Tuesday, July 16, 2013

The Easiest Way to Print Instagram Pictures - New Walgreens App

appalert

Walgreens is helping bring Instagram to life with mobile app Printicular.? Printicular is an awesome FREE app that is actually a useful tool for Instagram users.

The app was made by MEA Mobile, one of Walgreens? API partners through the?Walgreens Developer Program. Printicular lets you print out all of your cool, filtered Instagram pics at your local Walgreens. The pictures come out in 4?4 format and are ready for pickup within an hour. Awesome right? The app also lets you print photos from Facebook, your Camera Roll (iPhone and iPad) or your Gallery (Android) to be printed in standard 4?6, 5?7 and 8?10 sizes.

You can download the app right now, just swipe the QR code above with your phone!

Disclosure:? Walgreens is an advertiser in the Live SoFab summer 2013 issue produced and published by Party Bluprints Inc.

Source: http://www.partybluprintsblog.com/products/easiest-print-instagram-pictures/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=easiest-print-instagram-pictures

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Cory Monteith, star of hit show 'Glee,' found dead

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) ? Cory Monteith, the handsome young actor who shot to fame in the hit TV series "Glee" but was beset by addiction struggles so fierce that he once said he was lucky to be alive, was found dead in a hotel room, police said. He was 31.

The Canadian-born Monteith, who played star quarterback-turned-singer Finn Hudson on the Fox TV series about a high school glee club, was found dead in his room on the 21st floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel on Vancouver's waterfront at about noon Saturday, according to police.

Acting Vancouver Police Chief Doug LePard said there was no indication of foul play.

Vancouver police said Sunday that an autopsy is expected to take place on Monday to determine the cause of death.

Monteith's body was found by hotel staff who entered his room after he missed his check-out time, LePard said. Monteith had checked into the hotel on July 6.

"We do not have a great deal of information as to cause of death," said British Columbia Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe. She said further tests would be needed to determine how Monteith died.

"The exact nature of those examinations will depend on investigative findings within the next day or two as information is gathered from medical records and discussions with family take place," she said.

LePard said Monteith had been out with people earlier and that those people are being interviewed.

Video and electronic records from the hotel indicate Monteith returned to his room by himself early Saturday morning, and he was believed to be alone when he died, LePard said.

Lapointe said he had been dead for several hours by the time his body was found.

Lea Michele, Monteith's "Glee" co-star and real-life girlfriend, was asking for privacy after receiving news of his death, said her representative, Molly Kawachi of ID-PR .

"We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea's privacy during this devastating time," Kawachi said in in an email to The Associated Press.

Reality TV celebrity Kim Kardashian offered her condolences in a tweet: " So sad. Prayers 4 his family. Praying 4 Lea too! Words can't describe what they must be feeling."

"Glee" cast members and other celebrities also took to Twitter to express their feelings.

"I have no words! My heart is broken," Dot-Marie Jones, who plays football coach Shannon Beiste on "Glee," said in a post on her Twitter account Saturday night. She called Monteith a "hell of a friend" and an "amazing" man.

Lauren Potter, who plays Becky Jackson, the cheerleader with Down Syndrome on "Glee," tweeted that she feels "totally heartbroken right now."

"I love Cory so much this hurts my heart," she wrote. "I hope my Glee family is OK right now. I love them all. Cory was always so nice to me. I have so many good memories."

"What an absolutely tragic loss of a very talented young man," tweeted Zooey Deschanel, star of another Fox show, "New Girl."

Fox and the producers of "Glee," including 20th Century Fox Television, called him an exceptional performer "and an even more exceptional person. He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously."

"We are in shock and mourning this tragic loss," his representatives at Viewpoint Public Relations in Los Angeles said in a statement.

In April, Monteith checked himself in to a treatment facility for "substance addiction" and asked for privacy as he took steps toward recovery, a representative said at the time.

Michele told People magazine at the time that she loved and supported him and was proud he was seeking help.

It was not Monteith's first time in rehab. He received treatment when he was 19 and had previously talked about his addiction struggles, saying he had a serious problem and took just "anything and everything."

He told Parade magazine in 2011 that he was "lucky to be alive."

Monteith, who turned 31 on May 11, starred in "Glee" as a high school football player who puts his status and popularity at risk to join the glee club and its outcast members.

The show, with its pop music-based song-and-dance numbers and high-profile guest stars including Gwyneth Paltrow, became an immediate hit and made stars of its relatively unknown cast.

The series, which debuted in 2009, is in its fourth season.

On his Twitter account, Monteith described himself as "tall, awkward, canadian, actor, drummer, person."

In a 2010 interview with The Associated Press, Monteith was upbeat about life. He said that if "Glee" were to be canceled he would be OK.

"I've never been afraid of working," he said. "I've never been afraid of auditioning for jobs. Obviously, I've never been afraid of anonymity. I was happy (before 'Glee'). I'm happy now. I guess I'm well adjusted."

Monteith was among the "Glee" actors who remained series regulars as their characters graduated high school and moved on to other adventures.

According to his biography on Fox's website, Monteith was born in Calgary, Alberta, and moved to Vancouver Island as a child. Before turning to acting, he held a variety of jobs including Wal-Mart greeter, school bus driver, roofer and cab driver.

"Thanks for always being kind Cory. You came a long way from hanging on the beaches in Vancouver with the gang pre-Glee," tweeted Gerard Funk, an actor from Vancouver who joined the "Glee" cast last year.

Monteith's TV credits included roles on the series "Kaya" and "Kyle XY" and guest appearances on "Smallville," ''Supernatural," ''Stargate," ''Flash Gordon" and "Interns." His film credits included "Final Destination 3," ''The Invisible," ''Deck the Halls" and "Whisper."

Monteith was an avid supporter of Project Limelight, a Vancouver charity that offers a theater and arts programs to at-risk youth. He dined with Project Limelight co-founder Maureen Webb at a Vancouver restaurant just days before his death.

In a Globe and Mail interview last year, Monteith credited Webb for suggesting that he enroll in acting classes when he was 19 years old and going down a "very dark path."

He kept in touch with Webb and made a video to support Project Limelight when the charity was launched last year.

"I think kids really need a place to go and feel like they belong," Monteith said in the video posted on Project Limelight's website. "When I was a kid, I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. And I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me."

