Syrians find makeshift homes in ancient structures

THE JEBEL AL-ZAWIYA HILLS, Syria (AP) ? Like countless other Syrians fleeing their country's civil war, Sami was eager to escape the bombs and artillery shells falling on his village. But instead of taking his family to another country, he simply brought them underground.

For the past seven months, the family has lived in a chamber cut into the rock of the Jebel al-Zawiya hills, its walls etched with arabesques and alcoves.

Sami, a 32-year-old stonecutter, believes that his new home is a Roman shrine. Its design in fact suggests it may be a tomb.

Across northern Syria, rebels, soldiers and civilians are making use of the country's wealth of ancient and medieval remains for protection. The structures are built of thick stone that has already withstood the ravages of centuries. They are often located in strategic spots overlooking towns and roads.

Sami, who like many Syrians was reluctant to give his full name for security reasons, says cave life is hard. The worst part isn't the lack of electricity or running water. It's the smoke from the indoor fires.

"We go daily to the doctor for our children," he said. His youngest, a 2-month-old girl named Abir, has been badly afflicted with respiratory problems.

But he considers the discomfort and health risks of the cave preferable to the terror of life above ground, with forces loyal to President Bashar Assad controlling the skies. "At any moment they can strike," he said. "I have no other option until the regime falls."

Combatants on both sides in the civil war frequently use medieval fortifications, often the legacy of the centuries-long contest between Christian and Muslim empires for the control of this region.

In the town of Harem on the Turkish border, rebels fought a bloody battle in December to oust the regime from a hilltop fortress previously used by Byzantines, the allies of Saladin, and the Crusaders. Video shows fighters painstakingly making their way in single file up the side of the cliff to capture the citadel.

In the town of Maaret al-Numan in the plain below the Jebel al-Zawiya, rebels have set up their headquarters in a 17th-century caravansary, now a museum. Its solid fortress-like walls seem to have withstood the nearly daily rocket and mortar strikes far better than nearby modern buildings have. A stroll through the halls triggers the motion-sensitive lights, illuminating a Roman mosaic of a lion tearing the flesh of a bull.

Archaeologists have raised concerns about the damage done by the war. Fighting in the city of Aleppo has raged around a 12th century citadel, and a fire in September destroyed much of a medieval souk that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.

One young fighter in the Jebel al-Zawiya who gave his name as Abu Mohammed said that before the war, inhabitants of this region drew little benefit from the tourism that the ruins attracted. Instead, regime security forces would shoo away anyone who came nearby. Residents feared going closer for fear they would be accused of looting and then imprisoned and tortured, he said.

"We used to be scared to go near the monuments," he said, showing a reporter the cave that he and his fellow villages use for shelter. "But now, they're benefiting us."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrians-makeshift-homes-ancient-structures-184817386.html

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The Easiest Way Around the New York Times Paywall Is a Latte

Headlines come free with your Starbucks Breakfast Blend now. Connect to the Wi-Fi at the coffee chain, and the New York Times will let you read up to 15 articles for free a day. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/3u2X8ITW4r0/the-easiest-way-around-the-new-york-times-paywall-is-a-latte

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Non-brittle glass possible: In probing mysteries of glass, researchers find a key to toughness

Feb. 26, 2013 ? In a paper published online Feb. 26 in the journal Nature Communications, a Yale University team and collaborators propose a way of predicting whether a given glass will be brittle or ductile -- a desirable property typically associated with metals like steel or aluminum -- and assert that any glass could have either quality.

Ductility refers to a material's plasticity, or its ability to change shape without breaking.

"Most of us think of glasses as brittle, but our finding shows that any glass can be made ductile or brittle," said Jan Schroers, a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Yale, who led the research with Golden Kumar, a professor at Texas Tech University. "We identified a special temperature that tells you whether you form a ductile or brittle glass."

The key to forming a ductile glass, they said, is cooling it fast. Exactly how fast depends on the nature of the specific glass.

Focusing on a new group of glasses known as bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) -- metal alloys, or blends, that can be extremely pliable yet also as strong as steel -- researchers studied the effect of a so-called critical fictive temperature (CFT) on the glasses' mechanical properties at room temperature.

When forming from liquid, there is a temperature at which glass becomes too viscous for reconfiguration and freezes. This temperature is called the glass transition temperature. Based on experiments with three representative bulk metallic glasses, the researchers said there is also, for each distinct alloy, a critical temperature that determines the brittleness or plasticity of the glass. This is the CFT.

Researchers said it's possible to categorize glasses in two groups -- those that will be brittle because in liquid form their CFT is above the glass transition temperature, and those that will be ductile, because in liquid form their CFT is below the glass transition temperature.

They previously thought a liquid's chemical composition alone would determine whether a glass would be brittle or ductile.

"That's not the case," Schroers said. "We can make any glass theoretically ductile or brittle. And it is the critical fictive temperature which determines how experimentally difficult it is to make a ductile glass. That is the major contribution of this work."

The finding applies theoretically to all glasses, not metallic glasses only, he said.

"A glass can have completely different properties depending on the rate at which you cool it," Schroers said. "If you cool it fast, it is very ductile, and if you cool it slow it?s very brittle. We anticipate that our finding will contribute to the design of ductile glasses, and in general contribute to a deeper understanding of glass formation."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Yale University. The original article was written by Eric Gershon.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Golden Kumar, Pascal Neibecker, Yan Hui Liu, Jan Schroers. Critical fictive temperature for plasticity in metallic glasses. Nature Communications, 2013; 4: 1536 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2546

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/IAkXMDL7waM/130226114023.htm

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Wall Street cash bonuses rose in 2012: NY comptroller

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street cash bonuses rose in 2012 but were still below pre-crisis levels, and the industry is gearing up for more layoffs as it continues to adapt to more regulation and heightened competition, New York's top financial official said.

The securities industry's bonus pool was expected to total $20 billion, New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said at a press conference on Tuesday, up 8 percent from 2011 but below levels seen in 2006 and 2007, before the financial crisis.

