Friday, June 28, 2013

Perry, filibuster star clash over Texas abortions

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) ? Gov. Rick Perry hit back Thursday at the star of a Democratic filibuster that helped kill new Texas abortion restrictions, saying state Sen. Wendy Davis' rise from a tough upbringing to Harvard Law graduate should have taught her the value of each human life.

The Republican governor expanded on those remarks later, publicly wondering what might have happened if Davis' own mother had undergone an abortion rather than carry her child to term.

Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat, shot back that Perry's statement "tarnishes the high office he holds."

Before the white-hot battle over abortion in the nation's second-largest state turned personal, Davis staged a marathon filibuster Tuesday helping to defeat an omnibus bill that would have further limited abortions in a place where it's already difficult to undergo them. But Perry called lawmakers back for a second special session next week to try and finish the job.

"Who are we to say that children born in the worst of circumstances can't lead successful lives?" Perry said in a speech to nearly 1,000 delegates at the National Right to Life Conference in suburban Dallas. "Even the woman who filibustered the Senate the other day was born into difficult circumstances."

Davis, 50, has rocketed to sudden, national political stardom thanks to donning pink tennis shoes and delivering the marathon speech on the floor of the state Senate.

She started working at age 14 to help support a household of her single mother and three siblings. By 19, she was already married and divorced with a child of her own, but she eventually graduated with honors from Harvard Law School and won her Senate seat in an upset.

Perry pointed out that personal history in his speech, adding "it's just unfortunate that she hasn't learned from her own example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters."

In comments to reporters afterward, he went even further.

"I'm proud that she's been able to take advantage of her intellect and her hard work, but she didn't come from particularly good circumstances," the governor said. "What if her mom had said, 'I just can't do this. I don't want to do this.' At that particular point in time I think it becomes very personal."

Davis quickly fired off an email blasting Perry's comments.

"They are small words that reflect a dark and negative point of view," she said. "Our governor should reflect our Texas values. Sadly, Gov. Perry fails that test."

Davis' supporters argued Perry never would have made such suggestions to a male politician.

"Rick Perry's remarks are incredibly condescending and insulting to women," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund and daughter of the late former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, said in a statement. "This is exactly why the vast majority of Texans believe that politicians shouldn't be involved in a woman's personal health care decisions."

The Texas Legislature adjourned May 27, but Perry called legislators into a first 30-day special session to pass stricter limits on abortion, including banning the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy. But with the extra session set to end at midnight on Tuesday, Davis was on her feet for more than 12 hours ? speaking most of that time ? as Senate Democrats attempted a filibuster.

Just before the final gavel, Republican lawmakers silenced her for addressing a topic other than the bill she was opposing ? only to have hundreds of abortion rights activists cheer so loudly from the public gallery that all business in the chamber halted until it was too late.

Perry, a conservative and devout Christian, has put the abortion measure at the top of the agenda for the second special session, which begins Monday. It would force many clinics that perform abortions to upgrade their facilities to be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. Doctors also would be required to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles.

Opponents say such improvements are so expensive that only five of Texas' 42 abortion clinics would remain in operation.

Abortion rights groups have promised to respond with more protests, including one scheduled Monday for the state Capitol. Perry, meanwhile, called those who oppose abortion to action, telling the conference, "the world has seen images of pro-abortion activists screaming, cheering. Going forward, we have to match their intensity."

Adding intrigue to his grudge match with Davis is the fact that Perry had been expected to announce this week if he will seek a fourth full term as governor next year. But he said Thursday that announcement will now be delayed until lawmakers can finish the extra work he's given them.

Davis is up for re-election too next year, but had been urged by Democratic operatives even before her filibuster to consider running for governor.

She has acknowledged mulling a run for statewide office but says she wants to wait for the right time. A Democrat hasn't won such a post in Texas since 1994, and the state Democratic Party would face a major challenge establishing the organization or infrastructure necessary to deliver enough dependable votes.

Asked what he thought of Davis as a possible gubernatorial candidate, Perry shrugged and said: "I don't have a clue."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/perry-filibuster-star-clash-over-texas-abortions-175240836.html

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89% In the House

All Critics (70) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (62) | Rotten (8)

The film treats imagination-and talent-in certain hands as an almost mystical force.

