TV show on Muslims takes on Sept. 11 attacks (AP)

NEW YORK ? A television show about members of a Muslim community in Michigan is focusing what may be its second-to-last episode almost entirely on the conflicted feelings that its featured participants have about marking anniversaries of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The episode of TLC's "All-American Muslim" airs Sunday (10 p.m. EST). The series attracted attention earlier this month when a conservative Christian group called on advertisers to boycott the series, calling it "propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values."

Two companies, the Lowe's home improvement chain and travel planning website Kayak.com, announced they were pulling ads. TLC hasn't said how many companies responded to the Florida Family Association's call to stop sponsoring the show. The controversy prompted a backlash of people protesting against Lowe's. Some new advertisers have signed on since then, TLC General Manager Amy Winter said Thursday.

Filming for the reality TV series took place during commemorations for the 10th anniversary of the attacks. Both TLC and the show's characters, Muslims living in and around Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit at the heart of one of the largest Arab-American populations outside the Middle East, wanted to address the topic, Winter said.

"I'm very proud of it," she said. "What you'll see in there is a community with a range of emotions that they express over what was probably one of the most pivotal moments in our nation's history."

Mike Jaafar, a deputy sheriff who participated in a Sept. 11 memorial service at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, helped law enforcement prepare for any problems related to the anniversary. He choked up when recalling how police officers in New York City were killed as they tried to rescue people at the World Trade Center.

"You think about your guys who work for you, going into a building and not coming home," he said.

Nawal Auode was a high school sophomore on Sept. 11, 2001, when her mother called to say she was picking her up at school. Her mother found out about the attacks as she was passing out flyers to advertise a day care center and a man spit at her and ordered her off his porch.

"It was the first time I realized that people looked at me as less American," said Suehaila Amen. "As a person who was born and raised in this country, it was very difficult."

Auode said she dreads the anniversary of the attacks because of a sense that members of her community have to defend themselves for something they had nothing to do with.

That's at the root of the biggest conflict in Sunday's episode. One woman talks about how important it was to attend a Sept. 11 commemoration, but her adult-age children didn't want to go.

One man, Bilal Amen, traveled to New York City to visit the Sept. 11 memorial because, he said, "I want to see the place that changed my life."

Another woman, Nina Bazzy, spoke angrily about the Sept. 11 terrorists and said they weren't real Muslims because "a real Muslim would not do anything like that." She said Osama bin Laden made life difficult for many Muslims in the United States.

"He ruined it for us," Bazzy said. "He ruined it for our kids. He made us scared in our own homes."

"All-American Muslim" ends its eight-episode first season on Jan. 8. Its ratings are considered disappointing for TLC, and the attention caused by this month's controversy didn't improve them. Based on ratings alone, a second season would be considered unlikely. Working in its favor is TLC's pride in a series that spotlights communities that many viewers aren't familiar with.

TLC hasn't made a decision on the show's future and its executives will meet soon to consider it, Winter said.

___

Online:

http://tlc.discovery.com/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_en_tv/us_tv_muslim_show

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Giant Vale ship gets China port OK (Reuters)

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) ? Brazil mining company Vale has docked one of its giant iron ore vessels in China for the first time, ending a year-long impasse with Chinese authorities that threatened to hobble the company's plan to cut shipping costs to its biggest market.

The 388,000-deadweight-tonne Berge Everest began unloading Wednesday at China's Port of Dalian. Vale has ordered 35 megacarriers at an estimated cost of $4.2 billion from Chinese and Korean shipyards. The world's second largest miner has been trying all year to get Chinese authorities to allow the megaships to enter that country's ports.

"This is a huge success. It opens the door and helps Vale break a paradigm in the shipping industry," said Pedro Galdi, a steel and mining analyst with SLW Corretora, a S?o Paulo brokerage. "The problems getting their ships into China had created a very bad feeling, but China needs the ore and Vale's ore is of very high quality."

Vale's first megaship cargo to China was forced to turn back in June due to the lack of a permit. Earlier this month, the Vale Beijing, the newest member of the "Valemax" fleet -- 50 percent bigger than most ore carriers and one of the largest afloat -- developed cracks in its hull on its maiden voyage.

The Vale Beijing's problem blocked one of Vale's main iron-ore terminals in Brazil for several days and raised questions about the safety of the entire fleet of Valemax vessels.

Vale, which sells about 40 percent of its ore to China, is counting on Valemaxes to slash shipping costs and better compete with Australian rivals BHP Billiton (BHP.AX) and Rio Tinto (RIO.AX). While Vale's ore is generally of higher quality, that advantage is cancelled by Australia's proximity to China, the world's top steelmaker and biggest ore importer.

It was not clear what prompted China to finally let one of the Valemax carriers into port. Vale executives in China and Rio de Janeiro declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the ship's owner, Bermuda-based Berge Bulk, and Dalian port officials were not immediately available for comment.

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China Nov iron ore imports at highest since Jan: http://link.reuters.com/kaj55s

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It costs $28 to $30 per tonne to ship ore from Brazil to China in large "Capesize" ships that are the Valemaxes' predecessors, double the $14 to $15 a tonne it costs to ship ore from Australia to China, according to AXSmarine.

Vale can make up for much of the freight difference by the quality of its ore, much of it more than 60 percent pure iron.

Vale preferred shares, the company's most-traded class of stock, were down 0.8 percent to 38.04 reais in S?o Paulo on Wednesday, the stock's third day of declines. Brazil's benchmark Bovespa index was down 2 percent.

The Berge Everest is expected to depart Dalian on Saturday, sources said.

"The ship is unloading iron ore after arriving this morning. They will need 2-1/2 days to discharge such cargo," said a port agent on Wednesday. "It is not clear at present who will buy the iron ore."

Vale hopes to use the giant ships to carry ore to distribution and storage centers in China and Malaysia, allowing it to maintain deliveries even during Brazil's rainy season, when torrential downpours hamper mining and disrupt rail links to Vale's ports, Galdi said.

Reuters Freightviews and independent shipping data confirmed the Berge Everest was anchored at the port. Industry sources said there were around 350,000 tons of iron ore onboard, enough to make the steel for more than three Golden Gate bridges.

