FBI investigating recording of McConnell talks

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) ? Campaign aides to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell proposed using actress Ashley Judd's past bouts with depression against her if she had decided to challenge him in his re-election bid next year, according to a secret recording posted by a magazine.

Mother Jones released a recording Tuesday along with an article about a private meeting in which the aides discussed opposition research into potential Democratic challengers. Aides talked and laughed on the recording about Judd's political positions, religious beliefs and past bouts of depression.

The FBI is looking into how the recording was made after the McConnell campaign accused opponents of engaging in "Watergate-era tactics." The magazine reported that the recording was provided last week by a source who requested anonymity.

"She's clearly ? this sounds extreme ? but she is emotionally unbalanced," a McConnell aide said of Judd during a February meeting at the Louisville campaign headquarters. "I mean it's been documented ... she's suffered some suicidal tendencies. She was hospitalized for 42 days when she had a mental breakdown in the '90s."

Judd spokeswoman Cara Tripicchio criticized the McConnell campaign for considering making depression a campaign issue.

"This is yet another example of the politics of personal destruction that embody Mitch McConnell and are pervasive in Washington DC," Tripicchio said in a statement. "We expected nothing less from Mitch McConnell and his camp than to take a personal struggle such as depression, which many Americans cope with on a daily basis, and turn it into a laughing matter."

Judd has been open about her bouts with depression. She spoke to the American Counseling Association's national convention in Cincinnati in March, telling more than 3,000 counselors from across the country about her experiences.

McConnell was asked several times at a news conference Tuesday about the propriety of attacking Judd over depression. He did not directly answer, but repeatedly brought up an incident last month, when Progress Kentucky tweeted an insensitive remark about his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.

"As you know, my wife's ethnicity was attacked by a left-wing group in Kentucky and apparently they also bugged my headquarters," he said. "So I think that pretty well sums up the way the political left is operating in Kentucky."

The McConnell campaign asked the FBI to look into whether the Louisville office was bugged.

"I can confirm that Sen. McConnell's office did contact us and we are looking into the matter," FBI spokeswoman Mary Trotman said.

McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton alleged in an email to supporters that "liberals and their media allies" were "wire-tapping our field office to spy on us." Benton used the issue as a fundraising appeal, asking supporters to send donations "to help us spread the truth."

"We've always said the left would stop at nothing to attack Senator McConnell, but Watergate-style tactics to bug campaign headquarters are above and beyond," Benton said in a statement.

On the recording posted on Mother Jones' website, McConnell began the meeting by telling aides the campaign had entered "the Whac-A-Mole period" and explained that means "when anybody sticks their head up, do them out."

The magazine reported the aides huddled on Feb. 2 in a private meeting to discuss potential Democratic opponents, including Judd and Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. Grimes, a rising star within the Kentucky Democratic Party, hasn't ruled herself out as a challenger.

An unidentified aide said Judd had made a public statement as a Tennessee delegate to the national convention about her support of President Barack Obama, an unpopular political figure in Kentucky. The aide said that statement could be used against her. He also said the statement raised another issue: that Judd is a resident of Tennessee, not Kentucky.

In another instance, the aide played a recording of Judd talking about her religious beliefs: "I still choose the God of my understanding as the God of my childhood. I have to expand my God concept from time to time, and you know particularly I enjoy native faith practices, and have a very nature-based God concept. I'd like to think I'm like St. Francis in that way. Brother Donkey, Sister Bird."

The campaign aides then laugh loudly.

An unidentified man then says "the people at Southeast Christian would take to the streets with pitchforks," referring to an evangelical megachurch in Louisville.

In the discussion of Grimes, the aide said she had endorsed Obama.

"She was too smart to use his name in a sentence," the aide said. "But she says, 'my support of our party and our nominee is well known, and it's no secret I'll be in North Carolina to support our nominee and the party.'"

The aide charged that Grimes has "a very sort of self-centered, sort of egotistical aspect" and that "she'll frequently use herself in the third person."

Grimes was unavailable for comment, a spokeswoman said.

It wasn't the first time that Mother Jones has written about recordings from private meetings.

The magazine was the first to report about Republican Mitt Romney's comments to donors paying $50,000 apiece to attend a private reception that 47 percent of Americans are dependent on government, see themselves as victims and believe the government has a responsibility to care for them.

Romney's critics used the video to argue that he was out of touch with average Americans during the last presidential campaign.

Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Dan Logsdon said the recording is telling about McConnell.

"I certainly do not know anything about how this may have happened," Logsdon said. "However, it's clear that this is the McConnell we all know: leading a negative, nasty campaign determined to lash out at his opponents since he doesn't have any accomplishments to point to."

___

Associated Press writers Jim Abrams and Donna Cassata in Washington and Brett Barrouquere in Louisville contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-investigating-recording-mcconnell-talks-190453229--election.html

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Top Senate Dem sets showdown gun vote on Thursday

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., right, accompanied by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 9, 2014, following a private meeting with families of the victims of the deadly shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., right, accompanied by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 9, 2014, following a private meeting with families of the victims of the deadly shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Neil Heslin, center, whose 6-year-old son Jesse was killed in the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., arrives with other victims' families to meet privately on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. Heslin gave moving testimony during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in February on the proposed assault weapons ban. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Neil Heslin, right, whose 6-year-old son Jesse was killed in the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., arrives with other victims' families to meet privately on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. Heslin gave moving testimony during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in February on the proposed assault weapons ban. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Vice President Joe Biden speaks about gun legislation, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington. The Obama administration continued its efforts to pressure Republicans, with Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder speaking at the White House, joined by law enforcement officials. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Bill Sherlach, with daughter Maura Lynn Schwartz, arrives with other families of the Newtown, Connecticut, school massacre to meet privately on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. His wife, Mary Sherlach, was a school psychologist who was killed during a mass shooting that left 26 people dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Senate Democrats set Congress' first showdown vote on new gun restrictions for Thursday as a small but growing number of Republicans appeared willing to join them in opposing conservatives' efforts to block debate from even starting.

Making it personal, relatives of victims of the Connecticut school shootings lobbied senators face-to-face at the Capitol on Tuesday in hopes of persuading enough Republicans to back a debate and votes on meaningful gun restrictions.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters Tuesday that he does not know if Democrats will get the 60 votes needed to break an effort by conservatives to prevent consideration of the legislation. But at least six Republicans have indicated an openness to begin debate. There are 53 Democrats and two independents who generally vote with them in the 100-member Senate, but some moderate Democratic senators might defect on an issue that provokes strong emotions among their constituents.

"It would be a real slap in the face to the American people not to do something on background checks, on school safety, on federal trafficking which everybody thinks is a good idea," Reid said, mentioning the elements of the Democratic firearms measure.

A Senate vote to begin debating the legislation would be a temporary victory for President Barack Obama's gun-control drive. It remains unclear, though, whether there are enough votes for final approval of the legislation.

Obama was calling senators from both parties Tuesday to push for the gun bill, according to a White House official.

Before meeting privately with senators at the Capitol, the Connecticut families had breakfast with Vice President Joe Biden at his residence at the Naval Observatory, according to an administration official. That official spoke only on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting.

