PFT: Flynn-to-Raiders trade nearly finalized

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The play of Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs and Bengals CB Leon Hall after Achilles injuries gives?Dolphins CB Brett Grimes hope.

Will the Jets?add another back?in the draft?

A look at what prospects are being linked to the Bills in various mock drafts.

There are some fine candidates now eligible for the Patriots? Hall of Fame.

The Ravens? Super Bowl win doesn?t figure to hurt their ability to build their brand.

The Bengals have brought back the majority?of their unrestricted free agents.

The Browns? uniform-changing process?is a 24-month project.

Former Steelers S Will Allen reportedly made some interesting comments about the difference between the approach of the offense and defense in Pittsburgh.

Texans DE J.J. Watt will throw out the first pitch?in Sunday?s Rangers-Astros game.

The Colts have had a solid offseason, but there?s work left to be done.

One take on how Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert improved last season.

Two plays involving the Titans ? one good, one not-so-good ? are still alive in a vote for the greatest in history.

The official website of the Chiefs took a closer look at Florida State DE Bjoern Werner.

A take on the beginning and (seeming) end?of the Carson Palmer era in Oakland.

The Chargers are pledging $250,000 in nutritional- and athletic-related grants.

What secondary players would be good fit for the Broncos?

A look at where some of the Eagles? free agents have landed.

The Cowboys were adept at scoring points near the end of halves and games last season.

Redskins QB Robert Griffin III apparently met?President Barack Obama on Saturday.

A take on the risk Giants WR Victor Cruz?could be taking if he doesn?t strike a longer-term deal this offseason.

The University of Illinois football team?will play?at Soldier Field, home of the Bears, for the first time in 19 years.

Do the Packers and Brett Favre still need more time apart before mending fences?

The Lions have an intriguing?new safety tandem.

Former Vikings defensive lineman Alan Page has written a?rather unique children?s book.

Former Falcons player Antoine Harris has been impressed with Mike Smith from the start.

Add Saints head coach Sean Payton?to the list of those amazed?by LeBron James.

Can Derek Landri supply some interior pressure?for the Buccaneers?

A WR prospect is working out?for the Panthers.

A take on how the Rams are building their roster.

The expansion Seahawks found a gem in the 1976 allocation draft.

Former Cardinals assistant Deshea Townsend is now Mississippi State?s DBs coach.

How will the 49ers use all of those draft picks?

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/31/flynn-trade-is-expected-to-be-finalized-soon/related

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Gervinho helps Arsenal thrash Reading 4-1

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:37 p.m. ET March 30, 2013

LONDON (AP) -Gervinho scored one goal and set up two others as Arsenal beat Reading 4-1 on Saturday, boosting its chances of Champions League football next season and ruining Nigel Adkins' return to managerial life in the Premier League.

The Ivory Coast forward set Arsenal on its way with the opener in the 11th minute and then provided assists for Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud to net in the second half.

Hal Robson-Kanu pulled a goal back for Reading, but Mikel Arteta ended the struggling visitors' hopes of an unlikely comeback by slotting home a penalty 13 minutes from time.

The victory lifts Arsenal to within two points of fourth-place Chelsea and drops Reading provisionally bottom of the table after Adkins' first game in charge of the club.

"I thought Arsenal were very good, they've passed the ball very well," said Adkins, who was fired by Southampton in January. "Unfortunately, we've made our own downfall on a couple of goals."

The Emirates Stadium wasn't exactly an ideal venue for Adkins to resume his coaching career, with Arsenal full of confidence after back-to-back 2-0 wins against Bayern Munich and Swansea before the international break.

And Gervinho, back in favor at Arsenal following a mid-season slump in form, continued the team's momentum by smashing in from close range after Cazorla drove in a cross. The Ivory Coast forward also scored against Swansea.

"He was always lively and created many dangerous situations," Wenger said of the much-maligned Gervinho.

Cazorla, the instigator of many Arsenal attacks, clipped in a great finish from the edge of the area in the 48th after being picked out by Gervinho, who then led a counter-attack in the 68th and passed for Giroud to drill home low to make it 3-0.

Robson-Kanu stooped to head in a cross from the left a minute later, with Arsenal left back Nacho Monreal having to go off after injuring his knee in the build-up to the goal.

But Arteta ensured there were no late anxieties for the hosts by calmly stroking in a penalty after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was fouled.

"We played with good collective spirit, technical quality and always went forward," Wenger said. "We created many chances, that's the most pleasant thing. We defended well, had good discipline and didn't become easy when the game became easy."

Arsenal is four points behind third-place Tottenham with a game in hand.

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

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7 industries that prey on our weaknesses?

Carrie Kirby , LearnVest ? ? ? 1 hr.

You're delusional.

No, it's OK, we all are.

Think about your gym, which you visit so infrequently you?re practically making a charity donation to Bally Total Fitness. Or the diet cleanse you spent $100 on ... when you could have paid $30 in healthy groceries that would have also done the trick.

Don?t kick yourself?you?re not alone in falling prey to these marketing ploys. There?s a reason that, for instance, the burgeoning ?enhanced waters? beverage category (think Vitamin Water) has become a $1.5 billion industry.

By playing on our delusions and our fears, companies tempt us to shell out for needless items, and that can wreak havoc on our finances.

Watch out for these seven industries that profit from our insecurities?and find out how to resist their ploys.

Pet products
Americans spent an estimated $53 billion on their pets in 2012, a number that's grown nearly 30 percent in the past five years, even as the economy tanked. Last Halloween, pet owners were projected to spend $370 million on their pets' Halloween costumes?a 40 percent increase from 2010.

Several factors account for the rise in pet spending: Americans have a third fewer friends than they did 20 years ago and the number of Americans living alone?one in seven?is at an all-time high. These trends partly explain why about four in five animal owners think of their pets as children, and 58 percent even call themselves the "mommy" or "daddy" of their pets.

This higher status of pets in the eyes of their owners has even resulted in one million dogs being named beneficiaries in their owners' wills.

Tip: Be realistic about how much your pet costs, and be sure to budget for any extra splurges or treats. As for whether to name your beloved pet in your will?that depends on what you think of its money-managing skills.

Gyms
No industry plays on the chasm between what we do and what we wish we did better than the $21 billion fitness club industry. At the beginning of a fitness push, we are all too happy to hand over a hefty membership fee and sign a yearlong contract, hoping the sunk cost will encourage us to create whole new selves.

