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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Gone are the large conferences, big pharma funding, Nobel laureates and lavishly paid state officials who vowed scientific breakthroughs from Texas' unprecedented $3 billion crusade against cancer.
What's left of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas isn't flashy, but that's precisely the goal for an agency regaining its footing after a year of turmoil and an ongoing a criminal investigation.
"When this started off, when we had Lance Armstrong and all the other advocates, it was ballyhooed," said Wayne Roberts, the interim executive director of the agency. "Publicized. Promoted. Listen, $3 billion for something like cancer ? it's going to have to really be in trouble before they don't support it."
A Texas grand jury is still weighing criminal charges against former officials, and rebukes from some of the nation's top researchers have sullied the agency's reputation. But CPRIT, like the cancer patients it was created to help, is getting a second chance.
Skeptics still aren't convinced that lessons were learned. Some nationally acclaimed scientists who severed ties with CPRIT last year say they haven't bothered keeping up with the sweeping reforms and housecleaning that are supposed to right an agency that hands out $300 million in taxpayer dollars every year.
Others mindful of dwindling research money are willing to put their disappointment aside.
"I guess it's like when the Dallas Cowboys have a down season," said Dr. Ian Thompson, director of the cancer and therapy research center at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, which has received more than $23 million from CPRIT. "Do you walk away from the Cowboys? Absolutely not."
Before packed abortion-rights protests at the state Capitol this summer caught even the attention of President Barack Obama, few issues dominated the Texas Legislature in 2013 like the fate of CPRIT. The agency controls the second-biggest pot of available cancer research dollars in the nation, behind only the National Institutes of Health, which has suffered with government cutbacks.
CPRIT launched in 2009. The public paid little attention to the agency after a celebrated rollout while researchers and private companies eagerly lined up for a shot at the taxpayer dollars.
Then the national attention CPRIT craved arrived, but for all the wrong reasons. Lucrative grants had been awarded without vetting; elite researchers levied allegations of "hucksterism"; state auditors uncovered mismanagement and questionable spending. One grant recipient spent more than $100,000 on office furniture.
By December, lawmakers froze the agency under a moratorium, and public corruption prosecutors began pulling CPRIT records. Big-shot lobbyists in Capitol hallways bet that "CPRIT is not going to live," Roberts said he later learned.
Lawmakers instead cleaned house and put the agency on a tighter leash. The entire 11-member oversight board was ousted. A nonprofit foundation that solicited money from donors and pharmaceutical giants such as Novartis and Pfizer Inc. ? partly to help two state officials take home a combined $1 million in salary ? dissolved and won't be replaced.
Now, after being effectively frozen for eight months, the agency hopes to begin taking applications for new grants by October. Leading the way is Roberts, a former aide to Gov. Rick Perry and budget wonk who is deliberately pushing CPRIT ahead with all the pizazz of the state's insurance department.
None of the three founding executives of CPRIT, which included a Nobel laureate and executive of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had experience running a state agency. Roberts said it became clear to him after taking over that was part of the problem.
Cathy Bonner, who helped hatch the idea for CPRIT, agreed.
"You run a boring state agency by the books, and you're a careful steward of the public money," said Bonner, an aide to former Texas Gov. Ann Richards. "You don't have that corruption. And I think they didn't have enough people who knew how to run a public agency with public money. It would thrill me completely if this was a boring state agency that does remarkable, boring research."
What's next for CPRIT is the appointment of a new governing board and the restocking of peer-review panels that were left bare as waves of scientists resigned. Roberts said some who resigned have approached the agency about coming back but declined to name them.
"We got a pretty direct message ? you're getting a second chance," Roberts said. "You ain't getting a third chance."
___
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All Critics (48) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (3)
Writer-director Michael McGowan covers all the bases here -- the long-standing romance between the aging couple, the hovering concerns of their son and daughter, the constant head-butting with the building inspector -- with well-paced confidence.
Writer-director Michael McGowan (Saint Ralph) shows affinity for the subtle undercurrents of a long, happy marriage, but the friction between Cromwell and the government bureaucracy stays one-note.
Bring a handkerchief, or possibly a bedsheet, to "Still Mine"; this fact-based, beautifully acted drama could wring tears from a brick.
[A] tough-minded tearjerker, based on a true story ...
It is about a husband and wife, partners through six decades, grappling with issues of aging, and how to spend what time together remains with grace and dignity.
While this slight Canadian film has limited appeal for general audiences, seniors and families affected by Alzheimer's will find much to identify with.
An Occupy Wall Street supporter is part of the most conservative indie film you'll see all year. Still Mine is a heartbreaking classic no matter your ideology, though.
The man-against-the-system story is good and hopeful, but the love story between senior citizens is the reason to watch "Still Mine."
Like his character, Cromwell has the timber to build great things and make it last.
Still Mine mourns days gone by without being mawkish and meditates on age without being maudlin.
It's a tender, sharply observed drama.
Hits the high notes even though the tone of sorrow and frustration does not vary.
For those who thought "Amour" too sadistic or the recent "Unfinished Song" too sentimental, here's a senior love story with the realities of aging that falls right in the middle.
This movie does not work without Cromwell; plain and simple.
Etches a moving portrait of the enduring love of a couple whose life together only appears to be ordinary.
At its best, Still Mine gives off that feeling that we're watching something private, something genuine between two people who absolutely adore each other and have for decades.
Handled with care and patience by McGowan, proves mightily compelling, and deftly sidesteps sentimentality and cliche.
... has a sincerity and an authenticity that creates a bittersweet portrait of aging and lifelong devotion.
