Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/193892254?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Obama Killed Pipeline Deal Over Politics, Not Environmental Concerns (ContributorNetwork)
COMMENTARY | President Barack Obama nixes the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, sending our neighbor to the north in search of another willing partner in the expansion of the oil sands reserve in Alberta. It didn't take them long to find another country very interested in doing business in Canada: China.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Chinese leaders in November at the Pacific Rim economic summit in Hawaii and is set to make a state visit to China in February. Associated Press reported China has invested more than $16 billion into Canadian energy projects and is very interested in developing any resource that would give its growing economy access to Canadian oil.
Harper said he was "profoundly disappointed" by Obama's decision to axe the pipeline deal. Clearly, Harper can see Obama is playing to his environmentalist supporters in what may be a tight re-election campaign. That pandering is going to cost Americans thousands of jobs that would have resulted from the pipeline construction, plus all the spin off jobs that come with a project of that size.
Environmentalists are arguing the potential damage from such a long pipeline. But a quick walk down memory lane will remind everyone that environmentalist strongly opposed the Trans-Alaska pipeline back in the 1970s, and it has proved to be a complete success. A 1987 article in the Los Angeles Times reflected on the first 10 years of the pipeline's existence and the tremendous impact it had on Alaska and on over 70,000 workers.
The Keystone XL pipeline is an economic necessity for the U.S. and would create an unbroken partnership with our largest trading partner to the north. Were it not a hotly contested presidential election year, that pipeline would already be in the works. Americans need the jobs and the oil. There is no logical reason for Obama to give China an upper hand in negotiated with Canada -- well, except to garner a few more votes from his left-wing environmentalist supporters.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Lange 'thinking about' returning to 'Horror Story'
Prashant Gupta / FX
By Ted Casablanca, E! Online
The bey-otch is back!
Well, probably. At least that was what Jessica Lange -- Best Female Actor in a Drama Series winner at last night's SAG Awards--alluded to when we asked her whether she'd be returning to "American Horror Story" for season two:
READ: The 'American Horror Story House' Is on the Market for How Much?
"I'm thinking about it," she told us backstage.
Which is still far too coy for our liking ... but much more encouraging than the blanket "I don't know" Ms. Lange dished out after nabbing a trophy at the Golden Globes.
Because now we know that Ryan Murphy has already asked her to return. And, let's be honest, it would have been criminal for him not to -- Lange only stole every scene she was featured in during season one.
"As we talked about at the Globes, there just isn't it any better writing out there," Jessica gushed to us.
Then it'd be absolutely insane for the award season's scream queen to jump ship now, eh? We're putting good money on the fact that we'll see Constance (or, likely, some fab new character played by Jessica) in season two.
PHOTOS: 2012 SAG Awards: Winners!
But don't expect more horror out of Jessica after Murphy's boob-tube sensation:
When we asked whether she would consider doing the ghouls and ghosts thing on the big screen, Lange quickly informed us: "I think I'm done with the genre after this."?
Are you thrilled that Jessica will probably be back on "American Horror Story"? Or are you worried that it'll be impossible to top the delicious evilness of Constance, and they should just leave well enough alone? Tell us on our Facebook page!
Related content:
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What's next for Occupy Wall Street? Activists target foreclosure crisis.
As the protest movement heads into spring, Occupy Wall Street activists are interrupting foreclosure auctions and helping families re-occupy their homes.
The Occupy Wall Street movement, which cut its teeth last fall by occupying streets and parks across the country, is moving into a new phase as it gears up for spring: occupying homes.
Skip to next paragraphThe movement that claimed to speak for ?the 99 percent? and made income inequality part of the national discussion now is organizing protests at housing auctions to support those affected by the foreclosure crisis.
?At first, we were occupying parks, then homes,? says Sofia Teona, an organizer with Occupy Atlanta, of the movement?s evolution. ?We are starting locally, but it?s a national movement.?
On Thursday, dozens were arrested when a group in New York interrupted a foreclosure auction in a courtroom, and Occupy organizers say more events are planned nationally in coming weeks.
According to Michael Premo, an organizer for ?Occupy Our Homes? in New York, ?the movement has carried out 50 similar actions nationally in the past month, including foreclosure disruptions, eviction defense actions, and home re-occupations.
Although sales by banks of foreclosed houses were down in the third quarter of 2011, they still made up 20 percent of all homes sold. At the height of the housing boom in 2005 and 2006, that number was less than five percent.
Foreclosure sales lower property values, and many economists don?t think that the economy will restart without dealing with the issue, says John Taylor, president and CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a Washington-based nonprofit that urges banks to provide credit and investment capital to low-income communities.
?I think that it?s good that they are focusing on something the average person can understand and something specific like foreclosures,? Mr. Taylor says of the Occupy activists. ?It makes sense because foreclosures are the smoking gun. They are evidence of the malfeasance of predatory lending.?
At the foreclosure auction in Brooklyn on Thursday, nearly 100 protesters started singing to disrupt bidding on foreclosed homes. Approximately 35 people were arrested, according to the National Lawyers Guild. A video of the event posted on the Internet shows the protesters singing slightly off-key and out of sync as some are arrested and led out of the auction.
Websites organized by Occupy activists have sprouted up to help connect people across the country who are battling foreclosure, providing such information as where supporters can donate money. But some of the actions are very specific and center on saving one family home at a time.
In one such case in Hawaii, a letter-writing campaign organized by members of a family to stay in their home has met with some limited success. Wells-Fargo, the bank that issued the loan, has agreed to let them stay until mid-February.
Another case in Atlanta illustrates both the wrenching nature, and the complexity, of the foreclosure process.
The Pittman family thought they were going to inherit the house that their grandmother had lived in since 1953. Instead, they are now occupying it.
Eloise Pittman?s house in Atlanta was foreclosed on early last fall, but her family didn?t find out until shortly before she died in November.
In 2006, Pittman, a retired school secretary whose only source of income was her retirement checks, refinanced her house and got a loan of $300,000, according to her granddaughter. Pittman couldn?t keep up with the high payments and she avoided telling her family.
