Mayor: Deaths of Texas DA, wife 'not a random act'

KAUFMAN, Texas (AP) ? Two months after one of his assistant prosecutors was gunned down, a north Texas district attorney and his wife were found killed in their home, authorities said.

The bodies of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found in their home Saturday, Kaufman County sheriff's Lt. Justin Lewis said. Authorities would not comment on a motive.

"Everybody's a little on edge and a little shocked," Forney Mayor Darren Rovell told The Associated Press on Sunday. "It appears this was not a random act."

Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was shot to death in a parking lot a block from his office on Jan. 31. No arrests have been made in his death.

Lewis declined to say how the couple died or whether authorities believe their deaths are linked to Hasse's. Police, FBI agents, Texas Rangers and deputies were all part of the investigation.

Rovell said what's so shocking is that the attack occurred at the district attorney's home, an unincorporated area just outside Forney, which has 15,000 residents within the city limits and about 40,000 in the area. Kaufman County is 33 miles southeast of Dallas.

Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh told The Dallas Morning News that the McLellands had been shot in their home, and although investigators didn't know if their deaths were related to Hasse's killing, they couldn't discount it.

"It was a shock with Mark Hasse, and now you can just imagine the double shock and until we know what happened, I really can't confirm that it's related but you always have to assume until it's proven otherwise," Aulbaugh told the newspaper.

Sam Rosander, who lives in the same unincorporated area of Kaufman County as the McLellands, told the AP on Saturday that sheriff's deputies were parked in the district attorney's driveway for about a month after Hasse was killed.

Aulbaugh said recently that the FBI was checking to see if Hasse's killing could be related to the March 19 killing of Colorado Department of Corrections head Tom Clements, who was gunned down after answering the doorbell at his home.

Evan Spencer Ebel, a former Colorado inmate and white supremacist who authorities believe killed Clements and a pizza deliveryman two days earlier, was killed in a March 21 shootout with Texas deputies about 100 miles from Kaufman.

Hasse was chief of the organized crime unit when he was an assistant prosecutor in Dallas County in the 1980s, and he handled similar cases in Kaufman County.

"Anything anybody can think of, we're looking through," McLelland said after Hasse's death.

McLelland graduated from the University of Texas before a 23-year career in the Army, according to the website for the district attorney's office. He later earned his law degree from the Texas Wesleyan School of Law.

He and his wife have two daughters and three sons. One son is a police officer in Dallas.

McLelland and his wife had moved into the home within the past few years ago, Rozell said.

"Real friendly, became part of our community quickly," Rozell said. "They were a really pleasant happy couple."

___

Associated Press writer Michael Graczyk in Houston contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mayor-deaths-texas-da-wife-not-random-act-155206177.html

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Business, labor close on deal for immigration bill

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Prospects for a Senate deal on an ambitious rewrite of the nation's immigration laws improved markedly as business and labor appeared ready to set aside their differences over a new low-skilled worker program holding up the agreement.

The AFL-CIO and U.S. Chamber of Commerce had been fighting over wages for tens of thousands of low-skilled workers who would be brought in under the new program to fill jobs in construction, hotels and resorts, nursing homes and restaurants, and other industries. But on Friday, officials from both sides said there was basic agreement on the wage issue, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said a final deal on the low-wage worker dispute was very close.

That likely would clear the way for Schumer and seven other senators in a bipartisan group to unveil legislation the week of April 8 to overhaul the U.S. immigration system ? strengthening the border, cracking down on employers, allowing in tens of thousands of new high- and low-skilled workers and providing a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

"We're feeling very optimistic on immigration: Aspiring Americans will receive the road map to citizenship they deserve and we can modernize 'future flow' without reducing wages for any local workers, regardless of what papers they carry," AFL-CIO spokesman Jeff Hauser said in a statement. "Future flow" refers to future arrivals of legal immigrants.

Under the emerging agreement between business and labor, a new "W'' visa program would bring tens of thousands of lower-skilled workers a year to the country. The program would be capped at 200,000 a year, but the number of visas would fluctuate, depending on unemployment rates, job openings, employer demand and data collected by a new federal bureau pushed by the labor movement as an objective monitor of the market.

The workers would be able to change jobs and could seek permanent residency. Under current temporary worker programs, personnel can't move from employer to employer and have no path to permanent U.S. residence and citizenship. And currently there's no good way for employers to bring many low-skilled workers to the U.S. An existing visa program for low-wage nonagricultural workers is capped at 66,000 per year and is supposed to apply only to seasonal or temporary jobs.

The Chamber of Commerce said workers would earn actual wages paid to American workers or the prevailing wages for the industry they're working in, whichever is higher. The Labor Department determines prevailing wage based on customary rates in specific localities, so that it varies from city to city.

There was also disagreement about how to deal with certain higher-skilled construction jobs, such as electricians and welders, and it appears those will be excluded from the deal, said Geoff Burr, vice president of federal affairs at Associated Builders and Contractors. Burr said his group opposes such an exclusion because, even though unemployment in the construction industry is high right now, at times when it is low there can be labor shortages in high-skilled trades, and contractors want to be able to bring in foreign workers. But unions pressed for the exclusion, Burr said.

The low-skilled worker issue had loomed for weeks as perhaps the toughest matter to settle in monthslong closed-door talks on immigration among the senators, including Republicans John McCain of Arizona and Marco Rubio of Florida. The issue helped sink the last major attempt at immigration overhaul in 2007, when the legislation foundered on the Senate floor after an amendment was added to end a temporary worker program after five years, threatening a key priority of the business community.

The amendment passed by just one vote, 49-48. President Barack Obama, a senator at the time, joined in the narrow majority voting to end the program after five years.

___

Follow Erica Werner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericawerner

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/business-labor-close-deal-immigration-bill-185315130.html

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Free Testing for Patients of Accused Oklahoma Dentist

Among the 7,000 patients who may have been exposed to HIV and Hepatitis in an Oklahoma dentist's office are children, as their nervous parents wait to get them tested and grapple with how to explain the public health nightmare.

Deann Zavala took her four children to Dr. Wayne Scott Harrington, an oral surgeon who practices in Tulsa and Owasso. She said her youngest daughter had a tooth extracted.

"How do you look at her and be like, 'You could have AIDS?'" she told ABC News Radio.

The state dental board is offering free testing to Harrington's patients after a 17-count complaint revealed his allegedly poor sterilization practices could have put them at risk for contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B.

Patients received a letter from the Tulsa Health Department on Friday informing them of an inquiry into Harrington's practice and advising them to get screened.

Zavala, who said she trusted Harrington to care for her four children, was left shaken.

