Ex-CIA officer charged over classified leaks (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? A former Central Intelligence Agency officer has been arrested and charged with illegally disclosing classified information to journalists, including the identity of a covert officer and details about the capture of terrorism suspect Abu Zubaydah, the Justice Department said on Monday.

John Kiriakou, 47, worked for the CIA from 1990 to 2004 as an intelligence officer and then worked as a senior staff member for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2009 until May 2011.

He was accused of revealing to one journalist in 2008 the identity of the covert CIA officer who was involved in the agency's program to secretly capture terrorism suspects, bring them to U.S.-run detention facilities and interrogate them.

Kiriakou was also accused of revealing to three reporters the identity of a second CIA officer involved in the capture and interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, believed to be al Qaeda's field commander who was captured in March 2002 in Pakistan.

The case emerged after their names were included in sealed filings made by defense lawyers in the cases involving terrorism suspects held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to the criminal complaint.

The covert officer's name was never publicly revealed, but the New York Times published the second officer's name in 2008. U.S. authorities said they never provided that information to the defense lawyers.

Kiriakou provided contact information for both officers as well as details about the second officer's role in the Zubaydah operation, it said.

Photographs of the second individual were also found among materials held by the terrorism suspects at the Guantanamo prison. After those incidents, U.S. officials launched an investigation.

"Both Officer B's association with the RDI (Rendition, Detention and Interrogation) program, and the Abu Zubaydah operation in particular, were classified until that information recently was declassified in order to allow this prosecution to go forward," according to an FBI affidavit.

The Justice Department said that one of the journalists that Kiriakou aided had provided the information about the two CIA officers to an investigator for the defense team for detainees at the prison.

CONTROVERSIAL INTERROGATION

Defense lawyers used the photographs in a group of unidentified people to see if the detainees recognized anyone who participated in the questioning of them. No charges were filed against the defense team.

The interrogation of Zubaydah has been controversial because interrogators used the technique known as waterboarding, which simulates drowning, to try to obtain information from him. Two other terrorism suspects were also subjected to waterboarding.

Kiriakou denied any wrongdoing during an interview with the FBI last week. Kiriakou's lawyer was not immediately available for comment.

He was charged with one count of revealing the identity of a covert agent, two counts of violating the Espionage Act for disclosing national defense information and one count of making false statements.

The count charging illegal disclosure of a covert officer's identity carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, which must be imposed consecutively to any other prison term. The two espionage counts each carry up to 10 years in prison while lying provides for up to five years in prison.

CIA Director David Petraeus issued a statement saying the agency supported the investigation and reminded employees of their obligation to keep classified information secret.

"Given the sensitive nature of many of our Agency's operations and the risks we ask our employees to take, the illegal passage of secrets is an abuse of trust that may put lives in jeopardy," he said.

(Reporting By Jeremy Pelofsky; Editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/terrorism/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/ts_nm/us_usa_security_cia

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Katherine Dean: Backyard Bliss: A DIY Guide To Getting Married At Home

This article originally appeared in Equally Wed Magazine. Equally Wed is the nation's premier online same-sex wedding and honeymoon magazine, providing articles, inspiration and ideas on everything from popping the question to saying "I do" to the glorious honeymoon, as well as the latest news headlines on the fight for marriage equality. The preeminent source for all things gay wedding, Equally Wed also offers the most comprehensive directory of gay-friendly wedding vendors in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

With the cost of weddings skyrocketing, and with many same-sex couples footing the entire bill for their big day, an intimate affair in your own backyard might start to look more appealing than the three-day destination gala you'd originally planned. Opting to tie the knot in your private outdoor sanctuary saves you the hassle of touring venue after venue and allows you and your betrothed to focus your time, energy and hard-earned cash on the things that matter to you most, be it fabulous photography from your city's top artists or a killer open bar, complete with signature cocktails and the very best bubbly.

Still, just because you'll be using your backyard doesn't mean planning your wedding will be a walk in the park. The work that goes into an event so close to home can far exceed hiring people to handle everything for you. Luckily, when it comes to planning backyard weddings, you are limited only by your creativity. From including your favorite furry friends to renting a photo booth to hiring a slew of outrageous circus performers, your backyard wedding can and should be a reflection of your and your beloved's unique style and personality. Here's how you do it:

FIRST THINGS FIRST
Before you begin to plan your backyard soiree, you'll need to consider the basics: primarily, determining if your yard is suitable for a wedding. Will your space accommodate your guest list? Where will your attendees park? Will your event require any permits from the city? Does your homeowner's insurance cover third-party liability? What about noise ordinances? Once you've got all these bases covered, it's time to dive into the details.

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
We can think of nothing worse than having your neighbor crank his riding lawn mower just as you exchange vows, except perhaps walking down the aisle to the squeals of 20 delighted 8-year-olds enjoying a pool party just over the fence. To prevent a catastrophe, let your neighbors know of your nuptials and what you've got planned at least six weeks in advance. Better yet, invite them! If you're lucky, they might even volunteer their driveway for overflow parking.

GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS
No matter how meticulous a planner you are, it's next to impossible to host a backyard wedding without the help of family and close friends. Unless you've hired an assistant, every detail of your ceremony and reception rests on your shoulders. Your nearest and dearest are usually happy to help ensure your special day goes off without a hitch. Just make sure you don't rely on the same person for everything. It's poor form to request your maid-of-honor to arrange bouquets, transport your cake, set up the bar and usher guests all on top of her day-of duties. And please don't forget your manners. Whether you're asking Aunt Rita for the use of her punchbowl or soliciting able-bodied friends to string lights from tree to tree, thank everyone, and do it often.

SOMETHING BORROWED
Costs can quickly spiral out of control if you rent everything from the cutlery to the candleholders instead of inquiring as to what you can borrow from pals. Based on the vision you have for your wedding, figure out what you'll need to rent and what you have or can borrow. Plenty of companies offer glasses, plates and utensils for one night at a hefty price, but mismatched items collected from thrift stores, discount outlets and friends can lend charming sentimentality to your already special day.

When it comes to sound systems, tables, chairs and linens, get creative! Talk up your friends, co-workers and acquaintances. Local churches, businesses, recreation centers, even funeral homes often have these items on hand and may let you borrow or rent them at a reduced cost. It never hurts to ask, and it could save you a bundle of money.

WEATHER THE STORM
Neither rain, sleet nor threat of snow should keep you from taking your love's hand in marriage, but they can put a huge damper on the day. Likewise, gale force winds can wreck havoc on the delicate chiffon bridesmaids' dresses you've selected. When deciding on the date for your backyard wedding, consult the Farmer's Almanac for historic weather records for the weekend you've selected. Once you've picked that perfect day, with nary a cloud in sight, know that the weather still may not cooperate and that, in a pinch, it's best to have a backup plan. If you cannot accommodate your guests indoors, consider renting a tent for your reception that can double as your ceremony space if necessary. Tent rental companies will handle set-up and break-down of the tent before and after the event.

Don't forget to take the extra steps necessary to make your guests as comfortable, prepared and protected from the elements as possible. Ladies will likely forego the stilettos if you add a printed insert to your invitations advising them that your ceremony and reception will take place on soft terrain. Providing sunscreen, bottled water, bug spray and blankets are all nice touches depending on the season.

TIDY UP
It's best to get your yard in tip-top shape as soon as possible. Go ahead and fertilize that lawn, plant additional flowers or shrubs, fill any holes in the ground, and make all necessary repairs to patios and fixtures. Just before the big day, mow the lawn, trim any overgrowth and, of course, pick up behind your pooches.

LET YOUR LOVE FLOW
Since you'll have the benefit of unlimited access to your venue before you say "I do," you can spend ample time designing the layout and flow of traffic during your ceremony and reception. Take measurements of your space and create a scale drawing to determine where to place your tent, tables and chairs. Keep in mind; people gravitate toward food and beverage, so place these stations away from high-traffic entry and exit points.

SET THE STAGE
One of the biggest advantages to any outdoor wedding is the splendid backdrop that Mother Nature provides. Vibrant fall color and spring blossoms will eliminate the need for elaborate preparations. Potted plants, garden hooks with hanging baskets and strategically placed fabric, ribbon or tulle can fill in any gaps or cover imperfections. Use flowers and tree branches from your backyard to create centerpieces, and let your natural landscape do the rest!

LET THERE BE LIGHT
If your reception will extend into the nighttime hours, proper lighting is essential. Candles and paper lanterns lend an air of dramatic elegance, while tiki torches or strands of clear twinkle lights laced above your guests create a warm and simple, yet beautiful effect. Determine how many outlets you'll need for any lighting that requires a power source, and keep a fire extinguisher on hand if you plan to have any open flames.

CHANGE OF SCENERY
Unless your backyard is beyond spacious, your aisle may quickly need to become your dance floor. There are a few ways to handle the transition from ceremony to reception. If you plan on keeping your vows short and sweet, asking your guests to stand shouldn't be a problem (but please, by all means, set up a chair for your sweet 75-year-old nana). Skipping the seats during your ceremony allows you to set up the reception seating in advance.

If you prefer the formality of seating your guests during the ceremony, usher your guests to an unused location -- perhaps your front yard -- for a champagne toast or passed hors d'oeuvres while family or caterers convert your space.

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS
Got a talented friend? Recruit her to play guitar or violin for your stroll down the aisle. Get your guests dancing at the reception with a play list full of you and your love's favorite songs. A tech-savvy family member can easily cue up the tunes you've selected for your first dance and other special moments. Test your sound system the day before your wedding to ensure that your guests will be able to hear the music as well as carry on a conversation without shouting, and avoid placing seats directly in front of a speaker.

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
What you serve at your backyard wedding can range from champagne and caviar to barbecue and beer and just about anything in between. If you plan to use caterers, find out what they will need from you and whether your kitchen will accommodate them. If you forego caterers, you'll likely need to rely on those trusty friends and family members (again) to help prepare and present the meal. If your Uncle Jimmy has offered to whip up low-country boil for all 75 of your guests, you might have it made. But if firing up the grill isn't part of your vision, buffet lines lend themselves particularly well to backyard affairs. Just make sure you skip mayonnaise-laden dishes that can take a turn for the worse if not cooled properly. Likewise, advise your cake baker that your wedding will take place outdoors so that he can avoid frostings that will melt in mild heat.

