Pilot badger culls to go ahead

27 February 2013 Last updated at 08:26 ET

Badger culls are set to go ahead later this year after final licence conditions were met, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has said.

The pilot culls, in Gloucestershire and West Somerset, were postponed amid fears they could not be carried out effectively last autumn.

Ministers want to hold a pilot badger cull to halt the spread of tuberculosis to cattle.

Opponents, including the RSPCA, say it is inhumane.

Mr Paterson confirmed the cull at the National Farmers Union (NFU) annual conference.

He also announced a reserve pilot will also be prepared in Dorset.

Under the plans, badgers will be shot in the open without first being trapped in cages, which is current practice.

'?1bn' cost

"I am determined that there are no further delays this year," Mr Paterson said.

"That is why we have taken the sensible step with the farming industry to elect a reserve area that can be called upon should anything happen to prevent culling in Somerset or Gloucester."

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

By Helen Briggs, BBC News

Badger culls in England were postponed at the last minute in the autumn, when it came to light that the number of badgers in the pilot areas had been vastly underestimated.

Targets have now been set - farmers are allowed to shoot up to 5,094 badgers in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset over a six-week period starting as early as the summer.

Ministers have also announced a reserve area - Dorset - in case of unforeseen problems. They have commissioned a new national survey of badger numbers - the first for more than a decade - which is due to report in July or August.

Greater certainty over the number of badgers that can be killed without the threat of removing the local population - and the issuing of full licenses to farmers - clear some of the obstacles that led to last year's delays.

However, there are still many potential conflicts. The policy of free shooting badgers has not proved popular with either the public or the majority of independent scientists.

Opponents of the badger cull have promised to continue their action, with new protests already under way.

Mr Paterson added that tackling the spread of bovine TB had cost ?500m in the past 10 years and that figure could rise to ?1bn if action was not taken.

The authorisation from Natural England states that culling can take place from 1 June and will last for six weeks. It will be repeated annually for four years.

The pilot will be independently checked to ensure it is removing enough badgers in a humane way, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

Labour's shadow environment secretary, Mary Creagh, said scientists had branded the cull an "untested and risky approach" while more than 150,000 members of the public had signed a petition opposing it.

She said: "As incompetent Defra ministers stagger from one crisis to the next, the policing costs, paid by the taxpayer, will balloon to ?4m while bovine TB will increase in the next two years as the shooting displaces badgers.

"Ministers should listen to the public and the scientists and drop this cull before any more public money is wasted."

Ian Johnston, of the NFU, said: "Last year the conditions weren't right. We need to do this properly in a very particular way and that's why the NFU asked for it to be postponed.

"When you have 30,000 cattle going to their death prematurely and farm businesses being destroyed... then doing nothing is not an option. So you've got to do it."

NFU president Peter Kendall also backed the cull and called for a full roll-out in 2014.

He described the 35,000 cattle that had to be slaughtered because of the disease as a "scandalous waste".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21602753#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Suit: 185K spyware images sent to rental computers

PITTSBURGH (AP) ? Spyware installed on computers leased from furniture renter Aaron's Inc. secretly sent 185,000 emails containing sensitive information ? including pictures of nude children and people having sex ? back to the company's corporate computers, according to court documents filed Wednesday in a class-action lawsuit.

According to the filings, some of the spyware emails contained pictures secretly taken by the rental computers' webcams or other sensitive information including Social Security numbers, social media and email passwords, and customer keystrokes, the Federal Trade Commission determined last year.

The attorneys also claimed Atlanta-based Aaron's hasn't properly notified at least 800 customers allegedly targeted by spyware made by DesignerWare, a company located in North East, Pa.

"Because Aaron's has been so uncooperative in agreeing to give proper notice and assistance to its customers, we've had to ask the court to intervene and order them to do it, so that people can protect their most private kinds of rights and property," said Maury Herman, a New Orleans attorney who was one of several to file the documents.

Aaron's officials have previously said the company never installed the spyware on computers rented out of company-operated stores and blamed individual franchisees for installing it. But the new filings claim Aaron's nonetheless received the secretly recorded data.

Aaron's said in a statement that it disagrees with the claims in the lawsuit and will defend the case vigorously. The company reiterated its assertion that some of its 700 franchise stores used the spyware, not the 1300-plus company-owned stores.

Attorneys for DesignerWare didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

The new allegations grew out of a Federal Trade Commission settlement last year and are contained in documents filed in U.S. District Court in Erie. That's where a Casper, Wyo., couple, Brian and Crystal Byrd, have sued DesignerWare, Aaron's, the local franchise from which they rented a computer in 2010, and 45 other unidentified franchises they believed were using the spyware.

The filings seek court permission to file a new complaint adding 54 franchisees based on the 185,000 emails since traced to Aaron's computer servers.

"Aaron's, like the proverbial ostrich, has buried its head in the sand, hoping this litigation would just go away without having to do anything to protect its customers," the Byrds' attorneys wrote.

The couple's May 2011 lawsuit claimed the manager of the Casper store showed Brian Byrd a webcam picture of himself operating a rental computer after the manager activated the spyware in the process of trying to repossess the computer, which the manager mistakenly believed the Byrds hadn't paid off under their rent-to-own agreement.

Attorneys for DesignerWare have since said in court documents its PC Rental Agent software is benign and simply helps rental companies track computer use and shut down the devices if customers don't pay.

But the FTC found, in a settlement publicized in September, the software could do much more when "Detective Mode" was activated: Capturing screenshots, taking webcam images, logging keystrokes and forwarding that information to Aaron's by email.

The FTC settlement bars DesignerWare, the Aaron's franchise that operated the Wyoming store, and six other businesses that operated rental stores from using any location-tracking software without customer consent and from deceptively collecting information.

On Wednesday, attorneys for the Byrds also filed a new lawsuit in Fulton County, Ga. ? where Atlanta is located ? on behalf of a customer who claims an Oregon Aaron's franchise tracked her physical location by having Detective Mode trace her WiFi use of the computer.

