Russia blames radiation for space probe failure

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 file photo the Zenit-2SB rocket with the Phobos-Ground probe blasts off from its launch pad at the Cosmodrome Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos Vladimir Popovkin said Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, cosmic radiation was the most likely cause of the failure of a Mars moon probe that crashed to Earth this month. (AP Photo/Russian Roscosmos space agency, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 file photo the Zenit-2SB rocket with the Phobos-Ground probe blasts off from its launch pad at the Cosmodrome Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos Vladimir Popovkin said Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, cosmic radiation was the most likely cause of the failure of a Mars moon probe that crashed to Earth this month. (AP Photo/Russian Roscosmos space agency, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2011 file photo distributed by Russian Roscosmos space agency technicians work on the Phobos-Ground probe at Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos Vladimir Popovkin said Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, cosmic radiation was the most likely cause of the failure of a Mars moon probe that crashed to Earth this month. (AP Photo/Russian Roscosmos space agency, File)

MOSCOW (AP) ? The head of Russia's space agency said Tuesday that cosmic radiation was the most likely cause of the failure of a Mars moon probe that crashed to Earth this month, and suggested that a low-quality imported component may have been vulnerable to the radiation.

The unmanned probe was to have gone to the Mars moon of Phobos, taken soil samples and brought them back. But it became stuck in Earth orbit soon after its launch on Nov. 9. It fell out of orbit on Jan. 15, reportedly off the coast of Chile, but no fragments have been found.

The failure was a severe embarrassment to Russia, and space agency head Vladimir Popovkin initially suggested it could have been due to foreign sabotage.

But Russian news agencies on Tuesday quoted him as saying an investigation showed the probable cause was "localized influence of heavily radiated space particles."

Popovkin, speaking in the city of Voronezh where the report was presented to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, said two units of the Phobos-Ground probe's onboard computer system went into an energy-saving "restart" mode, apparently due to the radiation, while the craft was in its second orbital circuit.

It was not immediately clear why the units could not be brought out of that mode.

Popovkin was quoted as saying that some microchips used on the craft were imported and possibly of inadequate quality to resist radiation. He did not specify where the chips were manufactured.

Popovkin also said the craft's builder, Moscow-based NPO Lavochkin, should have taken into account the possibility of radiation interfering with the operation and said Lavochkin officials would face punishment for the oversight.

Russia's space program has suffered a series of notable failures in recent months, including the August crash of an unmanned ship that was to send supplies to the International Space Station. That crash forced the postponement of a manned launch to the ISS because the booster rocket that failed in the crash was similar to the ones used in manned missions.

On Tuesday, Russian news agencies reported that a manned launch to the ISS that had been scheduled for March 30 will be postponed for about 45 days because tests of the capsule showed flaws in its hermetic seals.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-01-31-EU-Russia-Falling-Spacecraft/id-f84b25481f8144f39e3525bf787b22b4

midnight madness midnight madness john henry john henry zack greinke zack greinke siri

Medical lab does first-rate research in second-rate facilities

The longtime researchers like to tell the stories. The raccoon that fell through the lab roof. The buckets put out to collect rain from leaky roofs. The fire ? and lack of sprinklers.

Scientists at Los Angeles' venerable Biomedical Research Institute, a cutting-edge hub of medical invention housed for 60 years in World War II military barracks near Torrance, have grown accustomed to trailblazing through peeling paint, slanted floors, rickety stairs and exposed telephone wires.

The decidedly backward facilities stand in sharp contrast to the center's medical breakthroughs and research, rivaling forward-leaning institutions across the nation.

The center's work ? much of it funded by the National Institutes of Health ? has led to the development of the modern cholesterol test, the newborn thyroid deficiency exam and eyedrops to prevent blindness in children. Investigators also created the paramedic model for emergency care and helped pave the way for in-vitro fertilization.

"The only difference between us and everybody else is that we are doing it in buildings that were promised to be torn down in 1946," said David Meyer, the center's president.

Last year, LA BioMed, as the center is known, finally began replacing some of the old Army structures with an up-to-date building. And now, Meyer said the nonprofit institution is raising funds and negotiating $30 million in county bonds to again create something new: a fully modern research facility.

Researchers say modernizing the campus, which is next to and works closely with county-operated Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, will make it easier to attract top talent and help remedy possible hazards.

A small lake ? complete with frogs ? formed outside his aging lab during storms, recalled John Michael Criley, a professor emeritus at UCLA who has been at LA BioMed for 45 years. He had to build a makeshift bridge to cross it. "It was like being in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,'" he said.

The outmoded facilities did have some advantages, he said. They were cheap and there was plenty of room. "If we needed more space, we could knock out a wall with a hammer and a saw," said Criley, a cardiologist who helped create paramedic medicine.

The campus spans more than 30 acres, a sprawling maze of old wooden bungalows and newer concrete-and-steel buildings. Cars are parked at all angles around the odd enclave of labs and research spaces scattered between patches of grass and trees.

French researcher Fawzia Bardag-Gorce said her jaw dropped when she arrived at the center in 1999. "I was shocked," she said. She adapted and now, inside one of the old barracks, Bardag-Gorce and her team are using high-tech equipment to create replacement corneas using cells from inside people's cheeks.

Outside of the bungalows, feral cats sip from bowls in the parking lot. And in nearby buildings, scientists are researching drugs to vaccinate against hospital-acquired infections and to alleviate the pain associated with sickle cell disease, among hundreds of other projects.

Across campus, construction crews are working on a $10-million federally funded building that will house a chronic disease research center.

The Army opened the Los Angeles Port of Embarkation Hospital in 1943 to treat soldiers shipping out to World War II. After the war ended, Los Angeles County bought the hospital and opened it in 1946. It became UCLA's first teaching hospital.

In 1952, several doctors started a research organization that would later become LA BioMed. The current Harbor-UCLA Medical Center opened in 1963, and the vacant barracks were turned into more research space.

William French, a Harbor-UCLA cardiologist, started at LA BioMed in 1975. The wooden floors in his old work space couldn't support newer, heavier equipment, so he had to stick with antiquated machines. "It was pretty bad ? but we made do," he said.

French, who has since moved to a newer building, said he stayed with the center because of his colleagues ? about 150 altogether ? and the research opportunities.

John Edwards, a UCLA medical school professor and head of infectious diseases at the hospital, said the conditions and the long hours he and other young scientists worked helped breed a strong camaraderie. "That created a trench-like work atmosphere," he said. He worked in a bungalow, E-5, for many years before moving to another building on campus, where he conducts research on hospital-acquired infections.

More than most, Edwards appreciates the campus' history. His father, a Navy admiral, was treated at the old hospital at the end of WWII. Recently, the deteriorating condition of the research buildings has made it more difficult to hire and retain scientists, he said. "Most of the younger investigators we'd like to recruit have never seen facilities like these," he said.