Vale's fleet has faced stiff opposition from influential Chinese shipowners and steelmakers who fear the ships are a "Trojan Horse" that the miner will use to monopolize both the shipping and iron-ore markets at China's expense.

Vale's first mega bulk vessel, Vale Brasil, was forced to turn around in the Indian Ocean on its maiden voyage in June after the Chinese government failed to grant permission for the ship to dock at Dalian. It went to Taranto, Italy, instead.

SHIPOWNERS

The arrival of the Berge Everest is ill-timed for Chinese shipowners who are already struggling with a severe downturn in the industry. In the last year freight rates have fallen by more than a third, fuel has risen more than 10 percent and there is an oversupply of ships.

Things got so bad that China's top shipping conglomerate COSCO Group (1919.HK) (601919.SS) and Grand China Logistics halted payments to foreign ship owners earlier this year to renegotiate better terms.

"Vale's ships won't break (bankrupt) any company, but it will be damaging," a Singapore-based ship broker said on Wednesday.

The China Shipowners Association urged Beijing this month not to rush into any decision on allowing Vale's ships into China, warning that the vessels have not been thoroughly tested and any oil leak from one could be catastrophic.

Vale Beijing was damaged while preparing to set sail from a Brazilian port on its maiden voyage.

Vale Beijing was built by South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding (028670.KS), while Berge Everest was made by China's Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry.

Shipping data this week initially showed the Berge Everest destined for a port in the Philippines after a brief stop earlier in Singapore.

"For the past few days, it was drifting around the Phillippines area awaiting instructions," said T.S. Ang, technical executive at BW Fleet Management, which manages the crew and safety operations on Berge Everest. He was unable to confirm the ship's current location.

Vale plans to ship about 130 million tons, or 40 percent of its total iron ore output, to China next year.

China is expected to import about 720 million tons of ore in 2012, up from 679 million tons this year, according to a Reuters poll. Steel mills in the world's second-largest economy consume around a billion tons of ore a year.

Vale does not plan to own all 35 of the megaships it is having built. Of the existing six in the fleet, four are owned and operated by Vale, one by Berge Bulk and one by Korea's STX Pan Ocean

(Additional reporting by Chen Aizhu in Beijing and Jeb Blount in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Simon Webb, Todd Benson, Jeb Blount, Jim Marshall and David Gregorio)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111228/bs_nm/us_vale_china

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Yemen's leader causes headaches in Washington (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration is weighing an unprecedented diplomatic act ? whether to bar a friendly president from U.S. soil.

American officials were evaluating on Tuesday an awkward request from Yemeni strongman and longtime U.S. counterterrorism partner Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh has said he plans to come to the United States for medical treatment for injuries suffered in a June assassination attempt, and he has asked for a U.S. visa for entry to the country. Fearful of appearing to harbor an autocrat with blood on his hands, the Obama administration was trying to ensure that Saleh visits only for medical care and doesn't plan to stay, U.S. officials said.

Washington's hesitation reflects the shifting alliances and foreign policy strategy prompted by a year of upheaval in the Arab world. Saleh has served as an American ally against al-Qaida and will soon transfer power under a U.S.-backed deal with Yemen's opposition aimed at ending months of instability. He isn't subject to any U.S. or international sanctions.

But he also is accused of committing gross human rights violations during a year of internal conflict, and the U.S. is trying not to burn any bridges with Yemeni political groups likely to take part in future governments. Political asylum for Saleh in the United States, or the appearance of preferential treatment from an administration that has championed peaceful and democratic change, would be highly unpopular with Yemenis who've fought to depose their dictator of 33 years.

Officials close to the Saleh said Washington's suspicion that he may seek political asylum was delaying approval of his trip. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. But American officials appeared to substantiate those concerns and said they were troubled by Saleh's recent comments portraying his trip as a move designed to ease the political transition.

"What we're looking at now is a request to come to the United States for the sole purpose of medical treatment," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, refusing to go into the specific of the evaluation. "That permission has not been granted yet."

Toner declined to elaborate on the assurances the United States wanted from Saleh or offer a timetable for a decision. He also couldn't say whether any provisions existed under U.S. law to prevent the Yemeni leader from visiting the country ? provided he assures officials he demonstrates he'll only stay temporarily.

In that case, Saleh almost surely will be granted entry, U.S. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because visa evaluations are supposed to be confidential. It's unclear when, if ever, the last time the head of state of a friendly government was blocked from visiting the United States.

One official went so far as to say Saleh's exit from Yemen might be beneficial by lowering the risk of disruptions in the lead-up to planned February elections. The U.S. is committed to doing everything it can to ensure those elections take place, the official said, but President Barack Obama's national security team was expected to make the final decision on Saleh's request. Obama was being briefed on developments while on vacation in Hawaii.

The Obama administration's attempts to tightly contain its internal debate over whether to allow Saleh into the country were quickly thwarted.

With Obama vacationing, the administration waited almost two days before responding to Saleh's assertion that he would be traveling to the U.S. Officials at the White House and State Department initially insisted that while Saleh's request was being considered, no decision had been made.

But reports that the U.S. already had decided to approve Saleh's request quickly surfaced, forcing officials in both Washington and Honolulu to issue repeated denials.

The botched handling of the sensitive debate frustrated some officials, who worried about fallout in the Middle East.

Demonstrators began protesting against Saleh and calling for his ouster in February. The Yemeni government responded with a bloody crackdown, leaving hundreds of protesters dead, and stoking fears of instability in a nation grappling with burgeoning extremism. Yemen's dangerous al-Qaida branch, known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, has taken advantage of the vacuum to expend its presence in the south of the country.

International pressure has mounted for months for Saleh to step aside. A June rocket attack on his compound left him badly burned and wounded, and led Saleh to seek medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia for three months. American officials had hoped he would remain there, but the Yemeni leader returned and violence worsened anew.

Last month, Saleh agreed to a Saudi-backed deal to hand power to his vice president and commit to stepping down completely in exchange for immunity. The deal further angered Saleh's opponents, who demanded he be tried for his attacks on protesters. Opponents also lament that he has continued to wield influence through loyalists and relatives remaining in positions of power, and many fear he may find a way to continue his rule.

