Monday, January 30, 2012

Iran says oil could reach $120 to $150 per barrel

An Iranian demonstrator holds a poster to support Iran's nuclear activities as he waits for arrival of delegates of International Atomic Energy Organization, IAEA, who were not appeared in public, at Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. A U.N. nuclear team arrived in Tehran early Sunday for a mission expected to focus on Iran's alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons. The delegation includes two senior weapons experts, Jacques Baute of France and Neville Whiting of South Africa, suggesting that Iran may be prepared to address some issues related to the allegations. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An Iranian demonstrator holds a poster to support Iran's nuclear activities as he waits for arrival of delegates of International Atomic Energy Organization, IAEA, who were not appeared in public, at Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. A U.N. nuclear team arrived in Tehran early Sunday for a mission expected to focus on Iran's alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons. The delegation includes two senior weapons experts, Jacques Baute of France and Neville Whiting of South Africa, suggesting that Iran may be prepared to address some issues related to the allegations. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An Iranian protester holds an anti-Israel poster for condemning activities of International Atomic Energy Organization, IAEA, at the Imam Khomeini airport, waiting for arrival of the agency's delegates, who were not appeared in public, on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. A U.N. nuclear team arrived in Tehran early Sunday for a mission expected to focus on Iran's alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons. The U.N. nuclear agency delegation includes two senior weapons experts, Jacques Baute of France and Neville Whiting of South Africa, suggesting that Iran may be prepared to address some issues related to the allegations. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

(AP) ? The head of Iran's state oil company said Sunday that the price of crude will reach $120 to $150 per barrel, as officials in Tehran prepare to discuss a ban on crude sales to European Union countries in retaliation for an EU embargo.

Head of the National Iranian Oil Company Ahmad Qalehbani also said that Tehran would expand its capacity to refine crude domestically, instead of selling it on international markets.

The EU announced an embargo on Iranian oil last week to pressure Tehran on its controversial nuclear program.

The embargo is set to go into effect in the summer, but Iran says that it may cut the flow of crude to Europe early.

Iran says the EU accounts for only 18 percent of its output and that it can find new customers. It says the embargo will hurt the West more than Iran, in part by causing a spike in prices.

"It seems we will witness prices from $120 to $150 in the future," Qalehbani was quoted as saying by IRNA. He did not give a time frame for the prediction, nor any other details.

The price of benchmark U.S. crude on Friday was around $99.56 per barrel.

Qalehbani also said that Iran could find other customers for its crude in the short term, while in the longer term expanding its refining capacity to turn the crude into other petroleum products.

"The sale of some 18 percent of Iranian oil, to a market other than the EU, is quite possible. But our long term idea is to increase refining capacities to produce valuable products," he said.

Qalehbani's statement came as Iranian oil officials prepare to debate a ban on crude sales to European Union countries.

Many Iranian lawmakers and officials have called for an immediate ban on oil exports to the European bloc before the EU's ban fully goes into effect in July. They say this will hurt Europe before it can find alternative suppliers.

It also coincided with a visit by a U.N. nuclear team expected to focus on Iran's alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons.

The United States and its allies argue that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons technology, while Tehran says the program is for purely peaceful purposes.

With some 3.5 million barrels of crude production, Iran is the second largest OPEC producer.

Some 80 percent of the country's foreign revenue comes from exporting around 2.2 million barrels of oil per day.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-29-ML-Iran-Oil/id-c0486e57c2fc4254b9e60a985a3660b4

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

3 dead in Sacramento SUV-light rail crash

A light-rail train has collided with a sport utility vehicle in Sacramento, killing three people and injuring more than 20.

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KCRA-TV reports six people have been taken to a local hospital, while 17 others suffered minor injuries.

Sacramento Fire Department assistant chief Niko King says the train was southbound when it struck the small SUV, pushing it about 20 yards.

The wreck took place around 4:45 p.m. Saturday on tracks near the intersection of Sacramento's 25th Street and 26th Avenue.

Investigators are at the scene trying to determine what caused the crash.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46177792/ns/us_news/

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Statins May Stave Off Liver Cancer in People With Hepatitis B (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Popular cholesterol-lowering statins may also lower risk for liver cancer among people with hepatitis B, a new study shows. Hepatitis B, an inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis B virus, is one of the main causes of liver cancer.

This is not the first time that statins have shown promise in reducing risk for cancer. Other studies have hinted that these drugs may play a role in preventing certain types of cancer, including breast cancer.

In the new study of more than 33,000 individuals with hepatitis B followed from 1997 to 2008, those who took a statin were less likely to develop liver cancer, when compared to participants who were not prescribed statins. What's more, the longer a person took statins, the greater the liver-cancer risk reduction. Study participants were prescribed the statins to treat high cholesterol levels. Overall, 1,021 people developed liver cancer during the study period.

More research is needed to see how statins may lower liver cancer risk among people with hepatitis B, the researchers said.

"Statins have potential protective effects against cancers [and] carriers of hepatitis B virus infection have a substantial risk of [liver] carcinoma," said Dr. Pau-Chung Chen, a professor of environmental medicine and epidemiology at National Taiwan University, in Taipei. "Statin use is not only a benefit to preventing cardiovascular diseases, but also an additional, convenient and acceptable strategy for preventing hepatocellular carcinoma," or liver cancer, Chen said.