The barracks "served us well, but no longer," he said. "Their day is over."

anna.gorman@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/67uZW2UI3Ss/la-me-biomed-20120130,0,7798614.story

pac 12 championship game pac 12 championship game bobby valentine bobby valentine al franken al franken mary did you know

Terry scores 34, Mavs beat Spurs 101-100 in OT

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) looks to shoot as San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair (45) watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) looks to shoot as San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair (45) watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Mavericks guard Vince Carter (25) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry (31) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner (15) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) dribbles against Dallas Mavericks center Ian Mahinmi (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

San Antonio Spurs forward Richard Jefferson (24) and Dallas Mavericks guard Vince Carter (25) greet each other after an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. The Mavericks won 101-100. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

DALLAS (AP) ? Jason Terry was more than willing to take the big shots, with Dirk Nowitzki just getting back into the Dallas Mavericks' lineup. Terry made them when they mattered, too.

Terry scored the last four points in overtime, after hitting a tying 15-footer with a half-second remaining in regulation, and the Mavericks came back after blowing a big lead against San Antonio's reserves to beat the Spurs 101-100 Sunday night.

"He put us on his shoulders there," said Nowitzki, who played for the first time after a four-game hiatus to strengthen his sore right knee and do some conditioning work. "He made some great pull-ups. He got to his sweet spot to send it to OT."

Terry put Dallas ahead to stay when he took a pass from Nowitzki and made a 12-foot baseline jumper with 42 seconds left to make it 99-98. After Shawn Marion stole the ball from Gary Neal, Terry got fouled and made both free throws with 17 seconds left.

"It's just the will to win when the game is on the line," Terry said. "I like to take the shot when the game is on the line. ... When my team needs me the most, I'm going to come through regardless of what's going on the entire night. Fourth quarter is winning time."

Terry scored 26 of his season-high 34 points after halftime, though the Spurs still had a chance after his last two free throws.

Neal, who finished with 19 points, drove for a layup and was fouled by Marion with 12 seconds left. But Neal missed a potential tying free throw that was rebounded by Ian Mahinmi, who was fouled and missed two free throw attempts.

After Neal got that rebound and the Spurs called timeout, Vince Carter knocked the ball loose. Danny Green grabbed it and threw up a 3-pointer that ricocheted off the front of the rim as the game ended.

Green and the Spurs thought he had a game-winner at the end of regulation, but his 14-footer was disallowed when replay clearly showed that shot didn't get out of his hands before the buzzer sounded.

"I thought it was good, but I guess it was too good to be true," Green said.

Dallas led by as many as 18 points in the third quarter before San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich decided to go with his reserves. The Spurs' last 51 points after that came from bench players, and they went ahead by as many as nine in the fourth quarter with the help of a flurry of 3-pointers.

"We were just on fire shooting 3s and it got us back in the game. It's as simple as that. I thought the energy defensively was great; we double-teamed everywhere," Popovich said. "They were playing great. There's no sense in taking them off the court."

The last Spurs starter to score was Richard Jefferson on a 3-pointer with 4:28 left in the third quarter. When Jefferson came out less than 2 minutes later, the only starter to re-enter the game was Kawhi Leonard for 1.1 seconds in overtime.

Terry's tying shot at the end of regulation was set up after Rodrigue Beaubois, starting for injured Jason Kidd, drove for a layup with 30 seconds left and then blocked a shot on a drive by Neal. Nowitzki grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Terry.

San Antonio still had a chance to win the game. Green swished his jumper off the inbound pass, but officials looked at the replay before ruling it didn't count and sending the game to overtime.

"We got a little lucky there," Nowitzki said. "I thought it was over."

Carter had 21 points, his most with the Mavericks, while Beaubois had 14. Nowitzki had 10 points on 5-of-14 shooting with 13 rebounds.

"I'm moving better," Nowitzki said. "Definitely that was an improvement from before. I'm going to keep working and get back to normal soon."

Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan and Green each had 12 points for the Spurs.

Dallas (13-8) took over the Southwest Division lead, ahead of Houston (12-8) and the Spurs (12-9).

The Mavericks had a 67-49 lead after Terry's basket with 3:48 left in the third quarter. That's when San Antonio's reserves took over.

There were seven consecutive points to cut the gap, that capped by Matt Bonner's 3-pointer that helped ignite a frenzy of 3-pointers.

San Antonio opened the fourth quarter with a 17-2 surge that included five 3-pointers. Bonner's trey from the right wing with 8:24 left in regulation put the Spurs up 75-71.

That was from about the same spot that Green had hit before a missed shot by Nowitzki.

San Antonio, which made seven 3s in the fourth quarter, led 84-75 with 5? minutes left when Neal stole the ball from Terry and had a fast-break jumper. It was still 89-81 only 2 minutes later when Neal made a 3-pointer.

"We were unable to capitalize on it," Neal said. "They were able to make shots and forced it into overtime."

Notes: Kidd has a right calf strain, and is expected to miss at least five games. ... San Antonio finished with 12 3s, which was four less than they made when the teams first played 3? weeks ago when the Spurs won 93-72 at home. ... Manu Ginobili (broken left hand) missed his 16th consecutive game for the Spurs, while T.J. Ford (torn left hamstring) has missed 11 in a row. ... When former Mavericks owner Don Carter and his wife were showing on the video board during a timeout in the first quarter, both flashed their 2011 NBA championship rings. ... Brendan Haywood had a season-high five blocked shots for Dallas.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-29-BKN-Spurs-Mavericks/id-30ef0510b8ec400fbcab15a1d09f0a98

ndamukong suh ndamukong suh aptera aptera national defense authorization act national defense authorization act seven days in utopia

96% The Muppets

All Critics (168) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (161) | Rotten (6)

It may not entirely work as a movie, but The Muppets shines as a piece of touching pop nostalgia.

The purity of the nostalgia turns this franchise film into a love letter to childhood.

You can rest easy - if you have previously loved the Muppets, you will likely currently love The Muppets.

The chorus of one of the songs declares, 'I've got everything that I need, right in front of me.' For 120 minutes, that's precisely how I felt.

[Filmmakers] hew close to the essential innocence informing the Muppets' silliness.

The Muppets is a triumph of simplicity, innocence and goofy jokes. It's a triumph of felt.

Brushing aside decades of nostalgia, this is a whip-smart postmodern romp with a warm heart to boot, and as such, it should please both life-long fans and new initiates to the Muppet universe.

invites viewers to become a bit like the dreamer Walter and, in (re)discovering and embracing their inner child (not to mention their inner muppet), to join a fantastic, funny family that never grows old, no matter how times may have changed.

The innocence is slightly twisted, the harmonious camaraderie is slightly corrosive and the characters are slightly eccentric

I smiled throughout this madcap joyous adventure in which the Muppets are funny, silly, colourful and totally endearing in what must be the happiest film of the New Year

MY inner child - the one who loved The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper - really wants to give this film five stars.

By focusing on the Muppets of The Muppet Show (1976-1981) rather than the independent Muppets of prior films, the writers open up an unexplored aspect of Muppet lore ripe for revival.

A nice throwback to the good old days of the Muppets.

Under James Bobin's direction, however, the outing feels cheap and strangely small-screen.

An altogether charming, smart and strangely moving little movie.

The Muppets may be one of the best films of the year, not judged as a children's film, or a family film, but instead, simply as a film.

The Muppets is really two movies. And one of those movies is quite good, albeit awfully similar to previous films.

Even balcony critics Waldorf and Statler would have a hard time faulting this Wonkaful delight.

I am a fan of The Muppets and I'm glad to see them making a comeback. Maybe if this movie is a hit, they'll make a sequel where they'll actually get to be the stars of their own film.