The estimate is not an exact view of 2012 bonuses because it is based on income tax withholdings and includes bonuses that were deferred from earlier years. The comptroller's office compiles estimates on Wall Street bonuses because of their importance to state and city tax revenues.

The rise in bonuses comes as profits for broker-dealer operations on New York Stock Exchange member firms tripled to $23.9 billion in 2012 compared to $7.7 billion in 2011. It was one of the most profitable years on record, the report said.

"As we all know and acknowledge the securities industry in New York City is a major driver of the city and state economy," said DiNapoli. "It's no secret that if Wall Street is strong all New Yorkers benefit."

In 2012, about 14 percent of New York State tax revenue came from Wall Street, down from 20 percent before the financial crisis, while the industry's contribution to New York City's tax fell from a peak of more than 12 percent to less than 7 percent.

The average cash bonus rose 9 percent to almost $121,900 in 2012, the comptroller said. Although pay in the sector is well down compared to 2006 when the average bonus was over $190,000, it is still way ahead of what most New Yorkers make.

DiNapoli said that the average salary in the securities industry is 5.3 times more than the average salary in the rest of the private sector.

"They're good jobs if you have them and certainly very significant salaries," he said.

The securities industry on Wall Street and elsewhere is still going through a period of major change after the 2007-2008 financial crisis, with increased oversight from regulators. The industry has far fewer employees and is changing it compensation practices to include more deferred bonuses.

Morgan Stanley is taking three years to pay out 2012 bonuses to high-earning employees, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters in January, a step that will better align incentives with shareholder interests and make it harder for employees to leave.

DiNapoli said he expects Wall Street to continue to cut jobs in 2013. Employment totaled 169,700 in December 2012, 1,000 fewer than the year before, according to the report. The securities industry in New York has regained only about 30 percent of the 28,300 jobs it lost during the crisis.

"I think we're still in a recovery mode," said Joe Sorrentino, a managing director at Steven Hall & Partners, a compensation consultant to Wall Street firms. "In essence, all they are saying is that things are better than in 2011. That doesn't sound too confident to me."

Still, the report was another sign the industry is stabilizing after the ravages of the crisis.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said earlier that the banking industry's full-year earnings were the second-highest on record at $141.3 billion, an increase over 2011 of $22.9 billion, or 19.3 percent. Bank earnings peaked in 2006 at $145.2 billion.

Much of the earnings growth in 2012 came from banks reducing the amount they set aside for losses on loans, the FDIC said. Banks also saw gains on loan sales and higher servicing income.

"The industry is still adjusting to the current economic and regulatory environment, working through the fall out of the financial crisis," said DiNapoli. "The industry continues to announce layoffs and will likely continue to restructure."

The comptroller's estimate does not include stock options or other forms of deferred compensation.

(Additional reporting by Jed Horowitz; Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Nick Zieminski and Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-street-cash-bonuses-seen-higher-2012-ny-161655499--sector.html

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Samsung announces SAFE with Knox, details plans to secure the enterprise Galaxy (hands-on)

BlackBerry has Balance, and no more than a month after the company once known as Research in Motion debuted its first BB 10 handset, Samsung has a dual-workspace solution of its own: SAFE with Knox. Unlike SAFE, which stands for Samsung for Enterprise, Knox, which was named for the Army outpost where America stores much of its gold, was not crafted into an acronym (though we imagine marketers dedicated at least one meeting to the cause). It's appropriately named, given the company's plans to dominate the enterprise industry with what's soon to be "the most comprehensive mobile security solution."

So what will you find within the Fort Knox of the smartphone world? It's an IT manager's pipe dream, of sorts. A comprehensive collection of features that include Security Enhanced (SE) Android, secure boot, TrustZone-based Integrity Monitoring (TIMA) for protecting the kernel, Single Sign On (SSO) and that application container concept made famous by BlackBerry, just to name a few. Best of all, Knox will ship preinstalled on select devices, all sold as one SKU -- in other words, consumers and enterprise customers alike will be taking home identical handsets, simplifying the process significantly for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) businesses. We'll explain in a bit more detail in our hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Samsung SAFE with Knox hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/samsung-safe-with-knox/

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Eating well could help spread disease, water flea study suggests

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Plentiful food can accelerate the spread of infections, Edinburgh scientists have shown in a study of water fleas.

Scientists studying bacterial infections in tiny water fleas have discovered that increasing their supply of food can speed up the spread of infection. They carried out the study to better understand factors that affect how diseases are transmitted.

Researchers found that when a population of parasite-infected water fleas was well-fed, some of them became highly contagious, compared with when food was limited.

Epidemic spread

"If we have an idea of which individuals transmit a lot of disease, we will be better able to stop its spread," said Dr Pedro Vale, School of Biological Sciences.

Scientists say the discovery highlights that, under certain conditions, some individuals may be more prone to spreading disease than others.

Their findings could help inform ways to monitor and control the spread of infections, such as epidemics, in large populations.

Some well-fed water fleas were more infectious than others because they were able to survive for longer with the parasite, giving it more time to multiply.

Parasite growth

Scientists at the University studied the impact of food quantity on the spread of a bacteria parasite that grows in the water flea gut, releasing infectious spores when the water flea dies.

Among those water fleas that were well-fed, some were found to be carrying many more parasites than others, and so were more prone to spreading the disease.

The study, published in Biology Letters, was supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France.

"We know that contact between individuals is important; but now we know that, for some animals at least, nutrition may also play an important role in the spread of disease," said Vale.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Eating well could help spread disease.

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Journal Reference:

1. P. F. Vale, M. Choisy, T. J. Little. Host nutrition alters the variance in parasite transmission potential. Biology Letters, 2013; 9 (2): 20121145 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.1145

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/top_news/top_science/~3/_9qJFDnuoBA/130226120551.htm

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Pregnant mother's blood pressure may affect future health of children

Feb. 25, 2013 ? Up to 10% of all women experience some form of elevated blood pressure during pregnancy. Researchers from the Centre for Social Evolution at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen show that mild maternal hypertension early in pregnancy actually benefits the fetus, but that late-pregnancy hypertension has negative health consequences for the child. The study is based on more than 750,000 births in Denmark, with follow-up data on children's hospital diagnoses for up to 27 years.