However, statins can cause a potentially dangerous rise in liver enzymes and liver damage. Regular liver function tests are required for all people who take statins.

The study appeared online Jan. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"This is exciting and unequivocally solid research," said Dr. Eugene Schiff, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Liver Diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

"One of the issues is that statins are relatively contraindicated in people with liver disease," Schiff said. But "the take-home message for people with hepatitis B or anybody with liver disease is that statins are safe. This re-emphasizes the point that if someone has chronic hepatitis B and there is an indication for statins, they should get them and they may be beneficial far beyond lowering cholesterol: They may also reduce their risk for liver cancer."

Dr. David Bernstein, chief of hepatology at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Manhasset, N.Y., is more cautious. "In almost all other liver conditions, cirrhosis must be present before [liver cancer] develops," he said. During cirrhosis, scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. "Statins must be used with caution in patients with cirrhosis, which can limit their use in patients with liver disease at risk of developing liver cancer," he said. "Further studies are needed in this patient population to confirm these findings."

More information

For information on hepatitis B, visit the U.S. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120127/hl_hsn/statinsmaystaveofflivercancerinpeoplewithhepatitisb

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Pre Present Issue Wellbeing Insurance coverage

Well being insurance plan policies are financial arrangements generally devised with the assumed that ought to the policy holder suffer some form of wellbeing issue or imminent hospitalization someday during the tenure of the wellbeing insurance plan cover, the insurance plan provider ought to take treatment of all the expenses that could be incurred. In return, although the policy holder IS in the pink of wellbeing, he will spend sums of funds towards rates for keeping the insurance plan policy likely. But of training course, if you have some type of wellbeing situation the possibilities of the insurance plan provider obtaining to finance your medicine and other affiliated expenses are quite high. So the insurance plan firms space bit wary in handing out this type of insurance plan policy, identified as the pre existing situation wellbeing insurance plan. Examine on for wellbeing insurance plan plans and wellbeing insurance plan rates with optimum nutrition whey protein.

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Examine on for a lot more on wellbeing insurance plan for individuals with pre existing circumstances.

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Source: http://www.thecalculus.org/?p=142

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Tubby tabby gets revolutionary new knee joint (AP)

RALEIGH, N.C. ? Because Cyrano weighs more than 20 pounds, amputating his cancer-weakened leg was out of the question. So the tubby tabby's owners turned to doctors and engineers at North Carolina State University to get him back into mice-catching trim.

On Thursday, the 10-year-old cat from Upperville, Va., received what doctors believe is the first feline total knee replacement in the U.S.

"This is the most complex implant that NC State has made and really, in all honesty, that anyone has built for any situation that I know of," said surgeon Denis Marcellin-Little, a French-born veterinarian.

Cyrano ? his full name is Mr. Cyrano L. Catte II ? underwent treatment last year at Colorado State University for cancer in his left hind leg. The disease is in remission, but the treatment left the leg nearly useless and extremely painful.

Marcellin-Little and NCSU engineer Ola Harrysson are pioneers in osseointegration, a process that fuses a prosthetic limb with living bone. In 2005, Marcellin-Little performed the world's first surgery to fuse leg implants with a cat's bone tissue, so Cyrano's owners turned to him for help.

Britain's Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick was credited with the world's first total knee replacement in 2009 on a cat named Missy, whose leg was crushed by a car. But Marcellin-Little said Cyrano's plastic and cobalt chromium alloy implant is more like those used in humans.

"It has a form of articulation that is unique ? that allows the implant to bend and rotate," he said, demonstrating with a model during a news conference the day before the surgery. "The devil is in the details."

Such implants have become commonplace in dogs. But a cat's smaller anatomy has proved more difficult to work with, and Cyrano's damaged bones posed an additional challenge, Marcellin-Little said.

Unlike other joints, which are machined, Cyrano's knee ? in cats, it's actually called a "stifle" ? was fabricated using a laser process that hardens metal powder to exactly replicate his bones. More than a dozen people worked on developing and testing the implant, each half of which is about 2 inches long.

Marcellin-Little practiced the procedure four times on plastic models before Thursday's surgery.

The operation began around 10:30 a.m. Attendants did not wheel Cyrano to the intensive care unit until almost 5 p.m.

Marcellin-Little said the tabby's girth and big bones were a plus. He said Cyrano should be up and around in about a week, though he won't be climbing trees for a while yet.

"We would like him to take it easy for about three months after surgery," the doctor said. "And then we will let him be himself."

Because so much of the time and material were donated, university representatives could not give a total cost estimate.

"Part of this is a pure research project, in a way," said Harrysson, an NCSU professor of industrial and systems engineering.

The bill to owners Sandra Lerner and Len Bosack will be around $20,000. Sitting in a waiting room after the surgery, a visibly exhausted Lerner ? who helped found electronics giant Cisco Systems ? said "Rat Boy" is worth every penny.

"He's my child. And if it were your child, would you begrudge the money?" she said. "I have a personal philosophy that people are, at best, equal with the other inhabitants of the planet. And I'm very, very grateful that I have the money and (am) able to do it."