That lawsuit, and the new documents filed in the Byrd's federal lawsuit, contends Aaron's corporate officials condoned the widespread use of the spyware on franchise rental computers.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-27-US-Rental-Computer-Spyware/id-0bab6c894ae94d90b337e1a18a52d495

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Mexico says 26,121 missing during drug war

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2012 file photo, a member of a caravan of Central American mothers hold a photograph of her disappeared child during a Mass at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The sign reads in Spanish "Looking for Denis Mauricio Jimenes Bautista." A new Human Rights Watch report released on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 calls Mexico?s anti-drug offensive ?disastrous? and cites 249 cases of disappearances, about 149 of which include evidence of being carried out by the military or law enforcement. The report says the forced disappearances follow a pattern in which security forces detain people without warrants at check-points, homes, workplaces or in public. Human Rights Watch criticizes former President Felipe Calderon for ignoring the problem, calling it ?the most severe crisis of enforced disappearances in Latin America in decades.? (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, file)

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2012 file photo, a member of a caravan of Central American mothers hold a photograph of her disappeared child during a Mass at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The sign reads in Spanish "Looking for Denis Mauricio Jimenes Bautista." A new Human Rights Watch report released on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 calls Mexico?s anti-drug offensive ?disastrous? and cites 249 cases of disappearances, about 149 of which include evidence of being carried out by the military or law enforcement. The report says the forced disappearances follow a pattern in which security forces detain people without warrants at check-points, homes, workplaces or in public. Human Rights Watch criticizes former President Felipe Calderon for ignoring the problem, calling it ?the most severe crisis of enforced disappearances in Latin America in decades.? (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, file)

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? An official count shows at least 26,121 people were reported missing during the term of President Felipe Calderon, who launched the country's offensive against drug cartels, Mexico's new administration said Tuesday.

Lia Limon, the Interior Department's subsecretary for human rights, said the list used data from local prosecutors across Mexico, and includes people reported missing for any reason during the previous administration. It doesn't include information collected after November 2012.

The list has been a subject of controversy in Mexico for weeks. After Limon said last week that some 27,000 were missing, a member of Calderon's administration disputed the figure, saying the only registry on disappeared people contains 5,319 names. Limon said the government would work to compare the official list with others assembled by government agencies and rights groups.

The government will also work to clarify who on the list may have been a victim of crime, and who may have gone missing for reasons like migration to the United States, a family dispute or a natural disaster.

"We have to be clear that this database doesn't prejudge the reasons that people can't be found, because many of the people on it could be missing for a variety of reasons that don't have to do with criminal acts," Limon said.

She said some sort of investigation had been opened in 20,915 of the cases, but she offered no details.

The Interior Department has granted some public access to the list, but those seeking information must enter a person's name in order to obtain any data.

The civil society group Propuesta Civica recently published a database it said was created by the federal attorney-general's office that contained 20,582. Days earlier, The Washington Post published a story that said it had been given a copy of the database that contained more than 25,000 names.

The organization Human Rights Watch said last week that it had documented 249 cases of disappearances since December 2006, 149 of which showed evidence of having taken place at the hands of security forces.

Searches of some of the names in the rights group's report showed that they did not appear in the new government database.

____

Follow Eduardo Castillo on Twitter at ? http://twitter.com/EECastilloAP

____

Online: www.secretariadoejecutivosnsp.gob.mx/es/SecretariadoEjecutivo/Sistema_RNPED

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-26-LT-Mexico-Disappeared/id-1699ef04ba0a4596ab34cb56769abbb6

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Video: Another day of talk, but no action on the sequester

>>> welcome back. president obama just issued his latest warning about the effects of those automatic budget cuts. the president spoke as a naval shipyard in virginia under fire from republicans in congress.

>> because of the automatic cuts, about 90,000 virginians who work for the department of defense would be forced to take unpaid leave from their jobs. i just had to be honest with you. there's too many republicans in congress right now who refuse to compromise even an inch when it comes to closing tax loopholes and special interest tax breaks . that's what's holding things up right now.

>> for 16 months the president is traveling over the country holding rallies instead of sitting down with senate leaders to try to forge an agreement over there in order to move the bill. we have moved the bill in the house twice. we should not have to move a third bill before the senate gets off their ass and begins to do something.

>> what? in the senate, a few hours ago, the democratic and republican leaders took to the floor once again to blame democrats.

>> the only republicans in america that don't support this balanced approach are the republicans who serve here in congress.

>> the deal we struck was that an exchange for avoiding a second vote before the election the debt limit would be paired with spending cuts only. spending cuts only. and would not involve a tax increase.

>> joining me now live the political panel. today, strategist blake zeff. no profanity. chicago sun times columnist, washington bureau chief, lynne sweet.

>> blake, lind say gram we haham we have learned and jahmeshia discussing the sequester. pair it with what senator graham said on cnn just yet. let me play it.

>> we'll criticize everything he does. mr. president, it is now up to you to find the $85 billion in savings and we'll make it easier for you but we'll criticize the decision. this is a bipartisan problem. i voted against this deal because it would destroy defense. lousy way to cut $1.2 trillion and which is achievable. i'm willing to raise revenue, raise $600 billion of new revenue if the democratic friends reform entitlements and fix sequestration together.

>> he says fix it together but the top of the comment says every decision the president makes we'll criticize. how do you make heads or tails of that?

>> the truth is even if lindsay graham is willing to meet halfway, no republicans on the house share this point of view. you can have a meeting with president obama and be lovely, i'm sure, but the end of the day this is a republican controlled house of representatives that wants to cut spending, cut government. that's the philosophy. they're thrilled this is happening. and that's, you know, they have no desire to compromise. not going to happen if things remain.

>> to the point of republicans in the house, tea party republican senator warned today that house speaker john boehner could lose the speakership agreeing to tax hikes.

>> sure. that's what i hear from people on the hill who are republicans , long-time republican, capitol hill operative say it's an opportunity of automatic spending cuts. excited about it. republicans do not want to do anything where they have to give up revenues or tax increases when they're getting free if you will spending cuts anyway.

>> speaker boehner in the midst of a threat in his party for potential actions.

>> right. i don't think he's going to as a result of that. i think ron johnson is in the senate and i think he is accurately characterizing the view of most house republicans .

>> absolutely. lynne, i want to play what majority leader eric cantor said regarding this mixed message of republicans and highlight cantor because the president was in his home state of virginia today and look at in the one news con conference the different versions of cantor.

>> we heard the president say last week that he was going to be forced because of the sequestration to let criminals loose on the street. if he didn't get another tax cut . this is a false choice . president's off campaigning in my state of virginia . yes, we are very, very concerned about the impact on the commonwealth as we are on all states.

>> went from very concerned, the second part to beginning the president is giving false choices. isn't that the heart of problem for republicans at this point? they're seeing it i guess with double vision .

>> yes, tamron. the cantor, you know, he had to say something because obama 's at a shipbuilder in newport news in his state but there's false choices all over the place in this debate. what it really says, this is a case where obama spent a lot of his speech today blaming republicans . he needs maybe at this stage a new idea, a new idea to see if you avoid the sequester and no one thinks now could be avoided. the republicans have offered to see if there's another way of structuring the cuts so that cabinet secretaries have more discretion and by the way on the point that criminals will be let out of prisons, i don't think that is going to happen from any briefing we have gotten from the federal government .

>> criticize that portion of the president's remarks and seems to go beyond what was reasonable even in thought here but 45% would blame republicans in congress. 32% would blame the president. 13% would blame both and in december, 53% blaming republicans and 27% the president. a few more saying they would blame the president and hearing more and more people even though that support president obama expressing a sense of frustration between both the president and the similar speech and remarks heard from him now and the republicans having to now resort to even profanity of speaker boehner to get attention i guess to wake people up. they said when you can't get someone's attention say a swear word and it might help.

