Virginia Republicans Panicking Over Their Choice for Lieutenant Governor

A minister who compared gays to pedophiles and Planned Parenthood to the Klu Klux Klan is not the No. 2 candidate Republican Party reformers had in mind for the marquee race of 2013.

Neither did the top of the ticket, Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli, who has been downplaying his own socially conservative record?in favor of a more mainstream message focused on the economy.

So how in the world did archconservative African-American pastor E. W. Jackson cinch his party?s nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia on Saturday night?

Blame Virginia?s quirky political process, a raucous convention speech and a racial undercurrent for vaulting Jackson?an also-ran in the 2012 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate?onto a stepping stone to the top job in one of the closely watched swing states in the country. Blame Cuccinelli, who steered the party away from holding a potentially more competitive primary and toward a convention that ensured his nomination but left the lieutenant governor?s slot up to only a few thousand hard-core activists to fill.

Jackson?s unexpected entrance into the Virginia statewide elections this year is one of the starkest examples of the challenges facing the GOP as it tries to broaden its appeal on the way to 2016. ?

?We learned a lot of lessons in 2012 that we?re trying to point out to people, but not all the people are going to listen,? said Ari Fleischer, a former White House press secretary who helped lead the national party?s sweeping examination of the 2012 election and produce a 97-page report of recommendations.

A more informal but similar soul-searching is taking place in Virginia, where the Republican establishment is worried the party will be better known for requiring women seeking abortions to get ultrasounds than for passing a sweeping transportation funding deal. A small group of Republican donors, business leaders, and former elected officials has met in Richmond twice since April about the tea-party?s movement?s impact on the GOP. According to a participant in both meetings, the group is concerned that Cuccinelli is too conservative to win a general election in state that voted twice for President Obama?and that was before Jackson joined the ticket.

After Jackson was nominated, Fleischer posted on Twitter, ?Jackson's anti-gay slurs are indefensible.? Jackson has called gay people ?perverted and ?very sick people.? He was less overt in his convention speech, though he referred to protecting traditional families.

?If you?re going to grow the party, it?s helpful to nominate candidates who are deeply conservative but inclusive of other people, as opposed to condemnatory,? Fleischer said. ?To denounce people in such a fashion is not how you grow the party.?

Jackson's rhetoric puts Cuccinelli?whose own opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion has earned him a loyal conservative base of support?in a tough spot. ?He and the Republican Party have a strong motivation in keeping the politically inexperienced Jackson afloat: With control of the state Senate evenly split between the two parties, the lieutenant governor breaks tie votes.

Forced into an awkward arranged marriage, Cuccinelli?s top advisers have urged Jackson to put aside his social crusades and reinforce their campaign?s message on job growth. But until the campaign is comfortable that Jackson is on board with the plan, Cuccinelli is expected to keep his distance from Jackson after completing a two-day statewide tour with him on Tuesday.

?We are not going to be defending our running mates? statements, now or in the future,? Cuccinelli said in a written statement on Monday that sought to strike a balance between asserting his independence and not throwing Jackson overboard. ?The people of Virginia need to get comfortable with each candidate individually, and that's what this process is all about."

Not if the Democratic Party has its way. With gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe facing a Republican-friendly electorate in November and struggling to explain his less successful business ventures, Democrats immediately seized on the nomination of the controversial minister from Chesapeake.

The Virginia Democratic Party circulated a side-by-side comparison of inflammatory quotes by Cuccinelli and Jackson on homosexuality, abortion, and President Obama. Democratic operatives also circulated a video of Cuccinelli calling Jackson a ?powerful, powerful fighter for first principles? that is likely to become fodder for television attack ads. One liberal blog posted?under the headline, ?This is the lunatic Virginia tea-party Republicans just nominated for lieutenant governor.?

McAuliffe called Jackson and the nominee for attorney general, Mark Obenshain, Cuccinelli?s ?ideological twins? in an e-mail blast on Monday. That?s expected to become central line of attack as McAuliffe tries to undercut Cuccinelli?s efforts to emphasize his agenda to cut taxes and create jobs.

"Jackson's nomination will reinforce for voters that Cuccinelli's extreme antiwoman, antigay, anti-middle class agenda will make Virginia an unwelcoming place for families and businesses,? said Danny Kanner, a spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association. "Cuccinelli could have made his preference for a different lieutenant governor nominee known if he had one?like he did in the AG's race?but he didn't, because he shares the same hateful, extreme views espoused by his new running mate."

Cuccinelli declined to intervene in the seven-candidate primary, campaign sources said, in part because he anticipated racially tinged criticism for getting in the way of an African-American candidate. Jackson joins a small but prominent circle of charismatic black conservatives that includes former presidential candidate Herman Cain and former Rep. Allen West of Florida (West, who attended the convention, endorsed one of Jackson?s rivals.)

?I am proud to say that I am not an African-American. I am an American!? declared Jackson, drawing roaring applause from convention-goers at the Richmond Coliseum. Candidates who look and sound like Jackson have a unique appeal at a time when Democrats can boast of electing the first African-American president and some of President Obama?s critics have gone so far as to question his U.S. citizenship.

While Jackson?s addition to the slate complicates Cuccinelli?s campaign, it doesn?t guarantee a tailspin. As a Harvard Law School graduate and former Marine, Jackson brings some obvious assets to the race. The top candidates run separately in Virginia, so it?s possible for a split-ticket result in November. One recent example: When Republican George Allen ran for governor in 1993, a conservative homeschooling champion, Mike Farris, won the nomination to be lieutenant governor. Allen kept his distance and won, while Farris was defeated by Democrat Don Beyer.

?It?s not clear that the bottom of the ticket will have tremendous influence on the top,? said Bob?Holsworth, founding director of the Center for Public Policy and the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. ?Jackson is such a formidable public persona, however, that it?s hard to imagine him shrinking into the backdrop. It will be fascinating to see if the Republican Party lets him drift on his own or whether they help him be competitive.?

Democrats tried and failed to make the governor?s race a referendum on social issues in 2009 when conservative Republican Bob McDonnell led the ticket. Keeping his focus on jobs and the economy, McDonnell won in an election that laid the groundwork for the anti-Obama wave of 2010.

?Before everybody pronounces the death knell of the Republican ticket in 2013, they should remember that national dynamics and Obama?s approval numbers will have as much to do with this race as anything else,? said former Rep. Tom Davis, whose wife, Jeannemarie, ran unsuccessfully against Jackson.

