Oil prices dip near $99 a barrel (AP)

NEW YORK ? Oil prices are down on concerns that the U.S. economy could slow and investors' worries eased about supply disruptions in the Persian Gulf.

Benchmark crude fell by 34 cents to $99.22 per barrel in New York on Monday. Brent crude, which is used to price foreign oils that are imported by U.S. refineries, lost 28 cents at $111.18 per barrel in London.

The Commerce Department said Americans kept a tighter grip on their wallets in December. Consumer spending was flat, even though incomes rose by the most in nine months. The economy relies heavily on consumer spending, and analysts say the economic recovery could stall and energy demand may stay weak if spending doesn't pick up.

Meanwhile, Iran welcomed international weapons experts into the country in hopes of refuting claims that it is building a nuclear weapon. That eased concerns about possible military action in the region. Still, Europe plans to embargo Iranian oil this summer to pressure Iran about its nuclear program. If that happens, Iran says it could retaliate by blocking passage through the Persian Gulf, where tankers carry one-sixth of the world's oil exports.

The U.S. is ready to implement sanctions on Iran's central bank that will make it harder for Iran to sell oil.

Gasoline pump prices rose by a penny on Monday to $3.43 per gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. A gallon of regular is 15.3 cents higher than it was a month ago and 33 cents higher than it was last year.

In other energy trading, heating oil was flat at $3.07 per gallon and gasoline futures fell 5 cents to $2.88 per gallon. Natural gas futures fell by 1 cent to $2.75 per 1,000 cubic feet.

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

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Jaimie Etkin: Pretty Little Liars Recap: The Liars Tell Truths And Emily Says 'I Love You'

Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 2, Episode 18 of ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars, entitled "A Kiss Before Lying."

Our Hanna-less "Pretty Little Liars" are still keeping secrets from the foursome's only blonde and examining the video with Caleb (again) to try to figure out what was in Ali's box.

Of course, Hanna calls all four of them before Spencer -- who discovers she's "the low man on the totem pole" -- finally answers.

It's an awkward conversation to say the least and when Emily drops a glass, prompting Aria to yell her name, not-so-blonde-in-the-brains Hanna realizes Spencer is keeping something from her.

But no time to worry about Hanna: Is that a driver's license in the video?

Is it Melissa? Is it Jenna? No, it's Super Ali ... with dark hair!

"Why would she need an ID that didn't even look like her?" far-too-logical-for-this-shit Spencer asks.

Cue theme song.

"God. It's so weird seeing Ali with dark hair. I can't even look at that anymore," not-too-concerned-wth-the-gravity-of-the-situation Spencer then muses.

As she shudders to think of brunette Ali, Emily's mindis on another brunette: She's going to meet up with Maya.

Aria gets up to go too, but clearly shaken-up Spence asks her to stay. Unfortunately, Aria has plans with Holden (i.e. Ezra). Spencer asks how she's holding up in what she believes is Aria post-Ezra phase, adding "I just can't believe he never showed up and he never called you." Rub it in, Hastings.

Luckily, Aria's lying, so no harm, no foul. She changes the subject to Toby, a serious pressure point for Spencer. She says she drove his car to his parents house, sat in it and listened to the radio. Cue breakdown. She doesn't know how Aria's holding it together.

Umm ... the fact that her secret boyfriend's still secretly around helps.

Aria leaves the shaken-up Spencer, who worries she's the reason they're lying to Hanna, and goes and gets in Ezra's car. Spence is once again alone in her parent-less house. Class-A, Aria.

Aria tells Ezra she's really struggling with lying to her friends and her parents. Her mom is "warming" to the idea (sort of), but as for her dad ... "How fast do glaciers melt?"

Fear not. The hydrosphere metaphor is not over and Aria suggests she and Ezra "generate more heat" and then kisses him as he drives. DANGER! ALSO, AS REGINA GEORGE WOULD SAY, STOP TRYING TO MAKE THIS RELATIONSHIP HAPPEN!

A solo Hanna is hanging out in her perpetually dimly-lit house with her mom, who wonders where the other liars are. "They're being annoying," Hanna explains, which I have to say, is one of the most simply hilariously realistic bits of teen dialogue I've heard in a while. Hanna's mom doesn't know what counts as annoying.

Hanna's mom may struggle with irritability, but she does know Hanna must be nice to her new stepsister Kate who's heading to Rosewood. "If we don't take the high road, we're going to end up looking like trash," Mrs. Marin explains. Subtle community service jab, perhaps? Anyway, Hanna complies with her annoying mom's request.

Holden and Aria get in Byron's car after their faux-vie date and while he goes to the ATM, they discuss what they had at their faux-talian meal and I start drooling over their faux-guini with pesto and faux-lic bread with extra butter.

Next morning and it's "doomsday" at Rosewood. Apparently, Kate's arrival has the liars even more confused about which season it is: Hanna's wearing an adorable red sleeveless dress; Emily's in some sort of arm-revealing schmatta (which she's been relegated to since she came out of the closet); Spencer's in a perfectly Limited Too-inspired striped turtle neck (with Toby's undershirt tucked beneath it); and Aria is, of course, wearing a poncho.

Pinstriped-and-collared-shirt-sporting Kate approaches their indoor cafeteria table (so it's chilly?) and awkwardness ensues. Also, Spencer is convinced she's seen this girl before. Hanna offers to show Kate to her class, but on her way, A strikes: "Call off your techno-boy-toy or I tell the cops what your mom keeps in the lasagna box. -A"

With Hanna away, Spencer, Emily and Aria sit around an outdoor cafeteria table (so it's warm?) and wonder why Ali needed the alter ego ID. Was it so she could date Ian? Or was it to create a different identity that would allow her to get closer to or even expose A?

Cue Hanna, who's wondering if Caleb still has the video file. The girls deny it and as they scatter. "Hanna needs to change her deodorant," my mom explains. When I ask why, she replies, "her friends keeps running away from her haha." Potential stench issues aside, Hanna confronts Spencer about destroying the flash drive, but she was just trying to protect Caleb and she can't just shut her out.

Later that night, Emily is in bed with Maya, lamenting over not being able to join the swim team. Her mom texts and the do-over couple talks about Maya's past with the homophobic Mrs. Fields. Emily assures Maya that her mom hated Emily liking girls, not Maya. And besides, "she's fine with that now ... She's a completely different person now." Moms aside, they make out -- finally, Emily's getting some action! "Whoa this is risque for the 8 time slot," my mom observes.