>> i won't use a swear word .

>> thank you.

>> though i know a few. obama is not an innocent bystander in this. he isn't a third party just making comments and how you need to pressure republicans . i think in his speech today in newport news, he was putting too much of the job on outside groups, outside people pressuring congress. he -- i would think he should have said something more and meantime i'm doing this and that. mccain and graham going to the white house today where they'll probably touch on everything, probably has more to do on coming to some bipartisan agreement on immigration than avoiding the sequester.

>> the optics is here are these people fierce critics of the president, john mccain on just about everything entering the white house , whether to talk about immigration reform or if it's to have a beer summit, they're walking in so the optics of that at least gives a view of these people having the ability to meet and talk over something.

>> well, yes. it's always giving the upper hand to whoever's the president when someone comes to them rather than the other way around. it's rare obama or any president would go to a senator's office for a meeting and they just can't go to a saloon and have a cocktail to discuss this.

>> maybe they should. maybe it would work better. thank you.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/50960275/

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Hy-Vee Dog Food Recall Prompts Toxic Mold Concerns In Drought-Hit U.S. Corn

In this Dec. 28, 2012 photo, corn stalks stand in a snowy field near La Vista, Neb. Despite getting some big storms in December, much of the U.S. is still desperate for relief from the nation?s longest dry spell in decades. And experts say it will take an absurd amount of snow to ease the woes of farmers and ranchers. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

In this Dec. 28, 2012 photo, Bales of corn stalks are covered with a dusting of snow near La Vista, Neb. Despite getting some big storms in December, much of the U.S. is still desperate for relief from the nation?s longest dry spell in decades. And experts say it will take an absurd amount of snow to ease the woes of farmers and ranchers. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Severe Drought Threatens Midwest Corn Crops

PRINCETON, IN - JULY 17: Drought-damaged corn grows in a field on July 17, 2012 near Princeton, Indiana. The corn and soybean belt in the middle of the nation is experiencing one of the worst droughts in more than five decades. Indiana was the nation's fourth largest corn producer in 2011. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Severe Drought Threatens Midwest Corn Crops

FRITCHTON, IN - JULY 17: Corn plants dry in a drought-stricken farm field on July 17, 2012 near Fritchton, Indiana. The corn and soybean belt in the middle of the nation is experiencing one of the worst droughts in more than five decades. Indiana was the nation's fourth largest corn producer in 2011. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In this July 26, 2012 photo, dead fish float in a drying pond near Rock Port, Mo., as a turkey vulture paces the shore. Multitudes of fish are dying in the Midwest as the sizzling summer dries up rivers and raises water temperatures in some spots to nearly 100 degrees. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Severe Midwest Drought Continues

WYATT, MO - JULY 18: A buoy used to help guide barges rests on the bank after the water level dropped on the Mississippi River July 18, 2012 near Wyatt, Missouri. Some barge operators have lightened their loads or stopped running altogether on the lower Mississippi because of low water levels. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Midwest Farmers Continue To Struggle Against Extended Drought

CUBA, IL - AUGUST 03: Grass, dried from heat and drought, struggles to survive in a cattle pasture August 3, 2012 near Cuba, Illinois. Cattle being raised in the pasture used to be self-sustaining. This summer's drought has forced the farmer to truck in water, after the pond dried up, and extra feed, to supplement the dry grass, from another farm nearly 20 miles away. Farmers in the Midwest and elsewhere continue to struggle after than half the counties in the United States have been designated disaster areas, mostly due to drought conditions throughout the Midwest. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Midwest Farmers Continue To Struggle Against Extended Drought

NEW HARMONY, IN - AUGUST 03: Corn dead from drought sits in a field August 4, 2012 near New Harmony, Indiana. More than half of the counties in the United States have been designated disaster areas, mostly due to drought conditions throughout the Midwest. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The last remaining water in a drought-stricken rural pond reflects the sky and clouds near Calumet, Okla., Friday, July 20, 2012. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cattle graze in a dry field near Calumet, Okla., Friday, July 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Rows of corn stalks stand under a cloudless sky south of Blair, Neb., Monday, July 23, 2012. The drought-damaged field was cut down for silage. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Central Illinois cattle stand in a pasture struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering most of the country, Friday, July 20, 2012, in Farmingdale, Ill. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

In this July 19, 2012 photo, a herd of cattle belonging to Kendal Grecian drink from a water tank at his ranch in Palco, Kan. Grecian spent years meticulously breeding his cows to improve the genetics in each generation, but with Kansas in one of the worst droughts seen in decades, he's struggling to find enough grazing to feed 300 cows, plus their calves. He hopes to get by with selling only a quarter of his herd, but there are no guarantees with the drought expected to linger through October. (AP Photo/John L. Mone)

A field of corn withers under triple-degree heat north of Wichita, Kan., in Sedgwick County Monday, July 16, 2012. The drought gripping the United States is the widest since 1956, according to new data released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Fifty-five percent of the continental U.S. was in a moderate to extreme drought by the end of June, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., said in its monthly State of the Climate drought report. That's the largest percentage since December 1956, when 58 percent of the country was covered by drought. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher)

Boats sit on the bottom in a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., Monday, July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A Great White Egret looks for food on a lake drying up from lack of rain Saturday, July 21, 2012 in Chandlerville, Ill. Wildlife as well as livestock, and crops are struggling from the dry weather and a heat wave covering most of the country. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

Boats sit on the dry, cracked bottom in a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., Monday, July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A cow looks for something to eat as it grazes in a dry pasture southwest of Hays, Kan., in a July 6, 2012 photo. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry. (AP Photo/The Hays Daily News, Steven Hausler)

Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering most of the country lie flat on the ground Monday, July 16, 2012, in Farmingdale, Ill. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

The gate is closed on a boat ramp leading to a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., Monday, July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Farmer Joe Fischer holds ears of corn showing the variety of kernal development Thursday, July 12, 2012, at Fischer Farms Inc. in Owensboro, Ky. Normally the silks would already be brown, Fischer said. "There is no pollen left because the silks were delayed. . . because it has been too hot and dry," Fischer said. All five Owensboro-area counties have been designated primary disaster areas because of drought. (AP Photo/The Messenger-Inquirer, John Dunham)

Devin Davis of Paul Tree Farms uses a special water canon to water 30,000 trees on the 60 acre farm Saturday, July 21, 2012 in Pleasant Plains, Ill. The trees as well as livestock, wildlife and crops are struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering most of the country. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

A pontoon is anchored on a mud flat as the owner could not reach their dock at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., Monday, July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