For the past 51 days, the Pittman family and members of the Occupy Atlanta movement have camped in a tent outside the house and stayed in the house to protest what they call Chase?s policy of predatory lending.
A spokesman for Chase has a different story, saying the bank did not originate the loan.
?We worked with Ms. Eloise Pittman in 2009 to modify her loan, and when her payments stopped in mid-2010, the foreclosure process started,? says Greg Hassell, a spokesman for Chase. According to Mr. Hassell, Chase is offering to let the family buy the house back for the market rate.
According to the Pittmans, the bank offered the family two options. Either they pay $100,000 to keep the house, or else accept $2,500 to leave.
They are choosing a third option ? joining Occupy Atlanta to march to the bank to demand the deed back.
?We are going to march to Chase to demand that they give back the deed,? says Carmen Pittman, Eloise Pittman?s granddaughter. ?We won?t stop fighting until justice is served.?
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RPG Moments, The Worst of
So we all know that sometimes fails just happen, comments are guttered, and chat just gets a bit...weird.
But it usually winds up being pretty damn funny don't it? So I've decided to build a topic devoted to capturing our less then graceful moments and sharing it for all to see.
So without further ado, I proudly present to you:
RPG Moments: The Best of the Worst
So, let's get things started with one of our more failure prone members, the mind that birthed Adenovirus 423, the one, the only:
Crim:
Up next we have she who could be considered the busiest and most wanted woman when it comes to Ic in the Multiverse:
Moon:
And Finally we conclude this post with something less of fail and more of sketch. One of the longest lasting couples on Gateway:
Skulljester and CelticCat:
So that's the end of our first post, I hope there will be plenty to follow. And remember, even the best of us fail once and a while so when it happens, make sure we all laugh at it.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/MYGU8NBPte4/viewtopic.php
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Sunday, January 29, 2012
Pre Present Issue Wellbeing Insurance coverage
Well being insurance plan policies are financial arrangements generally devised with the assumed that ought to the policy holder suffer some form of wellbeing issue or imminent hospitalization someday during the tenure of the wellbeing insurance plan cover, the insurance plan provider ought to take treatment of all the expenses that could be incurred. In return, although the policy holder IS in the pink of wellbeing, he will spend sums of funds towards rates for keeping the insurance plan policy likely. But of training course, if you have some type of wellbeing situation the possibilities of the insurance plan provider obtaining to finance your medicine and other affiliated expenses are quite high. So the insurance plan firms space bit wary in handing out this type of insurance plan policy, identified as the pre existing situation wellbeing insurance plan. Examine on for wellbeing insurance plan plans and wellbeing insurance plan rates with optimum nutrition whey protein.
Pre Existing Clinical Condition Insurance policies
What is a pre existing situation wellbeing insurance plan? The term ?pre existing condition? is employed when a individual applying for wellbeing insurance plan has some type of really serious wellbeing situation. How really serious a wellbeing situation are we chatting about here? Effectively, the definition of a pre existing situation is a bit free, but persistent wellbeing problems this kind of as heart sickness, cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes are normally brought beneath this category.
Now this pre existing wellbeing situation wellbeing insurance plan is a tricky bit of company equally for you and for your insurance plan provider. The possibilities that your insurance plan provider will not detect a pre existing wellbeing situation are decidedly uncommon as they carry out quite precise tests to keep an eye on your situation. If they locate a issue which arrives beneath their definition of pre existing wellbeing situation, they will be a small wary of offering a wellbeing insurance plan policy. The way insurance plan firms see it, you happen to be a quite damage doing proposition as they will have to spend your sizable clinical costs. For this reason they can fundamentally supply you two alternatives.
Higher Premium
The insurer wishes to bust even and make a profit, so there is really no way that he is likely to incur a damage on you. So your insurance plan premium on the pre existing situation wellbeing insurance plan will be a bit greater. The way they see it, they don?t want to make a damage in case of hospitalization expenses and high clinical costs, so a greater premium might enable them cover these expenses, ought to they come up in the long term. So when you go in to get a pre existing situation wellbeing insurance plan, you will in all probability be asked to spend a greater premium. So your possibilities of finding a lower cost wellbeing insurance plan plan are very lower indeed.
Pre Existing Condition Exclusion
The other solution that a individual with a pre existing clinical situation seeking insurance plan has, is to opt for the exclusion. This small clause in the insurance plan arrangement says that ought to the policy holder suffer from any form of wellbeing issue, other than a single which is straight relevant to his or her pre existing situation, then the insurance plan provider will take treatment of all these expenses. The expenses relevant to the pre existing situation will of training course have to be borne by the policy holder himself. Now the issue here is that the exclusion is only for a interval of time. So ought to you opt for a very long term policy, you will be insured for the pre existing situation as soon as it is about. But it is a lot more probably that the insurer will give you short term wellbeing insurance plan policies instead.
Examine on for a lot more on wellbeing insurance plan for individuals with pre existing circumstances.
So this was all about pre existing situation wellbeing insurance plan. As you can see, the pre existing situation wellbeing insurance plan protection can be a bit tricky and could work from you. For this reason it is normally much better to get a wellbeing insurance plan early in daily life and for a lengthier term.
Source: http://www.thecalculus.org/?p=142
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80 percent of 'irreplaceable' habitats in Andes unprotected
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Hundreds of rare, endemic species in the Central Andes remain unprotected and are increasingly under threat from development and climate change, according to a Duke University-led international study.
"These species require unique ecological conditions and are particularly vulnerable to changes in the environment or climate. Yet our analysis shows that region-wide, about 80 percent of the areas with high numbers of these species lack any protection," said Jennifer Swenson, assistant professor of the practice of geospatial analysis at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.
The study, published today in the peer-reviewed, open-access journal BMC Ecology, identifies and maps the geographic ranges of hundreds of species of plants and animals ? including mammals, birds and amphibians ? that are found nowhere in the world outside the Andes-Amazon basin in Peru and Bolivia.
The threat to these species has become especially severe in recent years, Swenson said, as oil and gold mining, infrastructure projects, agriculture and other human activities encroach farther into the region's biologically rich landscapes.
"This is one of Earth's most rapidly changing areas," she said.
