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Gaming v. Gaming/Disney: whose lobbying team will prevail ...

TALLAHASSEE ? Malaysian-based Genting wants to build a $3 billion resort casino in downtown Miami. And they?re hiring an All-Star team of Florida lobbyists to make it a reality. Since summer, gaming interests of all varieties have hired nearly three-dozen lobbyists in to lay the groundwork for debate on the resort casino bill filed this week.

And all sides are throwing gobs of cash at ruling Republicans; Genting alone has coughed up more than $200,000.

Since the company bought The Miami Herald building last spring, it?s hired a dozen lobbyists, including uber-fundraiser Brian Ballard; ex-education commissioner Jim Horne; ex-congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart; and Democratic lobbyists Sean Pitts and Nancy Texeira.

The company even retained former Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson to lobby Gov. Rick Scott?s office, while Mardi Gras Gaming ? which has given $55,500 this year ? turned to another ex-minority leader, Steve Geller of Hallandale Beach, to lobby against the Malaysian multi-national.

Other companies with resort casino ambitions, like Las Vegas Sands, are giving to Associated Industries of Florida, the business lobby that doesn?t oppose gaming.

But Walt Disney usually gets its way in Tallahassee.

The company is opposed to the expansion of gaming and?has given more than $417,000 to state political parties, candidates and committees this year. It?s also beefed up its lobbying team by hiring former Republican Party of Florida executive director Andy Palmer.

Keep reading.

And here?s a list of all the legislative lobbyists hired by gaming interests of all sorts?since June:

Casino legislative lobbyists

Principal Name	Last Name	First Name	Eff Date	NAICS
Dania Entertainment Center, LLC	Dyal	Stephen	10/25/2011	713200
Dania Entertainment Center, LLC	Fearington	Mercer	10/25/2011	713200
Dania Entertainment Center, LLC	Smith	James	10/25/2011	713200
LakeFron, Inc, d/b/a Ocala Jai-Alai	Cherry	Brian	10/19/2011	713290
Arcola Systems Florida, LLC	Fess	Julie	10/18/2011	713290
Tampa Bay Downs, Inc	Bussey	Jonathan	10/18/2011	713290
Tampa Bay Downs, Inc	Roth	Cari	10/18/2011	713290
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Pollock	Daniel	10/17/2011	721120
Florida Electronic Scratch Off, LLC	Henderson	Cynthia	10/14/2011	713290
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Lukis	Sylvester	10/12/2011	721120
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Turbeville	William	10/12/2011	721120
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	McCann	Joseph	10/6/2011	721120
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Bell	Patrick	10/4/2011	721120
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Horne	James	9/29/2011	721120
Genting/Bayfront 2011 Property, LLC	Traviesa	Anthony	9/20/2011	721120
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Pittman	Sean	9/19/2011	721120
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Texeira	Nancy	9/19/2011	721120
Diamond Game Enterprises, Inc	DiBenigno	Leo	9/16/2011	713290
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Diaz-Balart	Lincoln	9/7/2011	721120
Florida Horsemen?s Benevolent & Protective Association, Inc	Colodny	Michael	8/31/2011	711212
Florida Horsemen?s Benevolent & Protective Association, Inc	Karlinsky	Fred	8/31/2011	711212
Florida Horsemen?s Benevolent & Protective Association, Inc	Mask	Trevor	8/31/2011	711212
Florida Horsemen?s Benevolent & Protective Association, Inc	Pierce	Jennifer	8/31/2011	711212
Florida Horsemen?s Benevolent & Protective Association, Inc	Stanfield	Timothy	8/31/2011	711212
Florida Horsemen?s Benevolent & Protective Association, Inc	Webb	Katherine	8/26/2011	711212
Bayfront 2011 Development, LLC	Ballard	Brian	8/5/2011	721120
Bayfront Property 2011 LLC d/b/a Resorts World Miami	Curbelo	Carlos	7/15/2011	721120
Fertitta Entertainment	Blair	Robert	6/23/2011	721120
Fertitta Entertainment	Corcoran	Michael	6/23/2011	721120
Fertitta Entertainment	Johnston	Jeffrey	6/23/2011	721120
Fertitta Entertainment	Stewart	Amanda	6/23/2011	721120

Source: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2011/10/gaming-v-gamingdisney-whose-lobbying-team-will-prevail.html

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'Sister Wives' Family Welcomes 17th Child!

Polygamist reality stars Kody and Robyn Brown welcome a baby boy! Plus, see more stars who welcomed new bundles of joy

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-babies-2011/1-b-16266?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrity-babies-2011-16266

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BlackBerry maker parts ways with another top manager (Reuters)

TORONTO (Reuters) ? Research In Motion has parted ways with a senior executive involved with the company's move into "cloud-based" services, adding to a string of high-level departures from the BlackBerry maker.

Jim Tobin, senior vice-president for software and business services reporting directly to co-CEO Jim Balsillie, left the Canadian company months ago, RIM confirmed on Thursday in an email. It has never officially announced the departure.

His exit further depletes a management team that has lost a number of top executives in developer relations, sales, and marketing in recent months.

The attrition comes as the smartphone maker struggles to regain its competitive edge against Apple Inc's iPhone and iPad and a slew of devices using Google's Android software.

RIM has repeatedly delayed its new product releases, and once launched, some of its devices have received poor reviews. Earlier this month a global outage knocked out service for tens of millions of BlackBerry users across five continents.

In July RIM said it was slashing about 11 percent of its workforce because of falling sales and profit.

Tobin was responsible for a recent move by RIM into cloud services - allowing its enterprise customers to use servers hosted by RIM instead of on-site computers to handle email and other corporate data.

He also worked on a team that developed BBM Music, a song-sharing service run on top of RIM's popular BlackBerry Messenger application as well as a wider push to incorporate Messenger into third-party developer applications.