Ozon and the script move a little too far afield and hold on a bit too long as the film approaches its end. Still, "In the House" has enough trippy truth to it to grab your interest and shake your mind.

It's fiction about life that becomes fiction that might be life - and the viewer happily dives in.

The expected punch line... never materializes, so I guess this must be a drama after all.

Savor In the House for its meta-exploration of adolescence, class resentment and suppressed desire, but don't expect much more.

The seductions of storytelling drive "In the House," a cleverly structured comic thriller rich with narrative trickery and macabre humor.

Provocative, playful, entertaining and audacious, In the House is a writer showing us the inner workings of writing, complete with its power to subvert, to imagine and to deceive

Occasionally too clever for its own good, the film may go one step too far, but Ozon manages the hybrid of genres beautifully and ultimately it is his superb cast that sells the nuances and the concept

A sly, stylish blend of melodrama and suspense that's also a cunning commentary on the seductiveness and danger inherent in storytelling itself.

Director/scriptwriter Francois Ozon knows his Hitchcock well. He employs him effectively, but the clutter is his own.

An almost perverse delight, an egghead thriller that slyly shell-games its truer purpose as an inquiry into the construction -- and deconstruction -- of fiction. Scratch deconstruction: Make that tear-the-house-down demolition.

It's partly real and partly a fable, full of events that might have happened or could never have happened, with intrigues that defy us to take them seriously.

In the House is a structurally solid thriller that is both inventive and absolutely seductive in nature.

Inviting photography and a relentless pace complement Claude's unfolding narrative, but the big thrills are in the deftly drawn characters...and the incisive satire...

A slick psychological thriller that veers into dark comedy the more absurd it gets, "In the House" demonstrates the dangers of addiction -- not to sex or drugs, but to story.

Captures why we do what we do, and the extent to which stories reflect both the writer and the reader.

It's amusing and unexpected, capturing the compulsive spirit of writing with wit and attention to mischief that keeps it unpredictable to the very end.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_the_house_2013/

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Kemp returns, saves Dodgers in 6-5 win over Giants

Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp makes a catch on a ball hit by San Francisco Giants' Marco Scutaro to end their baseball game, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers beat the Giants 6-5. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp makes a catch on a ball hit by San Francisco Giants' Marco Scutaro to end their baseball game, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers beat the Giants 6-5. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, right, celebrates with right fielder Andre Ethierafter making a catch on a ball hit by San Francisco Giants' Marco Scutaro to end their baseball game, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers beat the Giants 6-5. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, center, celebrates with right fielder Yasiel Puig, left, as right fielder Andre Ethier looks on after making a catch on a ball hit by San Francisco Giants' Marco Scutaro to end their baseball game, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers beat the Giants 6-5. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp reacts after scoring on a single by Tim Federowicz during the sixth inning of their baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez, right, hits a two-run home run as San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, lower left, and home plate umpire D.J. Rayburn look during the sixth inning of their baseball game, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

(AP) ? Matt Kemp was insistent about getting back into the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup Tuesday night after three frustrating weeks on the disabled list, and the last thing on his mind was whether his troublesome right hamstring would hold up.

So when it came time to test his leg, it passed with flying colors.

Kemp ran a long way and made a marvelous catch for the final out of a 6-5 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants, extending Los Angeles' winning streak to a season-best four games.

"You can't really think like that," Kemp said when asked if he was relieved he didn't hurt his hamstring again. "I mean, I've thought like that after I came back from it last year, and it happened again. So I can't play timid. I have to let it go. And if it goes, it goes. Hamstrings are tricky, and you never know when they're good. But right now it feels good and I'm glad we got the win."

With runners at first and second, Marco Scutaro hit a long drive to center. Kemp, playing shallow with the potential tying run at second base, raced back and reached over his shoulder to make a sliding catch on the warning track. He popped up and smacked the wall hard, then shouted in excitement.