To conduct their study, Swenson and her colleagues collected more than 7,000 individual records of endemic species locations for 115 species of birds, 55 mammals, 177 amphibians and 435 plants. They combined these with satellite images and climate, topography and vegetation data to create models, detailed to one kilometer, that mapped endemic species distributions across the entire basin ? from the forested slopes and dry inter-mountain valleys of the Andes all the way to the low-lying Amazonian wetlands and savannas.
By overlaying this data with maps showing modern political boundaries in the Andes-Amazon basin, the researchers found that only about 20 percent of the areas with high numbers of endemic species or high levels of irreplaceability fell within national parks or protected areas, and that 226 rare endemic species lacked any national-level protection at all. Irreplaceability is a term used by conservationists to denote biodiversity hotspots where high numbers of endemic species with very small ranges live. These are often among the most vital ? and vulnerable ? habitats in a region.
"Interestingly, one of the areas we identified with the highest number of bird and mammal species and one of the highest levels of irreplaceability was an unprotected region surrounding the World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu, one of the most heavily visited tourist destinations in the region," Swenson noted.
As the effects of development and climate change continue to shrink or shift geographic ranges in coming decades, some species may literally be running out of ground, she said.
"Conservation strategies across the Andes urgently need revising," she said. "There is already evidence of species migrating upslope to keep up with climate change. We hope our data will help protect this incredibly unique region."
Bruce E. Young, director of species science at the nonprofit conservation organization NatureServe, was principal co-author of the study. Twenty additional collaborators from conservation agencies and organizations in Peru and Bolivia helped gather data.
###
Duke University: http://www.duke.edu
Thanks to Duke University for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117154/___percent_of__irreplaceable__habitats_in_Andes_unprotected
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Saturday, January 28, 2012
What We're Reading for the Week of January 23rd (Democracyforamerica)
Custom Character Designs and Help Please
Hello. This topic is for two things.
First, I just want to know where I can find a place where I can make custom 3D character images or realistic images or HQ character images or things in that nature, so I can make more epic designs for my characters.
Second of all, I can make avatar pictures and basic character designs for free. I'll post examples soon. Just message me a clothing and face description, or give me refrence art. They are toonish and chilbi like, but can also look serious, but at least it's good if you want to use it for refrence art for other people to make an epic picture of, or can be used for a temporary picture. They are easy to make, but clothing is limited. For example, the only type of armor I can use are white colored with some yellow, and the visor/cain only. The visor/cain has colored feathers on it, but they don't get in the way.
Some types of clothing I can use(other than normal clothing)
Blood
Blush
Chestplate Armor(white)
Armored Boots
Feathered Knight Cain/Visor
Flower
A variaty of masks
Curvey Sword(handle can be yellow, red or purple)
Knife
Lab Coat
Cape
Hooded Cape
Bodysuit
Devil Bodysuit(with pointed tail)
Headphones
Hairclips (I have plenty; Microchip, Butterfly, Gold, Red or Silver Heart, Microchip, Bat/Dragon wing, Sparkling Star, etc.)
Monocle
Balloon
Gloves
Crown(Paper Crown, Egyptian Snake Crown or Red Jeweled Crown)
Kimono
Hakama
Monkey Suit
Feathered Sleeves(Macaw/Rainbow, Robin, or Any Color)
Techno Clothing
Pendant
Demon/Monster Arms/Feet (Red, Blue or Yellow)
Clothing that may be availible in the future;
Sythe
Flintlock Pistol
Warlock/Wizard/Witch Hat
Horns
More types of Earrings
Fire Spirits (Just 3 flames that float around, as if you had fire powers)
Chainsaw
Bloody Knife
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/0V9V0WnMQPk/viewtopic.php
NC gov's re-election decision could benefit Obama (AP)
RALEIGH, N.C. ? The key battleground state of North Carolina is still within President Barack Obama's grasp, despite Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue's surprise decision to drop her re-election campaign.
Obama has been running commercials in the state for months, and the Democrats have staked so much on repeating his 2008 success in North Carolina that their presidential nomination convention will be held in Charlotte.
"It's helpful news for Obama rather than problematic news," John Dinan, a political science professor at Wake Forest University, said of Perdue's announcement Thursday. "You'd expect the Obama campaign would rather run with a strong gubernatorial candidate on the ballot, and by all accounts, Perdue was not a strong candidate."
Perdue, the first woman elected governor in North Carolina history, said she worried a fight with Republicans over public education would become too political if she tried for a second term. But Perdue entered the election year with political baggage, including a campaign finance investigation, sagging poll numbers and a tough rematch campaign against an opponent she narrowly beat in 2008, when Obama's coattails helped Democrats across the state.
"North Carolina's a swing state, they can't afford to lose it for the presidential race," said Michael Munger, a political science professor at Duke University who ran for governor as a Libertarian in 2008. "I would guess some senior Democratic people strongly suggested she spend more time with her grandchildren."
Four years ago, Obama shocked many national pundits by becoming the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry the state since Jimmy Carter in 1976, defeating Republican Sen. John McCain by just 14,177 votes out of more than 4.3 million ballots cast.
Perdue, then the state's lieutenant governor, benefited from Obama's highly organized effort to boost voter turnout, an effort the president will look to repeat regardless of whether the Democratic gubernatorial nominee is an incumbent.
"I don't think the president's 2012 chances are affected by this in any way," said Andy Taylor, a political science professor at North Carolina State University. "The presidential race is the dog and the gubernatorial race is the tail, and the dog is going to be wagging the tail."
Obama's win here was the first in 32 years for a Democratic nominee for president. He praised Perdue for breaking down barriers during her political career.
"For over 25 years, she has fought for the people of the Tar Heel state ? working to transform the state's public schools, improve the health care system, protect and attract jobs for members of the military and their families, and create the jobs of the future," Obama said in a statement.
Perdue, a former school teacher, said her decision was about protecting public education from spending cuts by the GOP-led legislature.
"The thing I care about most right now is making sure that our schools and schoolchildren do not continue to be the victims of shortsighted legislative actions and severe budget cuts inflicted by a legislative majority with the wrong priorities," Perdue said in a statement.