Tobin previously worked in product development at Comcast, and at Time Warner in a corporate technology role. He was an associate principal at consulting firm McKinsey, according to his LinkedIn profile, which still shows him as a RIM employee.

RIM has parted ways with a string of high-profile employees in recent months, including chief marketing officer Keith Pardy and head of developer relations Tyler Lessard.

One of RIM's three chief operating officers, Don Morrison, resigned in July after taking a medical leave.

Two members of Pardy's team later left for jobs with rival Samsung, while a member of Lessard's developer outreach unit, Mike Kirkup, resigned in August.

A growing chorus of investors and analysts are calling for a shake-up at the very top of the company, where co-founder Mike Lazaridis and long-time partner Jim Balsillie share roles as chief executives and chairmen of the board.

RIM's shares have lost some 70 percent of their value since a peak around $70 reached in February. They were trading 2.5 percent higher at $21.24 on the Nasdaq by early afternoon on Thursday.

(Editing by Frank McGurty)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111027/tc_nm/us_rim_tobin

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U.N. council plans swift end to Libya mandate (Reuters)

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) ? The Security Council plans to end U.N. authorization for a no-fly zone and NATO intervention in Libya this week despite calls from Libya's government for it to wait, council envoys said on Wednesday.

Libyan Deputy U.N. Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the 15-nation council that Libya's people were "looking forward to terminating the no-fly zone over Libya as well as terminating the mandate accorded by Security Council resolution 1973 to protect civilians as soon as possible."

"In accordance with the initial assessments, the date of October 31 is a logical date to terminate this mandate," he said.

But he added that Libya's National Transitional Council, or NTC, had not yet made an official decision on whether to request termination of the U.N. mandate under resolution 1973, which authorized members of NATO and other U.N. member states to take "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians.

That was why the Libyan government wanted the council to hold off on ending NATO's U.N. mandate, Dabbashi said.

"We request the council to give a chance to the NTC to take a resolution on this," he said. "This requires some days. Perhaps this will take place before the 31st of this month."

Dabbashi said the government needed more time to assess the security situation in its country and its ability to monitor its borders.

Western diplomats on the Security Council told reporters after closed-door discussions on Libya that council members planned to go ahead and terminate the U.N. mandate, thereby withdrawing NATO's authorization in Libya.

They said issues the NTC had suggested it would like NATO to help with, including border security, fell outside the U.N. mandate to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly zone.

"The job was to protect civilians and from NATO's point of view, that mission has been accomplished," a diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "There's no point in delaying termination of the mandate."

DABBASHI: GADDAFI WASN'T EXECUTED

France's U.N. ambassador, Gerard Araud, said an arms embargo and other sanctions on Libya still in place would not be affected by the council's move to end the no-fly zone and terminate the U.N. mandate for outside military intervention.

He added that all council members believed there would be no need for the U.N. mandate for military operations in Libya beyond Monday and planned to adopt a resolution that would formally cancel that mandate on Thursday or Friday.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who has repeatedly accused NATO of exceeding its U.N. mandate in Libya, said extending the U.N. authorization beyond Monday would be "unrealistic."

The Security Council in March authorized a no-fly zone and foreign military intervention to protect Libyans from security forces that then-leader Muammar Gaddafi had deployed to suppress pro-democracy uprisings across the country.

The council is also expected in the coming days to approve a Russian-drafted resolution voicing concern about the proliferation of shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles across Libya and beyond its borders, diplomats said.

Apparently responding to calls from various senior U.N. officials for an investigation into the circumstances of the death of Gaddafi after his capture last Thursday, Dabbashi denied NTC soldiers had summarily executed him.

Gaddafi died of wounds he sustained prior to his capture, he said.

"Gaddafi was injured in the course of the clashes between his loyalists and the revolutionaries," Dabbashi said. "When he was arrested, he was bleeding from his abdomen and head and he passed away (on) his arrival to the hospital in Misrata."

"According to initial reports, none of the revolutionaries fired at him after arresting him," he said.

He added the Libyans were conducting an investigation.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111026/wl_nm/us_libya_un

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The 2011 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize: Honoring Dr. Brenda Milner for her pioneering work in cognitive neuroscience

Tragic it is when a young mother never gets to meet her newborn child; however, it is also awe-inspiring to see a victim of this circumstance rise above and honor his mother?s sacrifice.? On December 11^th, 1925, the complications surrounding Paul Greengard?s birth resulted in the death of his mother, nee Pearl Meister.? Almost 75 years later, the Nobel laureate and Rockefeller University professor and his wife, Ursula von Rydingsvard, paid homage to his late mother ? and to women in science ? by launching the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize.

Dr. Brenda Milner (image obtained from The Rockefeller University)

This year?s recipient is Dr. Brenda Milner, the Dorothy J. Killam Professor at?McGill University?s Montreal Neurological Institute and professor in the department of neurology and neurosurgery at?McGill University.? On November 3^rd, Dr. Milner will be honored in the eight year of this prestigious award.? She is among the many women who have paved the way for women?s progress in academia and this ceremony to celebrate her work is nothing short of well deserved.

History of the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize

Though progress has been made over the years, women are still sorely underrepresented in the upper ranks of biomedical research.? This statement is backed up by a plethora of statistics, with perhaps the breakdown of inductees into the National Academy of Sciences representing the prime example of this inequitable paradigm.? Dr. Greengard recognizes this disparity stating that ?[women] are not yet receiving awards and honors at a level commensurate with their achievements.?

