U.S. government may not hit debt limit until October: analysts

By Rachelle Younglai

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States might not hit the statutory limit on its debt until October, a policy research group said on Friday, giving Republican lawmakers more time to extract spending cuts from the Obama administration in return for extending the borrowing cap.

After giving into Democratic demands in December to raise taxes and later working with them to avoid a government shutdown, Republicans have been gearing up to use the debt limit as leverage to seek fresh budget cuts and changes to the tax code.

The Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank that analyzes the Treasury's daily and monthly cash flows, had expected the federal government to hit the congressionally-set limit on its debt sometime between early-August and mid-September.

But stronger-than-expected revenues and deeper-than-anticipated budget cuts mean the ceiling on borrowing probably will not be reach until sometime between mid-August and mid-October, the group said on its website on Friday.

"October is a nasty month," BPC economic policy director Steve Bell said in an interview, noting that major government payments are due in October.

If Congress does not raise the borrowing cap before the Treasury hits the limit, the government will no longer be able to borrow money to pay its bills, including interest on its bonds, raising the risk of a damaging debt default.

In an attempt to avoid being blamed for a default, Republicans in the House of Representatives are pushing legislation to require the Treasury to pay bondholders and Social Security retirement benefits before other bills if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling on time.

The BPC said its forecast could change depending on economic conditions and when updated financial information became available.

Nearly $90 billion may soon be pumped into government coffers by the now-profitable government-controlled housing finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to account for deferred tax assets that were written down.

The think tank, however, does not think the disbursement to the Treasury will be that high. "We do expect that there will be a payment of some size in June but it is our opinion that the number is more likely to be in the $20 billion range and not in the rumored $100 billion range," Bell said.

The Treasury has said it could not forecast an exact date for when Congress must raise the debt ceiling due to delayed tax filings and uncertainty about the effect of the government budget cuts.

(Reporting by Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Paul Simao)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-government-may-not-hit-debt-limit-until-215216483.html

google reader carnival cruise nfl nfl lil wayne wes welker ides of march

Transit bus, train crash in Pa.; at least 10 hurt

EVANS CITY, Pa. (AP) ? A rural transit bus carrying passengers to a program that offers services for people with developmental disabilities and a freight train crashed at an unmarked railroad crossing Friday morning, injuring at least 10 people.

Video from local TV helicopters suggested that the small bus may have hit the train and then come to rest about 20 feet away. The bus was upright on an embankment and had front-end damage. Police were investigating whether dense morning fog contributed to the crash.

The crash occurred in Evans City, about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, at about 8:10 a.m. Friday. Eleven people, including the driver, were on the bus, and at least 10 were being taken to hospitals, officials said.

Three men and a woman were being treated in the Allegheny General Hospital emergency room in Pittsburgh, said hospital spokesman Dan Laurent. The men were 35, 38 and 75 years old, and the woman's age was not immediately available.

Police said the Butler Area Rural Transit bus was on its way to a program known as Lifesteps.

A woman who identified herself as the granddaughter of a 90-year-old woman on the bus told WPXI-TV that her grandmother was headed to geriatric care program at Lifesteps. The woman said the bus takes adult patients of all ages to the facility for a variety of programs.

A Lifesteps official did not immediately return a call for comment, but the facility's website said it is a nonprofit that has operated since 1923. Lifesteps "services for children, families, adults with special needs and seniors are designed to encourage growth, independence, confidence and dignity," the website said.

The transit agency's website indicates it partners with the Alliance For Nonprofit Resources, a social service agency based in the county seat of Butler, to provide reduced-fee transportation for people with disabilities. Neither agency immediately returned calls Friday.

The transit agency's website said it operates 17 wheelchair-accessible buses that make about 300 trips a day, six days a week.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/transit-bus-train-crash-pa-least-10-hurt-140214687.html

Minka Kelly sex tape Colorado shooting Colorado shooting victims aurora Angie Everhart tom hardy British Open leaderboard

Australians Celebrates Masters Victory Of Adam Scott

Bubba Watson, left, helps Adam Scott, of Australia, put on his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Adam Scott, of Australia, celebrates with his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Adam Scott, of Australia, celebrates with his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Adam Scott, left, of Australia, jokes with Bubba Watson after the presentation of the green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Adam Scott, of Australia, celebrates with caddie Steve Williams after making a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Adam Scott, of Australia, walks out with Bubba Watson for the green jacket presentation after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Adam Scott, of Australia, poses with his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Adam Scott, of Australia, gives the thumbs up after being presented with his green jacket following his victory at the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Bubba Watson, left, helps Adam Scott, of Australia, put on his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Adam Scott, of Australia, poses with his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Adam Scott, of Australia, celebrates with his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Tiger Woods looks for his ball after hitting out of the rough off the second fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Adam Scott, of Australia, celebrates after making a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Adam Scott, of Australia, hugs Angel Cabrera, of Argentina, after making a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Adam Scott, of Australia, celebrates after making a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Adam Scott, of Australia, celebrates after making a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Adam Scott, of Australia, celebrates with caddie Steve Williams after making a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Adam Scott, Steve Williams, Angel Cabrera

Adam Scott and his caddie Steve Williams reacts to his putt dropping on the second hole of a playoff to win the Masters golf tournament, Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta. Runner-up Angel Cabrera watches in the background. Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT

Tiger Woods swings his putter after his bogey on the fifth hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tiger Woods reacts after missing a par putt on the seventh green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Angel Cabrera, of Argentina, discusses his next shot with his caddie son Angel Cabrera, Jr. on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tiger Woods hits out of the rough from the second fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Tiger Woods reacts after missing a putt on the fourth green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Tiger Woods reacts after missing a putt on the fourth green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Bernhard Langer, of Germany, reacts to his hit out of a bunker on the seventh hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tiger Woods stretches before putting on the fourth green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Tim Clark, of South Africa, reacts after missing a putt on the third hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Adam Scott, of Australia, reacts after a birdie on the third green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bernhard Langer, of Germany, pumps his fist after a birdie putt on the third hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Brandt Snedeker removes his glove after teeing off on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Adam Scott, of Australia, reacts after a birdie on the third green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Tiger Woods tees off on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Marc Leishman, of Australia, hits out of a bunker on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Angel Cabrera, of Argentina, grimaces after sinking a birdie putt on the second green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Brandt Snedeker, right, chats with Angel Cabrera, of Argentina, as they walk down the second fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Angel Cabrera, of Argentina, discusses his next shot with his caddie son Angel Cabrera, Jr. on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jason Day, of Australia, celebrates after chipping in for an eagle on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jim Furyk hits off the second fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Jason Day, of Australia, celebrates after chipping in for an eagle on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jason Day, of Australia, celebrates after chipping in for an eagle on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tiger Woods, far right, tees off at the third hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tiger Woods' mother Kultida Woods, left, skier Lindsey Vonn and her physical therapist Lindsay Winninger, right, watch Woods during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tiger Woods' mother Kultida Woods and skier Lindsey Vonn watch Woods during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tiger Woods looks out from behind a tree before hitting out of the rough off the second fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tiger Woods walks out of the bushes after hitting out of the rough off the second fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rickie Fowler hits off the second fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Lee Westwood, of England tees off at the third hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jason Day, of Australia, holds up his ball after chipping in for an eagle on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Jason Day, of Australia, celebrates after chipping in for an eagle on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Jason Day, of Australia, acknowledges applause after a birdie putt on the first green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Angel Cabrera, of Argentina, runs out to watch his shot off of the first fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2013, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/australians-masters-adam-scott_n_3083652.html

ryan reynolds Star Trek: The Original Series Carlton Morgan Freeman Dead Stand Up to Cancer Azarenka NFL fantasy football

Project Unity is 15 retro games consoles in one bonkers box | CNET ...

Now this is just silly. Hardware modder Bacteria has spliced together 15 retro games consoles to make the ultimate old-skool arcade unit.

Named Project Unity, it incorporates the Sega Master System and Mega Drive, Atari 7800, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, NES, Gamecube, Dreamcast, PS2 and even the GameBoy Advance, among others. And it's the real deal, using all original parts, with no emulation going on, The Verge reports.

Thanks to backwards compatibility, Project Unity can play games for 18 consoles. And you play them all using one controller -- a monstrosity of a gaming pad, with three arcade sticks, a d-pad, SNES-style button layout, and what looks like a calculator rammed into the centre.

Here's a video all about it.

The unit itself isn't much of a looker, being housed in a large wooden box, but it's what's on the inside that counts, right? It's a labour of love, seeing as it took three years to make, racking up a bill of more than $1,000 (?650) in parts. Don't expect to see it on shop shelves anytime soon, but as a showcase of what's possible with an all-consuming love for retro games, and a dollop of elbow grease, it takes some beating.

In other gaming news, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman has promised that everyone who backed the Android-powered console early will have their units before the end of May, Phandroid reports. Early reviews weren't good, with reports of laggy software and faceplates coming off in transit, but Ouya has vowed to fix these before the 4 June launch date. Fingers crossed.

Would you like to see Project Unity go on sale? Is Ouya the future of gaming? Or will the PS4 and Xbox 720 have it sewn up when they launch later this year? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.

Source: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gamesgear/project-unity-is-15-retro-games-consoles-in-one-bonkers-box-50010936/

Ledecky Nadia Comaneci Rebecca Soni Snoop Lion London 2012 Table Tennis badminton Dominique Dawes

Gene sequencing project finds new mutations to blame for a majority of brain tumor subtype

Apr. 14, 2013 ? The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital -- Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has identified mutations responsible for more than half of a subtype of childhood brain tumor that takes a high toll on patients. Researchers also found evidence the tumors are susceptible to drugs already in development.

The study focused on a family of brain tumors known as low-grade gliomas (LGGs). These slow-growing cancers are found in about 700 children annually in the U.S., making them the most common childhood tumors of the brain and spinal cord. For patients whose tumors cannot be surgically removed, the long-term outlook remains bleak due to complications from the disease and its ongoing treatment. Nationwide, surgery alone cures only about one-third of patients.

Using whole genome sequencing, researchers identified genetic alterations in two genes that occurred almost exclusively in a subtype of LGG termed diffuse LGG. This subtype cannot be cured surgically because the tumor cells invade the healthy brain. Together, the mutations accounted for 53 percent of the diffuse LGG in this study. Researchers also demonstrated that one of the mutations, which had not previously been linked to brain tumors, caused tumors when introduced into the glial brain cells of mice.

The findings appear in the April 14 advance online edition of the scientific journal Nature Genetics.

"This subtype of low-grade glioma can be a nasty chronic disease, yet prior to this study we knew almost nothing about its genetic alterations," said David Ellison, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the St. Jude Department of Pathology and the study's corresponding author. The first author is Jinghui Zhang, Ph.D., an associate member of the St. Jude Department of Computational Biology.

The Pediatric Cancer Genome Project is using next-generation whole genome sequencing to determine the complete normal and cancer genomes of children and adolescents with some of the least understood and most difficult to treat cancers. Scientists believe that studying differences in the 3 billion chemical bases that make up the human genome will provide the scientific foundation for the next generation of cancer care.

"We were surprised to find that many of these tumors could be traced to a single genetic alteration," said co-author Richard K. Wilson, Ph.D., director of The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "This is a major pathway through which low-grade gliomas develop and it provides new clues to explore as we search for better treatments."