But the reality is that 67 percent of people with gym memberships never use them. Even those who go to the gym regularly are paying a lot more than they imagined: A University of California, Berkeley study showed that people who signed up for a monthly gym membership ended up paying 70 percent more than they could have paid on a pay-per-visit plan available at the same club.

The reason? ?Overconfidence about future self-control,? say the researchers. In other words: Delusion.

Tip: If this is you, find out the best workouts for you and your budget. Even if you do use the gym, make sure you're getting the best deal possible: comparison shop, use a competitor's price to get a deal at your preferred gym, or sign up for a yearlong membership to get the best possible rate.

Health and diet food
In 2011, the market for vitamins and supplements was $28 billion?despite a lack of solid research proving their effectiveness. In fact, most of our food is fortified with nutrients, so once-common deficiency diseases are now rare. Most researchers say that unless you're pregnant or elderly or have an identified deficiency, you don't need supplements and that a balanced diet is the best source of nutrients.

As for the weight-loss market, which in 2010 was worth $60 billion, several studies show that dieting actually consistently correlates with future weight gain.

Tip: If you're a sucker for vitamins and supplements, don't pay a premium for packaged foods making health claims; eat these superfoods instead. And if you think your ticket to weight loss is a diet program, consider preparing meals from fresh, whole ingredients and setting up a regular exercise routine to do it on your own instead.

Electronics rebates and warranties
Electronics stores often advertise a new gadget?s price as though you already received all the mail-in rebates. But a Consumer Reports survey found that fewer than half of people always or often cash in on rebate offers, and a full quarter never do. Even among those who sent in for their rebates, 21 percent said they never received them.

Additionally, extended warranties and insurance plans for smartphones sound so sensible. But they're almost never a good deal, consumer advocates warn. The extended warranty business itself generates $15 billion a year of almost pure profit, playing on our innate urge to avoid losses even if we could financially afford to replace the object.

And consider this: By the time the manufacturer's warranty ends on your phone, laptop or other high-tech gizmo, you'll probably want to upgrade to a newer model or the replacement price will have dropped, making the extended warranty moot.

Tip: Before you rush to take advantage of a deal you can only get with rebates, ask yourself: Are you going to fill in and mail every form?

And next time the cashier asks you if you want to pay 10 to 50 percent extra for an extended warranty, just say no.

Clothes
According to a recent survey, a woman owns 22 garments she never wears.

And that adds up: Americans spend $331 billion a year on clothing (which works out to $1,100 per person a year). While every once in a while we all really do need a new item of clothing, you could probably easily identify a number of pieces in your closet that you never wear?and they probably add up to a lot of wasted dollars.

How does this happen? We tend to invest in the same items over and over (whether ten black sweaters or a dozen flirty sundresses). Another problem: We buy for the life we want to have?cocktail dresses for parties we never go to or fancy new workout clothes for the gym we never visit.

Tip: Host a clothing swap to get rid of the chaff in your closet and bring fresh inspiration in, and go on a clothing fast for six months to force yourself to get creative with what you have. Need some ideas? See how one editor dressed herself for one month with just six items of clothing.

Cleaning products
Do you buy different cleaners for your floors, your furniture, your bathroom and your windows? Then you can understand how the cleaning product industry rakes in $52 billion a year.

Commercials for household disinfectants and other cleaning products would have you believe that illness-causing germs linger on every surface. But experts warn that routine use of disinfectants is not only unnecessary but harmful, especially when harsh chemicals are used.

Tip: You can get your home sparkly-clean?and with less harm to the environment?using inexpensive combinations of baking soda and vinegar. In fact, we can show you how to tackle 40 household tasks with just these five everyday products.

Baby products
Certain baby products really do ensure infant safety, like car seats. But companies also milk extra money out of parents' desires to give their kids the most organic, least toxic, most brain-enhancing food, toys, clothing, bedding and more.

Previous generations somehow survived infancy without shopping cart liners, video baby monitors, tiny shade tents for sunny days at the park and many of other items that make up the $7 billion Americans spend on today's babies.

Tip: Stick to essentials and learn how to save on baby stuff with these 12 tips. Want to really overhaul the way you handle the baby portion of your budget? Check out our Baby on Board Bootcamp, which explains what you should buy new, what you can get used and which safety considerations really matter.

Related content on LearnVest:

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8 Money Habits That Are Holding You Back

LearnVest ? 2013

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McCain, other US senators to tour Mexico border

PHOENIX (AP) ? A group of U.S. senators who will be influential in shaping and negotiating details of an immigration reform package is traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona to get a firsthand look at issues affecting the region.

Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona were expected to tour the border Wednesday with Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Michael Bennet of Colorado. They are all members of the so-called Gang of Eight ? a bipartisan group that has spent recent weeks trying to craft proposed immigration legislation.

The trip comes as Congress is in recess and as the lawmakers wrap up a bill designed to secure the border and put 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. President Barack Obama has urged Congress to pass immigration reform this year, and border security is critical to McCain and other Republicans who contend that some areas along the border are far from secure.

"I wish every member of the United States Senate and Congress could see the border," McCain told reporters in Phoenix on Monday. "Only when you can see the expanse, the difficulties and the challenges of the border, can you really appreciate the need for our border security."

With top Republicans and Democrats focused on the issue, immigration reform faces its best odds in years. The proposed legislation will likely put illegal immigrants on a 13-year path to citizenship and would install new criteria for border security, allow more high- and low-skilled workers to come to the U.S. and hold businesses to tougher standards on verifying their workers are in the country legally.

McCain sought to lower expectations for the bill Monday during a town hall in Phoenix. He told immigration activists they wouldn't be completely happy with the measure and warned that the group must overcome difficult disagreements.

"We've made progress in a number of areas that I am encouraged by, but there are still areas that we are not in agreement," he said.

McCain said the lawmakers had reached an agreement on protections for young illegal immigrants brought to the country as children and on visas for workers, but declined to provide specifics.

Reports indicate that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO, negotiating through the Gang of Eight senators, had reached significant agreement Friday on a new visa program to bring up to 200,000 lower-skilled workers a year to the country. The groups did not reach consensus on how much the workers would be paid.