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As New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul sparred very personally over policy issues this week -- including privacy concerns, government spending and national security -- Yahoo asked GOP and conservative voters to discuss their merits of the two Republicans' arguments.
COMMENTARY | The dust-up between tea party libertarian Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and traditional conservative Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is a godsend for Republican voters. The fact that it coincides with Arizona Sen. John McCain's criticism of obstructionist tea party members of the House is even more heartening.
What started as a debate over national security versus civil liberties and evolved into one about government spending and pork-barrel legislation has revealed a deeper philosophical rift within the GOP, one that needs to be publically addressed, and now.
The age-old ideological question at the heart of the matter is this: What is the appropriate role of government in a democratic society? None other than Adam Smith, himself a believer in limited government, postulated in his Wealth of Nations that the role of government should be to maintain defense, keep order, build infrastructure and promote education. Contrary to the beliefs of some, he was no champion of laissez-faire.
Not only does the tea party's growing influence threaten the very existence of the Republican Party, it has led to arguably the most dysfunctional Congress in recent history. Its no-compromise, no-government philosophy has resulted in a "do nothing" legislative strategy. If the Republican Party cannot debate and resolve the future strategic direction of the party, its relevance will likely devolve to the point of extinction.
GOP chaos may not have a significant impact on the midterm elections because congressional districts have been gerrymandered in a way that supports incumbents. But the 2016 presidential election, absent a miraculous mending of fences, is a lock for the Democrats.
One final prediction: Rand Paul will fare no better in his quest for the Republican nomination for president than his father Ron did. Thank God.
Michael Gonyea is a lifelong conservative voter. He lives in Rockwood, Mich.
On Thursday the People's Liberation Army (PLA) released a video game commemorating the founding of the powerful group developed by Giant Interactive Group. The game (revealed by this Reuters report) is called Glorious Mission Online and lets players put on the uniform of the PLA as it defends contested islands in the East China Sea called "Diaoyu" by the Chinese and "Senkaku" by the Japanese.
The first-person online action game lets players fight against the Japanese forces and yell "patriotic" phrases like "You will not violate our sovereign territory!'" and call the invaders "guizi," a derogatory Chinese term for the Japanese occupiers during World War II. Other messages flash on the screen as players fight Japanese forces like "the guizi are coming!" and "the guizi have been obliterated!" when a mission has been completed.
The game was developed by Giant Interactive Group, a company that operates a number of popular online games in China including the ZT Online 1 Series, ZT Online 2, Elsword, and Allods Online.
Richard Chiang, a spokesman for Giant Interactive, told Reuters that the military fully supports the game and wanted to give Chinese citizens a game that celebrates the Chinese military.
"The military was 100 percent behind this game," he said. "Rather than playing the same foreign games like Call of Duty and being American Marines shooting Russians or whatnot, Chinese can actually play as Chinese soldiers."
Seth Curry, the Duke shooting guard, would play anywhere in the NBA at this point.
He went undrafted in June, in part due to an injury to his shin that required surgery and kept him out of draft workouts and Summer League. Now he?s looking at some training camp invites and trying to see if there is a place an undersized two guard ? but one with a good outside shot ? can latch on.
But if he had his choice, he?d want the Bobcats, Curry told The Sporting News. Yes, somebody coming out of college wants to play for the Bobcats.
?It?s my home,? Curry said (of Charlotte). ?This is where I grew up. I would love to come back here and play?
?They have a lot of guys who can slash and create,? Curry said of the Bobcats. ?They have a few shooters, guys who can knick down shots consistently, but I think they need more shooters. I can fill that role and be a guard who comes off the bench and scores.?
What Curry brings in terms of value is his shot ? he hit nearly 44 percent of his looks from beyond the arc his senior season. The son of Dell and brother of Stephen, this is another Curry that can shoot the rock.
What held him back in the draft is everything else. He is 6?3? in shoes, which is undersized for an NBA two guard, and he lacks the length and explosive athleticism to make up for that. There are questions about his defense at the next level and his ability to create his own shot when defenders close out (although he improved on that at Duke).
Curry is set to work out for the Bobcats soon, and he will get a camp invite somewhere. He does have several camp invites on the table, he will choose the spot where he thinks he has the best chance to land a roster spot.
And that might be in his hometown of Charlotte. Even if the odds there (and everywhere are long).
Wealthy gay dad, Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, says he and his civil partner Tony will go to court to force churches to host gay weddings.
He told the Essex Chronicle that he will take legal action because ?I am still not getting what I want?.
A Government Bill legalising gay marriage passed Parliament recently but it included measures to protect churches from being forced to perform same-sex weddings.
Mr Drewitt-Barlow said: ?The only way forward for us now is to make a challenge in the courts against the church.
?It is a shame that we are forced to take Christians into a court to get them to recognise us.?
He added: ?It upsets me because I want it so much ? a big lavish ceremony, the whole works, I just don?t think it is going to happen straight away.
?As much as people are saying this is a good thing I am still not getting what I want.?
Notice the phrase that he uses ? ?I am still not getting what I want.?
So I?ll force the whole world to bend to my will. In the name of tolerance.
The only things standing in his way are tradition and faith, and our culture doesn?t have any respect for either anymore.
Bryan Preston has been a leading conservative blogger and opinionator since founding his first blog in 2001. Bryan is a military veteran, worked for NASA, was a founding blogger and producer at Hot Air, was producer of the Laura Ingraham Show and, most recently before joining PJM, was Communications Director of the Republican Party of Texas.