Protests have expanded recently to include labor strikes, calls for Saleh to be put on trial and demands that his loyalists to be removed from office. Activists said troops commanded by Saleh's relatives attacked protesters in the capital of Sanaa over the weekend, killing at least nine people. Tens of thousands demonstrated the following day.

Saleh's immediate plans are unclear. The wily leader of three decades has maintained his rule over a country divided by tribal and regional loyalties by consistently outsmarting his opponents, but Toner said the U.S. is trying to remind everyone of the "importance of continuing along this agreed-upon path of political transition that will lead to the next election."

"We need to see that process continue regardless of where President Saleh is," Toner said.

An American official said Saleh's office informed the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa that the outgoing leader would leave Yemen soon and travel elsewhere abroad first, before possibly coming to the U.S.

The situation offers an eerie parallel to three decades ago, when President Jimmy Carter allowed the exiled shah of Iran into the U.S. for medical treatment. The decision contributed to rapidly worsening relations between Washington and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's revolution in Tehran, with Iranian students occupying the U.S. Embassy in Iran a month later.

Fifty-two American hostages were held for 444 days in response to Carter's refusal to send the shah back to Iran for trial.

___

Pace reported from Honolulu. Ahmed al-Haj in Sanaa contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_yemen

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Medical Assistant Job - University of Utah Health Care (Salt Lake City, UT)

Requisition Number: 3785
Job Title: Medical Assistant
Department: UUH OPC 30A CNC NEUROLOGY CL
Reg / Temp: Regular
Employment Type: Full Time
Shift: Days
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Varies
Location: CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES CENTER - 175 NORTH MEDICAL DRIVE EAST
City: SALT LAKE CITY
State: UTAH

Job Description:
: As a patient-focused organization, the University of Utah Health Sciences exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. The Health Sciences Center seeks faculty and staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, diversity, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission.

Position Summary:
This position provides assistive care to patients. The incumbent facilitates the efficient delivery of patient care, supports the professional role of the licensed staff, and provides support and assistance as directed by licensed staff in rendering basic healthcare to the patient. This position also assists with clerical functions as a multi-skilled auxiliary worker.

Essential Functions:
- Prepares patients for examinations and diagnostic procedures according to clinic procedures such as recording temperatures, pulse rate, blood pressure and responses to standardized medical history questions.
- Reports all observed patient concerns and changes in condition to a licensed staff member.
- Performs Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Waved Lab tests such as urine dip stick, HGB, HCT, finger stick, glucose, hemoccults, HCG and reports results to the appropriate personnel. May perform patient phlebotomies in accordance with clinic procedures and physician orders after specialized training.
- Performs specialty skills such as suture removal, straight catheterization and injections (IM, Subq and intra-dermal).
- Acts as a chaperone for health care providers during patient examination as requested and assists with procedures.
- Monitors and cleans assigned patient examination rooms, unit areas and unit equipment reporting outdated supplies, stock levels and restock set levels of items and necessary equipment repairs.
- Answers telephones, forwards telephone messages and under the direction of licensed staff schedules appointments, procedures and diagnostic tests.
- Assists in routine clerical functions such as filing of medical information in patient?s records, locating and compiling department charts, obtaining medical records from other providers and entering charges for billing purposes.
- Attends and completes mandatory in-services including infection control, safety, CPR, equipment usage and procedures according to hospital and department policies.
- May apply leads and monitors for diagnostic procedures such as EKG and ultrasound scan under the direct supervision of licensed personnel.
- May assist inpatient and family education by providing educational material and general health information to patients and family members.
- May assist with transportation of patients to ancillary departments or inpatient units as directed by licensed staff.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities:
- Ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above.
- Demonstrated phlebotomy skills.
- Demonstrated human relation and effective communication skills.
- Demonstrated proficiency in the specific clinic?s specialty skills within six weeks of hire. *Specialty skills may not be performed until after the new hire completed competency testing.
- Incumbents face exposure to potentially dangerous contaminated bodily fluids, blood, used needles and other contaminants as part of the daily hazards of the job.
- Ability to withstand the physical demand of being on your feet for long periods of time, of moving and lifting patients and of reaching for and handling equipment.

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Qualifications:
Required:
- Completion of a certified Medical Assistant Program or current certification as an EMT-Intermediate in the State of Utah.
- Basic Life Support Health Care Provider card or obtain one within one month of hire.
Preferred
- Hiring departments may prefer Medical Assistant certification or registration.>

Source: http://www.job-search-engine.com/job/000000005ulzfx?impression_id=ZPCtkaTYTMqHODY6mIV4eA

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Fabolous Will 'Evolve' On Loso's Way 2

'Musically, everything I do, I want to keep growing,' rapper tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman

Fabolous
Photo: MTV News

Now that Fabolous has killed off his competition with Christmas mixtape There Is No Competition 3: Death Comes in 3s, the Brooklyn MC is fast at work on his sixth studio album, Loso's Way 2.

"Loso's Way 2 is a work-in-process. I put a lot in my mixtapes, but I definitely put a lot into my albums as well," Fab told MTV News, referencing the DJ Drama-helmed TINC 3 and the upcoming album. "I know a lot of people like mixtape Fab, and albums, to me, you're speaking to a broader audience sometimes. I take that at hand. I guess everybody doesn't see that."

Since his rise in the late 1990s on DJ Clue's street mixtapes, Fab has carved a niche as a witty lyricist, thanks to his clever punch lines and lyrics. It's a style that he expertly employs on each of his mixtapes, but when the "Make Me Better" MC gets into album mode, he has a different focus.

"With the album, I'm looking to evolve as well. Musically, everything I do, I want to keep growing," he said. "I think people have seen my growth album to album. From Ghetto Fabolous to Street Dreams to Real Talk to From Nothin' to Somethin' to Loso's Way, and now they will continue to see that with Loso's Way 2."

It wasn't that Fab lacked substance in any of his previous works. On each of his LPs he included a vast array of topics, packaging party anthems, love songs and story rhymes. But while many of the top MCs like Eminem, Kanye West and at times Jay-Z began to open up about their personal lives, the largely private Loso remained so.

