Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Man says Nigeria kidnapping like 'an action movie' (AP)

BOWDON, Ga. ? As the car an American man was riding in idled in traffic in a remote Nigerian town, two men appeared, one of them shooting the Georgia man's security guard five times, while the other forced him into a tiny getaway car that sped away.

The car weaved through traffic on side roads and then sped to a main road, where police, known there as "mopols," had erected a roadblock. Greg Ock's captors crashed through the barricade and traded fire with a truck of police officers, who narrowly missed the 50-year-old Ock.

"I felt like I was in an action movie," Ock told The Associated Press at his west Georgia home on Monday, a day after he returned to his family. As they were speeding away from the police, he said he told his guards: "I was more afraid of mopols than you guys."

Ock was kidnapped on Jan. 20 in Warri, a main city in the Niger Delta, an oil-rich area where foreign firms pump 2.4 million barrels of crude oil a day. After being held seven days, he was released on Friday.

Ock worked in construction for decades, landing gigs all over the U.S. and as far away as Abu Dhabi. He loved the work, the camaraderie and the pay, which helped him support a wife and four daughters.

He landed in the Nigerian town of Sapele in September 2010 to begin one of his more adventurous assignments, maintaining gas turbines and other heavy machinery for Marubeni Corp.

It was tough work and the perks weren't enticing. The food was bad, he said, and the heat was unbearable. But he had chances to leave the "little prison" of the company's base camp, often going on Sundays with co-workers and a security guard to a golf course, or to neighboring Benin to eat at a Chinese restaurant.

His journey the day he was ambushed wasn't nearly as adventurous. He went with a driver, a security guard and a company secretary to a clinic in Warri, where he would get a checkup for a recent bout with malaria.

He took out some cash from an ATM, hopped in the car and tuned his iPod to Don Henley as the driver waited in traffic. What happened next seemed to unfold in a flash.

A gunman ran up to his vehicle and yelled "die, mopol, die" as he fired five bullets into the guard. The other gunman ordered Ock out of the car and pushed him toward a tiny red Audi.

"They told me we were an easy target. We didn't have tinted windows and only one mopol," he said. "They told me they wanted a white guy anyways."

They escaped the city, and one of the kidnappers then called Ock's boss and demanded about $330,000 for his safe return.

They drove about an hour, arriving at a squat shack where he was forced into a small room. He shared the room with two or three guards, a plastic chair, piles of dirty dishes, some scattered clothes and a mattress blocking the window.

The men dulled his senses by forcing him to smoke marijuana and drink Baron Del Valle red wine at all hours. He didn't have many food options, either. Early in his captivity, Ock said he asked for boiled eggs. From then on, he got four eggs in the morning and four at night. As a snack, he got apples.

He was told few details about the negotiations his captors were working with his company, adding to his unease. When he was able to sleep, his captors often woke him by cranking an odd mix of local music and Dolly Parton classics from a stereo.

"I was on the edge all the time," he said.

After a few days, he decided to escape. He found a butcher knife resting in a bowl and reached for it when he thought his captors were sleeping. They weren't. One alerted the others, who "slapped me around a bit" and chained him tighter to his chair. Despite the beating, Ock said he wasn't tortured.

The next morning, a guard pulled out a gun and threatened to kill his captive. Ock called his bluff.

"I told them I didn't care," he said. "I've had a good life."

On Thursday, Ock could tell the negotiations were heating up. His captors were celebrating and drinking moonshine. Two of the men left the house around noon, returning five hours later with wide smiles.

Around 3:30 Friday morning, the men dumped Ock in a desolate area with about $12 to hail a scooter to the nearest police station. Once there, he called his boss and his wife to let them know he was OK.

Ock said he wasn't told by either his captors or his company whether a ransom was paid.

"But they seemed happy," he said. "They let me go for a reason ? and I don't think it was because they were out of eggs."

Marubeni Corp. on Monday declined to comment on how Ock was released. U.S. embassy officials also declined to offer any details, citing privacy concerns.

He returned home on Sunday morning, arriving at Atlanta's airport to a rapturous greeting from family and friends. There, a limousine drove him the 60-mile route to rural Bowdon. Someone told Ock to peek out the sunroof as they approached, and when he did he saw about 500 people gathered to celebrate.

Among the gifts he received was a plastic bag with only an egg and an apple. The friend who offered it to him joked that she didn't know if he wanted breakfast or supper, so she brought both.

Ock has no plans to return to Nigeria, instead looking for work closer to home. But his wife Teresa said she doubts his kidnapping will scare him from working another faraway gig.

"It's in his blood to travel," she said. "He may work here for a while. But I know him. He'll get to itching to leave."

For now, Ock is catching up on sleep and making up for lost time.

"It's taken a while to process it all. For us, too," Teresa Ock said. "We're just so thankful for the prayers, from our church, from our community, from everyone who prayed for him."

She glanced at her husband, who summoned an impish smile.

"I guess I've got to go to church now," he said.

___

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_re_us/us_nigeria_kidnapping

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WR Deion Branch looking for wins, not attention (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS ? He plays offense. He's won at least two Super Bowls, and he was the MVP the last time the Patriots won the NFL championship.

Know who it is?

"I'd have to say Tom," New England safety Patrick Chung said Monday. Nope, not Tom Brady.

The same question seemed to stump running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis for a few seconds, too. Then he said it's really not important who got the honor in a game where the biggest reward is the Vince Lombardi Trophy that goes to the NFL champion.

"To me, MVPs don't matter," he said. "The only thing that really matters is us going out there and performing well."

And it doesn't matter to Deion Branch, either. He was the Super Bowl MVP when the Patriots beat the Eagles 24-21 seven years ago for their third championship in four years. He's been overlooked a bit this season, with Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez grabbing most of Brady's passes and the headlines.

"That's cool," said Branch, who has that MVP trophy stored safely in a glass case at his home. "I just do my job. I can't worry about who's controlling it and who's saying A, B, C, D. I just do my job I'm not here to be the one that (says), `Hey I need all the attention.' That's not me."

His contribution doesn't escape the discriminating eye of coach Bill Belichick as he prepares his team for the Super Bowl against the New York Giants on Sunday.

"I couldn't imagine anybody on the team not thinking that Deion Branch has a tremendous importance to our football team," Belichick said. "I don't care if they play offense, defense or wash the towels."

Brady was MVP of the Patriots first two Super Bowl wins in 2002 and 2004. Then he threw for two touchdowns among his 23 completions in their next championship game.

But it was Branch, who caught nearly half of them, who was MVP after tying a Super Bowl record with 11 receptions.

Then, after one more season, he was gone, traded during a contract dispute after the opening game of the 2006 season to Seattle for a draft choice. Brady was devastated to lose his friend and the receiver who could adjust his planned route with just a pre-snap glance from his quarterback.