Mill Valley Real Estate Report (July 2013 Home Sales Update) | Pacific Union. The Mill Valley, CA real estate market is reaching heights not seen for years (5 years, to be exact) with 33 single family home sales in June 2013. These properties sold for an average price of about $1.4 million and averaged 2,222 sq. ft. (or about $625 per sq. ft.). If you arecomparing these numbers to past market updates, you will quickly note the spike in sales prices and price per foot. Like all towns in Marin County, California (San Francisco?s ?North Bay? region), the number of Mill Valley home sales are being held back by a sheer lack of homes for sale ? buyers are eager to buy, but they have few options. Multiple offer situations are very common when it comes to fairly priced homes. My team has come to expect up to 15 offers for homes in the lower end. This momentum extends from the entry level (where investors are very actively pursuing a purchase and rent strategy) to the luxury home price points ? case in point: we have 5 luxury homes in escrow over $2 million in Mill Valley. This market segment was flat-lining for a couple of years.
As noted in virtually all of my market reports thus far in 2013, the number of listings actively on the market in Mill Valley is best characterized as being at a point of scarcity. As we move through the traditionally slow Summer months, there are only 31 single family homes currently active on the market in all of Mill Valley. The absorption rate in Mill Valley currently stands at just a shade UNDER 1 month (6 months is considered ?balanced?).
Below are the percentages of homes in escrow in each of Mill Valley?s major price bands: ?56% of homes priced under $800,000; ?33% of homes between $801,000 and $1 million; ?32% of homes between $1 million and $1.5 million; ?30% of homes between $1.5 million and $2 million; ?23% of homes between $2 million and up.
Of the 33 homes that sold in June 2013: ?3 homes were priced under $800,000; ?20 homes priced from $800,000 to $1.5 million; and ?10 homes priced from $1.5 million and up.
MLS Listings in Tam Valley, Sycamore Park, Boyle Park, and Strawberry generated the most calls and showings this past month. If you would like me to run the exact numbers for your Mill Valley neighborhood or if you have any questions about Mill Valley schools or its many delightful communities, just give me a call at (415) 350-9440. My name is Kyle Frazier. I am a Top Agent, J.D., Broker, Realtor, Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), and a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), with Christie?s Great Estates | Pacific Union International Real Estate. It is always my pleasure to be of service.
i love how every new version of android is considered smoother and has less lag but current gen all scream "what lag? its buttery smooth. jelly bean eliminated lag. etc etc etc"
good to know that the flagships got an update... hope the others are around the corner
3.itsdeepak4u2000posted on1 hour ago2
Yes, true, but FYI this is a firmware update from Sony which'll improve their Xperia line's performances a lot.
Very good Sony.
4.Tatersposted on1 hour ago0
Not all Android devices are created equally. Some simply do not have it. The Xperia Z did however.
2.boosookposted on1 hour ago2
Now these phones start to get interesting. ;) I've seen the new camera shots and they are completely different from the one that came out with the original firmware: it's a pity that all the reviews are not up to date, but of course we can't ask every reviewer to test the camera again. Also, the UI where the grey items (status bar, button bar) have been changed to black (like in every other phone) doesn't convey anymore the sensation of a "washed out" screen. I wonder when manufacturers will realize how important it is to release a phone with an optimized firmware. Reviews come out during the first weeks, and once they're out they will stay there forever.
New Sony Xperia Z, ZL and ZR firmware update rolling out, improves low-light photos and screen contrast
CAIRO (AP) ? Egyptian police detained two leaders of a Muslim Brotherhood-allied party in the latest in a wave of arrests of prominent Islamists following President Mohammed Morsi's ouster, while Europe's top diplomat held talks with the rival sides Monday to try to mediate an end to the country's increasingly bloody crisis.
It was European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's second visit to Cairo since Morsi was toppled nearly a month ago, underscoring the urgency felt after violence that has killed more than 260 people and all but dashed hopes of political reconciliation in the deeply divided country.
International concern has spiked after security forces killed at least 83 Morsi supporters in clashes outside their sit-in where they have been calling for his reinstatement in Cairo over the weekend. Human Rights Watch and field doctors interviewed by The Associated Press said many were killed by gunshots to the head and chest.
Security officials said Monday that a police captain died of wounds sustained during those clashes after being hit in the eye with birdshot from protesters. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
The clashes, which the Brotherhood has described as a "massacre," came after millions took the streets to show their support for military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The mass turnout followed a call from el-Sissi, who also is defense minister, for rallies to give him a mandate to deal with violence and "potential terrorism" ? a thinly veiled reference to expected crackdowns on Morsi supporters who are holding sit-in camps in Cairo.
The military pushed Morsi from power after days of mass protests by millions of Egyptians demanding that the president step down after a year in office.
The Muslim Brotherhood denounces the coup and has vowed to keep up its rallies until Morsi is reinstated.
"The military coup is the highest level of violence and terrorism to millions of Egyptians who voted in free elections, in addition to the preference of parties and bias against others," top Brotherhood official Essam El-Erian wrote Monday in a statement on his Facebook page.
The group has called for rallies outside security facilities on Monday evening during which they plan to carry empty coffins as a symbol of their dead. They have also called for mass protests Tuesday under the banner "Martyrs of the Coup," and have set up a tent a block away from their main sit-in for prayers for those killed over the weekend.
The Interior Ministry has vowed to take decisive action against anyone who violates state property, referring to the protesters efforts to expand their encampment.
Egypt's authorities have rounded up several Brotherhood leaders and other prominent Islamists since Morsi's ouster. The circle of those in custody expanded late Sunday after authorities arrested two figures from the Brotherhood-allied Wasat Party and took them to the capital's Tora prison.