The study involved whole genome sequencing of 39 paired tumor and normal tissue samples from 38 children and adolescents with different subtypes of LGG and related tumors called low-grade glioneuronal tumors (LGGNTs). Although many cancers develop following multiple genetic abnormalities, 62 percent of the 39 tumors in this study stemmed from a single genetic alteration.

Previous studies have linked LGGs to abnormal activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway. The pathway is involved in regulating cell division and other processes that are often disrupted in cancer. Until now, however, the genetic alterations involved in driving this pathway were unknown for some types of LGG and LGGNT.

This study linked activation in the pathway to duplication of a key segment of the FGFR1 gene, which investigators discovered in brain tumors for the first time. The segment is called a tyrosine kinase domain. It functions like an on-off switch for several cell signaling pathways, including the MAPK/ERK pathway. Investigators also demonstrated that experimental drugs designed to block activity along two altered pathways worked in cells with theFGFR1 tyrosine kinase domain duplication. "The finding suggests a potential opportunity for using targeted therapies in patients whose tumors cannot be surgically removed," Ellison said.

Researchers also showed that the FGFR1 abnormality triggered an aggressive brain tumor in glial cells from mice that lacked the tumor suppressor gene Trp53.

Whole-genome sequencing found previously undiscovered rearrangements in the MYB and MYBL1 genes in diffuse LGGs. These newly identified abnormalities were also implicated in switching on the MAPK/ERK pathway.

Researchers checked an additional 100 LGGs and LGGNTs for the same FGFR1, MYB and MYBL1 mutations. Overall, MYB was altered in 25 percent of the diffuse LGGs, and 24 percent had alterations in FGFR1. Researchers also turned up numerous other mutations that occurred in just a few tumors. The affected genes included BRAF, RAF1, H3F3A, ATRX, EP300, WHSC1 and CHD2.

"The Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has provided a remarkable opportunity to look at the genomic landscape of this disease and really put the alterations responsible on the map. We can now account for the genetic errors responsible for more than 90 percent of low-grade gliomas," Ellison said. "The discovery that FGFR1 and MYB play a central role in childhood diffuse LGG also serves to distinguish the pediatric and adult forms of the disease."

The other authors are Gang Wu, Ruth Tatevossian, James Dalton, Bo Tang, Wilda Orisme, Chandanamali Punchihewa, Ibrahim Qaddoumi, Frederick Boop, Matthew Parker, Ryan Lee, Robert Huether, Xiang Chen, Erin Hedlund, Panduka Nagahawatte, Michael Rusch, Kristy Boggs, Jinjun Cheng, Jared Becksfort, Jing Ma, Guangchun Song, Yongjin Li, Lei Wei, Jianmin Wang, Sheila Shurtleff, John Easton, David Zhao, Bhavin Vadodaria, Heather Mulder, Chunlao Tang, Charles Mullighan, Amar Gajjar, Richard Kriwacki, Richard Gilbertson, James Downing and Suzanne Baker, all of St. Jude; Claudia Miller, formerly of St. Jude; Charles Lu, Cyriac Kandoth, Li Ding, Robert Fulton, Lucinda Fulton, David Dooling, Kerri Ochoa and Elaine Mardis, all of Washington University; and Denise Sheer of Queen Mary University of London.

The research was funded in part by the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, including Kay Jewelers, a lead partner; a grant (CA096832) from the National Institutes of Health; and ALSAC.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Jinghui Zhang, Gang Wu, Claudia P Miller, Ruth G Tatevossian, James D Dalton, Bo Tang, Wilda Orisme, Chandanamali Punchihewa, Matthew Parker, Ibrahim Qaddoumi, Fredrick A Boop, Charles Lu, Cyriac Kandoth, Li Ding, Ryan Lee, Robert Huether, Xiang Chen, Erin Hedlund, Panduka Nagahawatte, Michael Rusch, Kristy Boggs, Jinjun Cheng, Jared Becksfort, Jing Ma, Guangchun Song, Yongjin Li, Lei Wei, Jianmin Wang, Sheila Shurtleff, John Easton, David Zhao, Robert S Fulton, Lucinda L Fulton, David J Dooling, Bhavin Vadodaria, Heather L Mulder, Chunlao Tang, Kerri Ochoa, Charles G Mullighan, Amar Gajjar, Richard Kriwacki, Denise Sheer, Richard J Gilbertson, Elaine R Mardis, Richard K Wilson, James R Downing, Suzanne J Baker, David W Ellison. Whole-genome sequencing identifies genetic alterations in pediatric low-grade gliomas. Nature Genetics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/ng.2611

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/top_news/~3/IGPZQlj-GAo/130414193148.htm

la riots rachel maddow gia utah jazz lawrence of arabia denver nuggets new jersey devils

Florida battles slimy invasion by giant snails

By Barbara Liston

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - South Florida is fighting a growing infestation of one of the world's most destructive invasive species: the giant African land snail, which can grow as big as a rat and gnaw through stucco and plaster.

More than 1,000 of the mollusks are being caught each week in Miami-Dade and 117,000 in total since the first snail was spotted by a homeowner in September 2011, said Denise Feiber, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Residents will soon likely begin encountering them more often, crunching them underfoot as the snails emerge from underground hibernation at the start of the state's rainy season in just seven weeks, Feiber said.

The snails attack "over 500 known species of plants ... pretty much anything that's in their path and green," Feiber said.

In some Caribbean countries, such as Barbados, which are overrun with the creatures, the snails' shells blow out tires on the highway and turn into hurling projectiles from lawnmower blades, while their slime and excrement coat walls and pavement.