Then he felt much better when Branch made the cross-country trip back for a reunion.

The Patriots obtained Branch in a trade on Oct. 12, 2010 for a fourth-round draft choice to replace Randy Moss, who was traded to Minnesota. Branch had 48 catches in 11 games with New England last season and another 51 in 15 games this season.

But Welker led the NFL with 122 receptions, Gronkowski set a league single-season record for tight ends with 17 touchdown catches and Hernandez, a tight end versatile enough to make big plays at wide receiver and running back, had 79 receptions.

Welker has caught at least 111 passes in four of his five years with the Patriots. Gronkowski and Hernandez, fun-loving second-year pros, are revolutionizing the tight end position historically known for players who block well and occasionally break away for long gains.

Branch, simply, just produces in the shadows of those stars.

"It's easy to overlook a guy like him in their offense because they're so tight-end focused and those are the guys who are scoring touchdowns," Giants linebacker Matthias Kiwanuka said, "but he obviously creates matchup problems. If you want to assign your best corner to a Wes Welker or somebody else, or you want to put your safety down on a tight end, then (Branch) is going to create an issue for you, but we have the personnel to get it done."

Branch is a solid blocker for his size and a precise route runner who can adjust on the fly. And he can make the big play. In a 45-10 divisional playoff win over Denver, he caught a 61-yard touchdown pass.

"I don't know how many guys make that play for us," Belichick said.

It's the kind of play the Giants will try to prevent.

"People who actually play against him, they understand how good Deion is," New York safety Antrel Rolle said. "Deion is a veteran of this league. He understands all the tricks to this game and, most of all, he's great for their system. He fits their system extremely well. So I think Deion definitely gets his due, maybe not in the media or in the press, but within this team as an organization I feel he definitely gets his due."

Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said a player's contribution in each game depends on what offensive or defensive packages a team uses. It could emphasize the tight ends or Welker or even the running game.

And, on Sunday, maybe even Branch.

"You never know," Wilfork said. "He might have another MVP game."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_super_bowl_patriots_branch

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Fears of European debt crisis send dollar higher (AP)

NEW YORK ? The dollar rose Monday because of renewed worries over the Greek debt crisis, despite a tentative deal between Greece and the investors who bought its national bonds.

The euro had gained ground over the past two weeks as investors looked ahead to a deal between Greece and its bondholders that would cut Greece's debt and secure much-needed bailout money.

But the deal isn't done. A Greek default would sting the European economy and perhaps trigger defaults in other European countries. Portugal's borrowing costs were already jumping.

Investors are worried that Europe faces a deep recession even if Greece gets the money it needs to avoid default. European leaders met in Brussels on Monday to discuss ways to boost economic growth for the countries in the European Union.

European countries have slashed spending and put in place other unpopular economic reforms to ease concerns of investors who buy their bonds and allow them to cover budget deficits. But unemployment has risen across Europe, increasing fears of a prolonged downturn.

The euro fell to $1.3122 in midday trading Monday from $1.3208 late Friday. It was worth almost $1.50 in May.

In other trading, the British pound fell to $1.5684 from $1.5724, while the dollar dropped to 76.29 Japanese yen from 76.72 yen.

The dollar also rose to 0.9178 Swiss franc from 0.9129 franc, but was nearly unchanged at 1.0030 Canadian dollar from 1.0012 Canadian dollar.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_bi_ge/us_dollar

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Backyard politics: risks and rewards for Gingrich (The Arizona Republic)

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Washington state marijuana legalization headed for ballot (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Supporters of legalizing marijuana for recreational use have submitted enough signatures to put the matter to voters in Washington state in a bold move that, if successful, could put Olympia on a collision course with the federal government.

The group New Approach Washington submitted nearly 278,000 valid signatures for the measure, more than required to put it on the November ballot, David Ammons, a spokesman for the Washington Secretary of State's office, said in a statement.

The move comes as federal prosecutors have sought to crank up pressure on several mostly western states, including Washington, that have legalized medical marijuana even as cannibis remains classified as an illegal narcotic under federal law.

The proposal, if approved by voters, would allow marijuana sales to people 21 and older, permit state taxes to be collected on the drug, ban pot advertising and prohibit driving under the influence of cannabis.

Supporters of legalizing marijuana, who include acting Seattle city attorney Peter Holmes, say the federal prohibition on the drug has not curbed use and that it enriches drug cartels.

"This is the grown-up approach to regulating a relatively harmless drug," Holmes said.

Opponents of legalization say it would lead to more abuse of the drug, including by young people, and that underground sales would continue.

"There will always be a black market. That's been proven with cigarettes with the tobacco industry," said Calvina Fay, head of the Florida-based Drug Free America Foundation. "Even though tobacco is legal and it's regulated, there's still a huge global black market."

Washington is one of 16 states that, along with the nation's capital, have decriminalized medical marijuana. But federal agents have raided medical marijuana dispensaries in several states, including Washington, in recent months.

Under state law, the recreational legalization initiative next heads to the Washington State Legislature, which has the option of avoiding a popular vote by itself enacting the proposal to legalize marijuana, Ammons said.

The legislature could also allow the measure to go to the ballot alongside an alternative from lawmakers, Ammons said.

Alison Holcomb, campaign director of New Approach Washington, has said she did not expect the legislature would enact the proposal on its own, but would leave the issue for voters to decide.

In 2010, a measure to legalize marijuana in California lost at the ballot box when less than 47 percent of voters approved it.

No modern, affluent nation has ever legalized commercial production and distribution of marijuana, according to research organization RAND Corp.

In the Netherlands, famous for its Amsterdam cafes where guests buy and smoke marijuana, authorities allow adults to buy the drug but the country officially has a policy that commercial production of it is illegal, said Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center.

(Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/us_nm/us_marijuana_initiative_washington

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Putin campaign chief wants more Medvedev support (AP)

MOSCOW ? Vladimir Putin hasn't seen much support from Dmitry Medvedev in his bid to reclaim the Russian presidency, Putin's campaign chief says, suggesting there may be a rift between Russia's dominant political figure and his protege and successor.

Medvedev should have been more active in campaigning for Putin for the March 4 election, Stanislav Govorukhin told the daily newspaper Izvestia in an interview published Friday.

Medvedev succeeded Putin as president when he stepped down in 2008 due to term limits, but he has largely been seen as a stand-in for the figure who has towered over Russian politics for 12 years. He nominated Putin to run for president in September, and Putin, now the prime minister, in turn promised to appoint Medvedev the premier.

"I think it would be more proper if he actively joined campaigning for the man he has nominated for president," Govorukhin said of Medvedev. "I'm not seeing him playing any active role, and I find it strange because it was he who first proposed Putin's candidacy for president."

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov quickly moved to play down Govorukhin's statement, saying on Ekho Moskvy radio that Medvedev has shown "exhaustive support" for Putin.