Dr. Paul Greengard (image obtained from Wikipedia Commons)

In 1998, Dr. Greengard and Ursula von Rydingsvard decided to go beyond the simple acknowledgement of gender bias in biomedical research and began to fund an award that simultaneously honored Pearl Meister Greengard and outstanding women scientists.? He started with the $50,000 award for medical research he received from the Metropolitan Life Foundation and matched it with $50,000 of his own money. ??He was also able to raise money from a number of very generous independent donors.? However, the endowment for the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize was significantly advanced in 2000 when Dr. Greengard won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the neurological understanding of psychological disorders ? a prize that was shared with Eric Kandel of Columbia University and Arvid Carlsson of Goteborg University. ??The $400,000 donation made by Dr. Greengard ? his entire Nobel Prize winnings ? brought the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize funding to a level that would support an annual prize.

After a six-year gestational period, the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize was finally brought to life. In November of 2004, the French embryologist Nicole Le Douarin became the first Pearl Meister Greengard Prize recipient, beginning a wonderful tradition of recognizing internationally outstanding women in the field of biomedical research.? Also included in this new declaration of women?s scientific achievements was to have the award presented by another exceptional woman role model ? one who was not necessarily involved in science.? To date, there have been twelve women recognized by the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize committee, two of whom (Elizabeth Blackburn and Carol Greider) have gone on to win the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, leading Sir Paul Nurse to joke in his 2010 introduction to the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize ceremony, where we go, Stockholm follows.

Defenders of DNA. From left to right, the 2008 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize recipients Vicki Lundblad, Carol W. Greider and Elizabeth H. Blackburn (image obtained from The Rockefeller University).

Although he never knew his mother, Dr. Greengard saw her as an example of how women have been held back simply because of the fact that they had two X chromosomes.? In his video about this prestigious prize, Dr. Greengard discusses his mother: She was by all accounts a very talented woman but she was restricted to doing secretarial work. He further adds, Because I wanted to do something about the discrimination against women, it seemed that it would be a nice thing to name it in honor of her memory.

Honoring Dr. Brenda Milner?s legacy and the modern era of memory research

The 2011 Pearl Meister Greengard prize will go to Dr. Brenda Milner of McGill University for her work in the field of cognitive neuroscience.? On November 3^rd, in a ceremony to take place in the historic Caspary Auditorium at The Rockefeller University, the former president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, will present Dr. Milner with this international award.

Considered the to be founder of neuropsychology, a discipline that examines the association between brain structure and psychological behavior, Dr. Milner began her career studying experimental psychology at Cambridge University in the late 1930?s.? After a brief period examining fighter pilot aptitude during World War II, Dr. Milner moved to Canada in 1944, taking an academic position at the Institute of Psychology at the?University of Montreal.? However, it was not until 1950 that she moved to McGill University, where she began her doctoral studies at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI).

Though Dr. Milner was technically the doctoral student of Dr. Donald Hebb, she served as a modern-day medical apprentice to Dr. Wilder?Penfield, who was developing a type of surgical procedure to help treat patients with severe epilepsy.

Dr. Wilder Penfield (Image obtained here)

Using an electroencephalogram (EEG) test to map the affected areas in the brain in patients with epilepsy, Dr. Penfield developed a more directed surgical technique that allowed neurosurgeons to treat only brain regions associated with the epileptic seizures, lessening the need for potentially damaging exploratory procedure.? Dr. Milner developed her doctoral research project around this technique, developing a series of tests in order to accurately demonstrate the efficacy of this type of surgery. The new approach introduced by Dr. Penfield primarily dealt with an area of the brain called the temporal lobe.

Basic brain anatomy (image obtained here)

This region of the brain includes the very important hippocampus, which is the neurological component associated with long-term memory function.? Dr. Milner noted that though these procedures were quite effective in lessening the number and severity of epileptic episodes, some patients who had undergone this surgery suffered from memory issues.? Because of these findings, Dr. Milner shifted the direction of her research and began to study the neurological processes involved in focus and memory.

Dr. Milner?s studies quickly led to a collaboration that would forever change the field of cognitive neuroscience.? After catching word of her research, Dr. William Beecher Scoville, the neurosurgeon responsible for the patient known to the world only as H.M. (revealed to be Henry Gustav Molaison at the time of his death in December 2008), contacted Dr. Milner?s group.

Patient H.M., N of 1 (image obtained here)

Dr. Scoville had performed a temporal lobectomy on H.M., who, because of a severe childhood head injury, had been suffering from about 20 epileptic seizures per day.? Though the surgery had done wonders for H.M.?s epilepsy, the procedure left him completely unable to form new memories.? In essence, H.M. could not remember a single event prior to the surgery ? no recollection of who he had met that day, who the president was, or even what he had for breakfast.? Soon enough, Dr. Milner found herself regularly taking the night train from Quebec to Hartford to visit H.M., administering a series of memory exams with each visit.

In 1957, along with Dr. Scoville, Dr. Milner co-authored a scientific paper describing their results.? In this seminal article, it was found that there is a positive relationship between the extent of destruction to the hippocampal complex specifically and the degree of memory impairment.? For the first time, it was postulated that memory was something that could be traced back to a single neurological region and was not something associated with the entire brain.? Because this conclusion went against the accepted dogma, it was highly questioned by the scientific establishment.? However, the doubts associated with Dr. Milner?s initial publication regarding H.M. quickly faded, beginning in 1962 when she showed that H.M. was able to learn a new motor skill using visual perception. ?This landmark study was the first to suggest that there are at least two neurological systems for memory and that different areas of the brain are responsible for different types of memory, such as that associated with learning new motor skills.

Dr. Milner continued with her research on H.M., radically changing our understanding of how learning and memory worked.? As it was written in the McGill Reporter in 2007, Milner has been blazing trails over the last 50 years, making her name as one of the most important neuroscientists of the twentieth century. ?Along with the accolades have come the awards. She?s been inducted into the National Academy of Sciences (USA) and the Royal Societies of London and Canada and is a Companion of the Order of Canada, to name but a few of her honours.? Also included in Dr. Milner?s list of incredible honors are the Balzan Prize for Cognitive Neurosciences, the Gairdner Foundation International Award and now the prestigious Pearl Meister Greengard Prize.

