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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50588955/
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has begun to reshape his Cabinet at the start of his second term, elevating several longtime advisers to key positions.
More changes are still to come, as officials step down after long tenures through stressful periods at top jobs.
Obama has faced criticism for his choices, in part because of past policy decisions and statements some have made, but also because he has so far named four white men to a Cabinet once lauded for its diversity.
Following is a list of nominations thus far along with some Cabinet members who the White House has confirmed are staying on, and some important positions that are vacant or may soon become vacant.
NOMINATIONS
* State - John Kerry, the unsuccessful 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been nominated to replace Hillary Clinton.
* Treasury - Jack Lew, Obama's chief of staff and a two-time White House budget director, would take the top economic job at a time when the White House faces another round of tough negotiations on deficit issues with Congress. He would replace Timothy Geithner.
* Defense - Chuck Hagel is a former Republican senator and a decorated war veteran who fought in Vietnam. Hagel faces a tough confirmation battle because of past controversial comments about Israel and gays. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is retiring.
* CIA director - John Brennan was Obama's counterterrorism adviser and has worked for the CIA as officer, analyst and administrator. He would replace David Petraeus, who resigned in November over an extramarital affair.
* Chief of Staff - Obama tapped longtime foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough for the job.
STAYING PUT, FOR NOW
* Justice - Attorney General Eric Holder, who is part of an Obama task force looking at how to reduce gun violence, will stay on. There had been widespread speculation he would not serve more than four years, a rare long term for an attorney general.
* Homeland Security - Secretary Janet Napolitano had been expected to take over the Justice file if Holder left. Now that the White House has said Holder will stay, Napolitano is expected to remain in her current job.
* Agriculture - Secretary Tom Vilsack, who has spearheaded talks with Congress about cuts to farm subsidies, will stay on for Obama's second term.
* Health and Human Services - Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will remain in her job.
* Veterans Affairs - Secretary Eric Shinseki, a former U.S. Army chief of staff, will stay on.
* Education - Secretary Arne Duncan will stay in his job.
COMMERCE - VACANT
Secretary John Bryson resigned in June for health reasons. Rebecca Blank, an economist, has been acting secretary since then.
Possible replacements:
- U.S. Export-Import Bank President Fred Hochberg
- Elizabeth Littlefield, president of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
- Xerox Chief Executive Ursula Burns
- Steve Case - co-founder of America Online, is part of Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, an advisory group of corporate executives, labor leaders and academics.
- Daniel Doctoroff - chief executive of the financial news service Bloomberg and a former deputy mayor of New York City under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, founder of the eponymous company.
- Jeff Zients - acting director of Obama's budget office and a former management consultant who could play a role should the president seek to reorganize the Commerce Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative into a consolidated, business-oriented government agency.
LABOR - VACANT
Secretary Hilda Solis, the first Latina to head a major U.S. federal agency, announced plans to resign. It is not clear who is in the running to replace her.
ENERGY - COULD SOON BE VACANT
Speculation is rampant that Steven Chu will soon resign after a tumultuous time at the helm of the Energy Department. Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, took the fall for the administration over a failed loan to solar-panel maker Solyndra, which Republicans trumpeted as a symbol of government waste and mismanagement.
Possible replacements:
- Christine Gregoire - a former Washington state governor, Gregoire has been mentioned as a potential candidate for three energy-related positions in Obama's Cabinet: the Environmental Protection Agency, Interior and Energy.
- Byron Dorgan - former North Dakota senator who was a member of the Senate Energy Committee and focuses on energy issues at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank.
- Bill Ritter - former Colorado governor who helped reform regulations on oil and gas in his state, and now advocates for responsible oil and gas drilling from a post at Colorado State University.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - VACANT
Lisa Jackson, a chemical engineer and the first black administrator of the agency, announced last month she planned to leave. Jackson battled Republican lawmakers and industry groups who accused the agency of overreaching as it cracked down on carbon emissions and mercury pollution.
Possible replacements:
- Christine Gregoire - (See Energy section above)
- Bob Perciasepe - Jackson's deputy and the EPA's acting administrator has already been through the Senate confirmation process, which could be difficult for any new candidate because of Republican anger over EPA rules.
- Gina McCarthy - the assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation is well-known on Capitol Hill, and once worked for 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney when he was Massachusetts governor.
- Mary Nichols - chairman of the California Air Resources Board, who is overseeing a state-run, cap-and-trade system for climate-changing greenhouse gases.
- Kathleen McGinty - former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET - VACANT
The top job at the OMB has been vacant for a year since Jack Lew moved into the chief of staff role.
Candidates:
- Sylvia Matthews Burwell - runs the Wal-Mart Foundation, is considered a top contender for the job. Burwell worked in the Clinton administration and would bring gender diversity to the Cabinet and Obama's economic team.
- Jeff Zients - deputy budget director since 2009, could officially take the top job.
- Douglas Elmendorf - an economist who has been director of the Congressional Budget Office since 2009. Elmendorf has worked at the Federal Reserve, the Council of Economic Advisers and the Treasury Department.
UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE - COULD SOON BE VACANT
USTR Ronald Kirk has said he plans to leave. He could be offered another Cabinet-level post such as Commerce secretary, but there is speculation that he will opt for a private-sector job or seek state-wide office in his home state of Texas.
Possible replacements:
- U.S. Export-Import Bank President Fred Hochberg
- Commerce Under Secretary for International Affairs Francisco Sanchez
- Demetrios Marantis - deputy U.S. trade representative for Asia and Africa and former chief international trade counsel for Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus.
