Struggling L.A. picks new mayor in low-profile race

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? City Hall is nearly broke ? and for many, is broken. The airport is an embarrassment. Freeways are clogged. And potholes, cracked sidewalks and untended trees infest many neighborhoods.

There are plenty of problems to solve in Los Angeles, but voters have been mostly indifferent about Tuesday's race for mayor. No single issue or candidate has seized their attention, much less their imaginations, in the contest to succeed outgoing Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa.

The likely outcome in the heavily Democratic city will send two City Hall regulars, Eric Garcetti, 42, and Wendy Greuel, 51, to a May 21 runoff, since it's unlikely any candidate will clear the majority needed to win outright Tuesday.

But in a race with little drama, a turnout that could dip below 20 percent could produce surprises, possibly opening the way for Democratic Councilwoman Jan Perry, 57, or former prosecutor Kevin James, 49, a Republican, to slip into the two-person runoff. Former technology executive Emanuel Pleitez, 30, is a longshot.

The latest polling suggests many voters are wavering.

The city could elect its first woman mayor (Greuel, the city controller, or Perry), the first openly gay one (James), or its first Jewish one (Perry or Garcetti, a city councilman). But the five leading candidates have dueled over issues more commonplace than of historical importance ? ailing schools, a looming deficit, 10.2 percent unemployment and how to stop rising pension and health care costs from snatching money from street repairs and other services.

"The same career politicians that caused our city's problems now promise they can solve them," says James, who's positioned himself as an outsider eager to upend the status quo at City Hall.

Villaraigosa's 2005 election made him Los Angeles' first Hispanic mayor since 1872, but this year's contest has followed a more familiar pattern. Angelenos are known to give local politics a collective shrug ? even turnout in Villaraigosa's closely contested primary in 2005 failed to reach 30 percent.

The mayor was re-elected in 2009 with a meager 152,000 votes, in a city of nearly 4 million people. He leaves office midyear.

The Los Angeles mayor presides over a budget that rises above $7 billion, but it's a notoriously weak office hemmed in by a powerful City Council. Unlike other big cities like New York, the Los Angeles mayor cannot directly appoint the head of schools or police.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/struggling-la-picks-mayor-low-profile-race-082514377.html

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Report: Schwarzenegger says he still loves Shriver

BERLIN (AP) ? Arnold Schwarzenegger is quoted in an interview in Germany's top-selling newspaper saying he's still in love with his estranged wife, Maria Shriver.

The actor and former California governor is quoted in Tuesday's Bild newspaper as saying that despite their separation, he spent Christmas with Shriver and their children.

Schwarzenegger is cited as saying "we're not fighting any war: I still hope for reconciliation; I still love Maria."

Shriver filed for divorce last year after 25 years of marriage following Schwarzenegger's admission he fathered a child with the family's housekeeper.

He has also acknowledged other affairs.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-schwarzenegger-says-still-loves-shriver-093208888.html

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Hoping to revive an ancient tongue, Pope tweets in Latin

16 hrs.

Reuters

Pope Benedict tweeted in Latin for the first time on Sunday, taking his mission to revive the Catholic Church's official language to a very 21st-century medium.

"Unitati christifidelium integre studentes quid iubet Dominus? Orare semper, iustitiam factitare, amare probitatem, humiles Secum ambulare," the pontiff wrote.

Baffled? So were many Twitter users. "Benny, nobody understands a word of Latin! #adviceforthepope" read one response on the online messaging service.

The pope's tweet meant: "What does the Lord command to those wholly eager for the unity of those following Christ? To always pray, to continually do justice, to love uprightness, to walk humbly with Him," according to University of Cambridge scholar Tamer Nawar.

The message was shorter and, arguably, more elegant in its original language ??one of the reasons why Latin-lovers want to conserve the tongue of ancient Rome, Pope Benedict foremost among them.

The Holy See, where even ATM bank machine transactions are available in Latin, is one of the last bastions of the language that gave rise to Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian.

In November the pope set up a new Vatican department charged with promoting the study and use of the language within the Roman Catholic Church and beyond.

Known for his traditionalist leanings, the 85-year old pontiff has also allowed a partial return of the old-style Latin Mass that was phased out more than four decades ago.

Once the international language of science and learning, Latin has declined in use among priests since the Church began allowing them to hold masses in vernacular languages in the mid 1960s.

To keep the language updated, Vatican produces a dictionary of modern words in the ancient tongue. "Inscriptio cursus electronici" is the vital word "email", while "brevissimae bracae femineae" means hotpants.

With just over 5,000 followers, the pope's Latin-language Twitter account is the smallest of his eight profiles, through which he communicates with more than 2 million followers in languages including Arabic and his native German.

However, Sunday's tweet was not actually the first instance of Latin used by the Pope on Twitter.

Benedict's Twitter handle "Pontifex" is a Latin word literally meaning "bridge-builder", an ancient title for high priest once held by the emperors of Rome.?

(Reporting by Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/hoping-revive-ancient-tongue-pope-tweets-latin-1B8040228

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Building electronics from the ground up

Jan. 14, 2013 ? There's hardly a moment in modern life that doesn't involve electronic devices, whether they're guiding you to a destination by GPS or deciding which incoming messages merit a beep, ring or vibration. But our expectation that the next shopping season will inevitably offer an upgrade to more-powerful gadgets largely depends on size -- namely, the ability of the industry to shrink transistors so that more can fit on ever-tinier chip surfaces.

Engineers have been up to the task of electronics miniaturization for decades now, and the principle that the computer industry will be able to do it on a regular schedule -- as codified in Moore's Law -- won't come into doubt any time soon, thanks to researchers like the University of South Carolina's Chuanbing Tang.

Tang is a leader in constructing miniscule structures from the bottom up, rather than the top down. Currently, modern electronics are primarily fabricated by the latter method: the smooth surface of a starting material -- say, a wafer of silicon -- is etched through micro- or nanolithography to establish a pattern on it. The top-down method might involve a prefabricated template, such as a photomask, to establish the pattern. But the approach is becoming more and more challenging, because reducing the size of the features on the requisite templates is getting extremely expensive as engineers work their way further down the nanoscale. "Going from 500 to sub-30 nanometers is cost prohibitive for large-scale production," said Tang, an assistant professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry in USC's College of Arts and Sciences.

As a chemist, Tang uses a bottom-up approach: he works with the individual molecules that go onto a surface, coaxing them to self-arrange into the patterns needed. One established method of doing this involves block copolymers, in which a polymer chain is made up of two or more sections of different polymerized monomers.

