Ryan Gosling Reveals Director's 'Place Beyond The Pines' Challenge

Director Derek Cianfrance felt inspired by police show 'COPS' and challenged himself to its one-shot takes, the actor tells MTV News.
By Driadonna Roland, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Ryan Gosling
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704651/ryan-gosling-place-beyond-the-pines.jhtml

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Porsha Williams Divorce Filing: Pay Me!

Source:

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Egypt issues arrest warrant for TV satirist

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's state prosecutors ordered the arrest Saturday of a popular television satirist for allegedly insulting Islam and the country's leader, in a move that government opponents say is aimed at silencing critics of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The arrest warrant for against Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, followed an order earlier this week by the country's top prosecutor to arrest five prominent pro-democracy activists in what the opposition has characterized as a widening campaign against dissent.

The acceleration in legal action targeting protesters, activists and critics comes against a backdrop of continued unrest in the country. Political compromise between the well-organized Islamists in power and their vocal liberal and largely secular critics remains elusive, while the country's economy is in near free fall, which has increasingly fueled popular frustration.

The opposition charges that Morsi, in office for nine months, and the Brotherhood have failed to tackle any of the nation's most pressing problems and are trying to monopolize power, breaking their promises of inclusiveness. Morsi blames the country's woes on nearly three decades of corruption under his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, and accuses the opposition of stoking unrest for political gain.

The warrant against Youssef is the latest in a series of legal actions against the comedian, whose widely-watched weekly show, "ElBernameg" or "The Program," has become a platform for lampooning the government, opposition, media and clerics. He has also used his program to fact-check politicians.

The fast-paced show has attracted a wide viewership, while at the same time earning itself its fair share of detractors. Youssef has been a frequent target of lawsuits, most of them brought by Islamist lawyers who have accused him of "corrupting morals" or violating "religious principles."

Prosecutor Mohammed el-Sayed Khalifa told Al-Ahram online that he has heard 28 plaintiffs accusing Youssef of insulting Islam, mocking prayers, and "belittling" Morsi in the eyes of the world and his own people.

In one episode of the show, Youssef mocks former militants who are now part of the mainstream political scene in Egypt. At a recent rally, some former radicals who were imprisoned for taking part in the assassination of late President Anwar Sadat in 1981, accused the opposition of using violence at anti-Morsi protests.

In the program, Youssef ridicules an Islamist who said the militants had repented by fasting for three months for mistakenly killing others with Sadat.

"What a message," Youssef says. "Anyone can form a group in the name of religion, assassinate in the name of religion, and then oops! Repent and fast for three months, and it will too pass in the name of religion."

The comedian has faced several court cases in the past accusing him of insulting Morsi. One of Youssef's attorneys, Gamal Eid, said however that this is the first time an arrest warrant has been issued for the comedian.

In a post on his official Twitter account, Youssef said he will hand himself in to the prosecutor's office Sunday. He then added, with his typical sarcasm: "Unless they kindly send a police van today and save me the transportation hassle."

Eid said the warrant fits into a widening campaign against government critics, media personalities, and activists, saying "the prosecution has become a tool to go after the regime's opposition and intimidate it."

A call to a top aide to the country's chief prosecutor, Hassan Yassin, for comment went unanswered.

Egypt's leading pro-democracy advocate and top opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei lamented the state of affairs in the country in a message posted on Saturday on his official Twitter account. "Pathetic efforts to smother dissent and intimidate media is a sign of a shaky regime and a bunker mentality," he wrote.

The other recent arrest warrants for five high-profile activists were issued over allegations that they instigated violence last week near the Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo, where nearly 200 people were injured in clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters of the Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails.

Morsi responded by harshly criticizing his opponents, calling them hired thugs out to derail Egypt's democracy. The Brotherhood also blamed privately-owned media for fanning the violence.

The criticism was followed by a two-day protest by dozens of Islamists outside the studios of TV networks critical of Morsi. The protesters pelted police and prevented some talk show hosts and guests from entering or leaving the complex.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called the escalation of anti-press "rhetoric" by Morsi and his supporters and the sit-in outside the media city were "deeply troubling."

The series of prosecutions and arrest warrants come amid a legal challenge to the chief prosecutor, Talaat Abdullah, whose appointment by Morsi last year was declared void by a court ruling earlier this week.

On Saturday, Abdullah said he will appeal the court ruling, saying it is "in violation of the constitution and the law," Egypt's state news agency reported. The decision signals a protracted legal battle is likely to ensue, further confusing the legal scene in Egypt.