Medvedev's decision to step down in Putin's favor has angered many Russians, who saw the swap as cynical maneuvering and a show of contempt for democracy. It has helped fuel massive protests in December that cast the strongest-ever challenge to Putin.

Medvedev, who said he agreed to step down because Putin was more popular, faced angry questions about the swap at a meeting with journalism students Wednesday. He again defended the decision by saying that he and Putin share similar views and that it would make no sense for them to compete.

Medvedev added that some of his supporters angry about the swap could have joined last month's protests in Moscow. The rallies in the Russian capital over allegations of fraud in favor of Putin's United Russia party in December's parliamentary election have drawn tens of thousands in the largest show of discontent since the 1991 Soviet collapse.

Medvedev's election in 2008 at the age of 42 raised hopes that he could ease tight controls established by Putin and allow more political competition, protect media freedoms, liberalize the economy and ensure a greater respect for the rule of law. But he has delivered little.

Last month, Medvedev proposed a series of bills restoring direct elections of provincial governors and easing rules of registration for political parties, but the opposition has seen the moves as a belated attempt to assuage public anger that could be reversed later by Putin in case of his victory.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_putin

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Office's Dwight spinoff: 'A terrible idea'? (The Week)

New York ? Betting that Office fans are eager for more talk of beets and bears, NBC is planning a sitcom centered around Rainn Wilson's peculiar character, Dwight

Since the departure of star Steve Carell and his hilariously off-putting character Michael Scott, The Office has struggled to placate critics and retain viewers. Can the NBC sitcom stand to lose Rainn Wilson too? According to Deadline, NBC is planning to develop a spinoff centered on Wilson's character, Dwight Schrute, the quirky, egomaniacal assistant who is also a beet farmer, a fount of bear trivia, and a Battlestar Galactica aficionado. The series, proposed to debut mid-season in 2013, would reportedly focus on Dwight's gig as the proprietor of a bed-and-breakfast on his family's beet farm. "A terrible idea," says at least one critic. But fans are hopefully referencing Frasier, which successfully spun off Kelsey Grammer's Cheers character. Could this possibly work?

No way: Overbearing oddball Dwight is a spectacular supporting character, says James Poniewozik at TIME. "Emphasis on supporting." A Dwight-centric spinoff would have to rein in his cartoonishness dramatically. And if the Office storylines to date involving Schrute Farms and Dwight's family are any indication, that's not in the cards. I'll pass: "Just because ketchup is delicious on a hamburger does not mean I want to eat a bowl of it."
"For the love of beets: Are you ready for an Office spinoff about Dwight?"

Not so fast: There's no reason why this wouldn't work, says Kelly West at Cinema Blend. Not only is Dwight "still one of the best characters" on The Office, but, if you ask me, his shenanigans on the beet farm are reliably hilarious. Based on the anecdotes Dwight has shared about Schrute family life, the potential to build a quality sitcom around this curious clan is strong. One caveat: It may be too late. This spinoff "might have hit it big a couple of years back when The Office was in its prime."
"Is The Office's Dwight Schrute getting his own spinoff series?"

It's all in the execution: Yes, there's potential, says Aly Semigran at Entertainment Weekly. Weekly doses of Dwight might admittedly be hard to handle, but Schrute Farms is "home to the greatest, weirdest moments in the [The Office's] history." The episode in which Jim and Pam visit the bed-and-breakfast and are at once "amused and horrified" by the strange place and Dwight's bizarre behavior was a standout. "So perhaps it would be in a spinoff's best interest to present each episode from the perspective of the guests," and mine the comedy from their reactions instead of from the Schrute family's absurd behavior.
"The Office Dwight spinoff: Amish you were here?"

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20120127/cm_theweek/223788

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EMS, 911 Operators Picket Over Union Conditions

POSTED: 5:21 pm EST January 26, 2012
UPDATED: 11:39 pm EST January 26, 2012

Louisville Emergency Medical Services employees and 911 operators are working without contracts, and some of them said they're tired of it.They took their concerns to Louisville Metro Council members at City Hall Thursday night.They have been without contracts for 18 months. Workers picketed Thursday for that very reason. They said much of the language for a new contract is written. Now, it comes down to money."We don't want to have to take this to mediation, so we're asking for your support," said Lane Morrison, a Teamster with Louisville Metro EMS."We're still without a contract because Metro Government doesn't know what to do," said Todd Thomason with Teamsters Local 783.That's why Thomason said the workers took to the picket line outside Metro Hall."There's no increases, and employees are still making their runs; they're still risking their lives," said Thomason."We went to the table and asked for no more, no less than what they gave the fire department on the recent contract they signed," said EMS technician and chief union steward Art Cash.Workers want a 2 percent annual increase on wages that Thomason said other emergency services workers already get."Right now, all we're asking for is the same as police and firefighters," said Thomason.Teamsters said contract negotiations between them and the city have gone stale. They took their concerns to council members asking for help."It's been three months since our last meeting with Metro Government, and we only met seven times in 2011," one worker said at the meeting."I would just encourage the city to negotiate in good faith," said Metro Councilman David James.James said the Metro Council does not have the power to negotiate contracts, but would approve or disapprove once an agreement is reached.It's that agreement James urges city leaders to finish. "The workers we're talking about are emergency workers. They're the ones who take care of us every day. They should not be distracted with these types of things when they're trying to protect us," said James.Currently, Mayor Greg Fischer is looking for a way to cut about $23 million in overtime he said the city accumulates every year.Thomason said he's willing to talk concessions and ways to reduce spending once workers get what's owed to them.On Thursday night, a spokesman for the mayor said his office continues to work with the workers on contract negotiations and is hopeful for a resolution soon.

Copyright 2012 by WLKY.com. ?2012 Hearst Properties Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.wlky.com/news/30308959/detail.html

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Fed says no rate hikes until at least late 2014 (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it will not raise interest rates until at least late 2014, even later than investors expected, in an effort to support a sluggish economic recovery.

Without making major shifts to its outlook for the economy, the central bank described the unemployment rate as still elevated and said it expects inflation to remain at levels consistent with stable prices.

It depicted business investment as having slowed, dowgrading its assessment from the December meeting.

Economic conditions "are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through late 2014," the central bank said in a statement.

Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker, an inflation hawk who rotated into a voting seat this year, dissented against the decision. He preferred to omit the description of the time period for ultra-low rates.

As part of an effort to provide more insight on its thinking to financial markets and the public, the Fed later on Wednesday will begin publishing individual policymakers' projections for the appropriate path of the benchmark federal funds rate. That release is scheduled for 2 p.m. (1900 GMT)

If the Fed can convince financial markets it will be on hold longer than they had anticipated, long-term interest rates could drop as investors price in the new information.

