President appoints commission to improve election procedures

President Barack Obama on Tuesday filled out his Presidential Commission on Election Administration, which was created to improve election systems in the United States.

"As I said in my State of the Union Address, when any American, no matter where they live or what their party, is denied that right [to vote] simply because too many obstacles stand in their way, we are betraying our ideals," Obama said in a statement Tuesday. "We have an obligation to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots without unwarranted obstructions or unnecessary delay."

Obama, who announced that the commission member limit would change from nine to 10, had previously revealed the names of the commissions' bipartisan co-chairs: Bob Bauer, who served as Obama's counsel, and Republican attorney Ben Ginsberg, who worked for Mitt Romney.

The other appointees?a mix that Steve Croley, deputy White House counsel, explained in April would be people who "run elections for a living"?are: Brian Britton, vice president of global park operations and planning at Walt Disney; Joe Echevarria, CEO at Deloitte LLP; Trey Grayson, a Republican who lost to Rand Paul in the 2010 Kentucky Senate primary and who now serves as director of the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; Larry Lomax, Clark County registrar in Nevada; Michele Coleman Mayes, vice president, general counsel and secretary for the New York Public Library; Ann McGeehan, assistant general counsel of the Texas County and District Retirement System; Tammy Patrick, federal compliance officer for the Maricopa County Elections Department in Arizona; and Christopher Thomas, Michigan's director of elections.

Per the executive order creating the committee, the commission will examine voting problems highlighted in the 2012 election, specifically potential voting obstacles facing members of the military, overseas voters, voters with disabilities and voters ?with limited English proficiency." The training of polling workers, the operation of polling places and voting machines, ballot simplicity and overseas balloting were listed in the executive order as suggested areas of study.

Croley also said last month that the White House would take a hands-off approach to the commission, allowing it to set the agenda.

The commission is due to submit a report to the president within six months detailing its findings. They will be produced in part through significant outreach to those connected to the country's election systems.

Many voting rights advocates have expressed support for the commission but have reserved judgement on its effectiveness until it begins operations.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/president-fills-commission-improve-election-systems-194533953.html

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Jamie-Lynn Sigler "Feels Bad" for "Beautiful" Kim Kardashian

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'Ax Men': Gabe Moves Fast To Avoid Getting Crushed By A Falling Tree (VIDEO)

"Family Tools" (ABC)

<em>Series premieres Wed., May 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: Starring J.K. Simmons and Kyle Bornheimer, "Family Tools" centers on a guy who returns home to take over his dad's hardware business when he finds himself jobless.

"MythBusters" (Discovery Channel)

<em>Season 10 premieres Wed., May 1 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> What To Know</strong>: This season there will be a "Breaking Bad" themed episode and the crew will tackle myths such as "Are women better than men at multitasking?" and "Which is more sanitary: drying your hands with a hand dryer or a hand towel?"

"The Big Brain Theory" (DSC)

<em>Series premieres Wed., May 1 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: Hosted by Kal Penn, this reality competition show will give contestants 30 minutes to solve a daunting engineering challenge.

"Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous" (MTV)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> The series follows Zach (Bo Burnham), who hires a camera crew to film him throughout his daily life as a part of his quest to become an overnight celebrity ? even though he possesses no real talent. From Zach?s attempts to become a celebrity chef or a ring-tone recording artist to purposefully going missing, he?ll try any avenue to get noticed and stop at nothing until he reaches fame.

"The Show With Vinny" (MTV)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 2 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> For the legions who can't say goodbye to "Jersey Shore" just yet, the legacy continues as we follow GTLer Vinny into his sure-to-be-scintillating home life. The premise has random "celebrities" dropping by his house for impromptu interviews -- and Vinny going to visit their homes, too.

"Newlyweds: The First Year" (Bravo)

<em>Series premieres Mon., May 6 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Bravo's new eight-episode docu-series follows four newlywed couples and their most personal moments, from their wedding day to their first anniversary. There's bi-coastal Christian couple Kimberly and Alaska; domestic partners Jeff and Blair, who are 16 years apart; Indian pop star Tina and her modeled-turned-tech-geek husband Tarz; and suburbanites Kathryn and John.

"Million Dollar Listing: New York" (Bravo)

<em>Season 2 premieres Wed., May 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Because we're all so fascinated by real estate that we could never realistically afford, this show is returning for a second season. C'mon, it's fun to live vicariously.

"Wipeout" (ABC)

<em>Season 6 premieres Thurs., May 9 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> With Season 5 episodes titled "Hillbilly Wipeout," "Gorillas In Our Midst" and "Hotties vs. Nerds 2.0," there can only be more magic in store for Season 6. Viewers of all stripes love watching people hurt themselves in new and remarkable ways.

"Family Tree" (HBO)

<em>Series premieres Sun., May 12 at 10:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> "Bridesmaids" funnyman Chris O'Dowd stars in Christopher Guest's ("Best in Show") new documentary-style series about a hapless thirtysomething trying to find meaning in his life by tracing his heritage.

"Long Island Medium" (TLC)

<em>Season 4 premieres Sun., May 12 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> We were hoping that those nails and that hair would be around for another season -- and our wish came true! Theresa Caputo is back, communicating with the dead, for at least another 30 episodes.

?Breaking Amish: Brave New World? (TLC)

<em>Season 2 premieres Sun., May 12 at10 p.m. ET .</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Speculation and accusations about the show?s ?reality? aside, ?Breaking Amish? was a hit for TLC. Now, the five Amish and Mennonite rebels, who moved to New York City in the show?s first season, are headed south to Florida ... but trouble seems to follow them wherever they go.

"Small Town Security" (AMC)

<em>Season 2 premieres Thurs., May 9 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> In Season 1, we met the owners and employees of JJK Security in small-town Ringgold, Georgia, and Season 2 will offer more insight into the unscripted lives of this unusual group, including Dennis' ongoing journey in his gender transition from female to male.

"So You Think You Can Dance" (Fox)

<em>Season 10 premieres Tues., May 14 at 8 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> After a season of intense competition, Eliana Girard and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp took home first place wins, both for ballet, while Tiffany Maher was the female runner-up for jazz and Cyrus Spencer was the male runner-up for popping/animation.

"Motive" (ABC)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 23 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Billed as a unique, original approach to the typical cop drama, "Motive" operates backwards. Each episode starts off showing the victim, and then works its way towards finding the perpetrator and his/her motivations by the end of the episode.

"The Goodwin Games" (Fox)

<em>Series premieres Mon., May 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know: </strong> The Fox comedy centers on estranged siblings Henry (Scott Foley), Chloe (Becki Newton) and Jimmy (T.J. Miller) as they attempt to "rediscover their lives" with the money their father left them.

"MasterChef" (Fox)

<em>Season 4 premieres Wed., May 22 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The home cook competition crowned its third consecutive female winner last season, Christine Ha. Cool fact: She is legally blind. No telling what twists they'll have this season.

"Rookie Blue" (ABC)

<em>Season 4 premieres Thurs., May 23 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The last time we saw the cops at 15 Division, they were all in the midst of making some serious decisions about their lives -- including career calls, a possible transfer and, for Andy, a major emotional choice.