___

Elber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Charles J. Gans and Frazier Moore in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cory-monteith-star-hit-show-glee-found-dead-060430719.html

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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Chinese plane crash victims were student leaders

Parents of Wang Linjia, center, are comforted by parents of some other students who were on the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 when it crashed at San Francisco International Airport, while they gather and wait for news of their children at Jiangshan Middle School in Jiangshan city, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, Sunday July 7, 2013. Chinese state media have identified the two people who died in the plane crash at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday as Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, 16-year-old students at Jiangshan Middle School in China's eastern Zhejiang province. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

Parents of Wang Linjia, center, are comforted by parents of some other students who were on the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 when it crashed at San Francisco International Airport, while they gather and wait for news of their children at Jiangshan Middle School in Jiangshan city, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, Sunday July 7, 2013. Chinese state media have identified the two people who died in the plane crash at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday as Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, 16-year-old students at Jiangshan Middle School in China's eastern Zhejiang province. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

(AP) ? The two Chinese teenagers who died in an Asiana Airlines plane crash in San Francisco were student leaders who excelled in their studies and in the arts ? one was a calligrapher and the other a pianist.

Wang Linjia, 16, and Ye Mengyuan, 17, were students at Jiangshan Middle School in eastern China who were traveling on a summer camp program organized by the school to visit universities in California, state media reported Monday.

The group included 29 students and four teachers from four schools in the city of Jiangshan. They were to visit Silicon Valley, Stanford University and University of California's campuses in Los Angeles and Berkeley as part of an English-language program, according to the Youth Times, an official newspaper in Zhejiang province.

Wang was class representative for three years and teachers and schoolmates described her as excelling in physics and being good at calligraphy and drawing, according to the paper.

The newspaper said a reporter visited the girl's family at a hotel and that Wang's mother was sitting on a bed, crying silently while her father was sitting in a chair with a blank expression.

Wang's next-door neighbor, a woman surnamed Xia, described Wang as being quiet, courteous and diligent.

"She was very keen to learn, every time she came home she would be studying, very rarely did she go out and play," Xia was quoted as saying. She said Wang's father proudly displayed her calligraphy and art pieces on the walls of his office.

The other victim, Ye, also was a top student who excelled in literature and was talented with the piano, singing, and gymnastics. The Youth Times said Ye had recently won a national gymnastics competition and routinely received honors at the school's annual speech contests.

The two girls were classmates from four years ago and became close friends, the paper said.

The girls posted their last messages on their microblog accounts on Thursday and Friday. "Perhaps time can dilute the coffee in the cup, and can polish the outlines of memory," Wang said on Friday.

Her final message was simply the word "go."

Of the 291 passengers onboard, 141 were Chinese. At least 70 Chinese students and teachers were on the plane heading to summer camps, according to education authorities in China.

The flight slammed into the runway while landing at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday and caught fire, forcing many to escape by sliding down the emergency inflatable slides as flames tore through the plane. Officials said 182 people were taken to area hospitals.

___

Associated Press writers Louise Watt and Didi Tang contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-07-07-San-Francisco-Airliner-Crash-Victims/id-831148de2b4f478db115ad835218f3e3

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Splits in Egypt leadership amid new protests

Opponents of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, July 7, 2013. Egypt's new leadership wrangled over the naming of a prime minister, as both the Muslim Brotherhood and their opponents called for new mass rallies Sunday, renewing fears of another round of street violence over the military's ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Photograph in the back shows Egyptian Army Chief Lt. Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Opponents of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, July 7, 2013. Egypt's new leadership wrangled over the naming of a prime minister, as both the Muslim Brotherhood and their opponents called for new mass rallies Sunday, renewing fears of another round of street violence over the military's ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Photograph in the back shows Egyptian Army Chief Lt. Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Opponents of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, July 7, 2013. Egypt's new leadership wrangled over the naming of a prime minister, as both the Muslim Brotherhood and their opponents called for new mass rallies Sunday, renewing fears of another round of street violence over the military's ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A supporter of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi waves in front of a car turned into a stand selling shoes in Nasser City, suburb of Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, July 7, 2013. Egypt's new president moved to assert his authority and regain control of the streets Saturday even as his Islamist opponents declared his powers illegitimate and issued blood oaths to reinstate Mohammed Morsi, whose ouster by the military has led to dueling protests and deadly street battles between rival sides. (AP Photo/Paul Schemm)

A man walks by a stand selling billy clubs used by supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood near their sit-in in Nasser City, suburb of Cairo, Egypt , Sunday, July 7, 2013. Egypt's new president moved to assert his authority and regain control of the streets Saturday even as his Islamist opponents declared his powers illegitimate and issued blood oaths to reinstate Mohammed Morsi, whose ouster by the military has led to dueling protests and deadly street battles between rival sides. (AP Photo/Paul Schemm)

Supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans at a sit-in in Nasser City, suburb of Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, July 7, 2013. Egypt's new president moved to assert his authority and regain control of the streets Saturday even as his Islamist opponents declared his powers illegitimate and issued blood oaths to reinstate Mohammed Morsi, whose ouster by the military has led to dueling protests and deadly street battles between rival sides. The Arabic on the poster of Morsi reads, "No alternative to legitimacy." (AP Photo/Paul Schemm)

CAIRO (AP) ? Feuding erupted within Egypt's new leadership on Sunday as secular and liberal factions wrangled with ultraconservative Islamists who rejected their choice for prime minister, stalling the formation of a new government after the military's ouster of President Mohammed Morsi.

At the same time, the shows of strength over the removal of Egypt's first freely elected president were far from ending, with tens of thousands in the streets Sunday from each side. The military deployed troops at key locations in Cairo and other cities amid fears of renewed violence.

The Muslim Brotherhood pushed ahead with its campaign of protests aimed at forcing Morsi's reinstatement, bringing out large crowds in new rallies. Its officials vowed the group would not be "terrorized" by arrests of their leaders and the shutdown of their media outlets.

The Brotherhood's opponents, in turn, called out large rallies in Tahrir Square and other squares in Cairo and several cities to defend against an Islamist counter-push. Military warplanes swooped over the crowd filling Tahrir, drawing a heart shape and an Egyptian flag in the sky with colored smoke.

Two days ago, clashes between the rival camps left at least 36 dead and more than 1,000 injured nationwide.

Senior Brotherhood members Saad Emara said there was no possibility for any negotiations with the new leadership after "all betrayed us," and following the military's clampdown on the group.

"We are not regressing to a Mubarak era but to ... a totalitarian regime," he told The Associated Press. "Anything other than protest is suicide."

Morsi and five top Brotherhood figures are currently in detention, and around 200 others have arrest warrants out against them. The group's TV station and three other pro-Morsi Islamist stations were put off the air. Among those detained is Badie's deputy Khairat el-Shater, seen as the most powerful figure in the group and its main decision-maker.

The wrestling over the prime minister spot underlined the divisions with the collection of factions that backed the military when it pushed Morsi out of office on Wednesday and installed a senior judge, Adly Mansour, as an interim president.