Fab began to change things in 2009 when he released Loso's Way. The #1 LP was anchored by Fabolous-style radio hits like "Throw It in the Bag" and "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere," but the nimble-tongued MC also exhibited welcome artistic growth when he rapped about his love for his son Johan on the Marsha Ambrosius-assisted "Stay."

"It's all a process for me; I'm in a different place," he said. "My last album I was having my first son and now my son is almost four years old, so these are processes and you get to talk about those things. I will share them on the next album."

Since releasing "Stay," Fab has seen much more of his personal life spill out into reality shows and the tabloids. His son's mother, Emily Bustamante, is a star on VH1's "Love & Hip Hop" and has been sharing tidbits of her and Fab's relationship on the show. The rapper is not a fan. "It's just not my cup of tea," Fabolous told New York radio host Angie Martinez on her Hot 97 show earlier this month. "It's one side of what's going on. I don't bash it, but I'm not really in support of it, either. I don't think it depicts me the way I am. It just depicts a one-sided version of what's going on."

Fab's feelings about the show won't deter him from opening up on Loso's Way 2. "Children change a lot of stuff in your life," he said to MTV News. "They change the way you look at things and do things. And I think the music will reflect that, too."

Are you looking forward to Loso's Way 2? Tell us in the comments!

Related Artists

• Fabolous

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676494/fabolous-losos-way-2.jhtml

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Pitino: Plans to quit when contract ends in 2017 (AP)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. ? Rick Pitino said Tuesday that he won't coach past the 2016-2017 season when his current contract ends at Louisville.

"When you're 59, you're realistic that you don't have a whole lot of years left," Pitino said at a news conference before the No. 4 Cardinals play Georgetown on Wednesday. "My contract's going to run out in 2017. I'm not coaching any more after that."

The former Providence and Kentucky coach has guided the Cardinals to a 12-0 record so far this season.

Louisville's Athletic Association granted Pitino, the only men's coach to lead three different programs to the Final Four, a four-year contract extension in August. He'll make $3 million in base salary until the end of the 2013 season, followed by $3.9 million a year.

Pitino didn't use the word 'retire,' but has said in the past that Louisville would be his last coaching stop. He's 253-96 in his 11th season at Louisville, which reached the Final Four in 2005.

The Cardinals will host the Hoyas in their Big East Conference opener before traveling to face rival and No. 3 Kentucky on Saturday.

Pitino said Louisville hasn't started preparing for Kentucky.

"One thing I've learned to do with my age, I really don't look ahead," said Pitino, who went 219-50 in eight seasons at Kentucky and won the 1996 national championship. "For years, I've been preaching the precious present and having to always subscribe to it."

Senior guard Chris Smith echoed his coach.

"We haven't talked about Kentucky one time yet, and we're going to keep it like that until we come out with a W tomorrow," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_sp_co_ne/bkc_louisville_pitino

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Gadgets Week in Review: Lights

Here are some of the past week’s posts on TechCrunch Gadgets: ?Twas The Night Before Christmas (Revisited) Nest Thermostat Teardown Reveals Beautiful Innards, Powerful ARM CPU, Zigbee Radio To Prevent Theft: Car Seat Identifies Drivers Sitting Down Kickstarter: spnKiX Are Motorized Shoes ? Yes, Motorized Shoes Video: The Interactive Angry Birds Christmas Lights Display Siri, What Were Your Top 5 Hacks And Mods Of 2011?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/VTAujup98AE/

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Tourist center planned at sensitive Jerusalem site (AP)

JERUSALEM ? A hard-line Israeli group said Tuesday it was launching plans for a new tourist center at the site of a politically sensitive archaeological dig in a largely Arab neighborhood outside Jerusalem's Old City, drawing fire from Palestinian officials.

The project's sponsor, the Elad Foundation, said the new visitors center and parking garage will be built above a section of the excavation area known as the City of David, leaving the ruins below accessible. The foundation said no additional land beyond the current excavation site would be used and that construction, which must pass several zoning committees, was still several years away.

Israeli archaeologists at the City of David, named for the biblical monarch thought to have ruled from the spot 3,000 years ago, are investigating the oldest part of Jerusalem. Finds there linked to life and ritual in ancient Jerusalem regularly make international headlines, and the dig has become one of Jerusalem's most popular tourist attractions.

The site is just outside the Old City walls at the edge of the neighborhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem, the part of the city the Palestinian Authority says it wants as the capital of a hoped-for state.

Israeli construction in east Jerusalem is regularly subject to international criticism. Critics say the new plan will cement Israel's hold on Silwan and could destabilize the volatile neighborhood, where Palestinian residents clash on occasion with Jewish residents and police.

"This is dangerous and the Israeli government should understand that," said Adnan Husseini, the Palestinian Authority official responsible for Jerusalem.

Danny Seidemann, an expert on east Jerusalem who is critical of Israel's policies in the city, said the plan would result in "a pseudo-Biblical theme park which radically changes the fabric of an existing Palestinian neighborhood."

The Elad Foundation, which funds the dig, is associated with Israel's settlement movement and also brings Jewish families into Silwan, whose population is overwhelmingly Arab. The effort is intended to assert what the group sees as Israel's historic rights to the city and to keep it unified under Israeli control.

"The new center will serve tourists and visitors, Jews, Arabs, and anyone else coming to the City of David and the Western Wall," said Udi Ragones, a spokesman for the Elad Foundation.

A spokesman for Jerusalem City Hall, Stephan Miller, said the plans would be discussed in a committee Wednesday and would then be open to public objections as part of the standard zoning process. That process typically takes between several months and several years.