"Scutaro doesn't really drive the ball to center field like that, so he surprised me a little bit," the two-time Gold Glove winner said. "He's a good contact hitter that likes to drive the ball the other way in the hole and back up the middle, so I was just anticipating him trying to hit a ground ball up the middle, and he hit it pretty good. So I had to drop my head and run back."

Scutaro is homerless in 142 career at-bats against the Dodgers.

"I thought it had a good shot to go out," Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford said. "It looked like he hit it well, but I knew Kemp was out there and he's a good center fielder. So he was going to do all he could to not let it drop. It was bad luck for us. That's kind of what's been happening a lot to us lately."

Kemp returned to the lineup after missing 24 games with a right hamstring strain. He was injured May 29 while running down a double in right-center by Mike Trout at Angel Stadium. It was the fourth time in his career that Kemp landed on the DL, including two stints last season because of a left hamstring strain that cost him a combined 51 games.

"I had to beg him to let me play today," Kemp said, referring to manager Don Mattingly. "I was telling him I was just sick of watching my team play without me. It kind of feels like you're not part of the team when you're on the DL, so I just wanted to get back out there with the guys."

Mark Ellis and Hanley Ramirez each hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers, and rookie Stephen Fife pitched effectively into the seventh inning. Los Angeles handed the defending World Series champions their third loss in a row and eighth in 11 games, dropping them under .500 for the first time since losing to the Dodgers on opening day.

It's the latest the Giants have been below the break-even mark in any season since 2008, when they finished 72-90 in Bruce Bochy's second year as manager.

"Honestly, I didn't even know we were under .500. I just knew we haven't been playing well. That's a wake-up call in itself," Crawford said.

Fife (2-2) allowed three runs and four hits, including solo homers by Brandon Belt and NL MVP Buster Posey, in 6 2-3 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out three and walked two in his 11th major league start, only the second in which he gave up more than two runs.

With closer Kenley Jansen unavailable after pitching three consecutive days, demoted closer Brandon League came on in the ninth to protect a 6-3 lead and did not retire any of the three batters he faced.

Belt hit an RBI double and Andres Torres added an RBI single off League before Paco Gonzalez got three outs for his first major league save ? barely.

Mike Kickham (0-2) was charged with six runs, five earned, and eight hits over 5 1-3 innings in his second big league start.

The Dodgers broke a 2-all tie with four runs in the sixth. Adrian Gonzalez doubled and Ramirez followed with a drive off the left-field foul pole for his fifth homer. Kickham gave up singles to his next two batters before rookie Jake Dunning came in and gave up an RBI single by Tim Federowicz.

Nick Punto kept the inning alive when he beat the relay throw to first base with a headfirst slide on a potential double-play grounder. Andre Ethier then scored on Dunning's wild pitch to Fife.

Belt, who was 3 for 4 after coming in 4 for 43 lifetime at Dodger Stadium, got one of the runs back for the Giants in the seventh with his eighth homer.

Fife retired his first 11 batters before Posey drove an 0-1 pitch barely over the left-field fence for his ninth homer. The Giants tied it in the fifth on a run-scoring groundout by Torres.

Ellis opened the scoring with his fourth homer, a two-run shot with two outs in the third after Federowicz led off with a double.

NOTES: Punto, starting at 3B while Juan Uribe got the night off, jumped to pull down Pablo Sandoval's line drive in the second inning. Hunter Pence, the next batter, lifted a popup toward the stands and Punto stretched over the barrier before landing in the first row with the ball in his glove. ... Kemp was 1 for 4 with a single. He is homerless in 106 at-bats at Dodger Stadium since his two-run shot off Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa last Sept. 20. ... The Giants have been outhomered 19-5 over their last 15 games. ... The Dodgers, who were 11-13 in Kemp's absence, opened a roster spot for him by optioning INF-OF Elian Herrera to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Giants CF Angel Pagan had surgery in Los Angeles to repair a tendon in his left hamstring, an injury that has sidelined him since May 26.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-26-BBN-Giants-Dodgers/id-5f49d7249d9b4ed6b4e2143967281b7e

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The New X-M1 Is Fujifilm's Cheapest Mirrorless Camera Yet

The New X-M1 Is Fujifilm's Cheapest Mirrorless Camera Yet

The rumored "entry-level" X-series interchangeable-lens camera from Fujifilm is real. The X-M1, features the same 16.3-megapixel APS-C sensor from the more-expensive X-Pro1 and X-E1 models.