Security officials said that Abul-Ela Madi and Essam Soltan, who faced arrest warrants linked to allegations of inciting violence, were found hiding in a home in a Cairo neighborhood located near the main protest site of Morsi's supporters.
The party condemned the arrest of its leaders, saying such measures exacerbate the crisis and add new obstacles to efforts to build bridges.
Morsi himself has been held incommunicado by the military since his ouster. Last week prosecutors announced they had launched an investigation into the ousted president on charges of murder and conspiring with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to carry out an attack on a prison during the 2011 uprising against autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The jailbreak allegedly led to the deaths of inmates and broke Morsi and around 30 other members of the group out of detention.
The president's spokesman Ahmed el-Musalamani said "Morsi is not a political prisoner" and prosecutors and the judiciary is looking into the charges against him.
In a bid to try and mediate a solution to the crisis, the EU's Ashton has planned meetings with both sides Monday. She met with el-Sissi, Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy as well as Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei. Her office said in a statement she was also to meet with interim President Adly Mansour.
The Brotherhood's political wing says four of its members and Morsi's ex-prime minister, Hesham Kandil, are holding talks with Ashton as well.
While the Brotherhood and its Islamist allies have rejected the new political order, the military-backed interim leadership is pushing ahead with a fast-track transition plan to return to a democratically elected government by early next year.
In a statement before arriving to Cairo, Ashton said she is going to speak to all sides to reinforce that "there must be a fully inclusive transition process, taking in all political groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood."
"I will also repeat my call to end all violence. I deeply deplore the loss of life," she said.
The Egyptian presidency said the vice president received a call from U.N. Secretary-General Ban-Ki moon Monday urging an end to violence and a roadmap that includes the political participation of all parties.
Divisions between pro and anti-Morsi camps have played out in nearly daily street battles, with a dozen homes catching fire in Cairo late Sunday. Security officials said that no one was injured when the ousted president's supporters threw firebombs from atop a main overpass onto homes and opponents below.
Security officials said Monday that 11 bodies with signs of torture have been found in areas around the two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo. Another 10 people have reported being tortured and accused of being spies by the protesters there. All officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Separately, a man who appeared to be a pro-Morsi supporter was killed when his store was burnt by a mob in the city of Port Said on Sunday. It was the third death in Port Said that day. Earlier, two people died when fighting broke out at a funeral for one of the 83 killed in clashes with police in Cairo.
___
Associated Press writer Maggie Michael contributed to this report.
Wal-Mart has a reputation to protect: Its legendary, bare-knuckled labor tactics.
That's why the world?s largest retailer has threatened to scrap at least three of six stores planned for the nation?s capital if the city signs into law a bill requiring big-box stores to pay workers at least $12.50 an hour. Six other retailers have jumped on board, sending a letter to D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray that warned, ?Any future plans for retail expansion in the city must be revisited.?
It?s a showdown labor experts predict will be repeated in other cities, as cash-strapped municipalities try to pare back public assistance for the working poor and large retailers look to America?s cities for future growth.
Proponents of the wage bill, formally called the Large Retailer Accountability Act, call Wal-Mart a bully.
?They are known to be quite resolute, willing to take local losses in order to maintain a reputation,? said Gary Burtless, labor economist at the Brookings Institution. ?It would be a huge blow to that negotiating stance if they ceded to demands from the District of Columbia.?
Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research agreed: ?If they?re seen to just be making idle threats after they?ve built up such a reputation, that would be a huge cost to them.?
Robin Sherk, Kantar Retail?s director of Retail Insights, offered an alternative for Wal-Mart -- that it offer grocery delivery service operating out of a suburban base, or downsize its planned Supercenters so its store footprints fall below the 75,000-square-foot threshold stipulated by the bill. Walmart Neighborhood Markets average about 38,000 square feet.
?Wal-Mart definitely views the urban environment as a growth area,? Sherk said. ?I don?t think they?ll give up on D.C. ... They?ll evaluate other options.?
Retail and labor experts agree that the chain will walk away, taking a loss if necessary, on some or all of its planned stores if the wage bill prevails.
This prospect strikes fear in the heart of local developers, who were counting on Wal-Mart?s draw as an anchor tenant to attract other stores and financing.
Developer Gary Rappaport told the Washington Post, ?If there?s not a Wal-Mart at Skyland (Town Center), then Skyland is not able to go forward at this time.?
Wal-Mart said that in addition to abandoning the three projects still in the planning stage, it ?will start to review the financial and legal implications on the three stores already under construction.?
Typically, a store would be locked into a lease agreement once lenders come on board and construction begins. Getting out of that could be expensive for Wal-Mart at this stage ? two of the stores were scheduled to open this fall ? but developers could be left holding the bag if they were so eager to get Wal-Mart on board that they wrote an option to terminate into their contracts.
?When you?re trying to attract a retailer like Wal-Mart, you do a lot of unconventional things,? Maloney said. ?You will need to stretch a bit.?
City administrators have been trying to get Skyland off the ground for more than two decades now, and the prospect of another setback frustrates Victor Hoskins, deputy mayor for planning and economic development. Washington, D.C. has invested between $25 million and $30 million in the project.
Hoskins said other big-box chains were considering abandoning D.C. for the suburbs if the mayor signs the bill. ?We?ve heard from a couple of large format retailers," he said. "They?re concerned.?
Hoskins argued that the jobs and sales tax revenue big-box retailers would bring are something the city can?t afford to lose, but supporters of the wage bill charge that big-box stores like Wal-Mart inflict hidden costs on taxpayers and municipalities.