At center stage of the feuding is the ultraconservative Salafi al-Nour Party, the sole main Islamist faction that sided with the mainly secular groups that led the charge against Morsi. On Saturday, the party blocked the appointment of reform leader Mohammed ElBaradei, a favorite of liberal, leftist and secular groups, as prime minister.

Another member of the coalition, Tamarod, the main organization behind the massive protests last week calling for Morsi ouster, said ElBaradei was still its candidate for the post. It railed against al-Nour on Sunday, accusing it of "blackmail" and "arm-twisting."

Showing the outside pressures on al-Nour, Emara of the Brotherhood said al-Nour "has lost credibility and trust after they sided with the takeover" ? a sign the Brotherhood hopes to draw the party's Salafi supporters behind it in the streets alongside other Islamists.

The prime minister is to be the real power in whatever interim government emerges, since the president's post will be largely symbolic. The prime minister will also likely have strong influence on the process of writing a new constitution.

That's a major concern of al-Nour, which pushed hard for the Islamic character of the charter pushed through under Morsi's administration, which was suspended after his ouster.

Mohammed Aboul-Ghar, the leader of the liberal Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party, said al-Nour initially agreed to ElBaradei taking the post, but then shifted its position for unknown reasons. He said talks are still ongoing through mediators.

Abdullah Badran, a leading al-Nour lawmaker, said there was "a misunderstanding" and that it hadn't accepted ElBaradei. The party has asked for 48 hours to propose alternatives, he said, adding that it will finalize its position but will not back ElBaradei.

"This sensitive period requires an independent who can win consensus not cause more divisions and polarization," he told The Associated Press. "We don't want prejudices because it would only lead to more divisions."

He said that objections to ElBaradei are rooted in his lack of popularity not only among Islamists but among a large sector of Egyptians.

ElBaradei, a 71-year-old Nobel Peace laureate for his time as head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, is an inspiring figure among the leftists, secular and revolutionary youth groups behind the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Word on Saturday that he would be appointed prime minister sparked cheers among many of their ranks, believing he can push a strong reform agenda.

But he is deeply distrusted as too secular among many Islamists and seen by much of the public as elite.

Walid el-Masry, of Tamarod, said al-Nour is using the ElBaradei issue to press liberals on the constitution, worried about changes to the Islamist-drafted charter.

"They are afraid about the articles that concern the state's Islamic identity," he said, adding that the liberals assured Salafis that they won't touch these articles.

Al-Nour was once an ally of Morsi but broke with him over the course of his year in office, saying his Brotherhood was trying to monopolize power, even over other Islamists. When the June 30 wave of anti-Morsi protests began, the party called on its followers to stay neutral. But it supported the military's intervention to remove the president, joining in talks with army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

Meanwhile, the Brotherhood and their opponents sought to show their power in the streets. The Islamists have denounced the removal of Morsi as an army coup against democracy. Their opponents have aruged the president had squandered his electoral mandate and that the Brotherhood was putting Egypt on an undemocratic path.

Tamarod, Arabic for "Rebel," called on its supporters to turn out to defend "popular legitimacy" and "confirm the victory achieved in the June 30 wave." By Sunday evening, large crowds filled Tahrir Square and the streets outside the Ittihadiya presidential palace.

Pro-Morsi rallies turned out in several places around the city, centered outside the Rabaah al-Adawiya Mosque where they have been holding a sit-in for more than a week.

In a Facebook posting Sunday, the Brotherhood's supreme leader Mohammed Badie said the "leaders of the unconstitutional coup continue flagrant violations against the Egyptian people."

A Brotherhood spokesman, Gehad el-Haddad, said the military is not giving any positive signals for the group to be willing to talk, pointing to the arrests of the leadership figures and shutdowns of media.

"They are trying to terrorize us," he said.

Outside Rabaa al-Adawiya, Brotherhood supporters waved flags as young men wearing makeshift helmets jogged in place and did calisthenics, as part of security teams the group says are to defend its rallies from attack.

"Do we not deserve democracy, aren't we worth anything?" said an emotional Alaa el-Saim, a retired army engineer in a broad-brimmed hat to protect from the sun. He pointed to the shooting by troops on Friday of pro-Morsi protesters. "It's the first time I've seen that, the army shoots at us with weapons they bought with the taxes I paid."

Khaled Galal, a young bearded man in a skull cap, called the army's actions the "rape of legitimacy."

"Muslims aren't allowed democracy, and when we pick up weapons to defend it we get called terrorists," he said.

____

AP correspondent Tony G. Gabriel contributed to this report

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-07-07-Egypt/id-c28f5aa6bd9f4341aba97026efb01d2f

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Sunday, July 7, 2013

EU's Rehn welcomes ECB's rates forward guidance

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France (Reuters) - The EU's top economic official welcomed on Sunday guidance by the European Central Bank on low interest rates in the euro zone, saying the move was needed to preserve the recovery of the bloc's economy.

The ECB on Thursday responded to turbulence caused by the U.S. Federal Reserve's planned withdrawal of monetary stimulus by abandoning its own insistence that it never offers forward guidance on policy.

"This means, in my view, a justified divergence with the U.S. action due to different economic cycles," Olli Rehn told an economists' conference in Aix-en-Provence, southern France.

"While the orientation of economic policies in the United States could become more restrictive, it remains more accommodating in the euro zone with good reason," Rehn added.

(Reporting by Ingrid Melander and Elena Berton; editing by Michel Rose)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eus-rehn-welcomes-ecbs-rates-forward-guidance-073448882.html

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If you don't run screaming, this spiderbot could teach you to dance

Robots

13 hours ago


Robugtix

Robugtix

Arachnid fanciers rejoice, you can now bring a spiderbot home. OK, perhaps it isn't as terrifying as the all-terrain Mantis which can seat (and perhaps eat?) a human. Maybe it lacks the sting of the scorpion bot, which raises its "tail" if it senses approaching hands. But walk this bot up to a skittish arachnophobe and you'll see the textbook definition of "squeamish." Still, it's no fair, because all this bot wants to do is shake a leg (or eight).

T8, a shoe-box-sized robot built by a Hong Kong company called Robugtix, is covered in some faux-spider bug skin for added creep-factor.

T8 is driven by 26 motors ? 3 in each leg (that's 24) and two in the abdomen, tucked into its 3-D-printed hard casing.

The movements in the introductory video were designed to show off the range of motions the robot is capable of, Andres Han, 29-year-old co-founder of Robugtix, told NBC News. "We were trying to teach it how to boogie," Billy Han, his brother and co-founder, who is 33, joked.