The statement made no mention of what Perdue, 65, planned to do in the future. Perdue campaign spokesman Marc Farinella said the governor declined to speak to reporters Thursday because she was spending time with her family after making "this very difficult decision."
"For now she wants her statement to speak for itself," he said.
Perdue's decision means it will be the first time a sitting North Carolina governor has failed to get elected to a second term since voters gave chief executives authority to succeed themselves in the 1970s.
"All the Democrats' waters rose with Obama in 2008," said Brian Nick, a Republican strategist working for likely GOP gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory. "It would be a fallacy to think the governor's race is going to affect the presidential campaign in North Carolina."
Perdue has faced high unemployment, consistently weak approval numbers, a string of political defeats and the indictment of two close aides and a family friend in a campaign finance scandal that is continuing to unfold. She has also made some well-publicized gaffes, like a joking suggestion last year that congressional elections should be suspended for two years to ease partisan gridlock.
North Carolina is crucial to Obama's re-election strategy, with a win there relieving the need to carry more-traditional battleground states such as Florida and Ohio.
Perdue is listed as the co-chair of steering and host committee membership for the 2012 convention. DNC officials were quick to say Thursday that Perdue's withdrawal from the governor's race will have no effect on the September event.
The governor has not been closely involved in the convention planning and was not present at a DNC media conference in Charlotte last week announcing that President Obama would give his acceptance speech to Bank of America Stadium.
"They made the decision to site the convention in Charlotte knowing that Beverly Perdue was facing an uphill fight," said Steven Greene, a political science professor at N.C. State. "That was already factored into their decision."
Perdue may try to maintain a low profile through the end of her term early next year. After issuing a statement declaring her intention not to run, Perdue holed up in the governor's mansion with her aides.
Mark Johnson, the governor's deputy communications director, said the governor has no public events scheduled for the next week.
"Anything beyond next week is tentative," Johnson said.
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CA-CANADA Summary (Reuters)
Canada plays down embarrassing oil sands document
OTTAWA (Reuters) ? Canada disassociated itself on Thursday from an embarrassing official policy paper that said the country's independent energy regulator, now studying a controversial oil pipeline, is in fact a government ally. Critics have long charged the right-of-center Conservative government is trying to pressure the regulator - the National Energy Board (NEB) - to approve Enbridge Inc's plan to build a pipeline from the Alberta tar sands to the Pacific Coast.
Canada abandons securities regulator plan: report
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government is abandoning plans to create a national securities regulator in light of a December ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada, Canadian Press reported Finance Minister Jim Flaherty as saying on Thursday. The news agency said Flaherty told it in Davos, Switzerland, that he recognized that the day-to-day regulation of financial markets was a provincial responsibility, as Canada's top court ruled in December.
Canadian pipeline needs aboriginal consent: chief
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc's controversial plan to build a pipeline to the Pacific Coast from oil-rich Alberta requires the consent of aboriginal bands, some of whom staunchly oppose the project, Canada's top native leader said on Wednesday. The contention underlines the difficulties facing Enbridge as it tries to push through the C$5.5 billion ($5.4 billion) Northern Gateway project, which would cross land belonging to many Indian bands, or first nations, so the oil sands-derived crude could be shipped to Asia and California.
Clock ticking on possible Air Canada strike, lock-out
(Reuters) - Air Canada's refusal to extend a period of conciliated labor talks with its pilots' union raises the chance of a strike or lock-out at the country's biggest airline by as early as February. The 3,000-strong Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) said on Tuesday the carrier had declined to extend labor contract negotiations that had been taking place under a conciliator appointed by the federal government.
Harper fears Europe, U.S. problems to get worse
(Reuters) - Canada is very concerned about the economic problems facing Europe and the United States and fears they could become even more severe in future, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Thursday. Harper told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the uncertain international outlook meant he would focus on boosting the Canadian economy by cutting red tape as well as slowing the growth of spending.
Ontario finance minister sees targeted budget reforms
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ontario's spring budget will see targeted changes to the public sector, rather than cuts across all areas, the finance minister of Canada's most populous province said on Wednesday. "I categorically reject that we will do across the board cuts," Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said in an interview.
Canada education sector toughest job market
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Unemployed workers in Canada's educational services sector faced the toughest job market in the country in the July-September period, according to a new Statistics Canada report on Tuesday. For every 10 unemployed workers in education, there was just one vacancy, the agency's new data on job vacancies in the three-month period showed. The second worst sector was construction where the ratio was 5.1.
Canada's telecoms regulator appoints interim chief
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's telecoms and broadcasting regulator appointed Vice-Chairman Leonard Katz as its interim chairman on Wednesday as predecessor Konrad von Finckenstein's term ended. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said in a statement that Katz will exercise the chairman's powers until the federal cabinet appoints a permanent replacement for von Finckenstein.
Rwanda genocide suspect deported from Canada
KIGALI (Reuters) - A Rwandan man charged with crimes against humanity has been deported from Canada and is due to arrive in the central African country overnight, Rwanda's justice minister said on Tuesday. Leon Mugesera, who lost a 16-year battle to stay in Canada, will face charges of inciting murder, extermination and genocide.
Pilots say Air Canada quit talks; government disagrees
CALGARY/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Air Canada pilots said on Tuesday the airline had abandoned contract talks in the hope that Ottawa would step in to resolve the dispute, but the country's largest carrier said it was awaiting the union's response to its latest offer. Canadian Labour Minister Lisa Raitt also said talks had not broken down and the federally appointed conciliator remained in contact with both parties and was available to assist with negotiations.
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Paul braves snowy Maine in hunt for GOP delegates
Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas speaks at a campaign stop, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas speaks at a campaign stop, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, campaigns in Bangor, Maine, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, campaigns in Bangor, Maine, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas speaks at a campaign stop, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas waits to be introduced behind a partition at campaign stop, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) ? Ron Paul braved Maine's snow and ice Friday in a quest to pick up delegates, vowing he and his loyal band of supporters would be a factor in the Republican nominating contest for weeks to come.
The Texas congressman attracted a packed house in Bangor despite a powerful winter storm that shuttered schools and brought traffic to a virtual standstill.