?We want to make sure we don?t allow large retailers to come in and pay poverty wages ? which basically is going to compel this government to pick up all the social costs,? said Vincent Orange, Washington, D.C. council member at large. ?I know that the wage Wal-Mart wants to pay will continue to have D.C. residents seeking public assistance in a number of ways.?
Wal-Mart says its average non-supervisory worker pay is nearly $12 an hour, but since that doesn?t include part-time or temp workers, critics call the number inflated. In 2011, research company IBISWorld estimated that Walmart sales associates earned an average of $8.81 an hour, and department managers earned an average of $11.22 an hour.
Orange pointed to a report issued in May by the Democratic staff of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which said every Wal-Mart Supercenter ?may cost taxpayers about one million dollars in higher usage of public-assistance programs? by workers and their families.
Burtless, the Brookings labor economist, concurred: ?As a nation, we?ve expanded programs that provide income supplements to low-wage workers ... It does work to the benefit of Wal-Mart as well as other low-wage companies in the U.S.?
Despite retailers? protestations, experts predict that the pull of the market will eventually be too much to resist.
?For [Wal-Mart] to continue to grow in America, it needs to grow in urban areas,? including Northeastern and Midwestern cities with strong pro-union roots, said Paul Osterman, professor of human resources and management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ?That?s why these fights are so bitter.?
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? Someone splattered green paint on the Lincoln Memorial early Friday, but the statue of the 16th president was reopened by nightfall after the paint was washed away.
The apparent vandalism was discovered around 1:30 a.m. Friday on the statue, the pedestal and the floor, U.S. Park Police said. No words, letters or symbols were visible in the paint.
The marble Lincoln statute had green paint on its shin, coattail, chair and base, as well as paint on the floor of the memorial building.
Capt. Steven Booker said the paint spill "appears intentional based off of the splatter." Police were reviewing security camera footage to try to identify possible suspects, he said.
No suspects had been identified by Friday afternoon. Police officials said they would not release the security footage because the investigation is ongoing.
The memorial chamber was closed all day to allow a National Park Service crew to finish cleaning up the paint. Workers spent hours using pressurized hoses and a chemical paint remover to try to wash away the paint.
National Park Service spokeswoman Carol Johnson said the memorial will be returned to the condition it was in before the vandalism. She said the work was going well by late Friday.
"It is not permanent damage," she said. "Our historic preservation crew knows exactly what they need to do."
The memorial, one of the most popular sites on the National Mall, was dedicated in 1922 to President Abraham Lincoln. The building was designed by Henry Bacon, and Daniel French sculpted the statue of Lincoln. It sits at the opposite end of the National Mall from the Capitol, facing the Washington Monument.
The memorial has served as a symbol of equality and reunification after the Civil War. It was the site of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington 50 years ago, along with other historic moments.
The Lincoln Memorial is generally open around the clock to visitors. Park rangers leave their posts about 10 p.m. and return about 9 a.m. daily. U.S. Park Police, however, maintain 24-hour patrols at the memorial, said Lt. Pamela Smith.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]More than 11,000 Americans suffer spinal cord injuries each year, and since over a quarter of those injuries are due to falls, the number is likely to rise as the population ages. The reason so many of those injuries are permanently disabling is that the human body lacks the capacity to regenerate nerve fibers. The best our bodies can do is route the surviving tissue around the injury site.
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Fresh?from Sunday's victory in Upper House elections, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting South-east Asia to further cement ties with Asean and to rally the region against a perceived security threat from China.
He leaves today for a three-day trip to Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. While in Singapore, Abe will also hold talks with visiting United States Vice-President Joe Biden.
Tokyo is due to host a Japan-Asean summit in December to commemorate their fruitful 40-year-old partnership.
"In order to strengthen the Japan-Asean relationship, there has to be strong and sound bilateral relations with individual Asean countries," said a senior Japanese foreign ministry official.
In the three capitals, Abe will discuss bilateral and regional issues with his hosts and brief them on his so-called Abenomics prescription for revitalising the Japanese economy.
Tomorrow, he delivers the 33rd Singapore Lecture, which will focus on his growth strategies to revive the Japanese economy and how they might benefit the Asean economies. One pillar of these strategies is tripling Japan's infrastructural exports to 30 trillion yen (US$300 billion) by 2020.
Apart from selling high-speed rail systems and other infrastructure to South-east Asia, Japan is also keen to work with Singapore to export infrastructure to third countries, said the official.
He pointed out that medium-sized Japanese firms have the technology but not the experience of doing business abroad, while Singapore companies have both the experience and the connections. "If we combine, we can have good business chance, such as in the Mekong area," he said.
Singapore and Japanese companies are already working together to build industrial parks in India.
Abe's meeting with Biden, meanwhile, appears aimed at demonstrating the close ties between the two countries, as well as underlining the strong US presence in the region.
A White House statement said the two leaders will affirm the "enduring strength" of the US-Japan alliance as a cornerstone of peace and stability in the region.
The meeting will also allow Biden to brief Abe on the US-China strategic and economic dialogue held in Washington earlier this month.
The Japanese media has speculated that Abe's latest visit to the region is also aimed again at keeping China in check.
China's growing maritime activities in the region, which come amid its dispute with several Asean states over the Spratlys and other islands in the South China Sea, and its feud with Japan over the Senkaku islands - which the Chinese call Diaoyu - have caused increasing concern.
In the face of China's growing naval presence, Tokyo is considering a request by Manila for the purchase of 10 patrol boats using cheap yen loans.
Abe visited Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in January soon after coming to office and travelled to Myanmar in May.
But he is the first Japanese prime minister to make an official visit to Singapore in 11 years, and the first to visit Malaysia and the Philippines in six years.