The bill is expected to be lengthy and cover numerous issues, including limiting family-based immigration to put a greater emphasis on skills and employment ties instead.

The legislation was initially promised in March, but the lawmakers have since said they won't be done until at least April. Immigration proponents have said the group needs to introduce legislation soon, while some Republican lawmakers complain the process has moved too quickly.

If passed, the legislation could usher in the most sweeping changes in immigration law in nearly 30 years.

___

Cristina Silva can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/cristymsilva

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mccain-other-us-senators-tour-mexico-border-101144579.html

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Irish Press Releases ? Hand roasted artisan coffee the first ...

Co. Waterford, Ireland ? 26 Mar. 2013 ? Last week The Coffee Warehouse became Waterford City?s first member of the Love Irish Food Initiative.

In September 2012, as part of the Harvest Festival Waterford City Enterprise Board organised a lunch to celebrate the vast array of local food producers. With the assistance of the Love Irish Food Initiative diners enjoyed the best food Waterford and the South East had to offer.

The key note speaker at the lunch was Waterford economist Jim Power. Mr Power is Chair of Love Irish Food and spoke on ?the importance of developing the Love Irish Food brand?.

It was at this lunch that Mark Bergin of The Coffee Warehouse met Kieran Rumley, Executive Director of Love Irish Food Limited and following a number of meetings Mark?s artisan hand roasting coffee business was accepted to and became a member of Love Irish Food.

Ciaran Cullen, CEO of Waterford City Enterprise Board explained their role in this relationship, ?The Enterprising Food Network was founded by Waterford City Enterprise Board in 2011 and this relationship with Love Irish Food is the next stage for plan for indigenous food manufacturers. We created a programme last year where we assisted in the negotiations, the certification and the funding of The Coffee Warehouse?s members of Love Irish Food. The Enterprise Board hopes that this is just the start for the many impressive food manufacturing companies in Waterford City?.

Love Irish Food aims to help shoppers make informed choices about buying Irish manufactured food and drinks. Its overall aim is to safeguard the future of food and drink manufacturing in Ireland.
The Coffee Warehouse was established in 2001 by Stephen and Mark Bergin to complement the growing demand for Quality Coffee in Waterford and the adjoining areas. They are a family owned and run business with many years? experience in the Health, Hospitality and Beverage trades. In January 2012 The Coffee Warehouse invested in a full roasting plant, bringing coffee roasting back to Waterford. As the only roaster in the South East of Ireland they can personalise the coffee, creating a blend that would be exclusive to each customer.

Mark emphasised the importance of the Love Irish Food membership, ?This is another big step for our business and brand. The association with Love Irish Food gives our brand an exposure and credibility that is so important for a business at our stage of development?.

Source: http://www.irishpressreleases.ie/2013/03/26/hand-roasted-artisan-coffee-the-first-waterford-city-business-to-join-love-irish-food/

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Sanford Health in talks to take control of Fairview Health Services (Star Tribune)

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Napolitano rejects ?border trigger? in immigration proposal

Janet Napolitano (Christian Science Monitor)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Tuesday rejected a "border trigger" provision many Republican lawmakers say must be included in immigration reform legislation.

The proposal, which would require that that the U.S. border with Mexico be declared secure before illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. could apply for citizenship, has sparked significant concern among progressives and union leaders. And Napolitano, a Democrat and former Arizona governor, revealed Tuesday at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast roundtable in Washington that she also believes it shouldn't be put into practice.

"Once people really look at the whole system and how it works, relying on one thing as a so-called trigger is not the way to go," Napolitano said, adding that multiple factors must be taken into account to determine the border's status. She added that there "needs to be certainty" in an immigration reform bill for families already in the United States.

A bipartisan group group of senators known as the "Gang of 8"are currently working on immigration reform legislation in Congress and proposed border security requirements as part of their deal.

One member of that group, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and fellow Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, have been championing a specific trigger for measuring security and have found support for their idea among congressional conservatives who support immigration reform.

Members of Congress have been in communication with Napolitano personally and with her department.

But Napolitano on Tuesday refused to offer reporters any additional details on her communications with the Senate group.

She did reveal her belief that times have changed.

Napolitano noted that four years ago when she took the helm of the department, there was little appetite for immigration reform among members of Congress while two wars were being waged.

And last year, the 2012 election helped pushed things forward, she said.

"I think now is the time ... I think the election had consequences in that regard."

When asked to rate the Senate group's odds of success, Napolitano offered a nonspecific answer.

"I'm always optimistic," she said.

Napolitano said that today, 10 years after the creation of Department of Homeland Security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the U.S./Mexico border is more secure than ever before.

Napolitano mentioned a range of issues that fall under her department in addition to immigration, including the Secret Service, customs and border protection and, largely, terrorism.

Napolitano defended the recent decision by the Transportation Security Administration to permit pocketknives on airplanes, something originally outlawed after the 9/11 attacks. Members of Congress and other critics expressed outrage over the decision to make an exception for pocketknives, a decision set to take effect April 25.

But Napolitano on Tuesday said the move was appropriate.

"I think, frankly, it's the right decision," she said. "From a security standpoint, we're trying to prevent a bomb from getting on a plane, and if you're talking about a small knife, there are already things on a plane that somebody could convert into a small, sharp object."

She mentioned that what keeps her awake at night are unseen threats.

It's "not what I know about, 'cause what I know about, we can do something about," Napolitano said. "It's what's out there that I don't know about."

What she doesn't lie awake at night thinking about is the 2016 election.

?I think my plate is so full right now that I think that contemplation would be the kind of thing that would keep me up at night,? Napolitano said, brushing off a question about her presidential aspirations. ?And I lose enough sleep as it is.?

Combating terrorism and defending against attacks is a daily mission of the department, Napolitano said, adding that her department is aiming to hire "600 hackers for good," who will be focused on cyber threats.

Napolitano said she spends a lot of her time working on relations with the private sector with regard to cyber security.

But oddly enough, that doesn't mean she's personally up on the latest cyber technology.

Napolitano explained Tuesday that she does not use email. At all.

And she hasn't used email since she served as Arizona's attorney general around the year 2000.

"I think email sucks up time," she said, lamenting the hundreds of emails she found herself forced to "scroll through" daily and the way in which people used email as a replacement for making contact.

"I haven't found it to be a problem," she added. Napolitano said people who need to reach her are able to do so through her staff (who she mentioned use email for her) and via phone.