The next day at school, Spencer is the stylist's token guinea pig in a patchwork newsboy hat that would make Brad Pitt or a "Les Mis" costume designer tre jealous. Clearly, Spencer's thinking cap is not serving her well, but she's determined to find out where she knows Kate from (Maine? Debate?). But Kate denies it in a highly suspicious manner and Hanna, who is channeling Sandy's "You're The One That I Want" ensemble (hoop earrings included), tells her to zip it.

When Emily returns to her locker, there's a note that reads, "Did you miss me?" Is it A?!? Nope, it's just mom, who was once equally as threatening, but is quite friendly this time around. "oh yay another parent has finally surfaced," my mom observes. She asks if Em wants to bring someone special and she's happy to have Maya tag along to "give her another opportunity." Emily and her mom embrace. Did I change the channel to Lifetime?

Hanna, Aria and Spencer are getting ready for gym and Spencer stays behind to confront Kate, who is struggling to open her locker. A smug Spencer finally figured it out: Melissa was her junior counselor at Shekomeko Horse Ranch in the summer of 2006.

"I'm exactly who you think I am," Kate admits with watery eyes. "What is it going to take ... for you to keep this to yourself?"

Spencer says she's not going to tell anyone, but she does have a photo she could blackmail her with.

Dinnertime already (at the Grill, of course) and Emily and her mom walk in to see Noel playing with Maya's phone. "oooooh what restaurant is this??? ?it looks nice," my mom says, joking (I think/hope). Maya's trying way too hard to be nice to Emily's mom and clearly, it's going to be a long night.

Aria and Holden plan to go their separate ways at some sort of teen Chuck E. Cheese establishment, but then admit both of their respective plans got canceled. He suggests they get a pizza (half plain, half green peppers, which he remembers are her favorite) and then says they will duke it out over air hockey. "You used to be kind of a mean player. You still got the chops?" Holden asks. Cringe.

Back at dinner, Maya is saying all the wrong things, talking about a) Jazz players who like to get high and b) A guy who won't leave her alone.

Hanna heads to Spencer's to kick their feet up and relax. "?if spencer's parents were ever home hanna would never put her shoes on the couch!!!!!!? busted spencer," my mom notes. The two bond over Kate, who they compare her to fish and things with which to wrap fish. Is she a fangblenny or a boil n' baggy? (Look it up. "The more you know," courtesy of ABC Family.)

Spencer shows Hanna a picture of Kate on her phone that Melissa sent her and in looking at all the photos, Hanna stumbles across the one of Ali's ID. And then, the truth comes out.

A betrayed Hanna yells at Spencer: "The whole time i'm worried about Kate backstabbing me? i didn't even realize that you were holding a knife."

Despite the door slamming, my mom is glad. "im really glad spencer told hanna the truth--i really didnt like that they were lying to her....it made her the loser in the group and she is sooooo not a loser," she observed. "i mean it's hanna--she should never be the odd man out--it would probably be Spencer."

Moving on from Hanna and Spencer, tension's just as high at dinner where Emily yells at Maya for "torpedoing" dinner.

And across town at a hoity-toity, wood-paneled, tweed-filled affair that looks straight out of a bad "Mad Men" stage production, dudes are clinking lowballs. After admitting that they're "a bunch of boring, old farts discussing dead authors," one bearded fellow tells Ezra about an associate dean's position at the new Hollis satellite school. (Woo!) But he'd be heading to Louisiana next month. (Boo!) Apparently, Byron Montgomery insisted he was perfect. (Light bulb!)

Caleb comes home to find Hanna on the porch. She confronts him about going behind her back with the video and comes clean about the money troubles with her mom (admitting that they were broke and that her mom stole money). She's never told anyone and he promises to keep in between them, but she tells him someone else knows already. Is it Jenna, he asks. She doesn't know who, but they're holding it over her and he's working on their phone. "i love Hanna and Caleb more than Aria and Ezra--haha," my mom adds. Thank the lord.

Wipe those tears, Canna fans, because it's back to air hockey with Aria, her shiny top and Holden. Aria (my mom notes: "somebody got sequin happy") shoots, scores and does an adorably dorky dance. "Winning really brings out the nerd in you," Holden observes. Everything brings out the nerd in him.

Caleb goes to see Jenna when Officer Garrett arrives (yes, he's "actually working," my mom notes) and tells Caleb he hasn't seen Jenna for a while. "If you're looking to get your old job back, it's too late; she's found someone else," he says. (Remember the owl necklace/flash drive? Caleb really loves him a good flash drive mystery.)

Caleb wants Jenna to stop threatening Hanna and co., but Garrett warns he better be a lot scarier than that if he wants Jenna to take him seriously. Then he nearly hits Caleb with his bike. That scary. Got it.

Spencer comes over to apologize to Hanna. She says it was an "act of desperation" and "A has taken everything from [her]" and she can't lose Hanna, too. "You haven't," Hanna says. They hug. Adorable. "i love Hanna banana!!! haha--she's the best," my mom says.

But back at the air hockey face-off of the century, Holden's in pain and lifts up his shirt to check out a seriously massive bruise on his side. "he's a drug dealer??" my mom asks. Seemingly no; he blames flag football. Pfft. Byron arrives and Bruisegate 2012 will have to continue into next episode.

Spencer and Hanna bond over tea and Hanna remembers seeing Ali with dark hair.

Cue FLASHBACK!

Two years ago at quite the stylish hair salon, Flashback Hanna (in her token "I'm fat" flowy skirt) walks in to get her hurr did when she sees a woman sitting in a chair and a painfully stereotypically gay stylist oohing and aahing over how "fierce" she looks.

As an assistant brings coffee over to the client, a.k.a. Ms. Darkbloom, Flashback Hanna recognizes the voice: It's Ali "testing the waters" as a brunette (and drinking coffee, even those she's like 14).

"I'm pretending to be something else, but I'm not," she admits to Flashback Hanna. Why does she do it? "'Cause I'm bored. I do it a lot ... Aren't you just sick and tired of being you?" She takes off the wig and gives her token Ali eye flirt because I'm pretty sure she's incapable of doing anything else with her face.

Back in the present, Hanna and Spencer Google "Vivian Darkbloom," an anagram for author Vladimir Nabokov, who penned "Lolita." Hanna had Ali's copy and when the girls fan its pages, they see a claim ticket to J&L, which holds special meaning for me and my mom (due to the first initials of our first names).