Davis, a moderate, said he would back Jackson despite his antigay views. ?How can I support someone who supports 'Obamacare?' ? he asked, referring to the Democratic ticket. ?That?s the choice. Control of the state Senate is at stake.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/virginia-republicans-panicking-over-choice-lieutenant-governor-060011500.html

ABC Family social security social security paulina gretzky paulina gretzky david bowie elvis presley

Intestinal bacteria protect against E. coli O157:H7

Public release date: 20-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology

A cocktail of non-pathogenic bacteria naturally occurring in the digestive tract of healthy humans can protect against a potentially lethal E. coli infection in animal models according to research presented today at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, could have important implications for the prevention or even treatment of this disease.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen that has been responsible for several recent outbreaks of potentially fatal disease. Severe manifestations of this disease include both hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of acute renal disease that can result in death or permanent disability.

"EHEC is of primary concern because HUS, the most severe outcome, preferentially targets young children," says Kathryn Eaton, a researcher on the study. "Tragically, HUS occurs late in the course of disease, often after the child has recovered from the enteric form. Thus, children who appear to have recovered may relapse and even die."

HUS is cause by absorption of Shigatoxins (Stx) that are produced by the bacteria in the intestine. Stx production occurs within a few days of bacterial colonization and once it is present in the intestines it can be absorbed into the bloodstream where it may cause systemic disease and even death. There is no specific treatment or preventative measure that prevents progression from HC to HUS.

The overall goal of research in Eaton's laboratory is to identify potential therapies to prevent production or absorption of Stx before it can cause disease.

"In brief, the results of our study show that in a mouse model, non-pathogenic bacteria that are normal inhabitants of the human intestine can eliminate Stx from the intestinal contents and completely prevent HUS," says Eaton.

In the study, the researchers gave EHEC to two groups of mice: one that had been been pre-colonized with a mix of bacterial species derived from normal human intestines and one that had not. In the pre-colonized mice, Stx levels remained undetectable and all mice remained completely healthy. In contrast, the control group had high levels of Stx and all developed kidney disease within one week of infection.

"The discovery that normal intestinal bacteria can prevent intestinal Stx accumulation and disease in an animal model may have important implications for prevention of HUS in people infected with EHEC," says Eaton.

First, it could help explain why not everyone infected with EHEC develops HUS. Second, and most importantly says Eaton, it identifies specific, non-pathogenic, probiotic bacteria that could be used to prevent or treat Stx-mediated diseases.

###

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This research was presented as part of the 2013 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology held May 18-21, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. A full press kit for the meeting, including tipsheets and additional press releases, can be found online at http://bit.ly/asm2013pk.

The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 20-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology

A cocktail of non-pathogenic bacteria naturally occurring in the digestive tract of healthy humans can protect against a potentially lethal E. coli infection in animal models according to research presented today at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, could have important implications for the prevention or even treatment of this disease.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen that has been responsible for several recent outbreaks of potentially fatal disease. Severe manifestations of this disease include both hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of acute renal disease that can result in death or permanent disability.

"EHEC is of primary concern because HUS, the most severe outcome, preferentially targets young children," says Kathryn Eaton, a researcher on the study. "Tragically, HUS occurs late in the course of disease, often after the child has recovered from the enteric form. Thus, children who appear to have recovered may relapse and even die."

HUS is cause by absorption of Shigatoxins (Stx) that are produced by the bacteria in the intestine. Stx production occurs within a few days of bacterial colonization and once it is present in the intestines it can be absorbed into the bloodstream where it may cause systemic disease and even death. There is no specific treatment or preventative measure that prevents progression from HC to HUS.

The overall goal of research in Eaton's laboratory is to identify potential therapies to prevent production or absorption of Stx before it can cause disease.

"In brief, the results of our study show that in a mouse model, non-pathogenic bacteria that are normal inhabitants of the human intestine can eliminate Stx from the intestinal contents and completely prevent HUS," says Eaton.

In the study, the researchers gave EHEC to two groups of mice: one that had been been pre-colonized with a mix of bacterial species derived from normal human intestines and one that had not. In the pre-colonized mice, Stx levels remained undetectable and all mice remained completely healthy. In contrast, the control group had high levels of Stx and all developed kidney disease within one week of infection.

"The discovery that normal intestinal bacteria can prevent intestinal Stx accumulation and disease in an animal model may have important implications for prevention of HUS in people infected with EHEC," says Eaton.

First, it could help explain why not everyone infected with EHEC develops HUS. Second, and most importantly says Eaton, it identifies specific, non-pathogenic, probiotic bacteria that could be used to prevent or treat Stx-mediated diseases.

###

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This research was presented as part of the 2013 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology held May 18-21, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. A full press kit for the meeting, including tipsheets and additional press releases, can be found online at http://bit.ly/asm2013pk.

The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/asfm-ibp051613.php

espn jeremy lin sleigh bells meek sturgis sturgis whitney houston laid to rest daytona bike week

What do we eat? New food map will tell us

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) ? Do your kids love chocolate milk? It may have more calories on average than you thought.

Same goes for soda.

Until now, the only way to find out what people in the United States eat and how many calories they consume has been government data, which can lag behind the rapidly expanding and changing food marketplace.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are trying to change that by creating a gargantuan map of what foods Americans are buying and eating.

Part of the uniqueness of the database is its ability to sort one product into what it really is ? thousands of brands and variations.

Take the chocolate milk.

The government long has long classified chocolate milk with 2 percent fat as one item. But the UNC researchers, using scanner data from grocery stores and other commercial data, found thousands of different brands and variations of 2 percent chocolate milk and averaged them out. The results show that chocolate milk has about 11 calories per cup more than the government thought.

The researchers led by professor Barry Popkin at the UNC School of Public Health, are figuring out that chocolate milk equation over and over, with every single item in the grocery store. It's a massive project that could be the first evidence of how rapidly the marketplace is changing, and the best data yet on what exact ingredients and nutrients people are consuming.

That kind of information could be used to better target nutritional guidelines, push companies to cut down on certain ingredients and even help with disease research.

Just call it "mapping the food genome."

"The country needs something like this, given all of the questions about our food supply," says Popkin, the head of the UNC Food Research Program. "We're interested in improving the public's health and it really takes this kind of knowledge."

The project first came together in 2010 after a group of 16 major food companies pledged, as part of first lady Michelle Obama's campaign to combat obesity, to reduce the calories they sell to the public by 1.5 trillion. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation agreed to fund a study to hold the companies accountable, eventually turning to UNC with grants totaling $6.7 million.

Aided by supercomputers on campus, Popkin and his team have taken existing commercial databases of food items in stores and people's homes, including the store-based scanner data of 600,000 different foods, and matched that information with the nutrition facts panels on the back of packages and government data on individuals' dietary intake.