Read more...

    


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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Putin: 'Nyet' to US request to turn over Snowden

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to the media following a meeting with the Finland's President Sauli Niinisto at the presidential summer residence Kultaranta in Naantali, Finland, Tuesday June 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Lehtikuva, Kimmo Mantyla) FINLAND OUT

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to the media following a meeting with the Finland's President Sauli Niinisto at the presidential summer residence Kultaranta in Naantali, Finland, Tuesday June 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Lehtikuva, Kimmo Mantyla) FINLAND OUT

FILE - In this June 21, 2013 file photo, a banner supporting Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, is displayed at Central, Hong Kong's business district. The Hong Kong government says Snowden wanted by the U.S. for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has left for a "third country." The South China Morning Post reported Sunday, June 23, 2013 that Snowden was on a plane for Moscow, but that Russia was not his final destination. Snowden has talked of seeking asylum in Iceland. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Lavrov on Tuesday bluntly rejected U.S. demands to extradite National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, saying that Snowden hasn?t crossed the Russian border as he seeks to evade prosecution. Sergey Lavrov insisted that Russia has nothing to do with Snowden or his travel plans. Lavrov wouldn?t say where Snowden is, but he angrily lashed out at the U.S. for demanding his extradition and warnings of negative consequences if Moscow fails to comply. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Lavrov on Tuesday bluntly rejected U.S. demands to extradite National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, saying that Snowden hasn?t crossed the Russian border as he seeks to evade prosecution. Sergey Lavrov insisted that Russia has nothing to do with Snowden or his travel plans. Lavrov wouldn?t say where Snowden is, but he angrily lashed out at the U.S. for demanding his extradition and warnings of negative consequences if Moscow fails to comply. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, right, greets passersby from the balcony of the presidential palace during the weekly, The Change of the Guard, in Quito, Ecuador, Monday, June 24, 2013. The Ecuadorian government declared Monday that national sovereignty and universal principles of human rights would govern their decision on granting asylum to Edward Snowden, powerful hints that the former National Security Agency contractor is welcome despite potential repercussions from Washington. Correa said on Twitter that "we will take the decision that we feel most suitable, with absolute sovereignty." AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

(AP) ? Yes, he's at a Moscow airport, and no, you can't have him.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the first official acknowledgment of the whereabouts of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden on Tuesday and promptly rejected U.S. pleas to turn him over.

Snowden, who is charged with violating American espionage laws, fled Hong Kong over the weekend, touching off a global guessing game over where he went and frustrating U.S. efforts to bring him to justice.

Putin said Snowden is in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo Airport and has not passed through Russian immigration, meaning he technically is not in Russia and thus is free to travel wherever he wants.

After arriving Sunday on a flight from Hong Kong, Snowden registered for a Havana-bound flight Monday en route to Venezuela and then possible asylum in Ecuador, but he didn't board the plane.

Speculation has been rife that Russian security services have been talking to Snowden and might want to keep him in Russia for a more thorough debriefing, but Putin denied that.

"Our special services never worked with Mr. Snowden and aren't working with him today," Putin said at a news conference during a visit to Finland.

Because Moscow has no extradition agreement with Washington, it cannot meet the U.S. request, he said.

"Mr. Snowden is a free man, and the sooner he chooses his final destination the better it is for us and for him," Putin said. "I hope it will not affect the businesslike character of our relations with the U.S. and I hope that our partners will understand that."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the U.S. wants Russia to show respect for the rule of law and comply with common practices when it comes to fugitives from justice.

Putin's staunch refusal to consider deportation shows his readiness to further challenge Washington at a time when U.S.-Russian relations are already strained over Syria and other issues, including a Russian ban on adoptions by Americans.

"Just showing America that we don't care about our relations, we are down to basically a Cold War pattern: The enemy of your government is our friend," said Masha Lipman of the Carnegie Moscow Center.

"The Russian administration has not come that far, but we don't know what it's up to," she said.