Mom: all i can read is J & L (hey--it's our store-haha) claim ticket and that it's pd?
Jaimie:? ?hahah?
Lori:? ?im excited to find out what kind of store we have......?
Jaimie? ?what's PD??
Lori:? ?PAID? what kind of business partner are you???

Emily decides to head over to Maya's and admits that she's worried about the double competition of dating a bisexual girl. Maya admits she's mad at Emily's mom for busting her and she wants to show her something. She totally '60s out her room as her "way of saying sorry for ruining dinner... if the sharks won't let you back in the water, i'll bring the water to you." Emily's totally into it and soon enough, the L word is being thrown around and they get on the bed. Double score for Emily! In a sharp cheddar contrast from last week, my mom says, "Yay Emily doesnt stand alone anymore--she's not the cheese" (Sorry, Spencer.)

Spencer calls the phone number on the claim ticket they found in Ali's coat and the voice on the other end says, "It's a miracle but I actually still have it." Then asks, "When would you like to pick it up, Ms. Darkbloom?" Spencer is stunned -- I am too that we really seem to be getting somewhere in this episode.

Back at school, everyone is coming up to Hanna about something, but she's not sure what it is. Finally, Emily, Aria and Spencer show her a text sent from her phone to everyone in her phone book that reads: "Before & After: From Boil N'Baggies To Boring Bitch" with a a semi-nude photo of Kate. But Hanna says she didn't do it.

As for the final A segment of the evening, those leather gloves are snooping around Peter Hastings' office, before opening the draw and grabbing a gun. Going with my "Melissa is a prominent part of A group" theory, my mom says, "?it is Spencer's dad's desk so im guessing it's Melissa taking his gun from the drawer--the hand looked tiny so I think it had to be a girl's? ... ?or maybe Jenna because I feel like maybe she's not blind anymore and faking it?"

Yes, so sensitive.

Worst Looks of the Night:

• Aria's heart-stitched poncho with big bow in her hair. "Ugly Betty," eat your heart out.


• There is little to say about this totally '90s choice of headwear, but I just went with, "Oy," which my mom seconds: "Oy is right."

Best Lines of the Night:

• "We're not even standing that close to you." -Spencer
  "Really? Then how do I know you had a cheeseburger for lunch?" -Caleb
• "i'll even watch one of those artsy foreign ones where all they do is stare out of windows." -Hanna to Spencer on hang out possible plans
• "Last time I gave her the benefit of the doubt, I ended up blowing chunks on my chunk heels," -Hanna on Kate
• "What is hanging out under your sweater? Is that a dude's undershirt?" -Hanna to Spencer.
• "Do not look at me like I'm one of those dogs with wheels for legs." -Spencer to the liars about opting to wear aforementioned Toby's undershirt
• "He goes through girls in this school like Kleenex." -Aria on Noel.
• "Can you back off? I'm not going to let her complain to my dad that my friends are giving her the fourth degree." -Hanna to Spencer re: Kate
  "It's the third degree." -Spencer
  "Whatever. Just stop giving her degrees, okay?" -Hanna
• "Just so you know, Melissa sent me photo of you that year. So just so you know, if you being nice to Hanna is just an act, you better keep it up ... " -Spencer to Kate
  "Why are you giving me a break?" -Kate
  "Because judging from the way you judged Hanna, everybody is going to see how ugly you are, without any help from me." -Spencer
• "No, he's not, but his smile takes up half his face so it's easy to be confused." -Emily to Maya, who thinks Noel is nice
• "I admit, I like to live life in the grey area. But the way I feel about you is crystal clear. I love you, Emily." -Maya
  "I love you, too, Maya." -Emily

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaimie-etkin/pretty-little-liars-recap_b_1243390.html

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Romney widens lead over Gingrich in Florida: Reuters/Ipsos poll (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? White House hopeful Mitt Romney widened his lead over rival Newt Gingrich to 11 percentage points in Florida, according to Reuters/Ipsos online poll results on Saturday, up from 8 points a day earlier, as he cemented his front-runner status in the Republican nomination race.

With just three days remaining before Florida's Republican primary, Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, led Gingrich, a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, by 43 percent to 32 percent among likely voters in Florida's January 31 primary, the online poll said.

He had led Gingrich by 41 percent to 33 percent in the online tracking poll on Friday.

"The momentum in Florida ... really seems to be moving in Romney's direction," said Chris Jackson, research director for Ipsos Public Affairs.

The poll confirmed that Romney's fortunes are turning around in Florida a week after a stinging setback when Gingrich scored an upset win in South Carolina's primary.

Romney has moved ahead of Gingrich in several Florida polls, after turning in his strongest debate performance yet in the seesawing race for the Republican nomination to oppose Democratic President Barack Obama's bid for re-election in November.

The Reuters/Ipsos survey showed Romney also gained when voters were asked who they would support in a head-to-head contest with Gingrich. Saturday's results showed that 53 percent would support him, versus 45 percent for Gingrich.

In the results released on Friday, Romney had led by just 2 percentage points when voters were asked the same question.

SANTORUM GETTING SOME GINGRICH SUPPORT?

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum trailed well behind with 16 percent support, but he had gained ground from 13 percent in Friday's results.

"It seems like some people who are leaving Gingrich are moving to the other conservative in the race, Rick Santorum," Jackson said.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul was at 6 percent, up from 5 percent. The small-government libertarian has not been campaigning in Florida.

Romney has subjected Gingrich to a blistering run of attack advertisements in Florida. He has assailed Gingrich for leaving Congress under an ethics cloud in the 1990s and for being a Washington insider and lobbyist in the two decades since.

Gingrich denies he ever worked as a lobbyist, but has yet to find an effective way to parry Romney's attacks.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, capturing many voters after the most recent debate in Jacksonville on Thursday, where Romney was seen as a clear winner.

Florida lets voters cast their ballots early at polling stations or by mail, and 30 percent of the poll respondents said they had done so, compared with 29 percent on Friday.

Romney held a 12-point lead among those who had already voted, and an 11-point lead among those who had not yet voted.

Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online surveys, but this poll of 903 likely voters has a credibility interval of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Saturday's Reuters/Ipsos survey is the second of four daily tracking polls being released ahead of Tuesday's Florida primary.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/ts_nm/us_usa_campaign_poll

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RBS chairman waives $2.2 million bonus after Hester row (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS.L) Chairman Philip Hampton will not pick up a 1.4 million pound ($2.2 million) stock bonus, the bailed-out bank said, following public anger and political squabbling over a 1 million pound bonus for its chief executive.