When it comes to libations, consider hiring a bartender. Many guests aren't accustomed to mixing their own cocktails, which can lead to a serious waste of expensive liquor or embarrassing over-consumption. If you prefer to keep things simple, mix up batches of a signature cocktail or stick with bottles of wine and beer chilled in galvanized steel tubs.

WHEN NATURE CALLS
Decide upfront whether or not your indoor facilities will be available to guests during the event. If so, make sure they are well stocked with toilet paper, soap and hand towels. If not, you'll have to rent port-a-potties (at least two per 100 guests and one per 50 guests after that). If images of smelly outhouses with sprinkled-on seats have you concerned, never fear. The portable loo has gone luxe. Many rental companies offer top-of-the-line restrooms complete with flushable toilets, functioning sinks, full length mirrors and lighting.

PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW
Lastly, backyard weddings do not have the time constraints that most venues impose and, as a result, some of your guests may decide to linger. If an all-nighter is what you had in mind, by all means, keep the party going. But if you prefer to spend the wee morning hours in the arms of your new husband or wife, consider a staged exit. Nothing says "it's time to go" like having the guests of honor hit the road.

Photos of Dani and Kelly's backyard wedding by Tinywater Photography.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katherine-dean/backyard-bliss-a-diy-guid_b_1211906.html

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HBT: A's 'very interested' in signing Manny

Athletics general manager Billy Beane said during the Winter Meetings last month that he would prefer to go younger at designated hitter this season, but despite having a number of internal options, things might not work out that way.

Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes Los Angeles?was told by a source (link in Spanish) that Oakland is ?very interested? in Manny Ramirez, who is currently preparing for his comeback attempt in Miami.

We learned a couple of weeks ago that the Orioles and Blue Jays sent scouts to watch Ramirez take batting practice. Rojas was told that while Baltimore ?liked? what they saw, the A?s are the team showing the most interest, despite the fact that they haven?t actually seen him in person yet. The 39-year-old is expected to hold a workout for interested teams before the end of the month, so if Rojas? source is correct, they?ll presumably take a look at him within the next few days.

If or when Ramirez signs with an MLB team, he?ll have to serve a reduced 50-game suspension for his second positive PED test before being eligible to play during the regular season. However, he would be allowed to suit up during spring training.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/20/the-athletics-are-very-interested-in-manny-ramirez/related/

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Coastguard raged at liner captain, tape shows (Reuters)

ROME (Reuters) ? The Italian coast guard angrily ordered the captain of the capsized Italian cruise ship to go back aboard to oversee the evacuation, but he stalled, according to an apparent recording of their radio exchange played on national television.

Captain Francesco Schettino is in jail, accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship. He denies all wrongdoing and was questioned by magistrates on Tuesday.

The audio recording, on newspaper Corriere della Sera's website and played on national state television, reflected the chaos and confusion in the minutes after the Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew, hit a rock off the Tuscany coast on Friday night and keeled over.

Schettino, who had already taken to a lifeboat, can be heard talking to a coast guard official based in the western Italian port of Livorno.

Eleven people have been confirmed killed and 24 are still missing.

A Coast Guard official on Giglio, the island where the ship hit a rock, said he could not confirm the authenticity of the tape and said the Coast Guard did not give it to the newspaper. There was no comment available from the captain's lawyer.

The recording is full of background noises such as radio static, beeps and background noise of people and confusion. As translated by Reuters, the entire conversation went as follows:

Coast Guard: Hello.

Captain: Good evening, chief.

Coast Guard: Listen, this is De Falco from Livorno. Am I speaking with the captain?

Captain: Good evening, Chief De Falco.

Coast Guard: Tell me your name, please.

Captain: I am Captain Schettino, chief.

Coast Guard: Schettino?

Captain: Yes.

Coast Guard: Listen, Schettino. There are people trapped on board. Now, you go with your lifeboat. Under the bow of the ship, on the right side, there is a ladder. You climb on that ladder and go on board the ship. Go on board the ship and get back to me and tell me how many people are there. Is that clear. I am recording this conversation, Captain Schettino.

(Captain tries to speak but Coast Guard can't hear him clearly. Voices in the Coast Guard room.)

Coast Guard: Speak up! (captain tries to speak) Captain, put your hand over the microphone and speak in a louder voice!

Captain: At this moment the ship is listing.

Coast Guard: There are people who are coming down the ladder on the bow. Go back in the opposite direction, get back on the ship, and tell me how many people there are and what they have on board. Tell me if there are children, women and what type of help they need. And you tell me the number of each of these categories. Is that clear?

Listen Schettino, perhaps you have saved yourself from the sea but I will make you look very bad. I will make you pay for this. Dammit, go back on board!

(Noise can be heard in the background. Apparently other Coast Guard officers are shouting to each other in the same room about "the ship, the ship")

Captain: Please ...

Coast Guard: There is no 'please' about it. Get back on board. Assure me you are going back on board!

Captain: I'm in a lifeboat, I am under here. I am not going anywhere. I am here.