This Thursday, July 5, 2012 photo shows dry soil in a corn field in western Kentucky. Persisting drought conditions have endangered corn fields in western Kentucky. (AP Photo/The Paducah Sun, Allie Douglass)

Illinois Farms Hurt By Continued Midwest Drought

OLMSTED, IL - JULY 26: A corn plant grows in a field parched by drought on July 26, 2012 near Olmsted, Illinois. The field, farmed by Kevin Ulrich, was one of several in the drought stricken region of Southern Illinois that were visited by officials from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services (FFAS) department and Farm Service Agency (FSA). Seventy percent of Illinois, the nation's number two corn producing state, is classified as experiencing some level of drought.(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Burnt stalks lie on the ground among rows of corn damaged by drought in a parched field in Louisville, Ill. on Monday, July 16, 2012. Over ten days of triple digit temperatures with little rain in the past two months is forcing many farmers to call 2012 a total loss. Rows of corn sit under high temperatures, burning and crisping until the stalks eventually fall, burning into the dry soil. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)

Four rows of corn left for insurance adjusters to examine are all that remain of a 40-acre cornfield in Geff, Ill. that was mowed down Monday, July 16, 2012. Over ten days of triple digit temperatures with little rain in the past two months is forcing many farmers to call 2012 a total loss. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)

Jack Maloney checks on corn on his farm in Brownsburg, Ind., Monday, July 16, 2012. With no significant rainfall since May 3 and the bleak outlook for rain, Maloney expects a total loss on his corn and soybean crop. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A dry field of corn is seen near Fremont, Neb., Monday, July 16, 2012. The drought gripping the United States is the widest since 1956, according to new data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Jack Maloney displays a drought-damaged ear of corn on his farm in Brownsburg, Ind., Monday, July 16, 2012. With no significant rainfall since May 3 and the bleak outlook for rain, Maloney expects a total loss on his corn and soybean crop. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

An empty dock sits on the bottom of a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., Monday, July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Leaves become dry and brittle on stalks of corn in a parched field outside Effingham, Ill., Monday, July 16, 2012. The drought gripping the United States is the widest since 1956, according to new data released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This summer, 80 percent of the U.S. is abnormally dry, and the report said the drought expanded in the West, Great Plains and Midwest last month with the 14th warmest and 10th driest June on record. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)

A dry field of corn is seen near Fremont, Neb., Monday, July 16, 2012. The drought gripping the United States is the widest since 1956, according to new data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

The sun rises Sunday, July 15, 2012, in Pleasant Plains, Ill. Corn stalks are struggling in the heat and continuing drought that has overcome most of the country. All of Illinois is officially in a drought, and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn plans a trip to southern Illinois to discuss the state's plans for responding to dry conditions. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

Joe Fischer checks on his corn field Thursday, July 12, 2012, at Fischer Farms Inc. in the 3700 block of Fisher Road in Owensboro, Ky. "We've been in a drought for the last three weeks," he said. Fischer farms the property with his brother Tony Fischer. They planted 900 acres of corn with 30,000 plants per acre. "We have no idea what our yield will be," Joe Fischer said. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has designated 26 Kentucky counties among more than 900 counties in 29 states as disaster areas. (AP Photo/Messenger-Inquirer, John Dunham)

In this photo taken June 27, 2012, farm worker Juan Carlos walks to an irrigated soybean field near England, Ark. The U.S. Agriculture Department has granted a disaster declaration for 69 of Arkansas' 75 counties due to the drought. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

Midwest Farmers Continue To Struggle Against Extended Drought

CUBA, IL - AUGUST 03: Cattle try to keep cool in the remains of a farm pond in a pasture heavily damaged by drought August 3, 2012 near Cuba, Illinois. Farmers in the Midwest and elsewhere continue to struggle after than half the counties in the United States have been designated disaster areas, mostly due to drought conditions throughout the Midwest. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Midwest Farmers Continue To Struggle Against Extended Drought

CUBA, IL - AUGUST 03: Cattle nibble the remains of grass in a pasture heavily damaged by drought August 3, 2012 near Cuba, Illinois. Farmers in the Midwest and elsewhere continue to struggle after than half the counties in the United States have been designated disaster areas, mostly due to drought conditions throughout the Midwest. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Steve Niedbalski chops down his drought and heat stricken corn for feed Wednesday, July 11, 2012 in Nashville Ill. Farmers in parts of the Midwest are dealing with the worst drought in nearly 25 years. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, second left, peels away the husk of a drought-ravaged ear of corn, only to find it had no kernels, as Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson, right, looks on during visit to the Laird Family Farm in Waltonville, Ill. on Monday, July 16, 2012. Quinn says the state will offer an array of debt restructuring and loan programs to farmers and ranchers affected by the drought. Drought is affecting much of the Midwest, where almost a third of the nation's corn crop has been damaged by heat and drought so severe that some farmers have cut down crops midway through the growing season. (AP Photo/Jim Suhr)

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A devastating drought in southwestern China's Yunnan province is entering its third year.

Severe Midwest Drought Continues

WYATT, MO - JULY 18: Corn plants struggle to survive in a drought-stricken farm field on July 18, 2012 near Wyatt, Missouri. The corn and soybean belt in the middle of the nation is experiencing one of the worst droughts in more than five decades. All 114 of Missouri's counties have received disaster designations because of drought. Last year this area, which sits across the Mississippi River from Illinois, was ravaged by flooding after the Army Corps of Engineers blasted a hole in a levee to save the town of Cairo, Illinois from the rising Mississippi. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Severe Midwest Drought Continues

VINCENNES, IN - JULY 18: Corn plants struggle to survive in a drought-stricken farm field on July 18, 2012 near Vincennes, Indiana. The corn and soybean belt in the middle of the nation is experiencing one of the worst droughts in more than five decades. Indiana was the nation's fourth largest corn producer in 2011. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In this July 26, 2012 photo, dead fish decompose in a drying pond near Rock Port, Mo. Multitudes of fish are dying in the Midwest as the sizzling summer dries up rivers and raises water temperatures in some spots to nearly 100 degrees. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

This photo from July 31, 2012 shows a beached air boat as bathers walk in the nearly dry Platte River near Yutan, Neb., Tuesday, July 31, 2012. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor survey shows an increase in extreme drought conditions in four Plains states but a slight decrease in the overall area of the lower 48 states experiencing some form of drought. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/26/hy-vee-dog-food-recall_n_2761094.html

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A promising fruit: The tree tomato

Feb. 25, 2013 ? A researcher at the UPM is collaborating in the characterization of genetic resource of the tree tomato to enhance its cultivation and commercialization in Andean and Mediterranean countries.