Despite Putin's denial, security experts believe Russia's special services wouldn't miss the chance to question a man who is believed to hold reams of classified U.S. documents and could shed light on how the U.S. intelligence agencies collect information.

Igor Korotchenko, director of the Center for Global Arms Trade and editor of National Defense Magazine, said Snowden would be of particular interest because little is known about digital espionage.

"The security services would be happy to enter into contact with Mr. Snowden," Korotchenko said.

Russia also has relished using Snowden's revelations to turn the tables on the U.S. over its criticism of Russia's rights record.

Putin compared Snowden to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been given asylum in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, saying that both men were labeled criminals but consider themselves rights activists and champions of freedom of information.

"Ask yourself a question: Should people like that be extradited so that they put them in prison?" he said. "In any case, I would prefer not to deal with such issues. It's like shearing a piglet: a lot of squealing and little wool."

In an apparent reference to claims that Russia could have played a role in Snowden's exit from Hong Kong, Putin said his arrival in Moscow was a "complete surprise" and dismissed such accusations as "ravings and sheer nonsense."

"He doesn't need a visa or any other documents, and as a transit passenger he has the right to buy a ticket and fly wherever he wants," Putin said.

Snowden, 30, is a former CIA employee who later was hired as a contractor for the NSA. In that job, he gained access to documents that he gave to newspapers the Guardian and The Washington Post to expose what he contends are privacy violations by an authoritarian government.

Snowden also told the South China Morning Post newspaper in Hong Kong that "the NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data." He is believed to have more than 200 additional sensitive documents in laptops he is carrying.

Russian news media had reported that Snowden remained in a transit zone at the airport, which is separate from regular departure areas. He has not been seen by any of the journalists who have been roaming Sheremetyevo in search of him, furthering speculation that he had been secreted away.

The Interfax news agency, citing an unidentified airport official, said Snowden could be staying in a room in the transit zone normally reserved for flight crews and other personnel.

Legally, an arriving air passenger only crosses the border after clearing Russian immigration checks.

Earlier Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the U.S. push to turn over Snowden, but he wouldn't specify his whereabouts, saying only that he hadn't crossed the Russian border.

Kerry called for "calm and reasonableness."

"We would hope that Russia would not side with someone who is a fugitive from justice," Kerry said at a news conference in Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. has revoked Snowden's passport.

A representative of WikiLeaks has been traveling with Snowden, and the secret-spilling organization is believed to be assisting him in arranging asylum. Assange, the group's founder, said Monday that Snowden was only passing through Russia and had applied for asylum in Ecuador, Iceland and possibly other countries.

A high-ranking Ecuadorean official told The Associated Press that Russia and Ecuador were discussing where Snowden could go, saying the process could take days. He also said Ecuador's ambassador to Moscow had not seen or spoken to Snowden. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

The Kremlin has previously said Russia would be ready to consider Snowden's request for asylum.

Some observers said Snowden's revelations have provided the Kremlin with propaganda arguments to counter the U.S. criticism of Russia's crackdown on opposition and civil activists under Putin.

"They would use Snowden to demonstrate that the U.S. government doesn't sympathize with the ideals of freedom of information, conceals key information from the public and stands ready to open criminal proceedings against those who oppose it," Konstantin Remchukov, the editor of independent daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta, said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

Putin has accused the U.S. State Department of instigating protests in Moscow against his re-election for a third term in March and has taken an anti-American posture that plays well with his core support base of industrial workers and state employees.

____

Huuhtanen reported from Naantali, Finland. Associated Press writers Lynn Berry in Moscow and Michael Weissenstein and Gonzalo Solano in Quito, Ecuador, contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-25-NSA-Surveillance/id-fd778922546b4e9986b068badefa9986

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Monday, June 17, 2013

Page Not Found - Yahoo!

Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Yahoo!, try visiting the Yahoo! homepage or look through a list of Yahoo!'s online services.

Please try Yahoo Help Central if you need more assistance.