If the different block sections are properly designed, the blocks will self-aggregate when placed on a surface, and the aggregation can be harnessed to create desirable patterns on the nanoscale without the need for any templates. Di-block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and polystyrene, for example, have been used to construct highly ordered arrays of perpendicular cylinders of nanoscale materials. Solvent evaporation, or annealing, of these polymers on surfaces exerts an external directional field that can enhance the patterning process and create nearly defect-free arrays.

Tang's laboratory just published a paper for the special "Emerging Investigators 2013" issue of the journal Chemical Communications that takes this method to a new level. Working together with graduate student Christopher Hardy, Tang led a team that fabricated nanoparticles of pure, crystalline iron oxide with controlled size and spacing on silicon wafers by covalently incorporating a ferrocene moiety into a tri-block copolymer.

Incorporating metals into nanoscale designs is crucial for fabricating electronic devices, and Tang's method is a step forward for the field. Because ferrocene is covalently bonded to the block copolymer, there is no need for a complexation step to add a metal-containing compound to the surface -- a burdensome requirement of most previous methods. Moreover, their technique is a step beyond related polymer systems that contain covalent ferrocenylsilane linkages, in which removal of the organic components leaves behind silicon oxide as an impurity in the metal oxide.

The technique is a promising addition to the available tools for addressing the chronic need to decrease the size of electronic components. "The industry won't replace top-down methods," Tang said, "but they plan to use bottom-up together with the existing top-down methods soon."

There's versatility in the technique as well. "Here we use a ferrocene-containing polymer, which we convert into the inorganic iron oxide. But if we replace the ferrocene in the polymer with carbon precursor, we could make a perpendicular carbon nanorod, which would have a lot of potential uses," Tang said. "Or we can incorporate a semi-conducting polymer, like polythiophene, which would be very useful in solar cell applications."

The work was supported by Semiconductor Research Corporation (Task ID 2222.001) and National Science Foundation (CHE-1151479).

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Journal Reference:

1. Christopher G. Hardy, Lixia Ren, Shuguo Ma, Chuanbing Tang. Self-assembly of well-defined ferrocene triblock copolymers and their template synthesis of ordered iron oxide nanoparticles. Chemical Communications, 2013; DOI: 10.1039/C2CC36756D

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/technology/~3/6ua8hgbHCcs/130114124816.htm

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Eton launches a pair of ZoneGuard weather radios to rouse you with disaster warnings

Eton's range of disaster-ready hardware is growing with a pair of ZoneGuard weather alarms that'll keep you informed should the worst threaten to happen. Hooked up to a variety of early-warning systems, traffic-light LEDs will keep you informed of the danger levels with help from specific area message encoding data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As usual, the company has partnered with the American Red Cross, which will get a share of the profits when you buy a co-branded unit. It'll be available from Q1, with the ZoneGuard priced at $40 and the ZoneGuard Plus costing $80, and while this model comes with a pair of AAA-battery powered warning modules, you can also pick up additional units for $30 a pop.

Continue reading Eton launches a pair of ZoneGuard weather radios to rouse you with disaster warnings

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AP Source: Browns close to deal with Kelly

Oregon's Michael Clay, left, holds up the championship trophy as head coach Chip Kelly looks on after the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game against Kansas State Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Oregon's Michael Clay, left, holds up the championship trophy as head coach Chip Kelly looks on after the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game against Kansas State Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly wipes his eyes after the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17.(AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly gets soaked by his players during the final seconds of the second half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. Oregon won 35-17.(AP Photo/Matt York)

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly tosses a football to a Kansas State player during warmups before the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

CLEVELAND (AP) ? Chip Kelly is closer to taking his fast-paced offense to the NFL.

A person familiar with the negotiations said the Cleveland Browns are nearing a deal with Oregon's offensive mastermind to be their next coach.

The Browns interviewed Kelly on Friday and the Ducks' coach also met with the Buffalo Bills in Arizona. Kelly has a scheduled interview with Philadelphia on Saturday. However, a person familiar with the interview said the Eagles are "heading in another direction" because Kelly is nearing a deal with Cleveland.

That person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team isn't discussing its negotiations publicly, said the Eagles planned to interview several other candidates regardless of any conversations with Kelly. The Eagles were granted permission Friday to interview Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and plan to meet Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy on Sunday.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported late Friday night that the Browns and Kelly met for seven hours ? five in negotiations with a two-hour break for dinner ? and agreed to talk again Saturday night. Mortensen said Kelly said still intends to meet with the Eagles some time on Saturday. The Browns are "favored," Mortensen reported.

The Bills confirmed in an email they met with Kelly, but gave no indication of how long they spoke to him. The team also interviewed former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith and Syracuse's Doug Marrone.

The Browns, who made their last playoff appearance 10 years ago on Saturday, have declined to comment on any interviews during their coaching search.

Following Oregon's win over Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night, the 49-year-old Kelly said he wanted to get the interview process over "quickly."

He came close to jumping to the pros last year but turned down an offer from Tampa Bay to return for his fourth season as head coach at Oregon, where he is 46-7. He has boosted the school's national profile ? flashy uniforms helped ? with a high-powered offense capable of turning any game into a track meet.

"It's more a fact-finding mission, finding out if it fits or doesn't fit," Kelly said after the Ducks beat No. 7 Kansas State 35-17. "I've been in one interview in my life for the National Football League, and that was a year ago. I don't really have any preconceived notions about it. I think that's what this deal is all about for me. It's not going to affect us in terms of we're not on the road (recruiting). I'll get an opportunity if people do call, see where they are.

"I want to get it wrapped up quickly and figure out where I'm going to be."

Kelly has been at or near the top of the Browns' list of candidates since the team fired Pat Shurmur, who went 9-23 in two seasons. Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner have been conducting interviews in Arizona all week, searching for the team's sixth full-time coach since 1999.

Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton confirmed he interviewed with Cleveland earlier this week. The Browns have reportedly met with former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, Marrone and Penn State's Bill O'Brien, who removed himself from any consideration on Thursday night and intends to stay at the school.

The Browns might have been interested in Alabama's Nick Saban, but the 61-year-old doesn't seem to have any interest in returning to the NFL after two seasons with Miami.

Kelly doesn't have any pro coaching experience, but aspects of his up-tempo offense are already being used by some NFL teams, including New England and Washington.