But he's only half-kidding: This robobug can kick its front legs up in the air, squat, stretch, lean to the left, lean to the right and pull off some pretty slick dance moves, as you'll see in the YouTube video above.

The robot is meant to serve as an educational tool for middle school or high school kids, the Hans, who live in Hong Kong, explained. "The robots are designed so that anyone can use them whether you have coding experience or not," Billy Han said, "We're simplifying what you can do to make a legged robot move."

Besides that, we imagine the robot could also come in handy in the scaring of unwanted human house guests (particularly ones named Ron Weasley).

Robugtix is also selling a cheaper, 6-legged cousin of the T8, named Iitsii. It doesn't look quite as finished as T8, but wait till you see it do the crab walk. Powered by 18 motors, it will walk in straight lines, curved paths, and spin at the same spot.

According to the Robugtix website, T8 is now available for pre-order for a cool $1,350, and will be unleashed sometime in September. The $250 Iitsii can be climbing your way as early as August 31.

This post was updated at 7:30pm Eastern Time to include comments from Andres and Billy Han.

Nidhi Subbaraman writes about technology and science. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663301/s/2e439442/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cif0Eyou0Edont0Erun0Escreaming0Espiderbot0Ecould0Eteach0Eyou0Edance0E6C10A548711/story01.htm

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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Box Office Guru Wrapup: Monsters Leads Again, Heat Huge #2

Audiences kept showing up for Monsters University which remained the number one film in North America for a second frame. But in the battle of the sexes with a pair of new star-driven action-comedies opening, the ladies easily beat out the boys as the cop flick The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy debuted in second by overperforming while the Channing Tatum-Jamie Foxx attack pic White House Down fell below expectations landing in fourth. But with incredible breadth in the marketplace - driven by numerous summer staple action offerings - the weekend saw five different films earn over $20M each over the frame. It was the first time all year this had happened.

Pixar enjoyed its best second weekend hold in four years with its current blockbuster Monsters University which slipped only 44% after a massive opening to an estimated $46.2M. That was better than the 49% of last year's Brave, the 60% of Cars 2 from 2011, and even the 46% of 2010's megasmash Toy Story 3. All of these films opened in mid-June. The last time Pixar did better was with 2009's Up - the animation leader's first 3D pic - which launched in late May and then slipped only 35% in its sophomore session.

After ten days, Monsters has grossed a sizable $171M and is running 30% ahead of Brave and 46% ahead of Cars 2. Mike and Sulley have a shot at reaching $300M domestically thanks to great word-of-mouth, schools now being out, and the Independence Day holiday coming up this week. However, Disney will have intense competition from a super villain starting Tuesday night when Universal's Despicable Me 2 launches with what should be a gigantic holiday bow, and maybe even good legs of its own. The Mouse House will also give itself competition with its big-budget Johnny Depp adventure The Lone Ranger. Both tentpoles start with 7:00pm showtimes this Tuesday.

Still, Monsters University is raking in the dough here and around the world as the global tally broke the $300M mark Sunday thanks to an international weekend of $44.2M pushing the overseas cume up to $129.3M from 37 markets. Taiwan and The Philippines both had openings this weekend that were bigger than Toy Story 3's and Japan will launch next weekend.

Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy both enjoyed the biggest opening weekends of their careers with the new hit action-comedy The Heat which pulled in an estimated $40M capturing second place impressively. The R-rated cop buddy pic averaged a sensational $12,575 from 3,181 locations for Fox. It was the latest chapter in the meteoric rise of McCarthy who has quickly become one of the most bankable actresses in Hollywood. In February, her R-rated comedy Identity Thief bowed to $34.6M while 2011's breakout ensemble hit Bridesmaids debuted to $26.2M ahead of a leggy run.

Since winning an Oscar in 2010, Bullock has been mostly absent from the big screen so audiences were very eager to see these two leading ladies. And the gender twist on the male-dominated cop buddy formula brought something new and intriguing to the table. Reviews were relatively good too. Studio research indicated a heavy skew towards adult women with females making up 65% of the crowd while 67% were over 25. The CinemaScore was a solid A- and with no compelling live-action comedies coming for a while, and the potential to broaden the audience to males with positive buzz, the road ahead for The Heat looks promising.

Brad Pitt's zombie actioner World War Z fell 55% in its second weekend to an estimated $29.8M lifting the cume to a stellar $123.7M. Given how quickly films from this genre erode on the sophomore session, and the incoming competition from new star-driven action pictures, the decline was respectable. Paramount could find its way to the $190-200M range with this one which would make it Pitt's top-grossing film ever beating the $186.3M of Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2005 - another June action title.

Another hunk trying to headline a summer action movie was Channing Tatum who headlined White House Down (along with Jamie Foxx) which opened to somewhat soft results in fourth place with an estimated $25.7M. The PG-13 thriller from Roland Emmerich about terrorists who attack the President's home averaged $7,976 from 3,222 and came in below the $30.4M debut of March's Olympus Has Fallen which offered the same plot. But Down opened in the prime summer period, had more starpower, more marketing muscle, and carried a more commercially-friendly rating so the fact that it opened weaker was disappointing. Plus Tatum anchored three very different films debuting north of $35M just last year.

Reviews were lukewarm which didn't help and the presentation of the film as sort of a buddy action-comedy with a U.S. President being funny instead of serious seemed odd. A marketplace crowded with plenty of other action choices made seeing a second White-House-under-siege flick this year unappealing for many consumers, especially since Olympus had legs and was well-liked. Studio research showed that the gender split was very even with males making up 51% thanks to the sex appeal of the leads. 61% were over 25. But the A- CinemaScore and holiday week ahead could prove helpful to White House Down over the coming weeks.

After a hefty sophomore slide, the super hero tentpole Man of Steel stabilized in its third round falling an acceptable 50% to an estimated $20.8M. A decent hold given the arrival of two new action titles, the Warner Bros. pic has now amassed an impressive $248.7M and still has a good shot at reaching $300M, especially with the lucrative holiday week coming. Worldwide it broke $500M on its way to possibly $750M or more. The weekend saw a healthy $52.2M offshore boosting the overseas take to $271.7M for General Zod and the global gross to $520.4M with Japan and Brazil still to come.

Holding up well again was the doomsday comedy This is the End with an estimated $8.7M, off 35%, for a $74.7M total for Sony. The sleeper hit Now You See Me cracked the $100M mark over the weekend in its fifth round thanks to good word-of-mouth. The Lionsgate release dipped 30% to an estimated $5.5M upping the sum to $104.7M for the magician heist pic.

Universal's action sequel Fast & Furious 6 followed with an estimated $2.4M, down 51%, and a $233.3M domestic total and amazing $682M worldwide haul. Sci-fi hit Star Trek Into Darkness declined by a good 36% to an estimated $2M and has banked $220.5M for Paramount. Global sum is now $438.1M.