Obama's gun-control proposals have hit opposition from the National Rifle Association and are struggling in Congress, nearly four months after the issue was catapulted into the national arena by December's slaying of 20 first-graders and six educators in Newtown, Conn.

In a letter to Reid on Monday, 13 conservatives said they will use procedural tactics to try preventing the Senate from considering firearms restrictions, headlined by background checks for more gun buyers and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Monday that he would join the conservatives in trying to block debate.

Earlier Tuesday, Reid stood on the Senate floor before a poster-sized photo of a white picket fence with 26 slats, each bearing the name of a Newtown victim.

"We have a responsibility to safeguard these little kids," said Reid, D-Nev. "And unless we do something more than what's the law today, we have failed."

In a hopeful sign for Democrats, at least six GOP senators have indicated a willingness to oppose the conservatives' efforts to block the gun debate. Sixty votes will be needed to head off the conservative stalling tactics.

"The American people ought to see where everybody stands on this," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who said he wants the debate to proceed.

Also indicating an openness to debate have been GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Roy Blunt of Missouri.

In a written statement, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a leader of the effort to block the gun debate, said that effort would prevent Obama from rushing the legislation through Congress "because he knows that as Americans begin to find out what is in the bill, they will oppose it."

The administration was continuing its efforts to pressure Republicans, with Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder making remarks Tuesday at the White House, joined by law enforcement officials.

Democrats were still trying to assess whether Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., had reached an acceptable compromise ? or had a realistic chance of getting one ? with Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., on expanding background checks for more gun purchases, Obama's pivotal gun control proposal.

Manchin exited a lunch with other Senate Democrats Tuesday and said he would report to Democratic leaders later about the status of his talks with Toomey.

"We're still working," he said, adding, "I've done everything I can."

An agreement between the two senators, both among the more conservative members of their parties, would boost efforts to expand background checks because it could attract bipartisan support. Abandoning those negotiations would put Democrats in a difficult position, making it hard for them to push a measure through the Senate and severely damaging Obama's gun control drive.

Georgia's Isakson said Tuesday on "CBS This Morning" that "the issue on background checks is how far they go and whether they violate rights of privacy." But he also said he believes the issue "deserves a vote up or down" in the Senate.

Manchin has been hoping for a deal with Toomey that would expand the requirement to sales at gun shows and online while exempting other transactions, such as those between relatives and those involving private, face-to-face purchases.

Currently, federal background checks are required for sales by licensed gun dealers but not for other transactions. The system is aimed at preventing criminals, people with severe mental health problems and others from getting firearms.

Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., have also continued working for a bipartisan deal. Kirk, though, is considered too moderate to bring other GOP senators with him.

___

Associated Press writers Nedra Pickler, Jim Abrams, Andrew Miga and Henry C. Jackson contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-09-Gun%20Control-Congress/id-06f81ab3dbf44fbd97c73ab639331210

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Jazwares Star Wars Multi-Device R2-D2 Stereo Headphones

By Jamie Cifuentes

If you're looking for a cheap set of stereo headphones for your kid (who also happens to be a Star Wars fanatic), then this is a perfect set for you. For $19.99 (list), the Jazwares Stars Wars Multi-Device R2-D2 Stereo Headphones offer low-end audio performance with no distortion at high volumes, but that's because you're not getting any real bass. It even has a removable headphone cable, something you just don't see on inexpensive toy headphones.

Design
The white plastic headphones have an R2-D2 slapped on the outside of each earcup and the Star Wars trademark logo in metallic gray on the gray-padded headband. The earpads are lined with metallic faux leather and each have an outer blue plastic cover. They're lightweight, adjustable, and you can fold the ear cups in so they're more compact for travel. A black and red Darth Vader model is also available.

The blue 3.5mm cable has a cheap, flimsy feel to it, but it comes with inline volume controls and?is removable, which is a rare find on inexpensive headphones. Since?most headphone malfunctions come from a faulty cable, you can simply switch it out, without sacrificing the pair.

The headphones have a secure fit, but feel a bit uncomfortable. With extended use, the headphones begin to feel heavy on my ears. You can also expect some sound leakage when you crank up the volume, but again, at $20, that's expected.

Performance
With The Knife's "Silent Shout," our standard bass test track, there was no low-end to speak of, and the audio sounded rubberized. On the other hand, the headphones didn't show any signs of distortion even at maximum, unsafe listening levels. ?In "The Good Left Undone," by Rise Against,?the beginning riffs sounded hollow and the vocals punched through too much, leaving the instruments to sound soft and muddy in the background. There was no impact from the drums and no contrast with other instrumental elements. It was a similar experience with Metallica's "Enter Sandman." The instruments weren't clear or distinct and the bass was nonexistent. However, for the price, you can't expect much. If you want to focus on audio quality over Star Wars appeal and don't mind earphones, the Editors' Choice RHA MA150?earphones offer solid bass response and sound reproduction for the same price as the R2-D2 headphones.

The?Jazwares Star Wars Multi-Device R2-D2 Stereo Headphones seem to be?targeted toward children, who generally aren't audiophiles to begin with, so the not-so-great audio quality, and slightly uncomfortable fit on adult heads is forgivable.?Despite the negatives, the headphones are a decent, inexpensive choice for a kid who's interested in?Star Wars.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/uqfNyzSNUnw/0,2817,2417382,00.asp

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Lindsay Lohan Calls Upcoming Rehab Stint 'A Blessing'

Actress has awkward exchange with David Letterman about her sobriety.
By Gil Kaufman

Lindsay Lohan arrives at "The Late Show with David Letterman" Tuesday
Photo: Donna Ward/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705302/lindsay-lohan-letterman-rehab.jhtml

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Adult generations of today are less healthy than their counterparts of previous generations

Apr. 10, 2013 ? Despite their greater life expectancy, the adults of today are less "metabolically" healthy than their counterparts of previous generations. That's the conclusion of a large cohort study from the Netherlands which compared generational shifts in a range of well established metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Assessing the trends, the investigators concluded that "the more recently born generations are doing worse," and warn "that the prevalence of metabolic risk factors and the lifelong exposure to them have increased and probably will continue to increase."

The study, reported today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analysed data on more than 6,000 individuals in the Doetinchem Cohort Study, which began in 1987-1991 with follow-up examinations after six, 11, and 16 years.(1,2) The principal risk factors measured were body weight, blood pressure, total cholesterol levels (for hypercholesterolaemia) and levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is considered "protective."

The subjects were stratified by sex and generation at baseline into ten-year age groups (20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50-59 years); the follow-up analyses aimed to determine whether one generation had a different risk profile from a generation born ten years earlier -- what the investigators called a "generation shift."

Results showed that the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and hypertension increased with age in all generations, but in general the more recently born generations had a higher prevalence of these risk factors than generations born ten years earlier. For example, 40% of the males who were in their 30s at baseline were classified as overweight; 11 years later the prevalence of overweight among the second generation of men in their 30s had increased to 52% (a statistically significant generational shift). In women these unfavourable changes in weight were only evident between the most recently born generations, in which the prevalence of obesity doubled in just 10 years.

Other findings from the study included:

* Unfavourable (and statistically significant) generation shifts in hypertension in both sexes between every consecutive generation (except for the two most recently born generations of men).

* Unfavourable generation shifts in diabetes between three of the four generations of men, but not of women.