"It becomes a slick mess," Feiber said.

A typical snail can produce about 1,200 eggs a year and the creatures are a particular pest in homes because of their fondness for stucco, devoured for the calcium content they need for their shells.

The snails also carry a parasitic rat lungworm that can cause illness in humans, including a form of meningitis, Feiber said, although no such cases have yet been identified in the United States.

EXOTIC INVASION

The snails' saga is something of a sequel to the Florida horror show of exotic species invasions, including the well-known infestation of giant Burmese pythons, which became established in the Everglades in 2000. There is a long list of destructive non-native species that thrive in the state's moist, subtropical climate.

Experts gathered last week in Gainesville, Florida, for a Giant African Land Snail Science Symposium, to seek the best ways to eradicate the mollusks, including use of a stronger bait approved recently by the federal government.

Feiber said investigators were trying to trace the snail infestation source. One possibility being examined is a Miami Santeria group, a religion with West African and Caribbean roots, which was found in 2010 to be using the large snails in its rituals, she said. But many exotic species come into the United States unintentionally in freight or tourists' baggage.

"If you got a ham sandwich in Jamaica or the Dominican Republic, or an orange, and you didn't eat it all and you bring it back into the States and then you discard it, at some point, things can emerge from those products," Feiber said.

Authorities are expanding a series of announcements on buses, billboards and in movie theaters urging the public to be on the lookout.

The last known Florida invasion of the giant mollusks occurred in 1966, when a boy returning to Miami from a vacation in Hawaii brought back three of them, possibly in his jacket pockets. His grandmother eventually released the snails into her garden where the population grew in seven years to 17,000 snails. The state spent $1 million and 10 years eradicating them.

Feiber said many people unfamiliar with the danger viewed the snails as cute pets.

"They're huge, they move around, they look like they're looking at you ... communicating with you, and people enjoy them for that," Feiber said. "But they don't realize the devastation they can create if they are released into the environment where they don't have any natural enemies and they thrive."

(Editing by David Adams and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/florida-battles-slimy-invasion-giant-snails-161432518--sector.html

occupy oakland occupy oakland morgellons disease arik armstead sag awards red carpet torrey pines nhl all star game 2012

Is China able - and willing - to rein in N. Korea? (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/298937516?client_source=feed&format=rss

solar storms uganda the parent trap invisible children kony 2012 space weather sunspots pac 12 tournament

Report: Fewer In Mich. Get Insurance Through Work ? CBS Detroit

DETROIT (AP) - A new report shows Michigan residents lost workplace health care coverage at a greater rate than any other state over the past decade.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report released Thursday says 62.9 percent of Michiganians got their insurance through a job in 2011. That?s down from 78.1 percent in 2000.

Foundation officials say higher costs translate to fewer employers offering insurance coverage and fewer employees accepting it when it?s offered.

They say that?s why it?s vital that people have options for buying affordable health insurance that meets their needs. Researchers say factors such as decreases in overall employment and rising premium costs contributed to the declines.

The report was prepared by researchers at the University of Minnesota?s State Health Access Data Assistance Center.

? Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/04/13/report-fewer-in-mich-get-insurance-through-work/

kevin rose sessions march madness scores doonesbury padma lakshmi daughtry lakers trade

2 shot, gunman in custody at Virginia mall that houses college

WSLS 10

Police vehicles outside the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg, Va.

By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

Two women were shot Friday at a Virginia mall that houses a community college, and police have the gunman in custody, authorities said.

AP

This photo provided by the Christiansburg Police Department shows shooting suspect Neil Allen MacInnis, of Christiansburg, Va..

One victim was airlifted to a hospital. The other was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was in stable condition, officials said.

Police identified Neil Allen MacInnis, 18, a student at the college, as a suspect in the shooting.

Students and workers were evacuated after gunshots rang out at the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg, NBC station WSLS reported. Local schools were briefly locked down.

A 911 call came in at 1:55 p.m. and cops were on the scene within five minutes.

A witness told the Roanoke Times that a gunman walked into the lobby of the mall, near the New River Community College, and pointed it at a woman.

---

Students in a classroom heard what they thought was a door slamming before they realized it was gunshots. A teacher told them to run.

?I heard one gunshot, and I didn?t know what it was,? student Josh Brown told the paper. ?I saw people running out.?

?I?ll be scared to come back to school,? he added, starting to cry. ?What?s wrong with people? Who would do something like this??

The identities of the victims and any other identifying information are not being released in order to protect their privacy.

This story was originally published on Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:21 PM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2aa81055/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C120C177229970E20Eshot0Egunman0Ein0Ecustody0Eat0Evirginia0Emall0Ethat0Ehouses0Ecollege0Dlite/story01.htm

dominos Perez Hilton Michelle Obama Oscars Wissam Al Mana seth macfarlane oscar winners anne hathaway

Inspired By Economic Madness - Mike Shedlock - Townhall Finance ...

Do not expect any government or central bank to learn much from history, especially Japan and especially now.

For example, please consider this bit of "inspirational madness": Bank of Japan Finds Inspiration in a 1930s Iconoclast.

The bank?s governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, announced a ?new dimension in monetary easing,? vowing to double the purchases of government bonds and expand the monetary base. The BOJ also formally adopted a previously announced two-year target of 2 percent inflation. Quantitative easing will be the bank?s core business for the near future, a strategy that resembles the Federal Reserve?s response to the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

The BOJ?s actions also mark a return, at least partly, to the unorthodox efforts of Japan?s finance minister in the early 1930s, Korekiyo Takahashi, who was praised by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke for ?brilliantly rescuing Japan from the Great Depression through reflationary policies.?