He is said to want to visit all 10 Asean nations before the East Asia Summit later this year.
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5 Stretch hard before ?n? ?ft?r workout
People, wh? ?? n?t know much ?b??t workout, ???t ?t?rt exercising without proper stretching ?f th? muscles. If ??? want t? gain m??t out ?f th? time ??? spend ?n workout ???r? day, learn latest stretching techniques. M?k? sure th?t ??? stretch each ?n? ???r? ??rt ?f ???r body, fr?m neck t? toe.
Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the city has come through last night's 6.5 earthquake "relatively unscathed", but the quake is a timely reminder for residents to be in a state of preparedness.
"Council engineers and consultants have done a visual check through of the city's inner streets ? that's about 2500 buildings ? and we've identified there are about 35 building with clear external damage, broken windows, masonry coming off the building, and we've barricaded off the footpaths and roads from those buildings to keep people safe," says Ms Wade-Brown.
She says it is a well-known fact Wellington is prone to earthquakes and the city has been working on its earthquake-readiness for a number of years.
"I think today we saw the benefits of strengthening the infrastructure and the buildings," she says.
"We do encourage people to take this as a timely reminder to make sure they have their emergency kits, that they're prepared, and that they stop and take the time to reassure any vulnerable neighbours that they might have."
Ms Wade-Brown says all council buildings will be open tomorrow as normal.
U of M researchers unveil nation's first porcine virus rapid detection testPublic release date: 23-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Miranda Taylor tayl0551@umn.edu 612-626-2767 University of Minnesota Academic Health Center
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (July 23, 2013) Mere months after porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was first confirmed in the United States swine population, University of Minnesota researchers have developed a PEDV rapid diagnostic test.
The first-of-its-kind test, which is available now, provides a way to quickly and cost-effectively identify the presence of U.S. PEDV strains.
Characterized by acute diarrhea and vomiting, a PEDV outbreak wipes out an average of 50 percent of young swine at newly affected farms. PEDV poses no risk to other animal or human health and no risk to food safety. Should PEDV become widespread, however, the pork industry could suffer significant losses. The virus has been confirmed in sixteen U.S. states so far. There is no known vaccine or treatment for the virus at this time.
Thanks to the new test, samples from animals suspected of carrying PEDV can be submitted to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) for testing. Test results are known within 24 hours, allowing for swine producers and farmers to take necessary precautions to prevent further spread. Genetic material is also extracted from the samples, which can be tested and tracked to monitor PEDV spread.
Samples including swine fecal swabs, saliva, serum, feed, and fecal, intestinal and lung tissues can be tested via a multiplex assay which identifies the presence of not just PEDV, but also transmissible gastroenteritis (TEG) a virus that has existed among U.S. swine populations for some time. Pairing the tests improves affordability to agriculture by bringing the cost of the test to less than $50.
"The University of Minnesota has been preparing for the arrival of an infectious disease like PEDV by making strategic investments over past 10-20 years," said James Collins, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of the VDL, professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and expert in food animal diagnostic medicine and infectious disease. "Agriculture is such an important part of what we do in Minnesota and thanks to preparation and the help of our partners, we were able to mobilize available resources and technology quickly to turn around a new test in just a few months. In our mind, the point where research can move this quickly is the pinnacle of where we need to be."
In addition to development of the test, the U of M team has completed sequencing the DNA of one strain of U.S. PEDV. The sequence has been deposited into the GenBank database in the National Center for Biotechnology Information to help amplify the research potential of new PEDV genome understanding.
Development of a cost-effective bioassay to determine whether PEDV is being spread via non-genetic materials including feedstuffs is ongoing at the University. Investigations aim to both identify the presence of PEDV and determine whether it is alive and active, thus posing a risk. The U of M, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture and National Pork Producers Association, also continues to investigate how PEDV first entered the U.S. and further ways to best limit it's spread.
"This is an important new disease that's entered the U.S. and we have to try to mitigate its damage. The University of Minnesota is working diligently to help address the problem," said Collins.
###
Collaborators in this project include the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, it's Swine Disease Eradication Center, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the University of Minnesota BioMedical Genomics Center.
Funding was provided by the Minnesota Rapid Agricultural Response Fund, the National Pork Board and Zoetis Animal Health.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
U of M researchers unveil nation's first porcine virus rapid detection testPublic release date: 23-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Miranda Taylor tayl0551@umn.edu 612-626-2767 University of Minnesota Academic Health Center
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (July 23, 2013) Mere months after porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was first confirmed in the United States swine population, University of Minnesota researchers have developed a PEDV rapid diagnostic test.
The first-of-its-kind test, which is available now, provides a way to quickly and cost-effectively identify the presence of U.S. PEDV strains.
Characterized by acute diarrhea and vomiting, a PEDV outbreak wipes out an average of 50 percent of young swine at newly affected farms. PEDV poses no risk to other animal or human health and no risk to food safety. Should PEDV become widespread, however, the pork industry could suffer significant losses. The virus has been confirmed in sixteen U.S. states so far. There is no known vaccine or treatment for the virus at this time.
Thanks to the new test, samples from animals suspected of carrying PEDV can be submitted to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) for testing. Test results are known within 24 hours, allowing for swine producers and farmers to take necessary precautions to prevent further spread. Genetic material is also extracted from the samples, which can be tested and tracked to monitor PEDV spread.
Samples including swine fecal swabs, saliva, serum, feed, and fecal, intestinal and lung tissues can be tested via a multiplex assay which identifies the presence of not just PEDV, but also transmissible gastroenteritis (TEG) a virus that has existed among U.S. swine populations for some time. Pairing the tests improves affordability to agriculture by bringing the cost of the test to less than $50.