"Save Me" (NBC)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 23 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> After a near-death experience, Beth (Anne Heche) is revived only to realize she now has a direct line to God. Of course, her husband Tom (Michael Landes) is skeptical and dismissive -- but when inexplicable things begin to happen, everyone?s beliefs are tested.

"The Bachelorette" (ABC)

<em>Season 9 premieres Mon., May 20 at 9 p.m ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Emily Maynard of North Carolina thought she'd finally found love in Jef Holm, but after only being engaged for a short time, they broke up. Here's to hoping "Bachelor" contestant Desiree Hartsock has better luck!

"Arrested Development" (Netflix)

<em>Season 4 premieres Mon., May 26 at 12:01 a.m. PT.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The Bluths are finally back, but there's no telling where and how we'll actually find them. One thing we do know: Each of the nine main characters will have their own episode in this season's 15-episode order, chronicling what they've been up to the last seven years. Some may cross over, but they'll all be complementary -- and they're all meant to set up an eventual "AD" movie. Considering the season will all be available the day it premieres, it sounds pretty perfect for a marathon viewing.

"The Glades" (A&E)

<em>Season 4 premieres Mon., May 27 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> In the Season 3 finale, Jim (Matt Passmore) proposed to Callie (Kiele Sanchez), even though she passed her board exam and may move to Atlanta. But she didn't respond yet ...

"Longmire" (A&E)

<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., May 27 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Did Walt Longmire murder his wife's killer? Season 1 saw flashbacks of the Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, that would support the theory, but when the FBI asked him in the Season 1 finale, he simply said, "No."

"Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" (ABC)

<em>Season 3 premieres Tues., May 28 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> As in the seasons before it, "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" will center on a group of people losing large amounts of weight over the course of a year through diet and exercise.

"Brooklyn DA" (CBS)

<em>Series premieres Tues., May 28 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: The six-part series takes viewers behind the scenes of the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. ADA Kathleen Collins (pictured) is just one of the profiled attorneys. "When you?re on trial, there?s never a day that you really go home and don?t feel stressed," she said.

"The American Baking Competition" (CBS)

<em>Series premieres Wed., May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Based on a popular British reality competition, this new Jeff Foxworthy-hosted show features 10 home cooks vying for the title of best amateur baker in America, as well as a contract to publish their own cookbook and a $250,000 grand prize. Not bad for a couple of pies work, huh?

"Melissa & Joey" (ABC Family)

<em>Season 3 premieres Wed., May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Joe married Russian businesswoman Elena, but then she received a call that prompted her to fly back to Russia to testify for one of her innocent colleagues. The Season 2 finale ended with Mel -- who officiated the wedding -- and Joe toasting to the next "Mrs. Longo," wherever she may be.

"Baby Daddy" (ABC Family)

<em>Season 2 premieres Wed., March 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Ben and Riley's friend Katie faced some major drama when they found themselves in bed together after a night of partying. The only problem with their little tryst was that Katie was supposed to get married (to someone else) the next day. Luckily, they soon find out that nothing happened, and Riley and Ben share a romantic dance.

"Dancing Fools" (ABC Family)

<em>Series premieres Wed., May 29 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know: </strong> The half-hour comedy clip show, hosted by "Baby Daddy" star Melissa Peterman, features the funniest, most outrageous and memorable dances caught on camera. The dancers from the top two clips of the week compete on stage for a chance to win $10,000.

"The Killing" (AMC)

<em>Season 3 premieres Sun., June 2 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Season 2 ended with Rosie Larsen's Aunt Terry being arrested for her murder. Detectives Linden (Mireille Enos) and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) got a call about a new case, but Linden wanted no part of it. Season 3 picks up a year later, with Holder searching for a runaway girl and discovering a string of murders connected to one of Linden's old cases. Though Linden is no longer a detective, she inevitably gets pulled back in.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" (Bravo)

<em>Season 5 premieres Sun., June 2 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> Where We Left Off</strong>: The "Housewives" were fractured -- to say the least -- but the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy brings new beginnings for the first ladies of the Garden State. Of course things could certainly go sour yet again.

"Princesses: Long Island" (Bravo)

<em>Series premieres Sun., June 2 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: The reality series follows six college-educated women from affluent areas of Long Island who are still living with their families.

?Keeping Up With the Kardashians? (E!)

<em>Season 8 premieres Sun., May 20 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Kim and Kanye?s relationship was just breaking the Internet, and now we?ll see it all on screen -- including their baby drama. Khloe?s fertility issues continue, but new ?castmember? Brody Jenner -- Bruce?s son from a previous marriage who is no stranger to reality TV -- looks to be this season?s biggest diva.

"Mistresses" (ABC)

<em>Series premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Soapy drama "Mistresses" stars Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes and Jes Macallan as four friends all struggling with different issues in their love lives, with men (including Jason George) and other women complicating matters. And as the title suggests, some of them are flirting with disaster and becoming mistresses themselves.

?The Fosters? (ABC Family)

<em>Series premieres Mon., June 3 at 9 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>What To Know: </strong>This new one-hour drama from executive producer Jennifer Lopez follows a multi-ethnic, blended family, being raised by two working moms, as they welcome another troubled child into their home.

"Teen Wolf" (MTV)

<em>Season 3 premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> At the end of last season, Allison broke up with Scott, Peter warned Isaac and Derek that a new pack made up entirely of Alpha werewolves was coming, and said Alphas trapped Boyd and Erica in the woods, leaving viewers uncertain of their fate. Season 3 will pick up four months later, and focus on the introduction of the Alpha pack and the havoc they wreak.

"Push Girls" (Sundance Channel)

<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Throughout Sesaon 1 we got to know Auti, Mia, Tiphany and Chelsie, four women living in Hollywood who also happen to all be in wheelchairs. Season 2 will follow the foursome's new loves and new adventures, including 21-year-old Chelsie's decision to move out of her parents' home.

"America's Got Talent" (NBC)

<em>Season 8 premieres Tues., June 4 at 9 p.m. ET</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Last season, traveling dog act Olate Dogs was crowned the winner. This year, a new crop of performers will compete for the $1 million prize. Spice Girl Mel B. and Heidi Klum join the judging panel with Howie Mandel and Howard Stern.

"Burn Notice" (USA)

<em>Season 7 premieres Thursday, June 6 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> In an effort to get more information on Riley, Michael sent Bly to tail her to a meeting with the cartel kingpin, but a cartel member disguised as security blew up Bly's car, killing him and destroying the evidence they collected on Riley. Michael later incapacitated Riley and got her to agree to confess. Then, Fiona, Madeline, Sam and Jesse were released from their prison cells. Michael explained he "did what [he] had to do," but Fiona corrected him, saying, "You did what you wanted to do."

?Graceland? (USA)

<em>"Graceland" premieres Thurs., June 6 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> This cop drama, starring Daniel Sunjata and Aaron Tveit, follows a special group of law enforcement agents from the FBI, the DEA and U.S. Customs who all live under the same roof in sunny Southern California. Like frat guys (and girls), but with badges.

"The Hero" (TNT)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., June 6 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is producing this competition series to test the strength, courage and integrity of a diverse group of nine individuals. Each week, the contestants will be challenged physically, mentally and morally as they try to prove that they truly deserve the title of "The Hero" and the life-changing grand prize that goes with it.