"If you can't trust a doctor and a dentist and ... the people that are supposed to do right by you ... who can you trust?" she said.

RELATED: Rogue Dentist May Have Exposed 7,000 Patients to HIV, Hepatitis

The dentist's alleged practices came to light after a patient who had no known risk factors other than receiving dental treatment in Harrington's office, tested positive for both HIV and hepatitis C.

"I could not believe it because I had just been there Feb. 28," Linda Grimm, a patient of Harrington's, told ABC News' Tulsa affiliate KTUL. "My worry now is my health issues that may develop."

ABC/KOCO,Oklahoma Board of Dentistry

Dentist Allegedly Exposed Patients to HIV, Hepatitis Watch Video Baby Born With HIV 'Functionally Cured,' Doctors Say Watch Video Thousands of Oklahoma Dental Patients Possibly Infected With HIV, Hepatitis Watch Video

After hearing about the infected patient on March 15, the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry conducted a surprise investigation of the dentist's practice on March 18, allegedly finding numerous sterilization and cross-contamination issues.

Investigators found two different sets of instruments -- one set for patients known to have infectious diseases, and another set for patients who were not believed to have infectious diseases.

Investigators also found that the autoclave, the machine designed to sterilize dental instruments meant to be tested each month, hadn't been checked in six years.

"We were just physically kind of sick," said Susan Rodgers, president of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry. "The instruments that came out of the autoclave were horrible. I wouldn't let my nephews play with them out in the dirt." '

Harrington, who has been practicing for more than 30 years, may face criminal charges. The dentist voluntarily surrendered his state dental license and other permits, and a formal hearing before the dentistry board is scheduled for April 19.

RELATED: Oklahoma Dentist Could Face Criminal Charges

ABC News' Phoenix affiliate KNXV went to a home believed to be owned by Harrington in Carefree, Ariz. on Friday. A man believed to be Harrington declined to comment, and slammed the door.

Harrington and his staff told investigators that he treated a "high population of known infectious disease carrier patients," according to a 17-count complaint filed by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry.

Drug cabinets were unlocked and unsupervised during the day, and Harrington did not keep an inventory log of drugs, some of which were controlled substances, according to the complaint. One drug vial expired in 1993.

"During the inspections, Dr. Harrington referred to his staff regarding all sterilization and drug procedures in his office," the complaint read. "He advised, 'They take care of that. I don't.'"

Harrington allegedly re-used needles, contaminating drugs with potentially harmful bacteria and trace amounts of other drugs, according to the complaint. Although patient-specific drug records indicated that they were using morphine in 2012, no morphine had been ordered since 2009.

Rodgers called the incident a "perfect storm."

ABC News' Sydney Lupkin and Katie Moisse contributed to this report.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wayne-scott-harrington-oklahoma-dentists-patients-free-testing/story?id=18845114

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Biological transistor enables computing within living cells

Friday, March 29, 2013

When Charles Babbage prototyped the first computing machine in the 19th century, he imagined using mechanical gears and latches to control information. ENIAC, the first modern computer developed in the 1940s, used vacuum tubes and electricity. Today, computers use transistors made from highly engineered semiconducting materials to carry out their logical operations.

And now a team of Stanford University bioengineers has taken computing beyond mechanics and electronics into the living realm of biology. In a paper to be published March 28 in Science, the team details a biological transistor made from genetic material ? DNA and RNA ? in place of gears or electrons. The team calls its biological transistor the "transcriptor."

"Transcriptors are the key component behind amplifying genetic logic ? akin to the transistor and electronics," said Jerome Bonnet, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in bioengineering and the paper's lead author.

The creation of the transcriptor allows engineers to compute inside living cells to record, for instance, when cells have been exposed to certain external stimuli or environmental factors, or even to turn on and off cell reproduction as needed.

"Biological computers can be used to study and reprogram living systems, monitor environments and improve cellular therapeutics," said Drew Endy, PhD, assistant professor of bioengineering and the paper's senior author.

The biological computer

In electronics, a transistor controls the flow of electrons along a circuit. Similarly, in biologics, a transcriptor controls the flow of a specific protein, RNA polymerase, as it travels along a strand of DNA.

"We have repurposed a group of natural proteins, called integrases, to realize digital control over the flow of RNA polymerase along DNA, which in turn allowed us to engineer amplifying genetic logic," said Endy.

Using transcriptors, the team has created what are known in electrical engineering as logic gates that can derive true-false answers to virtually any biochemical question that might be posed within a cell.

They refer to their transcriptor-based logic gates as "Boolean Integrase Logic," or "BIL gates" for short.

Transcriptor-based gates alone do not constitute a computer, but they are the third and final component of a biological computer that could operate within individual living cells.

Despite their outward differences, all modern computers, from ENIAC to Apple, share three basic functions: storing, transmitting and performing logical operations on information.

Last year, Endy and his team made news in delivering the other two core components of a fully functional genetic computer. The first was a type of rewritable digital data storage within DNA. They also developed a mechanism for transmitting genetic information from cell to cell, a sort of biological Internet.

It all adds up to creating a computer inside a living cell.

Boole's gold

Digital logic is often referred to as "Boolean logic," after George Boole, the mathematician who proposed the system in 1854. Today, Boolean logic typically takes the form of 1s and 0s within a computer. Answer true, gate open; answer false, gate closed. Open. Closed. On. Off. 1. 0. It's that basic. But it turns out that with just these simple tools and ways of thinking you can accomplish quite a lot.

"AND" and "OR" are just two of the most basic Boolean logic gates. An "AND" gate, for instance, is "true" when both of its inputs are true ? when "a" and "b" are true. An "OR" gate, on the other hand, is true when either or both of its inputs are true.

In a biological setting, the possibilities for logic are as limitless as in electronics, Bonnet explained. "You could test whether a given cell had been exposed to any number of external stimuli ? the presence of glucose and caffeine, for instance. BIL gates would allow you to make that determination and to store that information so you could easily identify those which had been exposed and which had not," he said.

By the same token, you could tell the cell to start or stop reproducing if certain factors were present. And, by coupling BIL gates with the team's biological Internet, it is possible to communicate genetic information from cell to cell to orchestrate the behavior of a group of cells.

"The potential applications are limited only by the imagination of the researcher," said co-author Monica Ortiz, a PhD candidate in bioengineering who demonstrated autonomous cell-to-cell communication of DNA encoding various BIL gates.

Building a transcriptor

To create transcriptors and logic gates, the team used carefully calibrated combinations of enzymes ? the integrases mentioned earlier ? that control the flow of RNA polymerase along strands of DNA. If this were electronics, DNA is the wire and RNA polymerase is the electron.