Tree tomato is originally from South Africa and has a high potential for Andean cultivation but it is currently not properly exploited. To preserve and enhance this cultivation, a researcher at the School of Agronomist of the UPM in collaboration with the Universidad Polit?cnica de Valencia and the Universidad T?cnica Particular de Loja (Ecuador), have carried out a research whose aims to have depth knowledge of morphology and genetic diversity of tree tomato. The results obtained can open possibilities of new varieties demanded by the market.

Tree tomato (Solanum betaceum or Cyphomandra betacea) can reach up three meters of height and belongs to the Solonaceae family, which is the same family of potato, tomato and aubergine. It is original from the Andean area of South Africa and widely grown from the north of Chile and Argentina until the south Mexico, and especially in Ecuador. Its fruits are fleshy, oval or elliptic shaped and yellow, orange or purple color with a pulp of pleasant taste, slightly acidic, aromatic, rich in vitamins and minerals.

Their fruit is recommended to consume as fresh fruit or as juices and canned. They are becoming popular in other places: the tamarillo (the name as it is known internationally) is grown and consumed in some European and Asian countries but mainly in New Zealand, which is leading of production and exportation.

However, in Ecuador, and in the Andean region, the cultivation and commercialization of tree tomato is mainly local. Although it is an excellent alternative to other crops, its production continues to suffer from lack of basic knowledge over its production and because there is not any programme of preservation or improvement. The varieties are not clearly differenced and are frequently improperly cultivated. The inadequate commercialization of the product hinders them from its commercialization with recent falls of over 70% of exported volume in Ecuador.

Besides, Mediterranean countries as Spain could constitute a promising cultivation. This situation woke the interest of the agronomist engineer Pablo Acosta Quezada, who focused his Doctoral Thesis on the study of morphology and genetic diversity of tree tomato. The experimental crops in soil at the Universidad T?cnica particular de Loja (Ecuadro) provided him with the samples that later were used to carry out a detailed work of characterization. He analyzed the morphological character of the stem, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds and he also studied the genetic diversity expressed in the DNA by the molecular markers called AFLPs (amplified fragment length polymorphism) in collaboration with researchers at the Universidad Polit?cnica de Madrid and the Polit?cnica de Valencia.

As a result of this work and apart from publishing papers about morphological and genetic diversity of this fruit, he elaborated a list of over 80 descriptors (morphology characters) to describe and to identify varieties and to identify plants and their features of agronomist interest. This list has being recently published in Biodiversity International, the organization of research Support, preservation and use of agricultural biodiversity which work in closely collaboration with the FAO. The morphological characters of the fruit are of special interest for the variability and heritability, what can open possibilities of plant breeders to obtain proper varieties to market needs. Besides, the 78 polymorphic DNA fragments found reveal that the presence of a wide genetic diversity can provide a great action field to enhance and to obtain new varieties. This research is a pioneering contribution of high relevance to know the diversity of a tree tomato, which can be the base to preserve and enhance the marginalized crop of high potential for Andean countries, especially for Ecuador.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by madrimasd, via AlphaGalileo.

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Journal Reference:

1. Pablo G. Acosta-Quezada, Santiago Vilanova, Juan B. Mart?nez-Laborde, Jaime Prohens. Genetic diversity and relationships in accessions from different cultivar groups and origins in the tree tomato (Solanum betaceum Cav.). Euphytica, 2012; 187 (1): 87 DOI: 10.1007/s10681-012-0736-7

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/MlAqSG2vt0I/130225121920.htm

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We need reporters, researchers and a chemist | The Wirecutter

I am looking for writers and researchers who can obsessively research and find the best gear, equipment and stuff?electronic and not electronic. And a chemist.

Please read this entire note before applying. Any notes that do not follow instructions will not be considered.

For The Wirecutter, writers and reporters needed:
I?m looking for people who can easily spend a few dozen hours researching, reporting and testing to find the best choices in a particular category. The work is hard but rewarding. We pay decent hourly rates, and you?ll feel good about your efforts if you?re into helping people make difficult decisions quickly so that they can get on with their lives.

Researchers
If you have between zero to three years of editorial reporting and researching experience, you could be a researcher for us, with a chance to write after a while. This is a good job for someone in college or fresh out of college who can commit to working about 10-20 hours a week.

You must have coursework or experience in journalism or other research-intensive majors and jobs. You also have to be organized and efficient and effective at looking up and logging products online in spreadsheets.

To apply, send an email with ?researcher? in the subject line to jobs@thewirecutter.com explaining why you?d be right for the job and what you?ve done in the past. No attachments, please.

Reporters
If you have?at least three years of experience doing product writing and general interest reporting, I?d like to invite you to apply to write for the site. Don?t worry if you?ve been doing this for awhile. Some of our best and most senior writers have been doing this kind of work for 10-15 years and they enjoy it. 95% of the job is research and reporting. 5% is writing. The best people can pick up a few beats and update them over time for us.

We are collecting general resumes right now from experienced tech/shelter reporters, but we also have specific needs for writers who can pick up.

• Health/fitness gadgets
• Bag editor (with fashion and tech writing experience)
• But to be explicit, we need general tech writers, too.

To apply, send a letter and resume (no attachments) with the subject line ?Wirecutter reporter? to jobs@thewirecutter.com explaining what you?ve done and what you want to do, and why you?d be right for the job. Don?t forget to mention the beats you?ve written about before and send some links to clips.

For our new site?
For a new project that Joel Johnson and I are working on, we need people who can do research and writing for home goods. (This is not a call for writers who work at home.) When I am asking for a home writer, I am asking for reporters who can apply the process we have at Wirecutter to home products, everything from toothpaste to tools to towels to bathroom cleaners to sheets and garden hoses. If you have experience writing about home gear, that gives you a leg up. As a researcher, if you?ve worked in a hardware store or have done home improvement, that gives you a leg up.

We could use writers and researchers with specific backgrounds in

• Kitchen equipment
• Tools
• Gardening gear
• Home improvement

To apply, send a letter and resume (no attachments) to jobs@thewirecutter.com with ?home reporter? or ?home researcher? in the subject line, explaining what you?ve done and what you want to do, and why you?d be right for the job.

Chemist
We?re looking for a chemist who can moonlight for us part time. We need solid information, in reports based on academic papers, interviews and research, on what the chemicals in home products are and what they do. We want to know if they?re less or more desirable/safe/effective than other alternatives. This extends to cleaners, medicines, lotions, soaps, but also, occasionally, things humans and pets might eat.

Pay is hourly for all the work above, and dependent on experience.

To apply, send a letter and resume (no attachments) to jobs@thewirecutter.com with ?chemist? in the subject line, explaining what you?ve done and what you want to do, and why you?d be right for the job.

Bonus tip?thoughtful applications do better than fast twitch applications. It's not a race. And if you think about what makes this site different than other sites, you will understand how to approach this job application process.

