US confirms possible release of Taliban from Gitmo

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, listens to a question while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to assess current and future national security threats. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, listens to a question while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to assess current and future national security threats. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

CIA Director David Petraeus listens at right as Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to assess current and future national security threats. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

From left, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and CIA Director David Petraeus take their seats on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, prior to testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to assess current and future national security threats. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. intelligence officials acknowledged Tuesday that the United States may release several Afghan Taliban prisoners from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an incentive to bring the Taliban to peace talks.

Meanwhile, Afghan officials told The Associated Press that a plan to give Afghanistan a form of legal custody over the men if they are released satisfied their earlier objection to sending the prisoners to a third country.

Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper told Congress Tuesday that no decision had been made on whether to trade the five Taliban prisoners, now held at Guantanamo Bay as part of nascent peace talks with the Taliban. He and CIA Director David Petraeus did not dispute that the Obama administration is considering transferring the five to a third country.

U.S. officials and others had previously spoken only vaguely, and usually anonymously, about the proposal to send the prisoners to Qatar, a Persian Gulf country that has asserted a central role in framing talks that might end the 10-year war in Afghanistan. The lead U.S. negotiator trying to coax the Taliban into talks had also publicly acknowledged the possibility of a release, but said there was no final decision.

The prisoners proposed for transfer include some of the detainees brought to Guantanamo during the initial days and weeks of the U.S. invasion that toppled the Taliban government in Afghanistan in 2001. At least one has been accused in the massacre of thousands of Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan, according to U.S. and other assessments, but none are accused of directly killing Americans.

"I don't think anybody harbors any illusions about it, but I think the position is to at least explore the potential for negotiating with them as a part of this overall resolution of the situation in Afghanistan," Clapper said during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.

The Obama administration has recently embraced the possibility of negotiation with the Taliban much more openly, saying that although they remain cautious they are also encouraged that the militants may be ready to bargain. Peace talks, if they come to pass, would include the elected Afghan government and, at least at the outset, representatives of the U.S. government. With nearly 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and a war and development budget in the billions of dollars, the U.S. remains the largest power broker in Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai supports a prisoner release as a means to build confidence among the Taliban militants that talks are worthwhile, but he had balked at the U.S.-backed plan to send them to Qatar instead of home to Afghanistan. That plan appeared to undercut his authority and offend Afghan sovereignty, Afghan officials said. Karzai yanked his ambassador from Qatar, saying Qatar had not kept him properly informed.

But recent discussions between Karzai and U.S. negotiators found a way around the Afghan objections, a senior Afghan diplomat and another official said. Speaking on condition of anonymity because the arrangement is still under discussion, the officials said Afghanistan could assume a sort of legal custody over the prisoners and then, with the prisoners' own consent, agree to consign them to house arrest in Qatar.

An Afghan delegation would prepare the way for that arrangement by visiting the prisoners at Guantanamo and signing off on the transfer plan, one official said.

The Obama administration does not want to send the prisoners to Afghanistan, in part for fear they might be released. The men are considered "enemy combatants" who were, at least until recently, considered too dangerous to release.

Afghan custody of the men, even if only on paper, could provide sufficient political cover for Karzai against criticism at home that the arrangement is a snub. Karzai has already reluctantly publicly endorsed Qatar as the site for a militant political office that would serve as a headquarters for talks.

U.S. officials would not confirm the possible solution but did not dispute it.

Separately, Afghan officials said their government plans to explore talks with militants under the auspices of Saudi Arabia or others. Those talks would complement talks in Qatar, not undermine them, and carry at least an implicit stamp of approval from U.S. negotiators, the officials said.

The White House National Security Council had no comment on either issue.

The AP previously reported a proposal to release two or three of the Taliban prisoners as an initial goodwill gesture, to be followed by the others. All would go into custody in Qatar, under conditions that are likely to be less secure and less restrictive than at Guantanamo.

Several members of Congress oppose any release, and Congress has erected several legal hurdles that military and other officials acknowledge would slow and complicate the process.

Several GOP lawmakers who object to the transfer are pushing the White House to keep the detainees in Guantanamo "until the end of hostilities," according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the negotiations.

If the Taliban wants to end hostilities through negotiations, "then we could transfer their fighters," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss conversations with the White House.

Of particular concern is Mullah Norullah Nori, described in U.S. military documents as one of the most significant former Taliban officials held at Guantanamo. He was a senior Taliban commander in Mazar-e-Sharif when the Taliban fought U.S. forces in late 2001. He previously was a Taliban governor in two provinces Northern Afghanistan, where he has been accused of ordering the massacre of thousands of Shiite Muslims.

Petraeus also acknowledged discussions about the five Taliban prisoners, and told Congress that the U.S. government has assessed the risk that the men might still be dangerous.

"This proposed so-called trade has actually not been decided yet," Clapper said, speaking at an annual hearing on worldwide threats. Republicans were openly skeptical, saying recidivism among former Guantanamo detainees is high and the gambit is of questionable value in promoting peace.

Petraeus said his analysts had assessed various scenarios under which the prisoners could be released to countries other than Afghanistan and Pakistan. The analysts sought to determine which countries would be best able to monitor the freed men, and keep them from returning to militancy.

Clapper's office reported in December 2010 that 13.5 percent of released Guantanamo detainees are "confirmed" and 11.5 percent "are suspected" of reengaging in terrorist or insurgent activities after being transferred.

Clapper said in the case of the Taliban prisoners, U.S. negotiators would first have to determine where the prisoners would be released, and how best to make sure they did not return to the fight. The defense spending bill signed by President Barack Obama in December also requires that the Pentagon certify that any release is safe.

"Part and parcel of such a decision, if it were finally made, would be the actual determination of where these detainees might go and the conditions in which they would be controlled or surveilled," Clapper said.

But Clapper said the prisoner release could be a confidence-building measure that helps move negotiations forward.

The intelligence agencies' annual threat assessment said the Taliban was less able to intimidate the Afghan population that last year, especially in areas where NATO forces are concentrated, but that its leaders continue to direct the insurgency from their safe haven in Pakistan.

U.S. officials have pledged to consult with Congress about any release, which was not enough to persuade Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.

"I want to state publicly as strong as I can that we should not transfer these detainees from Guantanamo," Chambliss told the intelligence agency heads.

? Associated Press writer Ben Fox contributed to this report from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Anne Gearan can be followed on Twitter at (at)agearan.; Kimberly Dozier can be followed on Twitter (at)kimberlydozier;

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-31-US-Afganistan-Taliban/id-1a0669095ade49a2ad187791ea30f586

regenesis fanboys ucla usc ucla usc sean taylor usc football cybermonday

Oil above $99 in Asia on Europe's austerity move

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) ? Oil rose above $99 a barrel Tuesday in Asia in sync with gains in regional equity markets after Europe took measures to battle its debt crisis.

Benchmark crude for February delivery was up $1 at $99.78 a barrel at midday Kuala Lumpur time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 78 cents to finish at $98.78 on Monday.

European leaders agreed Monday on a new treaty to stop overspending and put an end to the region's crippling debt woes. They also pledged to stimulate growth and employment amid fears of a looming recession. Greece and its bondholders are also inching closer to a deal to significantly cut the country's debt and pave the way for it to receive a much-needed euro130 billion ($170 billion) bailout.