In the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, an Egyptian rights group said Saturday that police detained 13 people, including five lawyers, and accused them of assaulting police. The arrests inside the police station mark a rare instance in which lawyers face potential criminal charges.

The Haqanya Center for Rights said the 13 are accused of insulting security officials, attempting to free other detainees at the police station and illegal assembly.

The arrests prompted an angry response from lawyers at Cairo's Bar Association, who demanded an apology from the police.

Those detained include prominent lawyer and pro-democracy activist Mahienour el-Masry. Several dozen Cairo protesters held a rally outside the chief prosecutor's office, dismissing his orders as void, locking up the gates to his office with chains and demanding the release of the lawyers and activists.

Mohammed Abdel-Aziz, an attorney, said the lawyers and activists were beaten and assaulted at the station, where they had been since Friday to represent three opposition members reportedly detained and taken to the police by members of a political party affiliated with the Brotherhood.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-issues-arrest-warrant-tv-satirist-132500262.html

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Commute From Earth To Space Station Just Got Shorter

U.S. astronaut Chris Cassidy gestures before Thursday's launch of the Soyuz from the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. astronaut Chris Cassidy gestures before Thursday's launch of the Soyuz from the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

Three astronauts have arrived at the International Space Station after being the first to try out a new "express" route that slashes their launch-to-docking commute from two days to just six hours.

The crew of the Soyuz capsule, Russians Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin and American Chris Cassidy, docked with the ISS late Thursday after blasting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. En route to the station, they made "only four orbits instead of the usual two-day launch-to-docking mission profile for a Russian spacecraft," NASA says.

Although the expedited trip has been successful twice before with unmanned cargo-carrying Soyuz capsules known as Progress, the mission that docked Thursday is the first manned crew to accomplish the feat. The BBC says the speedy launch-to-docking was accomplished by "using intricate ballistics maneuvers [that] succeeded in cutting out around 30 orbits and 45 hours from the flight time to the ISS."

According to Space.com, the procedure for the shorter flight is basically a compressed version of the longer one.

Not only does this save time for the crew, stuffed as they are in the cramped Soyuz, but since the Russian capsule can fly autonomously in orbit for only about four days, the shorter commute also means more fuel, oxygen and other supplies can be conserved for a possible emergency.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/29/175693743/commute-from-earth-to-space-station-just-got-shorter?ft=1&f=1007

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EPA takes aim at auto emissions, sulfur in gas

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration proposed new regulations Friday to clean up gasoline and automobile emissions, claiming the new standards would provide $7 in health benefits from cleaner air for each dollar spent to implement them. The costs likely would be passed on to consumers in higher gasoline and automobile prices.

The Environmental Protection Agency said the new rule would reduce sulfur in gasoline and tighten automobile emission standards beginning in 2017, resulting in an increase in gas prices of less than a penny per gallon. The agency estimated it also would add $130 to the cost of a vehicle in 2025, but predicted it would yield billions of dollars in health benefits by slashing smog- and soot-forming pollution.

EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe said the proposal is designed to "protect the environment and public health in an affordable and practical way."

The oil industry, Republicans and some Democrats wanted EPA to delay the rule, citing higher costs. An oil industry study says it could increase gasoline prices by 6 to 9 cents a gallon.

"Consumers care about the price of fuel, and our government should not be adding unnecessary regulations that raise manufacturing costs, especially when there are no proven environmental benefits," said Bob Greco, an American Petroleum Institute official. "We should not pile on new regulations when existing regulations are working."

Environmentalists hailed the proposal as potentially the most significant in President Barack Obama's second term.

The so-called Tier 3 standards would reduce sulfur in gasoline by more than 60 percent and reduce nitrogen oxides by 80 percent, by expanding across the country a standard already in place in California. For states, the regulation would make it easier to comply with health-based standards for the main ingredient in smog and soot. For automakers, the regulation allows them to sell the same autos in all 50 states.

The Obama administration already has moved to clean up motor vehicles by adopting rules that will double fuel efficiency and putting in place the first standards to reduce the pollution from cars and trucks blamed for global warming.

"We know of no other air pollution control strategy that can achieve such substantial, cost-effective and immediate emission reductions," said Bill Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. Becker said the rule would reduce pollution equal to taking 33 million cars off the road.

But the head of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Charles Drevna, questioned the motives behind the agency's regulation, since refining companies already have spent $10 billion to reduce sulfur by 90 percent. The additional cuts, while smaller, will cost just as much, Drevna said, and the energy needed for the additional refining actually could increase carbon pollution by 1 percent to 2 percent.