* No generation shifts for hypercholesterolaemia, although favourable shifts in HDL cholesterol were only observed between the oldest two generations.

As for the overall picture, and based on the evidence of a "clear" shift in the prevalence of overweight and hypertension, the investigators emphasise that "the more recently born adult generations are doing worse than their predecessors." Evidence to explain the changes is not clear, they add, but note studies reporting an increase in physical inactivity.

What do the findings mean for public health? First author Gerben Hulsegge from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment emphasises the impact of obesity at a younger age. "For example," he explains, "the prevalence of obesity in our youngest generation of men and women at the mean age of 40 is similar to that of our oldest generation at the mean age of 55. This means that this younger generation is '15 years ahead' of the older generation and will be exposed to their obesity for a longer time. So our study firstly highlights the need for a healthy body weight -- by encouraging increased physical activity and balanced diet, particularly among the younger generations.

"The findings also mean that, because the prevalence of smoking in high-income countries is decreasing, we are likely to see a shift in non-communicable disease from smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer to obesity-related diseases such as diabetes. This decrease in smoking prevalence and improved quality of health care are now important driving forces behind the greater life expectancy of younger generations, and it's likely that in the near future life expectancy will continue to rise -- but it's also possible that in the more distant future, as a result of our current trends in obesity, the rate of increase in life expectancy may well slow down, although it's difficult to speculate about that."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Hulsegge G, Susan H, Picavet J, et al. Today?s adult generations are less healthy than their predecessors: Generation shifts in metabolic risk factors: the Doetinchem Cohort Study. Eur J Prevent Cardiol, 2013 (in press) DOI: 10.1177/2047487313485512

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/0cPxygSCwTs/130410082426.htm

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Iraqi al-Qaida and Syria militants announce merger

BEIRUT (AP) ? Al-Qaida's branch in Iraq said it has merged with Syria's extremist Jabhat al-Nusra, a move that shows the rising confidence of radicals within the Syrian rebel movement and is likely to trigger renewed fears among its international backers.

A website linked to Jabhat Al-Nusra confirmed on Tuesday the merger with the Islamic State of Iraq, whose leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi first made the announcement in a 21-minute audio posted on militant websites late Monday.

Jabhat Al-Nusra has taken an ever-bigger role in Syria's conflict over the last year, fighting in key battles and staging several large suicide bombings. The U.S. has designated it a terrorist organization.

The Syrian group has made little secret of its ideological ties to the global jihadist movement and its links across the Iraqi border but until now has not officially declared itself to be part of al-Qaida.

Al-Baghdadi said that his group ? the Islamic State of Iraq ? and Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra will now be known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham. Sham is a name for Syria and the surrounding region.

"It is time to announce to the Levantine (Syrian) people and the whole world that Jabhat al-Nusra is merely an extension and part of the Islamic State of Iraq," he said.

He said that the Iraqi group was providing half of its budget to the conflict in Syria. Al-Baghdadi said that the Syrian group would have no separate leader but instead be led by the "people of Syria themselves" ? implying that he would be in charge in both countries.

For such a high-profile Syrian rebel group to formally join al-Qaida is likely to spark concerns among backers of the opposition that are in the global terror network's crosshairs, including both Western countries and Gulf Arab states.

It may increase resentment of Jabhat al-Nusra among other rebel groups. Rebels have until now respected Nusra fighters for their prowess on the battlefield but a merger with al-Qaida will complicate any effort to send them arms from abroad.

A website linked with Jabhat al-Nusra known as al-Muhajir al-Islami ? the Islamic emigrant ? confirmed the merger.

The authenticity of neither message could be independently confirmed, but statements posted on major militant websites are rarely disputed by militant groups afterward.

Jabhat al-Nusra emerged as an offshoot of Iraq's al-Qaida branch in mid-2012 as one of a patchwork of disparate rebel groups in Syria.

One of the most dramatic attacks by the groups came on March 4, when 48 Syrian soldiers were killed in a well-coordinated ambush after seeking refuge across the border in Iraq following clashes with rebels in their home country. The attack occurred in Iraq's restive western province of Anbar, where al-Qaida is known to be active.

A top Iraqi intelligence official told The Associated Press in Baghdad that they have always known that "al-Qaida in Iraq is directing Jabhat al-Nusra."

He said they announced their unity because of "political, logistical and geographical circumstance." The official said Iraqi authorities will take "strict security measures to strike them."

Iraqi officials say the jihadi groups are sharing three military training compounds, logistics, intelligence and weapons as they grow in strength around the Syria-Iraq border, particularly in a sprawling region called al-Jazeera, which they are trying to turn into a border sanctuary they can both exploit. It could serve as a base of operations to strike either side of the border.

Baghdad officials said last week they have requested U.S. drone strikes against the fighters in Iraqi territory. A U.S. official confirmed that elements within the Iraqi government had inquired about drone strikes. But the official said the U.S. was waiting to respond until the top level of Iraqi leadership makes a formal request, which has not happened yet.

All officials spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to give official statements to the media

Eastern Syria and western Iraq have a predominantly Sunni Muslim population like most of the rebels fighting President Bashar Assad, who belongs to the minority Alawite Sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. The Baghdad government is dominated by Shiites, who are majority in Iraq.

The announcement came hours after a suicide car bomber struck Monday in the financial heart of Syria's capital, killing at least 15 people, damaging the nearby central bank.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but such operations were claimed by Jabhat al-Nusra in the past.

Activists reported violence in different parts of Syria on Tuesday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported air raids on suburbs of the capital Damascus as well as the northern province of Raqqa and Idlib.

Syria's crisis, which began in March 2011 with protests calling for Assad's ouster, then evolved into a civil war. The U.N. says more than 70,000 have been killed in the conflict.

_____

Youssef reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report from Baghdad.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraqi-al-qaida-syria-militants-announce-merger-114411187.html

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Headlines revive memories of 80s economics

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom, left, makes remarks after visiting United States President Ronald Reagan, right, at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Friday, July 17, 1987. Thatcher died from a stroke at 87 on Monday, April 8, 2013. Credit: Howard L. Sachs - CNP Photo by: Howard L. Sachs/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom, left, makes remarks after visiting United States President Ronald Reagan, right, at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Friday, July 17, 1987. Thatcher died from a stroke at 87 on Monday, April 8, 2013. Credit: Howard L. Sachs - CNP Photo by: Howard L. Sachs/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Believers hailed its reduced tax rates and deregulation as springboards for economic miracles under the leadership of President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Critics dismissed the very same ideas as so much trickle-down hocus-pocus and voodoo.

It's been most of three decades since debate over "supply-side" economic policies was at the center of U.S. politics. But for the moment, talk of conservative economic ideas that were as central to the story of the 1980s as Michael Jackson's moonwalk and the first MacIntosh personal computer is back. Why? A pair of its leading proponents have returned to the headlines.

Memories of economic days gone by were rekindled last week when David Stockman, Reagan's budget director, unleashed a scathing attack on years of decision-making by U.S. leaders, including his former boss. It continued this week, when Thatcher's death on Monday prompted recollections ? some fond, others not so much ? of how the Iron Lady imposed her will on a long-stagnant British economy.