"The announcements in the eurozone helped ease concerns but crude prices are going to be choppy going forward. The market is grappling with a weaker demand scenario and uncertainties in the supply side coming from Iran," said Natalie Robertson, commodities analyst at ANZ Banking Group in Melbourne.

Iran has welcomed international weapons experts into the country in hopes of refuting claims that it is building a nuclear weapon. That eased concerns about possible military action in the region.

Still, Europe plans to embargo Iranian oil this summer to pressure Iran about its nuclear program. If that happens, Iran says it could retaliate by blocking passage through the Persian Gulf, where tankers carry one-sixth of the world's oil exports.

The U.S. is ready to implement sanctions on Iran's central bank that will make it harder for Iran to sell oil. India has however, joined China in saying it will not cut back on crude imports from Iran.

In other energy trading, heating oil rose 2.8 cents to $3.07 per gallon and gasoline futures were up 1.8 cents to $2.89 per gallon. Natural gas fell 6 cents to $2.65 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-31-Oil%20Prices/id-7d2f4ea8aa4c455f8fbf4a1f73a6c2dd

james spader speed of light susan powell jonah hill neutrinos neutrinos autumnal equinox

Stocks slump amid Greek budget woes

By msnbc.com news services

U.S. stocks slid at Monday?s open as concerns grew about the state of Europe's finances as Greece and Germany sparred over budget measures for Athens.

The Dow Jones industrial average was lately down over 100 points.

Bank stocks led the way lower after a report that Germany was pushing for Greece to give up control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second bailout package.

The issues in Greece added to uncertainty ahead of a Monday summit where European Union leaders will sign off on a permanent rescue fund for the euro zone. The leaders are expected to agree on a balanced budget rule in national legislation.

"Resolution for Greece is now up in the air, and that's causing some concern. We could give up the gains we've seen so far this month if there ends up being no progress," said Alan Lancz, president of investment advisory firm Alan B. Lancz & Associates Inc. in Toledo, Ohio.

While sentiment has improved over the euro zone lately, with the S&P 500 up 4.7 percent this month, many investors still view the region with caution as setbacks in solving its sovereign debt issues could hamper international economic growth and erode domestic bank profits.

U.S.-listed shares of Barclays Plc fell 4.6 percent to $13.44, and Deutsche Bank sank 5.6 percent to $41.94. European shares were down 1 percent while an index of European banks lost 3.3 percent.

Standard & Poor's late Friday issued negative ratings on three brokerage firms, including Jefferies Group Inc, citing the impact of a prolonged crisis in Europe.

Issues in Europe have taken a backseat to the focus on corporate earnings in recent weeks. By the end of last week, a majority of companies have topped analyst consensus expectations, though by a lower rate than previous quarters.

Gannett Co reported adjusted fourth-quarter earnings that beat expectations. McKesson Corp is scheduled to report later Monday, with Amazon.com Inc Exxon Mobil Corp and Pfizer Inc on tap for later this week.

Shares of Pep Boys Manny, Moe and Jack soared 25 percent to $15.10 in premarket trading after the company agreed to be bought by Gores Group for $791 million.

Swiss engineering group ABB agreed to buy U.S. electrical components maker Thomas & Betts Corp for $3.9 billion in cash, sending shares of the company up 22 percent to $70.90 in premarket trading.

Bank of America Corp is shaking up the leadership of its investment bank as it looks to find its footing in a difficult market environment. The stock fell 2.2 percent in premarket trading.

U.S. consumer spending was flat in December as households took advantage of the largest rise in income in nine months to boost their savings, setting the tone for a slowdown in demand early in 2012.

U.S. stocks ended little changed on Friday as investors saw dips in the market as an opportunity to buy into what has been a strong first month of 2012.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/30/10270353-stocks-slump-amid-greek-budget-woes

ginger aron ralston aron ralston grandparents day 911 9/11 ground zero

U.S.A.! We're No. 1! Er ... rather, we used to be No. 1?

Americans are used to the U.S. being the leader, or a top-ranked nation, in many areas. But in a number of industries and businesses, the U.S. has lost that first place, usually to China. While some, such as coal production, may not come as a surprise, other industries the U.S. has lost the market leadership might. 24/7 Wall St. looked at a large number of manufacturing, agricultural and financial businesses to find those in which China has surpassed the U.S.

For several years, economists have said that China?s GDP growth indicates that its economy will pass that of the U.S. in the next two or three decades. China?s GDP is measured at about $6.5 trillion, now second in the world. America?s GDP is over $15.2 trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund. While China certainly has much catching up to do, the two countries? rate of GDP growth is also very different. Last year, China?s economy expanded at more than 9 percent. America?s GDP grew at a little better than 2 percent.

One reason that China continues to gain so rapidly on the U.S. is the high cost of American labor and manufacturing. In fact, U.S. manufacturing costs have risen so much that they are much higher than in any developed nation with factory capacity. This includes countries like China, Mexico and South Korea ? places the U.S. and Japanese companies often contract to do their factory work. The labor price advantage has helped China become the largest steel producer in the world. China is also first place in car manufacturing.

24/7 Wall St.: The most popular U.S. companies in China

Low labor costs are not the sole reason China has become the single largest provider of many goods. China?s 1.3 trillion citizens have become voracious consumers as workers in its manufacturing sector have grown the number of its middle class. China also has decided that it is often financially better to provide its own raw material for its factories? items like cotton ? than it is to import such items from overseas.

24/7 Wall St. examined the manufacturing, agricultural and financial businesses in which China has surpassed the U.S. China likely will become the world?s largest economy based on GDP. It certainly has shown that it has the capacity to advance on that position ? one large industry at a time.

1. Steel

• China production: 627 million metric tons in 2010
• U.S. production: 80 million metric tons in 2010
• U.S. position: 3rd

In 1973, the U.S. was the largest producer of steel, making more than 136 million metric tons of crude steel, according to the International Iron and Steel Institute. Up to that point, the U.S. had enjoyed many decades of industry dominance, centered around the city of Pittsburgh. The following year, U.S. production was overtaken by the USSR, which produced 136.2 million metric tons, compared with the U.S.?s 132.2 million. Today, however, completely different players dominate the steel market. In 2010, the world?s top producer of crude steel was China, which produced approximately 627 million metric tons. Japan was a distant second-largest producer with nearly 110 million metric tons. The U.S. was third, producing approximately 80 million.

2. Cotton

• China production: 7.3 million metric tons in 2011
• U.S. production: 3.4 million metric tons in 2011
• U.S. position: 3rd

In 2000, the U.S. produced 4.2 million metric tons of cotton ? the largest amount in the world. China was not far behind, producing 3.81 million metric tons. By 2008, however, China had not only surpassed the U.S., but made nearly double the U.S.?s production amount. China produced approximately 8.1 million metric tons to the U.S.?s 4.2 million. A year earlier, the U.S. lost its second spot among top cotton producers to India, thanks in part to technological breakthroughs in seed and production practices. Between 2011 and 2012, China produced 7.3 million metric tons, India produced 6 million and the U.S. was third, producing 3.4 million.