"A significant contingent of the committee views this exercise not so much as a process improvement but more as an opportunity to ease again via the forward rate communications channel," Stephen Stanley, an economist at Pierpoint Securities, said ahead of the Fed's announcement.

There is also the possibility that officials will announce an explicit inflation target, perhaps a hard marker of 2 percent or a range of 2 percent or a bit below. The Fed has been debating a statement on its long-run goals, but whether one will be released on Wednesday is unclear.

While forecasters expect the U.S. economy grew at a 3 percent annual rate in the last three months of 2011, they look for growth of just around 2 percent this year.

Fed officials appear likely to bide their time in determining whether more monetary stimulus is needed. Many economists expect they will eventually decide on another spurt of Fed bond buying - probably one focused on mortgage debt.

In response to the deepest recession in generations, the Fed slashed the overnight federal funds rate to near zero in December 2008. It has also more than tripled the size of its balance sheet to around $2.9 trillion through two separate bond purchase programs.

The policy is credited with having prevented an even more devastating downturn, but it has been insufficient to bring unemployment down to levels considered normal during good economic times.

In December, the U.S. jobless rate stood at 8.5 percent, and some 13 million Americans were still actively looking for work but could not find it.

Analysts said the Fed's shift in communications will put an even greater emphasis on a post-meeting news conference by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke set for 2:15 p.m. (1915 GMT).

"The chairman is likely to remain non-committal to any additional policy easing, but he is likely to reinforce the Fed's commitment to 'review the size and composition of its securities holdings' and be 'prepared to adjust those holdings as appropriate,'" said Millan Mulraine, senior macro strategist at TD Securities.

(Editing by Tim Ahmann and Andrea Ricci)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/bs_nm/us_usa_fed

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Obama to honor Steve Jobs' wife at State of the Union address (Digital Trends)

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President Barack Obama will honor late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs during tonight?s State of the Union address, reports AFP. Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs? wife, will be in attendance as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama, according to a list of guests leaked by Time.

Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011, after a years-long battle with cancer. Following Jobs? death, President Obama said in an official statement that the Apple visionary ?was among the greatest of American innovators ? brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.?

Laurene Powell Jobs is the chair and founder of the Emerson Collective, ?an organization focused on harnessing the potential of individuals from underserved communities to help them build a better life,? according to the official White House bio. Powell Jobs also serves as president of the board of College Track, an after-school program started in East Palo Alto, California, which helps ?underserved? high school students prepare for higher education.

Here are the bios of a number of other tech-centric attendees of tonight?s SOTU, via the White House?s list:

Mike Krieger
?Co-founder Instagram
?San Francisco, California

Mike Krieger is the co-founder of Instagram, the fastest growing social mobile startup in the U.S. today, with over 15 million registered users. Mike was born in S?o Paulo, Brazil, and moved to California in 2004 to attend Stanford University, where he studied computer science and cognitive science. In 2010, he joined up with Kevin Systrom to co-found Instagram, and now employs a talented, growing team of designers and engineers. After graduation, Mr. Krieger worked for a year on his student F-1 visa, later applying for and receiving an H-1B visa as a high-skill worker. Mr. Krieger wants to permanently stay in the U.S. and has applied for a green card.

Alicia Boler-Davis?
Plant Manager, General Motors Orion Assembly?
Detroit, Michigan

Alicia Boler-Davis lives in Detroit with her husband, Fitzgerald, and their two young sons. She is the plant manager at General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping, and is responsible for overseeing the production of the first new small car program from General Motors to be manufactured in the United States. Last October, Ms. Boler-Davis led President Obama and President Lee of South Korea on a tour of the General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping. President Obama and President Lee traveled to the GM plant to highlight the free trade agreements and the resurgence of the American auto industry.

Jackie Bray
?Process Operator at the Siemens Charlotte Energy Hub
?King?s Mountain, North Carolina

Jackie Bray is a single mother from King?s Mountain, North Carolina. Last January she was laid off from her job as a high speed packaging mechanic. That is when she enrolled in Central Piedmont Community College to prepare for Siemens pre-hiring test. After finishing the course and passing the test, Ms. Bray was hired by Siemens in August of 2011. This type of partnership between businesses and community colleges is exactly what President Obama hopes to strengthen to maximize workforce development strategies, job training programs, and job placements. Ms. Bray now works as a process operator, combining her machinist background with new skills she has been trained on since working at Siemens: laser training, robotics training, penetrant inspection training, and product orientation.

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita?
Founder, President and CEO Quality Electrodynamics?
Cleveland, Ohio

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita is founder, president and chief executive officer of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), in Cleveland, Ohio. Coming to America from Japan in 1988 and after receiving his Ph.D. in physics from Case Western Reserve University in 1998, Dr. Fujita chose to continue his professional training in America. In 2006 he started his own company, QED, which is a developer and manufacturer of highly proprietary state-of-the-art MRI radiofrequency antennas. QED is now one of the world?s largest suppliers of these products and ships throughout the globe. In 2010, Dr. Fujita founded his second company, eQED, a solar energy-related electronics development and manufacturing company. With the founding of both QED and eQED, today Dr. Fujita is creating high tech, advanced manufacturing jobs in the healthcare and energy sectors in the United States.

Captain Mark Kelly, USN, Ret.

Mark Kelly is an American astronaut, retired US Navy Captain, best-selling author, and an experienced naval aviator who flew combat missions during the Gulf War. The winner of many awards, including the Legion of Merit, two Defense Superior Service Medals and two Distinguished Flying Crosses, Kelly was selected as an astronaut in 1996. He flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, the same space shuttle that he commanded on its final flight in May 2011. He has also commanded Space Shuttle Discovery and is one of only two individuals who have visited the International Space Station on four different occasions.

Already a celebrated American, Kelly became the center of international attention after the January 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In their best-selling memoir, Gabby, the couple shares their story of hope and resilience with the world.

Internet users can watch the full SOTU address on the White House?s YouTube channel, here. For other watching options, see PC Mag?s very thorough list, here.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20120125/tc_digitaltrends/obamatohonorstevejobswifeatstateoftheunionaddress

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Super Bowl first: Social media command center

By Athima Chansanchai

It'll probably take the rest of winter for Niners and Ravens fans to get over what happened yesterday that knocked their respective teams out of Super Bowl XLVI (that would be 46 for all of you who don't read Roman numerals). But for Patriots and Giants fans, the fun is just beginning. Through a newly installed social media command center, visitors to the big game in Indianapolis will be able to ask questions and receive answers leading up to the Feb. 5 showdown.

For the next two weeks until?the NFL's most important game, an Indianapolis-based?team (no, not the Colts) is operating out of a 2,800-square-foot space to read and respond to fans who are one of 100,000 to 150,000 lucky souls who will be in Indianapolis for the game, posting about the Super Bowl and their beloved teams. (This includes those who are traveling to the city for pre/during/post-game festivities, or watching from places other than the about 70,000-capacity stadium, but still in and around the city.)