"The city of Jerusalem accords great importance to the development of the tourist and archaeology site in the City of David, where hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists visit yearly," Miller said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

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GIRL x NEW ERA?OG Leather?59Fifty Fitted Baseball Cap

The well-known skateboard brand, GIRL, is back with another colorway for their ?OG Leather? styled fitted baseball cap. This New Era 59Fifty features a Blue wool base with a Brown leather patch embroidered onto the front panel of the hat. If you?re interested, you can get yours now at ?http://www.freestyleshop.com/

Source: http://www.strictlyfitteds.com/blog/2011/12/girl-x-new-era%E3%80%8Cog-leather%E3%80%8D59fifty-fitted-baseball-cap-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=girl-x-new-era%25e3%2580%258cog-leather%25e3%2580%258d59fifty-fitted-baseball-cap-2

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More tiny, but harmful, frogs showing up in Hawaii

FILE - In this June 27, 2005 file photo, a coqui frog sits on a leaf in Wahiwa, Oahu. The frogs have been growing in population in the state in recent years and are now starting to show up in larger numbers on Oahu ? home to most of the state's population. The frogs already have a strong foothold on the less-populated Big Island, and people there complain of being kept awake at night with a thunderous roar of chirps as thousands of male coqui simultaneously summon partners ? a mating chorus some say can be as loud as a jet airplane. (AP Photo/Ronen Zilberman, File)

FILE - In this June 27, 2005 file photo, a coqui frog sits on a leaf in Wahiwa, Oahu. The frogs have been growing in population in the state in recent years and are now starting to show up in larger numbers on Oahu ? home to most of the state's population. The frogs already have a strong foothold on the less-populated Big Island, and people there complain of being kept awake at night with a thunderous roar of chirps as thousands of male coqui simultaneously summon partners ? a mating chorus some say can be as loud as a jet airplane. (AP Photo/Ronen Zilberman, File)

FILE - In this March 16, 2010 file photo, Keevin Minami, with the State Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Quarantine Station, holds a coqui frog in Honolulu. The frogs have been growing in population in the state in recent years and are now starting to show up in larger numbers on Oahu ? home to most of the state's population. The frogs already have a strong foothold on the less-populated Big Island, and people there complain of being kept awake at night with a thunderous roar of chirps as thousands of male coqui simultaneously summon partners ? a mating chorus some say can be as loud as a jet airplane. (AP Photo/ Honolulu Advertiser, Norman Shapiro, File)

HONOLULU (AP) ? The coqui is a tiny, coin-sized frog whose distinctive nightly mating calls are a beloved sound in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. But people in Hawaii don't share the same sentiment.

The frogs have been growing in population in the state in recent years and are now starting to show up in larger numbers on Oahu ? home to most of the state's population. The frogs already have a strong foothold on the less-populated Big Island, and people there complain of being kept awake at night with a thunderous roar of chirps as thousands of male coqui simultaneously summon partners ? a mating chorus some say can be as loud as a jet airplane.

The frogs are also preventing the state's plant nurseries from exporting to some markets, and depressing some Big Island property values. The frogs aren't stopping tourists from visiting, but there's a fear they could if they spread further.

There have been just as many reports of coqui on Oahu in 2011 as the seven prior years combined, said Derek Arakaki, who helps hunt coqui frogs for the state Department of Agriculture. Before, Arakaki and two others on the coqui-eradication team would head out to capture the frogs on Oahu once a month or maybe twice a month. This year, there have been times when they've had to go coqui hunting twice a week.

The frogs are a significant problem in their non-native Hawaii because the state has no natural predators to stop their advance. As a result, they have spread quickly through the lush forests and yards near Hilo since they were accidentally introduced to the Big Island in the 1990s. They have been making a steady advance into the more heavily populated Oahu in recent years, sneaking onto the island on plants and stowing away in cars, piles of lumber, cargo pallets and whatever else that's being sent to Honolulu.

"Compared to the amount that's on the Big Island, very few are actually getting through," said Carol Okada, an Agriculture Department plant quarantine manager who heads the state's efforts to control invasive species. "But the amount that's getting through is still enough to establish a population, so we are still very concerned."

Coqui, which get their name because of their "ko-kee" chirps, are showing up in diverse places. The International Marketplace outdoor bazaar in the heart of Waikiki, the state's tourist mecca. Near a banyan tree in front of a multiplex theater. Seven coqui were found in a home in the upscale Diamond Head neighborhood. The residents had brought back some plants from the Big Island not knowing they needed to be inspected for coqui before shipping them to Oahu.

Coqui eradication team members spot them by mimicking their mating call, which prompts the frogs to call back. They hone in on the sound and trap the frogs with a clear tube. Sometimes, they'll spray water to entice the frog to sing.

In a few cases, the coqui team has found so many frogs they've had to kill them with citric acid, the preferred chemical for eradicating the frogs.

That was the case in the rural windward Oahu town of Hauula, where coqui had spread out across several homes and a city park. Residents there heard nocturnal chirping, but didn't call the state's pest control hotline because they thought birds were making the sounds. By the time the authorities were notified, the frogs had been around and breeding for two years. It took the crew several months to get rid of the infestation.

The problem is only made worse by recession-induced budget cuts that forced the state to slash the number cargo inspectors to 50 from 95.

This caused the Agriculture Department to prioritize checking out-of-state cargo, because imports are more likely to carry harmful species like snakes ? an animal that hasn't become established in Hawaii.

Okada said the state will have to capture more pests that get through because there haven't been enough people to spot them at the ports.

"When you're not at the front end, you end up chasing it on the back end," Okada said.

The state has had this problem with snakes, which could wipe out Hawaii's native endangered bird species they ever became established here. A dozen ? from boa constrictors to ball pythons ? have been either captured or turned in to authorities since July.

"There's a reason why all the snakes are coming out this year. We're not out in force anymore," Okada said.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie enabled the state to hire 10 more people to bring the inspector count close to 60, but Okada said they're still far short of where they need to be to effectively intercept pests entering Hawaii or traveling inter-island.

Okada said one scary thing about this past year was that many coqui were found closer to the base of Oahu's heavily forested mountains. The coqui population could explode if they started breeding somewhere like the back part of Manoa valley, where it frequently rains.

Authorities are asking the public to call the state's pest control hotline if they think they hear a coqui.

____

http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/pi/pq/coqui

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-24-Noisy%20Frogs/id-adddde188ded467e92a771ce784d73df

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Red Cross encourages donors to ?Tech the Halls? with Apple iPad 2 giveaway

The American Red Cross South Carolina Blood Services Region is encouraging donors to ?Tech the Halls? with an Apple iPad 2 giveaway. All presenting blood and platelet donors at the Columbia donation center Dec. 19, 2011 through Jan. 2, 2012 will automatically be entered for a chance to win a free Apple iPad 2.?