Oh, and she doesn't tweet or text either.

It "allows me to focus" on what's important, she said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/dhs-secretary-janet-napolitano-doesn-t-rule-2016-144911624--politics.html

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A diplomatic star is born in Chinese first lady

BEIJING (AP) ? Glamorous new first lady Peng Liyuan has emerged as a Chinese diplomatic star, charming audiences and cutting a distinct profile from her all-but-invisible predecessors on her debut official trip abroad.

Peng was featured prominently in Sunday's Chinese media coverage of her husband President Xi Jinping in Russia on his first state visit since he assumed the presidency earlier this month.

A celebrated performer on state television, Peng watched song-and-dance routines at a performing arts school on Saturday, but did not join in as some media reports had suggested she might. The couple arrived in Tanzania later Sunday, and their trip also includes stops in South Africa and Congo.

An internationally popular first lady could help soften China's sometimes abrasive international image and mark a victory in its so-far unsuccessful struggle to win over global public opinion.

At the same time, she could boost the popularity of the country's new leadership at a time when citizens are feeling increasingly alienated and are fed up with the ruling class's corruption and regal airs.

In recent years, the wives of China's top officials have traditionally gone almost unseen at home and attracted little attention while accompanying their husbands on state visits.

That was in part a negative reaction to Mao Zedong's wife, Jiang Qing, who was widely despised and later imprisoned for her role as leader of the radical Gang of Four, which mercilessly persecuted political opponents during the chaotic 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.

Recently retired Premier Wen Jiabao's wife, Zhang Peili, became known for her role in the country's gem trade and was never seen in public with her husband. Meanwhile, Bo Xilai, one of China's most ambitious politicians, was brought down in spectacular style last year following his wife's involvement in the murder of a British businessman, setting off the country's nastiest political scandal in years.

Women in general wield relatively little power at the top of the Chinese power structure, with just two sitting on the ruling Communist Party's 25-member decision-making Politburo.

Peng's emerging high profile appears to be an extension of Xi's own confidence as he consolidates his control on power and presses a more assertive role for China in global affairs, said Steve Tsang, director of the China Policy Institute at Britain's University of Nottingham. Her training as a singer and stage performer offers the perfect preparation for such a role, he said.

"Peng is projecting a certain poise and confidence that Xi himself is carrying and he doesn't need to worry about what other (politicians) might think of her," Tsang said.

Peng's image was splashed across Chinese newspapers over the weekend, shown descending arm-in-arm with Xi as they descended from their aircraft after arriving in Moscow on Friday. Her visit to the arts school was carried by state broadcaster CCTV on its main Sunday news broadcast and reported in national newspapers.

The popular Beijing News tabloid ran a full page of items on Peng's appearances on Sunday, alongside a photo of her arriving at a speech Xi gave Saturday, dressed in an elegant Chinese-style silk tunic and skirt.

"In her role as first lady on this visit abroad, Peng Liyuan is exhibiting China's soft power," the paper quoted Wang Fan, head the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University, as saying. "As a singer and artist and a long-term advocate for poverty relief and other causes, Peng has an excellent public image."

Much of the coverage focused on her personal style, with a report on the mass-market sina.com website noting with satisfaction that the black leather clutch she paired with the outfit was made to order by a Chinese firm in the southwestern city of Chengdu, a flattering contrast with prominent Chinese female politicians scorned publicly for appearing decked head to toe in foreign designer brands.

"In practical terms, this is an important show of support for China's domestic industries, but in the larger sense, it should raise national self-respect and confidence," read a posting on China's popular Weibo microblogging service left by Lin Zhibo, Gansu provincial bureau chief of the Communist Party's flagship newspaper, People's Daily.

Chen Li, a real estate agent from the central city of Changsha, said Peng was well-known for her modest ways and calm, dignified manner.

"She's known to be elegant and fashionable, but she's also very low-key and doesn't seem arrogant in the way that you usually associate with the wives of top leaders," Chen said.

Peng, 50, largely retired from public life after Xi was made China's leader-in-waiting in 2007, but in recent years has won new acclaim as an ambassador for the World Health Organization. Among the issues she has worked on are tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS ? diseases that still carry considerable social stigma in China.

She also made headlines last year by appearing alongside Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as part of a campaign to discourage smoking, a high-profile cause in a country where about two-thirds of men smoke.

Peng is Xi's second wife, and the two are separated in age by almost a decade. While Xi's father was a leading revolutionary and former vice-premier, making his son a member of the "red aristocracy," Peng comes from relatively humble origins and joined the People's Liberation Army when she was 18. The couple has one daughter, a student at Harvard who remains out of the limelight.

While sometimes described as a folk singer, Peng holds the rank of PLA major general and is best known for her stirring renditions of patriotic odes, often while wearing full dress uniform.

Although her rank is largely honorary, her military status could lead to awkward questions, said University of Nottingham's Tsang.

"Sooner or later, someone is going to ask whether that's completely normal, even if she doesn't have any real military or political ambitions," Tsang said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/diplomatic-star-born-chinese-first-lady-082435770.html

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Office workers carry biomarker of potentially harmful flame retardant, study finds

Mar. 25, 2013 ? A flame retardant removed from children's pajamas 30 years ago but now used in polyurethane foam is prevalent in office environments, especially in older buildings, where urine testing of workers turned up widespread evidence of its biomarker, a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers has found.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, found that the chemical known as TDCPP -- chlorinated tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate, or 'chlorinated tris' -- was present in 99 percent of dust samples taken from participants' homes, vehicles and offices, "demonstrating the widespread presence of this flame retardant in the indoor environment." The research team recruited 31 adults who worked and lived in the Boston area for the testing.

The study found that the office environment was the strongest predictor of metabolized TDCPP in urine, with significantly lower concentrations of the chemical among workers in a new office building than in older buildings. Similarly, the average concentration of TDCPP in dust was significantly lower in the new office building than in the older office buildings.

Urine samples were collected during the workday, which may explain why an association was found between the quickly metabolized chemical and characteristics of the office, rather than the vehicle or home.

"Overall, our findings suggest that exposure to TDCPP in the work environment is one of the contributors to the personal exposure for office workers. Further research is needed to confirm specific exposure sources (e.g., polyurethane foam), determine the importance of exposure in other microenvironments such as homes and vehicles, and address the inhalation and dermal exposure pathways," the research team concluded.