This social media super team will provide directions, to-do around town suggestions and other important information (such as what to do in case of an emergency at the stadium).

Indianapolis digital marketing firm Raidious is in charge of the operation, with CEO Taulbee Jackson at the helm. Jackson sits on the Super Bowl host committee and was asked to help with social media strategy. I reached to Jackson by phone this morning and he shared more details on this Superbowl first.

"It's the first time any facility like this has been built to manage social media for such a large event," Jackson said. "We were outgrowing our second office in 18 months at the same time the Host Committee asked for our help, so we designed and built the space with the express intention of using it as the Super Bowl Social Media Command Center, then taking over the space afterwards."?

The team ??which includes about 50 people, led by?Raidious' staff of 16 and students and journalism/telecommunications students from Ball State University, Butler University and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis?? will work in the command center 15 hours a day. (Not all at once!)

One team will focus on social media management and moderation, while the other (most likely the students) will work?on content development for posts on all the events and activities that surround the game, as well as things to do in Indianapolis since a big part of the team's mandate will be promoting the city to newcomers. "It's?Hoosier hopsitality for the 21st century," Jackson said.

Given that the two league championship teams are from New York and New England, it's a good bet there will be first-timers in the zone. While most visitors are expected to arrive in the city next Wednesday or Thursday (Feb. 1 and Feb. 2), the social media command center will swing into high gear starting this week.

As we've already seen, sports fans are some of the most rabid in social media posts, with record-setting tweets about Tim Tebow?(9,420 tweets per second), as well as the 7,196 tweets per second during the Women's World Cup final between the U.S. and Japan last summer. And have you ever looked at your Facebook on football Sundays, much less the playoffs? It's one sure way to see who's a fan, and how intense they are about it. (On my Facebook, the Bears, Ravens, Raiders and Niners fans are definitely the most vocal.)

In fact, every time the Super Bowl comes around, it's a proven magnet for the millions who are active on Facebook, Twitter and now, Google+. In 2011, the only Facebook status update topic in the world, amongst 800 million users?that bested the Packers winning Super Bowl 45 was the death of Osama bin Laden.?

For those who will be in Indy, there will be plenty to write home about, but they'll also be in company with the millions glued to their sets that Sunday watching with them. ?

The Super Bowl social media command center will concentrate on key word-based monitoring, but because they're geo-targeting the Indianapolis/Indiana area and those coming to town for the game, they won't be as overwhelmed as they would be if they tried to deal with all the online traffic the event generates.

"One of the reasons we've staffed it the way we have, and put in all this technology, is to deal with the high levels of volume, even limiting that to the Indianapolis, Indiana area," Jackson said.

Safety is another priority, using Twitter to get any emergency instructions and information out quickly if necessary.?

From the main Super Bowl XLVI site, fans can access the social media command center's activity through its management of the Super Bowl Facebook page, Flickr and Twitter accounts and the site's blog.

More stories:

Check out Technolog on?Facebook, and on Twitter, follow?Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the?Google+?stream.

Source: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10216687-super-bowl-first-social-media-command-center

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Video: Road becomes slip and slide after snow

It was a very slippery slope outside of Rhee Braby?s house in Boutiful, Utah. He began shooting the snow fall, then focused on drivers sliding down the hill. Police say there were nearly a dozen crashes, but fortunately no injuries.

Related Links:

http://twitter.com/nbcnightlynews

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46106755/

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Concordia captain tests negative for drugs: lawyer (Reuters)

GROSSETO, Italy (Reuters) ? The captain of the Costa Concordia was not under the effects of drugs when the liner hit a rock that tore a hole in the hull and caused it to capsize near the port of Italy's Giglio island, his lawyer said on Monday.

A toxicology report showed that Captain Francesco Schettino had tested negative for drugs, his lawyer Bruno Leporatti told reporters. "We had no doubts about it," Leporatti said.

The comment came as divers resumed a search for bodies on the stricken vessel, which lies on its side in about 20 meters of water off Giglio.

Thirteen people are known to have died and around 20 are still missing from the accident, which occurred in calm seas and good weather as the 114,500 tonne liner approached the island, apparently to make a display known as a "salute."

Schettino has been charged with multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship before the evacuation of more than 4,200 passengers and crew was complete.

He is currently under house arrest in his home town of Meta di Sorrento near Naples.

(Reporting by Silvia Ognibene, writing By Steve Scherer)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/wl_nm/us_italy_ship

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UK high court clears way for Basque extradition (AP)

LONDON ? Britain's High Court has cleared the way for the extradition of a suspected Basque separatist wanted in connection with a plot to assassinate Spain's king.

The court ruled Monday that Eneko Gogeaskoetxea Arronategui, 44, can be sent to Spain. He has several days to appeal the decision.

Gogeaskoetxea Arronategui is suspected of being one of several ETA members allegedly behind a foiled bomb plot at the 1997 opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, in northern Spain. King Juan Carlos was believed to have been the target.

The suspect was arrested in July at his home in Cambridge.

ETA is a Basque separatist group that has killed 829 people since 1968 in a campaign of bombings, shootings, kidnappings and extortion.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_spain_extradition

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Samsung takes another swipe at iPhone users with its latest ad

Samsung has again launched an attack on iPhone users with its advertisement for the Samsung Galaxy S II Android phone.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/GzjaDFF8FBY/story01.htm

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Seal, Heidi Klum announce separation (omg!)

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2011 file photo, Heidi Klum, left, and Seal arrive at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. In a statement Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, the power-couple announced their separation. They say after "much soul searching" they've decided to separate, and blame the breakup on "growing apart." They married in 2005. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Seal and Heidi Klum have announced that their storybook marriage is coming to the end of the runway.

In a statement Sunday night, the power couple announced their separation after rumors swirled over the weekend that a divorce was imminent.

"While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul searching we have decided to separate," the joint statement read. "We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition. We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children's sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy."

The couple married in 2005 and has four children together, including the supermodel's daughter from a previous relationship.

They were one of Hollywood's most high-profile couples, and seemed to have the relationship everyone should envy. They two starred together in the music video "Secret," they renewed their wedding vows each anniversary, boasted of their love in the media, and threw Halloween bashes together where they dressed in outrageous outfits, most recently last year in New York City, where the two engaged in their typical public display of affection for the cameras.

In an interview with The Associated Press in 2007, the "Kiss from A Rose" singer described his wife, who has a tattoo of his name on her arm, as his best friend.

"It is really important that we have that understanding because apart from anything else it is really healthy," he said of the "Project Runway" host. "People often talk about the most important thing in a relationship. They say it is really important that you are turned on by your partner and you love each other, which is all really true.I often think that the most important thing or certainly up there with love is respect."