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Allen G. Breed is a national writer, based in Raleigh, N.C. He can be reached at features(at)ap.org.

Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/(hash)!/AllenGBreed

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_us/us_cyrano_s_new_knee

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Justice unit to probe mortgage-backed securities (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Federal and state law enforcement officials announced Friday they have launched a fraud-fighting unit, starting with 55 prosecutors and investigators, to root out wrongdoing in the market for residential mortgage-backed securities.

Attorney General Eric Holder told a news conference the team will benefit from existing probes and disclosed that investigators have issued civil subpoenas to 11 financial institutions in recent days, with the prospect that "more will follow." He said bringing full enforcement resources to bear will help expose abuses and hold violators accountable.

Residential mortgage-backed securities are the huge investment packages of what turned out to be near-worthless mortgages that bankrupted many investors and contributed to the nation's financial crisis.

The new effort was disclosed Tuesday night in the State of the Union address by President Barack Obama. The president has been criticized by some in his own party who have said that, despite a federal bailout of large Wall Street institutions begun under President George W. Bush, no Wall Street executives have gone to prison for fraudulent conduct in the mortgage meltdown and financial crisis.

Appearing with Holder, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a co-chair of the initiative, held out the prospect that information sharing between federal and state investigators will produce more far-reaching results. He pointed out that New York state securities law is more flexible than federal securities law, which can make it easier to assemble cases.

As for those who engaged in misconduct in the financial industry, "we know what they did, they know what they did and, we know they know we know what they did," said Schneiderman. Last August, because of his tough stance opposing any deal that would end investigations of wrongdoing, Schneiderman was removed from a committee of state attorneys general negotiating a nationwide foreclosure settlement with U.S. banks.

"Mortgage products were in many ways ground zero for the financial crisis," said Robert Khuzami, director of the enforcement division at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The collapse in value of mortgage-backed securities resulted in unprecedented losses, and "all of us" in law enforcement are dedicated to holding accountable financial institutions that lied and cheated and misled investors, said Khuzami.

Asked about the financial crisis in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview in December, Obama said that "some of the most damaging behavior on Wall Street ? in some cases some of the least ethical behavior on Wall Street ? wasn't illegal. That's exactly why we had to change the laws." Obama obtained a major new financial regulation law from Congress in July 2010.

In Friday's news conference at the Justice Department, reporters were handed a two-page list of 13 successful criminal prosecutions and civil cases involving the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which the new unit is part of. Prison terms ranged from five years to 30 years for criminal activity at hedge funds, a mortgage company and a bank. The longest prison term was 50 years, for a lawyer in a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_financial_probers

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Amid tears, Giffords bids her farewell to Congress (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The applause rolled through the big chamber, growing ever louder as hundreds of Republicans and Democrats suddenly realized Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was back in the House.

But this time she had come to say goodbye.

Fellow lawmakers gave her a fitting send-off: cheers, hugs, a cascade of tributes and plenty of tears in a rare moment of political unity.

A year since that fateful Saturday morning when Giffords was severely wounded during a shooting rampage in her home district, the Arizona congresswoman resigned on Wednesday with a plea for civility ? and a hint that she'll be back on the national stage. For now, the 41-year-old said, her movements and speech still halting, she needs to focus on her recovery.

For all the kind words showered on her, Giffords reflected in her resignation letter about a level of respect that seems like an aberration these days in a bitterly divided Washington.

In her five years in Congress, she said, "Always I fought for what I thought was right. But never did I question the character of those with whom I disagreed. Never did I let pass an opportunity to join hands with someone just because he or she held different ideals."

Said Republican Rep. Ted Poe of Texas in the first of many tributes: "Gabby is the spirit of bipartisanship that we should all learn from."

Giffords' friend Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., became emotional before reading Giffords' resignation letter in the well of the House. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., held Giffords' hand. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, cried after Giffords slowly made her way to the podium and handed him the envelope with her resignation letter.

Last January, a gunman opened fire at Giffords' "Congress on Your Corner" event in Tucson, killing six people, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge and wounding 13, including Giffords who suffered a gunshot wound to her head. She has spent the past year recovering, showing up in the House just once last August to vote on raising the nation's borrowing authority.

That appearance stirred speculation about her political future and whether she would seek another term or even pursue an open Senate seat.

Giffords put that talk to rest on Sunday, announcing in a Web video that she would resign this week. On Monday, she met with survivors of the shootings in Arizona, , finishing the event that she had started outside a supermarket. On Tuesday night, she received thunderous applause and a hug from President Barack Obama at his State of the Union address.

Colleagues and friends stood with her, Flake by her side. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., had her back.

On Wednesday, Republicans and Democrats turned a morning debate over Giffords' last bill into a forum to praise her work and perseverance.

"We haven't seen the last of Gabby Giffords," said Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas. "I believe ... whatever the future holds for her she has made this a better place."

Around 10 a.m., Giffords entered the chamber through the main door, the same one Obama used the previous night. Wasserman Schultz assisted her as she made her way down the aisle, greeted warmly by colleagues with kisses and hugs. She sat in the front row for a flurry of tributes. In the gallery sat her mother, Gloria, and husband, retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, the former astronaut.