When asked to comment on the newest of these awards, Dr. Milner humbly states: I am absolutely delighted and amazed to receive this special award and so proud and honored to be representing women scientists in this context.? I am very privileged for having been able to pursue my sense of curiosity within the culture of excellence at the Montreal Neurological Institute, as well as to train and encourage talented young students ? driving forces throughout my career to which I attribute much of my success.? The Rockefeller University and the scientific community as a whole look forward to November 3^rd so that we may pay homage to the woman who has paved the way not only for neuropsychology, but also for women who choose to pursue a career as a biomedical researcher.

?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=8c19b3511c65c5644dd85cf4f0f091f9

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Netflix shares tank amid backlash and defections

NEW YORK (AP) ? Netflix shares plunged 35 percent Tuesday after the one-time Wall Street favorite revealed a massive departure of subscribers angered by price increases and other questionable changes at rental service that was created to make entertainment a snap.

Netflix revealed late Monday that it ended September with 23.8 million U.S. subscribers. That's down about 800,000 from June and worse than what the company had hinted at before. In September, the company predicted it will lose about 600,000 U.S. customers.

And it may get worse. Netflix said it expects more defections in coming months.

The exodus began after the company raised its prices by as much as 60 percent in July and split up its streaming and DVD rental services. Its website was flooded by comments from angry customers. Many people also canceled service, especially on the DVD-by-mail side. The company is betting that its future is in streaming video, and CEO Reed Hastings has said he expects Netflix's DVD subscriptions to steadily decline, much like what has happened to AOL Inc.'s dial-up Internet service.

But Netflix bungled a spin off its DVD-by-mail service, giving it the name Qwikster and creating separate accounts for people who wanted both DVDs and movie streaming. By doing so, the company created what many perceived to be a more complicated rental process at a company that began its meteoric rise with a new, easier way of searching for and finding entertainment effortlessly.

Netflix shares tumbled $41.34 to $77.50 in late morning trading Tuesday. The stock is down from more than $300 just 3 ? months ago. The last time the stock was trading so low was in April 2010, but that was during an extraordinarily steep ascent, after the company nearly erased the omnipresent blue and yellow storefronts of Blockbuster.

The revelations from Netflix prompted a downgrade to "Neutral" from "Buy" from Citi Investment Research analyst Mark Mahaney on Tuesday, who also slashed his target price on the stock to $95 from $220. The analyst called the price increase and the abandoned plan to separate Netflix's DVD business two "major execution errors."

Netflix Inc. did report better-than-expected financial results for the third quarter, but that was drowned out by the din of subscriber cancellations, expense controls and a one-time tax benefit, said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter.

Pachter cut his target price to $82.50 from $110 on Netflix's stock and kept his rating at "Neutral."

Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix said it does not comment on stock movement or analyst reports.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-10-25-APFN-US-Netflix-Stock/id-2a6f0e17328f44a7a88d2c86ad722eed

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First-of-a-kind tension wood study broadens biofuels research

ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2011) ? Taking a cue from Mother Nature, researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center have undertaken a first-of-its-kind study of a naturally occurring phenomenon in trees to spur the development of more efficient bioenergy crops.

Tension wood, which forms naturally in hardwood trees in response to bending stress, is known to possess unique features that render it desirable as a bioenergy feedstock. Although individual elements of tension wood have been studied previously, the BESC team is the first to use a comprehensive suite of techniques to systematically characterize tension wood and link the wood's properties to sugar release. Plant sugars, known as cellulose, are fermented into alcohol for use as biofuel.

"There has been no integrated study of tension stress response that relates the molecular and biochemical properties of the wood to the amount of sugar that is released," said Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Udaya Kalluri, a co-author on the study.

The work, published in Energy & Environmental Science, describes tension wood properties including an increased number of woody cells, thicker cell walls, more crystalline forms of cellulose and lower lignin levels, all of which are desired in an biofuel crop.

"Tension wood in poplar trees has a special type of cell wall that is of interest because it is composed of more than 90 percent cellulose, whereas wood is normally composed of 40 to 55 percent cellulose," Kalluri said. "If you increase the cellulose in your feedstock material, then you can potentially extract more sugars as the quality of the wood has changed. Our study confirms this phenomenon."

The study's cohesive approach also provides a new perspective on the natural plant barriers that prevent the release of sugars necessary for biofuel production, a trait scientists term as recalcitrance.

"Recalcitrance of plants is ultimately a reflection of a series of integrated plant cell walls, components, structures and how they are put together," said co-author Arthur Ragauskas of Georgia Institute of Technology. "This paper illustrates that you need to use an holistic, integrated approach to study the totality of recalcitrance."

Using the current study as a model, the researchers are extending their investigation of tension wood down to the molecular level and hope to eventually unearth the genetic basis behind its desirable physical features. Although tension wood itself is not considered to be a viable feedstock option, insight gleaned from studying its unique physical and molecular characteristics could be used to design and select more suitably tailored bioenergy crops.

"This study exemplifies how the integrated model of BESC can bring together such unique research expertise," said BESC director Paul Gilna. "The experimental design in itself is reflective of the multidisciplinary nature of a DOE Bioenergy Research Center."

The research team also includes Georgia Institute of Technology's Marcus Foston, Chris Hubbell, Reichel Sameul, Seokwon Jung and Hu Fan; National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Robert Sykes, Shi-You Ding, Yining Zeng, Erica Gjersing and Mark Davis, and ORNL's Sara Jawdy and Gerald Tuskan.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Marcus Foston, Christopher A. Hubbell, Reichel Samuel, Seokwon Jung, Hu Fan, Shi-You Ding, Yining Zeng, Sara Jawdy, Mark Davis, Robert Sykes, Erica Gjersing, Gerald A. Tuskan, Udaya Kalluri, Arthur J. Ragauskas. Chemical, ultrastructural and supramolecular analysis of tension wood in Populus tremula x alba as a model substrate for reduced recalcitrance. Energy & Environmental Science, 2011; DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02073K

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

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

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025163121.htm

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Target website crashes for second time in six weeks (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Target Corp's TGT.N> website crashed for the second time in six weeks on Tuesday, interrupting online shopping for the discount chain.