'It has been known for some time now that pregnancy-induced hypertension can lead to more serious toxic conditions (preeclampsia), but it has puzzled biologists why such a medical condition that can be quite dangerous for both mother and child has not previously been removed by natural selection in our stoneage ancestors. However, evolutionary theory also emphasizes that paradoxes of this kind can be due to genetic parent-offspring conflicts, so we set out to test whether we could find statistical evidence for that type of explanation', says Professor Jacobus Boomsma, Director of the Centre for Social Evolution and coordinator of the study.

Minor increases in blood pressure gives better health

The results clearly indicate that mothers with minor increases in blood pressure in the first trimester of pregnancy have babies that enjoy generally better health than children of mothers who never get a hypertension diagnosis during pregnancy. The difference was between 10 and 40% fewer diagnoses across all disease categories during the 27 years of available follow-up data, a result that has never been documented before. However, when hypertension continues or starts later in pregnancy, this advantage shifts to a ca. 10% disadvantage in terms of an increased risk of acquiring a diagnosis in the Danish public health data bases. Child mortality during the first year of life showed the same trend. In spite of this risk being very low in Denmark, no children of mothers with early pregnancy-induced hypertension died, whereas the mortality risk of children born to mothers with hypertension late in pregnancy was above average.

Fathers genes enhances blood pressure

Parent-offspring-conflict theory maintains that father-genes in the placenta will have a tendency to 'demand' a somewhat higher level of nutrition for the fetus than serves the interests of mother-genes. It argues that father genes that somehow manage to enhance maternal blood pressure will likely be met by maternal genes compensating this challenge. Both types of genes are 50/50 represented and thus likely to find a 'negotiated' balance while creating an optimally functioning placenta. However, when the pull of paternal genes cannot quite be managed by maternal counterbalances, there is a risk of elevated blood pressure to develop and persist, leading to late occurring pregnancy complications and compromised offspring health. The results obtained are consistent with the idea that some deep fundamental conflicts lay buried in our genes right from the moment of conception. Imprinted genes are prime suspects for mediating such conflicts as they 'remember' which parent they come from.

'Molecular biologists have recently found many such genes in mice and man, and they are particularly expressed in the placenta as the theory predicts. Our study therefore suggests that further research to test whether different patterns of pregnancy-induced hypertension are indeed related to paternal or maternal imprints would be highly worthwhile', says PhD student Birgitte Hollegaard, who did the analyses together with EU Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow Sean Byars.

The authors of the study hope these results will help build bridges between their evolutionary inspired public health analyses and established clinical praxis.

'Ultimately we are not only interested in the fundamental science aspects of genome level reproductive conflicts, but also in seeing some of these findings being made more directly useful, for example by adjusting pregnancy monitoring schemes to take long term risks for offspring health into account', concludes Jacobus Boomsma.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Copenhagen, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Birgitte Hollegaard, Sean G. Byars, Jacob Lykke, Jacobus J. Boomsma. Parent-Offspring Conflict and the Persistence of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension in Modern Humans. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e56821 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056821

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/most_popular/~3/tmVYAfINulI/130225201930.htm

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Commemoration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Oldest Parish of the Diocese of Connecticut, Christ Church, Stratford, Wednesday, June 12, 1907 (Christ Episcopal Church )

Author: Stratford (Conn.). Christ Church. [from old catalog]
Publisher: [New Haven
Possible copyright status: NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT
Language: English
Call number: 13953301
Digitizing sponsor: Sloan Foundation
Book contributor: The Library of Congress
Collection: library_of_congress; americana
Scanfactors: 1

Full catalog record: MARCXML

This book has an editable web page on Open Library.

Selected metadata

Scanningcenter:	capitolhill
Mediatype:	texts
Identifier-bib:	00126089545
Identifier:	comemmorationoft00stra
Ppi:	400
Camera:	Canon 5D
Operator:	scanner-annie-coates-@...
Scanner:	scribe8.capitolhill.archive.org
Scandate:	20080806150438
Imagecount:	19
Identifier-access:	http://www.archive.org/details/comemmorationoft00stra
Identifier-ark:	ark:/13960/t3zs2ww5t

Source: http://archive.org/details/comemmorationoft00stra

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ASUS PadFone Infinity vs. PadFone 2... fight!

We happened to have a PadFone 2 with us at ASUS' MWC event, so it was only natural for us to put it next to the brand-spanking-new PadFone Infinity for a few photos. Unlike the jump from the original PadFone to the PadFone 2, the latest generation ditches the polycarbonate body with the iconic zen pattern in favor of an aerospace-grade aluminum unibody. Placing the PadFone Infinity and its shorter predecessor side by side you can see that the former is actually slimmer over all, and we dig the premium feel as well. Other notable differences include a new position for the loudspeaker, which is now on the top right side of the bezel instead of the back; and the 13-megapixel camera is now off-center.

You'd think the smaller PadFone 2 would easily fit into the bigger bay in the new PadFone Station (using the same special micro-USB socket), but interestingly, it didn't work for us. We might give it another go when we eventually get hold of a review unit, of course (it's OK, Jonney, we'll be gentle).

Gallery: ASUS PadFone Infinity vs. PadFone 2... fight!

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, ASUS

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/QbPlo1YvA9U/

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HP finally parts with webOS in LG Electronics deal

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, file photo, South Korean models pose with a CINEMA 3D Smart TV during a press conference to introduce the LG Electronics' television and the company's marketing strategy for 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. Hewlett-Packard said Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, it is selling its webOS operating system technology to South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Hewlett Packard Co. and LG said on Monday that LG will use webOS to support its "smart TV" technology. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, file photo, South Korean models pose with a CINEMA 3D Smart TV during a press conference to introduce the LG Electronics' television and the company's marketing strategy for 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. Hewlett-Packard said Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, it is selling its webOS operating system technology to South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Hewlett Packard Co. and LG said on Monday that LG will use webOS to support its "smart TV" technology. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Hewlett-Packard is selling its webOS software to South Korean electronics company LG Electronics, securing a new home for a technological orphan.