The result is an enormous database that has taken almost three years so far to construct and includes more detail than researchers have ever had on grocery store items ? their individual nutritional content, who is buying them and their part in consumers' diets.

The study will fill gaps in current data about the choices available to consumers and whether they are healthy, says Susan Krebs-Smith, who researches diet and other risk factors related to cancer at the National Cancer Institute.

Government data, long the only source of information about American eating habits, can have a lag of several years and neglect entire categories of new types of products ? Greek yogurt or energy drinks, for example.

With those significant gaps, the government information fails to account for the rapid change now seen in the marketplace. Now more than ever, companies are reformulating products on the fly as they try to make them healthier or better tasting.

While consumers may not notice changes in the ingredient panel on the back of the package, the UNC study will pick up small variations in individual items and also begin to be able to tell how much the marketplace as a whole is evolving.

"When we are done we will probably see 20 percent change in the food supply in a year," Popkin says. "The food supply is changing and no one really knows how."

For example, the researchers have found that there has been an increase in using fruit concentrate as a sweetener in foods and beverages because of a propensity toward natural foods, even though it isn't necessarily healthier than other sugars. While the soda and chocolate milk have more calories on average than the government thought, the federal numbers were more accurate on the calories in milk and cereals.

Popkin and his researchers are hoping their project will only be the beginning of a map that consumers, companies, researchers and even the government can use, breaking the data down to find out who is eating what and where they shop. Is there a racial divide in the brand of potato chips purchased, for example, and what could that mean for health? Does diet depend on where you buy your food ? the grocery store or the convenience store? How has the recession affected dietary intake?

"It's only since I've really started digging into this that I have realized how little we know about what we are eating," says Meghan Slining, a UNC nutrition professor and researcher on the project.

Steven Gortmaker, director of the Harvard School of Public Health Prevention Research Center, says the data could help researchers figure out how people are eating in certain communities and then how to address problems in those diets that could lead to obesity or disease.

"The more information we have, the more scientists can be brainstorming about what kinds of interventions or policy changes we could engage in," Gortmaker said.

But the information doesn't include restaurant meals and some prepared foods, about one-third of what Americans eat. If the project receives continued funding, those foods eventually could be added to the study, a prospect that would be made easier by pending menu labeling regulations that will force chain restaurants to post calories for every item.

Popkin and his researchers say that packaged foods have long been the hardest to monitor because of the sheer volume and rapid change in the marketplace.

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, an industry group representing the 16 companies that made the pledge to reduce 1.5 trillion calories, says it will report this summer on how successful they've been, according to Lisa Gable, the group's president. The first results from Popkin's study aren't expected until later this year.

Marion Nestle, a New York University professor of nutrition, food studies and public health, says the data could be useful in pressuring companies to make more changes for the better. Companies often use "the research isn't there" as a defense against making changes recommended by public health groups, she notes, and it can be hard to prove them wrong.

"What people eat is the great mystery of nutrition," Nestle says. "It would be wonderful to have a handle on it."

___

Online:

UNC Food Research Program: http://uncfoodresearchprogram.web.unc.edu

Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation: http://www.healthyweightcommit.org

___

Find Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcjalonick

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eat-food-map-tell-us-174342840.html

Breezy Point Seaside Heights nj transit PSEG hocus pocus hocus pocus mta schedule

RolePlayGateway?

Rp ideas

17 years ago a family was leaving the hospital planning to celebrate the birth of their two children. What they didn't realize was that car ride would change everyone's lives forever. A speeding lorry rammed into the car sending it tumbling down the road, the family luckily survived but not without casualties. One of the children received serious brain trauma which had to be treated straight away with surgery. the rehabilitation process would be a long and grueling process,the family had no option but to send the child to a specialist facility until he recovered enough to go home. The other child had no idea of another sibling, but they always felt that there was someone else in their life even if they didn't know it.

Now it is time for the return of the other sibling, he doesn't talk much and still hasn't quiet got a grasp of normal life. will he be accepted? or will he be shunned.

So i'm looking for a sibling and perhaps a parent.

Hey guys and gals of the roleplaying world, I am looking for a literate person who can keep up with a good range of posts both long and short.up to two paragraphs for a short and five for a long depending ( I tend to write the same as whatever the person writes, I think it's the drive to write a good ammount for someone as they have done the same for me) anyway I'm on nearly everyday aside from work so evenings are good for me and weekends are even better. I don't play females that often usually only as NPC's but I prefer playing males.

So the all important topics I'm a fan of anything really but I mainly enjoy realistic threads more importantly the depth of the human mind I enjoy playing patients and love it when I have people to play doctor roles for me.

Here are some ideas.

1. Lost and Found

A young teenager is found bound and beaten in a small pantry room of a house that has been invaded by police due to reports of the house being used by gang members. The teen in half dead and terrified of anything the police try to do to calm him down. A physiatrist aids the boy in calming him down and getting him to safety and medical attention.

The story plays out the rehabilitation of the character confined to awful conditions and suspected abuse, learning to spea, read and write as well as creating a normal life for himself.

2. Time To Change

This is based in a rehabilitation centre where a depressed teen has been sent to in order to combat his eating problems all of which stem from a break up with his boyfriend. The teen blames himself for not been attractive enough and starves himself to be thinner in order to try and win his soul mate back. He doesn't see his eating disorder as a problem due to his serious denial.

3. Behind these eyes.

This is relatively new a teenager is put under a lot of stress to succeed in art class to find a good job and provide for his family it becomes his obsession to the point where he doesn't sleep and hardly eats, the moment comes to a standstill when he is pushed so far he breaks into his school causing harm to himself in the process to finish his work before it is sent off to be marked.he doesn't understand what he has done because he does not want to fail.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

drew brees sandusky Sam Champion Hulk Hogan sex tape orioles Sarah Jones chicago marathon

Croatian Bees Are Being Trained to Hunt Down Deadly Land Mines

Sending animals to do our dirty work?specifically of the drug-sniffing, bomb-hunting variety?isn't a novel concept by any means. But while an animal bomb-sniffing squad might conjure up the image of a noble K9 dog, Croatians are now depending on a very different, perhaps not quite as lovable bomb fiend: the common honeybee.

Because though the Balkan wars may have ended several decades ago, there's still over 460 square miles of territory just brimming with unexploded mines. The European Union, which will finally call Croatia its own come July 1, understandably has a bit of problem with this. Since the start of the Balkan war in 1991, it's estimated that around 2,500 people have died from land mine explosions, and the 90,000 mines scattered around the country were placed at random and without any sort of map.

