that way.

Some states, mainly those led by Democrats, are far along. Others, usually led by Republicans, have done little. Separately, about half the states are suing to overturn the law.

Time is running out for states, which must have their plans ready for a federal approval deadline of Jan. 1, 2013. Those not ready risk triggering the default requirement that Washington run their exchange.

Yet in states where Republican repudiation of the health care law has blocked exchanges, there's little incentive to advance before the Supreme Court rules. A decision is expected this summer, and many state legislatures aren't scheduled to meet past late spring.

The result if the law is upheld could be greater federal sway over health care in the states, the very outcome conservatives say they want to prevent.

"If you give states the opportunity to decide their own destiny, and some choose to ignore it for partisan reasons, they almost make the case against themselves for more federal intervention," said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

A conservative, Nelson was on the winning side of a heated argument among Democrats over who should run exchanges, the feds or the states. Liberals lost their demand for a federal exchange, insulated from state politics.

"It's pretty hard to take care of the states when they don't take care of themselves," said Nelson, who regrets that the concession he fought for has been dismissed by so many states.

The AP's analysis divided states into four broad groups: those that have adopted a plan for exchanges, those that made substantial progress, those where the outlook is unclear, and those with no significant progress. AP statehouse reporters were consulted in cases of conflicting information.

Thirteen states, plus the District of Columbia, have adopted a plan.

By contrast, in 20 states either the outlook is unclear or there has been no significant progress. Those states include more than 21 million of the 50 million uninsured Americans.

Four have made no significant progress. They are Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and New Hampshire. The last three returned planning money to the federal government. In Arkansas, Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe ran into immovable GOP opposition in the Legislature. Beebe acknowledges that the federal government will have to run the exchange, but is exploring a fallback option.

In the other 16 states, the outlook is unclear because of failure to advance legislation or paralyzing political disputes that often pit Republicans fervently trying to stop what they deride as "Obamacare" against fellow Republicans who are more pragmatic.

In Kansas, for example, Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger is pushing hard for a state exchange, but Gov. Sam Brownback returned a $31 million federal grant, saying the state would not act before the Supreme Court rules. Both officials are Republicans.

"It's just presidential politics," said Praeger, discussing the situation nationally. "It's less about whether exchanges make sense and more about trying to repeal the whole law." As a result, outlook is unclear for a state with 361,000 uninsured residents.

There is a bright spot for Obama and backers of the law.

An additional 17 states have made substantial progress, although that's no guarantee of success. Last week in Wisconsin, GOP Gov. Scott Walker abruptly halted planning and announced he will return $38 million in federal money.

AP defined states making substantial progress as ones where governors or legislatures have made a significant commitment to set up exchanges. Another important factor was state acceptance of a federal exchange establishment grant.

That group accounts for just under one-third of the uninsured, about 16 million people.

It includes populous states such as New York, Illinois, North Carolina and New Jersey, which combined would add more than 3 million people to the insurance rolls.

Several are led by Republican governors, including Virginia and Indiana, which have declared their intent to establish insurance exchanges under certain conditions. Other states that have advanced under Republican governors include Arizona and New Mexico.

For uninsured people living in states that have done little, the situation is demoralizing.

Gov. Rick Perry's opposition to the law scuttled plans to advance an exchange bill in the Texas Legislature last year, when Perry was contemplating his presidential run. The Legislature doesn't meet this year, so the situation is unclear.

McCuistion and her husband, Dan, are among the nearly 6.7 million Texans who lack coverage. Dan is self-employed as the owner of a specialty tree service. Vicki works part time for two nonprofit organizations. The McCuistions have been uninsured throughout their 17-year marriage, although their three daughters now have coverage through the Children's Health Insurance Program. Dan McCuistion has been nursing a bad back for years, and it only seems to get worse.

"For me it almost feels like a ticking time bomb," his wife said.

Dan McCuistion says he doesn't believe Americans have a constitutional right to health care, but he would take advantage of affordable coverage if it was offered to him. He's exasperated with Perry and other Texas politicians. "They give a lot of rhetoric toward families, but their actions don't meet up with what they are saying," he said.

Perry's office says it's principle, not lack of compassion.