Rounding out the top ten was a tie with the comedy underachiever The Internship with an estimated $1.4M, down 58%, and a $41.7M cume for Fox. Estimating the same amount was Disney with its super hero smash Iron Man 3 which dipped 37% for $405.4M to date. It climbed up to number 14 on the list of all-time domestic blockbusters right behind The Hunger Games.

The top ten films grossed an estimated $182.6M which was down 4% from last year when Ted opened at number one with $54.4M; and off 2% from 2011 when Transformers: Dark of the Moon debuted in the top spot with $97.9M over three days as part of an extended $180.7M holiday week debut.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927770/news/1927770/

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Monday, July 1, 2013

New understanding of tiny RNA molecules could have far-ranging medical applications

New understanding of tiny RNA molecules could have far-ranging medical applications [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 30-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Mika Ono
mikaono@scripps.edu
858-784-2052
Scripps Research Institute

LA JOLLA, CA June 30, 2013 A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified a family of tiny RNA molecules that work as powerful regulators of the immune response in mammals. Mice who lack these RNA molecules lose their normal infection-fighting ability, whereas mice that overproduce them develop a fatal autoimmune syndrome.

"This finding gives us insights into immune regulation that could be very helpful in a range of medical applications, from viral vaccines to treatments for autoimmune diseases," said Changchun Xiao, assistant professor in TSRI's Department of Immunology and Microbial Science and senior investigator for the study, which appears in the June 30, 2013 issue of Nature Immunology.

Unraveling a Crucial Process

The finding concerns a key interaction between T cells and B cells, the allied lymphocyte armies that make up most of the adaptive immune system of mammals. B cells, which produce antibodies, usually lie in wait for pathogens in special zones called follicles within lymph nodes and the spleen. But to start proliferating normally and pumping out antibodies to fight an infection, these B cells have to be assisted, in effect, by T cells known as "follicular helper" T cells (TFH cells). "The TFH cells have to migrate into the B cell follicles and physically contact the B cells in order to provide help to them," said Xiao. "However, the molecular pathways that control TFH cell differentiation and migration have not been well understood."

In 2009, other researchers proposed that this crucial process requires the suppression of the miR-17~92 family of RNA molecules. These are among the thousands of short RNA molecules (often known as micro-RNAs, miRs, or miRNAs) that are made by mammalian cells and are meant to do their jobs while in RNA form. Typically an miRNA works inside the cell as a basic regulator or "dimmer switch" for the activity of tens to hundreds of genesit binds to transcripts of those genes and slows down their translation into proteins.

Xiao, who had been studying the miR-17~92 family since 2005, decided to examine their role in TFH differentiation. His team began by measuring the levels of these miRNAs in young, "nave" T cells and in the TFH cells to which these T cells gave birth after exposure to foreign antigens.

Surprising Finding

To the researchers' surprise, the miR-17~92s showed the opposite pattern of expression than expected: their levels jumped as the nave T cells began differentiating into TFH cells, but fell back by the time the process was finished. The finding suggested that, far from acting as a brake on TFH differentiation, miR-17~92s work as enablers of the process.

To confirm their suspicion, team members developed mutant mouse lines in which some or all of the miR-17~92 miRNAs were knocked out of T cells. These miR-17~92-deficient T cells turned out to be much less able to differentiate into TFH cells. As a result, the follicle-dwelling B cells that depend on TFH assistance also lost much of their ability to respond to an immune challenge. "These mutant mice showed a deficient antibody response to a standard immune-provoking protein," said Seung Goo Kang, a postdoctoral research associate in the Xiao laboratory who was the leading author of the study.

Collaborating TSRI scientists led by John Teijaro, a senior research associate in the laboratory of Michael B. A. Oldstone, professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, showed further that these transgenic miceunlike ordinary lab micecould not clear a chronic virus infection that is used as a standard challenge in immunological experiments.

By contrast, when the team raised transgenic mice whose T cells produced four to six times the normal amount of miR-17~92s, these T cells differentiated into TFH cells spontaneouslythat is, without an immune-stimulating inoculation.

These mice developed antibody responses to their own tissues, and died young, with swollen spleen and lymph nodes. "The accumulation of autoantibodies is also seen in lupus and other autoimmune diseases in humans," said Wen-Hsien Liu, another postdoctoral research associate in the Xiao laboratory and a co-first author of the paper.

Important Targets

Liu and Kang were able to track down a key target gene of miR-17~92s, which the miRNAs suppress to enable TFH cell differentiation. The targeted gene codes for Phlpp2, a recently discovered signaling inhibitor. "Lowering Phlpp2 protein levels in our miR-17~92-knockout T cells restored much of their ability to become TFH cells," Kang said.

"Phlpp2 is one important target, but we believe there are others too, and we are now looking for those," Xiao said. He and his colleagues also plan to investigate methods for manipulating miR-17~92s and their TFH cell-related pathways, in order to boost antibody responses to vaccines for exampleor alternatively to lower autoantibody productions in people with autoimmune diseases.

###

The study, "miR-17~92 family microRNAs are critical regulators of T follicular helper cell differentiation," was a collaboration that also involved the laboratory of Hai Qi at Tsinghua University in Beijing and the laboratory of Eric Verdin at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology at the University of California, San Francisco. A co-first author of the study was Peiwen Lu of the Qi laboratory; other co-authors were Hyung W. Lim of the Verdin laboratory, Daniel Fremgen of the Oldstone laboratory and Hyun Yong Jin and Jovan Shepherd of the Xiao laboratory.

The study was funded by the PEW Charitable Trusts, the Cancer Research Institute, the Lupus Research Institute, the American Heart Association (grant 11POST7430106 ), the National Institutes of Health (R01AI019484 and R01AI087634) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81161120405).


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


New understanding of tiny RNA molecules could have far-ranging medical applications [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 30-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Mika Ono
mikaono@scripps.edu
858-784-2052
Scripps Research Institute

LA JOLLA, CA June 30, 2013 A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified a family of tiny RNA molecules that work as powerful regulators of the immune response in mammals. Mice who lack these RNA molecules lose their normal infection-fighting ability, whereas mice that overproduce them develop a fatal autoimmune syndrome.

"This finding gives us insights into immune regulation that could be very helpful in a range of medical applications, from viral vaccines to treatments for autoimmune diseases," said Changchun Xiao, assistant professor in TSRI's Department of Immunology and Microbial Science and senior investigator for the study, which appears in the June 30, 2013 issue of Nature Immunology.