The confluence of events got economists waxing about what the past means for today, although there's disagreement on how much supply-side's ideas have been abandoned in the U.S. or are just awaiting their moment of return. In the meantime, there was Arthur Laffer, the U.S. economist often called the father of supply-side, back on television three times Monday, recalling a warm friendship with Thatcher that highlighted a time when prevailing wisdom on taxes, deficits, and the roles of government and individuals was very different.

"We're back in the time machine," said Yoram Bauman, a Seattle economist who makes a living doing stand-up comedy about the dismal science ? and who has long opened with a joke or two about supply-side to test the depth and endurance of his audience's knowledge.

Supply-side economists argued that reducing taxes through lower rates would encourage work, saving and investment. Early supply-side theory promised that the reduced tax rates could pay for themselves by raising tax revenues. Under Reagan, the government lowered tax rates and reduced government regulation as the Federal Reserve worked to rein in inflation. The administration's focus on lowering tax rates for the wealthy, labeled "trickle-down economics," reflected the belief that these gains would encourage the rich to spend and invest more to create jobs for others.

Now that theory ? and Bauman's comic material, for that matter ? may have found its moment, but it's not clear how long it will last.

It began last week when Stockman wrote a lengthy opinion piece in The New York Times, followed by interviews, to build awareness of his new book, "The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America." He used the forum to go after everyone from Richard Nixon to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush for decades of decisions that he said have left government bloated and swimming in deficits and the economy on a fault line.

Along the way, Stockman also lambasted Reagan ? whom many Republicans embrace as an economic hero ? for the "destruction of fiscal rectitude" inherent in running up big deficits. The criticism by Stockman, who resigned from the administration in 1985 over disagreement with those policies, was labeled as a rant by some economists. But there was little doubt that, if only briefly, it revived memories of the economics of the 1980s ? and pointed out how much the landscape has changed.

"I think to the extent that anyone is thinking about supply-side anymore it's nostalgically. It's not with an expectation that it's going to make a comeback," said Ed Yardeni, president and chief investment strategist for Yardeni Research

"In many ways, Stockman's book is just a scathing indictment of how the supply-side revolution has been taken apart by a counter-revolution, by the promoters of big government," he said.

With Washington focused on gun control, immigration reform and other issues, attention to the economics debate as embodied by Stockman might not have lasted. But Thatcher's death Monday unearthed memories of the economic malaise that saddled both Britain and the U.S. through the early 1980s. It was characterized by high inflation, weak financial markets, multiple recessions and, in Britain's case, the sense of "an economy that was producing goods that nobody wanted to buy," said Brian Domitrovic, author of "Econoclasts: The Rebels Who Sparked the Supply-Side Revolution and Restored American Prosperity."

In obituaries and recollections, observers recalled how Thatcher cut back on regulation, cut taxes and reduced government's role in enterprise, to recast the British economy. In doing so, she adopted some tenets of the economic gospel preached by Laffer. According to Washington legend, he had introduced the basics of supply-side to Nixon-era officials Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld during a 1974 lunch at a restaurant not far from the White House by drawing, on a cocktail napkin, a curve showing the tradeoff between tax rates and revenue.

To Domitrovic, the revived debate over old economic ideas is a sign that people have not forgotten the crises of the 1970s or the way the Reagan and Thatcher administrations wrestled with them.

"When these great names come up, there is a sense of impressiveness and a kind of awesomeness," said Domitrovic, chair of the history department at Sam Houston State University.

Laffer, who runs an economic consultancy in Nashville, said there are still many believers in supply-side ideas, which he maintains are just as applicable to the huge deficits and economic sluggishness of today as back then.

"I don't think it's Thatcher's death that brought it back or Stockman's resurrection," Laffer said. "I mean, do you think the economy is doing well?"

Even now, the legacy of 1980s economics is quite vibrant, he said. Despite Obama's quest to raise taxes on the wealthy, no one in Washington would consider returning to the policies inherited by Reagan, who lowered the top tax rate from 50 percent to 28 percent, Laffer said. And in states like Kansas and Wisconsin, many governors, most of them Republicans, are working to cut taxes and reduce the size of government, he said.

Others, though, say memories of 1980s economic ideas have largely faded. Their prediction: Even the current turn in the spotlight will be brief.

Bauman, the economic comedian who billed a 2008 series of performances as his "Supply Side Tour," points out how much times have changed. Stumbling on such old economic policies now, Bauman says, is like rummaging through a pantry and finding a bag of chocolate chips with an expiration date from long, long ago and realizing that something once delicious might now be better to leave out of the recipe.

On stage, he introduces himself as a supply-side economist who does standup and lets the jokes trickle down, a line that wins knowing chuckles. But during frequent performances on college campuses, he notices that a joke about the Laffer Curve often brings groans or simply blank stares.

To get the joke about the economics of the 1980s, Bauman said, it helps to have been there.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? AP National Writer Adam Geller can be reached at features (at) ap.org. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AdGeller

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-10-US-Economics-Back-to-the-Future/id-6ca9a12d81ed406b96b7ec6b4f96578f

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Magazine releases recording of senior Republican's campaign meeting

By Susan Heavey, Andy Sullivan and Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A liberal magazine reported on Tuesday that it had obtained a recording of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's discussion with campaign aides on putting the mental health and religious views of a potential opponent, actress Ashley Judd, "on the radar screen."

The campaign strategy session was held in February in Louisville, Kentucky, according to Mother Jones magazine, which published the audio and a transcript online but would not reveal its source nor how the recording was obtained.

McConnell has asked the FBI to investigate what he called the "bugging" of his campaign headquarters but has declined to comment on the meeting itself. "This is what you get from the political left in America," he told reporters.

Judd has since decided not to challenge McConnell, who represents Kentucky in the U.S. Senate and is up for re-election in 2014.

In a statement issued through a spokesperson, Judd called the meeting "yet another example of the politics of personal destruction....We expected nothing less from Mitch McConnell and his camp than to take a personal struggle such as depression, which many Americans cope with on a daily basis, and turn it into a laughing matter."

Meetings to talk about "opposition research" are standard fare in campaigns. But recordings of such discussions do not often become public.

FBI Special Agent Mary Trotman confirmed that McConnell's office had contacted the agency. "We are looking into the matter."

McConnell also would not comment on another part of the recording, which indicates that at least one of McConnell's Senate staff members had spent time researching Judd's past comments on everything from abortion to coal mining. Several other staff members could have been involved in the effort - one person in the meeting said the research reflected the work of "a lot of LAs," a common abbreviation for legislative assistant.

Ethics rules bar members from using staff for campaign purposes on government time. Staff members can work for campaigns under Senate rules as long as they are not using public resources - they can not use their office computers, for example, or work on campaign efforts when they are getting paid for legislative work.

"So long as those rules are adhered to, there's no problem with this," said Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel at the Campaign Legal Center. "It's quite common for staff members to work on campaigns; it's not an unusual arrangement at all."

In the recording, the presenter, referring to Judd, says, "This sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced. I mean it's been documented."

He mentions that Judd's autobiography discusses how "you know, she's suffered some suicidal tendencies. She was hospitalized for 42 days when she had a mental breakdown in the '90s."

The presenter also says, "I know this is sort of a sensitive subject but you know at least worth putting on your radar screen is that she is critical ... sort of traditional Christianity. She sort of views it as sort of a vestige of patriarchy."