TMZ first reported on Saturday that the two planned to divorce this week.

His announcement comes as he releases his new album, "Soul 2," on Tuesday, which has songs like "Love T.K.O," ''Let's Stay Together" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore."

___

AP Entertainment Writer Alicia Quarles contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_seal_heidi_klum_announce_separation050252458/44269141/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/seal-heidi-klum-announce-separation-050252458.html

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Bullied as a kid, Peter Jackson fights back on film (Reuters)

PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) ? The high-profile case of the West Memphis Three murderers might seem like an odd choice of films for director Peter Jackson, but the "Lord of the Rings" maker has come to Sundance with a documentary about the case and a new revelation of a possible suspect.

Jackson, who helped bankroll the defense of the three convicted killers who are now out of jail nearly 20 years after the crime, and the legal team claim they have testimony that the stepfather of one of the victims is the real murderer.

Whether that allegation eventually proves true will await prosecutors' action in West Memphis, Arkansas where the murders took place in 1993, and so far the prosecution has stuck by its belief they had the right culprits all along.

But where Jackson and one of the West Memphis Three, Damien Echols, are concerned, their documentary "West of Memphis" and this new testimony takes the fight further.

"It's got to be dealt with," Jackson told Reuters on Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival. "You can't just leave a murder case like that hanging in the air."

The high-profile case of the West Memphis Three who were tried and convicted as teens of murdering three boys prompted a call to action for Jackson when first told the disturbing tale of the young men linked to a grisly murder who were ultimately released from prison in August 2011.

"I was bullied and regarded as little bit of an oddball myself," Jackson told Reuters on Saturday. "And I see that happening to somebody else, so I just want to help them."

Jackson and director Amy Berg debuted "West of Memphis" at Sundance on Friday, and simultaneously defense lawyers issued a press release detailing their new revelations.

The documentary follows the case of what many believe was the wrongful conviction of Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, who were teenagers when they were accused of killing three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993.

The case already has been made famous by the HBO documentary series "Paradise Lost," but the story of the three jailed boys struck a chord in the Jackson and his wife and producing partner Fran Walsh as far back as 2005.

"It's an American story but it's a human story as well," Jackson said. "When you look at the original 'Paradise Lost' film, you see three kids who can't defend themselves, being persecuted in a medieval way -- witchcraft, satanic worship. It was kind of primitive. It makes you angry, so Fran and I contacted (Echols' wife) Lorri Davis and asked what we could do to help."

Jackson said he and Walsh funded the defense team's investigation anonymously, spending "more than thousands" of dollars paying bills for such things as DNA tests and sending investigators to interview additional witnesses.

"We're still doing that," Jackson said.

Only one week ago, he said, the filmmakers shot and edited the new revelation into the documentary, but they had no time to include the footage in early screenings.

NEW REVELATION

According to Jackson, Echols and the defense team, the nephew of Terry Hobbs -- Michael Hobbs, Jr. -- has told friends that his uncle committed the crime. Terry Hobbs' stepson, Stevie Branch, was among the murder victims.

Hobbs has long denied any wrongdoing and police have never considered him a suspect, according to media reports. Reuters was unable to reach Hobbs for comment.

For Jackson, the idea of actually making a documentary on the West Memphis Three didn't arise until 2008, after DNA and forensic findings paid for by Jackson and Walsh, were dismissed by the original judge presiding over the trial. He found the evidence as not being compelling enough to reopen the case.

"Whenever new evidence came and we tried to present it to the judge, he refused to hear it," said Echols, now 37. He and his wife are producers on the film alongside Jackson and Walsh.

"The only way to let the public know what was going on with this case was by doing a documentary. It was Peter's idea of 'well, why don't we get this evidence out to the public if the courts are going to refuse to hear it?'"

"West of Memphis" follows the three convicted killers until just after they were released last August in a legal maneuver known as an "Alford Plea," whereby the men plead guilty in their own best interest while asserting innocence.

But the trio, their families, their lawyers, Jackson, Walsh and director Berg haven't stopped fighting.

"You have to push this hard in order to get a reaction," said Berg. "I feel that we have gone further than anybody else has gone and we've put it out there for people to act."

The film received strong initial reviews from critics here at Sundance. The Hollywood Reporter labeled it a "gripping overall picture of the West Memphis 3 wrongful-conviction saga" and summed up, "Thorny, blood-boiling and finely made, it deserves a theatrical push."

(Editing by Christine Kearney and Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/en_nm/us_sundance_peterjackson

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Asthma Meds Likely Safe During Pregnancy: Study (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A new study found no statistically significant link between asthma medication use during pregnancy and common birth defects.

However, the study did find a positive association between some rare birth defects and mothers with asthma, and potentially with their medication use. But, the researchers couldn't tease out whether the problem was a loss of oxygen from less than well-controlled asthma or an effect of medications.

"Worsening asthma is a risk to the mom and the fetus. Hypoxia (a lack of oxygen) we know is a problem for a developing fetus. And, the potential risk they found here is very small. Even if it turns out to be a true increase, the risk is so small. This study raises more questions than it answers," said Dr. Natalie Meirowitz, chief of the division of maternal fetal medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

What's most important, she said, is that expectant mothers with asthma don't just stop their medications. "That's really a problem, and then they end up needing more medication," she said.

Findings from the study were published online Jan. 16, ahead of February print publication in Pediatrics.

Between 4 percent and 12 percent of expectant mothers have asthma, according to background information in the article. Current guidelines recommend that women keep taking their asthma medications during pregnancy.

There are two main types of asthma medications: bronchodilators (also known as rescue medication) and anti-inflammatories, which include inhaled and oral steroids, as well as several other medications. Anti-inflammatory medications are generally used long term to help control asthma symptoms.

For the study, the researchers compared nearly 2,900 infants born with birth defects to more than 6,700 babies born with no birth defects. Mothers of these infants were asked to recall their medication use one month before and during pregnancy.

For most birth defects, the researchers found no statistically significant associations between asthma medication use and the development of birth defects.

They did, however, find a positive association between asthma medication use and certain rare birth defects. The risk of isolated esophageal atresia -- an abnormality of the esophagus -- was more than doubled in women who used bronchodilators. The risk of isolated anorectal atresia -- a malformed anus -- was more than doubled with maternal anti-inflammatory use. And, the risk of omphalocele -- a defect in the abdominal wall -- was more than quadrupled for either type of asthma medication.

But, the authors wrote, the "observed associations may be chance findings or may be the result of maternal asthma severity and related hypoxia rather than the medication use."

They added that it's also important to keep these findings in context. The rate of these birth defects ranged from 1.2 to 4.6 per 10,000 births. So, even a four-fold increase in the risk of having one of these defects results in far less than a 1 percent chance for any individual woman and her child.