"All of us come to the floor today ... to salute her as the brightest star among us, the brightest star Congress has ever seen," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said he received a call from Kelly on Sunday informing him of Giffords' plans to resign. He said Giffords' "strength against all odds serves and will continue to serve as a daily inspiration to all of us."

Said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., "The House of Representative has been made proud by this extraordinary daughter of the House. Gabby, we love you, we have missed you."

Prolonged standing ovations and spontaneous whoops marked the tributes. Giffords briefly waved at Kelly and her mother when their names were mentioned.

Surrounded by colleagues and friends, Giffords stood in the well of the chamber to resign. Wasserman Schultz read her two-page letter to Boehner.

"Everyday, I am working hard," Giffords wrote. "I will recover and will return, and we will work together again, for Arizona and for all Americans."

She purposefully made it to the podium to deliver the letter to Boehner.

Moments later, the House, including Giffords, voted for her final piece of legislation ? a bill that would impose tougher penalties on smugglers who use small, low-flying aircraft to avoid radar detection and bring drugs across the Mexican border.

The vote was 408-0. The Senate, which recently passed a version of the bill, is expected to vote Thursday on the measure and send it to Obama for his signature.

Giffords submitted resignation letters to both Boehner and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. It falls to Brewer to set a date for a special primary and general election to fill the Arizona seat. That will probably happen in the spring or early summer. In November, voters will choose someone for the full two-year term.

After the tribute, Kelly said his wife realized stepping down was the right thing to do.

"But I'm more optimistic than anybody else about her future. She just needs some more time, whether it's a year or two years or three years, I'm very confident she's going to have a long and effective career as a public servant," he said.

Asked about her daughter's future, Gloria Giffords said, "I kind of think she's transcended Congress. I don't know where she's going to end up."

"She's remembered every boy she's ever kissed, every song she's ever sang, every bill she's ever passed," she said. "So upward and onward."

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Jim Abrams contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_go_co/us_giffords_resignation

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Rep. Barney Frank to marry longtime partner (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Retiring Rep. Barney Frank, a gay pioneer in Congress, said Thursday that he will marry his longtime partner, Jim Ready.

Frank spokesman Harry Gural said the liberal Massachusetts Democrat's wedding will be in his home state, but that no date had been set.

Ready, 42, lives in Ogunquit, Maine. He has a small business doing custom awnings, carpentry, painting, welding and other general handyman services, Gural said. Ready is also a photographer. The two men have been together since spring 2007.

Frank was attending a retreat Thursday with other House Democrats on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

During an appearance on PBS' "The Charlie Rose Show" earlier this month, Frank said he was looking forward to leaving Congress and spending time with Ready.

"Look, I have a partner now, Jim Ready; I have an emotional attachment. I`m in love for the first time in my life," Frank said on the show.

Gay rights supporters saluted Frank's engagement but noted that because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA, Ready would not enjoy the same rights as other spouses.

DOMA blocks the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions and says states that don't have such marriages don't have to recognize marriages performed in states that do.

"It is, of course, somewhat ironic that because of DOMA and because Barney is a federal employee, Jim won't be eligible for any of the benefits that any other spouse would be able to get," said Lee Swislow, executive director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the Boston legal rights organization that brought the case that led to Massachusetts becoming the first state in the country to legalize gay marriage.

"I think it's always positive when public figures are role models in these critical societal institutions," Swislow added.

Frank, 71, won his House seat in 1980 and was one of the first lawmakers to come out of the closet.

Ready has made some headlines in recent years with Frank.

He was charged in August 2007 with marijuana cultivation for allegedly growing more than five marijuana plants on his property, records from the York County, Maine, district attorney's office show. That charge was dismissed after Ready complied with a deferred disposition agreement and admitted to a charge of civil possession of marijuana.

Frank later told the Boston Globe that he was at Ready's house when Ready was arrested, but that he never saw the marijuana and has never smoked any. Frank has also said Ready has promised him never to repeat his mistake.

During Frank's 2010 re-election bid, Ready had a brisk exchange of words with Frank's Republican challenger Sean Bielat after the candidates debated. Ready was taking photos of Bielat.

A Boston Herald video showed Ready saying, "You better get used to it, dude," after Bielat asked him about the photos.

Ready then said, "It's a free country, isn't it?" and a chuckling Bielat replied, "It sure is, at least if we can get the Congress back."

Frank's campaign at the time said that Ready was an amateur photographer who took pictures at many campaign events and that no harm was intended.

Last November, Frank announced that he was retiring at the end of his current term, his 16th in Congress.

He said he was retiring because his Massachusetts district has changed so much he would have to spend too much time campaigning for re-election.

Frank has been in the House since 1981 and represents the state's 4th District, which stretches from the upscale Boston suburbs of Newton and Brookline to the working-class cities of New Bedford and Taunton in southeastern Massachusetts.