- Michael Punke - U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization, who worked for Baucus from 1991 to 1992 as international trade counsel before joining the Clinton White House as director for international economic affairs.
- Lael Brainard - Treasury undersecretary for international affairs. She has been heavily involved in trade and currency talks with China and broader economic discussions with the Group of 20 leading developed and developing countries.
- Michael Froman - now chief White House international economic affairs adviser, who attended Harvard Law School with Obama, had been considered a likely successor to Kirk. But a source familiar with his thinking said he was more likely to remain in his current role.
(Reporting By Jeff Mason, Mark Felsenthal, Roberta Rampton, Doug Palmer, Margaret Chadbourn, Deborah Charles, David Ingram, Ayesha Rascoe and Timothy Gardner. Editing by Christopher Wilson and Philip Barbara)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-obamas-second-term-cabinet-takes-shape-013818411--finance.html
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FILE - In a June 11, 2007 file photo, Helen Heinlo smokes outside of a coffee shop in Belmont, Calif. Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama?s health care law, say experts. The Affordable Care Act allows health insurers to charge smokers buying an individual policy up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1. For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year. A 60-year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
FILE - In a June 11, 2007 file photo, Helen Heinlo smokes outside of a coffee shop in Belmont, Calif. Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama?s health care law, say experts. The Affordable Care Act allows health insurers to charge smokers buying an individual policy up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1. For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year. A 60-year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
California State Assemblyman Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, right, is seen after Gov. Jerry Brown, delivered his State of the State address at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 23, 2013. Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama?s health care law, say experts who are just now teasing out the potential impact of an overlooked provision in the massive legislation. ?We don?t want to create barriers for people to get health care coverage,? said California state Assemblyman Richard Pan, who is working on a law in his state that would limit insurers? ability to charge smokers more.? The federal law allows states to limit or change the smoking penalty. ?We want people who are smoking to get smoking cessation treatment,? added Pan, a pediatrician who represents the Sacramento area. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
FILE - In a June 11, 2007 file photo, Helen Heinlo smokes outside of a coffee shop in Belmont, Calif. Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama?s health care law, say experts. The Affordable Care Act allows health insurers to charge smokers buying an individual policy up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1. For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year. A 60-year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
Californian State Assemblyman Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, right, talks with schools chief Tom Torlakson, after Gov. Jerry Brown, delivered his State of the State address at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 23, 2013. Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama?s health care law, say experts who are just now teasing out the potential impact of an overlooked provision in the massive legislation. ?We don?t want to create barriers for people to get health care coverage,? said California state Assemblyman Richard Pan, who is working on a law in his state that would limit insurers? ability to charge smokers more.? The federal law allows states to limit or change the smoking penalty. ?We want people who are smoking to get smoking cessation treatment,? added Pan, a pediatrician who represents the Sacramento area. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama's health care law, according to experts who are just now teasing out the potential impact of a little-noted provision in the massive legislation.
The Affordable Care Act ? "Obamacare" to its detractors ? allows health insurers to charge smokers buying individual policies up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1.
For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year. A 60-year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums.
Younger smokers could be charged lower penalties under rules proposed last fall by the Obama administration. But older smokers could face a heavy hit on their household budgets at a time in life when smoking-related illnesses tend to emerge.
Workers covered on the job would be able to avoid tobacco penalties by joining smoking cessation programs, because employer plans operate under different rules. But experts say that option is not guaranteed to smokers trying to purchase coverage individually.
Nearly one of every five U.S. adults smokes. That share is higher among lower-income people, who also are more likely to work in jobs that don't come with health insurance and would therefore depend on the new federal health care law. Smoking increases the risk of developing heart disease, lung problems and cancer, contributing to nearly 450,000 deaths a year.
Insurers won't be allowed to charge more under the overhaul for people who are overweight, or have a health condition like a bad back or a heart that skips beats ? but they can charge more if a person smokes.
Starting next Jan. 1, the federal health care law will make it possible for people who can't get coverage now to buy private policies, providing tax credits to keep the premiums affordable. Although the law prohibits insurance companies from turning away the sick, the penalties for smokers could have the same effect in many cases, keeping out potentially costly patients.
"We don't want to create barriers for people to get health care coverage," said California state Assemblyman Richard Pan, who is working on a law in his state that would limit insurers' ability to charge smokers more. The federal law allows states to limit or change the smoking penalty.
"We want people who are smoking to get smoking cessation treatment," added Pan, a pediatrician who represents the Sacramento area.
Obama administration officials declined to be interviewed for this article, but a former consumer protection regulator for the government is raising questions.
"If you are an insurer and there is a group of smokers you don't want in your pool, the ones you really don't want are the ones who have been smoking for 20 or 30 years," said Karen Pollitz, an expert on individual health insurance markets with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. "You would have the flexibility to discourage them."
Several provisions in the federal health care law work together to leave older smokers with a bleak set of financial options, said Pollitz, formerly deputy director of the Office of Consumer Support in the federal Health and Human Services Department.
First, the law allows insurers to charge older adults up to three times as much as their youngest customers.
Second, the law allows insurers to levy the full 50 percent penalty on older smokers while charging less to younger ones.
And finally, government tax credits that will be available to help pay premiums cannot be used to offset the cost of penalties for smokers.
Here's how the math would work:
Take a hypothetical 60-year-old smoker making $35,000 a year. Estimated premiums for coverage in the new private health insurance markets under Obama's law would total $10,172. That person would be eligible for a tax credit that brings the cost down to $3,325.