?Columbia Donation Center

2751 Bull St.

Columbia, S.C. 29201

?

Blood donation hours:
Monday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Tuesday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Wednesday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Thursday: 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

?

Platelet donation hours:
Sunday: 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. (open 6 a.m.-noon Christmas day)
Monday: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Wednesday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thursday: 6 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Friday: 6 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Saturday: 6 a.m. - 1 p.m.

?

For your chance to win, simply stop by your local South Carolina Blood Services Region Red Cross donation center from Dec. 19, 2011 through Jan. 2, 2012 to donate blood or platelets. One lucky presenting donor in the South Carolina Region will be selected at random to receive an iPad 2.

?

The need for blood and platelets is constant and doesn?t pause for the holidays. By taking time to donate this winter, you can help the Red Cross ensure a stable supply for all patients who need blood products.

?

All blood types are needed to help maintain a sufficient blood supply, especially type O negative. Type O negative blood, the universal blood type, is always in high demand because it can be transfused to patients with any blood type, especially in emergency situations.

?

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The American Red Cross South Carolina Blood Services Region provides lifesaving blood to patients in 54 hospitals. Approximately 500 people need to give blood or platelets each week day to meet hospital demand.

?

Blood can be safely donated every 56 days. Most healthy people age 17 and older, or 16 with parental consent, who weigh at least 110 pounds, are eligible to donate blood and platelets. Donors who are 18 and younger must also meet specific height and weight requirements.

?

For more information or to schedule an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.

?

Source: http://kershawcounty.wistv.com/news/community-spirit/50875-red-cross-encourages-donors-tech-halls-apple-ipad-2-giveaway

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Steelers QB Roethlisberger out against Rams (AP)

PITTSBURGH ? Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not start Saturday when the Steelers face the St. Louis Rams.

Roethlisberger is dealing with a sprained left ankle and did not practice this week following a 20-3 loss to San Francisco on Monday. He will be replaced by veteran Charlie Batch, who is 4-2 as a spot starter since joining the Steelers in 2003.

Roethlisberger said Wednesday he would prefer to play and believed his ankle was in pretty good shape after throwing for 330 yards and three interceptions against the 49ers. Yet he watched both practices this week in sweat pants as Batch took the snaps with the first team.

Roethlisberger last missed a start due to injury in 2009, when a concussion forced him to sit out a loss to Baltimore.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_steelers_roethlisberger

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Satyajit Das on What Went Wrong With Finance ? naked capitalism

No, it?s not ?all BS? (nor did he say that it was!)

He?s making the point that the models don?t perfectly reflect reality (as any good engineer will tell you without first costing you a few trillion dollars). As people start relying more and more on the outcomes of those mathematical models and stupidly believing them without understanding the assumptions and underpinning, they become more aggressive in the pricing in order to gain market share (and bonus money, which is stupidly paid out based on very game-able metrics).

Eventually, that pricing no longer reflects the risk, and eventually when everything blows up (?black swan? if you prefer the now-common misnomer), the risk takers go broke. If those risk takers (or, more accurately, their employers) are big enough, they crash the system in the process.

The key point is this: DON?T MISTAKE YOUR MODELS FOR REALITY! For some unfathomable reason, people have to relearn this lesson over and over and over again in almost every field. Numbers are the output of thought?they can never replace thought.

Source: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/12/satyajit-das-on-what-went-wrong-with-finance.html

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Obama campaign, DNC return Corzine contributions

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama's re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee have returned more than $70,000 in contributions from former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine following the collapse of MF Global, Corzine's financial firm, officials said Friday.

Obama's campaign and the DNC returned contributions of $35,800 from Corzine and his wife, Sharon Elghanayan, said Democratic officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. They were not authorized to speak publicly.

Corzine was among Obama's top fundraisers, raising at least $500,000 for Obama's re-election campaign since April, according to records released by the campaign. The former Goldman Sachs chief held a fundraiser for the president last April and was considered a main Obama emissary to Wall Street.

One of the Democratic officials said the campaign and DNC would evaluate whether to return donations from other MF Global employees on a case-by-case basis.

A spokesman for Corzine declined to comment.

MF Global filed for bankruptcy protection on Oct. 31 after a disastrous bet on European debt sparked fear among investors and trading partners. It was the eighth-largest U.S. bankruptcy and the largest on Wall Street since the 2008 collapse of Lehman Bros.

About $1.2 billion was found to be missing from client accounts when the securities firm failed, with much of the missing money belonging to farmers, ranchers and other business owners who used MF Global to reduce their risks from fluctuating prices of commodities such as corn and wheat. The FBI and federal regulators are investigating MF Global.

Corzine, who also is a former U.S. senator, told congressional panels earlier this month that he didn't know any customer money was missing until the day before MF Global collapsed.

Bloomberg News was first to report the returned campaign contributions.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-12-23-Obama-Corzine/id-2cdb28a70c8b46d9b410e3309f0710e5

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Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider: Gingrich's Poll Numbers Soften

During last week's visit to Iowa for a GOP debate, I wrote about all of the negative ads being run against Newt Gingrich on radio and television, and the rumblings of how his poll numbers were softening.

We might be starting to see some evidence of that.

Two new polls from Iowa, one from Public Policy Polling and the other from Insider Advantage show Gingrich dropping back in the GOP race in the Hawkeye State over just the last week.

Insider Advantage polled in Iowa on December 12 and had this:

Gingrich - 27%
Paul - 17%
Perry - 13%
Romney - 12%
Bachmann - 10%

The latest poll from Insider Advantage from December 18 now has Ron Paul in the lead and a giant drop in support for Gingrich:

Paul - 24%
Romney - 18%
Perry - 16%
Gingrich - 13%
Bachmann - 10%

What's interesting about the Insider Advantage poll is that the company is run by someone who has close ties to Gingrich - when the December 12 poll came out, I had a number of fellow journalists send me messages that I should ignore that poll because of those ties.

I guess I ask now - if it is biased towards Gingrich, then why is he in fourth this time around?