A good imitation of the Muppet style.

The Muppets is a celebration of all things Muppets -- filled with fun, laughter and moments of pure joy.

The Muppets heralds the return of Jim Henson's beloved furry creations, resurrected from pop-culture irrelevance and lovingly restored to their former greatness in a vibrant comedy-musical.

The film's success is owed to the fact that the living, breathing actors understand the show belongs to the Muppets. In their capable paws, claws, and flippers, the fun, kindness, and total, unadulterated wackiness of The Muppet Show is finally back.

The Muppets is a joyful mix of the nostalgic past and a vibrant present. It tops the list of family movies for the holidays. The movie asks the question, "Do you have what it takes to be one of the Muppets?" Of course, we do.

More Critic Reviews

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/

sticks and stones sticks and stones top chef powerball winner powerball winner narwhals narwhals

Facing long odds and steep climb, Santorum digs in (AP)

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. ? Newt Gingrich has the momentum. Mitt Romney has the money.

Rick Santorum? He has neither at the moment.

Not that he's going to let details like that stop him from pressing ahead in his White House quest. Or, for that matter, hurdles like scant cash in an expensive state and a rapidly disappearing opportunity to emerge as the consensus candidate of conservative voters now that Gingrich has emerged as the leading anti-Romney candidate.

"Our feeling is that this is a three-person race," Santorum insisted on CNN's "State of the Union." He added that he felt "absolutely no pressure at all" to abandon his bid given Gingrich's rise.

Still, Santorum acknowledged a hard road ahead in what he called "a tough state for everybody."

"It's very, very expensive. It's a very short time frame," he said.

The former Pennsylvania senator placed third in Saturday's South Carolina primary.

Gingrich scored his first win, entering the Florida campaign with the political winds pushing the former House speaker from behind. Romney, who has raised mounds of cash, came in second and was ready to regroup with sophisticated political machines in the upcoming states, Florida included.

Underscoring Santorum's challenges, he was taking a few days away from the campaign trail in Florida this week to restock his thin campaign bank accounts. He plans fundraisers in other states, leaving Gingrich and Romney with free rein in Florida, while he stops in states such as Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri. Money is a necessity in a state like Florida with numerous expensive media markets and where campaigns are usually won on TV.

That's not a natural fit for Santorum, who has run his campaign on a shoestring and won the Iowa caucuses ? albeit narrowly ? by spending more than a year making house calls to voters and traveling the state in a pickup truck.

To make up ground and perhaps earn some free media, Santorum is going on the attack.

Standing in a strip mall's parking lot here Sunday before heading to fundraising events, Santorum cast Romney as an inconsistent figure who would not be an effective foil to President Barack Obama's re-election bid and argued that Gingrich was too "high risk" to be the Republican standard-bearer.

"Trust is a big issue in this election," Santorum told several hundred people. "Who are you going to trust when the pressure is on, when we're in that debate? It's great to be glib, but it's better to be principled."

He also met privately Sunday with pastors and delivered a sermon at Worldwide Christian Center in Pompano Beach, where he emphasized his conservatism. Santorum, who sprinkles his campaign speeches with his Catholic faith, is banking on evangelicals to coalesce around him over the thrice-married Gingrich or Romney, a Mormon.

"Can he win? Only God knows," said David Babbin, a voter here who works at the nearby children's hospital and likes Santorum. "But I believe in miracles."

Still, he noted one of the candidate's challenges: "Rick Santorum is one of us. And that's his biggest flaw ... We live in a society that is `American Idol' and Rick Santorum is not like that."

Santorum has other hurdles beyond what even admirers call his lack of charisma.

His tough talk on Social Security and Medicare ? ending benefits for wealthier retirees, cutting payments to those who don't need them ? is going to dog him here in a state of 3.3 million seniors, or 17 percent of the population. AARP estimates that more than a third of those seniors would have incomes below the poverty line without Social Security and one in three seniors rely on Social Security as their sole source of income.

Santorum didn't mention those proposals at his first public campaign event since the primary in South Carolina.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_el_pr/us_santorum

the rum diary trailer nor easter nor easter st.louis cardinals st.louis cardinals drag me to hell alot

Rising costs push Kimberly-Clark 4Q profit lower (AP)

DALLAS ? Kimberly-Clark Corp., the maker of Kleenex tissues, Huggies diapers and other household goods, is still waging a battle against rising costs that pushed its fourth-quarter profit down 19 percent.

The company also offered a 2012 adjusted earnings forecast below Wall Street's expectations. Its shares fell $1.62, or 2.2 percent, to $71.90 in premarket trading on Tuesday.

Like many companies, Kimberly-Clark is struggling with higher costs for oil, wood, pulp and other materials that it needs to make and transport its products. It raised prices on certain products to help offset some of the expense, but must tread cautiously with price hikes to avoid turning off budget-minded shoppers.

The Dallas-based company continues to face soft demand in North America, as high unemployment and uncertain economic conditions keep many consumers focused on buying basic products on an as-needed basis.

Kimberly-Clark said Tuesday that it earned $401 million, or $1.01 per share, in the fourth quarter. That compares with profit of $492 million, or $1.20 per share, a year ago.

Excluding restructuring costs in its pulp and tissues segment, adjusted earnings were $1.28 per share, which fell short of the $1.30 per share that analysts surveyed by FactSet expected.

Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 climbed 2 percent to $5.18 billion from $5.08 billion on higher prices and sales volumes, but missed Wall Street's $5.21 billion estimate.

Sales of personal care items fell approximately 5 percent in North America in the quarter. While Kimberly-Clark raised prices on infant and child care goods, it was not enough to overcome increased promotions.

Total sales for the personal care division edged up 2 percent to $2.2 billion. Consumer tissue segment sales were essentially flat at $1.7 billion, while the health care unit's sales rose 10 percent to about $420 million, partly on sales of exam gloves and surgical products.

Kimberly-Clark said its quarterly tax rate was 29.6 percent compared with 26.7 percent in the prior-year period. Excluding the pulp and tissue restructuring actions, the tax rate was 29.2 percent.

Full-year earnings declined 14 percent to $1.59 billion, or $3.99 per share, compared with earnings of $1.84 billion, or $4.45 per share, in the previous year.

Adjusted earnings were $4.80 per share.

"Reflecting on the full year, bottom-line results were somewhat below our original goal for the year, mostly due to higher-than-expected cost inflation and soft demand in portions of the developed markets," Chairman and CEO Thomas Falk said in a statement.

Revenue for 2011 increased 6 percent to $20.85 billion from $19.75 billion.

Looking ahead, Kimberly-Clark anticipates 2012 adjusted earnings between $5 and $5.15 per share, below the analysts' average forecast earnings of $5.23 per share for the year.

Annual revenue is expected to be flat to up 1 percent, which would imply revenue of about $20.85 billion to $21.26 billion. Wall Street forecast revenue of $21.22 billion.

Falk cautioned that economic conditions will likely remain challenging this year in the near term, specifically in developed markets. While commodity costs are expected to be a lesser concern, Kimberly-Clark anticipates foreign currency exchange rates will continue to be volatile.