One thing an investigation would focus on is whether any law was in fact broken. Federal law and the law in many states prohibit the intercept of oral communication, but that might not apply depending on who made the recording and how.

"Obviously a recording device of some kind was placed in Senator McConnell's campaign office without consent," McConnell's campaign said in a statement. "By whom and how that was accomplished presumably will be the subject of a criminal investigation."

Mother Jones was the magazine that obtained a recording of a fund-raising speech by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney last year in which Romney said 47 percent of Americans were dependent on the government and unlikely to vote for him. When disclosed, the recording dealt Romney a damaging blow.

(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Fred Barbash, Jackie Frank and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-asked-probe-recording-sen-mcconnells-campaign-strategy-165748565.html

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Prosecutor paints Jodi Arias as manipulative liar

Jodi Arias stands and looks as the jury is excused for the lunch break during her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix on Thursday, April 4, 2013. Arias is charged with murder in the death of lover Travis Alexander. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, David Wallace, Pool)

Jodi Arias stands and looks as the jury is excused for the lunch break during her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix on Thursday, April 4, 2013. Arias is charged with murder in the death of lover Travis Alexander. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, David Wallace, Pool)

PHOENIX (AP) ? The prosecutor in Jodi Arias' murder trial is working to portray the defendant as a manipulative liar who "liked to play the victim."

Prosecutor Juan Martinez is questioning a defense witness who says Arias suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her lover.

Psychotherapist Alyce LaViolette (la-VY'-oh-let) has been testifying for more than a week.

Martinez on Tuesday hammered LaViolette over how she could know Arias didn't lie to her. The witness says she believed Arias, but she has no way of knowing whether she was truthful.

Arias faces a possible death sentence if convicted of first-degree murder in the 2008 killing of Travis Alexander. Authorities say she planned the attack. Arias says it was self-defense.

LaViolette resumes testimony Wednesday.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The prosecutor in Jodi Arias' murder trial worked Tuesday to portray the defendant as a manipulative liar who "liked to play the victim" as he questioned a defense witness' contention that Arias suffered domestic abuse at the hands of the one-time boyfriend she has admitted to killing.

Psychotherapist Alyce LaViolette has been testifying for more than a week about her conclusion that Arias was a victim of both physical and emotional abuse by her lover.

Arias says the killing was self-defense, and described during her 18 days of testimony how Travis Alexander had grown more abusive in the months leading up to his death, once choking her into unconsciousness. She says on the day of the killing in June 2008 at Alexander's suburban Phoenix home, Alexander attacked her one last time and she was forced to fight for her life.

However, no other evidence or testimony ? other than Arias' accounts ? have been presented at trial showing Alexander had ever been physically violent in the past.

Authorities say she planned the attack well in advance. Arias initially denied involvement then blamed it on two masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said it was self-defense. Testimony has been ongoing for more than three months.

She faces a possible death sentence if convicted of first-degree murder.

LaViolette has described for jurors Arias' volatile relationship with Alexander, portraying the man as a womanizing cheater who courted multiple women simultaneously, using graphic language to entice them into sexual encounters, while berating Arias with derogatory names.

She said she came to her conclusions based on more 40 hours of interviews with Arias, and reviews of thousands of pages of text messages, emails and other communications between Arias and the victim, as well as messages between Alexander and other women.

Prosecutor Juan Martinez pointed out how Arias lied repeatedly in the months after her arrest, asking LaViolette how she could be certain the defendant isn't still lying.

"I found the defendant to be credible," LaViolette said.

"Which means you found her to be truthful, right?" Martinez countered.

"Alright," LaViolette replied defiantly.

Martinez continued the heated line of questioning, asking the witness whether Arias "may have been less than truthful with you, correct?"

LaViolette dodged a direct answer, and accused Martinez of taking her evaluation out of context.

"There is always reasonable doubt, Mr. Martinez," she replied.

"You didn't talk to Mr. Alexander, did you?" he snapped back.

"No, I did not," LaViolette said.

"You didn't talk to any other witnesses, correct?" Martinez prodded.

"No I did not," the witness said.

The judge then removed the jury from the courtroom as Martinez worked to introduce as evidence a video of police questioning Arias' father, William Arias, on the day his daughter was arrested. During the video interview, Arias' father says, "She's never been honest with us."

LaViolette said she was unaware of the statement by Arias' father. She said she would have only used it to come to her conclusions in the context of everything else she reviewed, including Arias' contention that her father abused her as a child.

"I would not take a sound bite of anything and make a decision on it," she said.

The jury returned to the courtroom, and Martinez moved on to another line of questioning, reminding LaViolette of a statement made by a high school classmate of Arias that the defendant "liked playing the victim."

"That was about high school," LaViolette said, explaining that she found no evidence of such behavior in Arias' adult life.

"The defendant is very manipulative, isn't she?" Martinez asked.

LaViolette again dodged answering the question directly, and instead explained that Arias lied after the killing in an attempt to "feel normal," and that there was evidence she had been "flirtatious" with men, but the two traded barbs over the definition of the word manipulative as court adjourned for lunch.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-09-US-Boyfriend-Slaying/id-2580fca7207a44e7b59ecaf996bb22ee

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We're live at NAB 2013 in Las Vegas!

It seems like we were in Sin City for CES just yesterday, but we're already back scouring the halls at the LVCC. This time, though, it's all about cameras; NAB 2013 promises to have plenty of fancy new equipment from big names such as Canon, RED and Sony. In fact, we already have some major news from the latter: Sony announced pricing for its 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs, and the MSRPs are well below $10,000. Meanwhile, Blackmagic outed its sub-$1,000 Pocket Cinema Camera along with the the Production Camera 4K. Can we expect other brands to announce competitively priced A/V goodies in addition to the usual mega-expensive professional gear? We're not even through day one, so we'll have to wait and see. Keep up with our coverage by visiting our NAB 2013 hub.

Filed under: Cameras, Home Entertainment

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/08/were-live-at-nab-2013/

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0: A Worthy iPad Mini Rival?

The Low-Down

Samsung's new Galaxy Note 8.0, which hits stores on April 11, is a Android tablet with an 8-inch screen. Like its smaller and larger brothers, the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II and 10.1-inch Galaxy Note 10.1, the Note 8.0 uses the company's EMR (electromagnetic resonance) S-Pen stylus, which works with a Wacom digitizer layer beneath the screen. It's a compelling midsize tablet, but the price is a bit rich, considering the competition.

Hardware

Samsung may be the most market-reactive company on the planet. After many in the tech press predicted its demise, the original Galaxy Note turned out to be a hit. Then the iPad Mini blazed a trail in the near-8-inch-screen category. Combine those two developments and you get the Galaxy Note 8.0. Incredibly, Samsung already has a tablet playing in the 7-inch category?part of its Galaxy Tab series. Samsung has so flooded the market with tablets that, if you include the Galaxy S 4 (which is technically a phone with a 5-inch screen), the only screen size from 5 to 10 inches that the company has neglected is 9 inches.