Unraveling a Crucial Process

The finding concerns a key interaction between T cells and B cells, the allied lymphocyte armies that make up most of the adaptive immune system of mammals. B cells, which produce antibodies, usually lie in wait for pathogens in special zones called follicles within lymph nodes and the spleen. But to start proliferating normally and pumping out antibodies to fight an infection, these B cells have to be assisted, in effect, by T cells known as "follicular helper" T cells (TFH cells). "The TFH cells have to migrate into the B cell follicles and physically contact the B cells in order to provide help to them," said Xiao. "However, the molecular pathways that control TFH cell differentiation and migration have not been well understood."

In 2009, other researchers proposed that this crucial process requires the suppression of the miR-17~92 family of RNA molecules. These are among the thousands of short RNA molecules (often known as micro-RNAs, miRs, or miRNAs) that are made by mammalian cells and are meant to do their jobs while in RNA form. Typically an miRNA works inside the cell as a basic regulator or "dimmer switch" for the activity of tens to hundreds of genesit binds to transcripts of those genes and slows down their translation into proteins.

Xiao, who had been studying the miR-17~92 family since 2005, decided to examine their role in TFH differentiation. His team began by measuring the levels of these miRNAs in young, "nave" T cells and in the TFH cells to which these T cells gave birth after exposure to foreign antigens.

Surprising Finding

To the researchers' surprise, the miR-17~92s showed the opposite pattern of expression than expected: their levels jumped as the nave T cells began differentiating into TFH cells, but fell back by the time the process was finished. The finding suggested that, far from acting as a brake on TFH differentiation, miR-17~92s work as enablers of the process.

To confirm their suspicion, team members developed mutant mouse lines in which some or all of the miR-17~92 miRNAs were knocked out of T cells. These miR-17~92-deficient T cells turned out to be much less able to differentiate into TFH cells. As a result, the follicle-dwelling B cells that depend on TFH assistance also lost much of their ability to respond to an immune challenge. "These mutant mice showed a deficient antibody response to a standard immune-provoking protein," said Seung Goo Kang, a postdoctoral research associate in the Xiao laboratory who was the leading author of the study.

Collaborating TSRI scientists led by John Teijaro, a senior research associate in the laboratory of Michael B. A. Oldstone, professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, showed further that these transgenic miceunlike ordinary lab micecould not clear a chronic virus infection that is used as a standard challenge in immunological experiments.

By contrast, when the team raised transgenic mice whose T cells produced four to six times the normal amount of miR-17~92s, these T cells differentiated into TFH cells spontaneouslythat is, without an immune-stimulating inoculation.

These mice developed antibody responses to their own tissues, and died young, with swollen spleen and lymph nodes. "The accumulation of autoantibodies is also seen in lupus and other autoimmune diseases in humans," said Wen-Hsien Liu, another postdoctoral research associate in the Xiao laboratory and a co-first author of the paper.

Important Targets

Liu and Kang were able to track down a key target gene of miR-17~92s, which the miRNAs suppress to enable TFH cell differentiation. The targeted gene codes for Phlpp2, a recently discovered signaling inhibitor. "Lowering Phlpp2 protein levels in our miR-17~92-knockout T cells restored much of their ability to become TFH cells," Kang said.

"Phlpp2 is one important target, but we believe there are others too, and we are now looking for those," Xiao said. He and his colleagues also plan to investigate methods for manipulating miR-17~92s and their TFH cell-related pathways, in order to boost antibody responses to vaccines for exampleor alternatively to lower autoantibody productions in people with autoimmune diseases.

###

The study, "miR-17~92 family microRNAs are critical regulators of T follicular helper cell differentiation," was a collaboration that also involved the laboratory of Hai Qi at Tsinghua University in Beijing and the laboratory of Eric Verdin at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology at the University of California, San Francisco. A co-first author of the study was Peiwen Lu of the Qi laboratory; other co-authors were Hyung W. Lim of the Verdin laboratory, Daniel Fremgen of the Oldstone laboratory and Hyun Yong Jin and Jovan Shepherd of the Xiao laboratory.

The study was funded by the PEW Charitable Trusts, the Cancer Research Institute, the Lupus Research Institute, the American Heart Association (grant 11POST7430106 ), the National Institutes of Health (R01AI019484 and R01AI087634) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81161120405).


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/sri-nuo062613.php

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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Kenya's economic growth quickens in Q1 helped by farming

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya said on Friday its economy expanded by an annualised rate of 5.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013 from 3.9 percent in the same period last year, helped by a buoyant agricultural sector.

A presidential election in March had been expected to drag on growth in the first quarter, because of fears that Kenya could see a repeat of the violence that marred the previous vote five years earlier and put a brake on the economy.

"Given what we know now of the smooth passage of elections, and the rapid recovery in confidence post-election, the outlook for full year 2013 growth looks very positive," Razia Khan, head of Africa research at Standard Chartered Bank, wrote in a note.

The statistics office said the looming presidential vote had dampened business activity in the first quarter, but said in its statement that the agricultural sector had performed well.

"The first quarter of 2013 experienced improved weather conditions for some key crops compared to the same quarter of 2012," it said.

Mark Bohlund, senior economist at Global Insight, was more circumspect about prospects, saying the fact that agriculture based on good weather was the main driver suggested underlying economic momentum remained relatively weak.

He forecast 2013 growth of 4.6 percent, below the 5.5 percent predicted in a Reuters poll earlier in June.

Noting an upwardly revised growth estimate of 5.1 percent for the fourth quarter of 2012, Khan said the second quarter could expect a bounce back in the restaurant and hotel business, the sector that was most affected by concerns about the vote.

"The challenge for Kenya will be to steer a steady course, maintaining this positive momentum, while avoiding any new credit or asset market bubbles," she wrote.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenyas-economic-growth-quickens-q1-stats-office-140519150.html

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Judge bars Obamacare contraceptive requirement for a Christian-owned business

A federal judge in Oklahoma issued a preliminary injunction Friday blocking the Obama administration from enforcing its contraceptive mandate against the craft chain store Hobby Lobby.

The action by US District Judge Joe Heaton came after the full Tenth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that forcing Hobby Lobby and its Christian owners to pay for certain kinds of contraceptive methods would substantially burden their religious rights.

The appeals court overturned an earlier ruling by Judge Heaton denying an injunction. The appeals court then sent the issue back to the judge.

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Judge Heaton reviewed pleadings and heard oral argument via a telephone conference on Friday before issuing a two-page order.

?The court concludes plaintiffs have made a sufficient showing to warrant the issuance of a temporary restraining order in the circumstances existing here,? the judge wrote.

The health-care law with its contraceptives mandate is set to take effect on Monday, July 1, and would trigger potential multi-million dollar penalties if the company failed to comply.