But the smoking penalty could add $5,086 to the cost. And since federal tax credits can't be used to offset the penalty, the smoker's total cost for health insurance would be $8,411, or 24 percent of income. That's considered unaffordable under the federal law. The numbers were estimated using the online Kaiser Health Reform Subsidy Calculator.
"The effect of the smoking (penalty) allowed under the law would be that lower-income smokers could not afford health insurance," said Richard Curtis, president of the Institute for Health Policy Solutions, a nonpartisan research group that called attention to the issue with a study about the potential impact in California.
In today's world, insurers can simply turn down a smoker. Under Obama's overhaul, would they actually charge the full 50 percent? After all, workplace anti-smoking programs that use penalties usually charge far less, maybe $75 or $100 a month.
Robert Laszewski, a consultant who previously worked in the insurance industry, says there's a good reason to charge the maximum.
"If you don't charge the 50 percent, your competitor is going to do it, and you are going to get a disproportionate share of the less-healthy older smokers," said Laszewski. "They are going to have to play defense."
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Online:
Kaiser Health Reform Subsidy Calculator ? http://healthreform.kff.org/subsidycalculator.aspx
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Korg has a string of classic sound-making machines the bear its name. One of the most well regarded would be the MS-20 analog synth that first landed in 1978. But that's no good to you right here in 2013 is it? Well, funnily enough, the kind folk at Korg realised this, and decided to relaunch it, updated for the modern musician. The MS-20 mini is, as you might surmise, a smaller version of the classic, measuring in at 86 percent the size of the original. It also looks like as much of the character that made the MS-20 sing to people's hearts has been carried over as possible. The mini was developed by the same engineers, has the same synthesis set up (two oscillators, ring modulation, VCA design etc) complete with manual cable-patching system (which is now 3.5mm rather than 1/4-inch). There is one modern addition, and that is a USB-MIDI jack around the back, letting you plug in to your favorite DAW / sequencing software through the more contemporary connection -- should you prefer that over the good old 5-pin MIDI (which is still an option). As we're right here at NAMM, we took a stroll over to the Korg booth to take a look for ourselves. Head past the break to see / hear more.
Undoubtedly, the MS-20 mini looks like the real deal. Although smaller second time around, it's still a good size, and big enough for competent keyboard players to do their thing. The knobs and pots felt surprisingly plasticky, but the rest of the machine seems robust and well made. It's hard not to get sucked in to the whole vintage detail, especially the patch bay on the right hand side. The action on the keys feels good and responsive, and those dials should be able to take some vigorous use -- ideal for live performances. The sound it generates will definitely please fans of analog synths, and we even caught Deadmau5 making an appearance at the booth to check it out. So, if you'd like to upgrade from that iPad app version, to the real deal, you should be able to do so in spring, for an expected $599. Want to hear how it sounds? Jump on the video below for the quick demo. Full press release comes after that.
Korg USA Announces MS-20 mini - Korg's classic MS-20 is recreated in mini size -
WINTER NAMM, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, January 24th, 2013 - Korg's MS-20 monophonic synthesizer, first introduced in 1978, is still coveted to this day for its thick, robust sound, powerful, iconic analog filter, and versatile patching options. It has now been reborn in hardware, as the new MS-20 mini. The same engineers who developed the original MS-20 have perfectly reproduced it in a body that's been shrunk to 86% of the original size, yet retains the distinctive look of the original.
The MS-20 Mini offers the same distinctive synthesis that made the original MS-20 popular: two oscillators with ring modulation, and envelope generators with delay and hold. The VCA (Voltage Controlled Amp) maintains the original basic design, but it's been modified to produce less noise. Particular attention has also been paid to delivering smooth parameter adjustments, which are a distinctive feature of analog synthesizers. Special care was also taken to completely reproduce the original specifications of the MS-20, to deliver the same powerful sound, from deep, growling basses to crisp, rounded leads.
One of the most well-known - and still most sought after - characteristics of the original MS-20 was its powerful filters, which provided both high-pass and low-pass with peak/resonance. Maximizing the peak/resonance would cause the filter to self-oscillate; producing a distinctive and dramatic tonal change that was acclaimed as inimitable, and was used many years later on Korg's monotron and monotribe. The filter circuit was changed mid-way through the production lifecycle of the MS-20; the MS-20 mini uses the earlier filter, which was felt to be superior due to its more radical sound.
The ESP (External Signal Processor) functionality carries on the experimental spirit of MS-20, allowing users to utilize the pitch or volume of an external audio source to control the synthesizer. For example, an electric guitar can be used as an input signal, and the MS-20 mini can be used as a guitar synthesizer, or the mic input can allow it to be used it as a vocal synthesizer.
The patching system enables the creation of complex sounds by allowing the rerouting of both modulation and audio (both the internal oscillators and external audio). Different combinations of the modulation input/output and trigger, sample and hold, and noise generator can produce an incredible variety of sounds. By patching according to the MS-20 flow chart printed on the panel, musicians of all levels can take advantage of these possibilities right away.
To make it even more approachable, the MS-20 mini has been shrunk to 86% of the size of the original, with meticulous care taken to accurately reproduce the knob design and the printing. The patch cables have been changed from 1/4" phone plugs to mini-plugs, and the newly- designed keyboard is also 86% of the original size.
The MS-20 mini is equipped with a MIDI IN jack for receiving note messages, and a USB-MIDI connector that can transmit and receive note messages. Users can also connect the MS20 mini to a computer and play it from an external sequencer.