24/7 Wall St.: The 10 most-hated companies in America

3. Initial Public Offerings

• China production: $73 billion raised in 2011
• U.S. production: $30.7 billion raised in 2011
• U.S. position: 2nd

Even in the world of finance the U.S. is losing its dominance to China. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, ?the yearly average of U.S. IPOs has decreased from 27 percent (global share) in the 1990s to 12 percent in the 2000s.? And as the U.S.?s share of IPO proceeds decreased, China?s share increased. It is now the world leader in IPOs. In 2011, companies raised a total of $73 billion through IPOs in the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock markets. This is nearly double the amount raised in New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, according to Dealogic. The last time the U.S. raised the most in IPO funds globally was 2008.

4. Tobacco

• China production: 3 million metric tons in 2010
• U.S. production: 0.33 million metric tons in 2010
• U.S. position: 4th

Until 1976, the U.S. produced the largest share of the world?s tobacco. Today, the U.S. only produces 6 percent of the global output, according to Stephan Richter, editor-in-chief of The Globalist, in an interview by Marketplace. The most recent data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations places the U.S. as the fourth-largest producer of tobacco in the world. China is the largest, producing more than 3 million metric tons of the crop in 2010. The U.S. produced slightly more than 326,000 metric tons that year. The other larger producers are Brazil and India, in that order.

24/7 Wall St.: The best- and worst-run companies in the U.S.

5. Autos

• China production: 18.3 million autos in 2010
• U.S. production: 7.8 million autos in 2010
• U.S. position: 3rd

Automotive manufacturing is considered one of the U.S.?s most critical industries. But in recent years, other countries have surpassed the U.S., which is now the third-largest producer of autos in the world, according to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. The American auto industry nearly collapsed in 2008, requiring massive federal support for General Motors and Chrysler. By 2010, the U.S. manufactured 7.8 million cars and commercial vehicles. Japan, which is headquarters to major brands such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mazda, produced 9.6 million vehicles ? the second most ? although damage caused by the earthquake has hurt production in the country. China is the world?s largest carmaker, producing 18.3 million in 2010.

6. Beer Production

• China production: 443.8 million hectoliters in 2010
• U.S. production: 227.8 million hectoliters in 2010
• U.S. position: 2nd

The U.S. lost its top position even in beer production. In 2000, the U.S. beer industry was the greatest in the world, producing 232 million hectoliters, compared with China?s 220 million. One decade later, and China is in first place, generating 443.8 million hectoliters of beer, versus the U.S.?s 227.8 million. Not only does China have a population that is more than four times that of the U.S., but beer consumption in the country has increased dramatically in recent years. According to the World Health Organization, the average Chinese citizen drank about half a bottle of beer in 1961. By 2007, that amount had increased to 103 beers per year.

24/7 Wall St.: States losing the most jobs to China

7. High-Technology Exports

• China production: $348 billion in 2009
• U.S. production: $142 billion in 2009
• U.S. position: 2nd

High-technology exports are defined as ?products with high R&D intensity, such as in aerospace, computers, pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments, and electrical machinery,? according to the World Bank. The U.S. remains home to the largest pharmaceutical industry in the world, and the rest of industries mentioned are also huge domestically. According to the World Bank, China began earning more from high-technology exports than the U.S. as recently as 2005. In 2009, Chinese high-technology exports were worth $348 billion. High-technology exports from the U.S. were worth a more modest $142 billion.

8. Coal Production

• China production: 3.24 billion short tons produced in 2010
• U.S. production: 985 million tons produced in 2010
• U.S. position: 2nd

America led the world in coal production up until 1984, and it is now a distant second to China. According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, the U.S. produced just under 1 billion tons of coal in 2010. China produced more than three times that amount, generating 3.2 billion short tons. There has been exponential growth in the Chinese energy infrastructure in the past decade. Since 2005, American coal production has decreased slightly, while Chinese production has increased by nearly 38 percent. Despite the U.S.?s decline in coal production, it is still the world?s second-largest producer, and combined, the two countries account for more than half of the world?s total coal production.

Copyright ? 2012 24/7 Wall St. Republished with permission.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46181723/ns/business-world_business/

salvia cybermonday deals cybermonday deals steve johnson norman reedus norman reedus sears

Five Million Android Users Might Have Fallen Victim to Another Malware Attack [Android]

According to Symantec, 13 apps from three developers—many in the official Android Market—have been carrying malicious chunks of code called Android.Counterclank, and are suspected of running on as many as five million phones, stealing info and running ads against the will of the device's owner. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/AMb-Sun8NcY/five-million-android-users-might-have-fallen-victim-to-another-malware-attack

carlos mencia packers stock sale packers stock sale jason mayhem miller margarito margarito horton hears a who

Friend says on call Demi Moore was convulsing (omg!)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Demi Moore smoked something before she was rushed to the hospital on Monday night and was convulsing and "semi-conscious, barely," according to a caller on a frantic emergency call recording released Friday by Los Angeles fire officials.

The woman tells emergency operators that Moore, 49, had been "having issues lately."

"Is she breathing normal?" the operator asks.

"No, not so normal. More kind of shaking, convulsing, burning up," the friend says as she hurries to Moore's side, on the edge of panic.

The recording captures the 10 minutes it took paramedics to arrive as friends gather around the collapsed star and try to comfort her as she trembles and shakes.

Another woman is next to Moore as the dispatcher asks if she's responsive.

"Demi, can you hear me?" she asks. "Yes, she's squeezing hands. ... She can't speak."

When the operator asks what Moore ingested or smoked, the friend replies, but the answer was redacted.

"Some form of ... and then she smoked something. I didn't really see. She's been having some issues lately with some other stuff. So I don't know what she's been taking or not," the friend says.

The city attorney's office advised the fire department to redact details about medical conditions and substances to comply with federal medical privacy rules.

Asked if Moore took the substance intentionally or not, the woman says Moore ingested it on purpose but the reaction was accidental.

"Whatever she took, make sure you have it out for the paramedics," the operator says.

The operator asks the friend if this has happened before.

"I don't know," she says. "There's been some stuff recently that we're all just finding out."

Moore's publicist, Carrie Gordon, said previously that the actress sought professional help to treat her exhaustion and improve her health. She would not comment further on the emergency call or provide details about the nature or location of Moore's treatment.

The past few months have been rocky for Moore.

She released a statement in November announcing she had decided to end her marriage to fellow actor Ashton Kutcher, 33, following news of alleged infidelity. The two were known to publicly share their affection for one another via Twitter.

Moore still has a Twitter account under the name mrskutcher but has not posted any messages since Jan. 7.

During the call, the woman caller says the group of friends had turned Moore's head to the side and were holding her down. The dispatcher tells her not to hold her down but to wipe her mouth and nose and watch her closely until paramedics arrive.

"Make sure that we keep an airway open," the dispatcher says. "Even if she passes out completely, that's OK. Stay right with her."

The phone is passed around by four people, including a woman who gives directions to the gate and another who recounts details about what Moore smoked or ingested. Finally, the phone is given to a man named James, so one of the women can hold Moore's head.