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Hobby Lobby has more than 500 stores and employs 13,000 workers nationwide. The injunction also applies to Mardel, Inc., which runs 35 Christian bookstores and employs 400 workers. Both companies are owned and run by the Green family, who are devout Christians.

The family believes that life begins at conception and that any interference with the implantation of a fertilized egg is intentionally causing the death of a human being.

Of 20 contraceptive methods required under Obamacare, the family objects to four, involving two versions of an IUD and two kinds of the so-called morning after pill.

Government lawyers have argued that the contraceptive mandate is no burden to the corporation?s religious rights or those of the owners because the choice to use a particular contraception method belongs to the employee, not the employer.

Lawyers for Hobby Lobby counter that the employer is being asked to subsidize an activity that violates their sincerely-held religious beliefs. They charge it violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The judge scheduled a full hearing on the injunction issue for July 19 in Oklahoma City.

?Hobby Lobby and the Green family faced a terrible choice of violating their faith or paying massive fines starting this Monday morning,? said Kyle Duncan of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing Hobby Lobby in the case.

?We are delighted that both the Tenth Circuit and the district court have spared them from this unjust burden on their religious freedom,? Mr. Duncan said.

The case is one of 60 lawsuits filed by individuals, companies, and organizations across the country challenging the portion of the president?s health care initiative that requires employers to provide a full range of contraceptive services to their employees.

The judge?s order came hours after the Department of Health and Human Services issued its final rules for contraception coverage, including by certain religious organizations.

In a statement, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the health-care law would guarantee millions of women access to preventative health services at no cost.

?Today?s announcement [of final rules] reinforces our commitment to respect the concerns of houses of worship and other nonprofit religious organizations that object to contraceptive coverage, while helping ensure that women get the care they need, regardless of where they work,? Secretary Sebelius said.

Under the administration?s rule, religious employers ? primarily houses of worship ? are exempt from providing contraception coverage in health plans for their employees.

The final rules also include an accommodation for other nonprofit religious organizations, such as church-affiliated hospitals and religious schools. Under the arrangement, such organizations that object to contraception coverage are to provide notice of their objection to their health insurance company. The insurer will then provide that portion of the coverage to the employee directly.

The final rules do not include an accommodation for for-profit companies like Hobby Lobby.

?Unfortunately the final rule announced today is the same old, same old,? said Eric Rassbach, also of the Becket Fund. ?This doesn?t solve the religious conscience problem because it still makes our nonprofit clients the gatekeepers to abortion and provides no protection to religious businesses.?

He added: ?The easy way to resolve this would have been to exempt sincere religious employers completely, as the Constitution requires. Instead this issue will have to be decided in court.?

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-bars-obamacare-contraceptive-requirement-christian-owned-business-235916641.html

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Friday, June 28, 2013

Oh, Canada: Cavaliers take Bennett with No. 1 pick

NBA Commissioner David Stern, left, shakes hands with UNLV's Anthony Bennett, who was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

NBA Commissioner David Stern, left, shakes hands with UNLV's Anthony Bennett, who was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

NBA Commissioner David Stern, left, shakes hands with UNLV's Anthony Bennett, who was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Indiana's Victor Oladipo, left, and Cody Zeller chat before the NBA basketball draft got underway, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Indiana's Victor Oladipo waits for the NBA basketball draft to begin, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Alex Len, of Ukraine, gestures after being selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

(AP) ? Anthony Bennett learned he would be making NBA draft history the same time as everyone else.

"When they said my name," Bennett said. "That's when I knew it happened. I had no idea before."

Who did?

The Cleveland Cavaliers surprisingly made Bennett the first Canadian No. 1 overall pick, and Nerlens Noel tumbled out of the top five and right into a trade Thursday night in an unsettled first round of the draft.

"It was chaotic from the first pick," Minnesota president Flip Saunders said. "When Bennett was taken off the board, that set the tone for the whole draft."

There were moves all night, all of them taking a back seat to one in the works for the team that calls Barclays Center home.

The Brooklyn Nets will acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from Boston in a blockbuster deal that was still developing as the draft neared its conclusion, according to a person with knowledge of the details.

"There was a lot of activity," said Nets general manager Billy King, who wouldn't comment on the trade. "As you guys will find out, there will be a lot of trades that are announced."

His can't be until July 10, after next season's salary cap is set.

As for the draft, it was as unpredictable as expected, capped by Hakeem Olajuwon coming on stage at the end of the first round to greet David Stern, dressed in the same tuxedo style he wore when Stern called his name to start the soon-to-be retired commissioner's first draft in 1984.

One of the favorites to be taken first Thursday night, Noel fell to No. 6, where the New Orleans Pelicans took him and then dealt his rights to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package headlined by All-Star guard Jrue Holiday, according to a person familiar with the details. That trade can't become official until July 10 because of salary cap concerns, according to another official with knowledge of the deal.

The Cavaliers started things by passing on centers Noel and Alex Len, who went to Phoenix at No. 5, in favor of Bennett, the UNLV freshman forward who starred for Canada's junior national teams and was the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year. Bennett led a record 12 international players who were taken in the first round.

"I'm just as surprised as anyone else," Bennett said.

There was suspense right until the end of the Cavs' 5-minute window to make their selection, either because they were unsure who they wanted or were trying to trade the pick. Most predictions had them taking one of the big men, with Noel largely considered the favorite for the No. 1 choice even after a torn ACL that ended his lone season at Kentucky in February.

"I thought everything was in the air, so I wasn't thinking I was the No. 1 pick," Noel said.

Stern, booed heavily for most of his final draft, added to the surprise of the moment by pausing slightly before announcing the Cavs' pick, their first at No. 1 since taking All-Star Kyrie Irving in 2011.

Orlando passed on both of the big men, too, going with Indiana swingman Victor Oladipo with the No. 2 pick. Washington took Otto Porter Jr. with the third pick, keeping the Georgetown star in town.

Ten years after the Cavaliers selected LeBron James to start a draft that included future NBA championship teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the top five, this one lacked star power and perhaps even the promise of stardom.

Bennett, Noel and Len are all coming off injuries and couldn't even work out for teams, but the Cavs decided Bennett's shoulder surgery wasn't enough cause for concern.

Len walked up to meet Stern and collect his orange Suns hat, then sat down near the stage to put on the walking boot he needs for the stress fracture of his left ankle that was discovered after Maryland's season.

Noel finally went to New Orleans with the next pick. He didn't seem upset at his fall down the draft board, hugging his mother and shaking hands with Kentucky coach John Calipari.

It was a good start to the night for the Hoosiers, with Cody Zeller going to the Charlotte Bobcats two places after Oladipo.