Coast Guard: What are you doing, captain?

Captain: I am here to coordinate the rescue...

Coast Guard (interrupting): What are you coordinating there! Get on board! Coordinate the rescue from on board! Are you refusing?

Captain: No, I am not refusing.

Coast Guard: Are you refusing to go aboard, captain? Tell me the reason why you are not going back on board.

Captain: (inaudible)... there is a another lifeboat...

Coast Guard (interrupting, yelling): You get back on board! That is an order! There is nothing else for you to consider. You have sounded the "Abandon Ship." Now I am giving the orders. Get back on board. Is that clear? Don't you hear me?

Captain: I am going aboard.

Coast Guard: Go! Call me immediately when you are on board. My rescue people are in front of the bow.

Captain: Where is your rescue craft?

Coast Guard: My rescue craft is at the bow. Go! There are already bodies, Schettino. Go!

Captain: How many bodies are there?

Coast Guard: I don't know! ... Christ, you should be the one telling me that!

Captain: Do you realize that it is dark and we can't see anything?

Coast Guard: So, what do you want to do, to go home, Schettino?! It's dark and you want to go home? Go to the bow of the ship where the ladder is and tell me what needs to be done, how many people there are, and what they need! Now!

Captain: My second in command is here with me.

Coast Guard: Then both of you go! Both of you! What is the name of your second in command?

Captain: His name is Dmitri (static)"

Coast Guard: What is the rest of his name? (static) You and your second in command get on board now! Is that clear?

Captain: Look, chief, I want to go aboard but the other lifeboat here has stopped and is drifting. I have called ...

Coast Guard (interrupting): You have been telling me this for an hour! Now, go aboard! Get on board, and tell me immediately how many people there are!

Captain: OK, chief.

Coast Guard: Go! Immediately!

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/wl_nm/us_italy_ship_tape

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Exclusive: Siemens puts 1.7 trillion price tag on nuclear exit (Reuters)

FRANKFURT (Reuters) ? Siemens (SIEGn.DE) expects Germany's exit from nuclear power to cost the country up to 1.7 trillion euros ($2.15 trillion) by 2030, the head of its energy business said.

"We have calculated that between 1,400 billion and 1,700 billion will have to be invested in the German energy sector over the next 20 years," Siemens board member Michael Suess, in charge of the company's Energy Sector, told Reuters.

"This will either be paid by energy customers or taxpayers," he said at the annual Handelsblatt Energiewirtschaft conference.

The 1.7 trillion euros scenario is based on a strong expansion of renewables -- with feed-in tariffs as the biggest chunk of costs -- while the 1.4 trillion scenario emphasizes gas as one of the major energy alternatives, he said.

Europe's biggest economy decided to abandon nuclear power after the massive earthquake and tsunami of March 11 hit Japanese reactors, causing an environmental disaster.

Siemens' estimate for the shift away from nuclear is much higher than the 250-300 billion euros estimate given earlier by Juergen Grossmann, chief executive of Germany's No.2 utility RWE (RWEG.DE). Grossmann, however, did not give a time frame for the investments.

Siemens' Energy Sector -- which is active in several areas including power transmission, solar, wind and hydro power -- achieved 27.61 billion euros in sales in the fiscal year 2011, or about 38 percent of group revenues, while profit came in at 4.14 billion.

Last year, Siemens said it aimed to benefit from the global push into renewable energy by installing power lines to get electricity from sun-drenched and wind-swept sites to customers.

At the time, it said the global market for power transmission of high-voltage direct current could triple in the next few years to 9 billion euros.

Suess added Germany's current renewable law (EEG) was insufficient in expanding renewable energy sources -- above all, solar -- in Germany in a sustainable way, adding the incentives were designed in a unfavorable way.

In Germany, generators of solar power receive a guaranteed price for their power for several decades, with no incentive to upgrade or modify their systems.

"We think that the energy system must not be a pawn of investors that aim to maximize their returns. The shift will not work with those incentives," Suess said.

"One option would be to tie incentives to innovation, whereby owners of solar panels were forced to modernize their systems. Such incentives do not exist at the moment."

($1=0.7891 euros)

(Editing by Mike Nesbit)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/bs_nm/us_siemens_energy

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Romney Has Commanding Lead in South Carolina and Florida (Little green footballs)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/187792385?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Slow start for Libya drive to disband militias (Reuters)

TRIPOLI (Reuters) ? Twenty-four hours after Libya's police force opened its doors for the thousands of militia members to join its ranks, only 100 had signed up, signaling the long road the government faces to bring the unruly militias to heel.

The militias, which fought to unseat former leader Muammar Gaddafi, are now the biggest threat to stability in Libya, clashing regularly with each other in violent turf wars and undermining the authority of the country's new rulers.

The interim government, the National Transitional Council (NTC), wants to amalgamate the militias into the police force and army. The NTC's chief said this month that if they do not comply, the country risks being dragged into a civil war.

But on the evidence of the trickle of people signing up at the Interior Ministry's main recruitment center in a Tripoli compound, most militia members are still reluctant.

An official at the site said that between Saturday morning and Sunday morning -- part of the working week in Libya -- they had signed up 100 people.