The company also said it expects to raise its dividend at a mid-single digit rate, effective in April.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_kimberly_clark

imessage sukkot sukkot aziz ansari aziz ansari corn maze icloud

Romney loses South Carolina to Gingrich (AP)

COLUMBIA, S.C. ? Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told supporters Saturday he's going to compete for every vote in every state after former House speaker Newt Gingrich beat him in the South Carolina primary.

"Our campaign has fought very hard here in South Carolina and in the coming weeks and months, I'll keep fighting for every single vote," the former Massachusetts governor told supporters at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds, only mentioning Gingrich by name to congratulate him. "I will compete in every single state."

Romney wasted no time jabbing first at President Barack Obama for a lacking business or management experience, and then at Gingrich: "Our party can't be led to victory by someone who also has never run a business and never led a state."

Romney said Obama has attacked free enterprise and that "we cannot defeat that president with a candidate who has joined that very assault on free enterprise." Gingrich has attacked Romney's record running Bain Capital, a private equity firm.

The loss dampens Romney's momentum heading into Florida ? the state that crushed his presidential hopes four years ago when he lost to John McCain and immediately dropped out of the race.

Romney came to South Carolina riding high on what were then twin wins in Iowa and New Hampshire. Gingrich finished far behind him in both contests. But Romney's narrow Iowa victory was revoked this week, and questions about his refusal to release his tax returns before April have dogged him day after day. He slid in polls in the last days going into the primary and ultimately lost to the former House speaker.

"We've still got a long way to go and a lot of work to do and tomorrow we're going to move on to Florida," Romney said Saturday.

It's a dramatic reversal of fortune for a campaign that just 10 days ago was hoping to perform well here, go on to win Florida and wrap up the nomination fight quickly. Instead, he spent the week ahead of the primary trying to fight off the surging Gingrich, who repeatedly called on the multimillionaire Romney to release his tax returns. Gingrich has attacked Romney as a "Massachusetts moderate."

In recent days, Romney has jumped from topic to topic as he has struggled to attack Gingrich. His surrogates have labeled Gingrich an "unreliable leader," while Romney has called on the former House speaker to release documents related to an ethics inquiry from the 1990s. On Saturday he shifted back to an attack he'd used in earlier debates, calling on Gingrich to further explain his ties to Freddie Mac. Gingrich was a consultant for the quasi-government mortgage agency over a period of eight years.

Romney still has significant advantages over his three remaining Republican rivals, including an enormous financial edge and a well-organized campaign. In next-up Florida, he's been organizing supporters for months and has particularly focused on absentee voters. Hundreds of thousands of voters have already sent in their ballots in Florida's primary.

Still, this primary season has been characterized by late-deciding voters. A majority of South Carolina Republican voters said they decided on a candidate in the last few days, and they favored Gingrich by a double-digit margin, according to exit polls. Romney had a small edge among those who said they made up their minds in December or earlier.

While they were confident early on, Romney's team was bracing for defeat by the end of the week. On Saturday, Romney said he would attend a debate Monday in Tampa, Fla., and his campaign confirmed he would be at one Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla., ahead of the state's primary Jan. 31. Romney did not confirm the appearances until the last minute, and they were an acknowledgment that the former Massachusetts governor would have to continue the battle with Gingrich longer than expected.

Romney plans to appear Fox News Sunday on Sunday morning ahead of a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Fla. On Monday, Romney will campaign in the Tampa Bay area before the presidential debate.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney

30 rock anna faris amanda knox latest news brass monkey x factor auditions x factor auditions flds

Video: Analyst Maintains 'Neutral' on RIMM

Mike Genovese, analyst at MKM Partners, reiterates his "neutral" rating on Research in Motion with a $15 "fair value" estimate. "The only thing that is going to get this stock up is M&A speculation," he says.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46102715/

frank gore injury makana makana gloria cain gloria cain kandi burruss occupy portland

Morgan Stanley CEO to receive $10.5 million (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Morgan Stanley (MS.N) Chief Executive James Gorman was awarded a $10.5 million bonus for 2011, down 25 percent from the previous year, according to a source familiar with the matter.

All of Gorman's bonus will be deferred for a period of two to three years, including a $5.1 million restricted stock award detailed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday evening.

The lower bonuses with tighter restrictions reflect weak performance at Morgan Stanley in 2011, as capital markets reacted to the European sovereign debt crisis and a downgrade of the U.S. bond rating. Clients pulled back sharply on trading and investment banking activity, hurting profits across Wall Street.

Morgan Stanley lost money in two of four quarters and had difficulty meeting profitability targets that were earlier outlined by senior management. Its return on common equity - a key measurement of profitability - was a meager 3.9 percent from continuing operations for the full year.

Morgan Stanley, like other rivals including Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), responded to rough market conditions by cutting staff and salaries.

The bank capped cash bonuses at $125,000 for employees, an unusually low amount for a workforce accustomed to multi-million dollar paydays. In mid-December it announced plans to lay off 1,600 employees, which comes in addition to hundreds of underperforming financial advisers dismissed from its wealth management business earlier in the year.

Overall, Morgan Stanley paid out $16.4 billion worth of compensation and benefits in 2011, which translated into $264,996 per employee. The figures were higher than the previous year because of severance costs from recent layoffs, higher pay for financial advisers and an unusually large amount of deferred compensation from previous years that came due in 2011.

Gorman and other members of his operating committee have been given a 21 percent cut in bonuses collectively, all of which will be deferred, said the source familiar with top-level pay.

In Form 4 filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, Morgan Stanley detailed $24.5 million worth of restricted stock to nine top executives on Thursday as part of their 2011 bonus payments.

Greg Fleming, the head of Morgan Stanley's wealth management business, and Paul Taubman, an investment banker who is co-head of institutional securities, each received restricted stock worth $3.4 million on Thursday, using the bank's closing price of $18.28. Colm Kelleher, the bank's other co-head of institutional securities, who has a background in trading, received a $2.6 million award.

Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat received $3.2 million worth of restricted stock and her deputy, Paul Wirth, received $1.1 million in RSUs. Chief Operating Officer Jim Rosenthal received $2.9 million worth, while Chief Risk Officer Keishi Hotsuki received $1.8 million in RSUs.

Newly promoted Chief Legal Officer Eric Grossman was the only executive to receive an award under $1 million, at $975,000.

The restricted stock units, as well as other performance-based stock awards, will vest over a three-year period, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

In addition to those awards, Gorman will also receive a cash bonus over a period of two years. The $10.5 million total bonus comes in addition to the $800,000 salary he received for 2011 and is down from $14 million in 2010.

(Reporting By Lauren Tara LaCapra; editing by Andre Grenon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/bs_nm/us_morganstanley_stock

ball drop dick clark new years eve first night obscura chick fil a chick fil a liquor store

Gingrich victory in South Carolina jolts Republican race (Reuters)

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) ? Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich trounced frontrunner Mitt Romney in South Carolina on Saturday in a jarring victory that indicates the party's battle to pick a challenger to President Barack Obama may last months, not weeks.

Gingrich's come-from-behind triumph in the primary in the conservative southern state injects unexpected volatility into a Republican nominating race that until this week appeared to be a coronation for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and private-equity chief.

Instead, voters in South Carolina rejected Romney's pitch that he is the best bet to fix a broken U.S. economy and defeat Obama, a Democrat, in the November 6 election.