TDCPP, an additive to polyurethane foam used in upholstered furniture, is found in dust, where it can likely lead to human exposure. Potential health effects remain a concern. In 2011, TDCPP was added to the Proposition 65 list of chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer.

In vitro studies suggest TDCPP may be neurotoxic, and one study found that increased concentrations in dust were associated with decreased semen quality and reduced free thyroxine in men, suggesting possible effects on fertility and thyroid function. Animal studies show TDCPP is readily absorbed through both the skin and gastrointestinal tract.

The researchers said the high concentrations observed in dust from offices could reflect requirements by the City of Boston that office furniture meet California fire retardant standards, a rule that is not required of residential furniture in Boston. The state of California has proposed a draft furniture flammability standard that could reduce the need for flame retardant chemicals in polyurethane foam. However, the standard used for office furniture has yet to be revised.

"It is currently very difficult to avoid flame retardants. Hopefully, better options will become available in the near future," said Courtney Carignan, a doctoral candidate in environmental health who co-authored the study. "Currently, the best advice we have for people is to wash your hands, especially before eating. Dust control, good ventilation and air purifiers may also be useful for reducing personal exposure."

The low concentrations of TDCPP in the newer office building suggest that its newer furniture did not contain TDCPP, or that it had not yet had sufficient time to migrate out of the products, the researchers said. If the new furniture did not contain TDCPP, it likely contained a different flame retardant such as the controversial FireMaster 550. Other differences between exposures include the possibility of more efficient ventilation or HVAC systems or cleaning methods in the newer building.

The authors urged that "more research is needed to determine factors that influence TDCPP concentrations in dust, in relation to building contents and characteristics."

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Courtney C. Carignan, Michael D. McClean, Ellen M. Cooper, Deborah J. Watkins, Alicia J. Fraser, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Heather M. Stapleton, Thomas F. Webster. Predictors of tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate metabolite in the urine of office workers. Environment International, 2013; 55: 56 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.02.004

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/kPPaV4sRwpQ/130325135401.htm

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North Dakota closer to amendment outlawing abortions

March 22 (Reuters) - Austria 6 Faroe Islands 0 - World Cup qualifying Group C result. In Vienna Scorers: Philipp Hosiner 8, 20, Andreas Ivanschitz 28, Zlatko Junuzovic 77, David Alaba 78, Gyorgy Garics 82 Halftime: 3-0 Teams: Austria: 12-Heinz Lindner; 2-Gyorgy Garics, 4-Emanuel Pogatetz, 3-Aleksandar Dragovic, 5-Christian Fuchs (13-Markus Suttner 72); 6-Andreas Ivanschitz (9-Andreas Weimann 63), 10-Zlatko Junuzovic, 19-Veli Kavlak (18-Christoph Leitgeb 56), 8-David Alaba, 7-Marko Arnautovic, 20-Philipp Hosiner Faroe Islands: 1-Gunnar Nielsen, 2-Jonas Naes, 3-Pol Justinussen, 4-Odmar Faero, ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/north-dakota-lawmakers-move-outlaw-abortions-personhood-amendment-210736627--politics.html

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Gay rights timeline: Key dates in the fight for equality

Fred W. McDarrah / Getty Images

One month after the demonstrations at the Stonewall Inn, activist Marty Robinson speaks to a crowd before the first mass march in support of gay rights in New York on July 27, 1969.

By Miranda Leitsinger, Staff Writer, NBC News

From its beginning with riots against police oppression of gays in New York City more than 40 years ago, the fight for gay rights continues today on new fronts: over marriage, therapies to ?cure? homosexuals and one of the country's most popular institutions, the Boy Scouts of America.

Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in two landmark, same-sex-marriage cases.

?The swift road to marriage equality has produced millions of conversations around the dinner table and water cooler on the freedom of every American to marry the person they love. It is these conversations that have changed minds. But while we've reached the tipping point on marriage, there's still a ways to go for full LGBT equality, like ending bullying in schools and workplace discrimination,? Kevin Nix, a spokesman for the LGBT advocacy group, Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement.

Here is a look at some of the key moments in American LGBT history:

June 28, 1969: Start of the gay rights movement
The Stonewall Riots begin after police raid a popular unlicensed gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, in New York City's Greenwich?Village. The riots, which lasted for days, were triggered by police harassment of gays, according to media reports. This is considered by many to herald the start of the gay rights movement in the U.S.

June 27-28, 1970: First gay pride parades
On the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the nation's first gay pride parades are held in four cities ? New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Fred Sergeant, who attended the NYC parade, reflected in the Village Voice: ?Back then, it took a new sense of audacity and courage to take that giant step into the streets of Midtown Manhattan. ... I stayed at the head of the march the entire way, and at one point, I climbed onto the base of a light pole and looked back. I was astonished; we stretched out as far as I could see, thousands of us.? Pride events now are held worldwide every year.

AP

San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, left, and Mayor George Moscone in April 1977.

Nov. 27, 1978: Assassination of Harvey Milk
Milk became the first openly gay man elected to office in a major U.S. city when he won a seat on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors in early 1978. An outspoken advocate for gay rights, he urged gays to come out and fight for their rights. Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by former supervisor Dan White. But Milk's legacy has lived on and California has designated May 22 as a day of ?special significance? in his honor.

1981: The AIDS crisis
Gay advocacy groups form to deal with the crisis gripping the community amid a slow government response to AIDS and the linking of the disease with gay men. Over the years, the AIDS Quilt will form, and some well-known figures will succumb to AIDS, including actor Rock Hudson, or be diagnosed with it, like basketball star Magic Johnson.

Wilfredo Lee / AP

President Bill Clinton answers questions during a news conference in Taylor, Mich., in 1996.

1993: 'Don't ask, don't tell'
President Bill Clinton enacts "don't ask, don't tell," a policy preventing gays from openly serving in the military. Under it, an estimated 13,000 people were expelled from the U.S. Armed Forces. President Barack Obama repealed the policy in 2011.?

1996: Congress bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage (DOMA)
Congress passes the Defense of Marriage Act. Section 3 of the statute bars recognition of same-sex marriage, affecting more than 1,100 provisions of federal laws. It denies gay couples the right to file joint taxes and the protections of the Family Medical and Leave Act, and it blocks surviving spouses from accessing veterans? benefits, among other things. The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to DOMA on March 27, 2013. Bill Clinton, who signed the legislation, recently came out against the law and asked the Supreme Court to repeal it.