Kelly wouldn't say if he was leaning one way or another following the Ducks' bowl win.

"I said I'll always listen, and that's what I'll do," he said. "I know that people want to talk to me because of our players. The success of our football program has always been about our guys. It's an honor for someone to say they'd want to talk to me about maybe moving on to go coach in the National Football League. But it's because of what those guys do. I'll listen, and we'll see."

Oregon could be facing possible NCAA sanctions for the school's use of recruiting services, but Kelly indicated he isn't running from anything.

"We've cooperated fully with them," he said. "If they want to talk to us again, we'll continue to cooperate fully. I feel confident in the situation."

Oregon's players gave Kelly a Gatorade bath as the final seconds ticked off the clock in Thursday night's game, and afterward a few of the Ducks seemed resigned to their coach moving on.

"We'll have to see," quarterback Marcus Mariota said. "Whatever he decides to do, we're all behind him. He's an unbelievable coach. He's not only a football coach, but he's someone that you can look to and learn a lot of life lessons from. Whatever happens, happens. But we're all behind him.

"We'll see where it takes us."

___

AP Football Writer Rob Maaddi in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-05-Browns-Kelly/id-c270f821601d478c865f86793e501eea

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Video: Coral records suggest that recent El Nino activity rises above noisy background

Video: Coral records suggest that recent El Nino activity rises above noisy background

Friday, January 4, 2013

By examining a set of fossil corals that are as much as 7,000 years old, scientists have dramatically expanded the amount of information available on the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, a Pacific Ocean climate cycle that affects climate worldwide. The new information will help assess the accuracy of climate model projections for 21st century climate change in the tropical Pacific.

The new coral data show that 20th century El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate cycles are significantly stronger than ENSO variations captured in the fossil corals. But the data also reveal large natural variations in past ENSO strength, making it difficult to attribute the 20th century intensification of ENSO to rising carbon dioxide levels. Such large natural fluctuations in ENSO activity are also apparent in multi-century climate model simulations.

"We looked at the long-term variability of ENSO in the climate models and asked how it compares to the long-term variability of ENSO in the real world," said Kim Cobb, an associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "We show that they actually match fairly well. This project sets the stage for conducting more detailed data-model comparisons from specific time intervals to test the accuracy of ENSO characteristics in the various models."

The research, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was scheduled to be reported January 4 in the journal Science. Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of Minnesota also contributed to the work.

El Nino Southern Oscillation extremes drive changes in global temperature and precipitation patterns every two to seven years. The variations are particularly pronounced in the central tropical Pacific, where Cobb and her team collected the fossil corals used in this study. By analyzing the ratio of specific oxygen isotopes in the coral skeletons, the scientists obtained information about ENSO-related temperature and rainfall variations during the periods of time in which the corals grew.

"Fossil corals are the kings of El Nino reconstruction," said Cobb. "Corals grow in the heart of the El Nino region, and with monthly-resolved records, they provide a very high level of detail."

The researchers collected the coral samples by drilling into massive coral "rocks" rolled onto Pacific island beaches by the action of strong storms or tsunamis. Cobb and her team studied 17 such cores of varying lengths and ages recovered from beaches on Christmas and Fanning Islands, which are part of the Line Island chain located in the mid-Pacific.

The islands are ideal places for obtaining records of past ENSO activity because they are close enough to the source region for ENSO to be affected by its temperature and precipitation variations, but not so close that the islands' corals are bleached by large temperature increases during strong El Nino warm events.

The study of each core began with careful dating, done by analyzing the ratio of uranium to thorium. That work was performed by co-authors Larry Edwards and Hai Cheng at the University of Minnesota. Once the age of each core was determined, Cobb and her team chose a subset of the collection to be studied in detail.

They sawed each core in half, then X-rayed the cross-sections to reveal the growth direction of each coral. The researchers then drilled out small samples of coral powder every millimeter down the core and analyzed them with mass spectrometers at Georgia Tech and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to determine the ratio of oxygen isotopes.

The isotope ratio of the coral skeleton changes with the temperature and amount of rainfall, providing detailed information about environmental conditions during each period of the coral's growth. As many as 20 samples are analyzed for each year of the coral's lifetime.

"We are able to count back in time, following the seasonal cycles locked in the coral skeleton, as long as the core will allow us," Cobb explained.

In all, Cobb's team added 650 years of monthly-resolved information about ENSO variations across nearly 7,000 years. That required analyzing approximately 15,000 samples over the course of the study, which began in 2005.

Using the new sequences to quantify the range of natural variability in ENSO strength, the researchers have detected a modest, but statistically-significant increase in 20th century ENSO strength that may be related to anthropogenic climate change. However, the coral reconstruction shows an even higher level of ENSO strength 400 years ago, though its duration was shorter.

"The level of ENSO variability we see in the 20th century is not unprecedented," Cobb said. "But the 20th century does stand out, statistically, as being higher than the fossil coral baseline."

Information about the El Nino-Southern Oscillation is important for climate scientists because the cycle helps drive other aspects of global climate change.

"El Nino is something that people want to know about when they reconstruct past climate changes at a specific site," Cobb said. "Our data will provide a reference for the magnitude of ENSO-related changes that may have occurred, and allow researchers to probe the causes of past climate changes evident in other paleoclimate records and in model simulations of past climates."

The work has already called into question a long-held belief that ENSO was reduced some 6,000 years ago. Certain climate models support that picture, but Cobb said that fossil coral data from that period doesn't support a reduction in ENSO strength.

Looking to future research, Cobb believes the work will be useful in helping scientists assess the accuracy of climate models.

"Prior to this publication, we had a smattering of coral records from this period of interest," she said. "We now have tripled the amount of fossil coral data available to investigate these important questions. We have been able to provide a comprehensive view of recent variations in ENSO."

###

Georgia Institute of Technology Research News: http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu

Thanks to Georgia Institute of Technology Research News for this article.

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3 Ways In Which Video Marketing Can Help Grow Your Business ...

Are you looking for ways in which you can grow your business through online marketing, but are not entirely sure what some of the better methods that currently exist are? There are many different methods that you can utilize to grow your business through online marketing, so long as you are able toeffectively employ the strategies. One of the best strategies that you can utilize to grow your business is the creation of videos to promote it, and uploading them on the various video sharing websites. There are number of benefits to video marketing including the fact that it will drive traffic to your website, allow you to build back links which are going to grow your presence within the search engines, and also allow you to explain your business to what could be potential customers.