"72 Hours" (TNT)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., June 6 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Contestants on this "Survivor"-esque reality show are dropped into the wilderness with only a bottle of water and a GPS device on a mission to find a briefcase filled with $100,000.

"Continuum" (Syfy)

<em>Season 2 premieres Fri., June 7 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> According to series lead Rachel Nichols, Season 2 is all about responsibility. Kiera, Alec and even the terrorists at Liber8 all have to make intense choices that could change the very fabric of their worlds.

"Dexter" (Showtime)

<em>Season 8 premieres Sun., June 30 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Deb finally learned the truth about Dexter's dark secret, and took a page out of her step-brother's book in the shocking season finale. Can she live with what she did? And can Dexter escape the series without being brought to justice in this final season?

"Being Human" (BBC America)

<em>Season 5 premieres Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Our favorite supernatural threesome is back from across the pond for their fifth and final season where they'll finally confront the Devil, once and for all. No biggie.

"Sinbad" (Syfy)

<em>Series premiere Sat., June 8 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> The 12-episode British series follows the epic sea journey of the flawed hero Sinbad (Elliot Knight), who embarks on a quest to rid himself of a curse and embrace his destiny. Look for "Lost" alum Naveen Andrews as Lord Akbari.

"Primeval: New World" (Syfy)

<em>Series premieres Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> What To Know</strong>: The 13-episode first season follows a team of animal experts and scientists that investigate paranormal events.

"Falling Skies" (TNT)

<em>Season 3 premieres Sun., June 9 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Last season ended with the arrival of a new species of alien, and Anne became pregnant with Tom's child. Season 3 will explore whether the new alien is on the side of the humans or has another dark purpose in mind. We'll also learn what happened to Hal while he was unconscious, and what that might mean for the rebellion.

"Switched At Birth" (ABC Family)

<em>Season 2 summer premiere Mon., June 10 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off</strong>: "Switched At Birth" left on a big cliffhanger: Daphne struggled to keep the Carlton School for the Deaf open, John's campaign for office came to a startling halt and Emmett told Bay about Daphne and Noah's kiss.

"Major Crimes" (TNT)

<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., June 10 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off</strong>: Rusty became a ward of the state to the delight of everybody, and Captain Raydor continued to gain the trust and respect of the Major Crimes unit.

?King & Maxwell? (TNT)

<em>Series premieres Mon., June 10 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Based on author David Baldacci?s bestselling private eye series, Rebecca Romijn and Jon Tenney star as the titular former Secret Service agents now working as private investigators who aren?t always by-the-books.

"Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family)

<em>Season 4 premieres Tues., June 11 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Red Coat, who looked a whole lot like Ali, saved Emily, Aria, Hanna and Mona from a fire, while Spencer looked on in shock. The first episode of Season 4 is titled "A Is For A-L-I-V-E" and <a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/394204/spoiler-chat-scoop-on-pretty-little-liars-once-upon-a-time-revolution-new-girl-and-more" target="_hplink">E! News reports that viewers will meet Marion, Toby's mother</a>, who was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaimie-etkin/pretty-little-liars-recap_b_2673316.html" target="_hplink">revealed to be dead in Season 3, Episode 18, "Dead To Me."</a> "All of the questions fans have will be answered," <a href="http://www.wetpaint.com/pretty-little-liars/articles/pretty-little-liars-star-sasha-pieterse-dishes-on-season-4-questions-will-be-answered-exclusive" target="_hplink">star Sasha Pieterse told Wetpaint Entertainment recently</a> of Season 4.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/ax-men-gabe-falling-tree-video_n_3304860.html

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Video: Dimon's Dual Roles Remain Secure for Now

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Link between childhood ADHD and obesity revealed in first long-term study

May 20, 2013 ? A new study conducted by researchers at the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center found men diagnosed as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were twice as likely to be obese in a 33-year follow-up study compared to men who were not diagnosed with the condition.

The study appears in the May 20 online edition of Pediatrics.

"Few studies have focused on long-term outcomes for patients diagnosed with ADHD in childhood. In this study, we wanted to assess the health outcomes of children diagnosed with ADHD, focusing on obesity rates and Body Mass Index," said lead author Francisco Xavier Castellanos, MD, Brooke and Daniel Neidich Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone. "Our results found that even when you control for other factors often associated with increased obesity rates such as socioeconomic status, men diagnosed with ADHD were at a significantly higher risk to suffer from high BMI and obesity as adults."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders, often diagnosed in childhood and lasting into adulthood. People with ADHD typically have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors and tend to be overly active. ADHD has an estimated worldwide prevalence of five percent, with men more likely to be diagnosed than women.

The prospective study included 207 white men diagnosed with ADHD at an average age of 8 and a comparison group of 178 men not diagnosed with childhood ADHD, who were matched for race, age, residence and social class. The average age at follow up was 41 years old. The study was designed to compare Body Mass Index (BMI) and obesity rates in grown men with and without childhood ADHD.

Results showed that, on average, men with childhood ADHD had significantly higher BMI (30.1 vs. 27.6) and obesity rates (41.1 percent vs. 21.6 percent) than men without childhood ADHD.

"The results of the study are concerning but not surprising to those who treat patients with ADHD. Lack of impulse control and poor planning skills are symptoms often associated with the condition and can lead to poor food choices and irregular eating habits," noted Dr. Castellanos. "This study emphasizes that children diagnosed with ADHD need to be monitored for long-term risk of obesity and taught healthy eating habits as they become teenagers and adults."

The research was supported by grants MH-18579 and T32 MH-067763 from the National Institute of Mental Health, grant DA-16979 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and grant PIOF-253103 from the European Commission.

Co-authors of the study include Salvatore Mannuzza, PhD (retired); Samuele Cortese, MD, PhD, of the Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience and Verona University, Italy; Erika Proal, PhD, of the Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience and Neuroingenia, Mexico; Rachel G. Klein, PhD, and Maria A. Ramos Olazagasti, PhD, of the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/F-Y48m4kXdo/130520113925.htm

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White House accuses Republicans of 'fishing expeditions'

By Tabassum Zakaria and Alina Selyukh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Sunday accused Republicans of conducting political "fishing expeditions," while Republican lawmakers showed no let up in attacking President Barack Obama's administration for a culture of what they called cover-up and "intimidation."

With controversies on three fronts - the Internal Revenue Service, the administration's explanation of last year's Benghazi attack and the Justice Department's seizure of the Associated Press' phone records - White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer pushed back against suggestions that Obama was under a cloud of scandal.

"I think we've seen this playbook from Republicans before," Pfeiffer said on NBC's "Meet The Press."

"What they want to do when they are lacking a positive agenda is try to drag Washington into a swamp of partisan fishing expeditions, trumped-up hearings and false allegations. We're not going to let that happen."

Republicans are pressing for investigations and congressional hearings and have kept up a stream of criticism of the White House over the three issues, forcing the administration to repeatedly defend its actions.

For the time-being, Obama appears to be weathering the storm. A CNN/ORC International poll released on Sunday showed 53 percent of Americans approve of the way Obama is doing his job, with 45 percent saying they disapprove.