Feisty and defiant, Paul said he had watched a television segment that morning in which pundits debated how Republicans should try to manage Paul and his fervent backers.
"They want us to go away, but they don't want to offend us. How are they going to manage that?" Paul said to boos. "I'll tell you what ? we'll just hang around for a while longer."
Paul is all but skipping Florida, whose primary is Jan. 31, to focus on Maine and other states holding caucuses, including Nevada, Colorado and Minnesota. Nevada's caucuses are Feb. 4 and Colorado and Minnesota's follow on Feb. 7.
Paul's campaign is following President Barack Obama's 2008 model, hoping a similarly young, Internet-savvy fan base will organize themselves and attend caucuses for Paul. The caucus states also yield a large number of delegates for far less money than many primary states.
The comparison to Obama's 2008 campaign has its limits, however. Obama had racked up at least one major victory ? a huge win in the Iowa caucuses ? before turning to the smaller-state caucus strategy. Paul has yet to win a single contest.
His best showing was in the New Hampshire primary, where he placed second behind Mitt Romney. But he came in third in Iowa behind Romney and Rick Santorum and placed a dismal fourth last Saturday in South Carolina's first-in-the-South primary.
Still, Paul's appeal to young voters and many Tea Party supporters has been unmistakable.
In Florida on Friday, Newt Gingrich said Republicans would have to confer "dignity" to Paul and seek his input on parts of the party platform to ensure that he and his followers remain part of the GOP coalition.
"The key with Congressman Paul is to make sure he does not run as a third-party candidate," Gingrich said at a campaign event in Delray Beach, suggesting that Republicans would have a hard time defeating Obama if Paul did so. Paul has all but ruled out a third-party bid.
Paul was spending two days in Maine, campaigning on or near college campuses, which have typically been receptive to his libertarian-leaning message.
At Colby College in Waterville, he emphasized his support for bringing U.S. troops home from overseas engagements and railed against what he called government's efforts to regulate lifestyle choices.
"When it comes to putting anything into your body, or in your mouth, or in your lungs, you can't do it without permission of the government," Paul said.
Maine's caucuses begin Feb. 4 and wrapping up on Feb. 11, when the GOP will announce the results of what is essentially a nonbinding straw poll.
The gatherings in schools, Grange halls, fire stations and town halls are the first step to selecting 24 delegates from the state to the Republican National Convention in Tampa next summer.
Charles Welles, 34, a Waterville resident and Navy veteran, said he supports Paul's views on ending military engagements and wants to vote for him. But Welles said he was still a bit confused by the caucus process.
"I'm from Ohio, so this is all new to me," Welles said.
Paul and Romney were both on the ballot in Maine's 2008 caucuses and have maintained active organizations in the state. The former Massachusetts governor finished first that year. Paul came in third, behind Arizona Sen. John McCain, who went on to win the GOP nomination.
Maine, often an afterthought compared to its next-door neighbor, New Hampshire, tends to reward candidates who are organized and make an effort to show up to court voters, Colby political science professor Sandy Maisel said.
Maisel noted that Gov. Jerry Brown of California, who was out of office at the time, won Maine's Democratic caucuses in 1992 after making frequent trips to the state.
The enthusiasm among Paul's supporters could help him prevail in Maine, Maisel added.
"The GOP has a very low turnout and it tends to be the most ideological people, which favors Ron Paul," he said.
Paul state chairman Paul Madore was guarded about setting expectations, saying GOP officials in the state would press for a more traditional candidate like Romney.
We have a rank-and-file Republican leadership in Maine, and they don't budge easily," Madore said. "We have to get in there and make our presence heard."
___
Sharp reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writer Brian Bakst in Delray Beach, Fla., contributed to this report.
___
Follow Beth Fouhy on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bfouhy
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Friday, January 27, 2012
Pat Sajak: Vanna White and I were drunk on "Wheel of Fortune" (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak has said in a broadcast interview that he and fellow host Vanna White were drunk when they taped some early episodes of the show, but that he is too old for that now.
The 65-year-old Sajak made the revelation in an appearance earlier this week on cable network ESPN2's show "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable."
"When I first started and was much younger and could tolerate those things, we had a different show then," Sajak said in the broadcast interview.
Sajak explained that during the production of those "Wheel of Fortune" shows, he and co-host Vanna White would take two and a half-hour breaks while prizes were loaded onto the set in Burbank, California. So, they would go to a nearby restaurant and have "great margaritas," he said.
"Vanna and I would go across and have two or three or six (margaritas), and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet," Sajak said on the program.
Sajak further explained that he no longer mixes alcohol and his hosting duties.
"Now, if I were to inhale the cork and a bottle of wine I would probably keel over, I'm getting a little older for this," he said.
Sajak and White have hosted "Wheel of Fortune" since 1983.
(Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Video: Cramer's Issues for the Street
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46147126/
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Dem NC governor faced tough re-election fight (AP)
RALEIGH, N.C. ? Gov. Beverly Perdue said Thursday she will not seek re-election because she fears a fight with Republicans over public education would become too political. But she entered the election year with some baggage: a campaign finance investigation, sagging poll numbers and worries from fellow Democrats she would drag them down in a key battleground state for President Barack Obama.
Perdue, the state's first woman governor, rode into office partly on the coattails of Obama's surprise 2008 victory in North Carolina. Her departure created a wide-open gubernatorial primary in a state that is so key to Obama, Democrats are hosting their national convention in Charlotte in September.
Perdue, a former school teacher, said her decision was about protecting public education from spending cuts by the GOP-led Legislature. She said in highly partisan times, her re-election bid would "only further politicize the fight to adequately fund our schools."
"The thing I care about most right now is making sure that our schools and schoolchildren do not continue to be the victims of shortsighted legislative actions and severe budget cuts inflicted by a legislative majority with the wrong priorities," Perdue said in a statement.
The statement made no mention of what Perdue, 65, planned to do in the future. Perdue campaign spokesman Marc Farinella said the governor declined to speak to reporters Thursday because she is spending time with her family after making "this very difficult decision."
"For now she wants her statement to speak for itself," he said.