There are no reliable figures for the number of fighters in Libya's militia units, but they could number in the hundreds of thousands.

Those that did turn up to seek jobs in the new police force were not from the heavily-armed and well-organized militias from outside Tripoli which pose the biggest headache for the NTC.

Instead, the prospective new recruits were from smaller militias which in any case did not have the resources to challenge for power. Some recruits said they were there because their units had not paid them.

Sunday morning, about a dozen young men, mostly dressed in civilian clothes and holding their green identity cards, stood outside the registration office, located in a busy Tripoli district near Nasser University.

They had filled out the job application to join the police and were waiting to be called so that they could sign an employment contract.

Once the contract is approved, each new recruit would be paid 600 dinars a month, an interior ministry official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. That is about $450, a modest salary by Libyan standards but enough to live on.

An official said they would be hired initially for six months, after which their contracts will be reviewed.

One of the would-be police officers was Adel Muftah, 25, who joined a militia unit after the fall of Tripoli in August.

"I've come here because this is a legitimate force," Muftah said, wearing the khaki military uniform favored by many militia fighters. "I haven't been paid for two months by the militia."

INCENTIVES PROMISED

The clerks whose job it was to register the potential recruits would not comment on whether the numbers who had signed up were in line with expectations.

The clerks said they had been given no deadline to stop accepting applications, though government officials had previously said they wanted to complete the process within a month.

Salah Mohammed Makhlouf, commander of a Tripoli-based militia, said he had asked his fighters to sign up for the interior ministry jobs.

He said he was promised by government officials that some of his fighters would be trained in Jordan, Qatar, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.

But the most powerful militias, and the ones most reluctant to hand over to the central government, are those affiliated to cities such as Zintan and Misrata.

They played a major role in the fight to oust Gaddafi, and do not want to disband until they are sure they will be given a stake in the new Libya that matches their contribution to the revolution.

Mokhtar al-Akhdar commands a 1,200-strong force drawn mainly from Zintan, which controls Tripoli airport. His men have fought gunbattles with rival militias.

He said he was talking to the government about transferring control of the airport to the authorities.

But when he was asked last week to give a timeline, he said he needed to see a strong government force in place first before he could surrender control.

"We are throwing the ball to the ministries of defense and interior. We will see what they do," Akhdar told Reuters. "We are patriotic and our nation is what we care about the most."

(Writing by Mahmoud Habboush; Editing by Christian Lowe and Peter Graff)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120115/wl_nm/us_libya_militias_police

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Miss America crowning new winner in Las Vegas

This Jan. 12, 2012 photo provided by Miss America shows, Miss New York Kaitlin Monte who scored honors in the lifestyle and fitness category in the third round of the Miss America talent competition in Las Vegas, on Thursday. Jan.12, 2012. The finals are Saturday at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. (AP Photo Miss America)

This Jan. 12, 2012 photo provided by Miss America shows, Miss New York Kaitlin Monte who scored honors in the lifestyle and fitness category in the third round of the Miss America talent competition in Las Vegas, on Thursday. Jan.12, 2012. The finals are Saturday at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. (AP Photo Miss America)

This Jan. 12, 2012 photo provided by Miss America shows, Miss Hawaii, Lauren Cheape jumping rope and topped the contestants in the third round of the Miss America talent competition in Las Vegas, on Thur. Jan.12,2012. The finals are Saturday at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. (AP Photo Miss America)

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Miss America is getting ready to transfer her crown again to one of 53 pageant queens looking to prove they've got a winning combination of looks, talent and smarts to justify a yearlong run with the title.

A panel of seven judges was set to pick the next Miss America on Saturday night during a live telecast on ABC, the culmination of a week of preliminary competitions and months of preparations for the titleholders from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Teresa Scanlan, a Nebraskan who won Miss America last year at age 17 to become the pageant's youngest winner ever, said contestants nerves will likely be at their highest point just before the pageant.

But the young women have already given judges a first impression, she said, and largely shaped their fate through three nights of preliminary competitions at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

"You can always breathe a sigh of relief" once the live pageant begins, Scanlan said.

Scanlan said the ultimate winner will have thought not only about receiving the crown and $50,000 scholarship, but also about her plans for spending the year as Miss America, touring the country to speak to different groups and raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, the Miss America Organization's official charity.

"It's not just life ends when they place the crown on your head," Scanlan said. "Being prepared for that is even more important than just being prepared through Saturday night."

To win, each will have to impress the panel in preliminary competitions that include an extensive interview to become one of the top 15 finalists.

More contestants will be eliminated Saturday night during swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions.

The top five finalists will answer a question posed by one of the judges, who will score each of the contestants in each competition throughout the night.

"When push comes to shove, you're out on the stage by yourself," said Miss America 1962 Maria Beale Fletcher. "All of that other well-meaning advice, all of it disappears. It needs to disappear because then you have to be prepared to rely on the inspiration that comes from within."

Pageant officials announced the winners of preliminary competitions, including Miss Hawaii Lauren Cheape, Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson and Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler for talent, and Miss New York Kaitlin Monte, Miss Texas Kendall Morris and Miss Utah Danica Olsen for swimsuit.