For added authenticity, the MS-20 mini packaging replicates much of the original. Also included are the original MS-20 owner's manual and settings chart.
Billy Steele contributed to this report.
Filed under: Misc
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/bL7peGexeUE/
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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) ? Cambodia on Friday reported three new human cases of bird flu, two of them fatal, in the first three weeks of this year. That's as many cases as the Southeast Asian country reported in all of 2012.
The cases are among the first reported in 2013 for the virulent H5N1 virus, which the World Health Organization says has killed 360 other people worldwide since surfacing in 2003.
WHO and Cambodia's health ministry announced that a 15-year-old girl in a village in southeastern Takeo province and a 35-year-old man in central Kampong Speu province died after being hospitalized with H5N1, better known as bird flu. An 8-month-old boy in the capital, Phnom Penh, was treated and survived.
Cambodia reported three cases last year, all of them fatal. Since 2005, it has recorded 21 cases, 19 of them fatal.
The disease remains hard for people to catch, but experts fear it could mutate into a more deadly form that spreads easily from person to person. So far, most human cases have been linked to contact with infected poultry.
On Wednesday, international scientists who last year halted controversial research with the deadly bird flu virus said they were resuming their work as countries adopt new rules to ensure safety.
An outcry had erupted when two labs ? in the Netherlands and the U.S. ? reported they had created easier-to-spread versions of bird flu. Amid fierce debate about the oversight of such research and whether it might aid terrorists, those scientists voluntarily halted further work last January.
Those scientists announced Wednesday they were ending their moratorium now that health authorities have had time to determine how they will oversee high-stakes research involving dangerous germs. Several countries have already issued new rules.
In letters published in the journals Science and Nature this week, scientists wrote that those who meet their country's requirements have a responsibility to resume studying how the bird flu might mutate to become a bigger threat.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cambodia-reports-3-bird-flu-cases-2-fatal-131138889.html
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Essential News from The Associated Press
| AAA??Jan. 24, 2013?9:30 PM ET AP PHOTOS: A look at women's military service By The Associated Press?  ?By The Associated PressIn this May 9, 2012 photo, Capt. Sara Rodriguez of the 101st Airborne Division walks through the woods during the expert field medical badge testing at Fort Campbell, Ky. (AP Photo/Kristin M. Hall) In this May 9, 2012 photo, Capt. Sara Rodriguez of the 101st Airborne Division walks through the woods during the expert field medical badge testing at Fort Campbell, Ky. (AP Photo/Kristin M. Hall) FILE - In this Aug. 10, 2009 file photo, U.S. Marine Female Engagement Team members Lance Cpl. Mary Shloss, right, of Hammond, Ind., Sgt. Monica Perez,, center, of San Diego, Calif. and Cpl. Kelsey Rossetti, of Derry, N.H. wait for the signal to begin their patrol in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File) FILE - In this Sunday, April 12, 2009, file photo, an Iraqi woman is searched by a female U.S. soldier before reuniting with her husband, who was among 32 men released from U.S. military detention at Camp Bucca to their families in Tarmiyah, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File) This Thursday, March 20, 2008, photo provided by the US Army shows Army Spc. Monica Brown, a medic from the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, who received a silver star at an award ceremony at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Brown is the second female since World War II to earn the Silver Star award for her actions while in combat. (AP Photo/US Army, Spc. Micah E. Clare) FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2005, file photo, Army Major Tammy Duckworth rolls herself up during physical therapy at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Duckworth lost both legs when the helicopter she was in was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade during a mission near Baghdad on Nov. 12, 2004. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Michael Chow) Through the years, women's roles in wartime have evolved ? not that they've ever been inclined to just stand by. During the American Revolution, Nancy Morgan Hart was famously depicted with a musket, defending her home and children from British soldiers in Georgia. In World War II, members of the Women Army Corps worked in a support capacity, while in Iraq and Afghanistan women have served closer to the front. Those roles evolved further Thursday when Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed an order ending the Pentagon's ban on women serving in combat. Here's a collection of images showing some of the ways women have served their country in the U.S. military.. Associated PressNews Topics: General news, Women in the military, Military affairs, Photographic services, Military culture, Military and defense, Government and politics, Consumer services, Consumer products and services, Industries, Business |
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??Andy Murray has beaten Roger Federer for the first time in a Grand Slam event to advance to the Australian Open final against top-ranked Novak Djokovic. The world No. 3 beat the Swiss star 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2.
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/hardball/50566476/
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Ben Curtis, an actor and former spokesperson for Dell (DELL) known for his catchphrase ?Dude you?re getting a Dell,? believes that he can help the company he used to promote. According to Curtis, the solution is simple: bring back the ?Dell Dude.? The actor represented the company from 2000 to 2003 in a series of commercials that were critically acclaimed and helped Dell become the world?s largest PC vendor. After running into some legal problems, however, Curtis was let go.
[More from BGR: RIM releases BES 10 for BlackBerry 10 and rival phones, offers free 60-day trial]
The company has struggled in recent years as consumers begin to embrace a post-PC era. Dell is reportedly in buyout talks with a private equity firm that would value the?company?between $22 billion and $25 billion.
[More from BGR: As data gets cheaper for Verizon to transmit, customers are paying more]
Curtis doesn?t believe this is the best option, though.
?I think they?re making a huge mistake and simply need to bring back the Dell Dude!? he said in an interview with Bloomberg. ?That?s it. That?s all they need to do. If they brought me back, their sales, stock and media presence would skyrocket.?
Curtis believes this would be ?by FAR the smartest move they could make.?