"As obstetricians, we need to pay attention to this, but it's really important to oxygenate mom. We really need to make sure that there's oxygen flowing freely between mom and baby," said Dr. Mary Rosser, an obstetrician with Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

Also, Rosser pointed out that there was a lot that wasn't known about the expectant mothers. The authors weren't able to assess the severity of their asthma. They also didn't know anything about the medication doses.

Asthma expert Dr. Jennifer Appleyard agreed with Rosser and Meirowitz. "They really couldn't tease apart what was the medicine and what was the asthma," she said.

"You need to treat the asthma. There's more risk to uncontrolled asthma than a slight possible risk of a rare birth defect," said Appleyard, the chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit.

"No matter what type of patient you're treating -- expectant mom or not -- the goal is to treat patients with the minimum amount of medication necessary," she added.

Rosser and Meirowitz said that, ideally, women should visit their obstetrician/gynecologist before getting pregnant to review their medication use and to make sure that their asthma is well controlled.

More information

Learn more about asthma during pregnancy from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/meds/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120121/hl_hsn/asthmamedslikelysafeduringpregnancystudy

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Explosions rock Nigeria's Kano, at least six killed (Reuters)

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) ? At least six people were killed in a string of bomb blasts on Friday in Nigeria's second city Kano and the authorities imposed a curfew across the city, which has been plagued by an insurgency led by the Islamist sect Boko Haram.

Smoke billowed from the police headquarters for the north in Kano after one blast blew out its windows, collapsed its roof and triggered a blaze that firefighters struggled to control.

A Reuters reporter counted three bodies at the scene and three more at the local passport office, which was surrounded by flaming debris.

Some residents ran around shouting and screaming following the attacks. There were at least four other explosions across the city in quick succession.

"I was on the roadside and I just heard a 'Boom!'. As I came back, I saw the building of the police zonal headquarters crashing down and I ran for my life," said local man Andrew Samuel.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the apparently coordinated attacks, which prompted the government to announce a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

Kano, like other northern cities in Nigeria, has been plagued by an insurgency led by Islamist sect Boko Haram, blamed for scores of bombings and shootings against mostly government targets that are growing in scale and sophistication.

Boko Haram became active around 2003 and is concentrated in the northern states of Yobe, Kano, Bauchi, Borno and Kaduna.

Boko Haram, which in the Hausa language of northern Nigeria means "Western education is sinful," is loosely modeled on the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.

The group considers all who do not follow its strict ideology as infidels, whether they be Christian or Muslim. It demands the adoption of sharia, Islamic law, in all of Nigeria.

FLAMES AND SMOKE

Witnesses said the bomber of the police headquarters, which covers most of northern Nigeria, pulled up at the building on a motorbike then got off and ran at it holding a bag.

"We tried to stop him but he ran in forcefully with his bag. All of a sudden there was a blast. You can see for yourself the building is damaged," said a policeman at the scene.

Police said a second blast had hit Kano's passport office and another hit Zaria Road police station in the city.

"The ground was shaking with the explosion. We saw flames and smoke at the police station," said witness Umaru Ibrahim.

A source at the State Security Service said another bomber had tried to attack there but was gunned down before he could detonate his bomb.

Police and military roadblocks were erected in the city within minutes.

"We are trying to reach the scenes of these heavy blasts. Many of the roads are blocked now by security agents," said Abubaker Jibril, head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for Kano, told Reuters.

A bomb attack on a Catholic church just outside the capital Abuja on Christmas Day, claimed by Boko Haram, killed 37 people and wounded 57.

The main suspect in that attack escaped from police custody within 24 hours of his arrest, and police have offered a 50 million naira ($309,600) reward for information leading to his recapture.

Police arrested Kabiru Sokoto on Tuesday and while they were taking him from police headquarters to his house in Abaji, just outside Abuja, to conduct a search there, their vehicle came under fire.

Last August a suicide bomber blew up the U.N. Nigeria headquarters in Abuja, killing at least 24 people.

(Additional reporting by Tim Cocks in Lagos; writing by Tim Cocks and James Jukwey; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/wl_nm/us_nigeria_blast

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The nations weather (AP)

Weather Underground Forecast for Thursday, January 19, 2012.

A very active weather pattern will continue in the West on Thursday as the strong jet stream directs moisture and Pacific disturbance across the Northwest. Coastal rain, valley sleet and freezing rain, and heavy mountain snow will persist from parts of the Pacific Northwest and northern California through the Northern Rockies and down into the mountains of Utah and Colorado. Expect another 5-12 inches of snowfall in areas in areas of the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies, and up to 7-15 inches in the Great Basin. In addition to precipitation, winds gusting to 45 mph and over 75 mph in the mountains will join the mix, leading to periods of blowing and drifting snow with reduced visibilities.

To the east, a low pressure system in the Upper Mississippi Valley and the Upper Great Lakes will drag a cold front through the Upper Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley as the system lifts northeastward into southeastern Canada. Expect snow showers and perhaps a few snow squalls ahead of this cold front from the Great Lakes through the Northern Appalachians southern parts of the Northeast. Behind this system, a very frigid arctic airmass will spread into the Northern Rockies and Northern Plains, dropping temperatures down to 30 degrees below normal. Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Wednesday have ranged from a morning low of -27 degrees at Cut Bank, Mont. to a high of 81 degrees at Kendall, Fla.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_weatherpage_weather

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Friday, January 20, 2012

AP sources: Perry abandoning bid, backing Gingrich (AP)

CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Texas Gov. Rick Perry will abandon his presidential bid and endorse Newt Gingrich, two Republican officials said Thursday, a move coming just two days before the pivotal South Carolina primary as Republican front-runner Mitt Romney struggles to fend off a challenge from the former House speaker.

Perry scheduled a news conference Thursday morning at a hotel in North Charleston to announce his decision.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the announcement.

Adding to the intrigue in the last hours of the South Carolina campaign, a bus emblazoned with Herman Cain's name sat in the hotel parking lot where Perry was to speak. Cain, a tea party favorite, dropped out of the race late last year.

Perry has faced calls in recent days to drop out of the race in hopes of compelling conservative voters, whose support has been divided among several like-minded candidates, to rally behind Gingrich in hopes of stopping Romney.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor considered the more moderate candidate in the race, has benefited thus far from having several conservative challengers competing for the same segment of voters. New polls show Romney leading in South Carolina but Gingrich gaining steam heading into Saturday's contest in a state where conservatives hold great sway in choosing the GOP nominee.

Perry's decision to endorse Gingrich does not necessarily mean conservatives will rally behind the former House speaker. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a champion of the anti-abortion issue, is still in the race and over the weekend was endorsed by a group of evangelical leaders.

And there's no guarantee that the Texas donors who fueled Perry's bid will shift to Gingrich, even if the governor asks them to.