Anger over bankers' earnings has shown few signs of abating, with many still set for million pound salaries while elsewhere thousands lose their jobs as the global economy stutters in the face of Europe's debt crisis.

In Britain, the salaries of top staff at RBS and Lloyds (LLOY.L) are particularly controversial because both banks were bailed out to the tune of 66 billion pounds during the credit crisis, with Britain ending up with an 83 percent stake in RBS along with a 40 percent holding in Lloyds.

"Sir Philip Hampton will not receive the 5.17 million shares he was awarded in 2009 when he joined RBS," said a spokesman for the bank.

Based on RBS's closing share price of 27.74 pence Friday, Hampton's share-based award would have been worth 1.4 million pounds. In 2010, Hampton received a basic salary of 750,000 pounds, with no extra performance bonus or benefits.

The decision not to proceed with Hampton's stock award comes after politicians from across the spectrum criticised the company's decision to give its chief executive Stephen Hester a stock bonus worth roughly 1 million pounds.

Earlier this week, RBS halved CEO Hester's stock bonus for 2011 to just under 1 million pounds from 2 million pounds in 2010, but resisted calls to axe the bonus altogether. Hester has a basic salary of 1.2 million pounds.

The decision by Lloyds chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio to waive his bonus after he spent time off work on sick leave, had put further pressure on Hester to make a similar gesture.

CAMERON SEEKS TO DEFLECT CRITICISM OVER RBS PAY

RBS shares fell sharply over the course of 2011, losing approximately half their value, and the stock remains well below the average price of 49.90 pence at which the British taxpayer acquired its stake in the bank.

Hester has also had to cut more than 30,000 jobs since taking up his post in 2008, as part of a large-scale restructuring to sell off assets and businesses.

Britain's Conservative-led coalition government has also been criticised for not doing more to curb Hester's pay, facing attacks from not only the opposition Labor party but also from its own members.

Saturday, Prime Minister David Cameron sought to deflect criticism over his handling of the issue, arguing it would be worse for the taxpayer if RBS had to find a new management team.

"Let me get the facts straight, the fact is Stephen Hester was brought in by the last government, a contract signed by the last government, to turn round RBS, a bank that had got itself into a complete mess," Cameron told television reporters.

"The government has made its views known, and that is why his bonus was cut in half compared to last year. But we do have to bear in mind that the alternatives to what is happening now could be even more expensive if you had a whole new team coming into RBS," he added.

Hester joined RBS in October 2008 from property company British Land (BLND.L) as RBS was reeling from its disastrous acquisition of Dutch bank ABN AMRO.

Britain used some 45 billion pounds of taxpayers' money to rescue RBS, leading to the eventual resignation of former head Sir Fred Goodwin, who was replaced by Hester.

Hester, who had previously worked at rival banks Abbey National and Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX), was given a brief to restructure RBS and return it to health, and RBS said he deserved his stock bonus for making the bank "safer."

Britain aims to eventually sell its state holdings in RBS and Lloyds back to the private sector, although volatile financial markets have meant the timing of any disposal is uncertain.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Tim Castle and Toby Chopra)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/bs_nm/us_rbs

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Video: Researchers show how viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly

Friday, January 27, 2012

In the current issue of Science, researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations.

The scientists showed for the first time how the virus called "Lambda" evolved to find a new way to attack host cells, an innovation that took four mutations to accomplish. This virus infects bacteria, in particular the common E. coli bacterium. Lambda isn't dangerous to humans, but this research demonstrated how viruses evolve complex and potentially deadly new traits, said Justin Meyer, MSU graduate student, who co-authored the paper with Richard Lenski, MSU Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.

"We were surprised at first to see Lambda evolve this new function, this ability to attack and enter the cell through a new receptor ? and it happened so fast," Meyer said. "But when we re-ran the evolution experiment, we saw the same thing happen over and over."

Researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. Credit: Michigan State University/Jeremy Polk, National Science Foundation

This paper follows recent news that scientists in the United States and the Netherlands produced a deadly version of bird flu. Even though bird flu is a mere five mutations away from becoming transmissible between humans, it's highly unlikely the virus could naturally obtain all of the beneficial mutations all at once. However, it might evolve sequentially, gaining benefits one-by-one, if conditions are favorable at each step, he added.

Through research conducted at BEACON, MSU's National Science Foundation Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Meyer and his colleagues' ability to duplicate the results implied that adaptation by natural selection, or survival of the fittest, had an important role in the virus' evolution.

When the genomes of the adaptable virus were sequenced, they always had four mutations in common. The viruses that didn't evolve the new way of entering cells had some of the four mutations but never all four together, said Meyer, who holds the Barnett Rosenberg Fellowship in MSU's College of Natural Science.

"In other words, natural selection promoted the virus' evolution because the mutations helped them use both their old and new attacks," Meyer said. "The finding raises questions of whether the five bird flu mutations may also have multiple functions, and could they evolve naturally?"

###

National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov

Thanks to National Science Foundation for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117147/Video__Researchers_show_how_viruses_evolve__and_in_some_cases__become_deadly

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Colts owner wishes Manning kept comments in-house

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2012, file photo, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Fla. Shortly after introducing Chuck Pagano as Indianapolis' new coach, team owner Jim Irsay responded to the comments Manning made earlier this week about the Colts by referring to the only four-time league MVP as a "politician." (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2012, file photo, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Fla. Shortly after introducing Chuck Pagano as Indianapolis' new coach, team owner Jim Irsay responded to the comments Manning made earlier this week about the Colts by referring to the only four-time league MVP as a "politician." (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano, left, and owner Jim Irsay greet each after Pagano was introduced during a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano talks about joking with Colts wide receiver Reggie Wanye during a game at a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? The NFL's most watched offseason drama has turned stunningly ugly.

Two days after Peyton Manning complained about the dour atmosphere around the Colts' complex, team owner Jim Irsay called his four-time league MVP a "politician" and said he didn't appreciate Manning's public campaign.

The comments upstaged the introduction of Irsay's new coach, Chuck Pagano, and came six weeks before Irsay must decide whether to pay the still-recovering Manning a $28 million bonus. Manning missed the entire 2011 season after having his third neck surgery in September.