The other poll out from Iowa right now is from Public Policy Polling, and again people are telling me to ignore this one as well. But let's take a look:

Paul - 23%
Romney - 20%
Gingrich - 14%
Perry/Bachmann/Santorum - 10%

That poll was conducted from December 16-18. ?One week earlier, Gingrich was at 22% in that poll in Iowa; ?back in early December PPP had Gingrich at 27%.

I will repeat many times in coming months that we shouldn't just blindly trust the polls, but we also shouldn't ignore trends that might develop in some of them.

I want to see more polling information confirming a drop for Gingrich, but all of the negative ads may be having the intended impact in the Hawkeye State, with just two weeks until the Iowa Caucuses - especially since Insider Advantage found Gingrich was still leading in South Carolina, where the airwaves have not yet been flooded with attack ads.

We also should note the good polls for Ron Paul, though some wonder if that is influenced by people who might not actually go to caucus on January 3.

Source: http://www.boortz.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2011/dec/19/gingrichs-poll-numbers-soften/

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Pigeons Can Follow Abstract Number-Counting Rules

60-Second Science | More Science

Trained pigeons demonstrate an ability to use abstract number-counting rules on par with primates, and to recognize which groups of items contain more of those items. Sophie Bushwick reports

December 22, 2011?|

More 60-Second Science

Subscribe via iTunes

Several vertebrate species can distinguish between, say, two and five bananas?but with the exception of primates, they can?t grasp the numerical rules that would let them arrange their piles of fruit from least to most. Now, new research suggests that pigeons, like primates, can follow these abstract numerical rules. The study is in the journal Science. [Damian Scarf, Harlene Hayne and Michael Colombo, "Pigeons on Par with Primates in Numerical Competence"]

Researchers trained pigeons with cards on which were pictures of one, two or three shapes, sometimes in different sizes and colors. The birds were ultimately able to correctly pick a card with one large green square first, followed by a card with two small red ovals, followed by one showing three long blue rods.

Then, the pigeons demonstrated a new ability?faced with two cards each showing up to nine images, they could tell which card had more. Which indicates that they had an abstract understanding of the single-digit amounts. Rhesus monkeys trained in a similar way displayed the same talents. Whether this shared ability evolved independently or came from a common ancestor is unclear. But it is clear that birdbrains aren?t so dumb.

?Sophie Bushwick

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=af1ade15a2b8de2a551ba8107cf67adb

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Biden: Romney content with limited success stories (The Arizona Republic)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/178353324?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Payroll Tax Cut: GOP Frosh Dig in Hard

Written on December 22, 2011 by V2A Filed under

Economics, Politics, Taxes

You could be forgiven for thinking that, with 10 days left before a middle class tax increase, the House GOP freshmen would be starting to sweat the political implications this game of chicken over the payroll tax holiday.

But you?d be wrong.

As they have for so many of the major legislative battles of the year, the freshmen framed the showdown with the Senate as a time to fight on principle, a prime example of why they were sent to Washington in the first place?the D.C. establishment be damned if they don?t see it similarly.

?Only in this town can being right be wrong. It?s the only place in the world where if you do the right thing you?re wrong. Are you kidding me?
? If you can?t start doing what?s right for the American people then why the hell did you come here?? intoned Rep. Mike Kelly, a former University of Notre Dame football player from northwestern Pennsylvania who often takes on the modulation of a high school coach when the freshmen step forward to support their leadership in fighting with Democrats.

?We?re $15 trillion dollars in debt and these people are telling you this is how you should run your business? Give me a break. These people need to get out of here. They drink the Potomac water and they get infected,? he said.

Post Continues on www.politico.com

---

Source: http://visiontoamerica.org/6532/payroll-tax-cut-gop-frosh-dig-in-hard/

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Weekly Wrist Watch Round Up

Zurich-based Maurice de Mauriac timepieces are now available with an optional upgraded movement purchased by high-end watch movement maker Concepto. The cool new chronograph movements are mostly black with compelling decor. Girard-Perregaux's very respectable Sea Hawk II diving watch model gets reviewed. The famous durable diver has some of the best luminant on the market in a very detailed package with an in-house made automatic movement.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/wNNSkBk2a98/

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Canadiens fire coach Jacques Martin (AP)

MONTREAL ? Jacques Martin was fired as coach of the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, with the storied team undone by sloppy play and in last place in its division.

Assistant Randy Cunneyworth was appointed interim head coach for the rest of the season. Larry Carriere, the assistant general manager, was made an assistant coach.

"The primary reason is the team wasn't performing as well as it should be in our minds," general manager Pierre Gauthier said at a Bell Centre news conference.

The Canadiens (13-12-7) are at the bottom of the Northeast Division. However, they are just two points out of second place in a division led by Boston.

Martin was in his third season with Montreal and 17th in the NHL. He reached his 600th NHL career victory last April making him the ninth winningest coach in league history.

Martin is known for team play and careful defensive hockey, but there were many mistakes this season. The Canadiens are 5-6-6 at home, often blowing third-period leads.

"Especially in the last few weeks, we didn't really know what was coming out of the box every night," Gauthier said. "And the way we were losing the leads and the way we were coaching the games wasn't very consistent, and that's what we hope to change."

There were hints of tension between Martin and Gauthier. After a poor start, Martin's closest ally, assistant Perry Pearn, was fired just before a game Oct. 26.

"We were on the same wavelength right to the end, but that doesn't mean that the team's performances were acceptable," Gauthier said.

The players were told of the coaching change when they arrived at the Bell Centre for their morning skate before their game against New Jersey.

"When we are where we are and expect to be a better team than we've been, you definitely are aware there might be changes," forward Michael Cammalleri said. "For it to be Jacques was somewhat surprising."

"We're in 11th place, that's what went wrong," he added. "I think Jacques was still trying to work on thing and improve the team. I don't think there was anyone not listening to him."

In Cunneyworth, the Canadiens get a younger, more tech-savvy coach, although one who is not expected to make major changes.

"I would hope that my coaching style was similar to the way I played," said Cunneyworth, who was Ottawa's captain under Martin in the late 1990s. "I felt for the most part that I competed very hard."