The deal announced Monday rids HP of the centerpiece of its ill-fated, $1.8 billion purchase of Palm Inc. three years ago.

HP used webOS as its springboard into the smartphone and tablet computer market in 2011, but quickly scrapped the mobile devices running on the software amid disappointing sales. With that retreat, Hewlett-Packard Co. stopped developing webOS for its own products and gave away the underlying technology as open-source software for programmers elsewhere to modify for their own needs.

LG Electronics has grander plans for webOS. Initially, the software will be melded into a new line of Internet-connected televisions from LG Electronics Inc. If those are successful, LG Electronics is considering selling household appliances and other devices that run on webOS in an attempt to create a so-called "smart" home. That's a concept that could appeal to a generation of consumers who wouldn't consider leaving their homes without their smartphones.

In a sign of its commitment to webOS, LG Electronics is also acquiring the team of engineers who had been working on the software for HP. The precise number of HP workers transferring to LG Electronics wasn't disclosed. The affected employees currently work in San Francisco and Palm's former Sunnyvale, Calif. headquarters, and will remain based in those cities, according to LG Electronics. It still hasn't been determined if LG Electronics will take control of the employees' current offices or move them to other locations in the same cities.

The opportunity to pick up a pool of talented software programmers and gain control over the core of webOS were the main reasons LG Electronics wanted to do the deal instead of simply relying on the free open-source project, LG Electronics spokesman John Taylor said.

Financial terms of the webOS sale weren't disclosed. It's unlikely that LG Electronics had to pay much, given that HP had already absorbed $1.6 billion in charges to account for the diminished value of Palm and other costs caused by its decision to stop making webOS devices.

HP, which is based in Palo Alto, is in the process of eliminating 29,000 jobs in an effort to cut costs amid a slump that has seen its revenue falling for the past 18 months. Through January, HP had jettisoned more than 15,000 of the jobs targeted in its streamlining.

HP is still holding on to some vestiges of its Palm acquisition. Among other things, HP retains ownership of other computing coding outside webOS, along with Palm's hardware and Palm's customer contracts. HP will also continue to employ former Palm employees who weren't involved in webOS and will continue to handle customer support for people who still use Palm products made in the past.

Besides getting webOS' source code and other key parts of the technology, LG Electronics will take over stewardship of the open-software project.

HP is jettisoning webOS just as the company is gearing up to introduce a new tablet that features a 7-inch screen and will sell for just $169. The upcoming device, called Slate 7, will run on the popular Android software made by Google Inc. It will supplement a more sophisticated and expensive tablet computer designed primarily for business users. That tablet runs on Windows 8, a recently released makeover of Microsoft's ubiquitous operating system.

HP's stock fell 13 cents to close at $19.07.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-25-Hewlett-Packard-WebOS/id-8a8fba91315f45c7919651a8aea597de

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Union County JV trumps York in scrimmage

by Tiffany Grady-Hudgins
Sports Editor Union Daily Times

Tiffany Grady-Hudgins|Daily Times Hunter Bailey hurls a pitch during Thursday night's Union County vs York scrimmage.

slideshow

Tiffany Grady-Hudgins|Daily Times D'Arrius Smith puts the tag on a York base-runner during Thursday's scrimmage.

slideshow

UNION ? The Union County JV baseball team picked up an 8-5 win over York in Thursday night?s scrimmage. Hunter Bailey got the start from the hill and J.D. Cheek tossed four innings of relief.

The Jackets touched up York?s battery of pitchers, spraying hits in nearly every inning. York rallied to cut Union County?s lead to a single run with an RBI double in the fifth inning, but the base-runner attempted to steal third on a passed ball at home plate and was gunned down for the final out.

The Yellow Jackets tacked on two more runs in the sixth and York had no answers in the seventh.

Sports Editor Tiffany Grady-Hudgins can be reached by e-mail at thudgins@civitasmedia.com or by cell at (864) 251-4330.

Source: http://uniondailytimes.com/bookmark/21799586

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Military Rec: Studio seeking art by soldiers

Cape Fear Studios has put out a call for art by military personnel for an upcoming exhibit.

The studio is planning to open an exhibit featuring the artwork May 24 "to show the creative expression of our military men and women who serve our country," according to a flier posted to fortbraggmwr.com.

The call is specifically for artwork by service members who have deployed, as the exhibit will reflect deployment experiences.

Submissions are due by email by April 15. Submissions must include a photograph of the artwork, a brief explanation of the art and a short artist bio.

Submissions or questions about the call for art should be sent to Ellen Olson Brooks at brooksel@mindspring.com.

Bowling tournament

Fort Bragg Morale, Welfare and Recreation will hold its annual Bragg/Pope Association bowling tournament next month.

The tournament is scheduled for March 23 and 24 at Airborne Lanes.

Participants must be association members. Entry forms can be picked up at any of the Army post's three bowling centers: Airborne Lanes, Dragon Lanes and Runway Lanes.

The deadline to register is March 7.

For more information about the contest, call Airborne Lanes at 432-6899.

Auto skills frenzy

The Pope Auto Skills Center will hold a 12-hour "frenzy" June 15 starting at 9 a.m.

The program, which is open to Department of Defense ID cardholders, gives participants a chance to use the center's equipment to finish big auto projects.

The center has eight lifts as well as various tools available for use.

Experts will be on hand to give advice and answer questions.

The program will feature free food and door prizes from noon to 6 p.m. for participants who have signed up.

To find out more about the frenzy, call the center at 394-2293.

Source: http://fayobserver.com/articles/2013/02/23/1238361

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This Eavesdropping App Calls Your Shrink If It Thinks You Sound Too Bummed-Out

Ain't no problem that can't be solved by an app. At least, that's what it seems like the folks at EI Technologies are out to prove. Their app "Xpression" aims to help treat depression by listening to a user's voice, cataloging his or her moods, and alerting a doctor of any dangerous dips. All automatically. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/dmktbcXLemk/this-eavesdropping-app-calls-your-shrink-if-it-thinks-you-sound-too-bummed+out

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Microsoft, Nikon Ink Latest Android Patent Deal

The Japanese camera maker joins a growing list of technology companies that pay royalties to Microsoft under an Android patent agreement.