"I don't think it's in the best interest to paint the horseshoe in a negative light, I really don't," Irsay told reporters following Pagano's introduction. "The horseshoe always comes first, and I think one thing he's always known, because he's been around it so long, is that, you know, you keep it in the family. If you've got a problem you talk to each other, it's not about campaigning or anything like that."

Apparently, Manning got the message.

Just a few hours after Irsay responded to questions from reporters, Manning tried to dial things back by telling The Indianapolis Star that he didn't intend to create a public spat. Instead, Manning said he was speaking from the heart after watching so many of his friends lose their jobs.

"At this point, Mr. Irsay and I owe it to each other and to the fans of the organization to handle this appropriately and professionally, and I think we will. I've already reached out to Mr. Irsay," Manning said. "I wasn't trying to paint the Colts in a bad light, but it's tough when so many people you've known for so long are suddenly leaving. I feel very close to a lot of these guys and we've done great things together. It's hard to watch an old friend clean out his office. That's all I was trying to say.

"I just want to keep rehabbing and working hard, and when the time is right for Mr. Irsay and I to sit down, I look forward to a healthy conversation about my future. I've worked too hard and have such great respect and have so many great relationships inside the building and out, and it's incredibly important that those remain."

Clearly, Irsay wants the same kind of relationship.

But over the past month, the Colts have been as dysfunctional as a Hollywood marriage.

Irsay, the team owner, has fired vice chairman Bill Polian, general manager Chris Polian, coach Jim Caldwell and most of his staff over the last three weeks. Social media has suddenly become the platform of choice to update fans on pending decisions, to shoot down rumors or fan the speculation.

Last week, actor Rob Lowe caused a media frenzy by tweeting that Manning was about to retire. The story got so much attention even Pagano, who was busy preparing for the Ravens' AFC title game against New England, noticed.

"You know, I've got a text or a call out to Rob Lowe and I haven't heard back yet, so I'm going to have get back to you on that one," Pagano said when asked if he expected to be coaching Manning next season.

The newest twist could be the most damaging.

On Tuesday, Manning told The Star that his only really conversation with the first-time general manager Ryan Grigson had come in passing and the flurry of moves had those around the team complex walking on "eggshells."

Many believe Manning's comments indicated how unhappy he was in Indianapolis, prompting speculation he was looking for a way out.

Irsay didn't like it that Manning went public with his frustrations.

"I have so much affection and appreciation for Peyton. I mean we're family. We always will be and we are," Irsay said. "He's a politician. I mean look at, when it comes to being competitive, let's just say on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, we're both 11s, OK? So there's been plenty of egg shells scattered around this building by him with his competitive desire to win."

The drama may only be beginning.

With Irsay's men in place in the front office and on the coaching staff, Pagano can focus his attention on selecting a staff. Grigson said Pagano will make those choices.

Irsay's decisions will become much more difficult.

Indy's horrendous 2-14 season has given it the No. 1 overall pick, which Irsay has said they will use for their quarterback of the future ? presumably Stanford's Andrew Luck.

If so, Irsay must decide how much money he wants to invest in one position. Manning signed a five-year, $90 million contract in July and is due the bonus in March. Soon to be 36, the perennial Pro Bowler is also coming off his third neck surgery in less than two years.

Irsay reiterated Thursday that his choice will come down to Manning's health, not money.

"I think fans already understand that," Irsay said when asked whether Manning may have played his final game in Colts' blue. "This isn't an ankle, it isn't a shoulder. Often times the NFL is criticized for putting someone out there at risk, and I'm not going to doing that. I think he and I just need to see where his health is because this isn't about money or anything else. It's about his life and his long-term health."

Those answers still may not be determined by the March 8 deadline.

That's only the start of the Colts' questions.

Grigson and Irsay must figure out how to free up salary cap space and what to do with a group of high-priced veterans such as Gary Brackett and Melvin Bullitt, and whether they want to bring back some of their key free agents such as Robert Mathis, Jeff Saturday and Reggie Wayne.

Not surprisingly, Pagano wants as many of those guys back as he can get, including Manning.

"I just came from a great organization and just spent some time with one of the greatest leaders (Ray Lewis) to ever play this game," Pagano said. "And there's one of those leaders right here (Manning) and those are the types of individuals and people that you have to surround yourself with."

But it's Irsay who must make that decision, and it's obvious that the two haven't been talking much lately ? something Irsay acknowledged will change between now and March 8.

"It's a very simple issue, it's a health issue," the owner said.

"It's one of those things where just when you think it's going in the right direction, things change," he said, explaining later there was no indication Manning had had a setback over the last month. "It's been very hard on everyone around here, and it's been very hard on Peyton, too."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-27-FBN-Colts-Manning/id-130ddb4d02ae45c0b7605e1086747814

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Facebook, Washington state target online spam (AP)

SEATTLE ? Facebook is partnering with Washington state to combat a type of spam called "clickjacking" that is plaguing the social networking site, company and state officials announced Thursday.

Two separate lawsuits were filed in federal courts in California and Washington state against Delaware-based Adscend Media LLC, which officials say is behind the spamming.

"The way we think about it, security is an arms race," Facebook's general counsel, Ted Ullyot, said alongside Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna at the social media company's Seattle offices. "It's important to stay ahead of spammers and scammers."

In "clickjacking," links on Facebook promising shocking or salacious videos have code embedded in them that spreads the link to the user's page. That makes it seem like the user "liked" the link, with the aim of attracting more clicks from the user's friends. The links eventually lead users to a survey or information from an advertiser.

Adscend Media is spreading spam through misleading and deceptive tactics and has encouraged others to do the same, McKenna's office said.

An email inquiry sent to Adscend was not immediately returned, and an attorney for the company had not yet been listed in federal court records.

Social networking sites are popular targets for spammers because people are more likely to trust and share content that comes from people they know. This makes spam, scams and viruses easy to spread.

Still, Facebook says less than 4 percent of content shared on the site is spam. By comparison, about 74 percent of email is spam, according to security company Symantec Corp., though the bulk of it gets filtered out before reaching someone's inbox.

Facebook has more than 800 million users.

Named in Washington state's lawsuit are Adscend co-owners Jeremy Bash, of West Virginia, and Fehzan Ali, of Texas. The lawsuit says Adscend violated several state laws, as well as the federal CAN-SPAM act, which makes it unlawful to procure or initiate transmission of misleading commercial communication.

McKenna said Adscend has annual revenue of $20 million.