___

Associated Press writers Denise Lavoie in Boston and Clarke Canfield in Maine contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_el_ho/us_barney_frank_marriage

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2nd day of mourning for Paterno to end with burial

Honor guard, Penn State football running back Michael Zordich pauses at the front of the casket of legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno during a public viewing in the Worship room of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State campus, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Honor guard, Penn State football running back Michael Zordich pauses at the front of the casket of legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno during a public viewing in the Worship room of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State campus, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Three women walk past a picture of legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno to pay their respect in front of his casket during a public viewing in the Worship room of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State campus, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 in State College, Pa.. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Mourners line up a block from the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State campus for the viewing for former Penn State coach Joe Paterno Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 in State College, Pa. Paterno died Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Mourners line up at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State campus for the viewing for former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Former Penn State assistant football coach Mike McQueary departs the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State campus after the viewing for former Penn State coach Joe Paterno, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 in State College, Pa. Paterno died Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

(AP) ? The second day of a three-day period of public mourning for the late Joe Paterno will culminate with the funeral and burial service for the Hall of Fame football coach who became the face of Penn State University.

Hundreds ? if not thousands ? of alumni, residents and students are expected to attend a four-hour visitation Wednesday morning to begin a slate of events that will end with a funeral service in the afternoon that the family has made private.

The 85-year-old Paterno died Sunday of lung cancer. He had been ousted just days before learning of his diagnosis in November, forced out of his job in the wake of child sex-abuse charges against a former assistant.

This week, mourners are focusing on the full body of accomplishments and philanthropy compiled by Paterno over his 46-year tenure as the Nittany Lions' coach.

"His legacy is still going to be filled with the great things that he did. Look at this place," said Tom Sherman, a 1969 graduate from Johnstown, Pa. Before tearing up, Sherman said he attended Paterno's first game as head coach in 1966.

"It's like he's part of your life. I admire that guy so much."

Thousands more waited in line Tuesday on an overcast winter afternoon for the first day of visitation at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, where Paterno family members regularly attended services.

Inside the hall, the coach's body lay in a closed, hardwood casket topped by a spray of white roses. About six feet away sat a stylized black-and-white picture of the man who became lovingly known on campus as "JoePa," smiling and peering out through his trademark thick-rimmed glasses.

Paterno's casket had an "honor guard" of two Penn State players ? one past and one present. Some mourners stopped for a moment of reflection, or to genuflect in the interfaith hall.

Others fought back tears and sniffles. The only other sounds were the occasional clicks of news photographers taking pictures.

Paterno won 409 games and two national championships in a career admired by peers as much for its longevity as its success. Paterno also took as much pride in the program's graduation rates, often at or close to the top of the Big Ten.

"The passion, the love that he gave almost gave you a sense that you wanted to give it back to him," Penn State men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers said after escorting his team to the worship hall Tuesday evening. "We're forever indebted to him and we will continue to work as hard as we can."

On Thursday, the school's basketball arena will be the site of a public service called "A Memorial for Joe." Tickets on Tuesday were quickly snapped up for the event, even though there was a two-per-person limit for those ordering.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-25-Penn%20State-Paterno/id-95f491d2bd494f5eb2d3aaa78556640f

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Senate work can go on as Kirk recovers from stroke

Dr. Richard Fessler, a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital who performed surgery on U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. after he suffered a stroke, answers questions about the Senator's conditions at a news conference, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, in Chicago. Kirk, 52, checked himself into Lake Forest Hospital over the weekend before being transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where tests showed he had suffered a stroke. Kirk's office said he had a tear in the carotid artery on the right side of his neck. Carotid arteries carry blood to the brain; carotid tears are a common cause of strokes, which can involve blood clots traveling to the brain and causing bleeding there. The surgery was performed Sunday night. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Dr. Richard Fessler, a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital who performed surgery on U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. after he suffered a stroke, answers questions about the Senator's conditions at a news conference, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, in Chicago. Kirk, 52, checked himself into Lake Forest Hospital over the weekend before being transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where tests showed he had suffered a stroke. Kirk's office said he had a tear in the carotid artery on the right side of his neck. Carotid arteries carry blood to the brain; carotid tears are a common cause of strokes, which can involve blood clots traveling to the brain and causing bleeding there. The surgery was performed Sunday night. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

A photo made Friday Jan. 20, 2012 shows U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, R-Ill., left, greeted at a press conference by State Representative Dan Brady, R-Ill., after Kirk made a town hall appearance at State Farm Insurance Company's headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. Kirk checked himself into Lake Forest Hospital Saturday morning Jan. 21, 2012 after suffering a stroke. (AP photo/The Pantagraph, David Proeber)

In this Nov. 1, 2010 photo, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., looks to a crowd of supporters during a campaign rally in Wheaton, Ill. A spokesperson for Sen. Mark Kirk says the Illinois Republican has suffered a stroke and has undergone surgery early Monday, Jan. 23 2012 to relieve swelling around his brain. The 51-year-old Kirk checked himself into Lake Forest Hospital in Illinois. He was later transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where tests showed that he had suffered a stroke. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2010, file photo, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., talks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington. Kirk's office says he has suffered a stroke, and is undergoing surgery. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE -- In this April 1, 2011 file photo, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. speaks in Springfield, Ill. Kirk's office says he has suffered a stroke, and is undergoing surgery. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

(AP) ? Whether Sen. Mark Kirk's recovery from a stroke takes weeks or months, the routine work of his office should continue with little interruption. It's a different story for some high-profile duties, however.