More than six in 10 respondents said the president's statements about the IRS scandal are completely or mostly true, with 35 percent disagreeing. On the handling of the attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya last September, only 42 percent of respondents were satisfied, according to the telephone survey of 923 adults conducted on Friday and Saturday.

The White House has repeatedly expressed outrage about the conduct of the IRS in focusing on conservative political groups for additional scrutiny and Obama has said he first learned about it this month. Still, that has not dampened Republican criticism.

"There is a culture of intimidation throughout the administration. The IRS is just the most recent example," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on "Meet The Press."

Republican lawmakers said they still do not know who was responsible for the tax authority's targeting of conservative groups and want further investigation. The Senate Finance Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold hearings on it this week.

Senator Rob Portman, a Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said on ABC's "This Week" that a special counsel may be needed to investigate "because it has to be independent of the White House."

Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller was fired last week and Obama has pledged new checks and safeguards to prevent anything similar from happening again.

"Given the trend line we're seeing here in so many different instances, it's an unfortunate culture I think in the administration that it's OK to cover these things up," Senator John Cornyn, a Republican, said on the CBS program "Face the Nation."

Pfeiffer acknowledged it was important to try to repair the damage caused by the IRS scandal.

"This was a breach of the public trust. And we have to work together to rebuild that trust. That's going to require Republicans to do this in a legitimate, serious governmental way and not play politics with it," he said on NBC.

Republicans are also aiming criticism at Sarah Hall Ingram, the official who previously ran the IRS' tax-exempt division during the time that an audit by the Treasury's inspector general said the targeting of conservative groups began. Since December 2010, Ingram has headed the IRS division handling the implementation of the Obama administration's healthcare reform.

The White House said it was important to wait until the facts were determined.

"This individual was not named in the inspector general's report. No one has suggested she's done anything wrong yet," Pfeiffer said on "Fox News Sunday."

"Before everyone in this town convicts this person in a court of public opinion with no evidence, let's actually get the facts and make decisions after that."

Bob Woodward, who investigated the Watergate scandal as a reporter at the Washington Post during Richard Nixon's presidency, said likening that to the current furors was not accurate.

"People are making comparisons to Watergate. This is not Watergate. But there are some people in the administration who have acted as if they want to be Nixonian," he said on NBC.

(Additional reporting by Paul Simao; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-accuses-republicans-fishing-expeditions-192253563.html

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Analysis: Little sign Abe can shake up Japan's inbound FDI

By Stanley White

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan risks missing, yet again, an opportunity to use foreign investment to help fuel sustained economic growth that has eluded it for the last two decades.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to make Japan "the world's easiest country for companies to do business in" as part of his economic revival plan, which so far has been largely met with approval. The stock market has rallied 45 percent this year and Abe's approval ratings are around 70 percent.

Abe gave further hints on Friday about government plans to be unveiled in a longer-term economic growth strategy, referring to tripling infrastructure exports and doubling farm exports.

But a month before that strategy is due to be unveiled, his efforts to ramp up inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) are showing little indication a trickle of foreign investment will turn into a tide.

"Over the last five years, 90 percent of my work has been outbound deals," said Ken Lebrun, chair of the FDI committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and a partner at the law firm Shearman & Sterling specializing in mergers and acquisitions.

"The reason is the same as why Japanese companies haven't been acquiring companies in Japan: growth prospects are poor. Hopefully, Abe's reforms will improve these perceptions."

At first glance, Japan is tough to sell to a foreign investor. Its population is ageing and quickly shrinking. Its own corporations are pessimistic about home markets and have been hoarding cash or investing overseas.

Yet its appeal lies in the sheer size of the $5 trillion-plus economy, the world's third-largest, a survey by international consultancy Accenture showed in March last year.

In insurance and pharmaceuticals, areas of foreign investor interest, Japan is second only to the United States in market size, reports from ratings agency Standard & Poor's and research firm IMS Medical show.

Standing in the way of foreign investment are barriers that have kept Japan at the bottom of the FDI league table.

Compared with the size of the economy, foreign direct investment inflows into Japan are the lowest among the 34 developed nations grouped in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The total amount of inward FDI was less than 4 percent of its economic output at the end of 2011. In comparison, Britain's was 48.8 percent of GDP in 2011, while in the United States it was nearly a fifth of GDP.

The OECD's index of regulatory restrictions to FDI, which includes limits on foreign equity holdings, screening and approval procedures, rules on hiring foreigners and rules on repatriating capital, showed Japan was the club's most closed economy in 2012.

To break the mould, Japan needs to simplify and reduce corporate taxes, cut red tape and scale back regulations that are so excessive that they even deter Japanese firms, economists say.

"The single biggest area that Britain and other countries would welcome is a bigger move on deregulation and liberalization," said Sue Kinoshita, director of trade and investment at the British Embassy.

The benefits of foreign investment would be heightened competition for skilled workers, which could help reverse a long decline in Japanese wages and boost productivity, helping to address concerns about the "hollowing out" of manufacturing.

"We have a lot of outgoing FDI, so we need to balance this with more incoming FDI," said Yasuo Yamamoto, senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute.

Rather than break the mould though, the advisory panels charged with drafting the growth strategy are discussing only modest steps, such as tax breaks for special economic zones.

One idea is to provide incentives for English-speaking doctors to work in Japan and another is to run Tokyo's subway and bus networks 24 hours a day. Proponents suggest that would make Japan more attractive to foreign executives.

Areas that are likely to remain a no-go zone for foreigners are agriculture and construction, two industries that tend to rely on cozy government ties for protection.

At 1.2 percent of GDP, the size of Japan's agriculture sector is about the same as many developed economies.

The appeal is that whoever can fix the sector's notorious lack of efficiency stands a better chance at marketing Japan's high-end vegetables, beef and other produce to gourmet consumers overseas.

Construction, on the other hand, may not hold much appeal to foreign firms as there are few prospects for growth after decades of excessive public works projects.

Elderly care is one area that will be growing as Japan ages. A third of Japanese will be 65 or older by 2035, up from a quarter now.

It is ripe for new entrants, foreign or local, but it is also a prime example of the red tape keeping newcomers at bay.

Each of Japan's 47 prefectures issue the licenses for nursing homes in their areas. But local governments often deny licenses to avoid the subsidies they have to pay to nursing home workers, who themselves have to hold several licenses and qualifications to work.

Pharmaceutical firms complain that strict rules on clinical trials and on prescribing new drugs make access to the Japanese market lengthier and costlier than other leading economies.

Some economists say Japan should make it easier for foreign companies to enter the renewable energy market in Japan as the country ponders life without nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Letting foreign players in is sometimes the best way to shake things up, such as when French automaker Renault took a stake in Nissan Motor Co Ltd in 1999.

Nissan's chief Carlos Ghosn implemented what become known as the "Ghosn shock" by aggressively pushing its steel suppliers to cut prices. At the time Japanese automakers did not dare to squeeze their long-time suppliers.

The result was lower steel prices for all automakers and a restructuring of the steel industry.