Three different candidates - Gingrich, Romney and former U.S. senator Rick Santorum - now have won the first three contests in the state-by-state battle for the Republican presidential nomination to face Obama.

Gingrich's triumph may lead to a protracted battle of attrition as Republican candidates spend millions of dollars to tear each other down rather than uniting behind a standard-bearer to take back the White House.

With nearly all the votes counted, Gingrich had pulled in 40 percent of the vote, followed by Romney with 28 percent, networks reported. Santorum was in third with 17 percent and U.S. congressman Ron Paul in fourth with 13 percent.

The next contest is the Florida primary on January 31.

Riding a series of feisty debate performances, the former speaker of the House of Representatives captured the lingering unease of conservative voters in South Carolina who view Romney's moderate past and shifting policy stances with suspicion. Gingrich argued that he would be able to better articulate the party's conservative ideals.

South Carolina was a stunning turnaround for Gingrich, whose campaign barely survived after top staff quit last June and stumbled to a disappointing finish just three weeks ago in Iowa, the first Republican nominating contest. He finished fourth in both Iowa and New Hampshire a week later as conservatives split their votes among several candidates.

Gingrich contrasted his sometimes-chaotic management style with Romney's buttoned-down approach, arguing that his campaign was powered by ideas rather than logistics. Romney is one of the wealthiest candidates ever to run for president and his campaign is well financed.

"We don't have the kind of money that at least one of the candidates have. But we do have ideas and we do have people," Gingrich told supporters in a 22-minute tirade against Obama, the news media, judges and other "elites."

Romney acknowledged that there will be a long primary season. He said he would continue to run on his business record and paint Gingrich as a creature of Washington in the weeks ahead.

"I don't shrink from competition, I embrace it," Romney told supporters. "I believe competition makes us all better. I know it's making our campaign stronger."

Obama, who does not face a primary challenger, will have his turn in the spotlight on Tuesday with his State of the Union address. In a message to supporters on Saturday, he said the speech would focus on "building an economy that works for everybody, not just a wealthy few."

ON TO FLORIDA

Heading into Florida, Romney starts off with a wide lead in the polls and a distinct edge in logistics and fund-raising, which will be crucial in a state with 10 separate media markets.

Campaigns must spend at least $1 million each week to reach voters in the sprawling southern state, according to local political officials. Romney's allies have already spent $5 million, mostly on ads attacking Gingrich. No other candidate has a significant presence in the state.

Animosity between Gingrich and Romney has been festering since December, when a group supporting Romney launched a blitz of negative TV ads in Iowa that ruined Gingrich's campaign there. In South Carolina, a state with a reputation for rough and tumble politics, the gloves came off.

Gingrich attacked Romney's business record at private equity firm Bain Capital and his reluctance to release personal tax information, while Romney pointed to Gingrich's past ethics lapses and alluded to his messy personal life.

South Carolina Republican voters said they were focused on fixing the sluggish economy and finding the strongest candidate to defeat Obama. Some 78 percent said they were "very worried" about the economy and 45 percent said that the most important trait in a candidate was the ability to beat Obama, according to exit polls released by CNN.

Those issues are the twin pillars of Romney's candidacy.

But Gingrich's wide-ranging stump speeches and red-meat attacks against Obama convinced many voters that he had the fire in the belly to take on the incumbent.

"A vote for Newt was a vote against Obama," said Charleston photographer Kim Woods, who voted for Gingrich.

Romney saw his aura of inevitability erode in South Carolina after leading opinion polls by 10 percentage points a week ago. He suffered a setback on Thursday when Iowa officials declared in a recount that he had actually come in second place in that state, instead of winning narrowly as initially announced.

Romney took a swipe at Gingrich for criticizing his conduct at Bain Capital, calling it an "assault on free enterprise."

"Those who pick up the weapons of the left today will find them turned against us tomorrow," Romney told supporters.

Voters said they viewed Romney's business background as an asset. But he waffled this week when asked whether he would release his tax records, and acknowledged that he pays a much lower tax rate than many Americans, around 15 percent.

In his speech, Gingrich took aim at Obama, painting him as a weak president, "truly a danger to the country" with his energy policies and "out of touch with reality." He also lashed the news media and condemned what he called "the growing anti-religious bigotry of the elites" in America.

'PUNCH IN THE MOUTH'

"This is the punch in the mouth/wake up call Romney needed if he wanted to be a strong general election candidate," Republican strategist Ford O'Connell said in a Twitter message, referring to the South Carolina results.

Romney has attacked Gingrich's ties to mortgage giant Freddie Mac and criticized his time in the nation's capital. His campaign also highlighted Gingrich's $300,000 fine due to ethics lapses while serving as House speaker 15 years ago.

The thrice-married Gingrich has fended off publicity about his turbulent marital history. On Thursday, he rejected his second wife's accusation that he had asked her for an "open marriage" while he was having an affair with another woman in the 1990s.

South Carolina has been a tough state for Romney's presidential ambitions. In his previous run for the White House in 2008, Romney finished a poor fourth, with just 15 percent of the vote, behind winner and eventual Republican nominee John McCain. McCain endorsed Romney in the current campaign.

The winner of South Carolina's Republican presidential primary has gone on to win the party's nomination in every presidential election since 1980.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/ts_nm/us_usa_campaign

christmas island antonio gates antonio gates challah oxford comma oxford comma elisabetta canalis

Get Over It: Men and Women Are from the Same Planet

Recent publication in PLoS ONE by psychologist Del Giudici and colleagues [i] has reignited the debate about just how ?naturally? different men and women are.?? Del Giudici et al. state that their findings of a ?pattern of global sex differences?may help elucidate the meaning and generality of the broad dimension of individual differences known as ?masculinity-femininity?.?

In a commentary, psychologist Dario Maestripieri [ii] gushes that this study has finally demonstrated that ?when it comes to personality men and women belong to two different species.?? In spite of the hoopla and pronouncements that men are indeed from Mars and women for Venus this study, and the commentaries, ignore that trying to assess and explain similarities and differences between human genders and sexes is very complicated and quite messy.? Apparently, it also makes people act a little silly.

There are three major problems with the conclusions being drawn from study:? a) ?gender? and ?sex? are used interchangeably, b) evolved differences in men and women are not being measured, and c) relevant biological and anthropological datasets are ignored.? Let me just review these problems and leave you with a plea for a bit of sanity and some scientific integrity when it comes to thinking and talking about men and women.

?Sex? and ?Gender? are not the same thing.? Sex is a biological state that is measure via chromosomal content and a variety of physiological and developmental measures.? Gender is the roles, expectations and perceptions that a given society has for the sexes.? Most societies have two genders on a masculinity-femininity continuum, some have more.? The two are interconnected, but not the same thing.? We are born with a sex, but acquire gender and there is great inter-individual diversity within societies and sexes in regards to how sex and gender play out in behavior and personality.? There is an extensive body of literature demonstrating this, but many researchers interested only in definitive distinctions between men and women choose to disregard it.

To measure evolutionary differences in behavior within a species is extremely difficult, but there are at least two basic methodological approaches that are required. First, assessments must be comparative across more than one population of the species of interest. Second the traits being measured must have some way of being linked or connected with heritable aspects of human physiology or behavior that has an effect on overall fitness, and they must be assessed via measures that are accessible, and replicable, across different populations in the species.? Del Giudici et al. used a large questionnaire sample of mostly white, educated Americans.? Relative to the global diversity in cultural structure, this is a limited sample and not a comparative evolutionary one for the species.