A company spokesman confirmed that Target.com went down at 11:50 a.m. CDT (12:50 p.m. EDT).

"We are working diligently to bring the site back online and to ensure that it is operating efficiently," said spokesman Lee Henderson.

Shortly after 2 p.m. CDT (2:50 p.m. EDT), the website was back up. It also crashed on September 13, after an overwhelming rush to the website by shoppers interested in a new line of Missoni apparel and other goods.

It was not immediately clear what caused Tuesday's crash.

Minneapolis-based Target recently took over running its website from Amazon.com Inc and the Missoni launch was the first major initiative for the retailer since that change.

Tuesday's outage comes less than two weeks after Steve Eastman, the former president of Target.com, left the company to pursue other opportunities. At the time, Target did not name a replacement.

Target shares were down 18 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $54.54 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Martinne Geller, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111025/wr_nm/us_target

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OU, Wisconsin fall, LSU-Bama set for 1 vs. 2 game

LSU head coach Les Miles, center, sings the LSU fight song with safety Eric Reid (1), wide receiver Armand Williams (81) and others after their NCAA college football game against Auburn in Baton Rouge, La. Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. LSU won 45-10 to remain undefeated. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

LSU head coach Les Miles, center, sings the LSU fight song with safety Eric Reid (1), wide receiver Armand Williams (81) and others after their NCAA college football game against Auburn in Baton Rouge, La. Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. LSU won 45-10 to remain undefeated. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Alabama running back Trent Richardson (3) leaps across the goal line past Tennessee defensive back Brent Brewer (17) and linebacker Austin Johnson (40) to score a touchdown in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct, 22, 2011, in Tuscaloosa Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

NEW YORK (AP) ? No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama have locked in their spots for the biggest regular-season game in Southeastern Conference history.

The Tigers and Crimson Tide held the first two spots in The Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday after huge victories a day earlier. With both heading into an off week, LSU and Alabama are virtually assured of meeting on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa as the top two teams in the country.

It'll be the second 1 vs. 2 matchup involving SEC teams, but the first time came in the conference championship game.

"It is going to be one of the best games ever," LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery said. "Basketball, football, video games, whatever ? it is going to be the most competitive thing that I have ever been a part of. These guys (Alabama) are just like us. They are big, fast and strong. Two great teams are going to be facing each other in two weeks."

Oklahoma, the preseason No. 1, dropped eight spots to No. 11 after its first loss of the season. The Sooners fell 41-38 to Texas Tech on Saturday night, snapping a 39-game home winning streak. The Red Raiders moved into the ranking for the first time this season at No. 19.

Wisconsin also dropped eight spots after its first loss of the season, falling to No. 12 following a 37-31 loss to Michigan State on the final play of the game. The Spartans moved up six spots to No. 9.

LSU received 49 first-place votes from the media panel. Alabama got nine and No. 5 Boise State had one.

Oklahoma State is No. 3, followed by fellow unbeatens Stanford, Boise State and Clemson. The Cowboys have their best ranking since Nov. 19, 1984, when they were also No. 3.

In the USA Today coaches' poll, LSU replaced Oklahoma as No. 1, followed by Alabama at No. 2, Stanford at No. 3, Oklahoma State at No. 4 and Boise State at No. 5.

The Harris poll top five was LSU, Alabama, Stanford, Oklahoma State and Boise State.

Those two polls are used in the BCS standings, which were due out Sunday night.

In the AP rankings, No. 6 Clemson has its highest ranking since 2000, when the Tigers spent four weeks at No. 5.

No. 6 Clemson has its highest ranking since 2000, when the Tigers spent four weeks at No. 5.

No. 7 Oregon, Michigan State, Arkansas and undefeated Kansas State round out the top 10.

Moving into the rankings this week along with Texas Tech were No. 20 Southern California, No. 21 Penn State and No. 24 Cincinnati, which is ranked for the first time this season.

Falling out after losses were Washington, Georgia Tech, Illinois and defending national champion Auburn.

Nos. 13-18 were Nebraska, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Houston, which has its best ranking since 2009.

Joining the four teams moving into the rankings at the bottom were No. 22 Georgia, No. 23 Arizona State and No. 25 West Virginia.

For Alabama and LSU, the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup likely will decide which of the SEC West rivals plays in the conference championship and could ultimately determine which teams plays for the national title in New Orleans on Jan. 9.

LSU's only appearance in a 1-2 game was in the BCS title game in 2008. This will be Alabama's sixth No. 1 vs. No. 2 game, but first in the regular season.

The last time there was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in college football not played in a bowl or conference title game was 2006, when No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan on the final weekend of the Big Ten's regular season and went on to lose the BCS championship game to Florida. Earlier that season, top-ranked Ohio State also played No. 2 Texas.

____

AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in Baton Rouge, La., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-10-23-FBC-T25-College-FB-Poll/id-6cb93a8e8c82489388b4aabd5ea93c0f

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401(k) limit raised for pension plans

401(k) limit for 2012 tax year will be $17,000. IRS raising 401(k) contribution limit by $500 a year to account for inflation.

The Internal Revenue Service is raising the maximum contribution that workers can make to their 401(k) pension plans without paying upfront taxes. The limit will rise by $500 to $17,000 next year.

Skip to next paragraph

The increase is required by law to adjust for inflation. The ceiling hadn't grown since 2009 because inflation had been too low to trigger an increase.

Companies that set up 401(k) plans for their employees are free to limit maximum contributions at levels below the legal ceiling, and many do.