Perdue's decision caught many by surprise, and means it will be the first time a sitting North Carolina governor has failed to get elected to a second term since voters gave chief executives authority to succeed themselves in the 1970s.
"It is really uncommon for a sitting governor to have the opportunity to run for re-election to not do so, even in a harsh political climate," said Steven Greene, a political science professor at North Carolina State University. "But an objective analysis of the political situation suggests she'd have an extremely uphill fight for re-election."
Perdue faced a tough rematch against former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, a Republican she narrowly defeated in 2008 in the state's closest gubernatorial contest since 1972. Only two Republicans have been governor in more than 100 years.
Obama's win here was the first in 32 years for a Democratic nominee for president. He praised Perdue for breaking down barriers during her political career.
"For over 25 years, she has fought for the people of the Tar Heel state ? working to transform the state's public schools, improve the health care system, protect and attract jobs for members of the military and their families, and create the jobs of the future," Obama said in a statement.
Perdue's decision could help Obama and the party's eventual nominee by removing Perdue as a liability, said Brad Crone, a Raleigh-based Democratic consultant.
"It strengthens the Democratic Party's top of the ticket, and that's definitely going to be good news for Obama," Crone said.
Perdue faced scrutiny about her 2008 campaign and more than three dozen flights that she didn't initially report on campaign filings required by state election officials. A local prosecutor has said the governor wasn't the focus of his investigation, but four people were indicted last year related to the flight investigation, including her former campaign finance director.
"To those of you who have supported me throughout my years of public service, I will always be grateful for the confidence you have placed in me," Perdue said. "In my remaining months in office, I look forward to continuing to fight for the priorities we share, by putting North Carolinians back to work and investing in our children's future."
She also struggled with a state economy hit hard by the recession and an unemployment rate persistently above the national average. Perdue and fellow Democrats raised the sales tax by a penny in 2009 and had to make deep cuts to education and health care.
Republicans let the temporary sales tax increase expire last summer. Just last week, Perdue proposed raising it nearly a penny again for education. At least one legislative leader called her proposal dead on arrival.
Perdue often clashed with the new Republican leadership in the General Assembly, which swept into power after the 2010 elections and gave GOP control of the Legislature for the first time since the 1870s. In a sign of the tension, she vetoed a record 16 bills last year.
Polling throughout her term has consistently shown her approval ratings hovering around 40 percent.
Perdue's re-election campaign raised more than $2.6 million in 2011 ? only slightly more than what McCrory had raised during last year ? a poor showing in a state where Democratic candidates routinely outspend Republicans in statewide elections.
A native of Virginia, Perdue moved in the 1970s to the coastal town of New Bern, where she became director of geriatric services at a hospital before entering politics. She served in the Legislature and as the state's first female lieutenant governor before being elected governor.
As word of her exit spread, several candidates said they were considering jumping into the fray, and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, another Democrat elected in 2008, announced he would run. Dalton had nearly $600,000 in cash on hand as of Dec. 31.
Democratic state Rep. Bill Faison, a Perdue critic, said he'll make an announcement soon, setting up a May 8 primary. He said prominent leaders in the party worried for weeks about Perdue's low poll numbers and had suggested she not run.
Former State Treasurer Richard Moore, who lost to Perdue in the 2008 primary, and Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, also are considering bids. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx also said he's considering future plans.
Candidate filing begins Feb. 13.
Longtime Washington-based Perdue pollster Fred Yang said he believed she still had a pathway to victory and knew how much she liked being governor.
"I know how hard she tried," Yang said.
___
Associated Press writers Michael Biesecker and Tom Breen in Raleigh and Ken Thomas in Washington also contributed to this report.
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Gingrich reiterates Palestinians 'invented' people (AP)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ? Newt Gingrich is defending himself after a questioner at the GOP presidential debate criticized him for calling Palestinians an invented people.
A questioner of Palestinian descent asked Gingrich how he could say Palestinians are "invented."
Gingrich answered by reiterating his stance, saying that Palestinians were, in fact, invented in the 1970s. He says before that they were simply identified as Arabs.
Gingrich is also making it clear he is a strong supporter of Israel. He says that President Barack Obama has not stood up in support of Israel amid ongoing tension with Palestinians. Gingrich says he would be a steadfast supporter of Israel.
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
Tim Gunn: Celibate for 29 Years!
Make it work, Tim Gunn often tells contestants on Project Runway.
But the fashion guru made a startling confession yesterday during a segment on ABC's The Revolution: he has not "made it work" with a sexual partner in nearly three decades!
Admitting that he has not had intercourse in "29 years," the openly gay designer was especially emotional and honest during the show.
"I'm a perfectly fulfilled person," he said of his decision to remain celibate. "But it's very physiological."
Gunn held back tears at multiple points and spoke of his ex-partner, someone who he described as "impatient with my sexual performance," which prompted the 58-year old to go the abstinence route.
But Gunn also went out of his way to emphasize that sex is not everything. Far from it, in fact, stating simply:
"I'm happy to be healthy and alive, frankly."
[Photo: WENN.com]
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/tim-gunn-celibate-for-29-years/
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Crude prices rise on promise of low interest rates (AP)
NEW YORK ? Oil prices rose Wednesday afternoon, briefly topping $100 per barrel, after the Federal Reserve said it would keep interest rates at record lows for a year longer than previously expected.
The Fed's plan allows consumers and business to continue to borrow money cheaply in the U.S., which should help boost the economy of the world's largest oil consumer. The central bank, which has kept its benchmark interest rate near zero for three years, said it doesn't plan to raise the rate before late 2014.
"They're telling investors `Hey, there's a lot of uncertainty in this world, but the one thing you can count on is that we're going to keep interest rates low,'" PFG Best analyst Phil Flynn said. That kind of promise should spark more expansion among American businesses "and that will hopefully encourage more energy demand."
Benchmark crude on Wednesday rose by 40 cents to $99.35 per barrel in New York. At one point it was as high as $100.40. Brent crude rose 18 cents to $110.21 per barrel in London.
Major stock indices also rose in afternoon trading following the Fed statement.
Earlier in the day, the Energy Department said the nation's crude supplies increased by 3.6 million barrels last week, far more than analysts expected. Demand for oil dropped by about 4 percent. Gasoline demand was down as well, with the four-week average 6.4 percent below year-ago levels.