So Nikola Kezic, a professor at Zagreb University and honeybee behavior expert, has been working with a team of researchers to bend the bees to our bomb-hunting will. Honeybees, conveniently, have a perfect sense of smell?all the better to track down delicious nectar with. Making use of this (figurative) nose that far surpasses our own, the scientists have been drizzling a team of bees' food with TNT particles. This way, the bees begin to associate the smell of real, live explosives with their next meal.

Apparently, it's been working. To test whether or not the bees were able to retain their newfound knowledge, the researchers set up multiple feeding points, only sprinkling the explosives on a few. And just as Kezic hypothesized, the bees generally avoided the pure sugar water, preferring to go towards the now familiar, TNT-seasoned batches instead. But their work isn't over yet. according to Kezic:

It is not a problem for a bee to learn the smell of an explosive, which it can then search. You can train a bee, but training their colony of thousands becomes a problem.

The TNT itself presents another obstacle, since its smell tends to evaporate relatively quickly, leaving only trace amounts to act as the bees' guide. The final controlled test will come when they send the bees off into actual (marked) minefields. Of course, the bees will never be able to uncover every single mine lying around, but by sending them off into supposedly de-mined minefields and tracking their movement with heat-seeking cameras, they could prove invaluable in uncovering the missed explosives. And save countless lives in the process. [Associated Press]

Image: Shutterstock/perspectivestock

Source: http://gizmodo.com/croatian-bees-are-being-trained-to-hunt-down-deadly-lan-508877457

Tropical Storm Isaac path Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Isaac Path Isaac Hurricane earthquake san diego Hurricane Isaac Sam Claflin

Video shows kidnapped Egyptian security officers

CAIRO (AP) ? Seven men purported to be the members of Egypt's security forces kidnapped by suspected militants last week appeared in a video posted online Sunday and urged the government to secure their release by meeting their captors' demands.

The video, posted on YouTube, is the first sign of the six policemen and one border guard since they were pulled by gunmen from the taxis they were traveling in from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to Cairo on Thursday. Egyptian security officials said they believed the men in the clip were the missing personnel and that authorities were treating the matter seriously.

The kidnapping highlights how much security has collapsed in the northern part of Sinai since the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak. Criminal gangs, militants and local tribesmen disgruntled with what they say is state-sponsored discrimination have exploited the security vacuum to smuggle weapons, attack security forces and kidnap tourists for use as bargaining chips with authorities to push for the release of captive relatives.

In the video, the men, blindfolded and holding their hands on their heads, introduce themselves one by one. One of the men addresses the Egyptian president and defense minister, and asks them to free Sinai militants held in Egyptian prisons.

The speaker identifies himself as Cpl. Ibrahim Sobhi Ibrahim and says: "The demands of the brothers Mr. President is the release of political prisoners from Sinai. Please, Mr. President, release them quickly. We can no longer tolerate torture."

The men then plead at the end of the video: "Rescue us Mr. President. We can't take it. Rescue us, people."

It was not immediately clear who posted the video, which was uploaded to a YouTube account created Sunday.

An Egyptian security official identified the captives in the video as the missing personnel. He said a copy of the video was sent to security agencies. He said it was not immediately clear who sent the video. Another security official in Cairo said families and friends of the captives were called in to identify their relatives.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The names of five of the missing also correspond with names previously obtained by The Associated Press.

Security officials say the kidnapping appears to have been motivated by claims made by the mother of a man held in prison that her son had been tortured by authorities. The prisoner, Ahmed Abu Sheta, was convicted of attacking a police station in 2011 that killed police officers.

Authorities have been in contact with the kidnappers through mediators. The kidnappers have demanded the release of several militants held in Egyptian jails, officials say.

President Mohammed Morsi said in a statement released Sunday that there is "no room for dialogue with the criminals" responsible for kidnapping the seven security personnel. The statement followed a meeting he had with politicians from largely Islamist groups to brief them on efforts to secure the captives' release.

___

Associated Press writer Ashraf Sweilam contributed to this report from Southern Sinai.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/video-shows-kidnapped-egyptian-security-officers-161501440.html

presidents day mindy mccready mindy mccready downton abbey nba all star game danica patrick Michelle Laxalt

Greece to sell Postbank, Proton in July, stress-test big banks

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's bank rescue fund will aim to sell Hellenic Postbank and Proton by mid-July with big banks continuing to absorb small lenders as part of plans to revive the battered sector, the country's foreign lenders said in an inspection review.

Greece is recapitalizing its four big banks and winding down others deemed non-viable to improve the sector's capacity to fund the economy out of a deep six-year recession. Banks suffered heavy losses from debt writedowns and bad loans.

Small lenders Hellenic Postbank and Proton were split into "good" and "bad" parts and are now fully owned by the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF), a state capital backstop funded with 50 billion euros from the country's bailout package.

The European Union and the International Monetary Fund's review said the 50 billion euro sum is enough to cover recapitalization and resolution costs and would leave enough funds for follow-up stress testing for the sector to be completed by end-2013.

The new tests will assess the adequacy of solvency buffers and loan-loss provisions as banks still face rising credit impairments because of the recession. Bad loans rose to 24.2 percent of their books last year from 16.5 percent in 2011.

The recapitalization of Greece's four core banks - National , Alpha , Piraeus and Eurobank - is expected to be wrapped up by June 14.

The four lenders need 27.5 billion euros to plug capital holes and must raise at least 10 percent from private investors via share offerings to retain management control. The bulk of the funds will be pumped in by the HFSF rescue fund.

The report said entities belonging to the general government cannot buy bank shares in the recapitalization or support third parties with loans, guarantees or subsidies, meaning cash-strapped state pension funds may not take part.

By mid-July authorities will devise a comprehensive strategy to further consolidate the banking sector and privatize banks falling under HFSF control. Any mergers among the four core banks will only be considered after the strategy is defined.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; editing by Keiron Henderson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greece-sell-postbank-proton-july-stress-test-big-122412772.html

there will be blood there will be blood nigel barker secret service fenway park philadelphia flyers student loan forgiveness

IRS gave Obama foundation fast, retroactive non-profit approval while stalling conservative applications (Michellemalkin)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/306732224?client_source=feed&format=rss

Sanya Richards Ross decathlon Honey Boo Boo Child marilyn monroe Nathan Adrian London 2012 Synchronized Swimming London 2012 hurdles

It's Toc Toc time! | Algarve Blog

Sometimes you are spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out ? particularly on the Algarve and especially in Ferragudo. There are so many good restaurants out there ? it can be hard to decide where to go ? and many people don?t stray far from the main square in a town.