Cunneyworth was promoted to the NHL club along with assistant Randy Ladouceur after coaching their AHL farm team in Hamilton last season.

"What system is in place doesn't matter if everyone buys in and plays the right way," defenseman Josh Gorges said. "If you only have half the guys doing what's asked of them, everything is in disarray and I think that's where we got to."

"We weren't playing together and doing the things we need to do to win," he added. "And consequently we lost games we shouldn't have lost and changes needed to be made."

Added defenseman Hal Gill: "The bottom line is winning games ? we weren't winning and changes happen. I don't think it was about losing the room or anything like that."

Martin joined the Canadiens in 2009-10 and took them on an improbable run to the Eastern Conference finals where they lost to Philadelphia. Montreal made the playoffs the following year but was eliminated in the first round.

Before joining the Canadiens, the 59-year-old Martin spent five seasons coaching the Florida Panthers and before that nine seasons coaching the Senators, where he left as the career leader in regular-season wins, playoff wins and games. Martin led the Senators to its first President's Trophy in the 2002-03 season.

He also won the NHL coach of the year in 1998-99 and was part of Canada's gold-medal triumph at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111217/ap_on_sp_ho_ne/hkn_canadiens_martin_fired

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The Ghost of Obama?s Future (Powerlineblog)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/176026494?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Study: Problems with Medicare contractors persist (Providence Journal)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/175539591?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Key witness in Penn State abuse scandal may testify Friday (Reuters)

HARRISBURG, Pa (Reuters) ? A key witness who said that he saw former assistant Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky raping a 10-year-old boy in 2002 may testify in court on Friday, a legal source said.

Mike McQueary, a graduate assistant in the university's football program in 2002, is expected to testify at a court hearing on charges against former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and finance official Gary Schultz.

Curley and Schultz were charged last month with perjury before a grand jury for testimony they gave about their knowledge of the alleged abuse.

McQueary's story is important to the case against Sandusky and the two officials because he testified to a grand jury that he witnessed Sandusky sodomizing a boy in the showers of the football building, and reported it to then head coach Joe Paterno.

Paterno said he told his boss, Curley, but no one told police, and Sandusky's alleged behavior continued, according to a grand jury report.

The preliminary hearing on Friday is to determine if there is enough evidence for Curley and Schultz to go to trial.

McQueary has not been charged in the case but was put on administrative leave from the university, as was Curley. Schultz retired shortly after he was arraigned November 7 in suburban Harrisburg.

Paterno and Penn State President Graham Spanier were fired for not telling police what they knew.

Sandusky waived his preliminary hearing on Tuesday and will go straight to trial on 52 counts of alleged sex abuse of boys over a 15 year period.

"We anticipate Mike McQueary will be at the hearing," said Martine Charles, a spokesperson for the attorneys representing the university administrators.

Unlike Sandusky, Curley and Schultz are not expected to waive their preliminary hearing before District Judge William Wenner.

At issue is what McQueary actually saw in the football shower. In the grand jury report, McQueary, who was 28 at the time, is quoted as saying he had "heard rhythmic slapping sounds" in a team shower room. Since Curley's and Schultz's arrests, different versions of what McQueary witnessed have been reported.

(Editing by Greg McCune)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/us_nm/us_crime_coach_pennstate

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Des Squire commented on sylvia hammond's blog post 'Acting President Kgalema Motlanthe declares 27 December 2011 a Public Holiday'

14 December 2011

Acting President Kgalema Motlanthe has on Wednesday, 14th December 2011, in terms of Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act, 1994 (Act No.36 of 1994) declared?? the 27th day of December 2011 as a public holiday throughout the Republic.

Enquiries: Thabo Masebe 082 410 8087

Issued by: The Presidency

Website: www.thepresidency.gov.za

Source: http://www.skills-universe.com/xn/detail/2671568%3AComment%3A170716?xg_source=activity

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Russia's TNK-BP to invest $10 Bln in Arctic (AP)

MOSCOW ? TNK-BP, a Russian joint venture of British oil giant BP, said Wednesday it will invest up to $10 billion in developing Arctic oilfields.

The company, half-owned by BP and Russian billionaires, said in a statement that up to $10 billion will be spent on building infrastructure at the fields and a pipeline that will link them with the export pipeline.

Russian oil companies have been drawing up plans to move to the oil and gas-rich Arctic as mature fields in Western Siberia are getting depleted.

TNK-BP said an agreement with Russia's pipeline monopolist Transneft will allow it to connect its Arctic oil fields to the export pipeline in Russia's Far East mainly aimed at Chinese customers.

TNK-BP will be able to ship oil through the Zapolyaryev-Purpe pipeline, which is expected to be built by 2016 to become a key link between Arctic resources and the main east and westbound pipeline routes.

The company said it expects to start shipments from new fields in the Yamal region in 2015. Its fields in the region are estimated to hold 5 billion barrels of oil.

TNK-BP's executive German Khan described in the statement cooperation between oil companies and state-owned Transneft as "one of the most important conditions for putting new fields into development and efficiently developing the abundant resources of the region."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111214/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_russia_tnk_bp

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Who Was the Most Searched for Person on Bing in 2011?

He may not have gotten publicly married and then quickly divorced; and the tabloids may not conjure up new stories every week about how he might steal back his famous ex; but Justin Bieber still reigned supreme in 2011.

At least for those who wished to Bing and Decide.

The 17-year old superstar was the most searched-for person in 2011 on that website, rising five spots from his 2010 ranking of number-six. The Biebs bumped Kim Kardashian down to number-two in the process, while Jennifer Aniston rounded out the top three.

Sandra Bullock, Tiger Woods, Michael Jackson, Jesse James, Kate Gosselin and Barack Obama were all ranked in the top 10 a year ago, but folks apparently stopped caring about cheating husbands; spoiled reality stars; and the leader of the free world in 2011. Here's a look at this year's 10 most searched-for individuals:

1. Justin Bieber
2. Kim Kardashian
3. Jennifer Aniston
4. Lindsay Lohan
5. Jennifer Lopez
6. Britney Spears
7. Katy Perry
8. Megan Fox
9. Lady Gaga
10. Miley Cyrus

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/who-was-the-most-searched-for-person-on-bing-in-2011/

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