"The choice of enzymes is important," Bonnet said. "We have been careful to select enzymes that function in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, so that bio-computers can be engineered within a variety of organisms."

On the technical side, the transcriptor achieves a key similarity between the biological transistor and its semiconducting cousin: signal amplification.

With transcriptors, a very small change in the expression of an integrase can create a very large change in the expression of any two other genes.

To understand the importance of amplification, consider that the transistor was first conceived as a way to replace expensive, inefficient and unreliable vacuum tubes in the amplification of telephone signals for transcontinental phone calls. Electrical signals traveling along wires get weaker the farther they travel, but if you put an amplifier every so often along the way, you can relay the signal across a great distance. The same would hold in biological systems as signals get transmitted among a group of cells.

"It is a concept similar to transistor radios," said Pakpoom Subsoontorn, a PhD candidate in bioengineering and co-author of the study who developed theoretical models to predict the behavior of BIL gates. "Relatively weak radio waves traveling through the air can get amplified into sound."

Public-domain biotechnology

To bring the age of the biological computer to a much speedier reality, Endy and his team have contributed all of BIL gates to the public domain so that others can immediately harness and improve upon the tools.

"Most of biotechnology has not yet been imagined, let alone made true. By freely sharing important basic tools everyone can work better together," Bonnet said.

###

Stanford University Medical Center: http://med-www.stanford.edu/MedCenter/MedSchool

Thanks to Stanford University Medical Center for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127511/Biological_transistor_enables_computing_within_living_cells

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They?re gonna clean up your looks with all the lies in the books (Unqualified Offerings)

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Ouya begins disrupting the gaming console market

The 2012 Kickstarter darling Ouya has been anticipated ever since it skyrocketed past its fund-raising goal and began pre-production. While Sony has released information on its next-generation PlayStation and many people have been talking up the new Xbox, Ouya may have outdone both larger companies in terms of publicity and expectation.

CEO?Julie Uhrman announces that "Today we start shipping our early backers their OUYAs. And at our unveiling event this evening, the first of you will get to see OUYA in the flesh (or, metal, as it were)".

Following the big announcement some details were revealed. For one, customers will be prompted to install an update upon first boot up, though the company promises that these updates will be done in the background in the future. You will also need to enter in your credit or debit card information to grab games, but every game will be free to try before you buy -- "Your card will only be charged if you buy content you love", Uhrman promises.

The device supports up to four controllers and also Bluetooth pairing with other devices -- a list of compatible hardware is being prepared.

For now, the box is shipping to early backers from Kickstarter. Early pre-orders will follow and then the console will debut at retail on June 4. Ouya promises it will?continue to add features, refine the user interface, and keep building the software. I am awaiting my box, or at least confirmation it has shipped -- stay tuned for a review.

Source: http://betanews.com/2013/03/29/ouya-begins-disrupting-the-gaming-console-market/

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The Home Improvement Guidelines You Need to have That Function

Finding the Best Deals of the Day

The very best factor about home improvements is that they add to your home?s worth. If you update your residence with fresh new additions or renovations on your own, you can save a complete lot of income. Some men and women even uncover do-it-yourself house improvement projects to be an entertaining hobby. By reading this write-up, you will uncover some fantastic ideas concerning house improvement projects.

When searching for a contractor for your residence improvements, shop around and get numerous estimates for the identical sort of perform. Be sure to submit the very same list of repairs and improvements to every single contractor with no modifications or additions. If you constantly alter the particulars, it will be really hard to find the best worth for your funds.

If a contractor delivers you a money discount, you want to decide on a distinct one particular. You aren?t going to have a paper trail if you pay with money you are not going to be in a position to do something if he does not full the function and will take your money.

Paint the walls of any space that is hunting tired and outdated. The overall look of any space can modify with a new coat of paint. It does not cost considerably to repaint your walls and doing so can boost your home?s worth. You?ll uncover that light, airy shades complement the widest range of different furnishings and decorating styles.

Consider the funds you commit now on insulation to be an investment in your extended term savings. Older houses typically look to want significantly more insulation. The addition of far more insulation in places of the house like the crawl space or attic could reduce your utility bills drastically.

Property owners really should do additions and renovations in the middle of a slump in the actual estate marketplace. You can typically save a lot of cash throughout these times, as numerous creating pros such as contractors are desperate for function. Home improvements in no way get old and expire. When you renovate your home for the duration of a slump, you save cash and your home?s worth will develop in the future.

Add a ceiling fan to your property. It?s simple and relatively low-cost to do this, so it is a excellent very first house improvement project. Ceiling fans can save you money by circulating the air in your house and creating air conditioning less required.

Give very good work to your home?s curb appeal. Attempt enhancing the outside of your house by having a nicely mowed lawn with trimmed edges. You may possibly also plant some nice shrubs. Preserve your sidewalks spotless. Wash your roof with a energy washer to ensure that there is no dirt or grime visible. Guarantee your windows are spic and span. All of this could make a excellent impression as an individual initially sees your residence.

When you take care in the preparing and execution of a residence improvement project, it?s simple to make your residence far more beneficial, more appealing and more livable. With these guidelines, hopefully you make good decisions, get inspired, and save a bit of money as you go along.

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Source: http://gaiati.com/the-home-improvement-guidelines-you-need-to-have-that-function/

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Austrian police chase herd of cattle through town

VIENNA (AP) ? Austrian police and firefighters have taken on the role of urban cowboys in a two-day round-up of a herd of cattle that broke out of a fenced-off pasture and decided to go into town.

A police statement says the 43 steers defied attempts by police and volunteer firefighters to recapture them after wandering off Thursday and heading toward the Upper Austrian town of Freistadt. After being chased away from the railway station, they endangered motorists by stampeding onto a two-lane highway before running into a town suburb.

Two firefighters who tried to stop them were injured and needed hospital treatment.

The statement says 18 of the animals remain on the loose Friday. The rest have been corralled or tranquilized.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-03-29-EU-ODD-Austria-Urban-Cowboys/id-12690bc0f0324a6ba6edba47f7640311

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Singer Michelle Shocked sits in at canceled show

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) ? Her show had been cancelled, but that didn't stop alternative folk and rock singer Michelle Shocked from showing up at a Santa Cruz nightclub where she staged a sit-in with tape across her mouth that read "Silenced By Fear."

Moe's Alley was one of several nightclubs that cancelled Shocked's gigs after she made what were considered anti-gay comments during a rambling outburst at a show earlier this month.

On Thursday evening, Moe's Alley owner Bill Welch had replaced her with two local bands that support gay rights, Beaver Fever and Frootie Flavors.

"We will not be bashing Michelle Shocked," he said. "Rather, we will celebrate music, diversity and send some healing Santa Cruz energy her way."