Which is a real shame! Often the local places, tucked away on a side street or back road, can be fantastic ? serving good hearty traditional food without the tourist price tag. And often the least impressive looking building can hide a real gem inside ? which is pretty much how we view Toc Toc in Ferragudo.

Don?t be fooled by the location and the take away entrance ? behind this lies a newly renovated and charming little restaurant ? serving amazing and authentic Portuguese cuisine. Run by Silvia and Luis, it?s a real family affair, and the decor is now much more suited to its clever and inviting Portuguese menu. The eagle-eyed amongst you might even recognise two of my paintings on their wall ? I was delighted to support their newly decorated venue when they asked me.

Lunchtime ?Prato do dia? is only 7.50 Euros ? for a main course, pudding, drink and coffee ? and even a choice of three different main courses. We have eaten here so many times and every time the food is well cooked and delicious ? and amazing value!

Their new evening menu now includes wild boar and venison and gives you the chance to try something different. Silvia is always trying out new dishes too ? this week was the turn of razor clam rice ? which sounds delicious!

?I?ve saved the best until last though ? their desserts are simply gorgeous ? and their caramel mousse and arroz doce (rice pudding) are simply the best I have eaten anywhere. A recent addition to the dessert menu is a very nice coffee and lemon dessert ? very refreshing and full of flavour. I?d post up a picture of a dessert if I could ? but I always tuck in too quickly to remember to take a picture first!

The last time I was there a diner at another table started laughing at me when my ?baba de camelo? arrived as I squealed with glee ? which they thought was very funny! And yes, if you are there and you see someone literally wiping the bowl clean ? that?ll probably be me!!

Toc Toc are open from 1215 ? 1500 and again from 1900 ? 2230 and they are closed on Mondays. They also accept reservations. If you drive into Ferragudo from the N125 direction they are on the main road on the left opposite the children?s play area.

And if you?re wondering why they are called Toc Toc ? it means ?knock knock? ? to knock on the door ? and a definite invitation to come in and try something authentic and delicious. They also have the take-away too ? hence the telephone in their logo!

You can find out more about them on their website Toc Toc or their Facebook page?which also lists the Prato do Dia each day.

This is an independent review ?we personally know and love this place ? I don?t accept advertising on this blog, so you can be sure that everything reviewed on here is genuine ? and that we have really been there to eat ? in this case ? often!!

Like this:

Like Loading...

Source: http://algarveblog.net/2013/05/18/its-toc-toc-time/

the hobbit mick jagger Newton Shooting Newtown Shooting Gangnam Style Ryan Lanza Sandy Hook

Obama's approval rating survives scandal week

Here's one place where the president didn't have a dramatic week: in his approval ratings. According to two polls ? the Gallup daily tracking poll, and a CNN/ORC International poll released Sunday ? Obama's approval rating has more or less remained steady as potential scandal upon potential scandal blew up the news cycle.?

RELATED: Obama's Second Term Isn't Dead Yet

First, here's CNN's poll, conducted over May 17-18. According to their survey, Obama's approval rating is at 53 percent. While that's a two percent rise since early April, the difference is within the margin of error of the survey, so we'll say that the president's approval rating here remained steady. Forty-five percent of Americans, meanwhile, disapprove of the job the president's doing.?

RELATED: What Are the Solutions to This Week's Scandals?

Gallup's results are similar. Right now, the president is registering a 50 percent approval rating, with a slight increase over the course of Scandal Week that's within the survey's margin of error. Here's Gallup's tracking polls, graphed, since the end of April 2013:?

RELATED: Obama's Scandal Pivot: Dare Congress to Actually Pass Laws

RELATED: Republicans Want to Slow Down the Scandals

But that doesn't mean Americans aren't paying attention to the administration's troubles this week. While a separate Gallup poll this week found that American attention to the Benghazi and IRS stories this week was actually below average for other news stories they've tracked, most Americans (54 percent for IRS and 53 percent for Benghazi) were following the stories either "very" or "somewhat" closely, and most (74 percent and 69 percent, respectively) believe both stories warrant further investigation. In the CNN poll, majorities of respondents believing the IRS and Benghazi stories (55 percent) are important to the nation, while 53 percent would say the same about the AP phone records story.

RELATED: Which House Committee is Investigating Which D.C. 'Scandal': A Scorecard

One further note: according to CNN's results, it looks like Americans are are at least a little less likely to buy that the Benghazi and IRS stories represent the exposure of a conspiracy on the part of the White House: While a majority (53 percent) of Americans are dissatisfied with the president's handling of the Benghazi attacks and the ensuing political aftermath, 50 percent believe that the administration's inaccurate statements after the attack represented what they believed had happened at the time. Forty-four percent believe the administration intentionally misled the American public. Similarly, 55 percent of Americans believed the IRS acted on its own to target "Tea Party" and "Patriot" groups for extra scrutiny, while 37 percent thought the agency was acting under the White House's orders.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obamas-approval-rating-survives-scandal-week-002337512.html

Chuck Hagel ncaa football CES russell wilson Pokemon nhl jillian michaels

Algerian editor accuses government of censorship

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) ? An editor has accused Algeria's government of censorship after it blocked the publication of his two newspapers.

Hicham Aboud, editor of the My Journal and Djaridati newspapers, said that happened after he rejected an order from the Communication Ministry on Saturday night to remove an article from the papers that claimed hospitalized President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had slipped into a coma.

The 76-year-old leader suffered a stroke last month and is being treated in France.

Aboud said, "This is more than an act of censorship, it's a ban on publishing." He said the articles were quoting credible medical sources.

The Communications Ministry said its action prevented a breach of national security.

Officials have repeatedly said that the president is recovering well and will soon return to Algeria.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/algerian-editor-accuses-government-censorship-172457123.html

los angeles dodgers christie brinkley seattle mariners geraldo rivera supreme court health care joe oliver joba chamberlain

Tell me what bureaucracy looks like! This is what bureaucracy looks like! (Unqualified Offerings)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/306521163?client_source=feed&format=rss

peanut butter recall jason aldean Brigitte Nielsen Cricinfo Geno Smith ny giants brandon marshall

Kohana Creek

This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Kohana Creek"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

Massive Attack - Paradise Circus
Deftones - Change
Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk
Bat For Lashes - Sleep Alone
Anberlin - Enjoy the Silence
TV On The Radio - DLZ

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/dpZtcegvoQA/viewtopic.php

kim kardashian flour matt forte jeremy shockey new orleans saints ireland vangogh yield

What Is Commercial Real Estate And How Can You Invest In It ...