Microsoft signed another patent licensing deal related to the Android operating system, this time with camera maker Nikon. Under the terms of the agreement, Nikon will pay royalties to Microsoft for "broad coverage" under the latter's patent portfolio. The companies are keeping the specifics under wraps, but Microsoft did reveal that the deal affects some Nikon cameras that run Android, Google's mobile operating system. "Microsoft and Nikon have a long history of collaboration, and this agreement further demonstrates the value that both companies place on responsible IP licensing," said David Kaefer, Microsoft's general manager of Intellectual Property Licensing, in a statement issued by the company. "Microsoft is proud to align with a leader in the digital camera industry to license Android technology for the benefit of Nikon's customers," added Keafer. Nikon joins a long and growing list of electronics makers that have signed Android patent deals with the software giant. "Microsoft's specific patent licensing program for Android device makers has resulted in signed license agreements with numerous companies including Samsung, LG, HTC, Acer and Barnes & Noble," noted Microsoft. While last on that list, the Barnes & Noble deal ranks first in the legal fireworks department. Microsoft sued Barnes & Noble, Foxconn International Holdings and Inventec over the Nook e-reader in 2011. Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft's corporate vice president and deputy general counsel for Intellectual Property and Licensing, laid out his company's case. "The Android platform infringes a number of Microsoft's patents, and companies manufacturing and shipping Android devices must respect our intellectual property rights. To facilitate that, we have established an industry-wide patent licensing program for Android device manufacturers," wrote Gutierrez. According to Gutierrez, Barnes & Noble's refusal to come to the bargaining table forced Microsoft to involve the courts. "We have tried for over a year to reach licensing agreements. Their refusals to take licenses leave us no choice but to bring legal action to defend our innovations." Barnes & Noble countersued, but the matter was settled when Microsoft invested $300 million to form a joint venture with the bookseller called Nook Media. The deal, first announced in April 2012, resulted in a royalty-bearing license that covers Nook e-reader and tablets. In recent years, Microsoft's IP licensing program has been picking up speed. The list of firms that have entered into Android-related patent agreements include Onkyo, Velocity Micro, Viewsonic and Compal, a Taiwanese original design manufacturer (ODM). In 2011, the company reported having entered into 600 licensing agreements. Today, that number has nearly doubled. "Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 1,100 licensing agreements and continues to develop programs that make it possible for customers, partners and competitors to access its IP portfolio," revealed Microsoft.

Source: http://www.eweek.com/mobile/microsoft-nikon-ink-latest-android-patent-deal/

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LSU's Bennie Logan says the hard work and dedication is just beginning for him now that he's at the NFL combine: Video

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Source: http://videos.nola.com/times-picayune/2013/02/bennie_logan_said_the_hard_wor.html

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Video: President pushes for sequestration resolution

President pushes for sequestration resolution

Returning from a golfing weekend in Florida, President Obama urges Congress to find a solution to avoid automatic budget cuts set to kick in March 1. Caroline Horn, CBS News Senior Producer for Politics, examines the issue.

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsVideo/~3/Cd746Vf_FiE/

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Asian shares recover from steep loss, growth worry caps

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares recouped some of the previous session's steep falls as investors reassessed fears of the Federal Reserve ending its ultra-soft monetary policy earlier than expected, but weak U.S. and European data capped Friday's recovery.

European markets are seen rebounding, with financial spreadbetters predicting London's FTSE 100, Paris's CAC-40 and Frankfurt's DAX would open up as much as 0.6 percent. U.S. stock futures were up 0.3 percent to suggest a solid Wall Street start.

The dollar lost 0.3 percent against a basket of currencies, pulling away from a 5-1/2-month high hit on Thursday, as data showing weak business conditions in parts of the United States and across Europe pushed out expectations of any policy tightening.

"It's unlikely that the Fed would begin to wind down its QE (quantitative easing) programme until the U.S. economic growth is improving at a faster rate than currently," said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Global Markets in Sydney.

Most risk assets had slid to their lows for 2013 on Thursday, in part because of worries the Fed could prematurely paring back its bond buying programme. But the weak data in the United States and Europe saw that view quickly reconsidered.

Gold rose 0.5 percent to $1,582.96 an ounce after having hit a seven-month high on Thursday.

Tokyo's Nikkei stock average closed up 0.7 percent, reclaiming about half of Thursday's drop.

The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2 percent. However, that was only a fraction of its 1.5 percent tumble on Thursday, and the index was set for a weekly loss of 0.8 percent.

Upbeat comments from the central bank governor helped Australian shares jump 0.8 percent, with investors buying back after stocks slumped 2.3 percent on Thursday.

Hong Kong shares bucked the regional trend and fell 0.3 percent while Shanghai shares inched up 0.1 percent.

"In America they're kind of revealing that actually the next thing we need to do is start tightening, and that's why global stocks are very volatile at the moment and we're going to be caught up in that," said Damien Boey, equity strategist at Credit Suisse.

The euro rose from multi-week lows hit on Thursday, gaining 0.4 percent to 123.22 yen. The dollar inched up 0.2 percent against the yen to 93.26.

London copper climbed 0.9 percent to $7,934 a tonne, after posting its biggest single-day slide this year on Thursday.

Crude oil futures also recovered from Thursday's sell-off, with U.S. crude up 0.3 percent to $93.11 a barrel and Brent rising 0.5 percent to $114.05.

"After the Fed, people seemed to have a little less conviction that we are going to see indefinite low dollar rates, which have attracted a lot of interest in commodities, especially precious metals. But the macro picture hasn't changed tremendously and the underlying demand is still strong," a Hong Kong trader said.

U.S. 10-year Treasury yields were a tad higher in Asia, having eased in the previous session.

The German Ifo business sentiment index at 0900 GMT should offer more clues on the health of European economy, but overall sentiment is expected to remain cautious ahead of elections in Italy over the weekend.