Drive Traffic To Your Website

One of the biggest benefits of employing video marketing strategies is the fact that you were going to be able to drive a lot of traffic to your website in a very short amount of time. If you are able to create interesting videos that users share with one another, that promote your business, as the videos gain attention on the video sharing websites, individuals will become interested in your business and this will allow you to drive a healthy amount of traffic to your website. Driving traffic to your website should be the main consideration when implying video marketing techniques, but is just one of a few different benefits.

Build Backlinks

As you probably know, building backlinks is a very important part of growing your presence within the search engines, and allowing your website to rank highly for a variety of search terms that are relevant your business. Most video sharing websites allow you to place a link in the description of your video, and when you are able to share that video on dozens of different websites, you are creating dozens of different backlinks that are relevant to your website, and your niche. With Google and other search engines taking social factors into account when ranking websites, it is become increasingly important to build backlinks on pages that are relevant to your niche, and contain content that is related to the content that is on your own website.

Explain Your business to Potential Customers

Another huge benefit to video marketing is the fact that you can utilize the video to explain your business to potential customers. One of the biggest disconnect that many businesses have, is being able to explain a complicated service or product to customers, and video marketing allows you to do so in a straightforward and visual manner, which will allow you to connect with a totally new base of customers, that you otherwise would not be able to connect to through copywriting alone.

If you would like to drive traffic to your website, increase your presence in the search engines, or explain your business to potential customers, video marketing can be an excellent strategy to employ.

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Beyond the 'cliff': Why spending cuts are next on the agenda (+video)

The just-concluded fiscal cliff deal answered most questions about taxes, for now, but until Obama and Congress address spending cuts, the federal deficit problem has not been solved.

By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / January 3, 2013

The US Capitol is seen amid reflections from inside the Cannon House Office Building on the last day of the 112th Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

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The "fiscal cliff" deal reached over the holiday weekend lifted an immediate cloud of uncertainty over US taxpayers in the new year, but it didn't resolve the longer-term question of how to significantly reduce federal deficits.

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That's why the next round of fiscal policy talks is already in the works. And because the just-completed round centered heavily on raising tax revenue from the rich, the dominant issue in the next round promises to be spending cuts.

The question for President Obama and Congress will be how to pare back the projected rise in federal spending in a sensible way ? so that deficits come down without doing undue harm to the economy and to important voter priorities.

In recent days, Mr. Obama hasn't seemed eager to lead the way on this. He has signaled firm opposition to linking the approval of a higher public-debt limit to commitments on spending cuts as demanded by conservatives, saying the ability of the US to pay its bills should be nonnegotiable.

A White House fact sheet on this week's fiscal deal, meanwhile, didn't put urgent emphasis on the spending issue. Instead, the statement lauded the Jan. 1 fiscal plan as providing "greater economic certainty for families and businesses," while acknowledging the need for more progress.

Yet the spending questions can't be easily avoided, for several reasons:

? Politics. Republicans are pushing hard, and they control the House and have filibuster potential in the Senate.

?President Obama declared the other night that those he calls ?rich? are now paying their ?fair share.? So it?s time to move on," Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky said Thursday. "The president got his revenue, now it?s time to turn squarely to the real problem, which is spending."
?
? Economic reality. Bringing the deficit under control will require restraint on the spending side, as well as the new tax revenue that Obama has won. Here's a reality check: This week's fiscal deal includes an estimated $650 billion in deficit reduction over 10 years, compared with a "baseline" in which all Bush tax cuts and some other key policies were extended. But over the next 10 years budget deficits were on track to total $7.9 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB).
?
So the Jan. 1 accord cuts deficits over the next 10 years by less than one-tenth. Few budget analysts are hoping for policymakers to bring deficits down to zero, but a widely voiced hope is that further bargaining could bring total deficit reduction to $4 trillion. That amount could make the difference between the national debt continuing to rise or falling somewhat, as a percentage of the year's gross domestic product (GDP).
?
For the economy, stabilizing or reducing it can pay big dividends. It would maintain investor confidence, a key enabler of job creation, whereas economic research suggests that the pace of GDP growth slows when debt is high and rising.
?
? Deadlines. Americans may be tired of the "cliff" metaphor that abounded in news reports leading up to Jan. 1, but now a new day of fiscal reckoning looms, in early March. The agreement just passed by Congress postponed sizable automatic spending cuts, which had been scheduled for January, until March 1. Neither side likes that automatic approach, called "sequestration." But to avoid it, they'll need to cut a bargain on spending.
?
Adding to the pressure: In early March, the government will start having trouble getting by without borrowing more money by issuing Treasury bonds and notes. For the government to borrow more, Congress must approve a hike in the official debt limit. Republicans don't want to agree to that unless a spending-restraint deal is reached, perhaps including some reforms of Social Security or health-care programs.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/3jdWy1NZsOY/Beyond-the-cliff-Why-spending-cuts-are-next-on-the-agenda-video

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Shopping for gifts for girlfriend in Mumbai - ArticlesWide.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]You have probably heard by now that online shopping in Mumbai for gifts is a very convenient alternative to the traditional gift shopping in Mumbai where you have to fight the crowd and wait in long q... ... HOME :: Shopping and Product Reviews :: Fashion Style ...

Source: http://www.articleswide.com/article/12202-Shopping_for_gifts_for_girlfriend_in_Mumbai.html

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Olivia Black to Pawn Stars: Give Me Back My Job!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/olivia-black-to-pawn-stars-give-me-back-my-job/

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Afghans seek policewoman's motive for killing U.S. contractor

KABUL (Reuters) - An Iranian-Afghan policewoman who killed a U.S. contractor at the police headquarters in Kabul may have been motivated by a personal grudge, said security officials, who were also probing possible Taliban or al Qaeda involvement.

The officials said the woman named as Narges seemed wracked with remorse over the shooting. They said she held an Iranian passport but offered no evidence that Iran may have orchestrated the attack.

She arrived at police headquarters on Monday morning and headed to a bathroom where she loaded a pistol and hid it under her long scarf, they said. She then approached the American police trainer as he was walking to a canteen and shot him in the ribs.

"After she shot the American, she pointed her pistol to other policemen who rushed to arrest her. But her weapon jammed," one top police official told Reuters. "Her prime target could have been senior officials in the compound."

It appeared to be the first time that a female member of Afghanistan's security forces had carried out such an attack.

At least 52 members of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have been killed this year by Afghans wearing police or army uniforms, in so-called insider attacks.