There was some confusion at the beginning of the call. The emergency response was delayed by nearly two minutes as Los Angeles and Beverly Hills dispatchers sorted out which city had jurisdiction over the street where Moore lives.

As the call is transferred to Beverly Hills, the frantic woman at Moore's house raises her voice and said, "Why is an ambulance not on its way right now?"

"Ma'am, instead of arguing with me why an ambulance is not on the way, can you spell (the street name) for me?" the Beverly Hills dispatcher says.

Although the estate is located in the 90210 ZIP code above Benedict Canyon, the response was eventually handled by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

By the end of the call, Moore has improved.

"She seems to have calmed down now. She's speaking," the male caller told the operator.

Moore and Kutcher were wed in September 2005.

Kutcher became a stepfather to Moore's three daughters ? Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Belle ? from her 13-year marriage to actor Bruce Willis. Moore and Willis divorced in 2000 but remained friendly.

Moore and Kutcher created the DNA Foundation, also known as the Demi and Ashton Foundation, in 2010 to combat the organized sexual exploitation of girls around the globe. They later lent their support to the United Nations' efforts to fight human trafficking, a scourge the international organization estimates affects about 2.5 million people worldwide.

Moore can be seen on screen in the recent films "Margin Call" and "Another Happy Day." Kutcher replaced Charlie Sheen on TV's "Two and a Half Men" and is part of the ensemble film "New Year's Eve."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_friend_says_call_demi_moore_convulsing180716285/44329347/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/friend-says-call-demi-moore-convulsing-180716285.html

tim wakefield jacqueline kennedy jacqueline kennedy jackie o john kennedy jr john kennedy jr machine gun preacher

Coach honed debating skills of young Newt Gingrich

In this photo taken, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, Chester Gibson, a former professor who ran one of the nation's top-ranked competitive debating programs from the middle of rural Georgia, is photographed in Horton's Bookstore in Carrollton, Ga. As a young college professor running for Congress, Newt Gingrich wanted to sharpen his debating skills. Admirers say the Republican was always a dynamic speaker, but he had flaws. He frowned. He titled his head oddly and fell back repeatedly on the same words. He went for the rhetorical jugular. His supporters worried that TV cameras magnified those delivery problems. Gingrich didn?t need to look far to find help. In the building next to the one where Gingrich taught history at West Georgia College, professor Chester Gibson coached students whose ranks now include a former Georgia governor, high-powered Atlanta attorneys, judges and preachers. He gave Gingrich free help as a new candidate. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

In this photo taken, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, Chester Gibson, a former professor who ran one of the nation's top-ranked competitive debating programs from the middle of rural Georgia, is photographed in Horton's Bookstore in Carrollton, Ga. As a young college professor running for Congress, Newt Gingrich wanted to sharpen his debating skills. Admirers say the Republican was always a dynamic speaker, but he had flaws. He frowned. He titled his head oddly and fell back repeatedly on the same words. He went for the rhetorical jugular. His supporters worried that TV cameras magnified those delivery problems. Gingrich didn?t need to look far to find help. In the building next to the one where Gingrich taught history at West Georgia College, professor Chester Gibson coached students whose ranks now include a former Georgia governor, high-powered Atlanta attorneys, judges and preachers. He gave Gingrich free help as a new candidate. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

In this Sept. 28, 2007 photo provided by Chester Gibson, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is seen at left with Gibson at a book signing in Horton's Bookstore in Carrollton, Ga. As a young candidate, professor Newt Gingrich had a problem: he was not a great debater. Luckily for Gingrich, Gibson ran one of the nation's top-ranked competitive debating programs from the middle of rural Georgia in the campus building next door. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Gibson Family)

In this photo taken, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, Chester Gibson, a former professor who ran one of the nation's top-ranked competitive debating programs from the middle of rural Georgia, is photographed in Horton's Bookstore in Carrollton, Ga. As a young college professor running for Congress, Newt Gingrich wanted to sharpen his debating skills. Admirers say the Republican was always a dynamic speaker, but he had flaws. He frowned. He titled his head oddly and fell back repeatedly on the same words. He went for the rhetorical jugular. His supporters worried that TV cameras magnified those delivery problems. Gingrich didn?t need to look far to find help. In the building next to the one where Gingrich taught history at West Georgia College, professor Chester Gibson coached students whose ranks now include a former Georgia governor, high-powered Atlanta attorneys, judges and preachers. He gave Gingrich free help as a new candidate. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

ATLANTA (AP) ? As a young college professor running for Congress, Newt Gingrich wanted to sharpen his debating skills.

Admirers say the Republican was always a dynamic speaker, but with flaws. He frowned. He tilted his head oddly and fell back repeatedly on the same words. He went for the rhetorical jugular. Supporters worried that TV cameras magnified those delivery problems.

Gingrich didn't need to look far for help. In the building next to the one where Gingrich taught history at West Georgia College, professor Chester Gibson coached students whose ranks now include a former Georgia governor, high-powered Atlanta attorneys, judges and preachers. He gave Gingrich free help as a new candidate.

Strong debate performances have kept alive Gingrich's candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination after a bleak period last summer when his staff quit and his campaign fell into debt. After a commanding performance in a pair of South Carolina debates, Gingrich has not performed as strong lately. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was considerably more aggressive in a Florida debate on Thursday, repeatedly putting Gingrich on the defensive.

Now retired, Gibson said he still sees Gingrich's old habits ? good and bad ? in the presidential debates.

"Gingrich is clearly the best debater in the final four," said Gibson, who communicates by email because doctors removed his voice box in 2010 during cancer treatment. "No contest. A Gingrich-Obama debate would be one of the great moments in American political history."

The pair met in 1970 when they started teaching at West Georgia College, now called the University of West Georgia. Gibson coached Gingrich before his first unsuccessful run for the House in 1974 and kept working with him until Gingrich won four years later. Gibson said the coaching continued into Gingrich's early years in office. A Gingrich spokesman did not respond to requests for information for this report.

Gibson, 70, said Gingrich's problem was delivery, not substance.

"He was poised, confident, quick on his feet and well versed in both U.S. and world history," Gibson said. "He read everything that he could get his hands on. His greatest asset was his incredible memory."

In their coaching sessions, Gibson said he filmed Gingrich speaking so he could see his mistakes. The students on Gibson's debate team ? one was Randy Evans, now Gingrich's longtime attorney ? listened and critiqued Gingrich's speeches. They researched the positions of his political opponents and constructed arguments. Gibson traveled with Gingrich to debates so they could practice in the car.

Gibson pushed his students to win.

"He just worked endlessly and worked us very hard because he was as competitive as all get-out," said trial lawyer Paul Weathington, one of Gibson's debaters and a nationally ranked debater in college.

Gibson told Gingrich to work on his body language. When listening intently to another speaker, he tended to frown ? a bad habit that Gibson said the Republican candidate has not fully stopped. In fact, Gingrich recently told reporters that his granddaughter told him to smile more and that she counts his grins during debates.

"I am always pleased when I see a grin because I know that he is ready to launch into a great answer to the question," Gibson said.