Source: http://rss.news.yahoo.com/rss/techblog

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In Florida, Nik Wallenda readies for Grand Canyon high-wire act

By Saundra Amrhein

SARASOTA, Florida (Reuters) - Dressed casually in a T-shirt, calf-length cargo pants and flip-flops, Nik Wallenda looks no different from many of the hundreds of spectators who have turned out in recent days to watch him practice for his next high-wire act.

There are no pretentious airs about him, and no spangled outfits.

"Hey, how ya doing, man?" he asked while stopping to shake the hand of a man trying to take his picture with an iPad and then pausing to high-five a few kids.

But what Wallenda is preparing for is anything but routine.

For two weeks in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida, the aerialist and holder of half a dozen world records has been practicing for what will be his biggest feat yet - a quarter-mile (400-metre) walk across the Grand Canyon on a steel cable with nothing but the Little Colorado River 1,500 feet below.

With no tethers or safety nets, the walk will be the highest tightrope attempt ever for the 34-year-old, at a height taller than the Empire State Building. It is scheduled to be shown live on June 23 on the Discovery Channel.

Last year, Wallenda, a seventh-generation member of the "Flying Wallendas" family of acrobats, became the only person to walk a wire over the brink of Niagara Falls.

Wallenda and his team are focused on creating the conditions he'll likely face at the Grand Canyon. The Florida heat, while humid as opposed to arid, cooperates, with temperatures rising through the 80s (27-32 C) by mid-morning.

But the winds that whip up and around the Grand Canyon walls pose another challenge. Wallenda recently faced heavy winds during a test run and practiced as Tropical Storm Andrea barreled onshore along the Gulf Coast.

To ramp up conditions without a storm, his team one day set up air boats in the water alongside the steel cable he uses to practice on, pushing winds in updrafts to 91 mph.

The canyon's winds won't bother him, he said.

"I'm not scared of them," he said while gliding along the cable, his flip-flops replaced by black moccasins specially made by his mother.

REAL DANGERS

As he walked and spoke, spectators watched from behind metal parade barricades. "I have to respect it, but I would never do what I do if I was scared," he said.

Wallenda regularly emphasizes mental concentration and positive thinking as the secrets to his success.

Since he started walking on a wire at age 2, he has been stung by a bee and had birds land on his balancing pole during performances.

He told reporters that he has no superstitions or rituals before his walks. He prays - his Christian faith plays a big part in his new book "Balance" - and hugs his wife and three children, telling them he'll see them in a few minutes.

With spectators' eyed glued on him, Wallenda and his balancing pole made one trip along the 1,200-foot (366-metre) cable and back, projecting the image of a body builder and a ballet dancer combined. Then he sat down - on the cable.

"Does anyone have any questions?" he asked the crowd, his legs dangling from his perch.

They did. How heavy is the balancing pole? Forty-three pounds (20 kg). Does he work out? Yes, at the gym. How long will it take him to cross the Grand Canyon? Twenty to thirty minutes.

Wallenda spoke openly about the reality of the dangers - including the ones that claimed his great-grandfather, Karl Wallenda, a great inspiration to him.

In 1978, the legendary sky walker fell to his death during a high-wire walk in Puerto Rico, a tragedy that Wallenda said studies showed was caused by a combination of bad rigging and his great-grandfather's age and recent injuries that left him too weak to hold on to the wire.

"There's a time to retire," he said.

But Wallenda is not there yet, as he readies to embark on what has been a dream for years.

It's a dream with a 1,500-foot drop below him, which will be "extremely mentally draining," he said.

(Editing by Kevin Gray and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/florida-nik-wallenda-readies-grand-canyon-high-wire-201220347.html

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Submissions for Expand's Insert Coin: New Challengers competition now open!

Calling all makers, dreamers, inventors and entrepreneurs, Insert Coin: New Challengers is back for round two! We were absolutely blown away by the responses to our Expand San Francisco competition. We had a hell of a time whittling all of the submissions down to a group of semi-finalists and had a blast interacting with all of the finalists on the show floor. Ultimately, Ziphius' head-turning aquatic drone took home the gold, a well-deserved and hard fought win. This time out, we'll giving 10 semifinalists tickets to the show, along with a $1,000 travel stipend. One Judges' Choice winner will walk away with $10,000 and one Readers' Choice winner will get $15,000. Both will also score a product review on this site.