(This story corrects the third from last paragraph to show Renault took a stake in Nissan)

(Editor Neil Fullick)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-little-sign-abe-shake-japans-inbound-fdi-073954121.html

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Must See HDTV (May 20th - 26th)

Arrested Development fans have had this week circled for a while, but that's not the only thing to watch. The weekend will also be big for racing fans, with the Coca-Cola 600, Indianapolis 500, and a live presentation of the Grand Prix of Monaco on NBC. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

Xbox Reveal
Tomorrow Microsoft takes the wraps off of its next Xbox console and, of course, we'll be there to bring you all the information as it's unveiled (bookmark our liveblog here). Of course, if you'd like to watch firsthand you'll have a number of options, including live streams available on Xbox.com, Windows Phone, and the Xbox 360 (for Gold and Silver members). It's also on cable, with Spike TV doing the broadcast honors. The pre-show starts at 1PM ET and the reveal itself is expected at 2PM ET, set your alarms accordingly.
(May 21st, Spike TV, 1PM)

Arrested Development
It's finally time. After being rescued from the grave, season four of Arrested Development will launch on Netflix streaming Sunday. As is the streaming company's custom, the entire season will be available for viewing at once, however Mitch Hurwitz notes it is made to be viewed in order, which we expect many of you will do multiple times. Check out the official trailer after the break or just start rewatching the first three seasons now.
(May 26th, Netflix)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Weeklong traffic mess possible after CT derailment

A derailed Metro-North rail car is hoisted back on to the tracks in Bridgeport. Conn. on Sunday, May 19, 2013. Crews will spend days rebuilding 2,000 feet of track, overhead wires and signals following the collision between two trains Friday evening that injured 72 people, Metro-North President Howard Permut said Sunday. (AP Photo/The Connecticut Post,Brian A. Pounds ) MANDATORY CREDIT

A derailed Metro-North rail car is hoisted back on to the tracks in Bridgeport. Conn. on Sunday, May 19, 2013. Crews will spend days rebuilding 2,000 feet of track, overhead wires and signals following the collision between two trains Friday evening that injured 72 people, Metro-North President Howard Permut said Sunday. (AP Photo/The Connecticut Post,Brian A. Pounds ) MANDATORY CREDIT

Metro-North employees work at the site of Friday's train derailment in Bridgeport. Conn. on Sunday, May 19, 2013. Crews will spend days rebuilding 2,000 feet of track, overhead wires and signals following the collision between two trains Friday evening that injured 72 people, Metro-North President Howard Permut said Sunday. (AP Photo/The Connecticut Post,Brian A. Pounds ) MANDATORY CREDIT

Map locates Bridgeport, Conn

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) ? Traffic in southwest Connecticut could be a mess for as much as a week until service is restored to the commuter rail line affected by a derailment that injured scores of passengers, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy warned Sunday.

Malloy used dire language to describe traffic troubles for the work week ahead in an area that even in normal times is a pain for motorists. And the governor warned that the weather will not cooperate as rainy weather forecast will make driving a bit more treacherous.

Malloy even urged commuters to stay out of the state if possible.

"Tomorrow's commute will be extremely challenging," he said at a brief news conference in Hartford. "Residents should plan for a week's worth of disruptions."

If all 30,000 affected commuters took to the highways to get to work, "we would literally have a parking lot," the governor said. If a substantial number of affected consumers hit the roads, traffic will be "greatly slowed," he said.

The state will dispatch more state troopers and tow trucks to respond to car accidents that could come with crowded roads and slipper conditions, he said.

"If you are going to New York and you get to New York or you're transporting yourself to New York you may decide that perhaps you should stay there for the duration of this disturbance," Malloy said.

Crews will spend days rebuilding 2,000 feet of track, overhead wires and signals following the collision between two trains Friday evening that injured 72 people. Nine remained hospitalized, with one critically.

"This amounts to the wholesale reconstruction of a two-track electrified railroad," he said.

Several days of around-the-clock work will be required, including inspections and testing of the newly rebuilt system, Metro-North President Howard Permut said. The damaged rail cars were removed from the tracks on Sunday, the first step toward making the repairs.

Starting with the Monday morning rush-hour, a shuttle train will operate about every 20 minutes between New Haven and Bridgeport and two shuttle buses will run between Bridgeport and Stamford stations, state transportation officials said.

For morning and evening peak commutes, limited train service will operate between Grand Central Terminal and Westport.

State officials said travel times will be significantly longer than normal and trains will be crowded. Commuters are advised to use the Harlem line in New York.

Amtrak service between New York and New Haven was also suspended and there was no estimate on service restoration. Limited service was available between New Haven and Boston.

Jim Cameron, chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, said he's asked officials in numerous towns to suspend parking rules to accommodate what could be tens of thousands of motorists driving to unaffected train stations. Twelve stations are affected by the shutdown.

But Cameron said he doubts many commuters will use three modes of transportation to get to work: driving their cars to catch a bus to get to a train station for the final leg.

He suggested that local and regional officials post highway signs directing motorists to available parking so motorists "don't get off the highway and drive in circles looking for where to dump their cars."

About 700 people were on board the trains Friday evening when one heading east from New York City's Grand Central Terminal to New Haven derailed just outside Bridgeport. It was hit by a train heading west from New Haven.

Dan Solomon, a trauma surgeon who lives in Westport and was headed to work at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, was on the train that derailed. He said he treated several injured passengers, including a woman with severely broken ankles.

He said he was in a front car that was not as badly affected as cars in the rear of the train.

"I hardly lost my iced tea," Solomon said in an interview.

Solomon said walls were torn off both trains and he quickly checked injured passengers to separate the most badly injured from others.

"When the EMS arrived, I was covered in everyone's blood," he said.

Investigators are looking at a broken section of rail to see if it is connected to the derailment and collision. Officials said it wasn't clear if the rail was broken in the crash or earlier.

NTSB investigators arrived Saturday and are expected to be on site for seven to 10 days. They will look at the brakes and performance of the trains, the condition of the tracks, crew performance and train signal information, among other things.

The MTA operates the Metro-North Railroad, the second-largest commuter railroad in the nation. The Metro-North main lines - the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven - run northward from New York City's Grand Central Terminal into suburban New York and Connecticut.

The last significant train collision involving Metro-North occurred in 1988 when a train engineer was killed in Mount Vernon, N.Y., when one train empty of passengers rear-ended another, railroad officials said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-19-Trains%20Collide-Conn/id-e9ebac2b5a7b44acb0324b37bf4d5542

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Kings Of Leon Reign At Hangout Fest

The Kings closed out Friday night with a triumphant set.
By James Montgomery

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1707609/hangout-festival-kings-of-leon.jhtml

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Not Your Grandpa's RV: This Roving Lab Tracks Air Pollution

This map shows methane measurements Ira Leifer took as he drove in his RV around the Los Angeles basin. Notice the pronounced spike in levels of methane around the La Brea Tar Pits in the center of the image. Geological faults here allow "natural" methane to escape. The redder the color, the more methane was detected.

Courtesy of Ira Leifer and Paige Farrell, et. al./Published in Atmospheric Environment

This map shows methane measurements Ira Leifer took as he drove in his RV around the Los Angeles basin. Notice the pronounced spike in levels of methane around the La Brea Tar Pits in the center of the image. Geological faults here allow "natural" methane to escape. The redder the color, the more methane was detected.