"Gov. Perry believes `Obamacare' is unconstitutional, misguided and unsustainable, and Texas, along with other states, is taking legal action to end this massive government overreach," said spokeswoman Lucy Nashed. "There are no plans to implement an exchange."

___

Online:

AP interactive: http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2011/healthcare

Urban Institute estimates: http://tinyurl.com/86py8nd

Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight: http://cciio.cms.gov

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

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Renowned attorney Bennett to represent Megaupload

FILE - In this April 30, 2007 file photo, attorney Robert Bennett speaks in Washington. Bennett, one of the nation's most prominent defense lawyers will represent file-sharing website Megaupload on charges that the company used its popular site to orchestrate a massive piracy scheme that enabled millions of illegal downloads of movies and other content. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - In this April 30, 2007 file photo, attorney Robert Bennett speaks in Washington. Bennett, one of the nation's most prominent defense lawyers will represent file-sharing website Megaupload on charges that the company used its popular site to orchestrate a massive piracy scheme that enabled millions of illegal downloads of movies and other content. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

(AP) ? When Megaupload executives arrive in court to answer charges that they orchestrated a massive online piracy scheme, they'll be backed by a prominent lawyer who has defended Bill Clinton against sexual harassment charges and Enron against allegations of corporate fraud.

Washington attorney Robert Bennett said Friday that he will represent the company, which was indicted in federal court in Alexandria Thursday on copyright infringement and other charges.

The U.S. government shut down Megaupload's file-sharing website on Thursday, alleging that the company facilitated illegal downloads of copyrighted movies and other content. Seven individuals ? including the company's founder, who had his name legally changed to Kim Dotcom ? were also charged. Dotcom and three others were arrested in New Zealand; three others remain at large.

New Zealand police raided several homes and businesses linked to Dotcom and seized guns, millions of dollars and nearly $5 million in luxury cars, officials said.

In Hong Kong, where Megaupload is based, customs officials said they seized more than $42.5 million in assets. They said the company operated out of luxury hotel space costing more than $12,000 a day, and they seized high-speed servers and other equipment from the offices.

The shutdown and indictment generated headlines around the world in part because of the size and scope of Megaupload's operation. Sandvine, Inc., a Canadian company that provides equipment to monitor Internet traffic, said the website alone accounted for about 1 percent of traffic on U.S. cable and DSL lines. The site is even more popular in many foreign countries.

Bennett said that "we intend to vigorously defend against these charges" but declined to comment on the case in detail.

Bennett is best known for serving as President Bill Clinton's attorney when he was accused of sexual harassment by Paula Jones. He has also represented Defense Secretaries Clark Clifford and Caspar Weinberger.

Megaupload was no stranger to accusations that its website existed for the sole purpose of mass copyright breach. Before its website was taken down, Megaupload offered a more detailed defense of its operations, claiming in a statement that such accusations are "grotesquely overblown."

The company said it had a clear, easy-to-follow procedure if movie studios or other copyright holders saw that their products were being illegally shared on Megaupload, and said that it responded to those "takedown notices" as required by law.

"Of course, abuse does happen and is an inevitable fact of life in a free society, but it is curbed heavily and efficiently by our close cooperation with trusted takedown partners. It is just unfortunate that the activities of a small group of 'black sheep' overshadows the millions of users that use our sites legitimately every day," the statement said.

Indeed, sites like megaupload.com, known as cyberlockers, can fulfill legitimate needs and are used every day by people looking for an efficient way to share or transfer large files that can't easily be sent by email.

In their indictment, however, federal prosecutors offered a detailed glimpse of the internal workings of the website. They allege that Megaupload was well aware that the vast majority of its users were there to illegally download copyrighted content.

According to the indictment, in a 2008 email chat session, two of the alleged coconspirators exchange messages, with one saying "we have a funny business . . . modern days pirates :)" and the other responds, "we're not pirates, we're just providing shipping services to pirates :)".

In another instance, one of the defendants allegedly laments in colorful language that an episode HBO's "The Sopranos" has been uploaded to site, but the dialogue is in French, limiting its appeal.

In fact, prosecutors allege that the entire website was specifically designed to encourage piracy. The website provided cash bonuses to users who uploaded content popular enough to prompt mass downloads ? such content was almost always copyrighted material.