Think you've got what it takes to walk away with the big prize at Expand NY in November? Well, now's your chance. We're opening up submissions today through September 27th. Semifinalists will be announced on this site and the big winners will be unveiled at the show. Submissions rules can be found after the break and over on our event page. We can't wait to see what you've got cooking this time out!

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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Dawn Approach new favourite for St James's Palace Stakes ... - Bettor

Dawn Approach new favourite for St James?s Palace Stakes ? Horseracing news

Dawn Approach has been named as the new favourite for the St James?s Palace Stakes following his impressive workout recently.

He was not expected to be back in action this early after his lacklustre showing in the Investec Derby, but things have been moving on in the right direction for him.

Moreover, it is expected that Magician will miss out on the major event, which means that there will be no real challenge for the 2,000 Guineas winner.

According to the favourite trainer Jim Bolger, ?Dawn Approach worked this morning and all went well. I was happy with him and he will be travelling to Ascot.?

The three-year-old colt was priced as the favourite to win the Investec Derby, but a small incident at the start of the race cost him a chance to maintain his 100 percent winning record. He had a little collision with another horse, which simply put him out of control of the rider Kevin Manning.

As a result, Bolger?s trainee finished right at the bottom of the table, which was quite shocking for the entire camp and the horseracing fans.

Right after that race, it was revealed that the quality stallion will be rested for some time, thus might end up missing the Royal Ascot. However, he showed impressive form in all of the practice sessions and encouraged his camp to run him in the St James's Palace Stakes.

This was positive news for Manning, who said of his challenger, ?I'm happy with him, he's very relaxed and feels the same as he did before the 2,000 Guineas. I thought Magician was very impressive at both Chester and in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and he looks very smart. This is what it's about, the best taking each other on.?

Dawn Approach has participated in a total of eight races in his career, winning seven of them. He will not be able to emulate what Frankel did, but that does not make him a less good stallion. He has got a couple of more years to dominate his rivals and if he manages to do that, his lone loss will be forgotten by everyone.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Dawn-Approach-new-favourite-for-St-Jamess-Palace-Stakes-Horseracing-news-a216653

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Doddridge News: VA Home Loans Can Help Servicemembers and ...

Doddridge News: VA Home Loans Can Help Servicemembers and Veterans Purchase, Refinance, or Adapt a Home

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VA Home Loans Can Help Servicemembers and Veterans Purchase, Refinance, or Adapt a Home

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a variety of?home loan programs?for active duty?service members, veterans, and National Guard and Reserve members:?
  • Purchase Loans?help purchase a home at a competitive interest rate often without requiring a down payment or private mortgage insurance.
  • Cash Out Refinance Loans?take cash out of your home equity to pay off debt, fund school, or make home improvements.
  • Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan?can help you obtain a lower interest rate by refinancing an existing VA loan.
  • Native American Direct Loans?help eligible Native American veterans finance the purchase, construction, or improvement of homes on Federal Trust Land, or reduce the interest rate on a VA loan.
  • Adapted Housing Grants?help veterans with a permanent and total service-connected disability purchase or build an adapted home or to modify an existing home to account for their disability.

Source: http://www.doddridgenews.com/2013/06/va-home-loans-can-help-servicemembers.html

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Thursday, June 6, 2013

Rubio rounding up support for immigration bill

FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2011 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks in Washington. Rubio is address House conservatives Wednesday afternoon June 5, 2013 on a far-reaching immigration bill. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2011 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks in Washington. Rubio is address House conservatives Wednesday afternoon June 5, 2013 on a far-reaching immigration bill. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

(AP) ? Senate debate on a far-reaching immigration bill is becoming a test of Sen. Marco Rubio's influence over fellow Republicans as the Florida conservative works to sell GOP lawmakers on landmark legislation that also may help determine the fate of his presidential ambitions.

Rubio, a tea party favorite who's acted as the bill's emissary to the conservative community, has spent recent weeks meeting individually with Republican senators to discuss changes to the bill that could get them on board. That included working with conservative Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on a border security amendment Cornyn outlined Wednesday in The Dallas Morning News.