April 30, 1997: 'Yep, I'm gay' -- Degeneres comes out?
Ellen Degeneres comes out on her television show, "Ellen," in an episode that drew in 42 million viewers. Her ratings plunged, which she said was due to a lack of promotion, and the show was pulled the next season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. But she bounced back and she now hosts a popular afternoon talk show, "The Ellen Degeneres Show." Her ?coming out? heralded an era of other gay celebrities following suit, and LGBT leading ladies and men have in the last year said they felt it was unnecessary to reveal their sexual preference.

Evan Agostini / Getty Images

Candlelight vigil for slain gay Wyoming student Matthew Shepard.

Oct. 12, 1998: Matthew Shepard's beating death
Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson rob and beat Shepherd, a 21-year-old college student, and tie him to a split-rail fence outside of Laramie, Wyo. He dies on Oct. 12, less than a week after the attack. The murder, for which the pair are each serving two consecutive life sentences, inspired "The Laramie Project," a play and later film about Laramie in the year after the murder, and federal hate crimes legislation approved in 2009, that bears Shepard's name.

2000: Boy Scouts can ban gays
The Supreme Court rules that the Boy Scouts of America can bar gay Scouts and leaders from membership, saying that as a private youth organization it has the right to do so. Under increasing pressure in recent years to change the policy, the BSA has said it will hold a vote on the controversial membership guidelines in May.

Toby Talbot / AP

Lawyers Susan Murray, left, and Beth Robinson brought a lawsuit before the Vermont Supreme Court that led to the court's decision on same-sex marriage in 2000.

2000: First state to allow same-sex civil unions
Vermont becomes the first state to allow same-sex couples to join their lives?via civil unions. The state approved same-sex marriage in 2009.

2003: Anti-sodomy law struck down
The Supreme Court strikes down a Texas anti-sodomy law, reversing an earlier decision made in another case 17 years earlier that Justice Anthony Kennedy said ?demeans the lives of homosexual persons.? Gays are ''entitled to respect for their private lives," Kennedy said for the court,?according to The New York Times. ''The state cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime.''?

2004: State same-sex marriage bans
A dozen states pass constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. The amendments become a popular method to attempt to block legislative acts and judicial decisions on the issue.

Rich Pedroncelli / AP

Jeff Barr, left, places a wedding ring on Wes Wilkinson at the Yolo County clerk's office in Woodland, Calif. on June 16, 2008. They were among the first gay couples to wed in Yolo County after the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriages.

2008 California's Prop. 8 nixes gay marriage
California?s Supreme Court rules that gays and lesbians should be allowed to wed. For a short time that year, some 18,000 same-sex couples tie the knot in the Golden State. But in November, voters approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage (Proposition 8) after a hard-fought, multimillion-dollar campaign ? one of the most expensive on this issue. The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Prop. 8 on March 26, 2013.

Pete Souza / White House via EPA

In an interview with Robin Roberts of ABC's "Good Morning America," on May 9, 2012, President Barack Obama spoke in support of gay marriage for the first time as president.

May 9, 2012: First sitting president to support same-sex marriage
Barack Obama becomes the first sitting U.S. president to back marriage for gay and lesbian couples. It marked a reversal from his 2008 campaign, when he said he opposed same-sex marriage but favored civil unions as an alternative. His announcement came one day after voters in North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage as well as civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.

Nov. 4, 2012: In a first, gay marriage wins at the ballot box
Voters in Maine approve same-sex marriage in the first vote brought by supporters, while voters in Maryland and Washington uphold state legislation allowing gays and lesbians to wed. And in Minnesota, voters reject ? for the second time nationwide ? a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Related:

Same-sex marriage's big day in court: What's at stake?

Once 'inconceivable,' Republican leaders sign pro-gay marriage brief

Even before Supreme Court rules, gay marriage battles rage in the states

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/29e647d7/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C230C174188720Egay0Erights0Etimeline0Ekey0Edates0Ein0Ethe0Efight0Efor0Eequality0Dlite/story01.htm

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Gaybros, the Decline of Al Pacino, and How Not to Woo the GOP

If President Obama wants a grand bargain, he needs to get along with John Boehner.

Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

?How Not to Woo Republicans: If Obama really wants a grand bargain, he should knock off the wisecracks about the GOP,? by John Dickerson. Dickerson outlines how Obama?s public jokes are hurting his quest for a budget compromise and suggests that the president would be better off taking a page from LBJ and allowing his opponents to feel superior.

?Meet the Gaybros: They like sports, hunting, and beer. They make the gay community mad,? by J. Bryan Lowder. Lowder spends time with a group of gay men calling themselves ?gaybros,? who enjoy ?traditionally manly interests like sports, hunting, and beer,? and examines the conflict between so-called masculine gays and effeminate gays. He concludes that gaybros may not be as different from the rest of the gay community as they think.

?Is It Too Late for Al Pacino? Phil Spector suggests he might never regain his rightful place at the center of Hollywood,? by Karina Longworth. Longworth traces the unfortunate trajectory of Pacino?s acting and worries that his latest role is proof that he will spend the rest of his career ?pumping out endless variations on the trademarked Pacino Wall of Sound.?

?The Only Problem With the Greatest Hoodie Ever Made: They can?t make them fast enough,? by Farhad Manjoo. Revisiting American Giant, the company a previous Slate story rocketed to prominence, Manjoo learns how unprecedented demand lead to a complete restructuring of the apparel startup.

?Not That High: Today?s marijuana is too strong, and that?s bad for new business,? by Emma Marris. Now that weed is legalized in Washington and Colorado, demand for the drug is emerging among a new demographic?middle-aged parents. Marris explores how their desire for weaker recreational marijuana may change the market.

??Your Favorite Show Is Too Long: Why the miniseries is the ideal form for television,? by David Haglund. In honor of Top of the Lake, Jane Campion?s excellent new miniseries, Haglund argues that no matter how much we love to follow our favorite characters every week, limited series with planned out arcs and endings are the superior form artistically.