It can be difficult finding the right property to invest in if you do not know where to search. Read through this article to acquire a good groundwork of information that will help you get off on the right foot.

When you are buying or selling commercial real estate, always negotiate. See to it that your concerns are heard and all you want is a fair price when it comes to the property.

TIP! Try practicing patience and remain calm, if you are considering purchasing any commercial real estate. Don?t rush to make an investment.

Regardless of whether or not you are the seller or the buyer, it is in your best interest to negotiate. Make your voice heard and refuse to accept an unfair price.

Don?t jump into any hasty investment without doing your research. You might regret it if that the property is not right for you. It could take as long as a year for the right investment to materialize in your market pay off.

Bugs and rodents are always looking to ruin your property, so factor pest control into your business strategy when renting commercial property. Especially when you rent in an area known to be infested by bugs or rodents, ask your rental agent about pest control policies.

TIP! Location is just as important with commercial real estate as it is with residential properties. Take the neighborhood of the property into consideration.

Location is essential to the commercial real estate as it is with residential properties. Think over the neighborhood your property is located in.Look at similar neighborhoods to determine the likely growth of areas that are similar. You need to be reasonably certain that the area will still be decent and growing a decade from now.

You should try to understand the (NOI) Net Operating Income of your commercial property.

Your investment might prove to be time-consuming in the beginning. You will have to hunt for a good opportunity, and once you have bought property, you might have to do some repairs or remodel it. You should never give up because it is time consuming. You may need to spend some time researching before buying your commercial real estate purchase, but it will pay off in the end.

A variety of factors exist that influence how valuable your property value.

If you are purchasing commercial real estate for rental purposes, then you need to find solidly yet simply constructed buildings. These units draw in the best tenants quickly because they are higher in quality and have nicer appearances.

Every prospective real estate purchase should include thorough onsite inspections; it is equally important to verify the inspectors? credentials. Many people in certain fields are not accredited, including pest and insect removal services. Doing so, will help you avoid much larger problems after actually making the purchase.

TIP! Always make sure that utilities can be accessed from the commercial property you are looking into. The utilities you will need for your business go beyond electricity; you will also need water, sewer and gas, as well.

Have a list of goals on hand before you are looking for commercial real estate. Write down the things you like about the property, such as how many square feet it must be and the number of specific rooms it should have, how many conference rooms, offices, and how big it is.

The area in which the property is located is important. Purchasing in an affluent area may help your business to be more successful, since the potential clients may have deeper pockets. If the products and services you offer are more middle class or less affluent, then purchase in an area where there are more buyers suited to your business.

TIP! You might need to reconfigure the interior of your property before you can use it properly. Cosmetic changes like painting walls and rearranging furniture might be needed.

Check any disclosures of the chosen real estate agent that you carefully. Remember that dual agency could occur. This means the real estate agency will work as the landlord and the landlord during the transaction.Dual agencies require full disclosure and both parties.

This article discussed useful methods that you should keep in mind when you are going to buy or sell commercial property. Implement the advice you have learned from this article to stay up to par.

Different commercial brokers represent different parties. Full service brokers work with both landlords and tenants and there are agents representing tenants only. You may be helped much more with a broker who just works with the tenant, as that person most likely has more experience in handling tenants successfully.

Source: http://www.holldon.com/what-is-commercial-real-estate-and-how-can-you-invest-in-it/

Tagg Romney Bosses Day Cabin Fever 2 Alexis Wright Zumba binder full of women Microsoft Surface Candy Crowley

Pastor Timothy Murphy On Hunger Strike In Solidarity With Guantanamo Inmates

By Jerry Campbell
Religion News Service

CLAREMONT, Calif. (RNS) Last Sunday (May 12), Timothy Murphy began a fast of solidarity with the Guantanamo inmates who are on a hunger strike to protest their indefinite detention. As one of our Ph.D. students and an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Timothy felt spiritually called to the hunger strike. He is drinking water and nothing else.

Timothy intends to continue as long as he is able, or until the Obama administration begins taking action to address the prisoners? legitimate grievances, including deliberate steps to find homes for the 86 prisoners who have been cleared for release. Timothy says he would be happy to stop the fast tomorrow if the administration indicated that it was taking steps to do this.

I, like Timothy, believe this is a basic human rights issue for the prisoners. I also believe that it is critical for the health of our nation?s collective soul and integrity to get it resolved. Timothy?s deep commitment inspired me, so I decided to join him, but in a more limited fast: I am fasting three days this week, and every Thursday hereafter, until steps are taken to resolve the Guantanamo issues.

?Many Americans,? Timothy recently told me, ?tend to think of the Guantanamo prisoners as ?the worst of the worst.? It?s easy to not pay attention to their plight, regardless of whether they die of hunger, have tubes shoved down their esophagus for force feeding, or languish in Guantanamo permanently ? even the prisoners who have already been determined not to have been enemy combatants.?

His hope, which is now mine as well, is that enough Americans will join us to make people think twice about their assumptions and to pressure Congress and the White House to address the detainee situation conclusively.

Each day of his fast, Timothy calls his senators and representatives on Capitol Hill, and the White House to express concern over the Guantanamo situation, to tell them of his fast, and ask if any steps have been taken. He is encouraging everyone he knows to contact them as well.

Timothy has also emailed Carlos Warner, an attorney who represents some of the detainees, saying, ?I don?t know for how long I will do this,? he told Warner, ?but if nothing else, I want the men in Guantanamo to know that myself and others care about their situation enough to act in support of them so that the Obama administration responds to their grievances.?

Timothy has already lost more than 7 percent of his body weight and feels dizzy when he stands. He has consulted a doctor, because he doesn?t intend to fast to the death, unlike the 100 prisoners on hunger strike at Guantanamo. Those men are so depressed about their situation that many of them would be relieved to end it all.

What happened to the ideals of due process and innocent until proven guilty? What about no unjust imprisonment, and no cruel and unusual punishment? How can America claim to be a beacon of justice and democracy for the world, when after more than 11 years, we continue to let this situation fester?

Timothy tells me that by the time he?s burned up his remaining fat, he has read that his body will start eating away his muscles, a feeling he is not looking forward to. But he?s taking it one day at a time, praying for a resolution.

I urge you to join Timothy and me, in whatever capacity you are able, to pray, fast, and contact your representatives. We need to close Guantanamo.

(Jerry Campbell is the president of Claremont Lincoln University and Claremont School of Theology.)