This article was originally published on BGR.com
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ultimate-humiliation-dell-now-getting-advice-dell-dude-045927185.html
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Kim Dotcom, founder of the file storage site MegaUpload.com and target of the US government?s ?War on the Internet,? launched a new file storage site today. Dotcom had been teasing the launch for months but made it official with a tweet: ?As of this minute one year ago #Megaupload was destroyed by the US Government. Welcome to Mega.co.nz?
?
Such tactics are similar to those being employed by companies in the online gambling sector who?ve had their .com domains seized and shuttered by the US government as part of the effort to try to curb American-facing nline gambling operations.
Confident that he?s in the right, Dotcom hasn?t been shy about thumbing his nose at the US authorities. He?s scored some small victories along the way, including having a New Zealand court deem the January 2012 raid ?illegal search and seizure? as the warrant was vague and didn?t clearly state that the police were acting on behalf of the US government.
He?s also relying on New Zealand law, which indemnifies Internet service providers from liability if users infringe on copyrights.?We wish Kim Dotcom the best in his new venture; if nothing else, we?re sure it will leave the US government foaming at the mouth.
Speaking of, US government mouths may get extra foamy once the small island nation of Antigua launches its own file-sharing site. Having won multiple World Trade Organization victories over the US government?s hypocritical stance on online gambling, Antigua has been authorized to use alternative means to collect the $21m in annual compensation it was awarded by the WTO dispute resolution panel.
These alternative means include the right to disregard intellectual property rights of US companies. The Antiguan government could start creating and distributing DVD copies of the latest movies without paying fees or opening itself up to legal recourse from the major film studios. But we live in the Internet age, so it would make more sense for the Antigua government to create their own MEGA file storage site or potentially an Antiguan Netflix streaming big Hollywood movies to subscribers around the world. Countdown to massive foaming at the mouth by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in 3?2?1?
As we reported a few months ago, the Antiguan government has grown tired of being given the runaround by the US Trade Representative. Antigua is now ready to take action against the US. We don?t have the exact date but the Antiguans will be heading to Geneva soon to begin the process of imposing sanctions and recouping their losses. As a tiny developing nation, Antigua has had great difficulty in getting the US to even pay attention to its pleas for justice. But given that groups like the MPAA are largely responsible for writing much of the US legislation as it pertains to the internet, we suspect their howls of outrage may finally prompt the US to get off its ass and honor its international trade obligations.
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Source: http://calvinayre.com/2013/01/21/business/kim-dotcom-launches-megabox-antigua-to-do-the-same/
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In the AP photo above by Jacquelyn Martin, President Barack Obama and his family walk toward church near the White House just hours before his public inaugural ceremony.
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Inauguration Watch follows the events of President Barack Obama's second inaugural. Look for short items and photos throughout the day.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/church-133949320.html
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FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 file photo Russian gay right campaigner Pavel Samburov (center left) and five other gay rights activists kiss during a protest near the State Duma, Russia's lower parliament chamber, in Moscow, Russia. A controversial bill banning "homosexual propaganda" has been submitted to Russia's lower house of parliament for the first of three hearings Tuesday, Jan. 22. 2013. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze, file)
FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 file photo Russian gay right campaigner Pavel Samburov (center left) and five other gay rights activists kiss during a protest near the State Duma, Russia's lower parliament chamber, in Moscow, Russia. A controversial bill banning "homosexual propaganda" has been submitted to Russia's lower house of parliament for the first of three hearings Tuesday, Jan. 22. 2013. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze, file)
FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 file photo police officers detain gay right activists during a protest near the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, in Moscow, Russia. A controversial bill banning "homosexual propaganda" has been submitted to Russia's lower house of parliament for the first of three hearings Tuesday, Jan. 22. 2013. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze, file)
FILE - In this Saturday, May 16, 2009 file photo a gay rights activist is detained by a police officer in Moscow, Russia. A controversial bill banning "homosexual propaganda" will be submitted to Russia's lower house of parliament for the first of three hearings Tuesday, Jan. 22. 2013.(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, file)
FILE - In this Saturday, May 28, 2011 file photo Russian police officers detain a gay rights activist during an attempt to hold a gay pride parade in Moscow, Russia. A controversial bill banning "homosexual propaganda" has been submitted to Russia's lower house of parliament for the first of three hearings Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, file)
FILE- In this Saturday, June 25, 2011 file photo, a boat carrying a rainbow flag sails on the Neva River during a gay rights rally in St. Petersburg, Russia. A controversial bill banning "homosexual propaganda" has been submitted to Russia's lower house of parliament for the first of three hearings Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, file)
MOSCOW (AP) ? Kissing his boyfriend during a protest in front of Russia's parliament earned Pavel Samburov 30 hours of detention and the equivalent of a $16 fine on a charge of "hooliganism." But if a bill that comes up for a first vote later this month becomes law, such a public kiss could be defined as illegal "homosexual propaganda" and bring a fine of up to $16,000.
The legislation being pushed by the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church would make it illegal nationwide to provide minors with information that is defined as "propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism." It includes a ban on holding public events that promote gay rights. St. Petersburg and a number of other Russian cities already have similar laws on their books.
The bill is part of an effort to promote traditional Russian values as opposed to Western liberalism, which the Kremlin and church see as corrupting Russian youth and by extension contributing to a wave of protest against President Vladimir Putin's rule.
Samburov describes the anti-gay bill as part of a Kremlin crackdown on minorities of any kind ? political and religious as well as sexual ? designed to divert public attention from growing discontent with Putin's rule.