Sitting on the ground outside the venue and strumming her guitar, Shocked was largely ignored and refused to speak. She pointed to a sign inviting people to pick up a Sharpie marker and write on the white disposable safety suit she was wearing.

Earlier this week in an email to The Associated Press and other media, Shocked apologized and said her comments during the San Francisco show were misinterpreted.

"Of course the fault for that is completely my own, and I cannot and do not blame anyone for defending the gay community," she wrote.

On Thursday night, she posted signs that read "Does speech scare you that much?" and on her back she had scrawled "Gimme Wit, Not Spit."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/singer-michelle-shocked-sits-canceled-show-033230066.html

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Pat Roberts Heads Off Primary Challenge; Schwartz Will Run For PA GOV; Don Young Hit For Slur

Click hereto read online and see our archives.

WHAT'S NEWS

• Pres. Obama, at the WH, "tried to shame the nation and Congress into action against gun violence," invoking the Newtown shooting (CNN). Later, he signed an executive order forming an election reform commission to "shorten lines at the polls" and increase efficiency (NPR). Today in Miami, Obama will push for investment in infrastructure (AP).
• SC-01 Special: In their first one-on-one debate, ex-Charleston Co. Councilor Curtis Bostic (R) characterized ex-Gov. Mark Sanford (R) "as a 'compromised candidate'" and a "'Mr. No' with a record of failing to bring people together to accomplish reforms" (Hilton Head Island Packet).
• Boston Mayor '13: "At least a dozen would-be successors" of retiring Mayor Tom Menino (D) "are either running for mayor or strongly considering it, colleagues and strategists said" (Boston Globe).
• HI SEN: Sen. Brian Schatz (D) will kick off his special election campaign on Saturday, holding a grassroots organizational meeting as he tries to establish a ground game (Honolulu Civil Beat).
• KS SEN: Sen. Pat Roberts (R) ended talk of a potentially competitive primary in announcing his honorary campaign committee, which includes two of his most likely challengers: Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R) and Sec/State Kris Kobach (R) (On Call).
• SD SEN: Ex-LG Steve Kirby (R) is not ruling out a bid, but "doesn't have a timeline for his decision" (The Hill).
• VA SEN: Sen. Mark Warner (D) confirmed that he will seek reelection, despite his frustration with the chamber (Staunton News Leader).
• FL GOV: Gov. Rick Scott (R) has raised $1M over the last month, including a "whopping" $500K check from the William L. Edwards Trust (Miami Herald).
• PA GOV: Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D), "emboldened" by a poll commissioned by EMILY's List, has decided to run and will open a "state-level campaign account early next month," according to a source close to her (Politico).
• TX GOV: As Gov. Rick Perry (R) "weighs whether to run" for reelection, TX "politicos say it's largely unclear who would steer another reelection campaign -- or a second Perry attempt" at the WH (Politico).

OUR CALL

Hotline editors weigh in on the stories that drive the day

? 2014 will be the first electoral test of whether Democrats supporting gay marriage can win re-election in red states (e.g. Hagan, Begich, Baucus). Almost certainly, their calculation is that, win or lose, their fates will rest far more on other issues come next fall, so they may as well follow their consciences (and campaign pocket books) and align themselves with their blue-state brethren.

? The "Draft Brendan Johnson for Senate" campaign has drawn plenty of skepticism, but the senator's son has nothing on Nina Turner when it comes to fake shows of "organic" support. The new website that sprang up urging the Ohio state senator to run for secretary of state is paid for by her own campaign committee.

? Last night, Curtis Bostic laid out the strongest version yet of his argument against Mark Sanford: that he is a "compromised candidate" who would more easily fall to Elizabeth Colbert Busch -- and the national Dems backing her -- in a general election. While it appears to be true that there are anti-Sanford votes out there, if Bostic can't attract enough to overcome him now it's hard to imagine Colbert Busch accomplishing that feat in an 18-point GOP district in May.

?

HAIR OF THE DOG

"Eyeballs found in KC gas station trash not human" (AP).

FRESH BREWED BUZZ

• "I used to own -- my father had a ranch. We used to hire 50 to 60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes. You know it takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now" -- Rep. Don Young (R-AK), who later said he "meant no disrespect" in using the slur (Anchorage Daily News).
• Reps. Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Justin Amash (R-MI) voted against their parties more than any other House members over the first three months of the 113th Congress (National Journal Daily).
• "When the Revolutionary War was over, the Founding Fathers said 'Take your assault rifle home with you'" -- Bostic, asked for his position on gun control (Columbia Patch).
• Ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) released a two-minute web video, "Loaded for Bear," that makes it clear "she intends to be involved in the selection of Republican and Tea Party candidates in Congressional and Senate contests across the country" (New York Daily News).
• "I'm the assemblyman of sorrow. Why do they hate me so much? Fill in the blank: I'm so angry I could (blank) myself" -- NV Assemb. Steven Brooks (D), after being expelled from the state Assembly for threatening his colleagues (Ralston Reports).
• A court has refused to dismiss a FEC lawsuit against ex-Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) for misusing campaign funds in attempting to "overturn his 2007 guilty plea for disorderly conduct in an airport bathroom" (Idaho Statesman).
• "Dale Peterson explains 'bizarre' arrest for eating '22 cents worth of peanuts'" (Daily Caller).
• Businessman Herman Cain (R) will "cohost a private retreat" for business leaders and GOP "power brokers" in Palm Beach, FL, next month. Ex-FL Gov. Jeb Bush (R) will attend and "is expected to speak on education reform" (National Review).
• "Brazil clown will leave big shoes to fill in Congress" (Los Angeles Times).

SWIZZLE CHALLENGE

• Ex-SCOTUS Justice Wiley Rutledge is interred in the Green Mountain Cemetery in Boulder, CO, the westernmost burial site for any Justice to date.
• That last one stumped the Wake-Up Call! community, so here's a toss-up: "What is the Harlem Globetrotters' theme song?" The 3rd correct e-mailer gets to submit the next question.

NJ'S EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

SHOT...

"Steve King Blasts Obama Daughters For Going On Spring Break" (Huffington Post).

...CHASER

"Oh my God, Malia. He did not say that! Let's text him now" -- Devon Banks ("30 Rock").

Sarah Mimms, Editor

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pat-roberts-heads-off-primary-challenge-schwartz-run-085659216--politics.html

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Thoughts on investing in Fracking stocks. - The Hull Truth - Boating ...

My company is deep into supplying products to the Fracking industry and this is a new emerging market that has huge upside potential. I'm just learning about the financial/investment side of this industry. Does anyone know much about investing in Fracking companies?