Also known as green-on-blue attacks, the incidents have undermined trust between coalition and Afghan forces who are under mounting pressure to contain the Taliban insurgency before most NATO combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014.

"This was a very organized shooting," said the top police official. "There must have been bigger hands involved... At this stage, we can only say that she could have been brainwashed either by the Taliban or al Qaeda."

Virginia-based DynCorp International described the killing of its employee, police mentor Joseph Griffin, 49, as a tragedy.

"The loss of any team member is tragic but to have this happen over the holidays makes it seem all the more unfair," the company said on its website.

IRANIAN PASSPORT

There had been no indication that Narges posed any threat during her six years on the job and officials had believed she was dedicated to improving security in her troubled country.

They invested in the mother of three, sending her on a law enforcement training course in Egypt and giving her responsibility for promoting women's rights in the police force, senior police officials told Reuters.

"She is a religious person with a clean background. That's why we didn't have surveillance on her," said the top police official. "It's very difficult to have surveillance on thousands of people in the police force to see who is doing what."

Authorities were examining her phone records on Tuesday. At a press conference, Interior Ministry officials presented what they said was her Iranian passport, which identified her as Narges Rezaeimomenabad.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said she had obtained an Afghan national identity card when she married her husband, an Afghan who works in the ministry's criminal investigation department.

"She is in a terrible condition now and crying, sighing deeply and asking herself why she did it," said the top police official. "She keeps saying 'shoot me dead'."

(Additional reporting by Mirwais Harooni and Miriam Arghandiwal; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/afghans-seek-policewomans-motive-killing-u-contractor-143257596.html

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Researchers discover genetic basis for eczema, new avenue to therapies

Dec. 21, 2012 ? Researchers at Oregon State University have announced the discovery of an underlying genetic cause of atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema most common in infancy that also affects millions of adults around the world with dry, itchy and inflamed skin lesions.

The findings were just published in PLoS ONE, a professional journal, and may set the stage for new therapeutic approaches to this frustrating syndrome, which is difficult to treat and has no known cure. Eczema is also related to, and can sometimes cause asthma, a potentially deadly immune dysfunction.

Pharmaceutical scientists at OSU found in laboratory studies that eczema can be triggered by inadequate Ctip2, a protein and master regulator that affects other genetic functions. They have identified two ways in which improper function of Ctip2 can lead to eczema.

In a recent publication, they found that Ctip2 controls lipid biosynthesis in the skin, the fats that are needed to help keep skin healthy and hydrated. In the new study, they discovered that Ctip2 suppresses TSLP, a cytokine protein produced by skin cells that can trigger inflammation.

Levels of this inflammatory TSLP, which is ordinarily undetectable in human skin, were found to be 1,000 times higher in laboratory animals that had been genetically modified to have no Ctip2 production in their skin.

"In these studies, we've basically shown that inadequate Ctip2 is reducing the lipids in skin that it needs to stay healthy, protect itself and perform its function," said Arup Indra, an associate professor in the OSU College of Pharmacy. "At the same time this can allow unwanted formation of proteins that trigger inflammation. The skin's ability to resist inflammation is going down just as the amount of inflammation is going up, and the underlying reason is that Ctip2 is not doing its job."

"Either or both of these problems can lead to eczema," Indra said.

Atopic dermatitis is associated with a dysfunctional immune response, but researchers have never understood the underlying cause. Existing treatments use moisturizers to try to protect skin, and in difficult cases powerful steroid drugs can help, but they often have significant unwanted side effects, especially in long-term use.

"With a better understanding of just what is causing eczema on a genetic basis, we should be able to personalize treatments, determine exactly what each person needs, and develop new therapies," Indra said. "This might be with topical compounds that increase Ctip2 expression in skin cells, or customized treatments to restore an individual person's lipid profile. In the future, systemic epigenetic modification might even be possible."

The creation at OSU of the laboratory model to study this issue is also of considerable importance, Indra said. There's evidence it could be used to screen for drugs with potent anti-inflammatory activities.

Eczema is a persistent skin rash that can be fairly common in infants or youth, which some research indicates may be linked to food or pollen allergens. Most people outgrow it as they reach adulthood, but some suffer from the debilitating condition their entire life.

"Our skin is the largest organ in the human body and one of the most important," Indra said. "It's our first barrier of defense, is in a constant battle against external insults, is influenced by both genetics and the environment, and has to be finely tuned to do many jobs. In eczema, this process begins to break down."

Eczema allows significant loss of fluids through the skin, allows allergens to penetrate, and in severe cases can cause a systemic inflammatory response.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Oregon State University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Zhixing Wang, Ling-juan Zhang, Gunjan Guha, Shan Li, Kateryna Kyrylkova, Chrissa Kioussi, Mark Leid, Gitali Ganguli-Indra, Arup K. Indra. Selective Ablation of Ctip2/Bcl11b in Epidermal Keratinocytes Triggers Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Inflammatory Responses in Adult Mice. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (12): e51262 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051262

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/ry60-DgR9Ow/121221131259.htm

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Fatah supports Hamas rocket attacks against Israel, citing PMW material

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Washington Post: Human rights groups should pay attention to the work of PMW? Sept. 28, 2012 - The Washington Post "While Hamas?s calls for genocide most certainly should be condemned, those who would accept the position Abbas has taken, even as recently as Friday, when he submitted to the United Nations an application for statehood, should be aware of the work of Palestinian Media Watch. The group, an Israeli research institute focused on monitoring the messages of all aspects of Palestinian media, has detailed some of the deception of the Palestinian Authority, even during moments of peace talks. For example, while portraying himself to the West as a man of compromise, Abbas said flatly last October that 'we refuse to recognize a Jewish state.'"? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Display all

Source: http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=91&doc_id=8209

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On eve of South Korea vote, Park sounds father's battle cry

SEOUL (Reuters) - With just a day to go before a tight presidential vote in South Korea, front-running conservative candidate Park Geun-hye evoked her dictator father's economic call to arms in a bid to rally her party faithful.

She pledged in a news conference to recreate Park Chung-hee's "Let's Live well" miracle of rapid economic gains for a country that she said was laboring under heavy household debt, the high cost of raising children and poverty among old people.

Data shows that South Korean households are more indebted than those in the United States were just before the 2008 credit crisis.

The elder Park's 18-year rule from 1961 to 1979 helped transform South Korea's from a war-torn backwater into an export powerhouse. In a bid to get people to work towards prosperity, a song based on the "Let's Live Well" catch phrase blared out from loudspeakers across the country under his rule.