Years ago, Gibson encouraged Gingrich to tone down grandiose statements, saying they distract the audience from the message.

Then, as now, Gingrich would occasionally cock his head oddly to the right, Gibson said. When he latched onto a word, he'd use it repeatedly.

"Listen to the number of times that he uses the word 'frankly,'" Gibson said. "You will lose count."

Gingrich understands how to exploit TV debates and has avoided any major gaffes, said Mitchell McKinney, a communications professor at the University of Missouri who studies presidential debates. When his campaign was lagging, Gingrich baited the front-runners to engage him during debates, which helped him get airtime. He also picks messages that are sure to be replayed on TV. It adds up to free publicity.

"These moments get captured and played over and over," McKinney said.

One such moment came last week in the South Carolina. CNN debate moderator John King started the broadcast by asking Gingrich to respond to his second ex-wife's accusation that he asked her for an open marriage.

"I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office," said Gingrich, on his way to gaining a standing ovation from the audience. "And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that."

He won the primary two days later.

___

Follow Ray Henry on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rhenryAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-27-Gingrich-Debate%20Coach/id-603677e37e6947099d70bdcdc2b2ec48

antonio gates challah oxford comma oxford comma elisabetta canalis lord howe island lord howe island

Romney failed to disclose income from Swiss bank (The Arizona Republic)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/191964755?client_source=feed&format=rss

don t ask don t tell repeal michelle le steve o greg giraldo greg giraldo bob hope mariano rivera

Makers defend Islam movie criticized by NYC mayor (AP)

NEW YORK ? The filmmakers behind a documentary on radical Islam whose showing was criticized by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are defending their work.

The Clarion Fund said Wednesday its movie, "The Third Jihad," accurately describes the Muslim terrorist threat.

Muslim groups say it paints them as terrorists and encourages Americans to distrust them.

Bloomberg on Tuesday said New York police used terrible judgment when they showed the movie on the sidelines of counterterrorism training sessions in 2010.

New York Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly appears in the film talking about the threat of terrorists using nuclear weapons. The NYPD says Kelly regrets doing the interview with the filmmakers.

Many Muslim groups worry the NYPD is teaching officers to regard all Muslims as suspects. An Associated Press investigation last year revealed the NYPD has operated a surveillance program targeting ethnic neighborhoods.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_en_mo/us_nypd_intelligence_movie

words with friends words with friends roy orbison red solo cup xbox live update new planet new planet

Pitt to attend New Orleans homebuilding group gala (AP)

NEW ORLEANS ? Talk show host Ellen Degeneres and "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson are hosting a star-studded gala in New Orleans to benefit Brad Pitt's Make It Right home rebuilding effort.

Pitt will attend the $1,000-per-person gala on March 10 called "A Night to Make It Right," which will include performances by singers Sheryl Crow, Rihanna, Seal, members of the Neville family and Dr. John, said foundation spokeswoman Taylor Royle.

Pitt launched Make It Right in 2007 to help Lower 9th Ward residents who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Lower 9th Ward was one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods when Katrina caused levees to fail, inundating roughly 80 percent of the city with floodwater.

Pitt worked with architects to come up with designs for stronger, safer and more energy-efficient houses than the ones residents lost. So far 75 homes have been built, six more are under construction and construction is set to begin on roughly eight others in coming months.

"Our goal is 150 houses, and this fundraiser is going to help us reach that goal," said Royle, noting that all proceeds will benefit Make It Right.

Royle said it has taken more time and money than the foundation originally thought to build 150 homes. Getting in touch with families, making decisions about their homes, getting finances in order and clearing paperwork takes months, she said.

"It's been a long road to get these families home," Royle said. "But we're happy with our progress, and we're looking forward to celebrating the progress we've made."

Royle said a video of Make It Right's work over the past four years will be presented at the gala. A four-course dinner organized by chef John Besh will include courses by chefs Emeril Lagasse and Giada de Laurentiis.

Degeneres, a New Orleans native, has already donated more than $2 million to Make It Right.

"She's been one of our biggest supporters," Royle said.

Jackson, a Baton Rouge native, was quick to offer his participation in the event, Royle said.

Other celebrities serving on the event's host committee who may also be attending include actors Josh Brolin, Sean Penn and Kevin Spacey and director Spike Lee.

The gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans. Comedian Aziz Ansari will host an after party. Tickets for that event start at $150.

___

Online:

Tickets are available online at www.nighttomakeitright.com.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_en_mo/us_make_it_right_gala

constitution day dolly parton richard threlkeld stephen colbert running for president moonrise kingdom coachella lineup natalee holloway

Stocks close higher on Fed promise of low rates

A pair of specialists work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Stocks mostly fell early Wednesday ahead of a statement on interest rates from the Federal Reserve and a news conference by its chairman. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A pair of specialists work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Stocks mostly fell early Wednesday ahead of a statement on interest rates from the Federal Reserve and a news conference by its chairman. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Traders Thomas Kay, left, and Marshall Ryan work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Stocks mostly fell early Wednesday ahead of a statement on interest rates from the Federal Reserve and a news conference by its chairman. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Richard Cohen, second left, works with fellow traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Stocks mostly fell early Wednesday ahead of a statement on interest rates from the Federal Reserve and a news conference by its chairman. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Traders crowd the on the floor of the post of specialist Jason Blatt, center, for the IPO of Guidewire Software, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Guidewire President and CEO Marcus Ryu, second from right, watches the action. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Stocks mostly fell early Wednesday ahead of a statement on interest rates from the Federal Reserve and a news conference by its chairman. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

The stock market bounced to its highest close since last spring Wednesday after the Federal Reserve pledged to keep interest rates near zero for almost three more years.

Bond yields dropped sharply, then climbed back later in the day when investors began looking more closely into the Fed's deliberations. The yield on the five-year Treasury note touched an all-time low.

The big moves in both markets came at 12:30 p.m. EST, when the Fed's monetary policy committee said it was unlikely to raise interest rates before late 2014. It had previously promised to keep rates low into the middle of 2013.

The Fed cut rates to near zero in December 2008, during the financial crisis, and has held them there ever since. The announcement was a sign that the Fed expects the economy, which is improving, to need significant help for three more years.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down as much as 95 points in the morning and about 60 points before the Fed announcement. It shot to a gain of 103 points during the afternoon.

The Dow closed up 83.10 points, or 0.7 percent, at 12,758.85. That's the highest close since May. The Dow peaked for last year in April at 12,810. Before that, it had not been so high since May 2008.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note was at 2.05 percent an hour before the announcement and quickly fell to 1.92, a significant move. It rose to 1.99 percent two hours later.

The bounce-back happened at about 2 p.m., when the Fed released details of how the committee voted. Six of its 17 members had favored an interest rate increase this year or next ? well before late 2014 in either case.

The yield on the five-year Treasury note hit 0.76 percent, an all-time low. Bond yields fall when their prices rise.

The Fed's extension of low rates signaled that it expects inflation to stay low. Low inflation makes Treasurys more attractive by helping to maintain the value of bond owners' fixed returns. Rising prices would eat into those returns.