Washington state is the only state partnering with Facebook. The company said it partnered with Washington state because of a history in the state of technology consumer protection.

The attorney general said Washington state has been a leader in technology consumer protection since his predecessor, now Gov. Chris Gregoire, began filing suits against malware and spyware users.

"As spammers adjust their tactics, we adjust ours," McKenna said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_hi_te/us_facebook_scam

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Merle Haggard returns to Calif. home to recuperate (AP)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Country music legend Merle Haggard has returned home to northern California to recuperate from multiple illnesses.

Haggard had been hospitalized in Macon, Ga., for about a week with double pneumonia. While there, doctors discovered three stomach ulcers and eight polyps in his colon.

At one point, the 74-year-old checked himself out of the hospital to return to Redding, Calif., by tour bus. But he returned a few hours later after deciding the trip would be too taxing.

The "Okie from Muskogee" singer was diagnosed with lung cancer a few years ago, but recovered after part of his lung was removed.

It's unclear how Haggard's recent health issues will affect his touring schedule. His website shows him playing next on Feb. 28 in Tucson, Ariz.

___

Online:

http://www.merlehaggard.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_en_mu/us_people_merle_haggard

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McCartney's wife resigns from NYC transit board (AP)

NEW YORK ? Paul McCartney's new bride is stepping down from the board of the authority that runs New York City's public transit system.

Nancy Shevell married the Beatles great in October. She announced her resignation from the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority at its meeting Wednesday.

Shevell had been on the MTA's board since 2001 and was one of its longest-serving members. Her term expired last year, but she had stayed on pending a new appointment by New York's governor.

When she isn't dating music legends or running subway systems, Shevell is a philanthropist. She was an executive at New England Motor Freight, a New Jersey trucking firm owned by her family.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_en_ot/us_people_lady_mccartney

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Haj show seeks to lift veil on key Islamic ritual (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Billed as the first major exhibition devoted to the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, "Hajj: journey at the heart of Islam" at the British Museum aims to lift the veil on a ritual that is a mystery to many in the non-Muslim world.

Curators also said they hoped the show, which runs from January 26-April 15 at the London venue, would be visited by Muslims as well as non-Muslims who are not allowed to join the haj.

"People who don't believe in the religion of Islam aren't allowed (on the haj) and therefore know very little, but you'd be surprised how little Muslims know about the history of the haj also," said Qaisra Khan, co-curator of the exhibition.

"For me personally it's been a huge learning curve over the past two years," she told Reuters.

"In terms of the mystery surrounding the haj, I think we try and break the back of that in this exhibition so you learn a lot more about something you can't witness."

Pakistan-born Khan believed that its message of peace was particularly important because the outside world's image of the Middle East had been associated in recent years with violence and upheaval.

"If you look at the last five years, even if not the last 12 months, there is a lot about Islam and the Middle East in the press and it doesn't always get good press as we know.

"I think what the exhibition does is to talk about the one facet of Islam we don't know much about and that it's very much about peace."

The show takes visitors on a journey that starts with how Muslims prepare for the pilgrimage, including settling outstanding debts and asking for the forgiveness of others.

Many pilgrims also make wills before they depart, reflecting the belief that they should be prepared for the possibility they may not return home.

KAABA

The exhibition traces some of the main routes Muslims have followed over the centuries to get to Mecca, including from Kufa, Cairo and Damascus, and seeks to explain some of the rituals associated with the haj.

It features recorded accounts of what the journey meant to Muslims around the world and includes loaned items from Saudi Arabia such as a "sitara" which covers the door of the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building at the centre of the Grand Mosque around which pilgrims must walk.

All Muslims who are physically able are required to perform the haj at least once, as one of the five pillars of Islam.

The British Museum displays the kinds of clothes pilgrims are expected to wear and the souvenirs they bring back.

One section showcases contemporary artists' interpretations of the haj, including Saudi Ahmed Mater's "Magnetism," in which tens of thousands of tiny iron filings form patterns around a central magnet that represents the Kaaba.

Among the individual tales told is that of Evelyn Cobbold, who wrote that she was the first European woman to take part in the haj.

Although never formally converted to Islam, she had long considered herself a Muslim and was granted permission to go on the pilgrimage in 1933.

Another Briton who earned considerable fame for his involvement in the haj was Richard Francis Burton, a 19th century soldier and explorer who disguised himself as an Afghan doctor and Sufi dervish in order to avoid detection.

He joined an Egyptian caravan to Mecca in 1853 and, despite several close scrapes, returned unscathed and wrote an account of his adventures in "A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Medinah and Meccah."

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/stage_nm/us_haj_exhibition

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ESPN ScoreCenter gets an update, now includes scoring and breaking news notifications

The popular sports app ESPN ScoreCenter has received a sizeable update which includes one the most requested features, notifications. Yes, it's been a long time coming, but now you can receive scoring and breaking news notifications to your Android device.

Once you open the app, click the red tab at the bottom to bring up the menu, then select preferences. From there, you can manage which teams you follow and which alerts you will receive.

Here is the full changelog from the update:

• Scoring and breaking news notifications now available!! Get game start, scoring plays, end of period/qtr/half and final score notifications, or follow your favorite sports with breaking news alerts - all delivered to your device’s home screen.
• Fixed widgets and other display issues on certain devices
• Fixed a number of UI issues occurring on Android 4.0+ (Ice Cream Sandwich) devices
• Additional UI fixes for tablets
• Additional bug fixes

The app is available for free in the Android Market, so to get the update or to download the app, please find the links after the break.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/fqsEnfDmCLg/story01.htm

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State of the Union speech: Promising outlook for research and innovation

Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Suzanne Ffolkes
sffolkes@researchamerica.org
571-482-2710
Research!America

(Washington, January, 25, 2012) -- Research!America's Board chair, former Congressman John Edward Porter (R-IL), applauds President Obama's commitment to protect our nation's investment in basic research.

"America's leadership is at stake as other nations accelerate and prioritize their investments in discovery and development," said Porter. "We could potentially witness a reversal in fortune as Asia and Europe integrate science and technology into economic growth while U.S. investments in R&D decline. In China alone, R&D growth increased a remarkable 28% in a single year, placing it second behind the U.S. We must acknowledge and reverse trends that could jeopardize our world-class standing. Unfortunately, many elected officials have taken research and innovation for granted. They must realize that second-tier status will yield second-tier results in both scientific and economic output."