Takahashi has recently received renewed attention from economists, historians and policy makers. In Japan, the number of popular publications on him suggests a Takahashi following. A biography by Richard Smethurst, ?From Foot Soldier to Finance Minister: Takahashi Korekiyo, Japan?s Keynes,? became an academic hit when it was published in Japanese in 2010.

Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/mikeshedlock/2013/04/13/inspired-by-economic-madness-n1566413

ice t president day new york knicks lin j.r. smith espn jeremy lin sleigh bells

Warren Spector: "Consoles Are Going to be Up Against Some Stiff ...

Warren Spector and Oswald in happier times

Proud to have brought Oswald into the fold

Warren Spector is a well known name in the games industry, with his legacy of titles such as the original Deus Ex assuring his place as development royalty. In more recent years he founded the studio Junction Point, which was acquired by Disney (after an initial offer was turned down) and the team went on to produce Disney Epic Mickey and Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. While the first title surprised some with a strong performance as a Wii exclusive, the multi-platform sequel struggled both critically and commercially. The disappointment and poor sales sealed Junction Point's fate, with Disney Interactive shutting the studio down.

Spector has been relatively quiet since, but in an extensive interview with Gamesindustry.biz the game designer spoke about his positive experiences with Disney ? and also some of the downsides ? and reflected on the parts of his work with the company that pleased him the most.

The most satisfying thing? Let me think for a minute. There were a lot of satisfying? more than satisfying? things. I guess I'd say that number one was getting to work with Mickey Mouse. I went into the whole thing thinking that opportunities to do cool things with a character as well-known and beloved as Mickey come along, well, never. Doing something a little different with the little guy was an amazing experience. And kind of changing the way some people though about him - reminding them (and him) how adventurous and heroic he could be was awesome.

I also have to say, the creative people at Disney are everything you hope they'd be - there's lots of talent there and it was exciting to feel like part of something bigger than yourself? bigger than 'just' a game company.

Oh, and I can't forget bringing Oswald back - that was us, Junction Point, and Disney Interactive. I wanted - still want - that guy to be the symbol of Disney games, the way Mickey is the symbol of the company. No one else had done anything with him, it was all Interactive. I thought we should have gotten more credit than we did. I know everyone at Junction Point was proud to have played a part in his return to the Disney family and to the world.

The biggest regret? Can I say 'that it's over?' I loved being able to say 'I work for Disney' and I can't say that anymore. I left a lot of friends there, and not just at Interactive. Also, I guess I'd have to say I went into the Disney experience as a game guy (obviously) but with a couple of 'checklist of life' things I still hadn't done and with the idea that Disney would be the perfect place to do them. I really want to produce a movie someday and make some cartoons? and I've always wanted to work on a theme park attraction. Yeah?I thought I could do all that at Disney. I mean, where better, right? But that didn't happen. Yeah, I regret that. But maybe I'll get to do that somewhere else. I'm kind of between gigs right now, so if anyone wants a no-experience movie producer or theme park designer, tell 'em to get in touch.

Spector was also quizzed on a number of topics, including the challenges facing Wii U, PS4 and the next Xbox, and he admitted that he sees big hurdles ahead for the fixed hardware generation. When asked whether the coming generation of systems will match the success of Wii/PS3/360, he wasn't keen on giving a prediction.

Prediction is a fool's game, so I'll give you a qualified 'maybe.' It seems likely that success will come less than usual in the pure gaming space and more in the home entertainment space. And there, the consoles are going to be up against some stiff competition. But it seems likely that the multi-purposeness (is that a word?) of the consoles will be enough of a differentiating feature to keep consoles going for a while, at least.

The biggest risk associated with consoles, at least to me, is that they're frozen, hardware-wise, while mobile platforms - phones and tablets - will continue to get more and more powerful. I mean, where do you think the iPad or Kindle Fire or Surface or whatever will be in 3 years? 5 years? It's crazy to think about. And the consoles will still be right where they were in 2013 or whenever they come to market. That'd be a little scary to me if I were a console manufacturer.

We certainly recommend reading the full interview at the link below, but what do you think of Spector's comments on the Epic Mickey games bringing Mickey and Oswald back, and his thoughts on challenges for home consoles such as Wii U? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/04/warren_spector_consoles_are_going_to_be_up_against_some_stiff_competition_in_the_home_entertainment_space

What Time Is The Superbowl Caleb Moore House of Cards Warm Bodies Colin Kaepernick Chris Culliver Atlanta school shooting

Joel Osteen Resigns? Not So Fast ...

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/joel-osteen-resigns-not-so-fast/

elon musk fox mole manson bubba watson recent earthquakes fbi most wanted list stuttering

The Week: Moving an Asteroid, Mapping the Brain and More

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Recent developments in health and science news and a glance at what?s ahead.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/science/moving-an-asteroid-mapping-the-brain-and-more.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

chris carpenter chris carpenter dick cheney hcg drops reason rally mad hatter azerbaijan

Iron Man s Top 10 Heavy Metal Moments Reflections on the First 50 Years of Scientific R&D from Stark Industries