The announcement guaranteed that short-term loans will remain cheap, making it easier for investors to finance longer-term purchases, such as 10- and 30-year Treasurys, said John Canally, investment strategist and economist for LPL Financial.

Monetary decisions by the Fed can change the market's momentum in the short term but rarely have a longer-term impact, Canally warned.

The market changed directions after 22 of the past 24 Fed policy announcements, he said, yet the change evaporates quickly. The market essentially has an equal chance of rising or falling in the five days after Fed meetings, he said.

"It's a coin flip, really," Canally said.

Keeping rates ultra-low for a longer period increases the likelihood that the Fed will engage in more bond-buying programs to help the economy, a policy known as quantitative easing, said Anthony Chan, chief economist with JPMorgan Private Wealth Management. Those tend to boost bond prices by increasing the overall demand in the market.

Chan called the Fed's move insurance against the European debt crisis and a recession across the Atlantic Ocean. Stock buyers, he said, were happy about the prospect of low inflation and a Fed leaning toward promoting economic growth.

The promise of lower rates pushed the dollar lower against other major currencies. Low interest rates make the dollar less attractive because they reduce the returns traders get on U.S. debt and other bonds priced in dollars.

Markets had opened mostly lower on fears about Greece's slow progress in talks with bondholders aimed at reducing that nation's crushing debt load.

Technology stocks rose all morning, bucking the wider market, after Apple reported its best quarter and blew away analyst estimates because of strong holiday sales of the iPhone and iPad.

Apple once again passed Exxon Mobil as the company with the biggest market value. Wall Street was watching the results closely because they were for the company's first quarter since the death of founder Steve Jobs.

Apple stock jumped 6.3 percent, helping lift the Nasdaq composite index by 31.67 points, or 1.1 percent, to close at 2,818.31. The Nasdaq is up 8.2 percent this year, nearly twice the gain for the Dow Jones industrial average.

Netflix Inc., the DVD-by-mail and video streaming provider, jumped 13 percent in after-hours trading after reporting earnings that far exceeded Wall Street's expectations.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 11.41 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,326.06. The S&P is up 5.4 percent for the year and more than 14 percent from its Nov. 25 low.

As fears recede about Europe, big-time investors such as hedge funds will be drawn back into the market, fueling more gains, said Joe Bell, senior Equity Strategist at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

After such a strong rally, there might be a slight decline, but "overall we're bullish," Bell said.

European markets mostly closed lower. Greece wants the investors, mostly banks and hedge funds, to voluntarily write off about half their debt. Otherwise, Greece will be unable to obtain bailout cash and won't be able to pay its bills. That could set off a financial crisis similar to what happened when Lehman Brothers investment bank failed in 2008.

Adding to the gloom was a report that Britain's economy shrank by 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter.

Among the other companies making big moves after announcing earnings:

? US Airways Group Inc. jumped 17.3 percent and Delta Air Lines Inc. rose 6.2 percent. Both airlines reported profits far better than Wall Street analysts expected. The airlines raised fares during the fourth quarter while keeping costs under control. Delta also cut the number of flights it makes to keep pace with demand.

? WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest health insurance company based on enrollment, fell 4.8 percent. Its quarterly profit dropped 39 percent, far more than analysts had expected. Its full-year forecast also fell short of forecasts. Medical claims, its largest expense, rose nearly 10 percent in the quarter.

? Guidewire Software Inc. soared 37 percent on its first day of trading. The company, which makes software for the insurance industry, rose to $17.80 after selling initially at $13. The 11-year-old company raised $115 million in its debut ? or about $27 million less than the profit Apple turned in an average day last quarter.

___

AP Business Writer Matt Craft contributed to this report from New York.

Follow Daniel Wagner at www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-25-Wall%20Street/id-f8d1b57b96e64c0fa8878f1659388459

tappan zee bridge jessica chastain jessica chastain nook tablet eagles magic johnson involuntary manslaughter

New 'Hunger Games' Still: Effie, Peeta & Katniss Prepare For Tribute Parade (PHOTOS)

www.celebuzz.com:

As the countdown continues until Hunger Games hits theaters, a new movie still has been released on the Capitol Couture site.

Read the whole story: www.celebuzz.com

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/new-hunger-games-still-effie-tribute-parade_n_1229869.html

2012 camry endometriosis 9 9 9 plan 9 9 9 plan hoppin john dan wheldon walking dead

Hearse used after JFK slain in Dallas sells

In this photo provided by Barrett-Jackson, the white hearse used to transport President John F. Kennedy's body following his assassination in Dallas is shown at auction Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 in Scottsdale, Ariz. It sold for $160,000 to a collector and real estate developer from Boulder, Colo.(AP Photo/ Barrett-Jackson)??

In this photo provided by Barrett-Jackson, the white hearse used to transport President John F. Kennedy's body following his assassination in Dallas is shown at auction Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 in Scottsdale, Ariz. It sold for $160,000 to a collector and real estate developer from Boulder, Colo.(AP Photo/ Barrett-Jackson)??

In this photo provided by Barrett-Jackson, the white hearse used to transport President John F. Kennedy's body following his assassination in Dallas is shown at auction Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 in Scottsdale, Ariz. It sold for $160,000 to a collector and real estate developer from Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/ Barrett-Jackson)??

DALLAS (AP) ? The man who paid $176,000 for the white hearse used to transport President John F. Kennedy's body following his assassination in Dallas plans to include it in his collection of about 400 cars in Colorado.

Stephen Tebo, a collector and real estate developer from Boulder, bought the hearse Saturday that was being offered by Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. of Scottsdale, Ariz. It sold for a bid of $160,000, plus a $16,000 buyer's premium.

The 1964 Cadillac hearse carried Kennedy's body as well as first lady Jacqueline Kennedy from Parkland Memorial Hospital to Air Force One at Dallas' Love Field for the flight back to Washington on Nov. 22, 1963, according to the auction company.

"It was a solemn duty that it had taking him from the hospital where he was pronounced dead to Air Force One," said Craig Jackson, CEO and chairman of the auction company. "I think everybody in the world remembers watching the hearse leave the hospital, heading toward Air Force One. It just sort of sunk into everybody that he's gone."

The hearse had been on display at a funeral home directors' convention in Dallas in October 1963, the auction company said. After the convention, O'Neal Funeral Home of Dallas bought the hearse. It was that funeral home that was called upon to transport the president's body.

In the late 1960s, the hearse was bought by Arrdeen Vaughan, a Texas man who owns funeral homes and a funeral vehicle business. He kept it in a private collection for more than four decades before selling it to the person who eventually put it up for auction.

Tebo said he plans to turn his car collection into a museum, hopefully in five to 10 years. The collection in Longmont, just outside of Boulder, is not currently open to the public, but Tebo does open it up four times a year to different nonprofit groups to help them raise money.

Other cars in his collection include a 1965 Rolls Royce custom made for John Lennon, a taxi used in the TV show "Seinfeld" and a jeep Frank Sinatra used on his ranch.

Tebo said he had expected the hearse would sell for anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million, so he wasn't planning on bidding. But he jumped it when he saw the bids weren't likely to go that high. As a collector, he said he tries to buy significant vehicles when possible.