Park's daughter had earlier sought to distance herself from the divisive legacy of her father's rule that also saw political repression in the name of securing the country.

The gap between the conservative Park and her left-wing challenger, Moon Jae-in, could be as little as 0.5 percentage points, according to some polls.

"It comes down to the demographics of the voter turnout," said Hong Hyung-sik of pollster Hangil Research.

Polls show that older voters are more likely to pick Park and more likely to vote, while Moon is reliant on more fickle younger voters.

Park would be South Korea's first female president.

She campaigned on a platform of "economic democratization", better regulation and more welfare spending and has tacked back to the right in recent days with a more conciliatory tone towards business.

PROMISES

On a visit to the country's stock exchange on Tuesday, Park called for growth and job creation through innovation and investment in science and technology.

"To help the KOSPI index reach the 3,000-mark, we need to grow the pie and make new jobs, new growth engines and new markets," she said, pledging that she would achieve this in her 5-year term.

The benchmark KOSPI index of core South Korean stocks, has been trading at a 200-day moving average of 1,924.41 points.

Park has also said that she wants to increase welfare spending from its current level of 7.6 percent of gross domestic product, less than half the rich nation average of 19 percent, but she has not spelled out by how much.

Her plan to fund this hinges on cutting wasteful spending and increasing the tax base, rather than through tax increases.

Park has signaled that she will not take action to break up a system of cross-shareholdings through which a few families control a sprawling network of so-called chaebol, or industrial conglomerates, that dominate South Korea.

The top 5 chaebols, which include household names such as Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, make up more than half the value of all listed South Korean companies.

Her rival, Moon, has promised an $18 billion jobs package on top of existing spending plans and to crack down on the chaebol, although they have often proved more resilient than governments.

In his final news conference on Tuesday, Moon tied Park firmly to the ruling party, which he said had proved unworthy of governing.

"If you don't rebuke them, the wrongs will continue. It is time to be harsh and pick up the rod to beat them. Tomorrow is that moment," he urged.

More than 40 million people are eligible to vote on Wednesday. The polls open at 6 a.m. (2100 GMT) and close at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT).

The winner will take office in February after the mandatory single term of President Lee Myung-bak ends.

(Editing by David Chance and Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eve-south-korea-vote-park-sounds-fathers-battle-051737912.html

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New project to improve students self esteem launched - TrakkerNews

Bridgetown.

A programme aimed? at improving the self esteem of school children in Barbados was launched recently by the Commission for Pan African Affairs with a visit by a group of students of the Lester Vaughan Secondary School to the Supreme Court, and a meeting with Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson.

Acting Deputy Director of the Commission Anthony Reid told Trakker News the visit to the Supreme Court and the meeting with the Chief Justice was strategic.

"We felt that bringing the students into an control environment would one way of showing them life is not about the behaviours that they would tend to exhibit at school. The other thing was to expose them to strong prominent black men people who have achieved, who come from a background very similar to theirs to show them that they can overcome any obstacle and with self discipline and focus,they too can achieve", says Reid.

He explained that the programme is a pilot project and hopefully by the next school year it will be finetuned and be in a number of schools. ?

?

Source: http://www.caribbeantrakker.com/2012/12/new-project-to-improve-students-self-esteem-launched/

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Thousands mourn leader of Morocco's main opposition group

RABAT (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Moroccans took part in the funeral of the leader of the North African state's biggest opposition group on Friday, in a sign of the huge support commanded by Islamists opposed to the monarchy.

Sheikh Abdessalam Yassine, who formed al-Adl Wal Ihsane (Justice and Spirituality) in 1981, died on Thursday at the age of 84 after suffering from influenza.

The group is banned from formal politics but believed by analysts and diplomats to be the only opposition organization capable of mass mobilization against the monarchy.

Security forces circled the mosque where the Friday prayers were held in downtown Rabat and prevented the mourners from passing through the main street of the capital.

No members of the government or the royal palace attended, although local media had speculated Islamist Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane would go.

King Mohammed allowed Benkirane to form a government last year after his PJD party won early elections - part of royal efforts to calm large-scale protests for democratic reforms following uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia that removed entrenched autocratic rulers.

The king also enacted constitutional reforms that limited some of his powers, though critics say the king and his advisers, not the elected government, remain the real source of power.

Official media ignored the death and the funeral. The government is wary of a return of mass protests as it faces economic difficulties from the effects of the euro zone crisis and increased social spending last year to quieten the protests.

"In Al-Adl Wal Ihsane we are like family. We came with my husband and our neighbors to say goodbye to our teacher and our leader," said Lamia El Hassnaoui, a student member of the movement near the mosque.

"I'm not afraid or worried about our group's future - he left behind him an organization with democratic institutions behind him."

Diplomats and analysts say there is no clear successor to Yassine and that his group could face internal dispute over whether to try to enter official politics - a move that would require it to tone down its opposition to a king who styles himself "Commander of the Faithful".

Yassine, who hailed from a Berber village in the south of Morocco and grew up in Marrakech, had a history of challenge to the authorities that often landed him in jail.

He was imprisoned for three years after he addressed a letter to King Hassan in the 1974 calling for implementation of sharia, or Islamic law.

He was held for two years again after forming his political group and spending 10 years under house arrest until King Hassan's son succeeded him in 1999.

He called on the new king too to turn to the "true Islam" and surrender the monarchy's assets to the state but while the authorities left him alone, his party remained banned.

(Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-mourn-leader-moroccos-main-opposition-group-183809574.html

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Restaurant Industry Will Grow, Outpace National Job Growth in 2013 ...

Washington, DC ? While the operating environment will remain challenging, America?s 980,000 restaurants are expected to post record sales and continue to be a leading job creator in 2013, according to the National Restaurant Association?s (NRA) 2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast released today. Total restaurant industry sales are expected to exceed $660 billion in 2013 ? a 3.8 percent increase over 2012, marking the fourth consecutive year of real sales growth for the industry.

In addition, 2013 will be the 14th straight year in which restaurant industry employment will outpace overall employment. Restaurants will employ 13.1 million individuals next year as the nation?s second-largest private-sector employer, representing 10 percent of the total U.S. workforce.

?Despite a continued challenging operating environment, the restaurant industry remains a strong driver in the nation?s economy,? said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. ?Ours is a resilient and flexible industry that continually finds new ways to keep growing, relying on the creativity and innovation exhibited by the entrepreneurial spirit. In 2013, restaurant operators will continue to explore ways of navigating the rocky economic landscape to find the road to success.?