Supplies of gasoline and distillates, which include diesel fuel, dropped as refineries slowed operations in the face of slack demand.
Meanwhile, Iran ratcheted up tensions in the Persian Gulf with threats to halt oil sales to Europe.
Iran, the world's third-largest oil exporter, has been engaged in a lengthy dustup with Western nations over its secretive nuclear program, which may be developing a nuclear bomb. The European Union recently announced plans to embargo Iranian oil this summer. Iran now threatens to cut oil off to Europe sooner than that. EU nations account for about 18 percent of Iran's oil sales, and Iranian lawmakers think stopping oil sales to Europe would hurt those nations more than it would Iran.
Meanwhile natural gas prices continue to rebound from recent 10-year lows, rising more nearly 6 percent to $2.70 per 1,000 cubic feet on Wednesday. Prices are being pushed up by forecasts for cooler winter temperatures across much of the country, closer to average for this time of year. The mild winter thus far has slowed demand for natural gas to heat homes.
Gasoline pump prices in the U.S. were flat on Wednesday at a national average of $3.38 per gallon, according to auto club AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. That's about the same as a week ago, 15 cents higher than a month ago and 27 cents more than a year ago.
In other energy trading heating oil was virtually unchanged at $3.02 a gallon and gasoline futures rose by 3 cents to $2.84 a gallon.
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Oscar nominations announced for lead actress (AP)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. ? The 84th annual Academy Award nominations for lead actress in a motion picture have been announced in Beverly Hills, Calif., by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The nominees announced Tuesday morning are: Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"; Viola Davis, "The Help"; Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"; Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"; Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn."
The Oscars will be presented Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Billy Crystal and broadcast live on ABC.
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Stocks reverse course, slide in afternoon trading
By msnbc.com staff and news services
Stocks abruptly ended an early rally Monday, turning lower to start afternoon trading.
Just past 12:30 p.m. on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was off 0.30 percent, the S&P 500 was 0.26 percent lower and the Nasdaq had fallen 0.39.
Shares had staged a tepid rally at the opening with the S&P reaching its intraday high less than 90 minutes after the bell. It peaked at 0.16 percent.
Germany and France pressed for a rapid deal between Greece and its private creditors and said they remained committed to a new bailout that is needed by March to avert a default. Euro zone finance ministers were due to decide later Monday on what debt restructuring terms they would accept.
The euro hit its highest level in nearly three weeks against the dollar on optimism a deal would be reached.
U.S. stocks are up nearly 5 percent this year after four days of gains, with investors particularly emboldened by a turnaround in U.S. banking stocks that have helped lead the rally after an abysmal 2011.
A solid showing in fourth-quarter earnings during the current reporting season has also put a floor in the market.
David Lutz, a trader at Stifel Nicolaus Capital Markets in Baltimore, pointed out that some technical analysts are calling for a pullback after the market's strong run.
"Some of the market action to me is showing the possibility of a 'Blowoff Top' this week before we head south of 1,300 again (on the S&P 500)," he said in an email.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Van der Sloot appeals sentence in Peru (AP)
LIMA, Peru ? Joran van der Sloot's attorney says he has appealed his client's 28-year sentence for murdering a young Peruvian woman he met in a Lima casino.
Attorney Jose Jimenez says the three judges who sentenced Van der Sloot on Jan. 13 did not take into account his client's initial confession to police.
Jimenez said Monday that Van der Sloot never denied killing Stephany Flores. Her May 2010 death came five years to the day after the disappearance in Aruba of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway.
Van der Sloot remains the main suspect in that case.
He is at Piedras Gordas prison north of Lima, where his lawyer says he is temporarily segregated from other inmates.
Jimenez says the appeal was filed last week.
O2 data breach potentially shares your cellphone number with the world
"Security is our top most priority, we're investigating this at the moment & will come back with more info as soon as we can."
The Next Web confirmed that Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone numbers are unaffected by the issue, but GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile (both MVNOs that operate on the same network) do. TNW's sources say it's most likely an internal testing setup, while Mr. Peckover suggests it's because the network transparently proxies HTTP traffic, using the number as a UID.
Update: We received confirmation from O2, who said that it was "investigating with internal teams and it's our top priority." Slashgear and Think Broadband were unable to replicate the problem, but in our tests (pictured) it was sharing our data with the site.
O2 data breach potentially shares your cellphone number with the world originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Gates defends focus on high-tech agriculture
In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Bill Gates smiles while being interviewed in Kirkland, Wash. Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for would hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Bill Gates smiles while being interviewed in Kirkland, Wash. Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for would hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Bill Gates listens to a question while being interviewed in Kirkland, Wash. Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for would hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Bill Gates answers a question while being interviewed in Kirkland, Wash. Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for would hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) ? Bill Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for world hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve.
When he was in high school in the 1960s, people worried there wouldn't be enough food to feed the world, Gates recalled in his fourth annual letter, which was published online Tuesday. But the "green revolution," which transformed agriculture with high-yield crop varieties and other innovations, warded off famine.
Gates is among those who believe another, similar revolution is needed now. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has spent about $2 billion in the past five years to fight poverty and hunger in Africa and Asia, and much of that money has gone toward improving agricultural productivity.
Gates doesn't apologize for his endorsement of modern agriculture or sidestep criticism of genetic modification. He told The Associated Press that he finds it ironic that most people who oppose genetic engineering in plant breeding live in rich nations that he believes are responsible for global climate change that will lead to more starvation and malnutrition for the poor.
Resistance to new technology is "again hurting the people who had nothing to do with climate change happening," Gates said.
Groups resistant to genetic modification and other hallmarks of modern agriculture, such as pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers, generally object on two grounds ? concerns about the environment and the high cost of the seed and chemicals used in modern farming.
Bill Freese, a science policy analyst for the Washington-based Center for Food Safety, said everyone wants to see things get better for hungry people, but genetically modified plants are more likely to make their developers rich than feed the poor. The seed is too expensive and has a high failure rate, he said. Better ways to increase yields would be increasing the fertility of soil by adding organic matter or combining plants growing in the same field to combat pests, he said.