At the risk of stating the obvious, a key component of Iron Man's mythology is the suit of armor. And all the science and engineering research and development that Tony Stark has poured into that suit--and related technology--through Stark Industries. With the next Marvel Studies movie ("Iron Man 3") coming up in May, I thought this was a good time to reflect back on the Armored Avenger and some of the key moments in his last half century of life. What you read below is my chronological "Top 10" list of epic technological outcomes for the Man of Metal. 1. Tales of Suspense #39 from March 1963 "Iron Man Is Born!" 2013 marks the 50^th anniversary of the Invincible Iron Man. So let' start by pointing out his debut in a story penned by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber with art by Don Heck and lettering by Art Simek. This is the original Iron Man origin story with Tony Stark injured in Viet Nam. Tony, along with professor Ho Yinsen, is forced by evil Wong-Chu to build weapons. Instead they build the original Iron Man "gray armor." This suit is really just like a heavily reinforced suit of armor with some rockets and limited weapons. My favorite quote is Tony Stark to Wong-Chu: "You are not facing a wounded dying man now--or an aged, gentle professor! This is Iron Man who opposes you and all you stand for!" In fact this quote makes me wonder--where are all the young, aggressive professors when you really need them? 2. Tales of Suspense #48 from December 1963 "The New Iron Man Battles... The Mysterious Mr. Doll!" Tony creates a new red and gold armor system that is much reduced in bulkiness. It may seem a subtle advance, but it is a much more anthropomorphic suit. This means he can move in it much more easily and the armor is also shown as modular and storable. While it looks much more awe-inspiring, it is less safe and protective against concussive impacts than the old armor. 3. Invincible Iron man #218 "Deep Trouble" from 1987. In this story Tony Stark develops an additional exoskeleton to fit over his Iron Man armor so he can go deep sea diving. This fantastic armor is shown in Panel "C" of the Figure below. Notice how it is pretty close to the general design ideas in the "swimmable" Newtsuit and Exosuits (shown in the A and B panels) and created by inventor Phil Nuytten. I really like this link between science fact and science fiction. I also really like how Tony wears the Iron Man helmet even while inside the additional exoskeleton for deep water action. 4. Iron Man #284 from September 1992 "Legacy of Iron" This is the full debut of Jim Rhodes as War Machine. Tony (in a "posthumous" transmission) tells Rhodey he created the new heavily militarized armor specifically for him and his body. This hints at the need for customized armor and the fact that a neuroprosthetic as advanced as the Iron Man and War Machine suits cannot simply be worn like clothing off a rack. Personal tuning and a lot of training are needed. 5. Iron Man #290 from March 1993 "This Year's Model" Tony is partially paralyzed and it is uncertain whether he will be able to regain movement. So he creates a remote control "telepresence armor" (NTU-150) that makes use of remote control via a brain implant and headset. The general idea presages concepts of brain-machine interfaces being explored now. But not for controlling robot suits of armor. Yet. 6. Iron Man (Volume 4) #1-6 from January 2005 to May 2006 "Extremis" story arc This is the arc that unveils the brilliant concept of the "Extremis" neural interface armor. It was written under the gifted hand of Warren Ellis with amazing art by Adi Granov. Iron Man's origin story is updated from Viet Nam to the Gulf War and the concept of a neural interface for the Iron Man suit is described. As I argue extensively in "Inventing Iron Man", the Extremis armor is the closest to what would be needed for the whole Iron Man concept to work with a biological human body--as a fully integrated neuroprosthetic. Lots of indications in advance of Iron Man 3 suggest Extremis will play a major part in the plot. 7. Iron Man #1-6 from March to August 2007 in special "Iron Man: Hypervelocity" series In "Hypervelocity," the Iron Man armor gains sentience and goes berserk. It flies around without a "pilot" wreaking havoc until Tony, using older armor, eventually defeats it. A good warning of the delicate balance between needing to create almost autonomous armor that can be controlled by a human user with safeguards (think Isaac Asimov's 3 laws of robotics) holding it in check and in control. 8. Marvel Studios Films Iron Man (2008) This movie introduced the motorized robotic equipment for dressing Tony Stark in Iron Man armor. Right now we don't even have the technology to safely dress Tony Stark in the Iron Man as shown in the robotics, let alone create the Iron Man armor itself. I suggest the closest we are is dressing automobiles. The 2013 Ford Escape has been reckoned as deriving from one of the most automated manufacturing processes yet seen. But we are not yet able to safely place armor plating on a human via robot controls. 9. Iron Man (Volume 5) Invincible Iron Man #8 from February 2009 "World's Most Wanted # 1: Shipbreaking" (and continued in 6 parts until July 2009). Under the deft penmanship of Matt Fraction, this storyline uses concepts from Warren Ellis' neural interface of "Extremis" with "biological upgrading" of humans and direct nanotech interface. A neat twist in this story arc is the introduction of Pepper Potts to the Extremis procedure. During which she wonders "...Where is the line drawn? Between man and machine? Where does...humanity end?" This is followed up by Pepper discovering a special suit of armor for her--officially known as the MARK 1616. But it's commonly known as "Rescue" because it was designed for "heavy rescue and recovery". Pepper in the Rescue suit really is the ultimate application of one-time military technology for full-on civilian use. In Part 5 of "World's Most Wanted" Pepper says "There's not a single weapon anywhere on this suit. Everything is defensive, protective...I kind of love it." 10. Iron Man 2 (2010) At his birthday party, Tony Stark is shown wearing and using the Iron Man suit while heavily intoxicated. Jim Rhodes dons the spare (soon to become War Machine) armor to try and subdue him. Blasts go off and huge armored bodies crash through large chunks of the building. This scene riffs heavily on the story lines in the classic David Michelinie story arc "Demon in a Bottle" from the '80s. It also shows very clearly the horrific implications of mixing technology and alcohol abuse. Here it's in the form of a fictional suit of armor, but it stands as a metaphor for our use of commonly found "exoskeletons"--our cars. 11. Yes. I know this is a Top 10 list. But in homage to the heavy metal theme, I'm going all "Spinal Tap" here--my list goes to 11. And at number 11 I am going to plug my own revised origin story for the Golden Avenger found in Inventing Iron man (2011). Instead of a chest plate magnetic field to keep shrapnel from his heart, I prefer that Tony had an arrhythmia. His life- threatening arrhythmia (let's give him ventricular fibrillation) means that the intrinsic electrical pacing that causes Tony's heart to contract and to pump blood is not working correctly. As a result of this arrhythmia, Tony's heart beats irregularly either too fast or too slow or with gaps. Because of this he creates and has surgically implanted a cardioverting defibrillator (ICD). The ICD monitors his heart rate and then provides electrical shocks to reset his heart rhythm when he has a problem. I hope Stan Lee forgives me, but I like this version better. That brings us to the end of my list celebrating Iron Man's Golden Anniversary. Now we just have to sit back and wait for the intersection points where real science fact often catches up with--and occasionally exceeds--comic book science fiction. ? Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2013 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iron-man-top-10-heavy-metal-moments-reflections-162600094.html

lou gehrig toby mac blue ivy carter photos purple squirrel blade runner close encounters of the third kind beyonce and jay z baby