Thirty-three percent of workers ages 21-64 used 401(k) plans in 2009, the most recent year for which figures are available, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a nonpartisan research group that advocates strong employee benefit programs.

Only 9 percent of people with a 401(k) contributed the maximum dollar amount to their plans in 2005, the most recent year for which that data is available, the institute said.

The IRS also is making inflation adjustments to the personal exemption, tax brackets and other parts of the tax code for 2012.

The personal exemption and the dependent exemption will grow to $3,800 each, a $100 increase from 2011.

The standard deduction for married couples filing jointly will rise by $300 to $11,900, while the standard deduction for single people will increase by $150 to $5,950. The standard deduction is used by the almost two-thirds of taxpayers who do not itemize deductions for items such as mortgage interest.

Tax brackets will change, too. For married couples filing a joint return, the taxable income at which the rate grows from 15 percent to 25 percent will be $70,700, compared with $69,000 this year.

The changes are all for the 2012 tax year. Most people will file their returns for that year at the beginning of 2013.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/AyaLfk6TLNg/401-k-limit-raised-for-pension-plans

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Cops Who Stay Undercover and Murdered Whistle-Blowers

Undercover Police and the Law: The Men Who Weren?t There, Guardian
Jim Sutton, a British cop who went undercover as a political activist, landed in court for disorderly behavior. His act didn?t end there. Sutton testified using a fake name and a fictitious identity. The Guardian looks into recent allegations that cops like Sutton were authorized by their supervisors to keep acting until well after the gavel came down.
Contributed by @BostonReview

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=604fa580924694563ff1ccc18a0dd07c

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Kelsey Grammer: The New Boss (omg!)

Lang Lang to honor composer Frank Liszt

Fri, Oct 21, 2011 8:44 AM PDT

AP 1:48 | 1,459 views

Classical pianist Lang Lang talks about his concert, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which celebrates the 200th birthday of composer Frank Liszt, and reveals his unusual musical inspiration. (Oct. 21)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/http___omg_yahoo_com_videos15550/43349448/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/videos/kelsey-grammer-the-new-boss/15550

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Meteor Shower Spawned by Halley's Comet Peaks Early Saturday (SPACE.com)

Early bird skywatchers set your alarms: The annual October meteor shower will peak before sunrise on Saturday (Oct. 22) as the Earth passes through a stream of leftover dust from the famous Halley's Comet.

The Orionid meteor shower promises to offer skywatchers with a dark sky and good weather up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak, according to a NASA forecast.

"Although this isn't the biggest meteor shower of the year, it's definitely worth waking up for," said Bill Cooke, head of the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office, in a statement. "The setting is dynamite."

The Orionids will emanate from a point in the southeastern sky (as viewed from the northern mid-latitudes) near the raised arm of Orion the Hunter, the constellation that gives them their name. From there, they streak across Taurus the Bull, the twins of Gemini, Leo the Lion, and Canis Major.

The sky map of the Orionid meteor shower here shows where to look to see the "shooting star" display.

The Orionids are visible each year, even though Halley's comet only swings by about every 75 years. This is because comets leave a trail of volatile ices and dust along their orbital path that hangs around long after the comets have come and gone.

This year, some of the Orionids will also appear to pass through a "celestial triangle" formed by the crescent moon, Mars and Regulus, a star in the constellation Leo. Others may even collide with the moon, and Cooke says this presents a great opportunity for amateur skywatchers and scientists alike.

Unlike Earth, the moon has no atmosphere to intercept and burn up meteoroids, so pieces of debris reach the surface and explode where they hit.?

"Some explode with energies exceeding hundreds of pounds of TNT," Cooke said. These lunar crashes could produce flashes so bright they can sometimes be seen through backyard telescopes.

By observing these collisions, Cooke and his colleagues are able to learn about the structure of comet debris streams and the energy of the particles within them. Since the start of their monitoring program in 2005, they've seen 15 Orionids hit the moon: two in 2007, four in 2008, and nine in 2009, Cooke said.?

This year looks promising as one-quarter of the moon's dark terrain will be exposed to Halley's debris stream, so the team has millions of square miles to scan for explosions, he added.

As Halley swings in a huge orbital loop around the sun, it passes near the plane of Earth's orbit in two places (the first as it swings inward to the inner solar system, the other as it leaves). The gas and dust shed by the comet, therefore, is encountered by Earth twice a year.

Earth passes through the first patch of comet Halley debris in early May, giving rise to the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. The pass the second pass occurs every year in late October, giving rise to the Orionids.

Editor's note: If you snap a great photo of the Orionid meteor shower and would like to share the image and your comments for a possible image gallery or story, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at?tmalik@space.com.

Natalie Wolchover (@nattyover) is a staff writer for Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to SPACE.com. For the latest in space science and exploration news, follow SPACE.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20111021/sc_space/meteorshowerspawnedbyhalleyscometpeaksearlysaturday

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A Long, Long Time (talking-points-memo)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/151039978?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Superconducting disc locked in upside-down levitation

MacGregor Campbell, consultant

Surely if flying saucers existed, they would float around like the disc in this video. The demonstration by physicist Boaz Almog from Tel Aviv University, Israel, at the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, earlier this week illustrates how a superconducting plate can be fixed in 3D space while levitating above a track of permanent magnets. But this isn't simply magnetic repulsion: the disc can also stay suspended upside down when the magnets are flipped over.

The clip has caused a stir online over the last few days, but the effect is perfectly explainable using the laws of physics.

The make-up of the disc is key: it's composed of sapphire crystals, which are poor conductors, coated with a thin layer of yttrium barium copper oxide, which is a superconductor. Superconductors hate magnetic fields due to a phenomenon called the Meissner effect. Since electrical current and magnetic fields are related to one another, and electrical current flows very easily in a superconductor, subjecting it to a magnetic field will create currents that expel the field inside it. The device will then resist any changes, like falling down, that might change the magnetic fields it contains. ?