Their data come from assessments of 15 personality variables using scales such as ?reserved vs. warm,? ?serious vs lively,? ?tolerates disorder vs. perfectionistic,? and ?shy vs socially bold.?? These are indeed personality assessments but they are mired in cultural contexts and meanings, not easily transferable across human societies in time and space, and extremely difficult, if not impossible, to connect, quantitatively, to any aspect of human physiology, neurology, or other structured, identifiable, target for natural selection to act on.? Also, these are most likely not static traits of individuals, but rather dynamic states that are fluid over the lifetime.

Finally, when talking about evolved differences in behavior between males and females one cannot make statements like ?when it comes to personality men and women belong to two different species?? without noting the biological reality that we are, indeed, the same species.? There are no consistent brain differences between the sexes [iii], there is incredible overlap in our physiological function [iv], we engage in sexual activity in more or less the same patterns [v], and we overlap extensively in most other behavior as well. There are some interesting re-occurring differences, particularly in patterns of aggression and certain physiological correlates of reproduction, muscle density, and body size.? However, anthropological datasets show enormous complexity in how and why men and women behave the ways that they do [vi].? Studies in human biology and anthropology regularly demonstrate a dynamic flexibility and complex biocultural context for all human behavior, and this is especially true for gender.

Del Giudici et al. and Maestripieri are trying to counter Janet Shibley-Hyde?s ?gender similarities hypothesis? [vii] because they ?know? that men and women are more different than similar.? There are many valid points of contention in regards to Shibley-Hyde?s seminal paper and Del Giudici et al. bring up an important methodological one, but do not provide an actual assessment and analysis of the overall data set and meta-analyses that Shibley-Hyde used [viii].?? My concern is not so much with some good back and forth in the peer reviewed literature, rather it is with the blogospheres? and the public?s response to the article and to yet another flare-up in over simplistic assertions about the way that men and women ?are? by nature.

There is something about avidly trying to prove men and women are different, or the same, that makes people lose their mind a bit.? No matter how much some want it to be true, it is just not that simple; there are no clear cut and easy answers to why we do what we do, and why men and women sometimes have problems getting along. To ignore the enormous wealth of data on how men and women are similar AND different and to try to tackle this enormously complex reality via one-dimensional approaches is just poor science.

---

[i] Del Giudice, M., Booth, T., and Irwing, P. (2012). The distance between Mars and?Venus: Measuring global sex differences in personality. PLoS ONE 7(1): e29265

[iii] Eliot, L.(2009) Pink brain Blue brain. Houhgton Mifflin Harcourt., Wood, J.L., Heitmiller, D., Andreasen, N.C., Nopoulos, P. (2008). Morphology of the ventral frontal cortex: relationship to femininity and social cognition. Cerebral Cortex, 18, 534?40., Bishop, K. and Wahlsten, D. (1997) Sex Differences in the Human Corpus Callosum: Myth or Reality? Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 21(5):581-601

[iv] Anne Fausto-Sterling (2000) Sexing the Body: gender politics and the construction of sexuality Basic Books, P.T. Ellison and P.B. Gray Eds.(2009) The endocrinology of social relationships.? Harvard University Press Pp. 270-293

[v][v] Herbenick, D.,? Reece, M., Schick, V., Sanders, S.A., Dodge, B.,? Fortenberry, J.D. (2010) Sexual behavior in the united states: results form a national probability sample of men and women ages 14-94. J. Sex Med. 7(suppl. 5):255-265

[vi] Nanda, S. (2000) Gender diversity: cross-cultural variations Waveland Press, Donnan, H. and Magowan, F. (2010) The Anthropology of Sex Berg Publishers

[vii] Hyde JS (2005) The gender similarities hypothesis. Am Psychol 60: 581?592.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=d86ac5e3dc2b8efdad0e5d45d8e24993

free shipping day golden globe nominations 2012 war in iraq war in iraq barbara walters government shutdown sofia vergara

Marine video outrage not stopping peace talk moves (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Pentagon officials worry that outrage over a video purporting to depict Marines urinating on Taliban corpses will tarnish the reputation of the entire military. Some also fear it could undermine prospects for exploratory Afghan peace talks.

After roundly condemning the Marines' alleged behavior, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and top military leaders on Thursday promised a full investigation and sought to contain the damage at home and abroad.

Panetta also said the incident could endanger the prospects for peace talks, although the Obama administration and the Taliban each voiced readiness Thursday to try peace talks while pledging to carry on the military conflict until their rival objectives are met. The separate statements by senior American and Taliban officials illustrated the improved environment for Afghan reconciliation efforts as well as the daunting task ahead.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the law enforcement arm of the Navy, is heading the main inquiry, which is expected to weigh evidence of violations of the U.S. military legal code as well as the international laws of warfare. Separately, the Marine Corps is doing its own internal investigation.

By Thursday evening, the NCIS had interviewed two of the four Marines appearing in the video. At the time they were filmed urinating on the bodies, the four were members of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, which fought in the southern Afghan province of Helmand for seven months before returning to their home base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., last September.

Two of the four, plus the commander of the battalion, had moved on to other assignments before the video appeared on the Internet, according to Marine Corps officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss an active investigation.

Even Thursday's emergence of the Internet video depicting Marines urinating on what appear to be Afghan corpses didn't seem to immediately set back movement toward exploratory negotiations with the Taliban. Asked about possible implications for peace talks, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. remained strongly committed to supporting Afghan efforts.

Panetta, however, said the incident could endanger the talks.

"The danger is that this kind of video can be misused in many ways to undermine what we are trying to do in Afghanistan and the possibility of reconciliation," Panetta said at Fort Bliss, Texas, adding it's important for the U.S. to move quickly to "send a clear signal to the world that the U.S. will not tolerate this kind of behavior and that is not what the U.S. is all about."

Before he left Washington for his troop visit to Fort Bliss, Panetta called President Hamid Karzai to promise a full investigation of the video affair and condemned the Marines' behavior as "entirely inappropriate."

As the video spread across the Internet in postings and re-postings, U.S. officials joined with Afghans in calling it shocking, deplorable, inhumane and a breach of military standards of conduct. It shows men in Marine combat gear standing in a semicircle urinating on the bodies of three men in standard Afghan clothing, one whose chest was covered in blood.

It's not certain whether the dead were Taliban fighters, civilians or someone else.

The incident will likely further hurt ties with Karzai's government and complicate negotiations over a strategic partnership arrangement meant to govern the presence of U.S. troops and advisers in Afghanistan after most international combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014.

Anti-American sentiment is already on the rise in Afghanistan, especially among Afghans who have not seen improvements to their daily lives despite billions of dollars in international aid. They also have deplored the accidental killing of civilians during NATO airstrikes and argue that foreign troops have culturally offended the Afghan people, mostly when it comes to activities involving women and the Quran, the Muslim holy book.

Pentagon officials said the criminal investigation would likely look into whether the Marines violated laws of war, which include prohibitions against photographing or mishandling bodies and detainees. It also appeared to violate the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice, which governs conduct. Thus, some or all of the four Marines could face a military court-martial or other disciplinary action.