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 1st, 2013

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, Samsung introduced a new crop of smartphones for China and India, the Lumia 520 hit store shelves and Verizon introduced an LTE router... of all things. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of April 1st, 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/06/mobile-miscellany/

jenelle evans jenelle evans mlb 12 the show sabu franchise tag lesotho a wrinkle in time

Kansas set to enact sweeping anti-abortion law

By Kevin Murphy

KANSAS CITY, Kansas (Reuters) - Kansas lawmakers sent the governor a sweeping anti-abortion bill that bans Planned Parenthood from providing sex education materials in schools and defines life as beginning at conception.

The 70-page bill passed 90-30 in the Kansas House of Representatives late on Friday night after easily clearing the Senate earlier in the day. Governor Sam Brownback, a Republican strongly against abortion, was expected to sign it.

Opponents of the measure say it contains numerous provisions that limit a woman's right to an abortion.

Advocates said it mainly codifies existing practices while helping women make more informed choices.

"This fulfills the legislative intent to create a pro-life state," said Kathy Ostrowski, legislative director of Kansans for Life, an anti-abortion group.

The Kansas bill is the latest in a national fight that has seen lawmakers in several states pass new restrictions on abortion in the past two years.

Those have included laws approved in recent weeks in North Dakota and Arkansas that are seen as direct challenges to the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973 legalizing abortion.

The Kansas bill prohibits use of public funds, tax preferences or tax credits for abortion services.

The bill also requires abortion clinics to provide printed material about the fetus' stages of development, a link to websites, material and organizations that help pregnant women, and an explanation of legal responsibilities for an unborn child.

The bill bars school districts from letting abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood offer, sponsor or furnish course materials or instruction on human sexuality or on sexually transmitted diseases.

The bill defines life as beginning at fertilization, but does not ban abortion from that point. Several other states are considering so-called "personhood" measures that seek to enshrine life-at-conception in state constitutions. Such measures have failed in the past when put to a referendum of voters, most recently in Mississippi.

(Reporting by Kevin Murphy; Editing by Greg McCune and Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kansas-senate-passes-abortion-restrictions-014146445.html

space shuttle nyc monkeypox nick perry 30 rock live nfl draft picks 2012 space shuttle enterprise ryan leaf

Arizona tribe seeks artifacts up for auction

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) ? An Arizona tribe is asking a Paris auction house to cancel its upcoming sale of dozens of items central to the tribe's religious practices and return them to their original homes in the American Southwest.

Neret-Minet Tessier & Sarrou describes the collection on its website as katsina masks of the Hopi Indians of Arizona. They are scheduled to be auctioned April 12, with some expected to garner tens of thousands of dollars each.

To the Hopis, they are living beings called katsina friends that emerge from the earth and sky to connect people to the spiritual world and their ancestors. Every member of the Hopi Tribe gets initiated into the Katsina society as a rite of passage.

Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, director of the tribe's cultural preservation office, said the religious items have no commercial value and should be in the hands of the American Indian tribes from which they were taken, including the pueblos of Jemez, Acoma and Zuni in New Mexico. The sale of such items isn't extraordinary, but the size of the collection to be auctioned in Paris and the age of the items is, he said.

The majority of the 70 katsina friends are labeled as Hopi and date back to the late 19th century and early 20th century. Kuwanwisiwma said they likely were collected from the Hopi in the 1930s and 1940s when there was documented evidence of a French citizen on the northern Arizona reservation.

"A lot of these objects were collected under suspicious conditions," he said. "You had such a huge competition by museums to collect artifacts from tribal reservations, and Hopi was no exception."

Acoma Pueblo said Wednesday that it would look into whether a piece labeled as originating from Acoma is authentic and would support any efforts to repatriate American Indian artifacts.

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act gives federally recognized American Indian tribes a way to reclaim funerary objects and ceremonial items from federal agencies and museums in the United States. Sherry Hutt, the program manager for the national NAGPRA office under the U.S. Department of the Interior said the law doesn't always apply to items held internationally.

"Did it leave at the time by gift or was it removed without permission? What were the rules at the time?" she said. "Once you know that, you may or may not have an application of NAGPRA, you may or may not have statues that apply to cultural resources or other remedies, generally."

An email sent to Neret-Minet Tessier & Sarrou on Tuesday was not returned, and the auction house declined immediate comment when contacted by a reporter on Wednesday. The press release announcing the auction said the items were collected by a "connoisseur with peerless taste," who had lived in the United States for more than 30 years and had attended katsina dances at the Hopi villages but doesn't say how.

Jose Viarreal, editor of the website artdaily.org, published the news release and said he received calls afterward from Hopis furious about the sale. He said he contacted the auction house and was told the items were obtained legally.

"I think this is going to go through as planned," he said.

Kuwanwisiwma said no Hopi has authority to sell or transfer such items because they are considered cultural patrimony, and no one other than a Hopi tribal member should possess them. Things haven't always worked out that way.