Officials also said Miss Idaho Genevieve Nutting won the $2,000 Fourpoints Award, while Miss Kentucky Ann-Blair Thornton won the $6,000 Quality of Life scholarship.

The Miss America Organization touts itself as the world's largest giver of scholarships to women, with about $350,000 to be given this year at the national level.

Scanlan said she planned to use her scholarship to help pay for law school en route to a life in politics.

___

Oskar Garcia can be reached at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-14-Miss%20America/id-7138c9a7fc1c4317a3b993e3adfcd7fa

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Beats Dumps Monster Over Headphones [Audio]

Peanut butter and jelly, unicorns and glitter, Beats Electronics and Monster. One of these things just doesn't belong, one of these things is not like the others. After a five-year collaboration, the two companies have terminated their relationship but do hope to remain friends. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/mWHQbfF0byU/beats-dumps-monster-over-headphones

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Mysterious death of astrophysicist shocks Oxford

LONDON | Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:08pm EST

LONDON (Reuters) - The case of an Oxford University astrophysicist who was found dead in mysterious circumstances took a dramatic twist on Friday when his wife said she believed the death was an accident and not murder as initially suspected.

The body of Professor Steven Rawlings, 50, was found on Wednesday night at the home of his close friend and fellow Oxford academic Dr Devinder Sivia, 49, after a neighbor called police to report an incident.

Sivia was arrested on suspicion of murder that night and released on bail on Friday morning until April 18. Police said an autopsy conducted on Rawlings' body was inconclusive and further examinations were needed.

Later on Friday, Rawlings' wife Linda said she did not believe her husband had been murdered.

"Steve and Devinder were best friends since college and I believe this is a tragic accident," Linda Rawlings said in a statement emailed to journalists by the police on her behalf.

"I do not believe Devinder should be tarnished in this way," she said.

Police made no comment on her statement.

Rawlings' sudden death has shocked the 900-year-old university, where he held a prestigious post as professor of physics and had led the astrophysics department from 2006 to 2010.

"The entire university community has been profoundly saddened and shocked by the tragic and untimely death of Professor Steve Rawlings," said Oxford's Vice-Chancellor Andrew Hamilton, the university's senior officer.

Sivia is a lecturer in mathematics for the sciences at Saint John's, one of the 38 colleges that make up the university.

"The college is shocked and distressed by this tragic event," said Sir Michael Scholar, president of Saint John's.

Rawlings, who lectured on vector calculus to first-year undergraduates, was based at another Oxford college, Saint Peter's.

"He was a much-liked and admired tutor and colleague within the college and will be greatly missed," said Mark Damazer, master of Saint Peter's, in a statement.

Rawlings was one of the lead scientists in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), an international project to create the world's largest radio telescope.

"The SKA will give astronomers insight into the formation and evolution of the first stars and galaxies after the Big Bang, the role of cosmic magnetism, the nature of gravity, and possibly even life beyond Earth," says the project's website.

Sivia teaches maths for natural sciences to physics and chemistry undergraduates.

"My research interests revolve around the application of Bayesian probability theory to all sorts of data analysis problems, mainly in the physical sciences," he says on the Saint John's College website.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon,; editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/W7jiRiYwHY4/us-britain-crime-oxford-idUSTRE80C1LT20120113

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Obama takes on big government: 'It has to change'

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on government reform, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on government reform, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama waves after delivering remarks on government reform, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on government reform, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on government reform, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama suggested Friday that six economic government agencies be meshed into one, an election-year idea intended to halt bureaucratic nightmares and force Republicans to support him on one of their own favorite issues.

"The government we have is not the government we need," Obama told business owners he'd gathered at the White House.

In an election year and a political atmosphere of tighter spending, Obama's motivation is about improving a giant bureaucracy, but that is hardly all of it.

To voters sick of dysfunction, Obama wants to show some action toward making Washington work better. Politically, his plan would allow him to do so by putting the onus on Congress and in particular his Republican critics in the House of Representatives and the Senate, to show why they would be against the pursuit of a leaner government.

Obama asked Congress to give him a kind of reorganization power that no president has had since Ronald Reagan, a Republican icon. It would guarantee Obama a vote, within 90 days, on any idea he should offer to consolidate agencies, provided the idea would save money and reduce the size of government.

It would be up to lawmakers, therefore, to grant Obama this fast-track authority and then decide whether to approve any of his specific ideas.

Politically, Obama is seeking advantage on the turf often owned by Republicans: Smaller government. He is attempting to directly counter Republican arguments that accuse him of presiding over the kind of regulation, spending and debt that can undermine the economy: a dominant theme of this year's debate and one often cited by his potential re-election rival, Republican Mitt Romney.

His first target would be to merge six major trade and commerce agencies into a one-stop-shopping department for American businesses. The Commerce Department would be among those that would cease to exist.

Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Republican House Speaker John Boehner said streamlining government was always a potentially good idea but expressed suspicion about whether the plan by Obama would really help business. Don Stewart, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, pledged Obama's plan would get a careful review.