Romney has been working to court them in recent weeks, having made repeated visits to Texas to meet with major Republican donors. He also won the backing of former President George H.W. Bush. Several Perry supporters, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid publicly discussing their next steps before Perry's announcement, said they have been approached by Romney's campaign and will support him as the most-likely candidate to face President Barack Obama in November.

At least three so-called "super" political action committees have sprung up since early 2011 supporting Perry. One, Americans for Rick Perry, raised about $193,000 during the first half of 2011, federal election records show.

But none of the groups has been more prominent than Make Us Great Again, which aired more than $3.3 million worth of ads in Iowa and South Carolina supporting the Texas governor. A spokesman for the group did not immediately return calls from the AP seeking comment about whom, if anyone, the PAC would support after Perry drops out.

Perry entered the race last August to great fanfare and high numbers in polls. But his standing quickly fell after a series of gaffes and other verbal missteps. Those errors called into question whether the Texas politician who had never lost a race during his three-decade career in elected office was ready for the national stage.

His biggest flub came in a nationally televised debate in early November, when he could not remember the name of the third Cabinet department he pledged to eliminate.

Perry could only manage to say, "Oops." Making fun of himself afterward, he told reporters: "I stepped in it."

It was a cringe-inducing moment replayed more than a million times on YouTube. The memory lapse not only solidified Perry's reputation for weak debate performances, it gave the impression that he couldn't articulate his own policies. The stumble further tamped down his already faltering poll numbers.

Perry, 61, was relatively unknown outside of Texas until he succeeded George W. Bush as governor after Bush was elected president in 2000. A former Democrat, Perry had already spent about 15 years in state government when he became governor. He went on to win election to the office three times ? the most recent was in 2010 ? to become the state's longest-serving chief executive.

Part of Perry's appeal came from his humble beginnings as a native of tiny Paint Creek, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University and was a pilot in the Air Force before winning election in 1984 to the Texas House of Representatives. He switched to the GOP in 1989, and served as the state's agriculture commissioner before his election as lieutenant governor in 1998.

Perry's success as a politician suggested he would be a strong competitor to Obama. He had never lost a race in Texas, and his fight against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010 showed how tough he could be on a rival.

Perry picked Aug. 13 for his official announcement speech, the same day as the Iowa Straw Poll. While rival Michele Bachmann won that poll, the Texas governor cast a shadow over her victory by challenging her as conservatives' best hope for winning the nomination and defeating Obama.

He entered near the top of some polls. But his support of a Texas policy to allow children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates soon proved to be problematic with conservatives nationwide. So, too, did his 2007 order that would have required schoolgirls in Texas to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus. Although state lawmakers overturned the order, Perry defended the vaccination as necessary to combatting the sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer.

His performance on the campaign trail also led to concerns about how his rhetoric would sound to a national audience. During a campaign stop in Iowa in August, he suggested that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would be practically committing treason if he were to print more money and said, "I don't know what y'all would do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas."

A Perry speech to a New Hampshire audience in October led to a damaging video, during which he appeared unusually animated ? "loopy" to some observers ? a stark contrast to the image of the serious, starchy governor he had projected. Amid questions, Perry later told reporters that he hadn't been drinking or taking medication at the time and called it "a pretty typical speech for me."

More flubs followed. While criticizing the nine-member Supreme Court to a newspaper editorial board, he referred to "eight unelected and frankly unaccountable judges" and struggled to come up with the name of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, then called her "Montemayor." He urged college students in New Hampshire to support his candidacy, "those of you that will be 21" on Election Day, though the voting age is 18.

The widespread criticism of those performances and his rivals' attacks on his immigration and vaccination policies led to a significant drop in support.

___

AP Special Correspondent David Espo in North Charleston and Associated Press writer Chris Tomlinson in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_el_pr/us_perry

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Obama, Republicans tussle over oil pipeline

[unable to retrieve full-text content]WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress are back where they were before Christmas, locked in an election-season tussle over a proposed 1,700-mile (2,735-kilometer) oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-19-Oil%20Pipeline/id-53b602c2453d450999ed35565e9f3467

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Police chiefs to discuss terrorism at White House (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration is providing senior state and local police officials with its analysis of homegrown terrorism incidents, including common signs law enforcement can use to identify violent extremists.

The warning signs identified for police include someone joining a group advocating violence, receiving support from a network that plans attacks or seeking out charismatic leaders who encourage violence. The analysis was conducted by the Homeland Security Department, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center. An overview of the findings was shared with The Associated Press.

The conference Wednesday at the White House marks the first time this unclassified analysis will be presented to 46 senior federal, state and local law enforcement officials, many of whom are police chiefs and sheriffs. The conference will also include sessions on other programs the federal government has for countering violent extremism and a briefing from a deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department about what the city has done on this front.

"Engaging local communities is critical to our nation's effort to counter violent extremism and violent crime, and this meeting brings together many of our partners," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder and the president's counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, planned to attend the White House conference.

There has been an uptick in attempted attacks by Americans and other legal U.S. residents in the past few years, prompting the Obama administration to place a priority on finding ways to stop this type of violence. The administration rolled out a thin strategy last year that put local communities ? not Washington ? in charge of countering violent extremism in the U.S. That strategy was short on details and did not focus on threats from Islamic extremists.

The White House has encouraged law enforcement to reach out to Muslim communities to build relationships, insisting that these communities are partners in the fight against terrorism. At the same time, the government is trying to develop ways to help local law enforcement detect behavior that could indicate someone is plotting a violent attack. The challenge has been to provide behavioral indicators that indicate the potential for violence rather than religious beliefs or other constitutionally-protected rights.

Analysts from the FBI, Homeland Security Department and National Counterterrorism Center reviewed 62 cases of homegrown violent extremists and found basic similarities. The cases included violent extremists who adhered to a mix of ideologies, including people who ascribed to white supremacist beliefs and people inspired by a violent interpretation of Islam. The analysis is not a psychological profile of a homegrown terrorist, but instead offers similarities among cases that could help local law enforcement better understand and detect threats.

In the 62 cases reviewed, the subjects increasingly spoke out against the government, blamed the government for perceived problems and did so in a way that caught the attention of other people in their communities, according to the senior counterterrorism official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private White House event. Subjects became active on the Internet to espouse extremist views. In some cases, the subjects purchased weapons, ammunition or explosive materials.

Analysts found that a person's origin, ethnic background and socioeconomic status are not good indicators for potential violent extremist activity, the senior counterterrorism official said.

Later this month, a training program for local law enforcement on countering violent extremism will be tested in Southern California, and the government intends to roll out the training to the rest of the country through 2012. Part of the training will focus on understanding constitutionally protected activities so law enforcement can distinguish between illegal acts and free speech. The official said the FBI academy plans to incorporate this training into its programs as well.

The FBI came under fire last year for some controversial training sessions that portrayed Islam as a violent religion.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_re_us/us_violent_extremists

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