Also on HuffPost:

"; 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/2013/05/17/pastor-timothy-murphy-on-hunger-strike-in-solidarity-with-guantanamo-inmates_n_3296365.html

msg network ray j anthony shadid gary carter this means war bobby brown suzanne somers

Yanks blank Jays? |? Reyes eyes June return

By HOWIE RUMBERG

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:02 p.m. ET May 17, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) - In a revolving-door season, Joe Girardi is grateful he has to spend little time worrying about Hiroki Kuroda.

There are those moments, though, that the New York Yankees' manager has to remind himself the Japanese ace is not one of the many young faces in his clubhouse.

Kuroda gave another steady performance Friday night, pitching two-hit ball for eight dominant innings and leading the Yankees to one more victory over Mark Buehrle and the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-0 to end a two-game skid.

"One thing we do pay attention to is some of his pitch counts because he's not 25 either, but he goes out there and sometimes he acts like he is," Girardi said. "So we have to make sure we don't get confused and forget how old he is and that we take care of him; we're responsible with him and make sure he can bounce back every start because that's what you want."

And what they desperately need right now.

With lefty Andy Pettitte joining fellow starter Ivan Nova on to the disabled list earlier Friday, two of the 13 pinstriped players sidelined with injuries this season, the Yankees can't take any risks with Kuroda. And that is why Girardi didn't hesitate to lift the 38-year-old after the eighth and 109 pitches.

Kuroda (6-2) struck out five and walked one in cooling off a club that had scored 33 runs in its previous three games and had won a season-high four in a row.

The Yankees' most consistent starter since the start of last season, Kuroda won for the fourth time in five starts. He is 2-0 in three starts against the Blue Jays this year - matching up each time against Buehrle (1-3) - allowing four runs in 21 1-3 innings.

Preston Claiborne finished the four-hitter.

"In the first inning I knew this was going to be a good night for us," rookie catcher Austin Romine said.

Romine and Brett Gardner had run-scoring hits, Robinson Cano hit an RBI grounder and Jayson Nix had two sacrifice flies in dropping Buehrle to 1-10 in 15 starts against the Yankees. The left-hander hasn't beaten New York since April 10, 2004, when he was with the Chicago White Sox.

The AL East-leading Yankees defeated last-place Toronto for the fifth straight time this season in New York and for the seventh time in eight games overall.

Kuroda gave up a leadoff double to Melky Cabrera and didn't allow another hit until Edwin Encarnacion's one-out single in the seventh. Between the two hits, Kuroda faced the minimum, picking off Munenori Kawasaki after a third-inning walk.

"All my pitches were pretty good," Kuroda said. "Felt good, especially in the first inning when I struck out (Jose) Bautista and Encarnacion."

Kuroda helped himself get out of the first inning unscathed by snaring J.P. Arencibia's liner. Fans cheered and laughed at the fortunate catch when the replay of Kuroda sticking out his glove for the ball was shown on the video board in center field. Kuroda also made a nice play for the first out of the second, bounding off the mound to field Adam Lind's tapper.

Gardner led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored on Cano's grounder to second. Buehrle settled down, allowing only Nix's third-inning walk before rookie David Adams singled leading off the fifth.

"When you run into hot pitching like that, you try to shut them down as long as you can," Buehrle said.

Romine singled with one out and Gardner walked to load the bases before Nix's fly to left made it 2-0.

Aaron Loup relieved Buehrle after the first three batters in the seventh had hits, including an RBI double by Romine. Gardner slapped an opposite-field single past diving third baseman Brett Lawrie with the infield in, and Nix followed with a long fly to center that upped the lead to five runs.

"Buehrle was rolling along, too," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He had only given up two runs and was matching (Kuroda) there and kept us in the game, and then they exploded on us late there. But I thought he did a nice job as well."

Buehrle yielded five runs and six hits in six-plus innings. He walked three and struck out four.

NOTES: RHP Joba Chamberlain (right oblique strain) played long toss at Yankee Stadium. He is scheduled for a bullpen session Sunday. ... The Yankees recalled Vidal Nuno from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... Blue Jays RHP Josh Johnson (triceps) threw a side session. Gibbons said he felt good. He will go to the Blue Jays' complex in Dunedin, Fla., next week and will make a minor league rehab start. ... Blue Jays RHP Dustin McGowan (60-day DL, shoulder) is going to move to Triple-A Buffalo to continue his rehab. He was with Class-A Dunedin. ... RHP Brandon Morrow (1-2), who had his start Wednesday pushed back because of back and neck issues, is scheduled to get the ball against the Yankees Saturday. RHP David Phelps (1-2) is set to start for New York.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

More news

Torre: 'The game isn't perfect'

DPS: MLB executive Joe Torre talks to Dan Patrick about instant replay in baseball. Torre says that the game isn't perfect, but there are limits as to what instant replay should be used for. He draws the line at using it for balls and strikes.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51923828/ns/sports-baseball/

Turkey Cooking Times Butterball mashed potatoes Apple Black Friday how to cook a turkey emma stone Frys

Feds rooting out 'unwelcome speech' on campus: But what is that?

The failure of the University of Montana to respond adequately to rape and sexual assault allegations against popular football players has led to a broadening of how the federal government defines sexual harassment, causing free speech advocates to worry that the new policy will be used to punish ?unwelcome? flirting and chill the right to speak freely on campus.

A detailed ?resolution agreement? with the University of Montana, dated May 9, outlines what the US Department of Education and Justice Department describe as a new ?blueprint? for how colleges should view sex discrimination, assault, and harassment on campuses. The new policy is seen as binding, because colleges can lose federal funding, including Stafford and Pell grants, if they don?t abide.

Key among the federal findings at the University of Montana, where the university acknowledged it failed to properly address allegations of sexual assault against several football players, is the necessity to broaden the definition of sexual harassment to ?unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,? including ?verbal conduct,? or speech.

RECOMMENDED: The evolution of sexual harassment awareness

The new policy also suggests that harassment does not have to be ?objectively offensive? to warrant complaints, and demands colleges take action against alleged aggressors even before judicial hearings are held.

A ?culture of rape and sexual violence ? is not exclusive to our campus,? Brittany Salley-Rains, co-director of the Women?s Resource Center at the University of Montana, told reporters at a press conference. ?There needs to be more prevention going forward and the university administration needs to do more to bring attention to the detrimental culture that threatens women."

The new policy outlined in the University of Montana agreement comes in response to campus expos?s about lax enforcement of sexual harassment rules, the signing by President Obama in March of the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act to make it easier to report sex crimes on campus, and a series of probes by the Department of Education into major universities that have allegedly failed to properly address sexual harassment and assault allegations.