Rubio was to address House conservatives Wednesday, and he's been promoting the legislation with numerous TV and radio appearances. On Tuesday alone, he showed up on Fox News Channel, CNBC and Hugh Hewitt's talk radio show.

At the same time he's been making immigration advocates uneasy by issuing demands for stronger border security provisions in the legislation, including giving Congress more authority to write a border security plan instead of the Homeland Security Department. Rubio says he won't support the bill without such changes, and it won't be able to pass.

For Rubio, it's part of the balancing act he's been performing all year since joining more seasoned legislators like Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as part of the so-called Gang of Eight senators who authored the immigration bill. His challenge is to maintain the support of the tea party backers who lend him credibility and leverage in the immigration debate, while also getting credit for pushing a landmark piece of legislation that's opposed by many in the tea party but is a priority to the Latino voters who increasingly help determine the outcome of presidential elections.

"He speaks their language, he's been one of them this entire time, he was a tea party favorite from the beginning," said Rebecca Tallent, director of immigration policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and a former aide to McCain. "Will he take some responsibility if they can't build a large coalition in the Senate? Absolutely. But so will the rest of the gang members."

The legislation, a priority for President Barack Obama, aims to boost border security and workplace enforcement, transform legal immigrant and worker programs and put some 11 million immigrants here illegally on a path to citizenship.

As the only author of the bill with the bona fides to sell it to conservatives, Rubio's been seen for months as key to its passage.

In recent weeks, Rubio's efforts have been largely behind the scenes as the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Rubio is not a member, debated the legislation before approving it on a bipartisan vote. Now, with the full Senate set to take up the bill next week, Rubio's about to assume a more public role. His performance may spell success or failure for the bill and for his own political prospects as a potential presidential candidate in 2016.

Rubio and other backers of the bill are working to build support for the legislation in the Democratic-controlled Senate, convinced that a resounding vote that includes many Republicans would pressure the GOP-led House to act.

But for now, while support is all but assured from a large majority of the Senate's 54-member Democratic caucus (including two independents), only Rubio, McCain and the two other Republicans who helped write the bill ? Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jeff Flake of Arizona ? are definite "yes" votes among the GOP. On "Fox and Friends" on Tuesday, Rubio said the bill wouldn't have the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate without improvements.

Working with a list of 15 to 20 Republican senators who potentially could be persuaded to vote for the bill, Rubio's been meeting individually with lawmakers to hear their concerns. He worked with Cornyn on an amendment to enact tough new border requirements, including a biometric exit system at all airports and seaports, before any immigrant here illegally could achieve permanent legal residence. Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said Tuesday they'd met with Rubio to discuss their concerns over border security and enforcement, and Portman said he was weighing amendments to address them.

Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., wrote an opinion piece in the Las Vegas Review-Journal last weekend in which he seemed open to the bill if improvements could be made and discussed meeting with Rubio to make them.

"He's done a great job selling this to conservative talk show hosts and others in the conservative community," McCain said.

But Rubio's moves unsettle liberals who fear that the insistence on establishing new border requirements first could end up making the path to citizenship unachievable.

"I just hope he doesn't think he can give away the store and count on the kind of unified Democratic support we have now," said Frank Sharry of America's Voice, an immigrant advocacy group.

One change Rubio has focused on would give Congress, instead of the Homeland Security Department, a bigger role in creating a border security plan since many Republicans are skeptical of the Obama administration's commitment to enforcing border security. As he described it on Hewitt's show Tuesday, the plan would be legislated as part of the immigration bill, although other Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., have discussed having Congress vote on whether the border has been secured.

"People don't want to just turn it over to the Homeland Security Department to come up with a plan," Rubio said. "They want the plan to be laid out specifically with real measurables, and I think that's a good approach and so we're working with members now to do that."

"If we can pass a measure that ensures that we will never again have another wave of illegal immigration, I believe we will have immigration reform. And if we do not pass that, if that does not happen, I believe there will not be immigration reform. It's as simple as that."

___

Follow Erica Werner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericawerner

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-05-Immigration/id-e45e95835ed14e019d03de88e6dabe00

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