Courtesy of Ira Leifer and Paige Farrell, et. al./Published in Atmospheric Environment

If you're driving down the road someday and you come across a camper with a 50-foot periscope sticking up into the sky, you just might have crossed paths with Ira Leifer. His quirky vehicle is on a serious mission. It's sniffing the air for methane, a gas that contributes to global warming.

Leifer is an atmospheric scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. But you'll more often find him off campus, in a garage, next to a string of auto body shops near the airport.

Ira Leifer, at his garage-turned-lab in Santa Barbara, has been studying the levels of methane in the atmosphere.

Richard Harris/NPR

Ira Leifer, at his garage-turned-lab in Santa Barbara, has been studying the levels of methane in the atmosphere.

Richard Harris/NPR

The converted garage is jammed with computer workstations and a bunch of high tech gear, including a rack full of gas chromatographs ? instruments that analyze air samples.

Leifer's machines are tuned to look for hydrocarbons, especially methane. It's the main ingredient of natural gas. Methane is also much more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat in the atmosphere. So it's important to know how much is in the atmosphere and where it's coming from.

Back in 2010, Leifer headed to the Gulf of Mexico to measure methane that bubbled into the water during the Deepwater Horizon blowout. He needed to take his gas chromatographs with him to do these studies.

"And the standard way scientists usually deal with this is they pack everything up in a box and they ship it, but that means you have to trust that FedEx or whoever is taking it won't accidentally drop it," Leifer says. "So I thought, 'Why don't I drive it down?' "

He rented a camper for the trip. And after his research cruise ended, Leifer thought, "Why not sample the air on the way back home?" So he jury-rigged a setup for these delicate instruments in the back.

"It involved a lot of work with an air mattress folded in half, a giant tarp filled with Styrofoam peanuts, bungees holding things to the wall and so on," Leifer says. "It really looked like a Rube Goldberg kind of weird device in the back with this gas chromatograph sitting in the middle of it."

Leifer stands atop his roving chemistry lab. He and his team took 6,600 methane readings on the cross-country drive from Florida to California.

Richard Harris/NPR

Leifer stands atop his roving chemistry lab. He and his team took 6,600 methane readings on the cross-country drive from Florida to California.

Richard Harris/NPR

Starting in Florida, Leifer and a couple of assistants took 6,600 methane measurements as they drove west. He says the measurements steadily increased as the RV approached Houston, which is home to hundreds of petrochemical plants. Driving around the plants and natural-gas pumping stations, he often found spikes of methane.

"And after we left the Houston area, we then continued westward, and the methane levels decreased and decreased and continued doing so all the way to the Mojave Desert," he says.

The highest readings turned out to be in the Los Angeles area, specifically around the La Brea Tar Pits. These are areas of "natural" methane seepage, Leifer says. "Oil, tar and methane seep up to the surface and fill the pits." The preserved bodies of Ice Age animals have been retrieved from the sticky muck.

Leifer qualifies the word "natural" because some of the leaks probably aren't natural at all. They're instead from old oil wells that were drilled in the early 20th century, and tapped into those same natural reservoirs of hydrocarbons. Back then folks weren't so careful with their wells.

"When the company went bankrupt, they wouldn't seal them up very well," Leifer says. "They might just stuff trees and stones and rags in them. Literally."

Methane also contributes to smog, so Los Angeles is very interested to figure out where its methane comes from.

Air mattresses and bungees actually aren't required for this kind of research. A new type of chromatograph can withstand the bumps and bruises of the road. So, since Leifer's road trip in the rented camper in 2010, there have been lots of similar methane studies by others.

But he says his was the first cross-country observation. It's being published in the journal Atmospheric Environment.

Leifer was so intrigued by the possibilities here, he bought his own 37-foot diesel RV, and he's souped it up to be a rolling chemistry lab, complete with a hydraulic lift to get all his gear into the back of the vehicle. It also has a mast that rises up five stories, like a periscope.

? This is one of those perhaps rare cases in which doing the right thing leads to a win-win situation for the shareholders [and] the economy, as well as the environment.

- Ira Leifer, atmospheric scientist, University of California, Santa Barbara

"Scientists are known to like cool stuff," he says with a laugh. Of course, the mast is only up when the camper is parked.

Over the course of his expedition, Leifer says he not only learned that he really, really wanted a new RV to study pollution, but also got a firsthand sense of just how much methane gas simply leaks out of refineries, pipes and wells before it can get to would-be customers.

"We're talking several hundred billion dollars of profit that's just being lost," he says. "It's causing a lot of environmental damage. And this is one of those perhaps rare cases in which doing the right thing leads to a win-win situation for the shareholders [and] the economy, as well as the environment."

The challenge now is for those companies to track down all those leaks, among half a million gas wells and hundreds of thousands of miles of pipeline. Sealing those leaks won't always repay those companies in cash, but it will provide rewards to the planet in the form of less rapid global warming.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184863769/not-your-grandpas-rv-this-roving-lab-tracks-air-pollution?ft=1&f=1007

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Ex-OJ lawyer to testify in bid for new Vegas trial

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? O.J. Simpson's former lawyer has some explaining to do.

Miami attorney Yale Galanter is scheduled to testify Friday in Simpson's bid for a new trial.

Galanter, according to Simpson, advised the former football star that it was his legal right to retrieve personal items from two memorabilia dealers; told Simpson not to testify in the Las Vegas trial that eventually sent him to prison; failed to tell Simpson that prosecutors offered plea deals; and failed to raise the issue of ineffective assistance of counsel on appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Galanter hasn't been subpoenaed, so he isn't compelled to appear.

He is invited as a key state's witness in a hearing that, since Monday, has revolved around Galanter's promises, payments and performance in the 2008 trial that sent the 65-year-old former football hero to prison for nine to 33 years for armed robbery and kidnapping.

H. Leon Simon, the chief deputy Clark County district attorney handling the case, said he and Galanter have what amounts to a gentleman's agreement for Galanter to come to Las Vegas.

"I take him at his word," Simon said. "He has assured me he wants to come and testify, as an officer of the court."

Galanter faces some uncomfortable questions about his trial preparation, the nearly $700,000 he was paid but allegedly didn't share with the Las Vegas lawyer at his side and why he didn't try to block prosecutors from playing for the jury secret recordings that amounted to a soundtrack of Simpson and his five pals confronting two sports collectibles brokers and a middleman in a cramped casino hotel room.

Jim Barnett, owner of a Las Vegas home where Simpson stayed during trial in September 2008, said he asked Galanter why he wasn't hiring an expert to analyze the recording.

"He said, 'If you would give us $250,000, we would have it done. We don't have the money to analyze the tapes," Barnett testified.

Galanter later assured the trial judge that the tapes had been analyzed.

He also faces questions about what he knew about Simpson's plan, when he knew it, and whether he should have told what he knew to get Simpson off the hook.

"He's a vital witness," said veteran Las Vegas trial lawyer Dayvid Figler. "He has information that no one can share."

Galanter said this week that he wouldn't comment about the hearing until after he testifies.

Las Vegas attorney Michael Cristalli, who has provided television network analysis of the Simpson hearings, said he expected Galanter will say he did his best in Simpson's case.