?The fact that the restaurant industry will continue to grow in an operating environment that presents substantial challenges is a testament to the essential role that restaurants play in our daily lives,? said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president, Research & Knowledge for the National Restaurant Association. ?Restaurants are offering products and services that consumers actively seek out and enjoy; an activity in which consumers are selecting to engage despite cash-on-hand restraints because it is an important component of their lifestyle.?

Workforce Outlook

Total U.S. employment grew at a rate of 1.4 percent in 2012, while restaurants added jobs at a strong 3.0 percent rate ? more than double the overall rate. In 2013, the NRA expects the restaurant industry to add jobs at a 2.4 percent rate, nearly a full percentage point above the projected 1.5 percent gain in total employment.

Looking ahead, the NRA expects restaurants to add 1.3 million new positions in the next decade, pushing industry employment to 14.4 million by 2023.

Because of this strong growth in restaurant employment, labor challenges will start to reemerge next year. Recruitment and retention, which was a top challenge pre-recession, will make its way back onto restaurant operators? radar as the U.S. labor pool is starting to become shallower; restaurant operators in all segments expect recruitment and retention to be more challenging in 2013 than in 2012.

Challenges and Opportunities

While the restaurant industry is expected to grow in 2013, operators will continue to face a range of challenges. The top challenges cited by restaurateurs vary by industry segment, and include food costs, the economy and health care reform.

After increasing steadily in the last three years, wholesale food costs will continue on an upward trajectory through 2013, putting significant pressure on restaurants? bottom lines as about one-third of sales in a restaurant goes to food and beverage purchases. Because of these prolonged cost pressures, restaurant operators will continue to use creativity and innovation to drive out cost inefficiencies and increase productivity to not pass along the increases to consumers at the same rate.

The sluggish economic and employment recovery impacts consumers? cash-on-hand situation, which in turn impacts restaurants as there is a strong correlation between consumers? disposable income and restaurant sales. There is currently substantial pent-up demand for restaurant services, with 2 out of 5 consumers saying they are not using restaurant as often as they would like; with improving economic conditions, that demand is likely to turn into sales.

Preparing for the implementation of health care reform will put additional cost pressure on some restaurant operators in the near future. One-third of a typical restaurant?s sales go toward labor costs, so significant increases in those costs will result in additional cost management measures to preserve the already slim pre-tax profit margins of 3-5 percent on which most restaurants operate.

Consumer Trends

Consumers? interest in technology continues unabated. Restaurant operators recognize that technology can enhance customer service and appeal to consumers, but they are not fully meeting consumer demand in this area yet.

At tableservice restaurants, more than half of consumers say they would use tableside electronic payment options and 44 percent would use a tableside ordering system. Nearly one-third would use mobile payment options, four in 10 would use tablet menus (such as iPads), and 50 percent would use a smartphone app for viewing menus, ordering or making reservations. Less than one in 10 tableservice restaurants currently offer these options, but 54% say they will invest more resources in customer-facing technology in 2013.

At quickservice restaurants, 44 percent of consumers say they would use self-order terminals, two in five would use smartphone apps to place orders or view menus, and more than one-quarter would use mobile payment options. Currently, less than 2 percent of quickservice restaurants offer these technologies, though 48 percent say they plan on investing more in customer-facing technology next year.

Also among the strongest consumer trends for 2013 are local sourcing and nutrition. More than seven out of 10 consumers say they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally produced menu items, and more than six out of 10 said locally sourced menus are a key attribute for choosing a restaurant. Currently, a majority of tableservice restaurants offer locally sourced produce, meat or seafood, with availability being highest in the fine dining segment.

In addition, more than seven out of 10 consumers say they are trying to eat healthier at restaurants now than they did two years ago; women more so than men (75 percent vs. 66 percent). Similarly, about three-quarters of consumers say healthy menu options are an important factor when choosing a restaurant (80 percent of women vs. 71 percent of men). Restaurants are responding to this increasing demand for nutritious options, as 86 percent of consumers say that restaurants are offering a wider variety now than two years ago.

For more information about the NRA?s 2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast, including graphics and video, visit Restaurant.org/Forecast.

========

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 980,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 13 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry?s largest trade show (NRA Show May 18-21, 2013, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF?s ProStart, including the National ProStart Invitational April 19-21, 2013, in Baltimore, Md.); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids? menu options. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.

Source: http://usajobzoo.com/2012/12/13/restaurant-industry-will-grow-outpace-national-job-growth-in-2013-despite-sustained-challenges/

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Mali gets new prime minister after military ouster

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) ? The troubled nation of Mali swore in a new interim prime minister on Thursday, just days after soldiers behind this year's military coup arrested his predecessor and forced his resignation.

Diango Cissoko officially took office in the Malian capital of Bamako, where he said the former prime minister would be available as needed during the political transition.

Earlier this week, Cheikh Modibo Diarra announced his resignation as prime minister on state television at 4 a.m. hours after soldiers stormed his house.

"I am moved and pleased that the prime minister Diarra said he will be close by to assist me as needed," Cissoko said.

The African Union on Thursday welcomed Cissoko's appointment despite the circumstances under which Diarra left office.

"As much as we strongly condemn the conditions under which the prime minister was compelled to resign, we also believe that we need to be forward looking and support the new prime minister and assist him and the authority of the interim president ... in precisely establishing and ensuring absolute civilian oversight over the military," El Ghassim Wane, a senior official of the AU peace and security council, told reporters at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mali's interim government was intended to return the West African nation to civilian rule following the March military coup.

However, the coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo has maintained his hold on the country and the political instability has raised concerns about a proposed military intervention to retake Mali's north from radical Islamists.

The former prime minister, Diarra, was initially seen as being in-step with Sanogo. Critics lambasted him for frequently driving to the Kati barracks to see the coup leader, long after Sanogo was supposed to have handed power to civilians. In recent weeks though, Diarra had taken stances that sometimes conflicted with Sanogo.

The new prime minister, Cissoko, won favor with Sanogo by giving him equal standing with the interim president and prime minister during mediation efforts to resolve Mali's political crisis.

The military's meddling in state affairs has concerned the international community. Many worry that supporting the operation will simply further arm and embolden the very officers responsible for Mali's current state.