Source: http://thewirecutter.com/2013/02/we-need-reporters-researchers-and-a-chemist/

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On target: Wyoming schools shoot in virtual archery tournament

On target: Wyoming schools shoot in virtual archery tournament

Before Gaby Wall released the arrow, she closed her mind to thoughts about school, or family or chores. Instead she thought only of where the last arrow landed. She moved her arm, just slightly, a little up or maybe a little to one side, an adjustment so small it was hardly discernible.

Kelsey Dayton

It was quiet in Pavillion?s?recreation center on an evening after school. At the sound of two shrill whistles, students, including Wall, 10, picked up brightly colored bows. One more shrill blast and they grabbed arrows. ?With faces scrunched in focus they drew back the strings and let arrows fly. Some landed with a satisfying muffled thud in the target across the room. Others clattered on the floor, or even dinged the wall behind, followed by the occasional giggle.

Students from Wind River Elementary are participating in the state?s National Archery in Schools Program, a virtual tournament where kids shoot in their hometowns and record scores online.

This year is Wall?s second in participating in the state contest. She likes the focus shooting with a bow and arrow requires. She likes that the tiniest adjustments can change a shot from too wide to dead-on.

Last year more than 300 archers from 12 schools participated in the statewide contest, said Tasha Sorensen, hunter and angler recruitment coordinator for Wyoming Game and Fish.

Gaby Wall, 10, tallies her score. Students at Wind River Elementary School are particpating a statewide virtual archery tournament. (Kelsey Dayton/WyoFile ? click to enlarge)

Students shoot and record scores earned between Feb. 18 and March 1.

Wyoming joined the national program in 2002. While the contest is focused on introductory international target?style shooting, Game and Fish runs the contest hoping students might like shooting and eventually cross over to bow hunting, Sorensen said. The contest is a way for students, who might not otherwise have a chance, to pick up a bow and learn to use it in a safe environment, she said.

The program requires standardized rules and equipment. In Wyoming, Game and Fish certifies instructors and also uses grants to help schools purchase equipment.

Chad Lemley, a fifth grade teacher at Wind River Elementary, has been an archery instructor for eight years. He became a certified instructor while teaching in St. Stephen?s and continued with the program when he arrived at Wind River Elementary School.

?A chance to shoot a bow grabs any kid?s attention,? Lemley said.

It?s a great place for students who might not like, or excel, at traditional sports to try something different that is still active. And there is instant success in hitting the target, and making small adjustments gets kids higher scores. The bows are adjustable so can be sized to allow even young or small kids to comfortably and successfully shoot, Lemley said.

It also emphasizes listening skills. Students learn universal whistle commands. Two whistles mean kids can grab the bows. One means they can shoot. Three mean they can go pick up arrows and multiple rapid blasts mean an emergency stop of shooting.

It teaches the kids control and also begins dialogues about safety, hunting and the natural world, Lemley said.

Skye Sanderson, 10, takes aim at a target. Students at Wind River Elementary are competing in the state?s virtual archery tournament. (Kelsey Dayton/WyoFile ? click to enlarge)

Lemley runs the shooting contest as part of the district?s after school Light?s On program. He hopes to have about 60 students shoot and record scores for the state tournament. Each kid shoots three rounds of five arrows at 10 meters and at 15 meters.

Qualifying students and schools can go on to the national contest in Kentucky. Last year several schools in Wyoming sent competitors, including Sky Sanderson, 10, a fifth grader at Wind River Elementary. It was intimidating with more than 4,000 people shooting, but she?s glad she?s glad she went, she said.

Sanderson grew up shooting a bow? her dad bow hunts. But the contest was different because she was used to using one with a sight at home, which the contest bows don?t have.

While the bows might be different, shooting in the after school contest has helped improve her concentration, hand-eye coordination and strength, she said. This year, even if she qualifies, she doubts she?ll make the trip back to Kentucky. She has an even bigger goal in mind. She wants to get strong enough to start bow hunting with her family.

? ?Peaks to Plains? is a blog focusing on Wyoming?s outdoors and communities.?Kelsey Dayton?is a freelance writer based in Lander.?She has been a journalist in Wyoming for seven years, reporting for the Jackson Hole News & Guide, Casper Star-Tribune and the Gillette News-Record. Contact Kelsey at?kelsey.dayton@gmail.com.

REPUBLISH THIS POST:?For details on how you can republish this post or other WyoFile content for free,?click here.

If you enjoyed this story and would like to see more quality Wyoming journalism, please consider?supporting WyoFile: a non-partisan, non-profit news organization dedicated to in-depth reporting on Wyoming?s people, places and policy.

?

Written by Kelsey Dayton | Published on February 26, 2013 | Filed under: Peaks To Plains
Keywords: archery, education, Pavillion

Published on February 26, 2013

Source: http://wyofile.com/2013/02/on-target-wyoming-schools-shoot-in-virtual-archery-tournament/

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Afghan president orders US forces out of key province

Ahmad Jamshid / AP, file

Afghan President Hamid Karzai addesses military officers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013

By Hasani Gittens, News Editor, NBC News

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has ordered that all U.S. special forces must leave Wardak province, just west of Kabul, within two weeks ? citing allegations of disappearances and torture.

In a statement Sunday, a spokesman for Karzai said, "after a thorough discussion, it became clear that armed individuals named as U.S. special force stationed in Wardak province engage in harassing, annoying, torturing and even murdering innocent people."

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Karzai's office cited a "recent example" in which nine people were allegedly "disappeared" and a separate incident where a student was taken from his home in the middle of the night and whose tortured body was found two days later under a bridge with his throat cut.

In addition to demanding the U.S. pull out in two weeks, Karzai also demanded the immediate cessation of all international special forces operations in Wardak.

The province is a strategically important area because it is seen the gateway the Taliban uses to carry out attacks in Kabul, the war-torn nation's capital.

In response, International Security Assistance Force, which coordinates the multinational coalition in Afghanistan, said "the U.S. Forces Afghanistan is aware of the reporting of presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi's comments today. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and go to great lengths to determine the facts surrounding them."

The ISAF declined to comment further until they've "had a chance to speak with" senior officials in the Afghan government.

In their statement, the Afghan government noted that "Americans reject having conducted any such operation," but also noted "that such actions have caused local public resentment and hatred."

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/24/17076037-afghan-president-orders-us-forces-out-of-key-province?lite

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Kyocera Torque hands-on

We're on the ground at Pepcom's MobileFocus Global, where we've just had the chance to get some hands-on time with Sprint and Kycera's latest smartphone, the Torque. Announced in late January and coming to market on Mar. 8, the Torque is the Japanese company's first ruggedized Android phone.

It runs a 1GHz CPU, a WVGA screen and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, pretty run of the mill stuff for a low-priced smartphone. But what's unique about the Torque, aside from its water resistance and toughened shell, is the system it's employing for audio playback.