Almog's disc can be locked in place thanks to tiny gaps in the ultra-thin superconducting coating that allow some of the magnetic fields to seep in. Since the superconductor hates magnetic fields, it traps them in weak areas. So the tiny spaces act as pins, holding up the disc in space.

"We have achieved what was thought to be impossible up until today: growing high quality superconducting layers on sapphire wafers," says Almog. "Since the superconductor is of the highest quality, it allows a micron thick layer to be locked in space with enough power."

But if you think this could lead to a hoverboard or flying car, don't get your hopes up. Magnets would have to be embedded on a vehicle's entire surface and it would need to be permanently chilled with liquid nitrogen. A superconductor that works at room temperature would solve part of the challenge, but such a material hasn't yet been discovered.

If you enjoyed this video, watch a vehicle levitate without magnets or check out this tiny hovering robot.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/196ea307/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cnstv0C20A110C10A0Clevitating0Edisc0Estays0Elocked0Ein0E3d0Espace0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Medvedev says Russia must avoid stagnation

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaks at a meeting with his supporters at the Gorki residence outside Gorki, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Medvedev is rejecting claims that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's imminent return to the presidency could result in economic and political stagnation similar to Soviet times. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaks at a meeting with his supporters at the Gorki residence outside Gorki, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Medvedev is rejecting claims that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's imminent return to the presidency could result in economic and political stagnation similar to Soviet times. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, speaks at a meeting with his supporters at the Gorki residence outside Gorki, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Medvedev is rejecting claims that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's imminent return to the presidency could result in economic and political stagnation similar to Soviet times. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaks at a meeting with his supporters at the Gorki residence outside Gorki, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Medvedev is rejecting claims that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's imminent return to the presidency could result in economic and political stagnation similar to Soviet times. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, speaks at a meeting with his supporters at the Gorki residence outside in Gorki, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, speaks at a meeting with his supporters at the Gorki residence outside in Gorki, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011.(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, pool)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia must learn from its past and avoid plunging into the stagnation that set the stage for the collapse of the Soviet Union, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.

Medvedev, speaking at a meeting with supporters, rejected claims that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's imminent return to presidency in March's election would further strengthen authoritarian trends and be a repetition of the late Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's 18-year rule.

"The analogies are lame, they make no sense," Medvedev said. "We are living in another country, we aren't the same and we have another social and economic order."

Medvedev said, however, that Russia must remember its past and warned that "any stagnation is inadmissible." Russia needs to "gradually but steadfastly move forward," he said.

Medvedev promised a gathering of officials, businessmen, journalists and cultural figures that many of them could take government jobs if he and Putin swap places after the presidential vote as they have agreed.

He said he wants to form a Cabinet that would encourage stronger feedback from society and engage in broader dialogue with civil society activists.

Putin's 2000-2008 presidency saw a rollback in post-Soviet freedoms and an increase of the state's influence on the economy. He has remained Russia's most powerful politician after moving into the nominally No. 2 job of premier due to a term limit.

Medvedev's decision to step aside to let his mentor reclaim the presidency has disappointed many Russian liberals who had been heartened by his pledges to strengthen the rule of law, combat graft and make the political system more democratic. Wednesday's meeting, like a similar event over the weekend, was clearly aimed at assuaging the Russian middle-class nervousness about Putin's comeback.

Medvedev admitted Russia's democratic institutions need strengthening, and said he would champion further reforms if he becomes prime minister.

He also said Russia would keep friendly ties with other countries, adding that it would need their help to boost its economy.

"We won't be able to conduct modernization without help and support from other nations," Medvedev said. "The Iron Curtain never helped anyone, and concepts of autonomus development led into a deadlock."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-19-EU-Russia-Medvedev/id-98cd20db708649cf93e471089ce8eeb3

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Amazon Prime adds PBS, prepping for Kindle Fire

Amazon

By Todd Bishop
GeekWire

Popular PBS shows such as Nova, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, and documentaries by Ken Burns will be added to the streaming content available to Amazon Prime subscribers under?a distribution deal announced this morning between PBS and Amazon.com.

Amazon has been beefing up its Amazon Prime catalog in advance of the upcoming release of the Kindle Fire, aiming to persuade users of the device to pay for the $79/year?subscription service after a one-month free trial that comes with the device.

The addition of current and archived PBS programs will boost the library of Amazon Prime streaming videos to more than 12,000 by the end of the year, the company says.

PBS programs have previously been available for individual purchase via the Amazon Instant Video streaming service, but the new deal means they?ll be available at no additional cost to members of the Amazon Prime service for viewing on the Kindle Fire, computers and other devices.?PBS shows will roll out on Amazon Prime over the next several months.

Shows will include?NOVA,?Masterpiece?and?Antiques Roadshow. Ken Burns documentaries on the service will include The Civil War, The National Parks, Baseball, Jazz and Prohibition. Current affairs shows such as Frontline and Washington Week will be available for streaming the day after they air. Also added to the Amazon Prime catalog will be 200 episodes of The French Chef with Julia Child.

The company is?believed to be selling the $199 Kindle Fire at a loss, with the goal of making up the difference by boosting its sales of online content, subscriptions, and merchandise through its e-commerce store.