Radical Islamists were able to gain hold of northern Mali during the power vacuum that followed the March coup. Over the past eight months, they have implemented their strict version of Islamic law known as Shariah, carrying out public executions, amputations and whippings. Many worry that, under the Islamists' rule, northern Mali will become a base from where al-Qaida will be able to launch terror attacks on other countries, including into Europe.

A proposed military intervention to oust the Islamist rebels that would include Malian forces is still pending final approval from the United Nations.

___

Associated Press writer Kirubel Tadesse in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mali-gets-prime-minister-military-ouster-135233176.html

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Making Up for Murder

Emily Yoffe

Photograph by Teresa Castracane.

Get Dear Prudence delivered to your inbox each week; click here to sign up. Please send your questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.)

Got a burning question for Prudie? She'll be online at Washingtonpost.com to chat with readers each Monday at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the live discussion.

Dear Prudence,
Two years ago, my adored 28-year-old younger brother committed suicide after murdering his estranged wife's new boyfriend. My brother had depression and anger issues, but I will never understand the chain of events that made this act viable in his head. This has been devastating to my family. I did not know the man he murdered, but I know many of his friends. I tried to not mourn publicly, but I did not handle things well in social media. Sometimes I would mention my loss and these mutual friends were kind to me, but I still feel that I should have kept my mouth shut. I know that I had no fault in my brother's act, but since then I have isolated myself from them in person out of shame and associated guilt. (I am working on this with a therapist and in support groups.) I would like to reconnect with these mutual friends at Christmas when I return to my hometown, but I'm scared and worry that I will cause pain. The main issue is that the victim's brother also returns home for Christmas. My family has not reached out to the victim's family, which has been pretty much the universal recommendation. However, it is entirely likely that I could run into the brother, which terrifies me. I would actually like to have a meeting with him to convey how sorry I am for his loss, and that we have much in common. He may even have questions I can answer. But I fear reaching out and causing pain, while I also fear an unexpected meeting in a social setting. What should I do?

Dear Sister,
As you and your family know, you are also victims of your brother?s unspeakable act. Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, was caught because his brother David turned him into the FBI. After David got the $1 million reward, he paid his lawyers then distributed the rest to the victims and their families. He and his wife also wrote letters of apology, not because they had been aware of his brother?s crimes at the time?as you did not know your brother?s plans?but as a way to deal with their own guilt, grief, and pain afterward. Not all of the families responded, but a few did. I support your desire to reach out to the victim?s family. But it must be done with delicacy and with the knowledge of the limitations of this act. Before you do it, talk to a lawyer just to clarify how you might word a letter. You don?t want to unwittingly leave an impression that your family knew of your brother?s intentions. Then I also think it would be worth it to get advice from a victim?s organization on what such a letter should say. (Here are two: Parents of Murdered Children and Compassionate Friends.) Yes, you are suffering, but in reaching out to the victim?s family you have to be careful not to make parallels between your two situations. Your focus should be on your sorrow over their pain, not on the pain you have in common. It also would be a good idea to ask a mutual friend to deliver the letter so that it doesn?t come as a shock. Doing this won?t return your social relationships to the way they were. But taking this action should make it easier for you to come home and to reconnect with friends, who surely have compassion for your agony. By contacting the victim?s family, when and if you run into the victim?s friends and loved ones, you will have the words from the letter ready so that you can express your sorrow in person instead of feeling you should duck away. As you?ve recognized, social media is great for a lot of things, but it is too blunt an instrument to deal with the complications of such a painful situation. Continue to work this through privately with your therapist and support group.

Dear Prudence: Hair-Raising Dilemma

Dear Prudence,
I'm in my mid-20s. My mother divorced my good-for-nothing father when I was little and then went through a string of useless boyfriends. She has finally found a wonderful man and they are engaged. The problem is her insistence on blending his extended family with ours at holidays. Our side of the family only sees each other at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and many of us feel that it is important that we spend that time together, instead of shouting to each other across a huge dining table filled with people we don't know. I have been tasked with bringing up to my mother that people weren?t happy with Thanksgiving and are concerned about Christmas. When I broached this with her she became upset and accused me of not wanting her to move forward with her life. Spending the holidays apart from my mother is the last thing I want, but the rest of my extended family has been discussing holding Christmas festivities somewhere different if my mother decides to try blending the families again. My mother is incredibly stubborn and has never accepted being wrong before. How do I show my mother that we are all happy for her, but that her major life change shouldn't mean erasing all of our holiday traditions and the precious little time spent together without strangers?

Dear Conflicted,
I know what you mean about traditions. Yours is this year?s version of the annual letter I run that can be summed up as, ?I want Christmas to always be the way it used to be.? I assume your side of the family has expanded and contracted over the years as people marry, divorce, children get born, and loved ones die. Your mother is now in the incoming tide phase of this ebb and flow. I?m a little confused about the logistics here. If your mother is the hostess, then she has the prerogative to make up the guest list and people should be grateful she?s doing it. If others don?t want to come, that?s an individual choice. Keep in mind that these ?strangers? are going to be part of your family, so after a couple of get-togethers they will become familiar faces. But if the celebration is at someone else?s house, then your mother has to check and see if it?s feasible for her to add to the list and by how many. It?s one thing to ask to bring her fianc? and his children. But it?s burdensome and presumptuous if she expects to include, to mix holiday metaphors, his mishpocheh. It?s an unpleasant personality trait to have gone through life never able to acknowledge being wrong. But knowing that about your mother tells you what you?re dealing with. Even if most of the family decides Christmas has gotten too unwieldy, maybe there?s still a compromise and someone could host a drop-by on Christmas Eve or even the 26^th, for those who didn?t get to see each other Christmas Day.

Dear Prudence,
I'm in human resources at an organization with a conservative culture. As part of vetting candidates, I Google them, check Facebook, etc., to see if there is anything of an embarrassing nature. One young woman candidate, age 23, has me stymied. She has a professional-quality website chronicling her many accomplishments and a perfectly innocent Twitter account. Her recommendations are lovely. But everything on the Web about her has happened since 2009, the year she graduated from college. No Facebook account, no Myspace. I find this weird. I have never known a person under 25 who wasn't all over the Web in high school and college. I thought of asking her, but if she's clever enough to sanitize a Web presence, wouldn't she have a story ready, too? I don't want make unfair assumptions or ask an inappropriate question, but I also don't want to be the idiot who hired someone who was in a sex scandal and have my career go down in flames. Should I take a chance? Is there a perfectly logical explanation I have not thought of?

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