"The University of Minnesota has been preparing for the arrival of an infectious disease like PEDV by making strategic investments over past 10-20 years," said James Collins, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of the VDL, professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and expert in food animal diagnostic medicine and infectious disease. "Agriculture is such an important part of what we do in Minnesota and thanks to preparation and the help of our partners, we were able to mobilize available resources and technology quickly to turn around a new test in just a few months. In our mind, the point where research can move this quickly is the pinnacle of where we need to be."
In addition to development of the test, the U of M team has completed sequencing the DNA of one strain of U.S. PEDV. The sequence has been deposited into the GenBank database in the National Center for Biotechnology Information to help amplify the research potential of new PEDV genome understanding.
Development of a cost-effective bioassay to determine whether PEDV is being spread via non-genetic materials including feedstuffs is ongoing at the University. Investigations aim to both identify the presence of PEDV and determine whether it is alive and active, thus posing a risk. The U of M, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture and National Pork Producers Association, also continues to investigate how PEDV first entered the U.S. and further ways to best limit it's spread.
"This is an important new disease that's entered the U.S. and we have to try to mitigate its damage. The University of Minnesota is working diligently to help address the problem," said Collins.
###
Collaborators in this project include the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, it's Swine Disease Eradication Center, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the University of Minnesota BioMedical Genomics Center.
Funding was provided by the Minnesota Rapid Agricultural Response Fund, the National Pork Board and Zoetis Animal Health.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
How bad do you want to lose in your fantasy league?
I can get you from the overall first pick to the depths of last place faster than a Mark Sanchez butt fumble.
It was in everyone's best interest that two decades ago I swore off playing in rotisserie-style anything of any kind -- football, baseball, golf, Little League T-ball. I continue to enjoy this cleansing of the soul and maintain a purified outlook at just how messed up a fantasy league can be to the psyche and checkbook.
So, with that, I checkedout a new book by Matthew Berry.
In "Fantasy Life: The Outrageous, Uplifting and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Guy Who's Lived It" (Riverhead Books, $27.95, 338 pages), I hesitate to say fantasy looks real again.
Before I take that walk of shame again, I needed to track down Berry, who once lived in Sherman Oaks when he did TV sitcom writing but has since moved to Connecticut (perhaps the requirements of a witness protection program):
Q: Fantasy leagues took up too much of my time and energy and I was losing to guys who picked players with as much research as they would in making a $2 bet on a thoroughbred at Santa Anita. Why should I consider ever getting back into it? Can you convince me one way or another?
A: Unless you're anti-fun, and I don't get that sense, why would you not want to do it? You get to have a rooting interest in games you'd normally not care about. And if you're not a sports fan, you have a reason to watch. Now that you're older, you probably would have a little better perspective of all that.
Q: The perspective I have is feeling that sports fantasy leagues are too mercenary. It forces you to invest a rooting interest in a player which could be at the expense of rooting against a team you've already been emotionally tied to for many years. Is there a way to rectify that psychological hurdle?
A: It goes to your fandom. I don't think there's anything wrong with rooting for individual players over your 'real life' team. It really sounds more like you have some guilt issues, to be perfectly honest. So who cares? I get questions a lot, from those especially who are anti-fantasy, who say, 'That makes you root for players instead of teams.' I'm like, 'Who are you to legislate how I enjoy sports?' There are different ways to enjoy everything in life. Whether I'm rooting for the group of players I've selected on a fantasy team or you're rooting for another group of players that a general manager has selected, we're still rooting for groups of players. As long as we're both enjoying sports, who cares how we're doing it?
Q: I guess I've felt I had conflicted rooting interests. And I was spending way too much time away from my family in pursuit of winning.
A: Got it. In that case, maybe pick your teams a little better. If you want to win, it's not necessarily the best strategy to pick your favorite players, but I don't have an issue with that because in the end fantasy is supposed to be fun. That's what this book is supposed to show. It's not a book about how to win your fantasy league and crush your opponents. It's a book that celebrates all the things I love about fantasy sports -- the trash-talking, the punishments for losing, the trophies, the creative ways people have tried to cheat. There's a story from Senator Rick Santorum about how he had to do a fantasy draft on the day he dropped out of the presidential race. What's lost in there is he plays in an American League-only fantasy baseball league. The reason he does it is because he was from Pennsylvania, where he has the Pirates and Phillies as National League teams, and he didn't want to have to root against either of those teams. That was the idea.
Q: That makes sense. In reading the book, I get the sense you've become used to being a 'fantasy shrink,' where people confess to someone like you who'd understand where they were coming from. Is that how you feel?
A: There is the saying that the most interesting conversation in the world is all about your fantasy team. And the most boring conversation in the world is anyone else's fantasy team. Right? It's the new golf story or vacation pictures. No one cares about your team other than you. Except me. That's my job. I like to hear it. I want to hear it. And I'm amazed what people admit to me. I've been playing almost 30 years and there were many stories where I was like, 'Wow, I've never heard that one.' I thought I'd get a lot of stories about guys who drafted while their wives were giving birth, those kinds of things. I was shocked by the majority of the stories I got -- like a league that forced the loser to get a tattoo of Justin Bieber. A guy who continued drafting through a bombing while he was in Afghanistan. A league that forced its loser to dress like a lion while the other owners hunted him down with paintball guns. There's the league where a guy and his wife are owners and the wife passes away, so the husband starts making these trades with the dead wife ...