Karzai called the video "completely inhumane." The Afghan Defense Ministry called it "shocking." And the Taliban issued a statement accusing U.S. forces of committing numerous "indignities" against the Afghan people.

Panetta said the actions depicted in the brief video were inexcusable.

"I have seen the footage, and I find the behavior depicted in it utterly deplorable. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms," Panetta's statement said. "Those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent."

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, said he was deeply disturbed by the video and worried that it would erode the reputation of the entire military, not just the Marine Corps.

On the streets of Afghanistan, the reaction was cool.

"If these actions continue, people will not like them (the Americans) anymore and there will be uprising against them," Mohammad Qayum, said while watching a television news story about the video that was airing in a local restaurant in Kabul.

Ahmad Naweed, a shopkeeper in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban insurgency, said, "On the one hand, the Americans present themselves as friends of Afghanistan and ... they also try to have peace talks with the Taliban. So we don't know what kind of political game they are playing in Afghanistan."

___

Associated Press writers Pauline Jelinek in Washington, Deb Riechmann in Kabul and Juan Carlos Llorca in El Paso, Texas, contributed to this report.

Robert Burns can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/robertburnsAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120113/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_marines_taliban_corpses

josh krajcik porphyria the civil wars cinnamon rolls krampus robert de niro winner of x factor

Russian space probe may crash into Indian Ocean

If Phobos-Grunt comes down at the in the predicted window it will fall over a stretch of empty ocean west of the Indonesian island of Java, according to a re-entry projection map Roscosmos published with the update. ?

A doomed Russian Mars probe that's been stuck in Earth orbit for two months may finally come crashing down Sunday (Jan. 15) over the Indian Ocean, Russian space officials say.

Skip to next paragraph

The 14.5-ton?Phobos-Grunt spacecraft?should fall back to Earth sometime between Saturday and Monday (Jan. 14 to Jan. 16), Russia's Federal Space Agency, known as Roscosmos, announced in a statement today (Jan. 11).

If Phobos-Grunt comes down at the "central point" in that window ? 4:18 a.m. EST (0918 GMT) on Sunday ? it will fall over a stretch of empty ocean west of the Indonesian island of Java, according to a re-entry projection map Roscosmos published with the update.

But these projections are far from set in stone. The predicted time and place of re-entry may change as engineers continue to track the spacecraft's decaying orbit, officials said. All that's known for sure is that Phobos-Grunt will come down somewhere between 51 degrees north latitude and 51 degrees south latitude. [Photos of the Phobos-Grunt mission]

Falling back to Earth

Phobos-Grunt launched Nov. 8 on a mission to collect soil samples from the Mars moon Phobos and return them to Earth ("grunt" means "soil" in Russian). However, the probe's main engines failed to fire as planned to send it toward Mars, and the craft got stuck orbiting Earth.

Russian officials still aren't sure what caused the failure. They recently raised the possibility that some form of?sabotage may have crippled Phobos-Grunt?and doomed its $165 million mission.

The spacecraft has been spiraling lower and lower for months, on an inevitable collision course with Earth's atmosphere. The minimum altitude of Phobos-Grunt's orbit as of today is about 106 miles (171 kilometers), according to Roscosmos.

The huge probe is carrying about 7.5 tons of toxic hydrazine?fuel, prompting some observers to worry about potential environmental impacts of the probe's looming re-entry. Russian space officials have repeatedly dismissed those concerns, however, saying that the fuel ? which is encased in an aluminum tank ? should burn up high in Earth's atmosphere.

Most of Phobos-Grunt should meet that same fate. Experts predict that just 20 to 30 pieces, weighing a maximum of 440 pounds (200 kilograms) in total, will actually hit the Earth.

Phobos-Grunt's demise comes close on the heels of two other?uncontrolled satellite falls?recently. NASA's 6.5-ton UARS climate satellite re-entered over the Pacific Ocean in September, and Germany's 2.7-ton ROSAT satellite crashed over the Indian Ocean a month later.

Both the UARS and ROSAT re-entries were expected, however, and the two satellites had long since completed their primary science missions. No one on the ground was hurt in either instance.

A series of Russian space failures

Phobos-Grunt's failure was just one of a?series of embarrassing setbacks?for the Russian space program in 2011.

On Feb. 1, for example, a Rockot launch?vehicle?failed to place an Earth-observing satellite in the proper orbit. On Aug. 18, a Proton rocket similarly underperformed, delivering a $300 million communications satellite to the wrong orbit.

Less than a week later, on Aug. 24, the unmanned Progress 44 supply ship crashed while hauling cargo to the International Space Station. Progress 44 was done in by a problem with its Soyuz rocket. Russia uses a similar version of the Soyuz to launch astronauts to the space station, so manned flights were put on hold until the problem with the rocket could be identified and fixed.

Finally, a Soyuz-2 rocket crashed just after liftoff on Dec. 23, destroying a Russian military communications satellite.

You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter:?@michaeldwall. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter?@Spacedotcom?and on?Facebook.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/PGFDQm7j3BU/Russian-space-probe-may-crash-into-Indian-Ocean

joe johnson jeremy renner sacramento kings portland trail blazers leah messer justin timberlake engaged bluefin tuna

Iran warns Gulf Arabs on oil

In this photo released by Saudi Press Agency, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, center, is welcomed by an unidentified Saudi official, left, as Saudi crown prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz, right, looks on prior their meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. China's premier visits Saudi Arabia as part of six-day Mideast trip that also takes him to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The visit to the region runs from Jan. 14-19. Wen Jiabao is slated to discuss the Arab Spring uprising and talks are likely to also focus on the latest U.S. sanctions on Iran, a major oil exporter to China. (AP Photo/HO) EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO SALES

In this photo released by Saudi Press Agency, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, center, is welcomed by an unidentified Saudi official, left, as Saudi crown prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz, right, looks on prior their meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. China's premier visits Saudi Arabia as part of six-day Mideast trip that also takes him to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The visit to the region runs from Jan. 14-19. Wen Jiabao is slated to discuss the Arab Spring uprising and talks are likely to also focus on the latest U.S. sanctions on Iran, a major oil exporter to China. (AP Photo/HO) EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO SALES

CAIRO (AP) ? Iran warned Gulf Arab oil producers against boosting production to offset any potential drop in Tehran's crude exports in the event of an embargo affecting its oil sales, the latest salvo in the dispute between the West and the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.

The comments by Iran's OPEC governor, published Sunday, came as Saudi Arabia's oil minister was quoted the same day denying that his country's earlier pledges to boost output as needed to meet global demand was linked to a potential siphoning of Iranian crude from the market because of sanctions.

World oil markets have been jolted over concerns that Iran may choke off the vital Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for sanctions hampering its ability to sell its oil. Saudi Arabia and other key Gulf Arab producers have recently said they are ready to provide stable and secure supplies of oil.

Iran's official news agency IRNA said Sunday that the U.S. has relayed a message to Iran about security in the Strait of Hormuz. It gave no details, and there was no immediate comment from Washington.

The U.S. recently imposed sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and, by extension, refiners' ability to buy and pay for crude. The European Union is also weighing an embargo on Iranian oil, while Japan, one of Iran's top Asian customers, has pledged to buy less crude from the country.