The president's charge to train more Americans in science and technology to reduce unemployment and strengthen our global competitiveness has the support of many Americans. Research!America polls show nearly 90% of those surveyed believe the federal government should place more emphasis on increasing the number of young Americans who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. "We must prepare the next generation of innovators for opportunities that have yet to be tapped," Porter adds.

Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley commends the president's goal to spur innovation with basic research. However, funding is at risk with the prospect of automatic spending cuts for government agencies in 2013. Woolley urges Congress to spare federal health agencies from significant cuts that could impede scientific progress.

"Cutting funding for research is not a deficit reduction strategy," said Woolley. "Research fuels economic growth and improves the quality of life for millions of Americans. President Obama's support for basic research reflects the views of a majority of Americans who have stated in recent polls that accelerating investment in health research must be a high priority. It's time for elected officials and candidates to elevate the importance of research in the national conversation and embrace it as a solution to maintaining our competitive edge, revitalizing the economy and transcending barriers in science and innovation."

###

For more information visit www.researchamerica.org

---

[ | 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: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Suzanne Ffolkes
sffolkes@researchamerica.org
571-482-2710
Research!America

(Washington, January, 25, 2012) -- Research!America's Board chair, former Congressman John Edward Porter (R-IL), applauds President Obama's commitment to protect our nation's investment in basic research.

"America's leadership is at stake as other nations accelerate and prioritize their investments in discovery and development," said Porter. "We could potentially witness a reversal in fortune as Asia and Europe integrate science and technology into economic growth while U.S. investments in R&D decline. In China alone, R&D growth increased a remarkable 28% in a single year, placing it second behind the U.S. We must acknowledge and reverse trends that could jeopardize our world-class standing. Unfortunately, many elected officials have taken research and innovation for granted. They must realize that second-tier status will yield second-tier results in both scientific and economic output."

The president's charge to train more Americans in science and technology to reduce unemployment and strengthen our global competitiveness has the support of many Americans. Research!America polls show nearly 90% of those surveyed believe the federal government should place more emphasis on increasing the number of young Americans who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. "We must prepare the next generation of innovators for opportunities that have yet to be tapped," Porter adds.

Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley commends the president's goal to spur innovation with basic research. However, funding is at risk with the prospect of automatic spending cuts for government agencies in 2013. Woolley urges Congress to spare federal health agencies from significant cuts that could impede scientific progress.

"Cutting funding for research is not a deficit reduction strategy," said Woolley. "Research fuels economic growth and improves the quality of life for millions of Americans. President Obama's support for basic research reflects the views of a majority of Americans who have stated in recent polls that accelerating investment in health research must be a high priority. It's time for elected officials and candidates to elevate the importance of research in the national conversation and embrace it as a solution to maintaining our competitive edge, revitalizing the economy and transcending barriers in science and innovation."

###

For more information visit www.researchamerica.org

---

[ | 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/2012-01/r-sot012512.php

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Safety regulator: 'We pulled no punches' on Volt

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson listens on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, during the House Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending subcommittee hearing about the safety of the all-electric car, the Chevy Volt. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson listens on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, during the House Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending subcommittee hearing about the safety of the all-electric car, the Chevy Volt. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, before the House Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending subcommittee hearing on the safety of the all-electric car, the Chevy Volt. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson, second from left, listens as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland, right, fields testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, before the House Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending subcommittee hearing about the safety of the all-electric car, the Chevy Volt. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson, center, flanked by GM staff , listens to opening statements by the House Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending subcommittee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, as it held a hearing on the safety of the all-electric car, the Chevy Volt. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, before the House Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending subcommittee hearing entitled, "Volt Vehicle Fire: What did NHTSA Know and When Did They Know It?" (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The government "pulled no punches" in investigating battery fires in the Volt, General Motors' prized electric car, the head of the federal auto safety agency told Congress on Wednesday.

At a combative House hearing, Republicans questioned whether the government's partial ownership in the automaker created a conflict of interest for the Obama administration in the Chevrolet probe, which began after a test car caught fire in June, three weeks after a side-impact test.

The government still owns 26.5 percent of GM's shares.

"We pulled no punches" during the investigation, said David Strickland, who heads the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Then asked if the company got a pass from his agency, he replied, "No, absolutely not."

But Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who led the hearing by the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee, said he found it "deeply troubling" that the agency waited until November to notify the public about the fire.

Strickland said he would have gone public immediately if there were an imminent safety risk. He said it would have been irresponsible to tell people that something was wrong with the Volt while experts looked into the cause of the fire.

In response, the committee chairman, Republican Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said, "I hear you, I don't believe you."

Issa added: "The fact is, your administration is not up to speed to maintain safety in an electric age."

Republicans questioned whether the delay was because of new mileage standards that were negotiated last year. Strickland insisted there was no connection and said he had not been pressured by anyone from the administration on the investigation.

After the first fire, two others occurred later related to separate safety tests, and the agency opened an official investigation on Nov. 25. That ended last week, with the government concluding that the Volt and other electric cars don't pose a greater fire risk than gasoline-powered cars. The agency and General Motors know of no fires in real-world crashes.

GM chairman and CEO Daniel F. Akerson said sarcastically that while the company designed the Volt to be a great car, "unfortunately, there is one thing we did not engineer. Although we loaded the Volt with state-of-the-art safety features, we did not engineer the Volt to be a political punching bag. And that, sadly, is what the Volt has become.

"For all of the loose talk about fires, we are here today because tests by regulators resulted in battery fires under lab conditions that no driver would experience in the real world."

But the Republicans' aim was on the safety agency, as Issa told Strickland, "You guys screwed up by keeping a secret."

Democrats came to the administration's defense.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, said there was no evidence that politics played a role in NHTSA's handling of the case, and he was concerned that the hearing could undermine electric car technology.

Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the committee's top Democrat, told Strickland he believed him.

"Your integrity has been questioned, your honesty has been questioned," Cummings said. "And then the question becomes, what is that all about?" He accused Republicans of "swatting" at things to make a political point.

Jordan took exception. "That's not what this hearing's about."

Cummings responded: "This hearing is not about safety. This hearing is about an attack" on the Obama administration's support for GM and the electric car industry.

At first, GM blamed the safety agency for the June fire, saying NHTSA should have drained the battery to prevent any fires after the test. But the company quickly retreated and said it never told the agency to drain the battery. GM executives also said there was no formal procedure in place to drain batteries after crashes involving owners.