Here is some information I've found regarding companies involved in this new industry. Looking for some conversation on investment opportunity, risk, etc.

************************************************** *****

For this, you'll want to look into companies that hold stakes in some of the major shale plays or are otherwise involved in fracking activities. Here are a couple fracking stocks worth looking into:
Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR), for example, is involved in drilling activities in a number of U.S. shale plays, including the Bakken and Niobrara.
Rosetta Resources (NASDAQ: ROSE) also has shale assets in Eagle Ford and the Southern Alberta Basin.
Encana (NYSE: ECA) is a solid, conservative natural gas producer who will benefit considerably from large

FRAK currently has holdings in 48 companies in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Companies involved must receive 50% of their revenue from unconventional energy or own properties that could give them that capability in the future.
Here are its top 5 holdings, with the percentage of net assets:

• Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) ? 8.47%
• Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC) ? 8.14%
• EOG Resources (EOG) ? 7.12%
• Devon Energy Corporation (DVN) ? 5.53%
• Noble Energy Inc (NBL) ? 4.98%

Source: http://www.thehulltruth.com/dockside-chat/496229-thoughts-investing-fracking-stocks.html

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To Hold Senate Majority, Democrats Turning to Moderates

When Ashley Judd announced she wasn?t running for the Senate, Republicans greeted the news with glee, sending out a list of 10 other Democratic recruits uninterested in running against Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.?But privately, leading Democratic officials were also cheering. Most viewed the liberal actress?s decision as good news for their chances in Kentucky, allowing a more-moderate candidate, such as Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, to run instead.

The efforts to woo a moderate Democrat to defeat McConnell are part of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee?s plans to compete in the most inhospitable territory for Democrats -- for open seats in Georgia, South Dakota, West Virginia, and?possibly, even?in Kentucky against the powerful and well-funded Senate minority leader. Facing a challenging political landscape in 2014, the party is close to landing credible candidates in all of those states.

The DSCC doesn?t divulge details about its recruitment strategy, arguing that many of the media reports about its preferred candidates are hogwash. But it?s clear that, in the spirit of former Chairman Chuck Schumer, it is playing an active role behind-the-scenes to ensure that electable Democrats emerge as nominees.

Already the committee is boasting that Georgia is their best pickup opportunity; the field of Republican candidates there for the seat of retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss currently looks underwhelming. Moderate Rep. John Barrow, one of the few Democrats who could put the seat in play, now sounds as open as ever to running.

In West Virginia, party officials are excited about the looming candidacy of lawyer Nick Preservati, a first-time candidate who is planning to distance himself from national Democratic positions on energy and run in the mold of popular Sen. Joe Manchin. Preservati has family ties to the coal industry, which could defang attacks from Republicans eager to tie the nominee to the White House?s environmental regulations.

And in South Dakota, party officials are working to avoid a potential primary between two well-known Democrats: U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson, the son of Sen. Tim Johnson, and former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, who proved her bipartisan appeal, winning statewide elections to the House from 2004 to 2010. The committee won?t talk about what it?s doing, but South Dakota Democratic Party Chairman Ben Nesselhuf saidhe expects the party to coalesce behind one Democrat and avoid a messy primary.

?It?s [finding] a candidate who?s in line with their state and will do what?s best for the people of their state,? said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Justin Barasky. ?The main point is that Democrats know how to win in red states.?

To be sure, Democrats start out as underdogs in all four of these red-state races and may end up struggling to compete in any of them. But given that Republicans need to net six Senate seats to take the majority, even one upset victory behind enemy lines would be crucial.

That?s what made the prospect of the party rallying behind Judd so at odds with the committee?s strategy.?The DSCC was publicly noncommittal about her potential candidacy, even after meeting with her and without any other candidates actively looking to run.?In the run-up to the 2012 election, the committee never hesitated to telegraph its support for favored candidates, even if they faced the prospect of a primary. And only after Judd announced she wasn't running before the committee released a radio ad blasting McConnell -- a signal they expect to aggressively contest the race, but with Grimes or a moderate candidate better suited to the Kentucky electorate.

The Democratic activity in deeply conservative states stands in contrast, at least for now, to the lack of GOP movement against three Democratic senators in battleground states. Sens. Al Franken of Minnesota, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and Mark Udall of Colorado have no announced Republican opponents ? even though all represent states where Obama won less than 53 percent of the vote in 2012.

"The DSCC is getting used to having tough cycles in terms of the map," Barasky said, "but if you look at the math, the path to six for [Republicans] is daunting."?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hold-senate-majority-democrats-turning-moderates-101122083--politics.html

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Smith leads Louisville to 77-69 victory over Ducks

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Louisville coach Rick Pitino is baffled by Russ Smith.

Not by the star guard himself, who is managing to outdo himself each time he steps on the court. No, Pitino doesn't understand why the rest of the country isn't as impressed with Smith as he ? and every opponent who's faced him ? is.

"I look at (player of the year) lists, and I don't see Russ Smith. I don't see him on the All-America teams," Pitino said. "I'm baffled, just baffled, because it wasn't like he was a Johnny-come-lately. He carried us on his back to a Final Four last year."

And he's one game from doing it again.

With Louisville having a rare off night, Smith lifted the Cardinals to a 77-69 victory over Oregon on Friday that put them in the Midwest Region finals. He matched his career high of 31 points, including seven during what would wind up being the game's decisive run.

Smith is averaging 27 points through the first three games of the tournament.

"Russ Smith is a talented young man," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "When he got going, we didn't have an answer."

Louisville (32-5) plays Duke on Sunday, the first time Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski have met in a regional final since Christian Laettner's shot in 1992.

The 12th-seeded Ducks managed to make a game of it, though, which is more than most of Louisville's recent opponents can say.

After Louisville went up 66-48 with 9:01 left, Oregon made six straight field goals to close to 70-64. But Kevin Ware scored on a layup and Chane Behanan threw down a monstrous dunk to put the game out of reach.

Ware finished with 11, topping his previous career best by one, and Gorgui Dieng had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

E.J. Singler's 15 points led five Ducks in double figures. But Damyean Dotson had an off night, held without a field goal until five minutes were gone in the second half, and Oregon could never recover from its poor start.

Early foul trouble didn't help, with Johnathan Loyd picking up his third before halftime and Dominic Artis and Carlos Emory playing the last six minutes of the half with two.

"If it wasn't for the beginning, it would have been a completely different game," Loyd said. "We just came out, we weren't ready and we got smacked. If we were playing the way were playing in the second half the whole game, it's a completely different story."