The biggest problem with those alternatives, Freese said, is the same one that Gates cited in high-tech research: A lack of money for development.
In his 24-page letter, the Microsoft Corp. chairman lamented that more money isn't spent on agriculture research and noted that of the $3 billion spent each year on work on the seven most important crops, only 10 percent focuses on problems in poor countries.
"Given the central role that food plays in human welfare and national stability, it is shocking ? not to mention short-sighted and potentially dangerous ? how little money is spent on agricultural research," he wrote in his letter, calling for wealthier nations to step up.
The Gates Foundation is heavily engaged in political advocacy to get governments to spend more money on agriculture and improve policies on issues such as trade and land ownership. Along with advocacy and seed research, it spends its money on buying and distributing fertilizer, educating farmers and improving their access to world markets.
Gates said most of the seed research paid for by his foundation involves conventional plant breeding. In those cases, DNA research allows scientists to pinpoint which genes are responsible for desirable traits. He compares the work to changes in modern libraries.
"We used to have to use the card catalogue and browse through the books to find the information we needed," he wrote in his letter. "Now, in the same way we know ... the precise page that contains the piece of information we need, we can find out precisely which plant contains what gene conferring a specific characteristic. This will make plant breeding happen at a much faster clip."
But in some cases, researchers have inserted foreign genes, such as with cassava, a plant that when processed makes tapioca. It is a stable in Africa, but has been stricken by two diseases, causing more widespread hunger. Scientists injected genes from the disease-causing viruses into the plant's DNA to create a vaccine-like effect.
While Gates is a strong supporter of such work, he said scientists and government need to proceed with caution.
"I think the right way to think about GMOs is the same way we think about drugs," Gates said in an interview. "Whenever someone creates a new drug, you have to have very smart people looking at lots of trial-based data to make sure the benefits far outweigh any of the dangers.
"You can't be against all drugs, but drugs in general are not safe."
Gates' letter also addressed the foundation's work on combating AIDS and eradicating polio. He noted India recently celebrated its first polio-free anniversary and expressed optimism during an interview that other countries will soon have similar celebrations.
He said good progress is being made toward developing an AIDS vaccine and on AIDS treatment, and he hopes the U.S. will fulfill its pledge to provide $4 billion over three years to The Global Fund for AIDS research. It paid only $1 billion of that pledge in the first year.
Gates expressed in his letter and in person concern that the U.S. and other rich nations continue to support foreign aid during the recession.
"If you ask people should we provide AIDS drugs to people who need them, you get an overwhelming yes. When you ask people, do you believe in foreign aid, you get a very skeptical view," he said. "But the fact is that the biggest single program in foreign aid is providing those AIDS drugs. People need to connect those things."
___
Online:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: http://www.gatesfoundation.org
Center for Food Safety: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/
___
Associated Press writer Donna Blankinship can be reached at http://twitter.com/dgblankinship
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McDonald's 4th-quarter profit beats on December sales strength (Reuters)
(Reuters) ? McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) reported quarterly profit that beat analysts' estimates as sales, which were already outpacing competitors, picked up strength in December.
The company and its franchisees have been pouring money into their restaurants at a time when smaller and financially strapped chains are slashing costs.
Such investments in renovations, longer operating hours and new menu items have helped McDonald's win market share from weaker rivals.
Sales at stores open at least a year rose 9.6 percent in December, with a 9.8 percent increase in the United States and a 10.8 percent increase in Europe.
Analysts on average forecast a 5.9 percent increase overall, with the a 5.4 percent increase in the United States and a 6.4 percent increase in Europe, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The world's biggest hamburger chain reported fourth-quarter profit of $1.38 billion, or $1.33 per share, up from $1.24 billion, or $1.16 a share, a year earlier and beating the average analyst estimate of $1.30 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue rose 10 percent to $6.82 billion, edging above the average analyst estimate of $6.81 billion.
McDonald's shares were up 40 cents at $101.35 in premarket trading on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Brad Dorfman in Chicago, editing by Dave Zimmerman)
Accused L.A. arsonist to face 63 more counts: prosecutors (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? A German national accused of setting dozens of fires across Los Angeles over the New Year's weekend out of what investigators described as anti-American rage will be charged on Tuesday with another 63 criminal counts, prosecutors said.
Harry Burkhart already faces 37 counts of arson in connection with the three-day wave of fires that caused an estimated $3 million in damage and left residents of Los Angeles and surrounding communities on edge.
Prosecutors will file the additional charges ahead of a court appearance scheduled for Burkhart, 24, later on Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney's spokesman Jane Robison said.
During an initial court appearance earlier this month a judge ordered Burkhart, a native of Chechnya who holds German citizenship, held without bail.
A Los Angeles police arson investigator has said in court papers that he believes Burkhart harbors anger toward Americans.
"It is my opinion that the defendant's criminal spree was motivated by his rage against Americans and that by setting these fires (the) defendant intended to harm and terrorize as many residents of the city and county of Los Angeles as possible," arson investigator Edward Nordskog wrote in court documents filed earlier this month.
State prosecutors in Germany say Burkhart is also wanted there on suspicion of starting a fire that burned down his family's home in Neukirchen.
Burkhart's 53-year-old mother was arrested in Los Angeles in December on a provisional warrant issued by German authorities and was facing extradition.
Dorothee Burkhart, who has been living in a Los Angeles apartment with her son, faces multiple charges of fraud and embezzlement in Germany, according to court documents.
Harry Burkhart was taken into custody after a tip from a member of the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security field office who recognized him on surveillance videotape from an outburst during his mother's initial court hearing, a state department spokeswoman said.
According to the declaration filed by Nordskog, Harry Burkhart was ejected from the courtroom during December 29 extradition proceedings for his mother after angrily shouting a profanity against Americans.
A man resembling Burkhart was captured on security cameras leaving the scene of several of the fires, which caused no fatalities. One firefighter was injured and another person suffered from smoke inhalation.
One of the fires damaged a house in the Hollywood Hills where late rocker Jim Morrison was inspired to write the 1968 song "Love Street" about his girlfriend.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb. Editing by Paul Thomasch)
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