The lanky and longhaired Samburov is the founder of the Rainbow Association, which unites gay activists throughout Russia. The gay rights group has joined anti-Putin marches in Moscow over the past year, its rainbow flag waving along with those of other opposition groups.
Other laws that the Kremlin says are intended to protect young Russians have been hastily adopted in recent months, including some that allow banning and blocking web content and print publications that are deemed "extremist" or unfit for young audiences.
Denis Volkov, a sociologist with the Levada Center, an independent pollster, says the anti-gay bill fits the "general logic" of a government intent on limiting various rights.
But in this case, the move has been met mostly with either indifference or open enthusiasm by average Russians. Levada polls conducted last year show that almost two thirds of Russians find homosexuality "morally unacceptable and worth condemning." About half are against gay rallies and same-sex marriage; almost a third think homosexuality is the result of "a sickness or a psychological trauma," the Levada surveys show.
Russia's widespread hostility to homosexuality is shared by the political and religious elite.
Lawmakers have accused gays of decreasing Russia's already low birth rates and said they should be barred from government jobs, undergo forced medical treatment or be exiled. Orthodox activists criticized U.S. company PepsiCo for using a "gay" rainbow on cartons of its dairy products. An executive with a government-run television network said in a nationally televised talk show that gays should be prohibited from donating blood, sperm and organs for transplants, while after death their hearts should be burned or buried.
The anti-gay sentiment was seen Sunday in Voronezh, a city south of Moscow, where a handful of gay activists protesting against the parliament bill were attacked by a much larger group of anti-gay activists who hit them with snowballs.
The gay rights protest that won Samburov a fine took place in December. Seconds after Samburov and his boyfriend kissed, militant activists with the Orthodox Church pelted them with eggs. Police intervened, rounding up the gay activists and keeping them for 30 hours first in a frozen van and then in an unheated detention center. The Orthodox activists were also rounded up, but were released much earlier.
Those behind the bill say minors need to be protected from "homosexual propaganda" because they are unable to evaluate the information critically. "This propaganda goes through the mass media and public events that propagate homosexuality as normal behavior," the bill reads.
Cities started adopting anti-gay laws in 2006. Only one person has been prosecuted so far under a law specifically targeted at gays: Nikolai Alexeyev, a gay rights campaigner, was fined the equivalent of $160 after a one-man protest last summer in St. Petersburg.
In November, a St. Petersburg court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trade Union of Russian Citizens, a small group of Orthodox conservatives and Putin loyalists, against pop star Madonna. The group sought $10.7 million in damages for what it says was "propaganda of perversion" when Madonna spoke up for gay rights during a show three months earlier.
The federal bill's expected adoption comes 20 years after a Stalinist-era law punishing homosexuality with up to five years in prison was removed from Russia's penal code as part of the democratic reforms that followed the Soviet Union's collapse.
Most of the other former Soviet republics also decriminalized homosexuality, and attitudes toward gays have become a litmus test of democratic freedoms. While gay pride parades are held in the three former Soviet Baltic states, all today members of the European Union, same-sex love remains a crime in authoritarian Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
In Russia, gays have been whipsawed by official pressure and persistent homophobia. There are no reliable estimates of how many gays and lesbians live in Russia, and only a few big cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg have gay nightclubs and gyms. Even there, gays do not feel secure.
When a dozen masked men entered a Moscow night club during a "coming out party" that campaigner Samburov organized in October, he thought they were part of the show. But then one of the masked men yelled, "Have you ordered up a fight? Here you go!" The men overturned tables, smashed dishes and beat, kicked and sprayed mace at the five dozen men and women who had gathered at the gay-friendly Freedays club, Samburov and the club's administration said.
Four club patrons were injured, including a young woman who got broken glass in her eye, police said. Although a police station was nearby, Samburov said, it took police officers half an hour to arrive. The attackers remain unidentified.
On the next day, an Orthodox priest said he regretted that his religious role had not allowed him to participate in the beating.
"Until this scum gets off of Russian land, I fully share the views of those who are trying to purge our motherland of it," Rev. Sergiy Rybko was quoted as saying by the Orthodoxy and World online magazine. "We either become a tolerant Western state where everything is allowed ? and lose our Christianity and moral foundations ? or we will be a Christian people who live in our God-protected land in purity and godliness."
In other parts of Russia, gays feel even less secure. Bagaudin Abduljalilov moved to Moscow from Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia where he says some gays have been beaten and had their hands cut off, sometimes by their own relatives, for bringing shame on their families.
"You don't have any human rights down there," he said. "Anything can be done to you with impunity."
Shortly before moving to Moscow, Abduljalilov left Islam to become a Protestant Christian, but was expelled from a seminary after telling the dean he was gay. He also has had trouble finding a job as a television journalist because of discrimination against people from Dagestan.
"I love Russia, but I want another Russia," said Abduljalilov, 30, who now works as a clerk. "It's a pity I can't spend my life on creative projects instead of banging my head against the wall and repeating, 'I'm normal, I'm normal.' "
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If Slaughter's appeal is denied, his name would go into the pool of players eligible for the April 25-27 NFL Draft. Should he be denied the sixth year, the best-case scenario for Slaughter would be that he find out the ruling prior to the Feb. 20-26 NFL Combine. That would allow him to attend the Combine and interview with teams.
?March or April is when I?m supposed to be 100 percent in terms of healing, but I?ll have more work to do after that,? Slaughter told the Tribune earlier this month. ?You have to get everything back ? your agility, your speed. That?s probably going to take a month or two or even more.