That said, 8 inches does seem to be the screen sweet spot. The Note 8.0 is comfortable to hold in the hand, has plenty of screen real estate to scribble on, offers plenty of battery life, and is perfect for movie watching. In typical Samsung style, the hardware is handsome without being remarkable. The Note 8.0 is slightly wider, taller, and thicker than the iPad Mini, yet the plastic case makes its construction feel cheaper than Apple's cool-milled aluminum. The 1280 x 800?pixel screen has a slightly higher resolution than its Apple rival, but the different is insignificant given the Note's slightly larger screen and wider aspect ratio. Still, images look crisp, if lacking the razor-sharp quality of the high-pixel-density screens that have become the norm lately.

Aside from the S Pen, the hardware feature that most differentiates the Note 8.0 from the iPad is the infrared emitter that enables the Note's WatchOn remote control functionality (more about that in a bit). Embedded IR seems to be a trend in mobile electronics?the new HTC One has it too. Strangely, it's a data-transmission feature that dates back to the Palm Pilot.

Software

The Note 8.0 runs the Android Jelly Bean OS, but it is obscured beneath a thick coating of Samsung's own TouchWiz Nature UX and augmented even further by specialized S Pen software. Some of the TouchWiz features are inspired, including the pop-out thumb-scrollable menu of frequently used apps, and the MultiWindow mode that allows you to run multiple apps at the same time.

The S Pen works with the same specialized S Note apps found on the Galaxy Note II oversize phone. Like that device, the Note 8.0 also has handwriting recognition that works pretty well and "hover over" functionality that delivers pop-up previews of files and photos (although this is somewhat inconsistent?sometimes info pops up, sometimes it doesn't).

Samsung also has a Reading Mode that optimizes the backlight and tint for reading. Curiously, though, this doesn't work with the Kindle for Android app. The Note 8.0 also includes an S Pen-friendly version of Flipboard, in which hovering over a tile launches a pop-up menu that lets you jump directly to a story.

Like the new HTC One, the Note 8.0 includes an app that turns the device into a universal remote control. Samsung's app is called WatchON, and like HTC's offering it includes a recommendation engine that checks what is on TV now and can offer suggestions based on your preferences. WatchON also delivers up content from Hulu, Blockbuster, and Netflix and can play that content on the device. It's an interesting way to get users started on an integrated second-screen experience. For the moment, WatchON seems to be focused on content discovery, but in the not-too-distant future, I expect many tabletmakers will be looking for a way to use these devices to steal away viewers' attention to streaming video. Broadcasters and cable operators, beware.

Samsung also includes a lot of other productivity goodies such as Polaris Office, which lets you edit and create Microsoft Office documents, and Awesome Note, a slick-looking to-do list manager, plus 50 GB of free Dropbox storage for two years. And if all of your friends also have Samsung devices, the Note 8.0's Group Play feature lets you share music and video and collaborate on documents.

There's so much software stuffed onto the Note that it can get a bit confusing when you just want to play a song, look at a picture, watch a video, or surf the Web. Do I use Music Hub, Music Player, or Play Music? Do I use Play Movies & TV, Video Player, or WatchON? Do I use the Internet app or Chrome? Extra choices aren't always helpful when you just want to get something done.

Performance

With its 1.6-GHz quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM, the Note 8.0 is fast and snappy, with no performance lags in our testing. The screen is fine for reading and video watching but a bit disappointing when viewed next to high-pixel-density screens such as the full-size iPad. (It's worth mentioning, by the way, that the Note is a formidable video player, with built-in support for MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, and DivX.) The 4600-millamp battery is impressive; we made it through an entire weekend without recharging. But the Note's cameras?5-megapixel on the back, 1.3-megapixel on the front?are letdowns. Low-light photos were universally disappointing.

On the whole, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is a likable, useful tablet with impressive performance. It would be a no-brainer purchase were it not for the price: Samsung wants $400 for it. That's $70 more than the baseline 16 GB iPad mini, and $200 more than a 7-inch Nexus 7. Maybe some folks are really into the S Pen technology, but I have a hard time believing that a stylus merits a 20 percent markup. It's a shame, too, because at $300, the Galaxy Note 8.0 would be a pretty compelling device.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-a-worthy-ipad-mini-rival-15328518?src=rss

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Is North Korea on the verge of another nuclear test, or not?

Remarks by a South Korean official led some Seoul-based journalists to write that another nuclear test by North Korea might be imminent. But there's been some backtracking since then.

By Peter Grier,?Staff writer / April 8, 2013

North Korean officials attend a national meeting to mark the 20th anniversary of late leader Kim Jong-il's election as chairman of North Korea's National Defense Commission at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang April 8, 2013, in this picture taken and released by the North's official KCNA news agency on Monday.

REUTERS/KCNA

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What?s going on at North Korea?s nuclear test site? The question arises because there?s been some confusion in reports Monday from the Korean Peninsula as to whether Pyongyang is on the verge of a fourth nuclear explosion.

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It started during a Monday South Korean parliamentary session when a lawmaker asked Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae whether intelligence officials have noted more personnel and vehicle traffic at North Korea?s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility.

?There is such an indication,? Mr. Ryoo said, according to an Associated Press account.

This led some Seoul-based journalists to write that another nuclear test might be imminent. Bloomberg News reported, for instance, that the detonation of a North Korean nuclear device and a missile test could occur as early as this week.

But Ryoo later said he was ?startled? by the way his remarks had been interpreted, and other South Korean officials moved quickly to tamp down the test speculation. A Defense Ministry spokesman said that the North does not appear to be preparing for a detonation in the near future.

?We found there had been no unusual movements that indicated it wanted to carry out a nuclear test,? the ministry spokesperson said.

Timing is the issue under discussion here. The possibility of a fourth test at Punggye-ri has been open for some time.

North Korea prepared two tunnels for nuclear tests prior to its latest such detonation on Feb. 12, US-based experts say. But only one was used. And in the days following the February test, satellite imagery showed unusually heavy foot and vehicle traffic at the test facility, where North Korea also conducted its 2006 and 2009 explosions.

?It remains unclear whether renewed activity at the site is normal for the days after a nuclear detonation or if it is an indication of Pyongyang?s intention to conduct another test in the near future. It is also unclear whether Pyongyang will be in a position to conduct another nuclear test in the near future,? wrote nuclear experts Jack Liu and Nick Hansen in late February on 38 North, a blog about North Korea produced by Johns Hopkins University.

However, given that North Korea appears intent on developing a small nuclear warhead that can fit on the top of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), another test may be only a matter of time.

The ?sheer duration? of North Korea?s nuclear weapons programs means that by now, it probably has perfected a nuclear device that's miniature enough to be carried by its short-range Nodong missile, according to an analysis by David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security.

It?s important to note that not all US experts necessarily agree with this conclusion. But following the Feb. 12 test, North Korea announced it had detonated a ?miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously.? So it?s certainly possible that Pyongyang has taken a big step down the road to more easily deliverable nuclear weapons.

Where will that road end?