?South Africa?s Unfinished Revolution: The post-apartheid country has made enormous strides. But its progress won?t be complete until it deepens its democracy,? by Anne Applebaum. Though South Africa has changed radically in the last two decades, Applebaum argues that its transition won?t be complete until power is transferred away from the party that has ruled for that entire period.

?The GOP, Now With Less Crazy; The Republican plan to reform the party is less a program of reform than a rough blueprint about how to marginalize the nutters at the base,? by David Weigel. With the GOP floundering, Weigel analyzes the party?s plan to recover by reducing situations where candidates have to comment on polarizing social issues.

?Past Their Prime: When is a superaged spirit too old to drink?? by Kara Newman. Finding herself surprisingly unimpressed by a 50-year-old scotch, Newman investigates the process of aging and discovers that older isn?t necessarily better.

?The Sexual Fetish of Gay Marriage Opponents: Defenders of DOMA and Proposition 8 say marriage isn?t about love or parenting. It?s about coitus,? by Mark Joseph Stern. Stern looks at the difference between ?conjugal marriage??it?s all about the sex?and ?revisionist marriage??it?s an emotional union. And he critiques a book by Robert P. George that claims a ?conjugal union? between heterosexuals is the ?most appropriate environment for rearing children.? .

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=a38ce81322948c1d0bedada929da39a6

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Gun rights backers vow court fight against new Colorado laws

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - Only a day after Colorado's governor signed laws setting limits on ammunition and imposing background checks, gun rights advocates have vowed to sue, some county sheriffs have declined to enforce the measures, and an ammunition manufacturer is leaving the state.

The measures signed into law on Wednesday by Governor John Hickenlooper will ban ammunition magazines with more than 15 rounds, require universal background checks for gun buyers and force gun buyers to pay for their own background checks.

Colorado has seen two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, and the legislation represented an effort to prevent those types of killings. The measures were also passed during a national debate over firearms violence reignited by the December slayings of 20 children and six adults at a school in Connecticut.

The laws' passages are considered a victory for Democrats in a state where gun ownership is treasured.

The Denver-based libertarian group Independence Institute said it would file a lawsuit either in state or federal court against Colorado seeking to block the measures that are set to go into effect on July 1.

"We're going to court and the people in 2014 are going to have an opportunity to choose a new legislature and a new governor," said David Kopel, research director for the group.

In another challenge to gun-control measures enacted after the Connecticut school shootings, a National Rifle Association affiliate filed a lawsuit on Thursday charging that New York state's laws banning assault weapons and limiting the size of ammunition magazines violated the constitutional right to bear arms.

MANUFACTURER LEAVING

Ammunition manufacturer Magpul, which has a plant in Erie, Colorado, threatened before the passage of the Colorado bill to leave the state and take away what its executives said were 200 direct jobs and 400 jobs at related companies in its supply chain.

On its Facebook page, Magpul said it would go through with the threat to move, and supporters posted comments inviting them to their own states such as Missouri and Nevada.

"Our transition to a new home will occur in a phased and orderly manner to allow us to continue to serve our customers during the move, as well as to allow an orderly transition for affected employees," the company's statement on Facebook said.

A representative for Magpul did not return calls.

Eric Brown, spokesman for the governor, said in an email that nothing in the bills signed by Hickenlooper would prevent Magpul from "manufacturing here and selling elsewhere."

Meanwhile, a number of county sheriffs in Colorado have said they cannot or will not enforce the new gun control laws, even as the governor's office has directed state officials to give law enforcement agencies technical guidance on how the magazine limits in particular should be interpreted and enforced.

"We expect sheriffs to follow all state laws to the best of their abilities," Brown said.

In July 2012, a gunman opened fire in a crowded theater at the opening night of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" in the Denver suburb of Aurora, killing 12 people and wounding 58 others.

Colorado was also the site of a 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, where two teenagers shot dead a teacher and 12 other students before committing suicide.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Ax in New York; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gun-rights-backers-vow-court-fight-against-colorado-003517904.html

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Write for Dropbox lets you create notes on your iPhone not only quickly, but beautifully

Write for Dropbox is a brand new text editor for iPhone that lets you create notes on the fly quicker than ever. With extensive gestures, markdown support, lots of sharing options, and a beautiful interface, Write for Dropbox may just be the best text editor for iPhone we've ever seen.

When first launching Write for Dropbox, you'll be taken through a short tutorial of how to use gestures and the editor bar. All of which are straight forward and easy to remember. Now you're ready to start writing.

The first thing you'll notice is the editor bar that appears above the keyboard. You'll find commonly used symbols as well as a handy cursor tool that allows you to move the cursor around the screen without having to actually move your entire hand off the actual keyboard. Sliding the editor bar to the left reveals markdown options such as bold, italics, headers, links, and more. You can also insert images and preview markdown with the two icons to the far right in the markdown editor bar.

Write for Dropbox makes simple tasks just as they should be, simple. Expanding to full screen can be done by simply pulling the screen outwards with two fingers. You can access the top menu again by pushing inwards with two fingers. Deleting notes and saving them are also extremely quick and use pull to refresh actions. Naming a note is as easy as tapping in the title bar. It's little things like these that you really learn to appreciate as they can be huge time savers.

As far as sharing goes, Write for Dropbox supports tons of options including Evernote, Google Drive, CloudApp, and more. You can copy links to your clipboard as well for easy sharing on social networks such as Twitter.

Write for Dropbox creates a default folder called Write in your Dropbox account. You can add folders inside this one natively inside the app as well as create notes inside of it. They'll then sync and organize as you left them in your Dropbox account. You can also favorite notes for quick access later.

One of the biggest things when it comes to saving notes and using them across platforms is the ability to pick up where you left off on another device. For this, Write for Dropbox offers a free Mac plugin that allows you to quickly take notes on your Mac and they'll sync down to your iPhone. It isn't a great solution and not as powerful as a fully functionally Mac editor but it gets the job done for short notes and lists.

The good

• Best interface of any iPhone text editor we have ever seen
• Gesture controls make simple tasks even simpler
• Sharing options aplenty, you'll be able to get your content to any platform or app you need to
• Fast syncing, like super fast
• Markdown support and the text editor bar are well laid out and make more sense than most

The bad

• No iPad support, I really like to write on my iPad and this app would be amazing on the iPad
• No full Mac support and quick notes are about the limit right now
• You can't move documents to a new folder after they're already created, unless I'm missing something

The bottom line

Write for Dropbox is not only the most beautiful text editor I've ever seen for iPhone, it's the best. Everything from the menus to the gestures to the text editor bar are easy to use and the care and thought that went into creating them is obvious. The only down side is that there is no iPad or Mac version at this time which will keep me with Byword on those platforms for the time being.