Also on GeekWire

Follow Todd Bishop of GeekWire on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/19/8397171-amazon-prime-adds-pbs-prepping-for-kindle-fire/

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Obama, first lady to tout jobs plan for veterans

President Barack Obama speaks at the Greensville County High School in Emporia, Va, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Obama is on a three-day bus tour promoting the American Jobs Act. (AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Eva Russo)

President Barack Obama speaks at the Greensville County High School in Emporia, Va, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Obama is on a three-day bus tour promoting the American Jobs Act. (AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Eva Russo)

President Barack Obama visits Greensville County High School in Emporia, Va, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Obama is on a three-day bus tour promoting the American Jobs Act. (AP Photo/Richmond Times Dispatch, Eva Russo)

President Barack Obama visits Greensville County High School in Emporia, Va, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Obama is on a three-day bus tour promoting the American Jobs Act. (AP Photo/Richmond Times Dispatch, Eva Russo)

President Barack Obama greets the crowd at the Greensville County High School in Emporia, Va, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Obama is on a three-day bus tour promoting the American Jobs Act. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

HAMPTON, Va. (AP) ? President Barack Obama is employing the services of the first lady on the final leg of his three-day bus tour as they tout proposals in the president's jobs bill that the White House says would put more of the nation's unemployed veterans back to work.

During a joint appearance Wednesday before airmen and soldiers at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, the president and his wife, Michelle, also were to announce a deal with the private sector to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses. The White House said the American Logistics Association, which includes major companies like Tyson Foods Inc. and Coca-Cola Co., is aiming to meet that goal by the end of 2013.

"We ask our men and women in uniform to leave their careers, leave their families and risk their lives to fight for our country," Obama said in a statement released ahead of the event. "The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when they come home."

The first lady has been a champion of veterans and military family issues since her husband won the White House. In a statement, she said engaging the business community is part of an effort to tap into "all that good will that's out there, all across America, in every sector of society, and channeling it into meaningful action that's a win-win for everyone."

As Obama has been traveling through North Carolina and Virginia this week, lawmakers back in Washington were taking the first steps to break his nearly $450 billion jobs bill into pieces for possible votes. It's the only way elements of the measure stand a chance of passing, given that Senate Republicans blocked action on the full package last week.

The bus trip has given the president the opportunity to promote elements of his jobs plan in places the White House says would benefit most should the measures pass. Obama has spoken at high schools and community colleges where the administration says new spending would prevent teacher layoffs, as well as a small, regional area airport near Asheville, N.C., where Obama pressed for government funds to renovate an outdated runway.

Wednesday's stops were to follow a similar pattern.

During his remarks at the military facility Wednesday, Obama was expected to single out a provision in his jobs bill that calls for new tax credits for businesses that hire veterans and wounded troops. He's proposed a Returning Heroes tax credit of up to $5,600 for businesses that hire unemployed veterans who have been out of work for six months or more, as well as a Wounded Warriors tax credit of nearly $10,000 for unemployed veterans with service-related disabilities who also have been looking for work for at least six months.

From there, Obama will get back in his imposing, million-dollar bus for a three-hour drive to North Chesterfield, Va., where he was to speak at a local fire station. He's trying to rally support for the first piece of the jobs bill Senate Democrats plan to take up, a $35 billion package of assistance for state and local governments aimed at keeping firefighters, as well as police officers and teachers, on the job.

The president's lengthy drive could give him an opportunity to make unscheduled stops along the way. In his first two days on the road, Obama stopped by barbecue and candy businesses, plus a classroom at a high school in rural Skipwith, Va.

With the presidential election just over a year away, the stops have given Obama a chance to make personal appeals for his policies ? and his re-election ? to voters in two Southern states that are sure to play a significant role in 2012.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-10-19-Obama/id-248c56bfb95146349635b75f9da1f237

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Prosecutor to call for jail time for Lohan (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? A city prosecutor will ask a judge to find Lindsay Lohan in violation of her probation and order her to spend time in jail, a city attorney's spokesman said Tuesday.

The move is based on the actress' most recent probation report that states she was terminated from a women's shelter where a judge wanted her to serve most of her community service, city attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan said.

Mateljan said Deputy City Attorney Melanie Chavira would recommend at a hearing Wednesday that Lohan be sentenced to jail if the judge agrees she violated her probation in a 2007 drunken driving case and a misdemeanor theft case earlier this year.

Lohan is due to appear in a courtroom to update Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner on her progress. The judge in April sentenced her to serve 480 hours of community service, most of which she said should be served at the Downtown Women's Center.

Mateljan said he had not personally reviewed the probation report and did not know why Lohan was booted from serving at the center.

"We feel that her being terminated from it is a violation," Mateljan said.

Lohan's spokesman Steve Honig declined comment beyond noting that it will be up to Sautner to decide if Lohan has violated the terms of her release.

He said Lohan has been doing community service daily at the American Red Cross for several days, and that she has also been working to complete two other aspects of her probation ? completing a Shoplifters Anonymous course and undergoing psychological counseling.

Sautner ordered Lohan to complete 360 hours of her service at the Downtown Women's Center, a shelter and advocacy group for homeless women. The judge praised the center's mission and said during one hearing that she thought being at the facility would do Lohan good.

If Sautner determines Lohan violated the terms of her release, the judge would have to conduct a separate probation revocation hearing at a later date before deciding on whether a jail term is warranted.

The judge warned Lohan at her previous court appearance that she needed to speed up the pace of her community service, and told the actress she wouldn't listen to excuses or grant any extensions.

Since May 2010, the "Mean Girls" star has lived with the constant threat of jail. Her actual time behind bars has been cut short because her convictions are for misdemeanors and because of jail overcrowding.

She served 35 days of house arrest earlier after entering a no contest plea in May to taking a $2,500 necklace without permission.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111019/ap_on_en_mo/us_people_lindsay_lohan

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Israel-Palestinian mediators to miss 1st deadline (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The U.S. says international mediators will meet with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators next week in an effort to re-launch stalled peace talks.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday the "quartet" of mediators would convene separately with the two sides in Jerusalem on Oct. 26. The Quartet includes the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.

The date would just miss the initial deadline set out last month and would not include direct Israeli-Palestinian talks.

The quartet set a 30-day deadline for preliminary talks on Sept. 23, just hours after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presented a Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations. The quartet also called for a peace deal by the end of 2012.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111017/ap_on_re_us/us_us_mideast

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