?North Korea probably cannot deploy a warhead on an ICBM. However, with additional effort and time, North Korea will likely succeed in developing such a warhead too,? Mr. Albright writes. ?More broadly, additional underground nuclear tests are bound to help North Korea produce a more sophisticated nuclear weapons arsenal that is both more deliverable and more deadly.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/U1QOEWwMZhw/Is-North-Korea-on-the-verge-of-another-nuclear-test-or-not

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Hospitals Fail to Take Simple Measures to Thwart Deadly Infections, Survey Says

Many hospitals fail to take simple measures to prevent infections of a new strain of Clostridium difficile that's hard to track and at least in part responsible for skyrocketing infection rates in U.S. hospitals

By Jessica Wapner

Many hospitals fail to take simple and inexpensive measures to prevent infection. Image: Flickr/Kate Hiscock

Few people check into a hospital expecting to come down with a severe case of diarrhea while undergoing care for an entirely unrelated problem. And even fewer expect to die of the hospital-acquired intestinal infection that causes the watery stools. Yet for approximately 14,000 Americans each year, that is exactly what happens. The culprit is a strain of a spore-forming bacterium known as Clostridium difficile, or C. diff?in particular, a relatively recent strain that has grown more virulent and resistant to drugs.

The new strain of C. diff, called NAP1, emerged in the mid-2000s, and is at least in part responsible for skyrocketing infection rates in hospitals throughout the U.S. In 1993 fewer than 100,000 hospital stays were associated with C. diff either as a primary diagnosis upon admission or as a secondary diagnosis after admission, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. By 2009, that number had climbed to 336,600, with about 9.1 percent of those stays ending in death at the hospital (versus 2.1 percent of all inpatient hospitalizations). NAP1, which produces far more of the illness-causing toxin than other C. diff strains, is also refractory to many once-effective antibiotics; when treatment is stopped, the illness recurs.

Even though deaths from NAP1 are on the rise, many hospitals fail to take simple and inexpensive measures to prevent infection. A recent survey from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) of 1,087 hospitals revealed inadequate implementation of cleaning strategies known to prevent hospital-acquired C. diff infections, such as daily wipe-downs of commonly touched surfaces with bleach, washing hands with soap and water, and limiting antibiotic use. All hospitals surveyed are taking measures to reduce C. diff infections, but their responses vary widely.

Part of the problem is a lack of data about how C. diff spreads, says Jennie Mayfield, clinical epidemiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, and president-elect of the 14,000-member APIC. The bacterium somehow eludes the methods of isolating and culturing that have made headway in unraveling the spread of other common hospital pathogens such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and VRE (vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus), rates of which have both gone down in recent years. C. diff is notoriously difficult to isolate (one reason behind its name), making it nearly impossible to track its path through hospitals. ?We don?t even know if patients on the same nursing unit are getting infected with the same strains,? says Mayfield. ?We can assume it, but we don?t really know.?

The survey, says Mayfield, reflects that uncertainty, beginning with basic hand washing. Alcohol gels and foams don?t remove the spores so are an inadequate defense against spreading the germ. Only soap and water can rinse spores away. ?If everybody washed their hands like they?re supposed to, there would be hardly any transmission of this stuff,? says Deverick Anderson, associate professor of medicine and chair of antibiotic stewardship at Duke University. However, only 77 percent of survey respondents had a policy of promoting soap-and-water hand washing when caring for C. diff?infected patients, and only 10 percent had policies requiring sick patients to wash their hands with soap and water.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=d27390e5061a3508472b6a7640479a87

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UK surveyors report three-year peak in home sales

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's housing market appears to be picking up due to help from a Bank of England lending scheme, with house sales at their highest level in three years and prices broadly stable, a monthly survey showed on Tuesday.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said that its seasonally adjusted house price balance for March rose to -1 from -7 in February - implying that roughly equal numbers of its members reported price falls and price rises over the preceding three months.

This reading is the highest since December, and exceeds all the forecasts from 11 economists polled by Reuters last week, who on average expected a reading of -5.

RICS said its members helped sell an average of 17.4 homes each in the first three months of 2013, the highest number since the first quarter of 2010.

"It seems that government's recent efforts to encourage banks to offer more affordable mortgages may now be starting to bear fruit and assist purchasers," RICS said.

In the middle of last year, the government and the Bank launched the Funding for Lending Scheme, which offers banks and building societies cheap finance if they maintain or increase net lending to households and businesses.

It has led to easier terms and conditions and lower interest rates for new mortgages, and last month Chancellor George Osborne announced further incentives for home-buyers in his annual budget statement.

The RICS survey broadly tallies with those from mortgage lenders Halifax and Nationwide, which both reported that house prices in March were around 1 percent higher than a year earlier.

RICS' members forecast further price rises to come, and the share reporting higher house prices in the three months ending in March - 21 percent on a non-seasonally adjusted basis - is the highest since June 2010.

However, Bank's mortgage lending data shows that the number of mortgage approvals remains around half the level seen before the financial crisis, and prices are also well below their pre-crisis peak in most of Britain.

Moreover, other surveys show that construction activity remains weak, and it was a major factor behind Britain's recession in the first half of 2012.

(Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-surveyors-report-three-peak-home-sales-230923311--business.html

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Major Rome square renamed for John Paul II

ROME (AP) ? A corner of a big Rome piazza, known for hosting free rock concerts and political rallies, will be renamed after late pontiff John Paul II, with Pope Francis coming to the unveiling ceremony Sunday.

While Francis instantly proved to be a crowd pleaser ? about 100,000 people turned out in St. Peter's Square Sunday and a nearby street for his noon blessing ? the mention of the widely beloved John Paul still prompts affectionate cheers. When Francis noted that John Paul "closed his eyes to this world" exactly eight years ago this month, in 2005, the new pope drew so much applause, he couldn't finish his sentence as he spoke from the papal studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square.

Francis invited people to join him later in Rome's main church, St. John in Lateran Basilica. Pontiffs are also the bishop of Rome, and a traditional installation ceremony at the basilica formally recognizes that Francis is Rome's bishop as well as the leader of the worldwide Roman Catholic church.

Before entering the basilica, Francis was scheduled to attend the unveiling of a plaque on a corner of the square near the church, naming that part of the piazza after John Paul. The late pontiff enthusiastically embraced his role as Rome's bishop, visiting hundreds of city parishes on Sunday mornings.

Francis might be the pope who decides whether another miracle has been attributed to John Paul's intercession, which would enable the late, Polish-born pontiff to enjoy the church's highest honor, sainthood. The church process to certify a first miracle needed for John Paul's beatification went exceptionally fast. The six years it took from his death until Pope Benedict XVI beatified him in 2011 was the shortest time in modern history. Beatification is the last formal step before sainthood.

The vast St. John in Lateran piazza, which can hold hundreds of thousands of people, is a popular venue for free rock concerts on Labor Day, May 1, and a frequent rallying point for union leaders and politicians. Rome's city hall said the square was picked as an apt place to honor John Paul after consulting with an Italian cardinal who serves as the pope's vicar general for the Rome diocese.

Pope Francis seemed to be adding a new twist to the role of public squares in everyday life. At his Vatican appearance Sunday, he encouraged faithful to "go into the piazzas and announce Christ our savior" to the people. "Bring the Good News with sweetness and respect," he added. The "Good News" refers to the Gospels.

John Paul, then Benedict, and now Francis have all made shoring up flagging faith on the traditionally Christian European continent as well as in other affluent areas of the world a priority of their leadership. The Vatican is also keen on preserving Catholic loyalty in places like South America, where dynamic evangelical sects have been attracting baptized Catholics away from their faith, as well as encourage growing communities of Catholics in Africa and Asia.

The new pope is expected to lead Catholic youth in pep rallies this summer in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, during a pilgrimage that would take the world's first pope to be born in South America back to his home continent.