Instead of using a traditional speaker, the Torque is fitted with skin a ceramic-based solution that vibrates the shell of the handset. That means it can be heard through skin and bone conduction, as well as through hardcore construction ear-protection gear. The effect works pretty well, and it's easy to see how this kind of feature could be useful to anyone working in a noisy environment.

Check out our hands-on video and gallery after the break. The Sprint Kyocera Torque launches on Mar. 8 for $99 on-contract.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/IgPD7kqK7u0/story01.htm

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The Note's Must-Reads for Monday, February 25, 2013

The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News' Jayce Henderson and Amanda VanAllen

PRESIDENT OBAMA: The Boston Globe: " New group seeks to 'strengthen progressive movement'" Two top political consultants to President Obama are forming a public advocacy group funded by donations from wealthy individuals and corporations. It is aimed at making political and legislative changes at the federal and state levels. The Organizing for Action says it will be nonpartisan and steer clear of election activity, although the line between issue disputes and electoral politics can be fuzzy. The first of an expected wave of ads on gun control, for example, has targeted only Republicans. LINK

SEQUESTER CUTS: ABC News' Rick Klein: " President Obama Faces 'Cliff Fatigue' in Latest Budget Fight" Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk. Delays await at airports. Padlocks are ready at national parks. The nation will suffer greater risk of wildfires, workplace deaths, and even surprise weather events, if government predictions are to be believed. Our entire military readiness and superiority are at risk. What if nobody cares? LINK

The Hill's Bernie Becker: " White House details state-by-state impact of looming sequester cuts" The White House escalated its efforts to pressure congressional Republicans on sequestration, releasing new reports that showed the state-by-state impact of some $85 billion in automatic spending cuts. President Obama's administration for days has been stressing the real-world implications of the spending cuts, which start going into effect on Friday, and has increasingly tried to bring that message directly to voters. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Paul West: " As Federal cuts near, White House trades blame with Republicans" With no progress evident in Washington's latest budget battle, the White House opened a new front Sunday by releasing state-by-state estimates on the effects of about $85 billion in spending reductions. The across-the-board cuts are scheduled to take effect Friday, but the two sides appear more eager to pin blame than to avert a potential economic crisis. LINK

The New York Daily News' Dan Hirschhorn: " Dems and Republicans take to Sunday morning airwaves to point fingers as sequester cuts loom" Billions of dollars in automatic cuts are set to hit government spending this week - and Washington is in full hysteria over who's to blame and just how bad it will really be. Democrats and Republicans took to the airwaves Sunday, each in a last-ditch attempt to blame the other for the so-called "sequester" cuts and to debate the impact on Americans' everyday lives. Democrats said Republicans haven't come to the table with a serious compromise to the replace the automatic cuts. LINK

USA Today's Susan Davis: " Sequester: 'Collateral damage' of budget war may be huge" Coming soon, the lines at airport security might get longer, the hours of service at Head Start centers might get shorter and the FBI might have fewer agents tracking down bad guys. These are only a few of the potentially sweeping effects of the latest battle in the ongoing two-year budget war between President Obama and a divided Congress. Across-the-board spending cuts totaling $85 billion start kicking in Friday if Washington doesn't act. LINK

The Wall Street Journal's Janet Hook and Peter Nicholas: " Fresh Front in Budget Battle" Already looking past the current budget impasse gripping the capital, congressional leaders are quietly considering a deal to avert a government shutdown next month-but at the cost of prolonging across-the-board spending cuts. Attention is beginning to shift from Friday, when the broad cuts known as the sequester kick in, to the next budget deadline: Congress must pass a so-called continuing resolution by the end of March to keep funding government operations. LINK

The New York Times' Jonathan Weisman: " Budget Impasse Signals a Shift in G.O.P.'s Focus" With Congress unlikely to stop deep automatic spending cuts that will strike hard at the military, the fiscal stalemate is highlighting a significant shift in the Republican Party: lawmakers most keenly dedicated to shrinking the size of government are now more dominant than the bloc committed foremost to a robust national defense, particularly in the House. That reality also underscores what Republicans, and some Democrats, say was a major miscalculation on the part of President Obama. LINK

The Washington Post's Zachary A. Goldfarb and Paul Kane: " White House releases state-by-state breakdown of sequester's effects" The White House on Sunday detailed how the deep spending cuts set to begin this week would affect programs in every state and the District, as President Obama launched a last-ditch effort to pressure congressional Republicans to compromise on a way to stop the across-the-board cuts. But while Republicans and Democrats were set to introduce dueling legislative proposals this week to avert the Friday start of the spending cuts, known as the sequester, neither side expected the measures to get enough support to pass Congress. LINK

TEA PARTY: The Washington Times' Seth McLaughlin: " Tea partyers fight for right-thinking GOP" Though years in the brewing, the internal fight over the direction of the Republican Party has exploded onto front pages and political talk shows this month after strategist Karl Rove announced the formation of a new political action committee designed to promote more electable candidates. Fed up with what they see as a sellout of their small-government agenda and tired of Election Day disappointments, tea partyers and many conservatives are firing back. LINK

IMMIGRATION: Politico's Kate Nocera: " Congress facing signs of immigration roadblocks" The push for immigration reform on Captiol Hill has been in overdrive thus far in 2013, but last week's recess serves as a reminder - if one was needed - that the issue is far from settled. On the face of things, there's plenty of momentum in Congress: The Senate Gang of Eight hopes to have a bill by mid-March; labor and business groups agreed on basic principles for low-skill workers; and a series of congressional hearings on the topic already have begun in earnest. LINK

BOOKMARKS: The Note: LINK The Must-Reads Online: LINK Top Line Webcast (12noon EST M-F): LINK ABC News Politics: LINK George's Bottom Line (George Stephanopoulos): LINK Follow ABC News on Twitter: LINK ABC News Mobile: LINK ABC News app on your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad: LINK

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/notes-must-reads-monday-february-25-2013-081101115--abc-news-politics.html

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Conan O?Brien Predicts the Future: Google Ass

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

Source: http://www.brobible.com/life/article/conan-obrien-predicts-the-future

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Kerry takes case on Syria to Europe, Mideast

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2013 file photo, Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at the State Department in Washington. Kerry will make his first overseas trip next week to Europe and the Middle East, but is skipping Israel because that country's government isn't fully formed after recent elections. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2013 file photo, Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at the State Department in Washington. Kerry will make his first overseas trip next week to Europe and the Middle East, but is skipping Israel because that country's government isn't fully formed after recent elections. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Secretary of State John Kerry is embarking on his first official overseas voyage, bringing new ideas to capitals in Europe and the Middle East on how to end nearly two years of brutal violence in Syria.