The Cardinals were barely tested in either of their first two games in the NCAA tournament, beating North Carolina A&T by 31 and Colorado State by 26. They set an NCAA tournament record with 20 steals against A&T, outrebounded one of the country's best rebounding teams in Colorado State and left both teams with ugly shooting lines.

But a hacking cough that Smith has had the last few days is making its way around the Louisville team, and it was clear from the start this wasn't going to be another juggernaut performance by the Cardinals.

Peyton Siva spent the last 15:19 of the first half on the bench after picking up his second foul, and Louisville wasn't nearly as stingy on defense as it's been. The Cardinals (13) actually had more turnovers than the Ducks (12), and Oregon is only the third team to shoot 44 percent or better during Louisville's winning streak.

Thanks to Smith, however, the Cardinals finished like they always do lately: with a win.

After Siva went out, Smith hit a 3 to spark a 14-3 run that put Louisville up 24-8. When he capped the spurt with a layup, it was Russ Smith 9, Oregon 8.

"We really dug ourselves a big hole," Singler said. "We tried to figure back as much as possible, but Louisville's a really, really good team. They just played better than us today."

But the Ducks aren't a team that gives in.

After losing six of their last 11 regular-season games, the Ducks have been on a tear. They won the Pac-12 tournament, then upset Oklahoma State and Saint Louis last weekend.

They went on a 16-4 run that cut Louisville's lead to six points, the smallest it had been since the opening minutes of the game.

"We watched film and seen how they run, and we kind of figured out that would happen," Chane Behanan said.

Instead of panicking, the Cardinals regrouped and regained control. After Ware and Behanan's baskets, Smith shot 3-of-4 from the line to seal the win.

"Coach has been telling me to fight through (his cold), fight through it, dig in. My teammates as well," Smith said. "We're fighting through it and just doing whatever we can to get a win."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/smith-leads-louisville-77-69-victory-over-ducks-013024595--spt.html

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Suicide attack kills 6 in northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? A suicide bomber attacked a convoy carrying a paramilitary police commander in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing at least six people, including two women, police said.

The apparent target of the attack in the main northwest city of Peshawar, Abdul Majeed Marwat who heads the Frontier Constabulary, was not hurt, said police official Dost Mohammed Khan.

The dead included three members of the security forces and three civilians, said Khan. Two of the civilians were women. Over 15 people were wounded, said Khan.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Peshawar is located on the border with Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal region, the main sanctuary for Taliban militants in the country. The Pakistani Taliban have carried out many bombings in the city and other parts of the country targeting both security forces and civilians.

There is concern that the militants could step up the pace of attacks ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for May 11.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suicide-attack-kills-6-northwest-pakistan-055523486.html

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Getting under the shell of the turtle genome

Thursday, March 28, 2013

The genome of the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) one of the most widespread, abundant and well-studied turtles in the world, is published this week in Genome Biology. The data show that, like turtles themselves, the rate of genome evolution is extremely slow; turtle genomes evolve at a rate that is about a third that of the human genome and a fifth that of the python, the fastest lineage analyzed.

As a group, turtles are long-lived, can withstand low temperatures including freezing solid, can survive for long periods with no oxygen, and their sex is usually determined by the temperature at which their eggs develop rather than genetically. The painted turtle is most anoxia-tolerant vertebrate and can survive up to four months under water depending on the temperature. Turtles and tortoises are also the most endangered major vertebrate group on earth, with half of all species listed as endangered. This is the first turtle, and only the second non-avian reptile genome to be sequenced, and the analysis reveals some interesting insights about these bizarre features and adaptations, many of which are only known in turtles.

The western painted turtle is a freshwater species, and the most widespread turtle native to North America. Bradley Shaffer and colleagues place the western painted turtle genome into a comparative evolutionary context, showing that turtles are more closely related to birds and crocodilians than to any other vertebrates. They also find 19 genes in the brain and 23 in the heart whose expression is increased in low oxygen conditions ? including one whose expression changes nearly 130 fold. Further experiments on turtle hatchlings indicated that common microRNA was involved in freeze tolerance adaptation.

This work consistently indicates that common vertebrate regulatory networks, some of which have analogs in human diseases, are often involved in the western painted turtle achieving its extraordinary physiological capacities. The authors argue that the painted turtle may offer important insights into the management of a number of human health disorders, particularly those involved with anoxia and hypothermia.

###

BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

Thanks to BioMed Central for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127506/Getting_under_the_shell_of_the_turtle_genome

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Tyler Perry's Temptation Review: A Mess of a Morality Tale

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Franchise quarterback, anyone?

AP

When he agreed to a three-year, $6 million deal with the Ravens, one of the first things Michael Huff did was text Ed Reed.

But at the same time, he doesn?t need to spend too much time trying to be Ed Reed.

?It means a lot,? Huff said, via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. ?He?s one of the greatest, if not the greatest free safety to ever play the game. I just told him that I?ll carry on his legacy, carry on the tradition of great safeties in Baltimore. I?m definitely going to go out there and hold up my end.

?For me to come in here, I don?t really feel like I?m following his footsteps. I?m more kind of starting my own legacy and going in here to help the defense and help us win.?

There are two important reasons not to invite comparisons. One, Reed?s a former NFL defensive player of the year who?s likely to end up in the Hall of Fame when he?s finished.

But as importantly, Reed wasn?t Reed any more on the field last season, which is why they were willing to let him go become a Texan.

The Ravens weren?t going to get into a bidding war for a guy who?s turning 35 this season, allowing Houston to pay him a three-year, $15 million deal for intangibles.

So they found a player who is nearly five years younger, $9 million cheaper, and for the moment, perhaps a better fit.

Huff?s in Baltimore to play safety, but was forced into playing corner last year in Oakland. While he?s not someone you want on an island playing coverage, he can still cover ground, and that?s something the Ravens need in the middle of their new defense.

?He?s just a tremendous player, a tremendous guy,? Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. ?He fits us really well both football-wise and technique-wise, the type of person he is, the type of family man he is.

?He?s going to enable us to keep doing the things on defense that we have been doing and even build on those things. He has done it all because he?s smart, he?s tough and he knows how to play the game.?

So while the Ravens might not have the same kind of name recognition they once had on defense, they might be better. For roughly the same $41 million the Browns spent to lure outside linebacker Paul Kruger away, the Ravens have restocked by signing pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil, lineman Chris Canty and Marcus Spears and Huff, which gives them a better opportunity to live up to the reputation the old guys created.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/29/teams-could-be-lining-up-for-crack-at-romo-in-2014/related/

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South Sudan says 150 killed in battle with rebels

JUBA (Reuters) - More than 150 people have been killed in a battle between South Sudan's army and insurgents in the eastern Jonglei state, officials said on Thursday.