?So I think if I don?t get the sixth year I wouldn?t do a pro day. I would wait out and get healthy 100 percent and then try to get a tryout based on my previous tape. That?s what I?m banking on.?
Slaughter originally signed with ND in 2008 but did not play that season, which allowed him the fifth year in 2012.
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Emily Yoffe Photograph by Teresa Castracane.
Emily Yoffe, aka Dear Prudence, is on Washingtonpost.com weekly to chat live with readers. An edited?transcript of the chat is below. (Sign up here?to get Dear Prudence delivered to your inbox each week. Read Prudie?s?Slate columns?here. Send questions to Prudence at prudence@slate.com.)
Q. Liver Transplant: My young niece requires a liver transplant. It turns out that her mom?my SIL?and my husband are a match. We've done a lot of research into it and I feel incredibly uneasy about my husband being a live donor, due to the various risks and impact on his health. My SIL has stated she "can't" donate because it means she can't breast-feed her 1-year-old son or look after the other two kids immediately after the operation. My husband has always been the type of person who gives more than he can, willingly and without thinking. So without any contemplation, he readily agreed. If my SIL wasn't a match either I would absolutely support him being a donor. But it seems that being a donor is too difficult and inconvenient for my SIL, yet she wants my husband to take all the risks. I told my SIL if she were to go through the operation I would take time off work to look after her and her children. Yet she stubbornly insists on my husband. Since I protested so strongly my husband says he will go ahead only if I agree, and now my SIL is extremely angry and hostile toward me. Am I a terrible person or is my SIL being selfish?
A: Making a decision about organ donation is not be something that should be done without thinking. Since your husband is contemplating this, he should sit down with an expert counselor who can outline the risks and the benefits?knowing one has saved a life has to be a pretty profound thing. Your sister-in-law should also get her own counselor who can lay out her risks and recovery process. Obviously, if she were to be the donor she would need an enormous amount of help caring for the children while she heals. But it sounds as if she has the family around to do it. (Weaning a 1-year-old is a trivial consideration in the context of what's a stake here.) You need to do some major backing off. Of course your husband's health is a concern for you, and a legitimate one. And yes it's fine if you feel he was pressured into this and you want him to give it deeper consideration. But ultimately you must recognize he is an adult and this is not your decision to make. I'm sure time is an issue here, but all of you need to cool off, step back, and agree that you will act like rational adults. Once your husband and sister talk to transplant advisers, your family should hire a social worker with expertise in this subject and all of you, calmly and generously, should air things out to help you make the best decision for your niece and the entire family.
Q. Heard Domestic Violence Through the Walls: I live in an apartment complex with paper-thin walls. My university owns the complex, and upperclassmen live there. My neighbor and her boyfriend fight often?or, rather, he screams at her and she cries. I have never been comfortable with his treatment of her but lacked the push I needed to reach out and do something. Last night he yelled at her for talking to some guy, and I heard what sounded like three slaps. My neighbor started sobbing, and her boyfriend stormed out. I just ran into my neighbor, and she has a busted lip and a bruise across her cheekbone. I have no idea what to do. We don't know each other, and when I asked her if she was OK, she ignored me. I think she must realize I hear some of her boyfriend's screaming matches, but she probably doesn't know that I heard last night. What's my responsibility? I feel I must have some sort of obligation to help her. She might not trust me because to her I'm some strange guy.
A: The next time you hear them mid-fight call the police. In the meantime, report this to the dean of student affairs or the counseling office right away, while the cuts and bruises are fresh. You have more than enough evidence of assault. This boyfriend needs contact with the authorities, and this girlfriend needs help getting out.
Q. Psychic Matchmaker: I was never a huge believer in mysticism, but at a friend's urging, I have made three visits over the past few years to a tarot card reader who has been extraordinarily accurate. During the first two readings, she was very specific about dates and details and roughly 80 percent of her predictions came true. I just visited her again recently and one of the first things she mentioned was in regard to my love life. She mentioned a name and some details about this person and said he was interested in reuniting with me but would never initiate anything because he feared rejection. I knew immediately who she was talking about, and based on my experience with him, I think there is a good chance she could be right. I am interested in pursuing this possibility, but he lives out-of-state and I am not sure how to go about initiating contact with him. I'm used to being pursued and not the pursuer. I do have an email address and other contact information. I would leave the psychic story out, but what should I say? Do you think I'm crazy?
A: I don't believe in all this mumbo jumbo, except when I was regularly seeing psychics I did find one who predicted that within a short period?she said two days, two weeks, or two months?I would meet the man I would marry. I paid her and walked out thinking, "This is the worst psychic I've ever been to" (which is a pretty silly thought itself). Two weeks later my future husband and I went out on a blind date. Upon my marriage, I permanently retired from the psychic-visiting business. Let's put aside the fact that you're thinking of contacting this guy because of the prompting of a psychic. (And are you sure your friend hasn't supplied your psychic with some helpful details about your life?) Your shy guy who got away sounds like someone worth pursuing. When women get to a certain point?one of frustration?in their love lives, I think it's a good idea to reassess one's types and methods. Stepping out of your usual role of the pursued and initiating contact would be a useful exercise, no matter what comes of it. When you get in touch, definitely leave out the psychic story for now. All you need to say to him is that you wanted to wish him a happy new year and hear how he's doing.