Q: You've also tapped into stories about a priest, a rabbi or and a minister in a league ... and all hell breaks loose?
A: Sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it's actually three different leagues. Cheating pastors! I couldn't believe that happens, but it has. In a league filled with other pastors at his church.
Q: You can justify fantasy leagues as something that "gives people who normally would not have a reason to interact an excuse to talk ... from the CEO and mailroom guys to your long-lost cousins and everyone in between." What if I wanted to be in a fantasy league and not talk to anyone? Does that defeat the purpose?
A: Not at all. Go to ESPN.com and sign up for an anonymous league. But now I'm sensing some conflict, more guilt, some anti-social behavior. I think you've got more issues to work through here.
Q: Maybe I'm just in the wrong leagues. What other fantasy leagues that you do?
A: I have a fantasy summer movie league with all my buddies who are screen writers and directors. There's about 30 of us; we threw up a website called summermovieleague.com to keep track of it -- anyone can play if they want -- and you just pick 10 movies you think will make the most money for the summer for your own fantasy studio. I do pretty well, but I think this year "The Lone Ranger" is going to keep me from winning the title.
Q: That darn Adam Sandler.
A: I know, and I didn't even pick "Grown Ups 2."
Q: I could have told you to take that one.
A: Maybe this is a league for you then.
Q: As long as I don't have to get a tattoo if I lose.
A: Make sure that's in the bylaws.
More Q and A with Berry on the blog: www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth
Note: Berry will sign books and do a fantasy 'Q and A' at Barnes and Noble at the Grove near Farmer's Market on Fairfax on Monday at 7 p.m.
thomashoffarth@dailynews.com"?@TomHoffarth on Twitter
FALMOUTH ? Through a bit of horsing around, military families that attend a new camp will have the opportunity to tackle the deployment-related challenges they face.
"It's about being together as a family ... and being with families who are going through the same thing," said Kerry Bickford, of Marstons Mills, coordinator of the Cape Cod chapter of the nonprofit Operation Military Kids.
Families in Transition Camp will run for a week in August. Along with support groups and shared dinners, it will feature daily time with the horses at Smithfield Farm in East Falmouth.
After running a children's-only horse camp last year, interest from other family members led camp organizers to open it to other ages this year. "There are still so many families experiencing a deployment around here," Bickford said.
More than 700 children on the Cape and Islands are affected by the "deployment cycle," meaning they have a family member recently returned, currently deployed or preparing to deploy, according to data compiled by Operation Military Kids.
The August camp has space for 30 people, and preference will be given to families with members currently deployed or those who have recently returned.
Although it feels like play, spending time with the horses can actually be beneficial, camp organizers said.
"Working with horses is so magical ... they sense your anxiety, and they calm you down," Cynthia Jones, of Mashpee, founder of the nonprofit organization Heroes in Transition, said. Her group is helping to pay for the $295 per-person cost for the camp, which is offered at no charge to the families attending.
When the group got involved with Operation Military Kids, Jones ? whose son, Marine Capt. Eric Jones, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 ? visited the stables and immediately felt better. "Carrying the grief and everything else ... life is a challenge. But going up to them, to nuzzle with them, it really is therapy," she said.
Smithfield Farm has an equine therapy program for physically and emotionally disabled people that includes work with a therapist and the gentle, intelligent American paint horses, owner Jan Foster said.
At last year's Operation Military Kids camp, many children started the week "frozen in their footsteps" at the sight of the large animals. But by the end, they were sending pictures to their deployed family members of their new friends. "You can see them just beginning to relax," she said.
Promoting your business directory into online forums like an online business forums or some business bulletin boards is a good way to catch an audience. See to it that you have your signature with your business information and URL. Highlight the services you do and make sure you relay the message that ?your business/directory is a reliable and valuable resource? for online businesses to promote their sites, products or services online.
? Online Classified Ads:
Posting to online for free classified Advertisements is a terrific way to market your directory. ?See to it that you publish your ad in the relevant industry section.
? Make Articles/Web Contents & Post
Make some business articles or web contents that are unique. Talk about anything related to your business. Proofread it and submit it to online article directories.
Your posts ought to be dedicated to your business and business sites.These article directories websites is a tool to have a good marketing strategy. Make certain you incorporate a short bio.
? E-mail Promotions
Sending out personalized messages or emails to businesses that have the capacity to promote or advertise your business is also another great idea to spread the news. There are plenty of sites out there that offer to help in implementing a good email promotions campaign. However, take note that in this kind of campaigns, spams could be everywhere. So, make it sure that you won?t spam any business. Having one email per month could be enough. So, plan it out ahead and make your contact list.
? Social Media Utilization
Internet sites have grown to be a really effective marketing strategy. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, are an easy way to tell others regarding your directory. Be active and get buddies. You will be able to market your directory link in your profile side from the page.
? Get Into YouTube
This is also somewhat similar to the social media utilization. I am just highlighting its uses. YouTube is well-liked by enormous traffic daily. Make short videos about business and business promotion. Make certain the hyperlink for your directory is easy to understand. Also market your business into your profile page.
? Create a Blog
Begin a business Blog about every aspect of your business promotion. Make certain you've quality content and supply a hyperlink to your web business directory.
Creating an internet business directory is a terrific way to improve your primary website's internet search engine ranking, get more site visitors to your website, and generate earnings. You should keep in mind that when designing an internet business directory, you need to utilize marketing tools to be able to attract companies to publish their links.
About the Author Stela Benitez is the content manager for LeanMeanMarketing.com. Find out more great marketing and traffic generation tips by visiting www.LeanMeanMarketing.com.
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Public release date: 23-Jul-2013
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