Tebo said he wanted the hearse because of its historical significance.

"We remember specifically seeing the hearse leaving the hospital and driving very, very slowing to Air Force One and loading the casket on Air Force One. It was just an incredibly dramatic time in our lives," Tebo said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2012-01-24-US-JFK-Hearse-Auction/id-c3709e4c47d34d23947dc0aad0a36ad3

sandusky interview with bob costas live oak mark kelly mark kelly jeff goldblum uc berkeley ohio state basketball

New Genetic Clues to Breast Cancer? - iVillage

SUNDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified three new genomic regions they believe are linked with breast cancer that may help explain why some women develop the disease.

All three newly identified areas "contain interesting genes that open up new avenues for biological and clinical research," said researcher Douglas Easton, a professor of genetic epidemiology at the University of Cambridge in England.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with about 1 million new cases annually worldwide and more than 400,000 deaths a year.

Scientists conducting genome-wide association studies -- research that looks at the association between genetic factors and disease to pinpoint possible causes -- had already identified 22 breast cancer susceptibility loci. Locus is the physical location of a gene or DNA sequence on a chromosome.

"The three [newly identified] loci take the number of common susceptibility loci from 22 to 25," said Easton.

However, the three new susceptibility loci might explain only about 0.7 percent of the familial risks of breast cancer, bringing the total contribution to about 9 percent, the researchers said.

Michael Melner, scientific program director for the American Cancer Society, said this current research adds some important new clues to existing evidence, but he agreed that the number of cases likely associated with these three variants is probably low.

"So the total impact in terms of patients would be fairly small," Melner said.

The study is published online Jan. 22 in Nature Genetics.

To find the new clues, Easton's team worked with genetic information on about 57,000 breast cancer patients and 58,000 healthy women obtained from two genome-wide association studies.

The investigators zeroed in on 72 different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A SNP -- pronounced "snip" -- is a change in which a single base in the DNA differs from the usual base. The human genome has millions of SNPs, some linked with disease, while others are normal variations.

The researchers focused on three SNPs -- on chromosomes 12p11, 12q24 and 21q21.

Easton's team found that the variant on the 12p11 chromosome is linked with both estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (which needs estrogen to grow) and estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. The other two variants are only linked with ER-positive cancers, they said.

One of the newly identified variants is in an area with a gene that has a role in the development of mammary glands and bones. Easton said it was already known that mammary gland development in puberty is an important period in terms of determining later cancer risk. "But these are the first susceptibility genes to be shown to be involved in this process," he said.

One of the other SNPs is in an area that can affect estrogen receptor signaling, the researchers found.

Melner, noting some of the research is "fine tuning" of other work, said in his view the new understanding of the signaling pathways and their genetic links is the most important finding.

"When you delineate a pathway, you bring up new potential targets for therapy," he said. "The more targets you have, you open up the potential for having multiple drugs and attacking a cancer more easily, without it becoming more resistant."

Overall, Melner added, the results underscore the complexity of the different mechanisms involved in breast cancer development.

More information

For more about the genetics of breast cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/new-genetic-clues-breast-cancer/4-a-421078

growing pains cupertino htc flyer review westboro stevejobs stevejobs steve jobs commencement speech

Lifelong brain-stimulating habits linked to lower Alzheimer's protein levels

ScienceDaily (Jan. 23, 2012) ? A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, provides even more reason for people to read a book or do a puzzle, and to make such activities a lifetime habit.

Brain scans revealed that people with no symptoms of Alzheimer's who engaged in cognitively stimulating activities throughout their lives had fewer deposits of beta-amyloid, a destructive protein that is the hallmark of the disease.

While previous research has suggested that engaging in mentally stimulating activities -- such as reading, writing and playing games -- may help stave off Alzheimer's later in life, this new study identifies the biological target at play. This discovery could guide future research into effective prevention strategies.

"These findings point to a new way of thinking about how cognitive engagement throughout life affects the brain," said study principal investigator Dr. William Jagust, a professor with joint appointments at UC Berkeley's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, the School of Public Health and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Rather than simply providing resistance to Alzheimer's, brain-stimulating activities may affect a primary pathological process in the disease. This suggests that cognitive therapies could have significant disease-modifying treatment benefits if applied early enough, before symptoms appear."

An estimated 5.4 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, but the numbers are growing as baby boomers age. Between 2000 and 2008, deaths from Alzheimer's increased 66 percent, making it the sixth-leading killer in the country. There is currently no cure, but a draft of the first-ever National Alzheimer's Plan, released this week, revealed that the U.S. government is aiming for effective Alzheimer's treatments by 2025.

The new study, published Jan. 23 in the Archives of Neurology, puts the spotlight on amyloid -- protein fibers folded into tangled plaques that accumulate in the brain. Beta-amyloid is considered the top suspect in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, so finding a way to reduce its development has become a major new direction of research.

The researchers note that the buildup of amyloid can also be influenced by genes and aging -- one-third of people age 60 and over have some amyloid deposits in their brain -- but how much reading and writing one does is under each individual's control.

"This is the first time cognitive activity level has been related to amyloid buildup in the brain," said study lead author Susan Landau, research scientist at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and the Berkeley Lab. "Amyloid probably starts accumulating many years before symptoms appear. So it's possible that by the time you have symptoms of Alzheimer's, like memory problems, there is little that can be done to stop disease progression. The time for intervention may be much sooner, which is why we're trying to identify whether lifestyle factors might be related to the earliest possible changes."

The researchers asked 65 healthy, cognitively normal adults aged 60 and over (average age was 76) to rate how frequently they participated in such mentally engaging activities as going to the library, reading books or newspapers, and writing letters or email. The questions focused on various points in life from age 6 to the present.

The participants took part in extensive neuropsychological testing to assess memory and other cognitive functions, and received positron emission tomography (PET) scans at the Berkeley Lab using a new tracer called Pittsburgh Compound B that was developed to visualize amyloid. The results of the brain scans of healthy older individuals with various levels of lifetime cognitive activity were compared with those of 10 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and 11 healthy people in their 20s.

The researchers found a significant association between higher levels of cognitive activity over a lifetime and lower levels of beta-amyloid in the PET scans. They analyzed the impact of other factors such as memory function, physical activity, self-rated memory ability, level of education and gender, and found that lifelong cognitive engagement was independently linked to amyloid deposition.

Notably, the researchers did not find a strong connection between amyloid deposition and levels of current cognitive activity alone.

"What our data suggests is that a whole lifetime of engaging in these activities has a bigger effect than being cognitively active just in older age," said Landau.

The researchers are careful to point out that the study does not negate the benefits of kicking up brain activity in later years.

"There is no downside to cognitive activity. It can only be beneficial, even if for reasons other than reducing amyloid in the brain, including social stimulation and empowerment," said Jagust. "And actually, cognitive activity late in life may well turn out to be beneficial for reducing amyloid. We just haven't found that connection yet."

Other study authors include researchers from UC San Francisco's Memory and Aging Center and Department of Neurology, and Rush University Medical Center's Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago.