Now the company sends out a team to drain the batteries after being notified of a crash by its OnStar safety system.

The Volt has a T-shaped, 400 pound battery pack that can power the car for about 35 miles. After that, a small gasoline generator kicks in to run the electric motor. The car has a base price of about $40,000.

Issa told reporters that the committee will continue its investigation.

"It won't be on General Motors," he said. " It will be primarily on the government that we oversee that has once again been less than as good they should have been in public safety on automobiles."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-25-Volt%20Fires/id-6f3a4223ccae445595734c711fadeb08

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Tim Cook savoring the iPad's Windows 'cannibalization'

Tim Cook had plenty of reason to celebrate during today's Apple earnings call -- and really, who can blame the guy if a bit of that celebration spilled over into some old school executive gloating? While talking up the company's impressive iPad numbers -- and the inevitable PC-eclipsing nature of the space, Cook let this bomb drop,

There is cannibalization of the Mac by the iPad, but we think there's more cannibalization of Windows PCs by the iPad - we love that trend.

Yep, the iPad may be eating away at the company's computer business like the iPhone did to the iPod before it, but that's fine, since the tablet looks to be eroding Windows PCs even more so.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Tim Cook savoring the iPad's Windows 'cannibalization' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/XYmUs8dhs6o/

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International Organization To Assess Earth Defense From Space Dangers

arisvega writes in with a story about an international organization that is trying to come up with options to save the planet from a large asteroid or comet collision. "NEOShield is a new international project that will assess the threat posed by Near Earth Objects (NEO) and look at the best possible solutions for dealing with a big asteroid or comet on a collision (PDF) path with our planet. The effort is being led from the German space agency's (DLR) Institute of Planetary Research in Berlin, and had its kick-off meeting this week. It will draw on expertise from across Europe, Russia and the US. It's a major EU-funded initiative that will pull together all the latest science, initiate a fair few laboratory experiments and new modelling work, and then try to come to some definitive positions. Industrial partners, which include the German, British and French divisions of the big Astrium space company, will consider the engineering architecture required to deflect one of these bodies out of our path."

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/rIBx0CeEsA0/international-organization-to-assess-earth-defense-from-space-dangers

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InsureBlog: Higher Health Insurance Premiums

Santa Claus is coming to town. It is Christmas in August and all the good (and bad) girls are going to get free contraceptives.

Obama want's to be re-elected and he is handing out freebies like it is going out of style.

Of course it isn't his money, so why worry?

Most healthcare plans will be required to cover birth control without charging co-pays or deductibles starting Aug. 1, the Obama administration announced Friday.

The final regulation retains the approach federal health officials proposed last summer, despite the deluge of complaints from religious groups and congressional Republicans that has poured in since then. Churches, synagogues and other houses of worship are exempt from the requirement, but religious-affiliated hospitals and universities only get a one-year delay and must comply by Aug. 1, 2013.

?This decision was made after very careful consideration, including the important concerns some have raised about religious liberty,? Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. ?I believe this proposal strikes the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services."

So what't the issue?

It isn't free.

The drug companies won't be giving away the prescriptions, some costing $150/month, so where does the money come from?

Health insurance premiums . . .

Isn't Obamneycrap wonderful?

Source: http://insureblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/higher-health-insurance-premiums.html

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The Best Worst Photos of Megaupload's Kim Dotcom [Video]

Kim Schmitz aka Kimble aka Kim Dotcom. He was born in Kiel, Germany. According to the feds, he has done many bad things. But who was Kim the man, really? Was he a monster? A gangster? A misunderstood genius perhaps? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bwGfZdOc_So/the-best-worst-photos-of-megaupload-kim-dotcom

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Small business coalition calls for overthrow of Citizens United | The ...

By Stephen C. Webster
Friday, January 20, 2012

?

A recent survey of small business owners, carried out by the American Sustainable Business Council, found that most of those polled believe the influx of private money into public elections is a bad thing, and that the Supreme Court?s decision in Citizens United?must be overturned.

The poll?(PDF) revealed that 66 percent of the 500 small business owners surveyed felt that the presence of corporations with license to spend an unlimited sum to influence elections ultimately harms their interests. Nine percent of those polled said that the Supreme Court?s two-year-old decision was a positive development. A further 19?percent of respondents said the decision was neither good nor bad, and 6 percent did not know.

When phrased differently ? with respondents being asked how they view the role of money in politics ? a full 88 percent said they held a negative view, while just 7 percent were neutral and 4 percent were positive. Sixty-eight percent said they view it very negatively.

The 100,000-company business group added that its online petitions have attracted the signatures of 1,000 small business owners, all of whom call for a constitutional amendment to repeal Citizens United.

?As a financial services firm it is important for us and all investors to know that the playing field is level when we make investments,? Matthew Patsky, CEO of Trillium Asset Management, explained in a media advisory released by the business council. ?Right now, the game is rigged in favor of those corporations with deep pockets to change public policy for their particular narrow interests. We have to work to change this.?

The group?s survey comes at exactly the right time: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) introduced on Thursday a constitutional amendment that would make federal elections public property, financed purely by the people and not by special interest money.

A number of other Members of Congress, including Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have proposed constitutional amendments to overturn the?Citizens United?ruling. Sens. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Michael Bennet of (D-CO) have also introduced a less ambitious constitutional amendment that would give Congress and the states the authority to regulate the campaign finance system.

Kucinich?s proposed amendment would completely bar interest groups from influencing elections by requiring?that all federal campaigns be financed exclusively with public funds and prohibit any expenditures from any other source.

?We must rescue American democracy from unlimited corporate money,? Kucinich said. ?This is the most fundamental issue facing the future of our nation. With corporate, private financing we have officials working for the interest of corporations. With public financing we have officials working for the public. And public financing will actually save taxpayers? money, by eliminating any incentive of public officials to reward campaign contributors with taxpayer subsidies.?

With prior reporting by Eric W. Dolan.

Stephen C. Webster

Stephen C. Webster is the senior editor of Raw Story, and is based out of Austin, Texas. He previously worked as the associate editor of The Lone Star Iconoclast in Crawford, Texas, where he covered state politics and the peace movement?s resurgence at the start of the Iraq war. Webster has also contributed to publications such as True/Slant, Austin Monthly, The Dallas Business Journal, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Weekly, The News Connection and others. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenCWebster.

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Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/20/small-business-coalition-calls-for-overthrow-of-citizens-united/

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