But he added: "It's interesting to see the president finally acknowledge that Washington is out of control."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-13-Obama-Trimming%20Government/id-f2230640335240ed8141781256138430

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Job fair at Facebook data center site

An industry night is scheduled for Thursday, beginning at 6 p.m. Electricians, electrician helpers, framers/carpenters/drywallers, and general laborers are in demand. DPR Construction, Rosendin Electric, and Preferred Electric will be the contractors participating in the job fair. The event will be hosted from the parking lot inside Gate #2 at the jobsite, which is accessed from Old Caroleen Road. From U.S. 74, it will be the second entrance to the site. The address is 1271 Old Caroleen Road, Forest City.

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Source: http://www.shelbystar.com/articles/caroleen-61203-fair-site.html

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US doctor jailed for sex with Cambodian boys

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia?? A Cambodian court on Wednesday sentenced an American doctor to 10 years in prison for paying for sex with two boys, aged 12 and 15.

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The boys' parents filed a complaint to police who monitored Phillip Bruce Shepard, 69, and arrested him in July.

Shepard worked at a private Phnom Penh clinic before he was arrested, The Australian Associated Press quoted an official from a local anti-pedophile group Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) as saying.

APLE started watching the Michigan native in 2007 after he was seen going into a hotel room with two boys.

The court ordered Shepard expelled once he serves his prison time.

• Corey Feldman: Hollywood pedophilia rampant

Cambodia has long been a magnet for foreign pedophiles because of poverty and poor law enforcement. In recent years police and courts have increasingly targeted sex offenders.

Child protection activists were dismayed last month when at least three convicted offenders were freed by royal pardon, including a Russian who was the focus of the country's largest pedophilia case after he paid for sex with 17 girls, the AAP reported.

The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45954773/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/

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Florida's casino fight hits the airwaves

Another sign that the high intensity fight over expanding casino gambling in Florida: practically back to back television ads in the BCS Championship.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce's "Bad Bet for Florida" features?a classroom of kids and is running Tallahassee and another market.?Meanwhile, Associated Industries of Florida's ad features American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator Ben Stein promoting the gambling venues as a jobs creator.

Finally,?an ad run by the Institute for Liberty, a Washington D.C. think tank that opposes health care reform , is running in Orlando. The group has someone found its way into the Florida gambling debate with the ad bashing?Disney for its ownership of Marvel comics, whose characters are featured on online slot machine games.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tampabaycom/blogs/buzz/~3/JQk7cV5W-tk/floridas-casino-fight-hits-airwaves

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Analysis: Romney's rivals running out of time to stop him (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Google Announces Who They Have Partnered With For Google TV [Google TV Partner List Includes Vizio, Sony, Samsung & Others, Expect To Hear & See More During CES 2012]

With CES 2012 quickly approaching, the news cycle seems to be shifting back into overdrive and with that, one of the companies that has offered up a pre-CES teaser is Google. Bottom line here, it looks like Google has some big plans for Google TV in 2012.

The official Google TV blog has been updated and that comes with a list of Google TV partners for 2012. The list of partners includes some names that we have seen before such as Sony and LG and even adds in a few more. The full list, well, the full list at this time includes LG, Marvell, MediaTek, Samsung, Sony and Vizio. Anyway, without any further adieu, here is a little teaser as to what we can expect from each of those six companies.

• LG ? We?re thrilled to welcome global consumer electronics leader LG to the Google TV family. LG will showcase a new line of TVs powered by Google TV running on their own L9 chipset at CES.
• Marvell ? Also new to the Google TV family this year is Marvell, an innovative worldwide leader in chipsets. Marvell will be showcasing a new generation of Google TV solutions which will help bring more products across more price points to consumers.
• MediaTek ? We?re also excited to partner with MediaTek, the leading Taiwanese chipset designer. MediaTek chipsets will power yet another wave of Google TV devices.
• Samsung ? We?re excited to work closely with Samsung to bring Google-TV powered Samsung devices to market in 2012.
• Sony ? We?re happy to build on our partnership with Sony. At CES, Sony will unveil new devices for the US and plans to offer Google TV powered products in several countries around the world in 2012.
• Vizio ? Last year we announced our partnership with Vizio at CES. This year we?re excited to join Vizio as they hold private demos at CES showcasing their new line of Google TV-powered products.

Otherwise, Google has also shared some details about Google TV such as how they have seen their activation rates double since they launched that big update last October. More exciting though, Google is now touting how they now have ?more than 150 apps which developers have specifically built for TV with thousands more Android apps from the mobile world available to deepen your living room TV experience.? With that, look for more Google TV related news to come next week during CES.

Source: http://nexus404.com/Blog/2012/01/06/google-announces-who-they-have-partnered-with-for-google-tv-google-tv-partner-list-includes-vizio-sony-samsung-others-expect-to-hear-see-more-during-ces-2012/

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Barnes & Noble could struggle without the Nook

Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

See the Nook spin. Bookseller Barnes & Noble says its mulling plans to spin off its Nook e-reader. Many analysts think that's not such a good idea.

By Martha C. White

The Nook?is undeniably Barnes & Noble's star product, so investors were caught by surprise?Thursday when the bookseller said it might spin off the line of electronic readers into a separate business.

"A big part of Nook's value proposition is its connection with the physical store, the buying experience," said Michael Norris, senior analyst of the trade books group at Simba Information.?