The first-term Republican's staff can respond to constituent problems and monitor issues. His Senate colleagues are likely to lend a hand, as they have for others who were absent for long periods. And with one Illinoisan in the White House and another in a top leadership position in the Senate, the state's interests aren't in danger of being overlooked.

"I wouldn't say a place can run fine without the boss, but there are some things you can do," said Mark Kimble, spokesman for Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was nearly killed in a shooting last year and announced her resignation over the weekend.

Kirk's absence undoubtedly will create a hole. His staff can't vote for him, after all, and they can't speak out like he did on some key issues, such as Kirk's calls for strong Iran sanctions.

Kirk, 52, suffered a stroke over the weekend. He underwent surgery Sunday night that included removing a portion of his skull to relieve pressure from swelling. Doctors hope the swelling subsides in the coming days, giving them a better idea of the damage done by the stroke.

Dr. Richard Fessler at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, who performed Kirk's surgery, said the odds of a full mental recovery are good. Kirk appeared to recognize those around him and is responding to commands, Fessler said Monday. But the surgeon warned it will be "very difficult" for Kirk to regain movement in his left arm and that his left leg and face also might be affected.

"The prospects for his full physical recovery, particularly on the left side of his body, are not great," Fessler added.

It's not unusual for ailing senators to be absent from the Capitol for long periods.

Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., suffered a brain hemorrhage in December 2006, spent several weeks in a coma and did not return to Washington until the following fall. His speech was a bit slurred and he sometimes he used a scooter to get around, but Johnson won re-election and now chairs the Banking Committee.

Drey Samuelson, his longtime chief of staff, said the office ran smoothly for the most part during Johnson's absence. Aides helped constituents with issues like Social Security problems and answered letters. To a degree, they could also work with other senators on legislation.

But without Johnson at the helm, there were limitations on what his aides could accomplish.

"There's a vacuum when the guy that's the center of the office isn't there, and isn't there for nine months," Samuelson said. "I had a pretty good idea, but I'm not the senator and I wanted to be sure that I knew what he wanted to do."

A statement from Kirk's office Monday evening said: "As Senator Kirk begins his recovery, his office will remain open to constituents. The staff will continue to provide the same level of service and dedication to the residents of Illinois as they have for the last year."

In Washington, Kirk's absence would mean one less Republican vote in a Senate with a 51-47 advantage for Democrats. And it could be felt in the effort to impose sanctions on Iran, an issue on which he has been very vocal.

Late last year, Kirk, a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, joined forces with Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey in imposing crippling sanctions on Iran. The two senators sponsored an amendment to the annual defense bill that targets foreign financial institutions that do business with the Central Bank in Tehran. In a rare unanimous vote, the Senate backed the measure 100-0.

President Barack Obama signed the wide-ranging defense bill with the sanctions on New Year's Eve. The administration is scheduled to release proposed rules on those sanctions in the coming weeks.

Over the weekend, Kirk had reported feeling dizzy and checked himself into Lake Forest Hospital before being transferred to Northwestern. Tests showed he had a tear in the carotid artery on the right side of his neck. Carotid arteries carry blood to the brain, and carotid tears are a common cause of strokes in people in their 50s or younger.

Fessler, Kirk's surgeon, described the senator as "young, very healthy and in good shape."

"Sen. Kirk's job is cerebral, and I believe the functions required to do his job are going to be fine," said Fessler, a neurosurgeon who removed a 4-by-8-inch piece of Kirk's skull Sunday night.

Dr. Joseph Broderick, a University of Cincinnati stroke expert, said that when removing part of the skull is required, "that is a pretty significant stroke" that likely has caused substantial damage.

"Those people almost always will have some type of deficit long-term. Some may get back to being functional, but some are left with very severe deficits," Broderick said.

Kirk's family said in a statement that he had "always shown great courage and resilience and we are confident that the fighter in him will prevail."

___

Associated Press writers Lindsey Tanner in Chicago, Christopher Wills in Springfield and Andrew Taylor and Donna Cassata in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-24-Kirk-Stroke/id-76004d2ec57a4e9d9d0d1f421e624d53

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Make Popcorn in Your Wok [Video]

Make Popcorn in Your Wok Microwave popcorn is ubiquitous these days, but if you prefer not to use a microwave or would like to make popcorn when the power is out or on a camping trip you can always make it in a wok. In addition to the wok and popcorn you'll need vegetable oil and aluminum foil.

Grace Young from Chow.com gives us the technique: simply line the lid of your wok with aluminum foil and add 2 tsp of vegetable oil to your wok along with 2 or 3 popcorn kernels. Set your range to medium high and place the lid on the wok. When you hear the kernels pop quickly open the side of the lid and toss in ? cup of popcorn kernels. Set the heat on medium low and shake the wok side to side gently for about a minute until all the kernels have popped.

How to Turn Your Wok into a Popcorn Popper | Chow

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/O0eQ0oGUGY8/make-popcorn-in-your-wok

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Enter Business Insider's Caption Contest For A Chance To Win $50

It's that time again for Business Insider Advertising's weekly caption contest.