Most investors expect a centre-left government to win and continue with reforms to tackle Italy's debt problems. But a resurgence of former leader Silvio Berlusconi has raised new worries.

(Additional reporting by Thuy Ong in Sydney and Florence Tan and Rujun Shen in Singapore; Editing by John Mair)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-shares-recover-steep-loss-growth-worry-caps-001804785--finance.html

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Ramping Up U.S. Production, Ford Expands in Ohio

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Source: www.nytimes.com --- Thursday, February 21, 2013
Ford said it would spend $200 million to renovate a Cleveland plant to produce small, turbocharged engines for use in its top-selling models. ...

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/business/ford-expanding-ohio-engine-plant.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Hyderabad Mayor calls bomb blasts an ???act of cowardice???

Hyderabad: Condemning the twin bomb blasts at Dilsukhnagar here Thursday evening, Hyderabad Mayor Md Majid Hussain said it was an "act of cowardice".

"Whoever has done this...It is a cowardly act. I strongly condemn it," he told reporters after visiting the scene of the blasts in which 11 people were killed.

The mayor said it was time for everyone to stand united and fight such cowardly acts. "This is a moment of deep grief and I extend my sympathy to the bereaved families," he added.

Meanwhile, some locals who were present at the scene raised slogans against the Mayor and his party Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.

BJP state president G Kishan Reddy, who reached the spot later, said communal harmony should prevail.

"Our immediate concern is to see that the injured persons get better treatment. We want communal harmony to prevail," Kishan said.

PTI

First Published: Friday, February 22, 2013, 00:05

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/hyderabad-mayor-calls-bomb-blasts-an-act-of-cowardice_830709.html

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Insight: Rome will burn, regardless of Italian election result

ROME (Reuters) - Regardless of who wins next weekend's parliamentary election, Italy's long economic decline is likely to continue because the next government won't be strong enough to pursue the tough reforms needed to make its economy competitive again.

Bankers, diplomats and industrialists in Rome and Milan despair at how Italians are shifting allegiances ahead of the February 24-25 vote to favor anti-establishment upstarts and show disgust with the established parties.

That makes it more likely that no bloc will have the political strength to tackle Italy's deep-rooted economic crisis, which has made it Europe's most sluggish large economy for the past two decades.

Final opinion polls predict that the vote will deliver a working majority in both houses for a centre-left coalition governing in alliance with technocrat former prime minister Mario Monti. Political risk consultancy Eurasia assigns this scenario a 50-60 percent probability.

But Italy's election for both chambers of parliament has the potential to tip the euro zone back into instability if the outcome does not produce that result.

The colorful cast of candidates includes disgraced media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, one of the world's richest men, the bespectacled academic Monti, anti-establishment comedian Beppe Grillo who campaigns from a camper van, and Nichi Vendola, a former communist poet who is the governor of Puglia.

Investors have so far taken a relaxed view, relying on polls produced until the legal deadline for surveys of Feb 10.

One of the best indicators that they are not worried: Italian benchmark 10-year bond yields, which topped six percent during the country's worst political moments in 2011, are now trading around 4.4 percent, almost a full percentage point lower than those of Spain.

Italian stocks have performed broadly in line with the wider European market since January, despite the election and a wave of scandals which has engulfed several leading Italian groups.

But observers in Italy are increasingly nervous that the rosy election scenario favored by investors may not work out.

A jaded electorate, angry about political corruption, economic mismanagement and a national crisis that has impoverished a once-wealthy member of the G7 club of rich nations, could produce a surprise.

Pier Luigi Bersani, the standard-bearer for the centre-left, is a worthy but lackluster former minister whose party has been linked to a banking scandal in the mediaeval Tuscan town of Siena. Support for his party now seems to be fading.

Opponents have latched on to the fact that the ailing bank, Monte dei Paschi, was run by a foundation dominated by political appointees from the centre-left and accused Bersani's party of presiding over a debacle that will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of euros.

CAMPER VAN POLITICS

Monti, dubbed "Rigor Montis" by one opponent for his austerity policies which critics say hurt growth, is stuck in fourth place and slipping. Detractors say he comes across poorly on the hustings and has been hurt because he formed an election alliance with two discredited centrist politicians who are emblematic of the traditional politics which Monti disavows.

The big gainer in the final days before the election, according to private surveys quoted by experts, is stand-up comedian Beppe Grillo and his anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. Grillo has been on a "tsunami tour" of Italy in a camper van, filling piazzas with his ringing denunciations of the country's political class. He campaigns mainly on the Internet, where his widely read blog features a list of Italy's parliamentarians convicted of a crime (it features 24 names).

"The big question is: what happens to Grillo?" said one senior banker in Milan, speaking on condition of anonymity. "He won't win but he could stop Bersani and Monti from getting enough seats to form an effective government."

Under the electoral law in force for this poll, which almost all Italians agree is in need of reform, voters cast ballots for a party list. The coalition with the most votes is awarded top-up seats in the lower house to give it a 55 percent majority. But in the Senate, the top-up premium applies by region.

Pollsters say the race is too close to call in a few battleground regions but there is a good chance the centre-left will fall short of a majority in the Senate, which has equal law-making powers to the lower house.

A substantial vote for Grillo's movement - and some experts suggest he could top 20 percent - could mean the new parliament is filled with new, inexperienced, anti-establishment deputies who may refuse to do deals with other politicians and block legislation. Bersani and Monti could find themselves without a workable majority in the Senate even in alliance - a scenario which Eurasia believe has a 20-30 percent probability.

"It's hard to see Grillo's movement as a source of stability," said one diplomat, speaking off the record. "There is no chance they would be part of a coalition."

CONVICTION POLITICIAN

Ironically Grillo himself will not be entering parliament regardless of how well his movement does. The shaggy-haired 63-year-old was convicted of manslaughter after three passengers died when a jeep he was driving crashed in 1981, making him ineligible for election under his own party's rules barring convicted criminals from parliament.

"Grillo's agenda is just silly," said one leading Italian columnist, speaking anonymously because his publication did not allow him to be quoted in other media before the vote.