Q. Bad Dog Denial: We recently moved back to a city we left several years ago. During that time two of our good friends got a cute dog that they love. She is a very sweet dog that loves to snuggle and give kisses. Now that we are back, we spend a lot of time with them so that our dog can play with theirs. My problem is their dog is so ill-behaved! She jumps up constantly and is overly aggressive in her play. It has gotten to the point when we go to a public place with their dog we get anxiety about whether or not it will pick a fight with someone's dog. We have tried hinting that she could use some more training, but they always blame it on the other dog. They never take responsibility for her. And they just adopted a second dog and seem to be letting the young one learn from their older one. We have started to limit our interactions with them and I feel it is ruining our relationship. Is there a nice way to say, "Hey, your dogs are cute and loveable, but act horribly and need training" without being offensive?
A: You're right that they have an out-of-control dog which is training the second dog to be just as dangerous and obnoxious. I don't understand why people just can't speak up about issues that if they remain unaddressed are going to ruin the relationship anyway. Just tell your friends you enjoy their company and their dogs are adorable, but their pooches need some behavior modification. Say that when you live with pets every day it's easy to lose perspective, but these wonderful animals will be happier, and going out with them with be less anxiety-filled, if a good trainer helps your friends be better owners.
Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=31ca0c63454b80e14c5cc84987844c38
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Facebook Graph Search allows you to find, using natural language, just about anything that Facebook's database of people can hold, and narrow results down by specific categories like music, places, photos, video games, and more. It's pretty similar to the "advanced search" Facebook had in the old days, but even better at filtering people by their interests and likes (not to mention easier to use).
TechCrunch said it's going to "replace a major chunk of Google." The Wall Street Journal called it a "direct competitor" to Google. CNN reports that Yelp's stock is down following the announcement. We, on the other hand, don't think any of this is really related.
Don't get me wrong: Facebook's new search looks very cool, and it's definitely a useful feature for a number of things. But is it going to replace Google, or be the first site someone goes to when they want to search for a new restaurant or band? That seems unlikely. Here's why.
See a pattern? It's useful for finding stuff as it relates to your friends, which is what you're on Facebook for in the first place. This really is awesome?previously you had to go around asking people who played Call of Duty, or who liked sushi. That's now a thing of the past; with Graph Search you can gather together similarly-minded people with just a keystroke. It's social networking at its finest.
Sure, a little of this here and there could be handy. If you have one or two foodie friends that you trust, seeing if they've been to a particular restaurant could give you a better idea of whether it's good. But it isn't going to replace Yelp, which has massive amounts of detailed reviews from people that aren't limited to your Facebook friends. Why search only the restaurants your friends have been to, rather than all the restaurants on Yelp, reviewed by masses of people? Why search just the bands those old college buddies listed as Likes, rather than all the bands in Spotify or Pandora's database that match your tastes?
This leads us to the last weakness of this assumption: All of this only works if your friends constantly like, post about, and check into everything they enjoy on Facebook. And, as much as Facebook would like you to believe this is true, it isn't?at least for most of your friends. People don't go on Facebook to list every one of their favorite bands, or give detailed reviews for restaurants. They may one day, but for now, Yelp and Pandora are tailored specifically to those things, and have much more detailed data than Facebook does, so they aren't going anywhere when it comes to finding that one thing.
The bottom line: This is an awesome new feature for Facebook, not an awesome new feature for the internet. For anything not related to Facebook or your Facebook friends, you'll still be better off going to Google, or Yelp, or Amazon?and no one will give a second thought to doing so.
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FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2012 file photo, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly speaks about the plot to attack the Federal Reserve, during a news conference in New York. The New York Police Department wants pharmacies in and around the city to fight prescription drug thefts by stocking pill bottles fitted with GPS tracking chips. Kelly is expected to unveil the pioneer project Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 at a California conference on health issues hosted by former President Bill Clinton's foundation. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2012 file photo, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly speaks about the plot to attack the Federal Reserve, during a news conference in New York. The New York Police Department wants pharmacies in and around the city to fight prescription drug thefts by stocking pill bottles fitted with GPS tracking chips. Kelly is expected to unveil the pioneer project Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 at a California conference on health issues hosted by former President Bill Clinton's foundation. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Police in New York City plan to combat the theft of painkillers and other highly addictive prescription medicines by asking pharmacies around the city to hide fake pill bottles fitted with GPS devices amid the legitimate supplies on their shelves.
The New York Police Department believes the so-called "bait bottles" could help investigators track stolen drugs and locate suspects.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly is expected to unveil the plan Tuesday at a La Quinta, Calif., conference on health issues hosted by former President Bill Clinton's foundation.
In prepared remarks provided in advance of his appearance, Kelly says the initiative was prompted by a spate of high-profile crimes associated with the thriving black market for prescription drugs, including the slaying of four people on Long Island during a pharmacy holdup in 2011. He also cites the case of a retired NYPD officer who, after retiring with an injury and getting hooked on painkillers, began robbing drug stores at gunpoint.
Prescription drug abuse "can serve as a gateway to criminal activities, especially among young people," the commissioner says. "When pills become too expensive, addicts are known to resort to cheaper drugs such as heroin and cocaine. They turn to crime to support their habit."
The NYPD has begun creating a database of the roughly 6,000 pharmacies in the New York City area with plans to have officers visit them and recommend security measures like better alarm systems and lighting of storage areas. Kelly says it also will ask them to stock the GPS bottles containing fake oxycodone.
"In the event of a robbery or theft, we'll be able to track the bottle, which may lead us to stash locations across the city," he says.
There have been similar attempts to track prescription drugs on a limited basis but the NUYPD claims this would be the first widespread effort.
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