Here's how it works: Every Sunday we will post an image from a ridiculous, new advertising campaign. Your job is to come up with a witty caption to accompany the shot. Entries do?not?have to have anything to do with advertising ? this is our twist on the New Yorker's?cartoon contest.

Last week, Matt Spada from Baltimore, Maryland proved that he could give the people working on Madison Avenue a run fro their money?by creating the best caption for a JDate ad.?

This week's ad is from Diesel's new advertising campaign (on the right). The photography was done by Mert & Marcus (also known as Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott). And please, even though the picture features model Ashley Smith bent over a robot, please try to keep your entries appropriate.

Email your caption to Lstampler@businessinsider.com by midnight on Thursday along with your name, where you live, and what you do, for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com (and bragging rights, of course). ?The winner will be announced on Friday.?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/enter-business-insiders-caption-contest-for-a-chance-to-win-50-2012-1

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Women in Malawi protest attacks over skirts, pants (AP)

BLANTYRE, Malawi ? It's been 18 years since the late dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda's "indecency in dress" laws were repealed in Malawi, but mobs of men and boys in the largely conservative southern African country have recently been publicly stripping women of their miniskirts and pants.

Friday, hundreds of outraged girls and women, among them prominent politicians, protested the attacks while wearing pants or miniskirts and T-shirts emblazoned with such slogans as: "Real men don't harass women." A recording of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" got a loud cheer when it was played during the protest. Men also took part.

"Some of us have spent our entire life fighting for the freedom of women," Vice President Joyce Banda told the protesters. "It's shocking some men want to take us back to bondage."

During Banda's 1963-1994 dictatorship, women in Malawi were banned from wearing pants and short skirts. Banda lost power in the country's first multiparty election in 1994 and died three years later.

"Life President" Banda led the nation to independence from Britain, only to impose an oppressive rule. Whims that reflected a puritanical streak were law. The U.S.-trained physician and former Presbyterian church elder, himself always attired in a dark suit and Homburg hat, also banned long hair on men.

"We fought for a repeal of these laws," Ngeyi Kanyongolo, a law professor, said at Friday's protests. "Women dressed in trousers or miniskirts is a display of the freedom of expression."

While Banda is gone, strains of conservatism remain in the impoverished, largely rural nation. Some of the street vendors who have attacked women in recent days claimed it was un-Malawian to dress in miniskirts and pants. Some said it was a sign of loose morals or prostitution.

The attacks took on such importance, President Bingu wa Mutharika went on state television and radio on the eve of the protest to assure women they were free to wear what they want.

Other African nations, including South Africa, have seen similar attacks and harassment of women. Last year, women and men held "SlutWalks" in South Africa, joining an international campaign against the notion that a woman's appearance can excuse attacks. "SlutWalks" originated in Toronto, Canada, where they were sparked by a police officer's remark that women could avoid being raped by not dressing like "sluts."

In Malawi Friday, protesters also wore T-shirts with the slogan: "Vendor: Today, I bought from you, tomorrow, you undress me?" Street children and vendors have been accused of carrying out the attacks.

The president ordered police to arrest anyone who attacks women wearing pants or miniskirts. Police had already made 15 arrests.

"Women who want to wear trousers should do so as you will be protected from thugs, vendors and terrorists," the president said in a local language, Chichewa. "I will not allow anyone to wake up and go on the streets and start undressing women and girls wearing trousers because that is criminal."

Vice President Banda has speculated the attacks were the result of economic woes in a country that is currently racked by shortages of fuel and foreign currency.

"There is so much suffering that people have decided to vent their frustrations on each other," she told reporters.

A vendors' representative at Friday's protest, Innocent Mussa, was booed off the stage. Mussa insisted those who were harassing women were not true vendors.

"I'm ashamed to be associated with the stripping naked of innocent women," he said. "Those were acts of thugs because a true vendor would want to sell his wares to women, he can't be harassing potential customers."

Mussa blamed the harassment on unemployed young people.

(This version CORRECTS Retransmitting, deletes incorrect reference to South Africa "neighboring" Malawi.)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_re_af/af_malawi_women_s_dress

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Texas formally introduces Japanese pitcher Darvish (AP)

ARLINGTON, Texas ? Yu Darvish leaned over and looked at his name and the No. 11 on the back of his Texas Rangers jersey. Then he looked up and smiled.

"Excited, that's all I feel right now," Darvish said through a translator. "Just excited going forward."

Japan's best pitcher is now officially a member of the two-time defending American League champions, with his formal introduction Friday night in Texas coming two days after the right-hander agreed to a six-year contract that guarantees him $56 million.

The 25-year-old Darvish, who exceled in Japan's Pacific League the past seven seasons, said he wasn't prepared to go into specifics about the several different reasons why he decided to make the move to United States now.

But he said he felt no pressure and planned to keep an open mind and be relaxed ? with his new team and in a new country.

"I have no worries," he said. "What I'm looking forward to is a different environment, a different league and different hitters. I'm looking forward to it full of excitement."

There is a lot of excitement in Texas, where fans are hoping Darvish is the missing piece that will help lift the Rangers to their first World Series title.