"It's a fuck off policy. He wants to leave Europe, set up people's tribunals, halve public employees. It's the most visible symptom of Italy's political crisis."

The 5-Star Movement is not the only anti-establishment force threatening to make Italy ungovernable. The federalist Northern League, which favors greater autonomy for northern Italy, is polling around five percent nationally. Its leader Roberto Maroni told Reuters last week he would use his seats in parliament in alliance with the centre-right to block a centre-left coalition and prevent it from governing.

The League is particularly important in the Senate as its home region of Lombardy, where the party polls about 15 percent, returns by far the most senators - 49 out of a chamber of 319.

Should Grillo's movement and the Northern League win enough seats to deprive a centre-left coalition with Monti of an overall majority, the most likely outcome is a "grand coalition" of left and right, experts say.

Such a result would unsettle investors because it would be likely to bring centre-right leader former premier Berlusconi, 76, back into government in a key role and Monti would be unlikely to join it.

Berlusconi's own party has boosted its standing in polls over the past month, helped by the former premier's veteran campaigning skill and his dominance of the country's private TV channels. But nobody apart from his own supporters believes he is likely to win this time.

POPE FACTOR

Pope Benedict's unexpected resignation this month has pushed the parliamentary election off the front pages in Italy, giving Berlusconi less print space and TV air time to press his populist message. The main beneficiary appears to be Grillo, whose strategy of ignoring mainstream media and campaigning on the Internet has been unaffected by the news from the Vatican.

Investors above all want a government which will tackle the reasons for Italy's lackluster performance. Italy has hardly grown since the birth of the euro in 1999 and its economy has slumped faster since the 2007 financial crisis than any other in Europe except Greece. Last year, Italy contracted by 2.2 percent, according to official statistics.

Businessmen complain of three main obstacles: stifling bureaucracy, labor laws which offer workers so much protection that they encourage slack performance, and a dysfunctional court system which makes it hard to enforce contracts and collect debts. All are deep-rooted problems and none is likely to be tackled effectively by a weak and divided government.

"Nobody in Italy is ready to make the reforms our country needs right now," said the chief executive of a major Italian company, speaking off the record.

"I am deeply convinced that without a major change in labor flexibility, we will not be able to increase productivity. My personal experience is that Italian labor is fantastic. But if you take a very good worker and tell him his job is completely safe, you will turn him into a slacker."

Italy's byzantine court system - where cases can languish for years - and its legendary bureaucracy are major obstacles to foreign investment and competitiveness, business people and diplomats say. "Foreign companies are surprised by how hard it is to get things done here which we all thought had been agreed in Brussels 20 years ago," said one senior European diplomat.

Monti's technocratic government won plaudits from business for reforming Italy's pension system but its efforts to reform labor laws did not enjoy similar success. Monti's government lasted 13 months until Berlusconi's bloc triggered its collapse by withdrawing support. Some observers in Italy don't believe that the next parliament's make-up will be nearly as conducive to reform as the outgoing one.

MUDDLE-THROUGH OUTCOME

"I want to be optimistic but my best guess is that they will keep to this muddle-through scenario in the next parliament with lackluster results for the economy," said a second senior diplomat. "This country needs a new generation of political leaders."

Key among the concerns of diplomats and business people is the disparate nature of the centre-left coalition leading in polls.

Bersani's election alliance is made up of four main parties, stretching from the former communist Vendola through the Christian left to socialists and centrists. If it is unable to govern alone, as most polls predict, it will need the support of Monti's bloc - itself made up of three parties.

Bankers fear that a government made up of seven different groups of widely varying political hues is highly unlikely to agree on the tough, radical reform measures the country needs.

"If we have a government made up of Bersani, Monti and Vendola, they will argue all the time," said the chief executive. "Bersani and Vendola's capacity for reform is almost zero." Comparing the present Italian centre-left candidate to the former German chancellor whose successful labor reforms belied his socialist roots, he added: "Bersani is no Schroeder".

Bersani's economic spokesman Stefano Fassina insists that the centre-left fully understands the urgency of Italy's economic plight and is committed to deliver on measures to stop the rot. But he puts the emphasis on making the public sector more efficient and persuading Berlin to tone down budget austerity at a European level rather than pursuing labor reform in Italy. Fassina insists that public commitments by Bersani and Vendola on an agreed program will minimize disagreements but he does admit to concern about how a centre-left administration could work with Grillo's unpredictable forces.

"It's impossible to have any discussions with Grillo as a party," he said. "We hope that in parliament some of his MPs will be pragmatic enough to agree on reasonable measures."

With so much uncertainty about the election and the chances fading of it returning a strong, stable reformist government, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Italy's slow, steady economic decline will continue regardless of the result.

"We've seen a steady economic decline in Italy over the past 20 years and it's very hard to see any outcome from this election which will reverse that. The reforms which would really get the country going again are out of reach," concluded the European diplomat.

(Editing by Peter Millership and Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insight-rome-burn-regardless-italian-election-result-070905849.html

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Disney discovers Mickey Mouse sketch from 1938

"Mickey's Toothache," from 1938 shows the famous mouse being chased by a dentist's chair and nemesis "Pete" during??

More than 80 years after his creation, Mickey Mouse continues to surprise.

The Disney archives have released a newly discovered sketch from 1938, ?Mickey?s Toothache,? part of an incomplete cartoon that was part of an effort to make Mickey a more complete character.

In ?Mickey?s Toothache,? created in April 1938, artist Ferdinand Horvath has the newly adventurous Mickey experiencing something akin to a psychedelic nightmare. In the words of Disney Archives Director Becky Cline, Mickey has traveled to the dentist and fallen under the influence of too much laughing gas. The overdose sends Mickey into a ?nightmarish world inhabited by living teeth, dental floss, a psychotic dentist?s chair and a vengeful pair of dental pliers," said Cline.

Mickey?s then-nemesis Pete also makes an appearance in the nightmare scenario. It culminates with Mickey being put on trial led, of course, by a judgmental wisdom tooth, who charges Mickey with tooth neglect.

The previously forgotten piece of artwork was discovered by the Disney animation research department in a folder lost for more than 74 years. It was unearthed just a few months ago.