The African country's army earlier this month launched an offensive against rebels led by David Yau Yau in Jonglei where the government hopes to search for oil with the help of France's Total.

Since winning independence from Sudan in July 2011, South Sudan has been struggling to impose its authority across vast swathes of territory bristling with weapons after decades of civil war with Khartoum.

Yau Yau mounted a rebellion last year, with support from his Murle ethnic group, after losing local elections in 2010.

Army spokesman Philip Aguer told Reuters his forces had killed 143 fighters from Yau Yau's militia in a battle east of Pibor town on Tuesday. Twenty soldiers were killed and 70 people were wounded, he said.

Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the army, or SPLA, had seized an air strip which had been used to drop ammunition and arms to Yau Yau's troops.

"The SPLA is moving in the area so as to put an end to the rebellion," he said.

South Sudan has accused arch rival Sudan of supporting Yau Yau and other rebel groups, a claim denied by Khartoum.

A shortwave radio station with links to the Yau Yau rebellion says the group is fighting the government in reaction to abuses committed during a state disarmament program in Jonglei.

Rights groups accuse South Sudan's army of human rights violations during a disarmament push aimed at ending a cycle of clashes between the Murle and Lou Nuer tribes.

Nearly 900 people died when about 7,000 armed youths of the Lou Nuer tribe attacked Murle villages in the Pibor area at the end of last year, according to the United Nations.

(Reporting by Andrew Green in Juba; Writing by Ulf Laessing in Cairo; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-sudan-says-150-killed-battle-rebels-233339763.html

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Carbon cycle: Four cells turn seabed microbiology upside down

Mar. 27, 2013 ? Single-celled archaea are invisible to the naked eye, and even when using a microscope, great care must be taken to observe them. An international team of researchers led by the Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Denmark, has nevertheless succeeded in retrieving four archaeal cells from seabed mud and mapping the genome of each one.

"Until now, nobody knew how these widespread mud-dwelling archaea actually live. Mapping the genome from the four archaeal cells shows they all have genes that enable them to live on protein degradation," says Professor Karen Lloyd, now at the University of Tennessee, and leading author of the ground-breaking results published in the journal Nature.

Scientists previously thought that proteins were only broken down in the sea by bacteria, but archaea have now turned out to be important new key organisms in protein degradation in the seabed. Proteins actually make up a large part of the organic matter in the seabed and -- since the seabed has the world's largest deposit of organic carbon -- archaea thus appear to play an important and previously unknown role in the global carbon cycle.

Like a grain of sand on the beach

Archaea are some of the most abundant organisms in the world, but very few people have ever heard of them. They were originally discovered in extreme environments such as hot springs and other special environments like cow stomachs and rice paddies, where they form methane. In recent years, however, researchers have realised that archaea make up a large part of the microorganisms in the seabed, and that the seabed is also the habitat of the majority of the world's microorganisms.

"A realistic estimate is that archaea are the group of organisms with the most individuals in the world. In fact, there are more archaea than there are grains of sand on the beaches of the whole world. If you bury your toes right down in the mud in the seabed, you'll be in touch with billions of archaea," says Professor Bo Barker J?rgensen, Director of the Center for Geomicrobiology.

New technology links function and identity

This is the first time that scientists have succeeded in classifying archaeal cells in a mud sample from the seabed and subsequently analysing the genome of the cells, thereby revealing what the organisms are and what they live on.

"At present, we can't culture these archaea or store them in the laboratory, so this rules out the physiological tests usually carried out by the microbiologists. We've therefore worked with cell extraction, cell sorting, and subsequent mapping of the individual cell's combined genetic information -- that's to say its genome. This is a new approach that can reveal both a cell's identity and its lifestyle," says Professor of Microbiology Andreas Schramm, affiliated with the Center for Geomicrobiology.

The method opens up a new world of knowledge for microbiologists, who can now study an individual microorganism just as zoologists study an individual mouse. Microbiologists have been hoping for this for a long time. Until now, they have only been familiar with the life processes of less than 1% of the world's microorganisms -- those they can culture in a laboratory. The new method provides opportunities for studying the remaining 99% directly from nature.

"Applying this novel technique to marine sediments means we don't have to wait a thousand years for archaea to grow in lab to analyze their genomes -- we can just sequence them directly from the environment. In future, this method will no doubt reveal new, unknown functions of microorganisms from many different environments, concludes Postdoctoral Fellow Dorthe Groth Petersen.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Aarhus University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Karen G. Lloyd, Lars Schreiber, Dorthe G. Petersen, Kasper U. Kjeldsen, Mark A. Lever, Andrew D. Steen, Ramunas Stepanauskas, Michael Richter, Sara Kleindienst, Sabine Lenk, Andreas Schramm, Bo Barker J?rgensen. Predominant archaea in marine sediments degrade detrital proteins. Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature12033

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/cPK8jH2IJFk/130327144120.htm

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GOP moves to catch up with Democrats on technology (The Arizona Republic)

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Cyprus banks hire security guards for reopening

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) ? Cyprus has imposed limits on money transfers and hired extra security guards as it prepares for the planned reopening Thursday of its banks, which have been closed for almost two weeks to avoid a run during the country's financial drama.

A banking official said Wednesday that new controls will include restrictions on large-scale transfers from the country's two largest and most troubled lenders, Bank of Cyprus and Laiki, when they reopen Thursday. Both are being restructured and big depositors face losses of as much as 40 percent.

Authorities are looking to increase the daily withdrawal limit from 100 euros to 300 euros (from $130 to $386), while payroll payments will be allowed in order to help businesses, which have taken a huge hit as people cut down on their spending amid the uncertainty swirling about the banks.

The restrictions will be kept for at least a week until the situation stabilizes, said the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the measures have yet to be officially announced.

Meanwhile, private security firm G4S will dispatch 180 of its staff to all bank branches across the island to keep a lid on any possible trouble, said John Argyrou, managing director of the firm's Cypriot arm.

"Our presence there will be for the comfort of both bank staff and clients, but police will also be present," he said.

Argyrou said he doesn't foresee any serious trouble unfolding once banks open their doors because people had time to "digest" what has transpired.

"There may be some isolated incidents, but it's in our culture to be civil and patient, so I don't expect anything serious."

Another 120 staff from G4S would be assigned money transportation duties.

Banks were closed on March 16 as politicians scrambled to come up with a plan to raise 5.8 billion euros ($7.5 billion) that would qualify the country for 10 billion euros ($12.9 billion) in bailout loans from fellow eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund.

Under the deal clinched in Brussels early Monday, Cyprus agreed to slash its oversized banking sector and inflict hefty losses on large Laiki and Bank of Cyprus depositors.