The Rangers spent more than two years scouting Darvish and getting to know him personally before committing more than $107 million to get him. On top of his contract, they had to pay a record $51,703,411 posting bid to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Darvish's team in Japan.

Rangers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training in Arizona on Feb. 22, and Darvish said he was planning to immediately return home to Japan.

Darvish said he would continue with his offseason workouts there and hold another news conference to express his feelings to fans in Japan.

Joe Furukawa, a Rangers scout in the Pacific Rim and one of their primary contacts with Darvish over the last couple of years, will spend this season with the pitcher to help his transition to the major leagues and the United States. Furukawa sat to his right on Friday night and served as the translator during the bilingual news conference.

Darvish smiled often during the question-and-answer session, though he said he wasn't prepared yet to say anything in English.

The press conference was broadcast live in Darvish's homeland, where it was Saturday morning. It was held in a much bigger room that is part of the team's Hall of Fame area at Rangers Ballpark, instead of the usual interview room down the hall from the clubhouse.

Among those sitting in the front row were Ray Davis and Bob Simpson, the oil-and-gas billionaires who are co-chairmen of the Rangers ownership group, and slugger Josh Hamilton. Simpson smiled when he walked in and saw the room full of international media.

"We've had a lot of big moments on the field the last couple of years, in October and the things we've accomplished," general manager Jon Daniels said while introducing Darvish. "There haven't been many bigger off-the-field moments than what brings us here."

After the news conference, the 6-foot-5 Darvish donned his new jersey and went on the field, where he stood on the mound and tossed a couple of balls toward the plate.

Highlights of Darvish's career in Japan were being shown on the huge videoboard high above right field. The two-time Pacific League MVP had a 93-38 record and 1.99 ERA in 167 games.

The electronic ribbon boards around the stadium were lit up with Darvish's image with his number and name, switching back and forth between English and Japanese.

Darvish's contract is worth up to $60 million including bonuses and incentives, but there was one thing he apparently didn't get in his deal after standing on the mound and looking out to the right-center field fence in his only other visit to Rangers Ballpark two weeks ago.

"It seemed a little close, I asked my GM if they could back that up a little bit, not sure where they are on that," he said.

When asked about that, Daniels laughed and motioned toward Hamilton.

"I don't think Josh wants us to move them back," Daniels said. "We'll let them arm wrestle and figure it out."

Hamilton was one of his new teammates that he met during his trip to Texas earlier this month.

"He has confidence in his ability and all the things he does as a player," Hamilton said. "I think he's going to enjoy it here and is going to have a good time."

Darvish arrived about three hours earlier at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, where he was greeted by a large group of media cameras and a handful of Rangers fans.

There was a bit of a stir created by the photos of the arrival, when Darvish wore a T-shirt with the phrase "I Will Survive" surrounding the image of a Japanese Maple Leaf, which looks similar to a marijuana leaf.

"In Japan, anything that's like a T-shirt with English words on it," he said. "We just tend to wear it, we don't really actually know what it means."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bba_rangers_darvish

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Where You Vote May Affect How

60-Second Science60-Second Science | Mind & Brain

Subjects randomly surveyed within view of a church gave more conservative responses than those surveyed within view of a secular school. Katherine Harmon reports.

More 60-Second Science

On election day, where do you vote? If it's in a church, you might be inclined to vote more conservatively than if you cast your ballot at a school or government building. That?s according to research published in the International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. [Jordan P. LaBouff et al, Differences in Attitudes Toward Outgroups in Religious and Nonreligious Contexts in a Multinational Sample: A Situational Context Priming Study]

And the effect seems to hold, whether you?re Christian, Muslim or agnostic, progressive, independent or conservative.

The study found that when random people were surveyed in front of a church, they gave more socially and politically conservative responses than people surveyed while standing in front of a government building.

The shift in people's attitudes, the researchers suggest, was likely a result of visual priming?meaning that people who could see the religious building were, consciously or not, getting cues that influenced their response.

The surveys were conducted in Europe, so it's possible American voters might react differently. But the survey included subjects from more than 30 countries to try to minimize a particular national bias. So before you cast your vote this election year, think about whether your view is influencing your views.

?Katherine Harmon

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]??
?


Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=6113dfd7dee9c90ea0e9b8dba2da1c54

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Economics and Investing: - SurvivalBlog.com

Debasement of 5 Pence and 10 Pence coins in England is causing problems: New coins won't work in parking meters and vending machines. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

B.B. sent this charming news: Treasury dips into pension funds to avoid debt: "The Treasury on Tuesday started dipping into federal pension funds in order to give the Obama administration more credit to pay government bills."

China Brings US Treasury Holdings To One Year Low, Russia Cuts Treasury Exposure By 50% In One Year. (Thanks to S.M. for the link.)

Craig D. flagged this: World Bank warns on risk of global recession

Items from The Economatrix:

Europe Must Move Quickly After Downgrades--Merkel

S&P Downgrades Eurozone's EFSF Bailout Fund

How to Prepare for the Difficult Years Ahead

Oil Pries Waver On Concerns About Global Demand

Source: http://www.survivalblog.com/2012/01/economics_and_investing_1058.html

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