"He'll say he provided effective representation of Mr. Simpson, that he examined every witness zealously, and that he prepared exhaustively," Cristalli said, "and that there's no evidence to the contrary."

Simpson still maintains that he didn't know anyone in the hotel room had guns, and that he had a right to the items he was after ? football mementos, awards, photos and personal items that he said were stolen from him while he was moving out of his Los Angeles home.

The move followed Simpson's "trial of the century" acquittal in the 1994 the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, and a 1997 civil judgment that ordered him to pay $33.5 million to the estates of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

"I talked to Yale about it two or three times," Simpson said during his testimony Wednesday. "The overall advice he was giving was, 'You have a right to get your stuff.'"

Key among Simpson's 19 claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and conflict of interest being considered by District Court Judge Linda Marie Bell is the allegation that Galanter should have provided witness testimony supporting Simpson's contention that he didn't know he was breaking the law.

Simpson says the two even talked about it over dinner the night before the ill-fated confrontation in September 2007, and that Galanter told him that if Simpson recovered the suit he wore the day he was acquitted in Los Angeles, Galanter would like to have it.

Bell has made no indication whether she plans an immediate ruling or will issue a written decision later.

The most damaging testimony about Galanter's performance came from three other lawyers involved in the case: Gabriel Grasso and Malcolm LaVergne, who represented Simpson, and Brent Bryson, who represented a Simpson co-defendant who also was convicted.

Each said Galanter seemed more interested in what he was paid and protecting himself from having to testify than in fully representing his client.

LaVergne, who argued with Galanter when both worked on Simpson's appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court, testified Thursday that he believed Galanter's involvement shaped his trial strategy.

But stepping away from the case would have cost Galanter hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees.

"Do you think Mr. Galanter made decisions based on a conflict of interest?" Simpson lawyer Patricia Palm asked.

"From what I know now, absolutely," LaVergne said. "There's no doubt about it."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-oj-lawyer-testify-bid-vegas-trial-074925050.html

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Calif. doc with 'cancer cure' gets 14 years prison

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A California doctor has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for bilking her patients out of more than $1 million by promising that an herbal supplement could cure late-stage cancer and other diseases.

U.S. District Judge Robert Timlin sentenced 58-year-old Christine Daniel on Friday. He also ordered her to pay about $1.3 million.

Daniel was found guilty of 11 counts, including wire fraud, tax evasion and witness tampering.

Authorities say Daniel enticed patients to take her herbal product.

She also charged them as much as $100,000 for a six-month treatment program that she claimed could cure cancer, diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Some of her patients, however, died from complications of cancer within three to six months after taking the supplement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/calif-doc-cancer-cure-gets-205040765.html

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Unlikely Big 3 has Memphis in 1st Western finals

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) ? The Miami Heat have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Spurs have dominated for years with the trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

Now the Memphis Grizzlies, who traded their leading scorer in January, have surged into their first Western Conference finals behind a very unlikely Big Three of their own.

Marc Gasol still is Pau's little brother to some. Memphis thought about trading guard Mike Conley, the son of a track star, early in his career. And Memphis is Zach Randolph's fourth NBA team.

Conley said Friday the three all worked harder after Rudy Gay was traded, knowing they had to step up to get to where they wanted.

The Grizzlies play the Spurs in Game 1 on Sunday in San Antonio.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unlikely-big-3-memphis-1st-western-finals-203509580.html

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Is half of America really mentally ill at some point? A Yahoo! News chat

By Alasdair Fotheringham VAJONT, Italy, May 15 (Reuters) - A chest infection was the latest setback to hit Britain's pre-race favourite Bradley Wiggins on the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday. Tour de France champion Wiggins, finished the 11th stage in the main pack behind winner Ramunas Navardauskas to stay fourth overall, two minutes five seconds behind leader Vincenzo Nibali. "I'm not feeling very good at the moment, I've had a pretty rough 24 hours," Wiggins told reporters. "I've got a chest infection and a bog-standard head cold. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/is-half-of-america-really-mentally-ill-at-some-point--a-yahoo--news-chat-141351442.html

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I&#39;m pregnant, but his family won&#39;t let us marry | IslamicAnswers.com ...

Hello,

I?have a difficult position,? Nabil and I met each other?back in?November 2012 in UAE and I live in USA. We have been in a relationship since then, but its long distance relationship.? We talk everyday, getting to know each other and Nabil asked me to marry him.

So?we decided to take vacation together in March, so we can spend time together and talk more about our next step towards marriage and he told me that his family would not accept me because i am not a muslim, so Nabil and I spoke about converting myself to muslim and he will teach and help me.? But his family still would not accept me because of my age, I am?5 years older than Nabil.? I am 29 years and Nabil is 24.

We don't know what else to do and his family forbid him to see me again, so he is staying away from me because of his family.? Now, I am back in NYC, I found out I am carrying Nabil's baby and I told him and he said his family would not accept me?or the baby and?they dont want nothing to do with the baby, but Nabil said he will try and take care?of the baby and give the baby a name.

That's not enough, we both want to get married and take care of the child, but his family is destroying?us.? I am so scared of bringing this child alone and Nabil is all the way in UAE, please give me some advice.

- ?psubreen

Tagged as: how can i marry him?, pregnant by a Muslim, Want to Get Married

Source: http://www.zawaj.com/askbilqis/his-family-wont-let-us-marry/

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Archos intros Xenon 80 8-inch tablet, delivers Jelly Bean and 3G for $200

Just in case that recently announced ChefPad wasn't suited to your tastes, Archos is now introducing a smaller, not-so-kitchen-friendly Android tablet, the Xenon 80. Naturally, the main highlight of this 8-inch slate is that it boasts 3G capabilities, and the company's quick to point out it's SIM-unlocked. Archos also endowed the Xenon 80 with some decent specs, including a vanilla flavor of Google's Jelly Bean, an unnamed Qualcomm quad-core CPU, a 1,024 x 768 IPS display and 4GB of internal storage (expandable to 64GB by way of a microSD slot). And as with other recent Archos tablets, the Xenon 80 carries the proper Google Play credentials, making it easy for you to have access to all your favorite apps. It'll cost a mere $200 when it hits shelves in June, which is on par with competing offerings. Now, whether it's worth taking the plunge, well, you'll have to make that call for yourself.

Gallery: Archos 80 Xenon press shots

Filed under: Tablets

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Warning didn't change for-profit dialysis drug use

By Andrew M. Seaman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite a strong warning from U.S. regulators in 2007, for-profit dialysis centers still gave their kidney failure patients more of a certain anemia drug than non-profit centers in 2008, says a new study.

The researchers write in JAMA Internal Medicine that their finding suggests for-profit dialysis centers may have been motivated to give more of the drug for financial gain in spite of the warning.

For example, the more of the drug the centers used, the more they'd get paid.

"Our study can't say for sure that higher uses of these agents were caused by financial profitability for these providers, but it suggests it's a possibility," said Dr. Julie Ishida, the study's lead author from the University of California, San Francisco.

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents - or ESAs - are given to most people with chronic kidney failure to treat anemia by producing red blood cells. Anemia can cause people to look pale, feel tired or sluggish and short of breath.