Laiki is to be restructured, with its healthy assets going into a "good bank" and its nonperforming loans and toxic assets going into a "bad bank," officials have said. The healthy side will be absorbed into the Bank of Cyprus.

Cypriot students shout slogans near the presidential palace in capital Nicosia, on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Banks across Cyprus remain firmly padlocked Tuesday after financial authorities extended the... more? Cypriot students shout slogans near the presidential palace in capital Nicosia, on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Banks across Cyprus remain firmly padlocked Tuesday after financial authorities extended the country?s bank closure, fearing worried depositors will rush to drain their accounts. The shut-down is hammering businesses, which have been without access to their funds for more than a week.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) less?

The board of directors of both banks has been fired and administrators appointed to handle the restructuring and absorption, the banking official said.

Bank of Cyprus CEO Yiannis Kypris issued a statement saying the Central Bank governor had asked him verbally Wednesday to resign.

"These are very difficult times for everyone. The Bank of Cyprus was and must remain the basic support of the economy and our society in the effort to deal with the crisis our country is going through," Kypris said. "I hope that the handling of this transition phase will respect the workers, shareholders and customers of the Bank of Cyprus."

Cypriot officials said the deal would mean the country would shift its focus away from being an international center of financial services. That is expected to cost jobs, adding to the unemployment rate which now stands at around 14 percent.

Business leaders and cabinet ministers were meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday to find ways to get the economy going again.

To give consumers a break, electricity prices will drop 5.75 percent next month. Over the next couple of weeks, authorities will look into how they can reduce them by another 3 percent, said Commerce Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis.

Interior Minister Socrates Hasikos said his ministry is looking to cut red tape in order to attract foreign investment. He said Chinese investors have shown increasing interest in property sales, adding that a single real estate office has sold some 400 residences to Chinese buyers.

"There has always been interest from foreign investors," said Hasikos. "The question is how we as the government, as Cyprus, can convince all these investors ...that the environment is secure, that whatever happened has now passed and that they can continue securely investing in Cyprus."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-cash-security-control-banks-reopening-130126848--finance.html

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Playdek Closes $3.8M Series A To Build A Digital Community Where Tabletop Gamers Can Feel At Home

Fresh from putting smiles on the faces of tabletop gaming geeks everywhere, with yesterday's news that it would be helping to bring Dungeons & Dragons to iOS devices later this year, mobile game publisher Playdek has closed a $3.8 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Qualcomm Ventures, with IDG Ventures and ff Venture Capital also participating.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4XBqWpCoRrs/

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Hagel: B-2s not intended to provoke North Korea (The Arizona Republic)

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Panera 'pay what you want' chili introduced in St. Louis stores

Panera 'pay what you want' turkey chili has been introduced in the caf??chain's St. Louis locations. The turkey chili entree is an extension of anti-hunger efforts for Panera, which already operates 'pay what you want' community caf?s in five major cities. ?

By Schuyler Velasco,?Staff writer / March 27, 2013

People stand outside a St. Louis Bread Co. cafe, also known as Panera Bread, last year in St. Louis. The St. Louis-based chain is taking the idea of its nonprofit community caf?s to its main clientele, introducing a 'pay what you want' turkey chili in its St. Louis locations.

Jim Salter/AP/File

Enlarge

Panera is mostly known for its bread bowls, but the caf? chain is making another name for itself in the arena of hunger awareness.

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On Wednesday, the St. Louis-based company introduced a ?pay what you want? turkey chili entree on its menus in the 48 locations in its hometown, where it operates as ?St. Louis Bread Co.??

Dubbed ?The Meal of Shared Responsibility,? the chili comes in a bread bowl and is served with chips, a baguette, or an apple on the side. Suggested retail price is $5.98, but customers can pay more, or less, or even nothing. The idea, as with other pay-what-you-can models, is that those ponying up more cash will pick up the tab for those who can?t afford to pay full price, or anything.

The launch puts a corporate face on the idea of community caf?s and the gift economy, which heretofore has been the domain of smaller, locally run organizations.

?We know that one in six Americans ? over 50 million people nationwide ? are food insecure, meaning they have limited or uncertain access to adequate food,? Panera founder Ron Saich said in the Panera Foundation?s press release. ?While this meal will obviously not eradicate hunger in St. Louis, we believe it?s a step in the right direction?. [W]e?re asking our communities to join together to share in the responsibility of paying it forward to help their neighbors.?

Why turkey chili? ?One of the main issues with hunger is? [lack of] access to nutritious foods,? says Panera Cares spokeswoman Kate Antonacci via telephone. (Panera Cares is the charitable arm of the company.) ?If someone is only getting one meal a day, we want it to be filling and nutritious.?

To that end, the entr?e is full of beans and assorted vegetables, and is high in protein and fiber. So far, there are no plans to introduce the concept in other locations, or expand it to other menu items. ?We?re really using this as a test to see what people will do, so we can?t commit until we have a better idea,? Ms. Antonacci says.

With the ?Meal of Shared Responsibility,? Panera is slowly introducing its charitable anti-hunger efforts to its mainstream clientele. The caf? chain, which operates about 1,600 locations nationwide, already runs pay-what-you-can restaurants, called ?Panera Cares? caf?s in five major cities: St. Louis, Detroit, Portland, Chicago, and most recently, Boston. The caf?s look and feel just like Panera restaurants, but there are only suggested prices, and no cash registers.

?It's really more 'pay what you can. We?re not looking to make any money there, just to sustain the concept itself,? according to Antonacci. She says that about 60 percent of customers pay the suggested price, 15 to 20 percent pay more, and 15 to 20 percent pay less or nothing. The restaurants generally break even, and any extra is donated to local hunger charities.

Panera is the first major chain to try a ?pay what you can? model, giving an increasingly popular concept in the anti-hunger nonprofit world even more steam. The Panera caf??s were inspired by smaller operations around the country, including the SAME (So All May Eat) Caf? in Denver and the One World Everybody Eats (OWEE) caf? in Salt Lake City. In 2011, singer Jon Bon Jovi opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, N.J. The caf? encourages patrons to pay what they are able, and if they can?t pay, an hour of volunteering will pay for their meal.

?At the end of the day it?s really a psychological experiment of sorts,? Antonacci says ?More than anything we?re doing this to elevate the discussion and raise awareness, and provide a wholesome meal to people regardless of their means.?

?There are a lot of people who want to do something in their community but it can be kind of hard,? she adds. ?This makes it easy.??

Time will tell whether other chains will launch similar efforts. But for now, Panera's work is bringing the community caf? concept to a wider swath of customers.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/56aHjiukxGs/Panera-pay-what-you-want-chili-introduced-in-St.-Louis-stores

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