Kerry leaves Washington on Sunday on a grueling nine-nation, 10-day trip that will bring him to America's traditional western European allies of Britain, Germany, France and Italy along with Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. In addition to Syria, he will focus on conflicts in Mali and Afghanistan and Iran's nuclear program.

Kerry has said he is eager to discuss new ways of convincing Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down and usher in a democratic transition in the country that has been wracked by increasing violence that has killed at least 70,000 people. He has not offered details of his ideas but officials say they revolve around increasing pressure on Assad and his inner circle.

Kerry begins his trip in London where he will see senior British officials on a range of issues, from Afghanistan to the status of the Falkland Islands, over which Britain is in a major dispute with Argentina.

He then travels to Germany to discuss trans-Atlantic issues with German youth in Berlin, where he spent time as a child as the son of an American diplomat posted to the divided Cold War city. He will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the German capital.

In Paris, Kerry will discuss France's ongoing intervention in Mali. And in Rome, he'll attend a meeting with Syrian opposition leaders.

U.S. officials have said the trip will be primarily a "listening tour" when it comes to Syria and won't result in immediate shifts in U.S. policy that has until now stayed clear of military support for the rebels fighting Assad.

Despite the numerous Middle East stops. Kerry will not travel to Israel or the Palestinian territories. He will wait to visit them when he accompanies President Barack Obama there in March.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-24-Kerry/id-0495e16b4d954cdeb1537beb112bfb92

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Judge blocks shareholder vote on Apple proposal

NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge is blocking Apple from conducting a shareholder vote on a package of governance proposals, handing a victory to a rebel investor who is trying to persuade the company to share more of its cash with its investors.

U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan in New York ruled Friday that Apple Inc. was wrong to bundle four amendments to its corporate charter into one proposal for a vote at next Wednesday's annual meeting. Shareholders should get to vote on the amendments separately, he said. Although the ruling was preliminary, before both sides had a chance to fully make their case, Sullivan said Apple was likely to lose. He granted dissident investors a preliminary injunction against Apple pending a full trial.

Apple will comply with Sullivan's order and withdraw the issue from the agenda of next week's meeting, said Steve Dowling, a spokesman for the Cupertino, Calif., company. It had appeared on the shareholder voting list as proposal No. 2.

"We are disappointed with the court's ruling," Dowling said. "Proposal No. 2 is part of our efforts to further enhance corporate governance and serve our shareholders' best interests."

Greenlight Capital, a hedge fund run by Wall Street maverick David Einhorn, sued Apple over the proposal because it would remove the board's ability to issue preferred stock without shareholder authorization. Einhorn wants Apple to issue "iPrefs," preferred shares with a guaranteed dividend, as a way of committing the company to sharing its massive profits with shareholders.

Einhorn has been trying to rally Wall Street to vote against the Apple proposal as a way of showing their displeasure with the company's capital-allocation policies. Right now, Apple hands only a small amount of its profits to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks. The rest of the money goes in the bank, where Apple's cash hoard amounted to $137 billion at the end of last year. That amount grows by about $40 billion every year, much of it from selling trend-setting gadgets such as the iPad and the iPhone.

Investors almost universally want Apple to hand out at least some of that cash, but Einhorn hasn't gotten much support for his "iPrefs" idea or his "No on Proposal 2" campaign.

Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company's proposal puts more power in the hands of shareholders, making it difficult to understand why a shareholder would fight it. Calling Greenlight's campaign a waste of time, Cook said Apple wouldn't squander money by mailing letters to shareholders to persuade them to vote for the proposal.

The California Public Employees' Retirement System, the country's largest pension fund, had said it would vote for Apple's proposal, because it would have strengthened shareholder rights. Among other measures, it would let shareholders vote against directors.

Apple's stock fell 31 cents to $450.50 in extended trading after the ruling came out.

"This is a significant win for all Apple shareholders and for good corporate governance," Greenlight said in a statement. "We are pleased the court has recognized that Apple's proxy is not compliant with (federal securities) rules because it bundles different matters in Proposal 2. We look forward to Apple's evaluation of our iPref idea and we encourage fellow shareholders to urge Apple to unlock the significant value residing on its balance sheet."

A company with excess cash will usually reward shareholders by raising its dividend or issuing a one-time dividend. It could also buy back more shares. Einhorn believes none of these routes would yield as much shareholder value as the iPrefs, because their 4 percent annual dividend yield would make them attractive to investors that otherwise wouldn't look at Apple shares, such as pension funds and endowments.

Greenlight has been an Apple shareholder since 2010 and has 1.3 million shares worth about $580 million.

Source: http://www.kboi2.com/news/business/Judge-blocks-shareholder-vote-on-Apple-proposal-192740791.html

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When Box-Office Hits Get Nominated, Do Oscar Ratings Go Up?

Host Jon Stewart speaks on stage during the 80th Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on February 24, 2008 in Hollywood, California.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

After The Dark Knight was conspicuously absent from the Best Picture race at the 2009 Oscars, the academy decided to increase the number of possible nominees?which had been capped at five since 1945?to 10. A subsequent revision allowed for anywhere between five and 10 nominees, depending how many votes movies received. This move opened up the exclusive category to films that might not have gotten in before?including big box office hits. The theory seemed to be that if commercially and critically adored films like The Dark Knight were in the running for Best Picture, the TV rating for the ceremony would get a boost from their popularity. But does this theory actually hold up?

Pretty much. We took a look at the Oscar ratings data provided by the academy for every ceremony since 1976 and put them up against the estimated number of people who went to see the Best Picture nominees each year. To reach that estimated number, we added up the gross domestic totals of all the nominated movies and divided that by the average ticket price in each year. This is an imperfect gauge, of course, but it does roughly illustrate the popularity of a given slate of movies.

Ratings for the Oscar broadcast have been in a fairly steady decline over the last 35 years, but spikes have occurred when a blockbuster film was nominated: In 1998, when Titanic was nominated, the telecast rating jumped to 34.9, the highest since 1983, when E.T. was nominated in 1983. That broadcast got a 38 rating, the best in our sample.* The Best Picture nominees were seen by an estimated 22 million people that year. The following year, only 6 million saw the Oscar nominees, and the rating plunged to 30.3.

The 2008 Oscars was the lowest rated telecast in the 38 years we surveyed, at 18.7, and 2009 wasn?t much better with a 20.8. The next year, when Avatar was nominated, the rating rose to 23.1. Considering that the estimated attendance for the Best Picture movies jumped from 4.92 million to 22.74 million, that?s a pretty small increase. In a world where there is so much more to choose from on TV?not to mention the Internet?even popular blue aliens or men in dark capes may not be enough to make people sit through three hours of montages and speeches.

Correction, Feb. 22, 2013: This article originally said that the 1998 Oscars telecast was the highest rated since 1978. In fact, the 1983 ceremony had higher ratings. (Return.)

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=f407f3a70e1cdcba190fd9f81e10dacb

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