The authors don't say which specific drugs they looked at, but the class of drugs includes Amgen's Epogen and Janssen's Procrit.

In 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning - the strongest kind - to use as little of the ESAs as possible. Research showed higher doses were associated with an increased risk of death, strokes and heart disease.

"It's a great drug. It's just that it does have side effects and people do need to be aware of them," said Dr. Nina Tolkoff-Rubin, director of renal transplantation and hemodialysis at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Previous studies had found that for-profit dialysis centers gave more ESAs than non-profit centers, and Ishida and her colleagues wanted to see if that changed after the FDA issued its warning.

For the new study, the researchers used a database of 275,291 people who were receiving dialysis before the warning was issued in February 2007 and after it was in place in February 2008. All patients were on Medicare, the U.S. insurance program for the elderly and disabled.

Overall, both for- and non-profit dialysis centers reduced their use of ESAs between 2007 and 2008, but for-profit centers still gave their patients significantly more of the drugs than their non-profit counterparts.

In 2007, for-profit dialysis centers - on average - gave their patients about 9,000 units per weekly dose, compared to about 8,300 units per weekly dose in 2008.

Non-profit dialysis centers gave their patient an average of 5,600 units per weekly dose in 2007, compared to about 5,000 units per weekly dose in 2008.

"Even in people who switched from non-profit to for-profit facilities, we saw their levels went up. Conversely, when they switch from a for-profit to non-profit, their level of the drug went down," Ishida said.

She noted that they could not compare the outcomes of patients at the various types of centers.

NEW PAYMENT SYSTEM

Tolkoff-Rubin, who was not involved with the new study, said the findings made sense, but she doesn't think the researchers would find the same results if they did their study today.

That's because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services implemented a so-called bundle payment system for dialysis services in 2011. That means dialysis centers receive one payment for all dialysis care - no matter how much ESA is used.

"I'm sure if you looked at it now, it wouldn't look this way. What you're seeing is a snapshot from when there was an incentive to give more," she said.

Ishida said she plans to do a similar study looking at what happened after the bundled payments were put in place.

"In this era of changing reimbursement for end-stage renal disease, I think it will be important for patients and doctors to be aware of the possible influences on treatment decisions," she said.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/12bwyGm JAMA Internal Medicine, online May 13, 2013.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/warning-didnt-change-profit-dialysis-drug-194054280.html

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Driving Traffic with RSS Feeds | SiteProNews: Webmaster News ...

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RSS feeds are handy marketing tools that create a win-win for online business owners and their eager visitors. Those who subscribe to any given feed do so out of genuine interest in the service or content, and the site owner gets to create a regular, real-time dialogue with the interested parties as often as they deem necessary. Likewise, if you submit your content to various free RSS feeds, you are essentially unlocking a powerful and free marketing outlet, which can result in dramatic upticks in your site?s overall traffic. If you?re not already utilizing the power of RSS, prepare to be enlightened and enthused at what these feeds can do for your business!

What is RSS?

RSS stands for ?real simple syndication?, and it?s aptly named. These feeds are content broadcasts displayed in a compact reader to the subscriber. For a prime example of how they work, check out Feedly. If you?re a regular user of Google?s version, the Google Reader, take note that it willbe phased out on July 1, 2013. Feedly is particularly useful to former users of Google Reader, as it will connect to your existing Reader feeds.

Feedly, and other tools like it, help users to organize, consolidate, read, and share any and all web content they choose. A given feed can have subscriptions to recent news pieces, favorite blogs, recipe sites; the sky?s the limit. These feeds help site owners take all their well-crafted, high quality site content and instantly deliver it to an eager audience.

How to Use RSS Feeds

Your RSS approach should be two-pronged:

1) Allow users to subscribe to your own RSS feed on your website. All major content management systems have RSS features built-in that make this process quick and easy. These tools will then be linked to your site, and when you release new posts and content pieces, they will automatically be distributed to subscribers of your feed. Depending on the reader each of your subscribers use, they may see just the title of your content, or a small summary as well.

2) You can also submit your content to any of the free RSS distributors. First, download a free RSS Validator application, and submit your content?s URL. The app will then create a URL with the RSS feed included. Take this address and input it into the free distributors of your choice. Feedcat makes a great one that actually lets you track readership statistics as well. Make sure you create keyword-rich, descriptive titles that catch your readers? attention, just like any eye-catching news piece would.

The Many Benefits of RSS Feeds

In addition to giving your newly published content instant attention from people who truly want to know, RSS feeds have other advantages. From an SEO perspective, they increase your chances of getting indexed quickly by the major search engines, and RSS feeds on your website are by themselves an SEO advantage, as search engines see them as a good addition.

They are also great for link-building, especially if you?re willing to post relevant content from your partners in the feed as well. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that other RSS feed managers will add your content, creating more traffic and good will. And, of course, search engines love link building!

Finally, since feeds are distributed to quality subscribers, they have a higher likelihood of sharing your content, giving it the viral effect. This all adds up to happy subscribers and a broadening user base for your website.

Tips for Optimal Feeds

If you do decide to submit your published content to various RSS directories, there are thankfully tools that will aggregate your submissions across multiple feeds. Check out RSS Submit. It?s not free, but it?s an incredibly powerful tool that will instantly link you to over 90 RSS directories at the touch of a button. If you produce any volume of articles and content, this is a wise move. It will save you substantial time and effort.

For truly powerful feeds from both a user experience and SEO perspective, create a custom feed on your site that features not only your content, but incorporates feeds from sources that cover similar topics and have content of equal quality. This results in a powerhouse of backlinks to your site, and makes the search engines take notice. RSSMix.com provides an excellent custom feed generator.

If you have a feed setup already, you may have noticed that you receive inbound traffic from odd locations. Many sites ?scrape? feeds and feature your content on their site, often as if it were their own. It?s an almost impossible task to prevent this from occurring, but you can use the procedure to your advantage. Install the RSS Footer plugin, and you?ll give yourself an edge. This tool automatically adds a link at the end of every post in your feed that points directly back your website ? any page you wish. This provides an instant backlink to your content should anyone decide to scrape your content.

RSS feeds are valuable ways to increase traffic and link building for your online business. Feeds take what could be static content on any website and immediately generate a dynamic, fresh site. Search engines, as you likely well know, love fresh content ? and so do your readers. With all the fantastic tools available these days, setting up feeds and submitting content to directories can truly be a one-click process. With a little research and setup time, your RSS feeds can produce tangible increases in traffic, revenues, and search engine rankings, just by utilizing the great content you?re already producing.

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Digital producer, game designer, Internet marketer and staff writer for SiteProNews, one of the Web?s foremost webmaster and tech news blogs, Tina Courtney-Brown has been shaping online businesses since 1996. She?s produced and marketed innovative content for major players like Disney, as well as boutique startups galore, with fortes including social media, SEO, massively multiplayer games, social networks and project management. Tina is also a certified Reiki practitioner, herbalist, nonprofit director and true cooking diva. Learn more at her personal website, or find her on Facebook and Google+.

Source: http://www.sitepronews.com/2013/05/16/driving-traffic-with-rss-feeds/

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