?Mickey has been a superstar from almost the beginning. He was immediately popular,? Cline told Yahoo News. ?By 1938, he was just about to step into a finished version of himself. He was boyish and impish. During this period of his growth he became larger than life in some ways.?

Cline says the artwork showcases the transformation of America's favorite mouse from popular fad to American icon. It's one that can be seen as well in released cartoons of Mickey engaging in various adventures in locales including the deepest jungles of Africa, or in the 1936 cartoon ?Through the Mirror.?

?Mickey was kind of growing and stretching. He left the barnyard, and he started to become more adventurous,? Cline said.

Though most people think of Walt Disney himself in relation to his most-famous individual creation, Horvath was a significant part of the early Disney years. Born in a Russian concentration camp in 1891, he taught himself to draw before immigrating to America on Armistice Day 1921. He worked for the studio from 1934 through 1944, producing between 70 and 80 animated shorts along the way and working on the production of "Snow White."

?Mickey?s Toothache? is just one of several unveilings being planned as part of this year?s D23 anniversary celebration, an event that began last year as a way to include members of Disney?s official fan club in some of the company?s milestone events. The Horvath image will be included in a 90-minute presentation showcasing some of this year?s other major Disney anniversaries.

Last year, we brought you the story of a newly discovered, 85-year-old Oswald the Rabbit sketch, ?Harem Scarem.? Since then, Disney has pushed forward with efforts to bring Oswald, a Mickey prototype of sorts, back into the Disney fold.

So, will we ever see a complete version of ?Mickey?s Toothache??

?It?s possible,? Cline said. "The animation research library still goes back and refers to those older cartoons. ... Even though we?re still discovering some of this material for the first time in decades, they?re not lost.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/exclusive-disney-discovers-unreleased-mickey-mouse-sketch-1938-185522770.html

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Plan B: White House downplays backup immigration plan

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House is downplaying its draft proposal as merely a backup plan if lawmakers don't come up with an immigration overhaul of their own. It won't be necessary, Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are telling the Obama administration.

White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said Sunday that President Barack Obama wants to "be prepared" in case the small bipartisan group of senators fails to devise a plan for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. In response, lawmakers assured the White House they are working on their own plan ? and warned that Obama would be heading toward failure if the White House gets ahead of them.

"We will be prepared with our own plan if these ongoing talks between Republicans and Democrats up on Capitol Hill break down," McDonough said, adding he's optimistic they would not crumble.

But he was equally realistic about the fierce partisanship on Capitol Hill.

"Well, let's make sure that it doesn't have to be proposed," McDonough said of the president's pitch, first reported on USA Today's website late Saturday.

Even so, the administration is moving forward on its own immigration agenda should one of Obama's top priorities get derailed.

The administration's proposal would create a visa for those in the country illegally and allow them to become legal permanent residents within eight years. The proposal also requires businesses to know the immigration status of their workers and adds more funding for border security.

It drew immediate criticism from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the eight lawmakers searching for a comprehensive plan.

"If actually proposed, the president's bill would be dead on arrival in Congress, leaving us with unsecured borders and a broken legal immigration system for years to come," said Rubio, who has been a leading GOP spokesman on immigration.

Many of the details in the administration's draft proposal follow the broad principles that Obama previously outlined. But the fact the administration is writing its own alternative signaled Obama wants to address immigration sooner rather than later and perhaps was looking to nudge lawmakers to move more quickly.

The tactic could complicate the administration's work with Congress.

Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin lawmaker who was his party's vice presidential nominee last year, said the timing of the leak suggests the White House was looking for "a partisan advantage and not a bipartisan solution."

"Leaking this out does set things in the wrong direction," said Ryan. "There are groups in the House and the Senate working together to get this done and when he does things like this, it makes that much more difficult to do that."

Freshman Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, called the leaked plan "incomplete" and said both parties in Congress and the White House need to work together on a solution.

"It hasn't happened yet. It will happen before something is acted upon and certainly before something is passed," he said.

Republican Sen. John McCain predicted the administration's efforts would come up short if the White House went forward with a proposal, and he encouraged the White House to give senators a chance to finish their work.

McCain, the Arizona senator whose previous efforts at an immigration overhaul ended in failure in 2007, predicted the White House proposal's demise if it were sent to Congress. He strongly urged the president to pocket the drafted measures.

"I believe we are making progress in a bipartisan basis," said McCain, who is in the Senate group working on legislation.

And Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who met with Obama on Wednesday at the White House to discuss progress, urged his allies in the administration to give a bipartisan group of eight lawmakers the time to hammer out a deal on their own.

Schumer, a New York Democrat and a close ally of the White House, said he has not seen the draft proposals but, along with the Democrats working on a compromise, met with Obama this week to talk about progress being made on Capitol Hill.

Schumer acknowledged that a single-party proposal would have a much more difficult time becoming law and urged the bipartisan group of senators to keep meeting to find common ground.

"I am very hopeful that in March we will have a bipartisan bill," Schumer said. "And, you know, it's obvious if a Democrat ? the president or anyone else ? puts out what they want on their own, (it) is going to be different than when you have a bipartisan agreement. But the only way we're going to get something done is with a bipartisan agreement."

McDonough appeared on ABC's "This Week," NBC's "Meet the Press" and CBS' "Face the Nation." Ryan and Castro spoke to "This Week." McCain spoke to "Meet the Press." Schumer appeared on CNN's "State of the Union."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-offering-immigration-plan-backup-084308783--politics.html

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Iran plans to establish new navy base

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's official news agency says the country's navy plans to establish a new base near Pakistan's border in the Sea of Oman.

The plans are part of Iranian ambitions to exert its naval power outside the Persian Gulf, including sending warships to the Mediterranean and claiming it might someday have ships in the Atlantic.

The IRNA report on Sunday quotes Adm. Habibollah Sayyari as saying that the base will be built in Pasabandar, about 30 kilometers (100 miles) west of Pakistani major port of Gwadar.

Iran has conducted numerous naval drills in past years as it increases its presence in regional waterways.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-plans-establish-navy-082650175.html

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