Kansas guard Ben McLemore, another player who was considered a potential top-three pick, also dropped, going seventh to Sacramento.

Headed by a lackluster class, the draft promised confusion and second-guessing, with no consensus No. 1 pick and little agreement among the order of the top five.

And with lesser-known names in the draft, veterans soaked up the spotlight in the hours leading up to it.

Yahoo Sports first reported that the Nets and Celtics were working on the trade that would complete the breakup of the Celtics' veteran core.

ESPN reported earlier Thursday that Dwight Howard was unlikely to return to the Los Angeles Lakers when he becomes a free agent next month.

The guys coming into the league were glad for the attention they did finally get once their names were called.

"It's like a weight vest you took off after running five miles," Oladipo said. "It's relaxing, man. But at the same time, you know it's just getting started."

National player of the year Trey Burke of Michigan also was traded, the Timberwolves sending his rights to Utah for the rights to Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, the 14th and 21st picks.

Lehigh's C.J. McCollum rounded out the top 10 by going to Portland.

Stern, retiring in February, seemed to play up the boos, which turned to cheers after every pick, fans perhaps as puzzled as some of the players at the names they were hearing.

"I was just kidding my agent because he didn't bail me out," Zeller said. "He didn't tell me. I didn't know until David Stern announced it. It's a crazy process not knowing, but I'm definitely excited that I ended up with the Bobcats."

Other players couldn't get too excited about their new addresses, because they changed quickly.

Stern was announcing deals by the middle of the first round and they kept coming after he called it a night and turned things over to Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver for the final 30 picks.

The flurry of trades wasn't surprising with so much uncertainty surrounding this class and so much hope in other areas. Teams such as Houston, Dallas and Atlanta already have an eye on Howard's future, needing to have necessary salary cap space to offer a maximum contract that could lure him away from Los Angeles.

The 2014 class ? which could be topped by a second straight Canadian in incoming Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins ? will be higher regarded than this one, with James perhaps heading the available free agents to follow.

Local fans seemed pleased with their picks, cheering loudly when the Nets took Duke forward Mason Plumlee at No. 22 and the New York Knicks grabbed Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. two picks later.

Stern made his final pick to close the first round to cheers of "David! David!" before handing things off to Silver. Seven deals were official by the time Silver wrapped it up, with some, including the Noel trade, still being worked on even after the draft was finished.

___

AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-28-NBA%20Draft/id-cf98aafe0e0b498cb2c6c851582b3ab5

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

US consumer confidence at five-year high in June

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Americans' confidence in the economy rose to its highest level in more than five years, bolstered by a more optimistic outlook for hiring.

The Conference Board, a New York-based private research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index jumped to 81.4 in June. That's the best reading since January 2008. And it is up from May's reading of 74.3, which was revised slightly downward from 76.2.

Consumers' confidence in the economy is watched closely because their spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.

The report shows consumers are more positive about current economic conditions and have a more optimistic view of the economy and job market in the next six months.

Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board, said that "suggests the pace of growth is unlikely to slow in the short-term, and may even moderately pick up."

Employers added 175,000 jobs in May, nearly matching the average monthly gain for the past year. That's enough to slowly lower the unemployment rate. The rate ticked up to 7.6 percent last month but has fallen 0.6 percentage points in the past year.

Americans have been resilient this year, despite tax increases and steep government spending cuts. Consumer spending rose at the fastest pace in two years in the first three months of the year. That helped the overall economy grow at a 2.4 percent annual pace during the January-March quarter.

Economists forecast that overall economic growth is slowing to a 2 percent annual pace in the April-June quarter, in part because they expect consumers have eased up on spending from the robust first-quarter pace.

So far, reports on consumer spending for the second quarter have been mixed. In April, consumer spending fell as income was unchanged. But spending appears to have rebounded in May, based on a preliminary report on retail sales. Americans spent more on cars, home improvements and sporting goods, boosting retail sales 0.6 percent.

The Commerce Department will release a more complete report on May consumer spending and income on Thursday.

The Conference Board survey is conducted in the first half of the month. So the June report didn't capture the impact of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments last week after the Fed's policy meeting.

Bernanke said the Fed could begin to slow its bond purchases by the end of the year. Since then, stocks have plunged and interest rates have spiked.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-consumer-confidence-five-high-june-140911097.html

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Monday, June 24, 2013

To Store More Carbon, Make Grasshoppers Nervous

Click here to listen to this podcast

The grasshopper is a carefree creature?according to Aesop's fables. But in real life, grasshoppers can have a lot to worry about. For example, grasshoppers get quite anxious when they know there's a deadly spider about, and it puts them off their food. Since their food is grass, nervous grasshoppers leave more grass intact to perform photosynthesis, turning sunlight and carbon dioxide into plant food. More CO2 in these grasses and their roots means less CO2 in the air. That's according to a new paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Yale researchers tracked CO2 as it cycled through Plexiglass cages containing just grass, grass and grasshoppers, or grass, grasshoppers and spiders. Grasses stored 1.4 times as much carbon with spiders about than when grasshoppers were allowed to roam unmolested. That's even better than when there were no grasshoppers at all because nervous grasshopper grazing did little damage but spurred greener growth. In other words, spiders protect the climate, just by being spiders and scaring grasshoppers. Similar results may also prove true in ecosystems with larger predators, whether wolves and caribou or lions and zebras. Keeping predators around may be another way to combat climate change. ?David Biello Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2013 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/store-more-carbon-grasshoppers-nervous-140008078.html

Bath And Body Works

Edward Snowden stops off in Moscow with US extradition request snapping at his heels

Edward Snowden stops off in Moscow, US extradition demand snaps at his heels

Even if he anticipated the risks involved in turning whisteblower, Edward Snowden can't have imagined the rushed, convoluted journey he'd have to take to avoid the full wrath of the US government. First to Hong Kong; most recently to Moscow, and perhaps soon to Ecuador (via Cuba and Venezuela) where he has apparently made a request for asylum. Strongly worded demands for his capture have followed every step of the way, with the White House National Security Council expressing "disappointment" that Hong Kong allowed Snowden to flee and now urging Russia (which has no formal extradition treaty with America) to "expel Mr. Snowden back to the US to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged." In an effort to help the fugitive navigate the maze of diplomatic fault lines, WikiLeaks has stepped up to say that its own legal advisors are "escorting" Snowden towards his final destination, likely making use of the knowledge they gained while protecting Julian Assange, and that it sees US efforts to arrest him as an "assault against the people."

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Source: WikiLeaks, CBS News, @RicardoPatinoEC (Twitter)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/EJr9bi0Yh0A/

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