When Francis spoke of the installation ceremony Sunday evening, he urged the crowd to pray with him so that together, "bishop and people, walk in faith and charity."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/major-rome-square-renamed-john-paul-ii-130712249.html

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Weekend results: Gegard Mousasi, Matt Mitrione, Ross Pearson pick up wins

Perhaps the last-minute opponent change was exactly what Gegard Mousasi needed. The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion made his debut on Saturday and pulled out a decision over Ilir Latifi, a late replacement after Alexander Gustafsson was not cleared for the fight because of a cut. Mousasi pulled out the unanimous decision win, but shared afterwards that he was dealing with a knee injury.

"I don't want to talk a lot about my injury, but I can tell that this injury, I'm pretty sure 95 percent wouldn't fight, from other fighters," Mousasi said in the postfight press conference.

"You know, I stepped up, I didn't cancel the show, you know, I don't know, we go from here, you know."

In other action, Ross Pearson notched a second-round TKO over Ryan Couture. Matt Mitrione stopped his losing streak with a 19-second KO of Philip de Fries. Brad Pickett won a split decision over Mike Easton in a bout that won Fight of the Night honors. Diego Brandao submitted Pablo Garza in the third round with an arm-triangle choke.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/weekend-results-gegard-mousasi-matt-mitrione-ross-pearson-134443218--mma.html

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Fatheads: How neurons protect themselves against excess fat

Public release date: 8-Apr-2013
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Contact: Shawna Williams
shawna@jhmi.edu
410-955-8236
Johns Hopkins Medicine

We're all fatheads. That is, our brain cells are packed with fat molecules, more of them than almost any other cell type. Still, if the brain cells' fat content gets too high, they'll be in trouble. In a recent study in mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins pinpointed an enzyme that keeps neurons' fat levels under control, and may be implicated in human neurological diseases. Their findings are published in the May 2013 issue of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

"There are known connections between problems with how the body's cells process fats and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," says Michael Wolfgang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences. "Now we've taken a step toward better understanding that connection by identifying an enzyme that lets neurons get rid of excess fat that would otherwise be toxic."

Wolfgang says one clue to the reason for the neurodegeneration/fat-processing connection is that neurons, unlike most cells in the body, seemingly can't break down fats for energy. Instead, brain cells use fats for tasks such as building cell membranes and communicating information. At the same time, he says, they must prevent the buildup of unneeded fats. Neurons' fat-loss strategy is rooted in the fact that a fat molecule attached to a chemical group called coenzyme A will be trapped inside the cell, while the coenzyme A-free version can easily cross the cell membrane and escape. With this in mind, Wolfgang, along with colleagues Jessica Ellis, Ph.D., and G. William Wong, Ph.D., focused their study on an enzyme, called ACOT7, which is plentiful in the brain and lops coenzyme A off of certain fat molecules.

The team created mice with a non-working gene for ACOT7 and compared them with normal mice. The scientists saw no obvious differences between the two types of mice as long as they had ready access to food, Wolfgang says. But when food was taken away overnight, so that the mice's cells would start to break down their fat stores and release fat molecules into the bloodstream for use as energy, ACOT7's role began to emerge. While the normal fasting mice were merely hungry, the mice lacking ACOT7 had poor coordination, a sign of neurodegeneration. More differences emerged when the researchers dissected the mice; most strikingly, the livers of mice missing ACOT7 were "stark white" with excess fat, Wolfgang says.

Wolfgang cautions that his group's results are not quite a smoking gun for ACOT7's involvement in human neurological disease, but says they add to existing circumstantial evidence pointing in that direction. He notes that a special diet that changes the levels of fats and sugars in the bloodstream the so-called ketogenic diet can prevent seizures in epileptics; in addition, one study found that patients with epilepsy have less of the ACOT7 enzyme than healthy people.

"We think ACOT7's purpose is to protect neurons from toxicity and death by allowing excess fat to escape the cells," Ellis says. "Our next step will be to see whether this enzyme does indeed play a role in human neurological disease."

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Link to the paper: http://mcb.asm.org/content/33/9/1869.full

The study was funded by the American Heart Association (grant numbers SDG2310008 and SDG2260721), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (grant number NS072241), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (grant number DK084171) and the Baltimore Diabetes Research and Training Center (grant number P60DK079637).

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Public release date: 8-Apr-2013
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Contact: Shawna Williams
shawna@jhmi.edu
410-955-8236
Johns Hopkins Medicine

We're all fatheads. That is, our brain cells are packed with fat molecules, more of them than almost any other cell type. Still, if the brain cells' fat content gets too high, they'll be in trouble. In a recent study in mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins pinpointed an enzyme that keeps neurons' fat levels under control, and may be implicated in human neurological diseases. Their findings are published in the May 2013 issue of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

"There are known connections between problems with how the body's cells process fats and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," says Michael Wolfgang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences. "Now we've taken a step toward better understanding that connection by identifying an enzyme that lets neurons get rid of excess fat that would otherwise be toxic."

Wolfgang says one clue to the reason for the neurodegeneration/fat-processing connection is that neurons, unlike most cells in the body, seemingly can't break down fats for energy. Instead, brain cells use fats for tasks such as building cell membranes and communicating information. At the same time, he says, they must prevent the buildup of unneeded fats. Neurons' fat-loss strategy is rooted in the fact that a fat molecule attached to a chemical group called coenzyme A will be trapped inside the cell, while the coenzyme A-free version can easily cross the cell membrane and escape. With this in mind, Wolfgang, along with colleagues Jessica Ellis, Ph.D., and G. William Wong, Ph.D., focused their study on an enzyme, called ACOT7, which is plentiful in the brain and lops coenzyme A off of certain fat molecules.

The team created mice with a non-working gene for ACOT7 and compared them with normal mice. The scientists saw no obvious differences between the two types of mice as long as they had ready access to food, Wolfgang says. But when food was taken away overnight, so that the mice's cells would start to break down their fat stores and release fat molecules into the bloodstream for use as energy, ACOT7's role began to emerge. While the normal fasting mice were merely hungry, the mice lacking ACOT7 had poor coordination, a sign of neurodegeneration. More differences emerged when the researchers dissected the mice; most strikingly, the livers of mice missing ACOT7 were "stark white" with excess fat, Wolfgang says.

Wolfgang cautions that his group's results are not quite a smoking gun for ACOT7's involvement in human neurological disease, but says they add to existing circumstantial evidence pointing in that direction. He notes that a special diet that changes the levels of fats and sugars in the bloodstream the so-called ketogenic diet can prevent seizures in epileptics; in addition, one study found that patients with epilepsy have less of the ACOT7 enzyme than healthy people.

"We think ACOT7's purpose is to protect neurons from toxicity and death by allowing excess fat to escape the cells," Ellis says. "Our next step will be to see whether this enzyme does indeed play a role in human neurological disease."

###

Link to the paper: http://mcb.asm.org/content/33/9/1869.full

The study was funded by the American Heart Association (grant numbers SDG2310008 and SDG2260721), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (grant number NS072241), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (grant number DK084171) and the Baltimore Diabetes Research and Training Center (grant number P60DK079637).

---

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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/2013-04/jhm-fhn040813.php

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