The National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer's Association helped support this research.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Berkeley. The original article was written by Sarah Yang.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Susan M. Landau; Shawn M. Marks; Elizabeth C. Mormino; Gil D. Rabinovici; Hwamee Oh; James P. O?Neil; Robert S. Wilson; William J. Jagust. Association of Lifetime Cognitive Engagement and Low ?-Amyloid Deposition. Archives of Neurology, 2012; DOI: 10.1001/archneurol.2011.2748

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/~3/6h4ypt2Ziuc/120123163348.htm

yvette prieto hypertrophic cardiomyopathy maurice sendak kaye stevens michael jordan engaged kid cudi kasey kahne

Coordinated sect attack kills 143 in north Nigeria

A victim of Friday's bomb blast and gun attacks lies in Murtala Muhammad specialist hospital in Kano, Nigeria Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Coordinated attacks claimed by a radical Islamist sect killed at least 120 people in north Nigeria's largest city, hospital records seen Saturday show, as gunfire still echoed around some areas of the sprawling city. (AP Photo/Salisu Rabiu)

A victim of Friday's bomb blast and gun attacks lies in Murtala Muhammad specialist hospital in Kano, Nigeria Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Coordinated attacks claimed by a radical Islamist sect killed at least 120 people in north Nigeria's largest city, hospital records seen Saturday show, as gunfire still echoed around some areas of the sprawling city. (AP Photo/Salisu Rabiu)

A victim of Friday's bomb blast and gun attacks is transported in Murtala Muhammad specialist hospital in Kano, Nigeria Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Coordinated attacks claimed by a radical Islamist sect killed at least 120 people in north Nigeria's largest city, hospital records seen Saturday show, as gunfire still echoed around some areas of the sprawling city. (AP Photo/Salisu Rabiu)

A victim of Friday's bomb blast and gun attacks lies in Murtala Muhammad specialist hospital in Kano, Nigeria Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Coordinated attacks claimed by a radical Islamist sect killed at least 120 people in north Nigeria's largest city, hospital records seen Saturday show, as gunfire still echoed around some areas of the sprawling city. (AP Photo/Salisu Rabiu)

A victim of Friday's bomb blast and gun attacks lies in Murtala Muhammad specialist hospital in Kano, Nigeria Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Coordinated attacks claimed by a radical Islamist sect killed at least 120 people in north Nigeria's largest city, hospital records seen Saturday show, as gunfire still echoed around some areas of the sprawling city. (AP Photo/Salisu Rabiu)

A victim of Friday's bomb blast and gun attacks lies in Murtala Muhammad specialist hospital in Kano, Nigeria Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Coordinated attacks claimed by a radical Islamist sect killed at least 120 people in north Nigeria's largest city, hospital records seen Saturday show, as gunfire still echoed around some areas of the sprawling city. (AP Photo/Salisu Rabiu)

KANO, Nigeria (AP) ? A coordinated attack by a radical Islamist sect in north Nigeria's largest city killed at least 143 people, a hospital official said Saturday, representing the extremist group's deadliest assault since beginning its campaign of terror in Africa's most populous nation.

Soldiers and police officers swarmed Kano's streets as Nigeria's president again promised the sect known as Boko Haram would "face the full wrath of the law." But the uniformed bodies of security agents that filled a Kano hospital mortuary again showed the sect can strike at will against the country's weak central government.

Friday's attacks hit police stations, immigration offices and the local headquarters of Nigeria's secret police in Kano, a city of more than 9 million people that remains an important political and religious center in the country's Muslim north. A suicide bomber detonated a car loaded with powerful explosives outside a regional police headquarters, tearing its roof away and blowing out windows in a blast felt miles away as its members escaped jail cells there.

Authorities largely refused to offer casualty statistics as mourners began claiming the bodies of their loved ones to bury before sundown, following Islamic tradition. However, a hospital official told The Associated Press at least 143 people were killed in the attack.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the death toll to journalists. The toll could still rise, since other bodies could be held at other clinics and hospitals in the sprawling city.

State authorities enforced a 24-hour curfew in the city, with many remaining home as soldiers and police patrolled the streets and setup roadblocks. Gunshots echoed through some areas of the city into Saturday morning.

Nwakpa O. Nwakpa, a spokesman for the Nigerian Red Cross, said volunteers offered first aid to the wounded, and evacuated those seriously injured to local hospitals. A survey of two hospitals by the Red Cross showed at least 50 people were injured in Friday's attack, he said.

A Boko Haram spokesman using the nom de guerre Abul-Qaqa claimed responsibility for the attacks in a message to journalists Friday. He said the attack came because the state government refused to release Boko Haram members held by the police.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Saturday that he was "shocked and appalled" by the attacks in the former colony.

"The full horror of last night's events is still unfolding, but we know that a great many people have died and many more have been injured," Hague said in a statement. "The nature of these attacks has sickened people around the world and I send my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of those killed and to those injured."

The U.S. Embassy said it had canceled all staff travel to northern Nigeria after Friday's attacks.

President Goodluck Jonathan also condemned an attack he said saw innocent people "brutally and recklessly cut down by agents of terror."

"As a responsible government, we will not fold our hands and watch enemies of democracy, for that is what these mindless killers are, perpetrate unprecedented evil in our land," Jonathan said in a statement. "I want to reassure Nigerians ... that all those involved in that dastardly act would be made to face the full wrath of the law."

But Jonathan's government has repeatedly been unable to stop attacks by Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the Hausa language of Nigeria's north. The group has carried out increasingly sophisticated and bloody attacks in its campaign to implement strict Shariah law and avenge the deaths of Muslims in communal violence across Nigeria, a multiethnic nation of more than 160 million people.

Authorities blamed Boko Haram for at least 510 killings last year alone, according to an AP count, including an August suicide bombing on the U.N. headquarters in the country's capital Abuja. So far this year, the group has been blamed for at least 219 killings, according to an AP count.

Boko Haram recently said it specifically would target Christians living in Nigeria's north, but Friday's attack saw its gunmen kill many Muslims. In a recent video posted to the Internet, Imam Abubakar Shekau, a Boko Harm leader, warned it would kill anyone who "betrays the religion" by being part of or sympathizing with Nigeria's government.

"I swear by Allah we will kill them and their killing will be nothing to us," Shekau said. "It will be like going to prayers at 5 a.m."

Friday's attacks also could cause more unrest, as violence in Kano has set off attacks throughout the north in the past, including postelection violence in April that saw 800 people killed. Kano, an ancient city, remains important in the history of Islam in Nigeria and has important religious figures there today.

Amid the recent unrest and attacks, at least two journalists have been killed in Nigeria. Journalist Enenche Akogwu, who worked as a correspondent in Kano for private news station Channels Television, was shot Friday while reporting on the attacks, colleagues said. In central Nigeria's city of Jos, Nansok Sallah, a news editor for a government-owned radio station called Highland FM, was found dead in a shallow stream Thursday, the victim of an apparent murder, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

___

Salisu Rabiu in Kano, Nigeria, and Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

___

Jon Gambrell reported from Lagos, Nigeria and can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-21-AF-Nigeria-Violence/id-0892dda1a87142b086049ca3d579798e

arkansas football player dies anne mccaffrey anne mccaffrey amazon promotional code artificial christmas trees bean bag chairs android tablet