Stefan Mentzer, an intellectual property partner with the White and Case law firm in New York, said it's likely that Megaupload will try to argue at least two defenses: One is that its service qualifies as a so-called "safe harbor" under Digital Millennium Copyright Act ? the federal law governing copyright infringement ? if they can show, for instance, that they had no actual knowledge that infringing material was on their system. Another possible defense would be jurisdictional ? specifically, that a case can't be brought in the Eastern District of Virginia against a Hong Kong-based company like Megaupload without evidence that they directed criminal activity related to the district.

But Mentzer said both defenses would be a challenge, given the evidence that prosecutors appear to have collected.

"The Department of Justice doesn't just cavalierly file these lawsuits," Mentzer said.

Federal prosecutors have made Internet piracy a priority in the last decade, especially in the Eastern District of Virginia, which can claim jurisdiction over many such cases because large portions of the Internet's backbone ? servers and other infrastructure ? are physically located in northern Virginia's technology corridor.

The vast majority of those cases have resulted in guilty pleas and prison time. On Friday, a day after announcement of the Megaupload case, a federal judge sentenced Matthew David Howard Smith, 24, of Raleigh, North Carolina, to 14 months in prison for his role in founding a website called NinjaVideo. That site was one of many shut down in 2010, at a time when it facilitated nearly 1 million illegal downloads a week.

NinjaVideo was what prosecutors called a "linking site" to Megaupload. Casual users of Megaupload would be unable to find popular movies and TV shows on the site without the proper links. Sites like NinjaVideo allowed users to easily search for the desired movies or music and provided the links that enabled them to download the content from Megaupload.

The other co-founder of NinjaVideo, Hana Beshara, was sentenced earlier this month to 22 months in prison. While she admitted guilt, she portrayed herself as a sort of Robin Hood of the online world, stealing from greedy movie studios to provide entertainment downloads to the masses in the form of free films, TV shows, videogames and music.

While the legal defense for piracy may be difficult, accused Internet pirates clearly have their supporters, as evidenced by the millions of people who use their sites as well as the response to Thursday's Megaupload shutdown. Within hours of the indictment being unsealed, the loose affiliation of hackers known as Anonymous caused temporary shutdowns of the Justice Department website as well as the websites of the Motion Picture Association of America and other industry groups that support a tougher piracy laws.

It could be months before the criminal case against Megaupload gets underway. The four defendants arrested in made an initial appearance in a New Zealand court Friday and are scheduled to make a second appearance on Monday. Authorities have said it could take a year or more to bring them to the U.S. if they fight extradition.

___

AP Business Writers Daniel Wagner in Washington and Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-20-Internet%20Piracy-Megaupload/id-151071ef5a4747448511d034b77a3609

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Recovering Robin Gibb makes classical debut

Bee Gees star Robin Gibb has recorded his first classical work with son Robin-John, a process he said helped him recover from serious illness.

The 62-year-old's "The Titanic Requiem," described as a "symphonic concept album," will be released by Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment on March 19, the label announced on Friday.

The concert performance premiere will take place in London on April 10, 100 years to the day after the ill-fated passenger liner set sail. It sank after striking an iceberg five days later in one of the most famous maritime disasters in history.

Story: Bee Gee Robin Gibb says he's improving
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The album was recorded over the last year at Air Studios in London and performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Included on the album is "Don't Cry Alone," featuring lead vocals from Robin Gibb in what has been billed as "the welcome return of one of music's truly unforgettable and distinctive voices."

Gibb said in November that he was recovering after being "very unwell." His representatives have declined to comment on British media reports that the singer was battling liver cancer.

Story: Report: Bee Gees' Robin Gibb fighting liver cancer

"It has been an incredible experience working with my son RJ," Gibb said in a statement to announce the new album.

"There is a creative freedom and uninhibited state that comes from working with a family member. Working on this album and with RJ has been a driving force, and one that has helped me on the road to recovery."

In October, Gibb was hospitalized for abdominal pain and treated for colon inflammation. After being released by doctors, he issued a statement saying he planned to return to work, according to media reports at the time.

Gibb is one of the two surviving members of the Bee Gees, a band he formed with his twin brother Maurice and older brother Barry. Maurice died in 2003.

They achieved international success with disco hits such as "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever."

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46069605/ns/today-entertainment/

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