Barnes and Noble stock fell 18 percent after the company announced it is?doing "strategic exploratory work to separate the Nook business," along with larger-than-expected losses and lowered guidance for fiscal 2012.

"The in-store channel has been a key part of Nook's success so far," said Sarah Rotman Epps, senior analyst at Forrester Research. Until recently, Barnes & Noble apparently felt the same way. In 2010, it significantly expanded the footprint of its in-store Nook kiosks, encouraging customers to get hands-on with the devices.

"American consumers want to try and hold gadgets before they purchase them,? CEO William Lynch told The New York Times back then.

In Thursday's announcement, the company said a "substantial portion" of the 70 percent increase in year-over-year Nook unit sales was driven by third-party retailers, but analysts worry the bookseller is underestimating the role its own stores play in selling Nooks.?

"One of the benefits they have over Amazon is that non-tech-savvy folks hear about tablets, hear about e-readers, and are interested, but may be a little bit intimidated," said Tom Mainelli, research director covering mobile connective devices at IDC.

Both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble have been heavily targeting users who may be interested in a tablet device but are not ready to commit to the cost of an Apple iPad, which sells for $499 and up. Entry-level Kindles and Nooks can be had for under $100, and Amazon's Kindle Fire was the breakout hit of the holiday season at $199.

Amazon has distributed its tablet through third-party retailers as well as online, while Barnes & Noble has the advantage of its 700-plus retail locations.

"Barnes & Noble has done a really good job of making people feel comfortable"?by welcoming customers who need high-tech hand-holding they can't get at a big box discounter or electronics chain,?Mainelli said.

"Against all odds, Barnes & Noble built a successful digital business with Nook, but its success has been predicated on two key assets it may lose in a potential spinoff," Epps said. Besides its stores, Barnes & Noble has a strong channel relationship with publishers that wouldn't necessarily carry over if Nook became a standalone business, she said.

Barnes & Noble may be looking to the future in considering a spin-off: It might not have the resources necessary to undertake international expansion, an investment that will become imperative as its competitors, such as Amazon.com,?increase their presence globally, said Mainelli.

Currently, around 80 percent of the e-reader market is in the United States, according to market intelligence firm IDC, but Mainelli predicts that will change.

Barnes & Noble needs all the market share it can get its hands on. In the third quarter, the Kindle held a little over three-quarters of the black-and-white e-reader market in the U.S., while the Nook trailed considerably with 18 percent, Mainelli said.

It got the early jump on Amazon in the color e-reader tablet race, coming in second behind Apple with 11 percent of the market, or roughly 805,000 units. The Nook?probably didn't get to enjoy that distinction for long, once the Kindle Fire made its debut. Mainelli said he estimates that Amazon shipped more than 4 million Fires in the final quarter of 2011. "My expectation is that while Barnes & Noble will do quite well in Q4 ... I think it'll be a fraction of what Amazon shipped," he said.

If Barnes & Noble?wanted to woo a potential deep-pocketed partner, a standalone Nook might be a more attractive prospect than a brick-and-mortar company that comes with more overhead baggage.?

"If they decide to do this, it's probably going to be to insulate the Nook from what's clearly going to be a difficult road ahead," Mainelli said. He suggested that even a spun-off Nook might retain a close relationship with its former parent.?

But company executives might do better to look at their past before breaking ties with the Nook, said Simba's Norris. "I don't think it's a good idea to separate the two businesses," he said. "A number of years ago Barnes & Noble actually had their dot-com business separate from the physical business, and they ended up reeling it back in."

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/05/9978821-barnes-noble-could-struggle-without-the-nook

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Business Briefs: Investors look past debt crisis to upbeat U.S. news

WASHINGTON -- It took the whole day, but stocks came all the way back. Bruised once again by uncertainty about European debt, the U.S. stock market fell sharply Thursday at the open, then steadily gained ground for six hours. By the close, the Dow Jones industrial average had shaved its loss to less than three points, its first decline of the year.

Investors looking for good news had the latest encouraging report on the U.S. job market. Weekly unemployment claims declined again, a day before a crucial report on the national jobs picture in December.

--The Dow recovered from a 134-point deficit to end down 2.72, or 0.02 percent, at 12,415.70.

--The S&P 500 index closed up 3.76, or 0.29 percent, to 1,281.06.

--The Nasdaq composite rose 21.5, or 0.81 percent, to 2,669.86.

Mortgages bottom out again to start new year

WASHINGTON -- 2012 looks to be another year of opportunity for the few who can afford to buy or refinance a home.

The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.91 percent this week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. That matches the record low reached two weeks ago. The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage ticked down to 3.23 percent from 3.24 percent but was slightly above the all-time low.

Forecast for technology spending is cut for 2012

NEW YORK -- Research firm Gartner Inc. has cut its global technology spending growth forecast because of the sluggish economy and the euro crisis.

Gartner now expects worldwide spending on technology to grow by 3.7 percent this year, to $3.8 trillion. That's down from its earlier forecast of 4.6 percent. In 2011, global tech spending grew 6.9 percent from 2010, to $3.7 trillion.

Source: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/jan/06/business-briefs/

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