Mohammad Ali Khatibi, Iran's OPEC governor, was quoted Sunday by the pro-reform Shargh newspaper as saying that attempts by Gulf nations to replace Iran's output with their own would make them an "accomplice in further events."

"These acts will not be considered friendly," Khatibi said, adding that if the Arab producers "apply prudence and announce that they will not participate in replacing oil, then adventurist countries will not show interest," in the embargo.

The embargo concerns are linked to Iran's nuclear program. The West maintains Iran is enriching uranium for weapons purposes while Tehran says its program is for purely peaceful purposes such as generating electricity.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer and a close U.S. ally, had said that it was ready to raise its output to accommodate global market needs. The country is the only member of the 12-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that has significant spare capacity, currently estimated at roughly more than 2 million barrels per day.

With concerns building amid the standoff between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear program, a string of Asian and Western officials have visited Saudi Arabia over the past week. While offering assurances that it could meet a shortfall in supply through its spare capacity, Saudi officials have also been careful to say that it was an internal matter if nations chose to abide by any sanctions.

Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi appeared to try to further clarify the country's position in comments published Sunday in the daily Al-Ektisadiyah newspaper.

"We never said that Saudi Arabia is trying to compensate for Iranian oil in the case that sanctions (are enacted)," Al-Naimi was quoted as saying. "We said that we are prepared to meet the increase in global demand as a result of any circumstances."

The kingdom has a production capacity of 12.5 million barrels and is believed to be producing slightly over 9 million to 9.5 million barrels per day.

Iran's warning introduces a new layer of complication to an issue that has the potential for broad regional and global fallout.

"If the regional countries ... say no to what is harmful to the security of the region, then nothing will definitely happen," he said. But if the security of oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is violated, "all will be lost," he said.

"If these countries make a mistake and give the green light, this will be a historic green light," Khatibi said.

Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest economy, is widely seen as the main counterweight to Iran in the region. Any attempt by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which a sixth of the world's oil flows, would also affect the export abilities of the major Gulf producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar.

While momentum appears to be building for the sanctions by the West, China, another major buyer of Iranian oil, has come out against the measures.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for meeting with officials in which the two countries "pledged to work together to further expand all-around exchanges and cooperation," according to China's Xinhua news agency

Wen said the two sides "should expand trade of crude oil and natural gas and energy-related cooperation as to deepen their energy partnership," Xinhua reported.

During the visit, Saudi state-owned oil giant Aramco and Chinese refiner Sinopec finalized an agreement to develop a 400,000 barrel per day joint venture refinery in the Red Sea city of Yanbu. The deal is just one between China and Gulf producers as the Asian powerhouse reaches out across the world to secure energy supplies for its booming economy.

___

Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-15-ML-Mideast-Oil/id-19ed047eef6b4898bc9d5403460cda0f

r kelly vanessa bryant vanessa bryant kurt busch kurt busch nfl mock draft 2012 adam lambert

The Coming Zombie Democracy (Poliblogger)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/185978521?client_source=feed&format=rss

jonathan papelbon jonathan papelbon trisomy 13 veterans barbados resorts the call helen mirren

Verizon's Droid 4 priced up: $249 on a two-year contract

This slider was still lacking its most important spec when we went hands-on, but a carrier document outed over at Droid-life fills in the blank: it lists a "minimum advertised price" of $249 on 24-month bond to VZW. Of course, we're still waiting on the second most important spec -- the release date, which hopefully won't be as futuristic as the handset's appearance.

Verizon's Droid 4 priced up: $249 on a two-year contract originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Droid-life  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/12/verizons-droid-4-priced-up-249-on-a-two-year-contract/

big 10 championship game state of play the national defense authorization act the national defense authorization act bcs rankings miguel cotto vs antonio margarito terminator salvation

Daniels defends right-to-work in 'State' speech (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS ? Gov. Mitch Daniels defended divisive right-to-work legislation that he only recently put his name behind, while asking House Democrats to end their boycott of the measure.

Daniels spent a large amount of his final "State of the State" speech Tuesday night touting the national reputation Indiana has developed over his seven years in office, as well as a modest 2012 legislative agenda ranging from more money victims of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse to a statewide smoking ban.

But he dedicated roughly four minutes of his half-hour speech to explaining his evolution in support of right-to-work this year. Daniels made no mention of the issue in his annual speech last year, and urged lawmakers to hold off lest it derail other legislation like an overhaul of the state's education system.

Indiana could become the first state in more than a decade to approve a ban on private contracts that require workers to pay union fees for representation. Indiana House and Senate Republican leaders have made it their top legislative priority this year, and Daniels has campaigned vigorously for it since announcing last month that he would support it the measure.

Republican lawmakers and guests who filled the House chamber applauded heartily throughout the speech, but House and Senate Democrats largely held their applause.

More than a dozen House Democrats skipped Daniels' speech in a rare move. Democratic House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer said afterward he left it to each lawmaker in his 40-member caucus to decide whether they would attend the speech.

Hundreds of union protesters packed the halls outside the House chamber, booing as Daniels walked in for his speech and chanting "Shame on you!" as he left. The protesters' boos and chants could be heard through the glass panes of the House chamber as he spoke about right-to-work.

Although lawmakers are only five days into the 10-week legislative session, the right-to-work battle in the House has stalled most work. House Democrats ended a three-day boycott over the measure Monday only to stall business again Tuesday following a party-line vote in favor of the labor bill earlier in the day.

In his final annual address to the Legislature, Daniels argued that other states win out in competition for new business because of their right-to-work laws.

"Too often we never get a chance, because a right-to-work law is a requirement. Especially in this poor national economy, a state needs every edge it can get," he said.

But he also took care not to downplay Indiana in a speech that was otherwise laden with plaudits about his work over the last seven years in office. Daniels is term-limited against running for re-election in November.

Toward the end of his right-to-work pitch, Daniels relayed an allegory about two politicians written in 1861. One Democrat and one Republican go to Kentucky to settle a political dispute in a knife fight. At the close of the story, Daniels takes two subtle shots at House Democrats ? telling them they should stay in the state as well as in the House chamber.

Indiana House Democrats left the state for five weeks last year to block the right-to-work measure. This year, though they have stalled the still-young 2012 session, they have remained in Indianapolis.

"And we think we have disagreements!" Daniels says. "When we do, I hope we'll keep them not only in state, but also in this chamber, where the people's business is supposed to be settled."

When there are the numbers needed to conduct business, Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma has acted quickly to advance the right-to-work measure. Tuesday's speedy approval of the measure in committee, though, appeared to backfire with another Democratic boycott.

The Legislature's Democratic leaders said Daniels should have used the speech to bring the two parties closer together rather than drive a wedge further between them over the right-to-work bill.

"I was mostly disappointed he missed an opportunity he could have used tonight to bring Democrats and Republicans together he could have used the to bring House and Senate together to talk about how we are really going to serve the needs of Indiana," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson said after the speech.

___

Tom LoBianco can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/tomlobianco

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/democrats/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120111/ap_on_re_us/us_indiana_right_to_work

marfan syndrome marfan syndrome britney spears engaged craig smith craig smith eat to live eat to live