If Write for Dropbox can deliver the same on iPad and Mac, there's no doubt that it'd be the best editing suite available.

$1.99 - Download Now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/0KEU-KMPL2Q/story01.htm

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Obamacare's 3rd anniversary: By the numbers (cbsnews)

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High unemployment rates will continue through 2015, Fed says

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Federal Reserve foresees unemployment remaining high into 2015, suggesting it will keep short-term interest rates near record lows at least until then.

In its latest economic forecasts released Wednesday, the Fed predicts that the unemployment rate will stay above 6.5 percent for about two more years. Fed policymakers also expect the economy to grow modestly this year and next despite economic gains so far in 2013.

The Fed's updated forecasts are nearly identical to projections it made in December. The Fed has said it plans to keep its benchmark rate near zero as long as unemployment exceeds 6.5 percent and the inflation outlook is tame.

The policymakers expect the economy to grow as little as 2.3 percent this year ? not enough to quickly drive down unemployment ? or as high as 2.8 percent. In 2014, growth could range from 2.9 percent to 3.4 percent in 2014, they predict.

The Fed has slightly upgraded its outlook for unemployment. It now sees the rate falling to between 7.3 percent and 7.5 percent by the end of this year. That's down from a previous range of 7.4 percent to 7.7 percent.

The rate fell to 7.7 percent in February, the lowest in four years.

By the end of 2014, the Fed expects the rate to fall between 6.7 percent and 7 percent. That's a narrower range than in December, when it forecast a range of 6.8 percent to 7.3 percent.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fed-projects-high-us-unemployment-2015-180040760--finance.html

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Rise up: ATL council approves Falcons stadium

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:08 p.m. ET March 18, 2013

ATLANTA (AP) - The Atlanta City Council has voted to approve a financing plan to build a new pro football stadium in downtown Atlanta.

The council voted 11-4 on Monday to approve using city hotel-motel tax revenue to cover the $200 million public contribution for the proposed $1 billion, retractable roof stadium for the Atlanta Falcons. The team would provide $800 million.

The board of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority voted unanimously Friday to move forward with the stadium plan, entering into an agreement with the city and the Falcons.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Falcons owner Arthur Blank agreed this month to financing terms of the project, which would replace the 20-year-old Georgia Dome. The new stadium would be built near the current dome. Officials hope to build the stadium in time for the 2017 NFL season.

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

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??PFT Live: Mike Florio talks about the pass rushers and cornerbacks that are still on the free agent market. Big names like Nnamdi Asomugha, Elvis Dumervil and James Harrison have yet to sign.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51233749/ns/sports-nfl/

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Map of 'shortcuts' between all human genes

Mar. 18, 2013 ? Some diseases are caused by single gene mutations. Current techniques for identifying the disease-causing gene in a patient produce hundreds of potential gene candidates, making it difficult for scientists to pinpoint the single causative gene. Now, a team of researchers led by Rockefeller University scientists have created a map of gene "shortcuts" to simplify the hunt for disease-causing genes.

The investigation, spearheaded by Yuval Itan, a postdoctoral fellow in the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, has led to the creation of what he calls the human gene connectome, the full set of distances, routes (the genes on the way), and degrees of separation, between any two human genes. Itan, a computational biologist, says the computer program he developed to generate the connectome uses the same principles that GPS navigation devices use to plan a trip between two locations. The research is reported in the online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"High throughput genome sequencing technologies generate a plethora of data, which can take months to search through," says Itan. "We believe the human gene connectome will provide a shortcut in the search for disease-causing mutations in monogenic diseases."

Itan and his colleagues, including researchers from the Necker Hospital for Sick Children, the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and Ben-Gurion University in Israel, designed applications for the use of the human gene connectome. They began with a gene called TLR3, which is important for resistance to herpes simplex encephalitis, a life-threatening infection from the herpes virus that can cause significant brain damage in genetically susceptible children. Researchers in the St. Giles lab, headed by Jean-Laurent Casanova, previously showed that children with HSE have mutations in TLR3 or in genes that are closely functionally related to TLR3. In other words, these genes are located at a short biological distance from TLR3. As a result, novel herpes simplex encephalitis-causing genes are also expected to have a short biological distance from TLR3.

To test how well the human gene connectome could predict a disease-causing gene, the researchers sequenced exomes -- all DNA of the genome that is coding for proteins -- of two patients recently shown to carry mutations of a separate gene, TBK1.

"Each patient's exome contained hundreds of genes with potentially morbid mutations," says Itan. "The challenge was to detect the single disease-causing gene." After sorting the genes by their predicted biological proximity to TLR3, Itan and his colleagues found TBK1 at the top of the list of genes in both patients. The researchers also used the TLR3 connectome -- the set of all human genes sorted by their predicted distance from TLR3 -- to successfully predict two other genes, EFGR and SRC, as part of the TLR3 pathway before they were experimentally validated, and applied other gene connectomes to detect Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and sensorineural hearing loss disease causing genes.

"The human gene connectome is, to the best of our knowledge, the only currently available prediction of the specific route and distance between any two human genes of interest, making it ideal to solve the needle in the haystack problem of detecting the single disease causing gene in a large set of potentially fatal genes," says Itan. "This can now be performed by prioritizing any number of genes by their biological distance from genes that are already known to cause the disease.

"Approaches based on the human gene connectome have the potential to significantly increase the discovery of disease-causing genes for diseases that are genetically understood in some patients as well as for those that are not well studied. The human gene connectome should also progress the general field of human genetics by predicting the nature of unknown genetic mechanisms."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rockefeller University, via Newswise.

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. Yuval Itan, Shen-Ying Zhang, Guillaume Vogt, Avinash Abhyankar, Melina Herman, Patrick Nitschke, Dror Fried, Lluis Quintana-Murci, Laurent Abel, and Jean-Laurent Casanova. The human gene connectome as a map of short cuts for morbid allele discovery. PNAS, March 18, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1218167110

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/tlBsWkX1m-o/130318151639.htm

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