Want your top political issues explained? Get customized DC Decoder updates.

To be sure, the new rules still require that sex crime allegations suggest either pervasive or severe acts or language, and still require an objective standard before allegations are upheld, according to the Department of Education?s letter to the University of Montana.

But campus free speech advocates have balked at those explanations, saying the policy could have a chilling impact on social, professional, even political dynamics on US college campuses. Critics say any sexual topic, including flirtation, sex ed classes, or a discussion of Vladimir Nabokov?s ?Lolita,? could be deemed ?unwelcome? and the basis for censure.

Such fears aren?t theoretical, campus free speech advocates say, citing a professor at the University of Denver who was found to have sexually harassed students by talking about sexual taboos in American culture.

?Unwelcome? speech has also been used in allegations of teachers creating a ?hostile environment,? which apparently happened to a professor at Purdue University at Calumet who last year faced investigation for criticizing on Facebook the failure by moderate Muslims to condemn violence by Islamic extremists.

The new federal rule ?is part of a decades-long effort by anti-?hate speech? professors, students, activists and administrators to classify any offensive speech as harassment unprotected by the First Amendment,? writes Greg Lukianoff, author of ?Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate,? in the Wall Street Journal. ?Such speech codes reached their height in the 1980s and 1990s, but they were defeated in federal and state court and came in for public ridicule. Despite these setbacks, harassment-based speech codes have become the de facto rule.?

The new sexual harassment blueprint, however, is necessary to force colleges to deal with a serious and pervasive problem that continues to seriously violate women?s civil rights, federal officials and civil rights groups maintain.

A recent investigative report by the Center for Public Integrity found that ?students deemed ?responsible? for alleged sexual assaults on college campuses can face little or no consequence for their acts.?

?Yet their victims? lives are frequently turned upside down,? the report asserts. ?For them, the trauma of assault can be compounded by a lack of institutional support, and even disciplinary action. Many times, victims drop out of school, while their alleged attackers graduate.?

The Department of Education probe of the University of Montana?s handling of rape allegations against football players found problems with both the university?s sex harassment policy and its implementation. Federal officials focused on police reports, for example, that suggested that one alleged victim simply ?regretted sex? and that another one didn?t seem sufficiently upset, and smelled of alcohol.

Seth Galanter, acting assistant secretary for civil rights with the Education Department, said the evidence showed sex harassment at the college violated civil rights law because the acts interfered with the ability of women to benefit from school programs.

"What is noteworthy about this announcement today is not the problems our investigation found at the university, but a shared commitment to the equality of women students and their safety," Roy Austin, deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's civil rights division, said in a statement.

The broadened definition of sexual harassment enters the public debate two years after the Department of Education?s civil rights office and the Department of Justice tweaked sexual assault policy by lowering the evidentiary requirements for determinations of guilt. Instead of victims having to lay out ?clear and convincing evidence? of assault or harassment, a ?preponderance of evidence? is all that?s now necessary to determine that sexual assault or harassment took place.

Moreover, what?s troubling to some critics is that the idea of subjectively silencing ?unwelcome speech? about sex may seep into other corners of campus life, even going so far as to poison debates about personal ideology and politics.

?I doubt [the new sexual harassment policy] is intended to be fairly enforced,? writes civil libertarian Wendy Kaminer on Atlantic.com. ?I doubt federal officials want or expect it to be used against sex educators, advocates of reproductive choice, anti-porn feminists, or gay rights advocates, if their speech of a sexual nature is ?unwelcome? by religious conservatives.?

?When people demand censorship of ?unwelcome? speech, they?re usually demanding censorship of speech that they find unwelcome,? Ms. Kaminer writes. ?They usually seek to silence their political or ideological opponents, not their friends ? all in the name of some greater good.?

RECOMMENDED: The evolution of sexual harassment awareness

Related stories

Read this story at csmonitor.com

Become a part of the Monitor community

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-rooting-unwelcome-speech-campus-145904538.html

Sikh Sanya Richards Ross decathlon Honey Boo Boo Child marilyn monroe Nathan Adrian London 2012 Synchronized Swimming

Gunmen kill 9 in Iraq, 8 police kidnapped

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Gunmen killed an anti-terrorism policeman and his family in Baghdad on Saturday, while kidnappers abducted eight policemen guarding a post on Iraq's main highway to Jordan and Syria, the latest in a wave of violence to grip the country. Attackers also shot dead a Sunni cleric in the Shiite-majority south.

The attacks follow three days of bombings and other violence that killed 130 people, targeting a market, a mosque and bus stops in both Shiite and Sunni areas in scenes reminiscent of retaliatory attacks between the two groups that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006-2007. The particularly violent recent weeks have raised fears the country may be heading toward a new round of sectarian conflict.

Saturday's deadliest attack occurred when gunmen broke into the house of an anti-terrorism police officer in the southern suburbs of Baghdad, killing five people including him and his sleeping family. Police officials say the attackers stormed the house in the al-Rasheed district early Saturday and shot dead Cap. Adnan Ibrahim, his wife and two children, aged eight and 10.

As they were leaving the area, the attackers killed another policeman who tried to stop them at a nearby checkpoint.

Meanwhile in the western Sunni province of Anbar, gunmen kidnapped eight policemen who were guarding a post on the main highway linking Iraq to both Jordan and Syria, said two police officials. The abductions happened Saturday on the desert road west of Baghdad, they added.

Earlier in the day, security forces and gunmen clashed in the area when police tried to arrest a Sunni tribal sheik suspected of being behind the killing of three army intelligence soldiers stopped by gunmen near a protest site in Ramadi last month. Iraqi authorities had offered a bounty for the arrest or information leading to the arrest of Khamis Abu Risha and two other people they say were linked to the killings.

The fighting, near Abu Risha's house north of Ramadi, left three people wounded. No arrests were made. Later, gunmen deployed near the main entrance of Anbar Operations Command headquarters in Ramadi, 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad.

Elsewhere, in the southern city of Basra, gunmen shot and killed a Sunni cleric, Assad Nassir, as he was leaving his house, police said.

Two Iraqi soldiers were also killed and two others wounded when a roadside bomb struck a group of soldiers arriving to inspect the scene of a blast that took place earlier in the northern city of Mosul.

A security official said a roadside bomb hit a police patrol in the northern suburbs of Baghdad, killing one policeman and wounding two others.

Health officials confirmed the death tolls. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-kill-9-iraq-8-police-kidnapped-152116025.html

nfl playoff picture Larry King Suzy Favor Hamilton mayan calendar end of the world end of the world december 21 2012