The Heard Museum in Phoenix is backing the Hopi Tribe's effort to recover the items and said it was hopeful the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People could be used as leverage. France was among the first to sign the declaration that says indigenous people have the right to repatriation of their human remains, ceremonial objects and cultural patrimony.

The auction house cited a book written by the founder of the Museum of Northern Arizona in its description of the katsinas, which Hopi artists commonly depict in carved, wooden figures and sell. The museum's director, Robert Breunig, appealed to the sense of decency and humanity in asking that the auction be called off.

"To be displayed disembodied in your catalog and on the Internet is sacrilegious and offensive," he wrote in a letter to the auction house. "If one claims to value these katsina friends as 'works of art,' one must also respect the people who made them and the native traditions that govern their use."

If returned, Kuwanwisiwma said the items will be placed in the care of the head katsina priest. The tribe would not bid on the objects otherwise, he said.

"Culturally we made it clear that there's no price tag on our ceremonial and religious objects," he said. "That's pretty much out of the question."

___

Associated Press Writer Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-04-03-US-Artifacts-Auction/id-78da394fe77a475d8cd44ed2efe76f6a

frances bean cobain north korea missile launch modesto st louis weather guinea bissau google stock google stock

Jurassic Park 3D Review: An Improvement on Perfection

It's a universal truth that Jurassic Park is a near-perfect movie, which is why its 20th anniversary re-release in 3D has elicited both elation and groans from fans. Yay, hurray, Jurassic Park in theaters! Uh oh, I hope the 3D conversion doesn't ruin the film! More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/YKMr7s6epxs/jurassic-park-3d-review-an-improvement-on-perfection

Karlie Redd guild wars 2 adrian gonzalez Jerry Nelson Foo Canoodle Isaac path

Who can and can't buy guns?

Licensed dealer Jacob Dewell discusses the legal aspects of a sale at a gun show March 31, 2001, in Colorado Springs,??

Later this month, the Senate is expected to begin debating a Democrat-backed bill to vastly expand the federal background check system for gun buyers. The proposed legislation, part of President Barack Obama's recent push to curb gun violence, would close the so-called gun show loophole that allows a substantial minority of overall gun sales to take place without background checks.

The bill's proponents say fewer domestic abusers, felons and mentally ill people will be able to buy weapons if Congress passes it. The National Rifle Association, however, says expanding the checks won't stop crime, because most criminals get their guns on the black market. The group also pointed out that gaping holes in the national background check system make it ineffective.

So what does the background check system do, and who will be prevented from buying weapons if it expands to cover every gun purchase?

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which is managed by the FBI, quickly checks the name of a prospective buyer against federal and state criminal records to see if he or she is disqualified from buying a gun. Federal law prevents the sale of weapons to people who have been convicted of a felony, have a warrant out for their arrest, have used drugs within the past year, were committed involuntarily to a mental institution or ruled mentally incompetent by a judge, are living in the U.S. illegally, have a domestic-violence-related restraining order against them or have a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. People who were dishonorably discharged from the military or who have renounced their U.S. citizenship are also barred from gun purchases.

Between 1998 and 2010, the Justice Department turned down just 2.1 million of 118 million gun applications, most of them people with felony convictions who tried to purchase a gun.

But some people?including at least one mass murderer, Seung-Hui Cho?who should not have been allowed to buy guns have slipped through the cracks over the same period.

The problem is states vary greatly in the amount and quality of information they provide to the database, especially when it comes to mental health issues. (The federal government cannot compel the states to share all their records with the database, though it can offer them financial incentives to do so.)

In 2007, Cho was able to buy a weapon from a licensed dealer and then kill 32 people at Virginia Tech, even though he had been declared mentally ill by a judge in 2005. The state never submitted that record to NICS, so his name cleared the database when he bought the gun. The incident spurred 18 states to pass laws requiring agencies to report more mental health information to the database, and a Government Accountability Office report from last year found that mental health records in the system increased eightfold from 2004 to 2011.

A 2010 Justice Department report also identified problems with states' reporting records on people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors or who are under restraining orders. Some states do not know how to determine which orders are still active, while others don't maintain records on restraining orders at all.

Even if all the holes in the database are eventually filled, some gun researchers think federal law does not go far enough in prohibiting people who may be at risk for becoming violent from buying weapons.

Daniel Webster, a professor of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says based on his research he believes more categories of people should be prohibited from buying weapons. People who have temporary domestic-violence-related restraining orders against them, for example, can still buy and own weapons under federal law. Federal law also counts only couples who have lived together or were married in the definition of domestic violence. So an ex-boyfriend with an active order of protection out against him could still buy a weapon if he was never married or lived with his former partner.

Webster also thinks there's an argument for excluding people with multiple drunken driving convictions from buyng weapons, because those who abuse alcohol are at an increased risk for committing violent crimes.

"The research indicates that people who have problems with alcohol actually have much greater risk for being violent than those who use illegal drugs," Webster said. Current law also allows people aged 18 or older to buy weapons from private dealers, while people have to be 21 to buy from a licensed seller.

But Dave Kopel, a professor at Denver University and an analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute, said the current law sometimes excludes too many people from their constitutional right to own a weapon to defend themselves.

Kopel said the current background check system mainly catches buyers who don't realize that a past infraction prevents them from legally buying a weapon, such as "some guy who got into a fight with his live-in girlfriend in 1977, threw a coffee cup against the wall ... and pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace." Those who know they can't own a weapon go to the black market, he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/gun-background-checks-isn-t-allowed-purchase-gun-191132087--politics.html

the time machine michelin tires michelin tires rett syndrome where the wild things are birdsong teresa giudice