"I haven't seen an EPA rule on fuels that has come out since 1995 that hasn't said it would cost only a penny or two more," Drevna said.

A study commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute estimated that lowering the sulfur in gasoline would add 6 cents to 9 cents a gallon to refiners' manufacturing costs, an increase that likely would be passed on to consumers at the pump. The EPA estimate of less than 1 cent is also an additional manufacturing cost and likely to be passed on.

A senior administration official said Thursday that only 16 of 111 refineries would need to invest in major equipment to meet the new standards, which could be final by the end of this year. Of the remaining refineries, 29 already are meeting the standards because they are selling cleaner fuel in California or other countries, and 66 would have to make modifications.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the rule was still undergoing White House budget office review.

___

Follow Dina Cappiello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dinacappiello

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/epa-takes-aim-auto-emissions-sulfur-gas-144338346--finance.html

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Smith leads Louisville to 77-69 victory over Ducks

Louisville guard Russ Smith (2) reacts after his team's 77-69 win over Oregon in a regional semifinal against Oregon in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. At left is Oregon's E.J. Singler (25). (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Louisville guard Russ Smith (2) reacts after his team's 77-69 win over Oregon in a regional semifinal against Oregon in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. At left is Oregon's E.J. Singler (25). (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Louisville players react on the bench as they watch the end of a regional semifinal against Oregon in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Louisville guard Russ Smith (2) reacts during the second half of a regional semifinal against Oregon in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Oregon forward Carlos Emory holds his head down as he is benched during the second half of a regional semifinal against Louisville in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. At left is center Waverly Austin (20). Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Oregon forward E.J. Singler passes the ball around Louisville center Gorgui Dieng (10) during the second half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Louisville coach Rick Pitino is baffled by Russ Smith.

Not by the star guard himself, who is managing to outdo himself each time he steps on the court. No, Pitino doesn't understand why the rest of the country isn't as impressed with Smith as he ? and every opponent who's faced him ? is.

"I look at (player of the year) lists, and I don't see Russ Smith. I don't see him on the All-America teams," Pitino said. "I'm baffled, just baffled, because it wasn't like he was a Johnny-come-lately. He carried us on his back to a Final Four last year."

And he's one game from doing it again.

With Louisville having a rare off night, Smith lifted the Cardinals to a 77-69 victory over Oregon on Friday that put them in the Midwest Region finals. He matched his career high of 31 points, including seven during what would wind up being the game's decisive run.

Smith is averaging 27 points through the first three games of the tournament.

"Russ Smith is a talented young man," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "When he got going, we didn't have an answer."

Louisville (32-5) plays Duke on Sunday, the first time Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski have met in a regional final since Christian Laettner's shot in 1992.

The 12th-seeded Ducks managed to make a game of it, though, which is more than most of Louisville's recent opponents can say.

After Louisville went up 66-48 with 9:01 left, Oregon made six straight field goals to close to 70-64. But Kevin Ware scored on a layup and Chane Behanan threw down a monstrous dunk to put the game out of reach.

Ware finished with 11, topping his previous career best by one, and Gorgui Dieng had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

E.J. Singler's 15 points led five Ducks in double figures. But Damyean Dotson had an off night, held without a field goal until five minutes were gone in the second half, and Oregon could never recover from its poor start.

Early foul trouble didn't help, with Johnathan Loyd picking up his third before halftime and Dominic Artis and Carlos Emory playing the last six minutes of the half with two.

"If it wasn't for the beginning, it would have been a completely different game," Loyd said. "We just came out, we weren't ready and we got smacked. If we were playing the way were playing in the second half the whole game, it's a completely different story."

The Cardinals were barely tested in either of their first two games in the NCAA tournament, beating North Carolina A&T by 31 and Colorado State by 26. They set an NCAA tournament record with 20 steals against A&T, outrebounded one of the country's best rebounding teams in Colorado State and left both teams with ugly shooting lines.

But a hacking cough that Smith has had the last few days is making its way around the Louisville team, and it was clear from the start this wasn't going to be another juggernaut performance by the Cardinals.

Peyton Siva spent the last 15:19 of the first half on the bench after picking up his second foul, and Louisville wasn't nearly as stingy on defense as it's been. The Cardinals (13) actually had more turnovers than the Ducks (12), and Oregon is only the third team to shoot 44 percent or better during Louisville's winning streak.

Thanks to Smith, however, the Cardinals finished like they always do lately: with a win.

After Siva went out, Smith hit a 3 to spark a 14-3 run that put Louisville up 24-8. When he capped the spurt with a layup, it was Russ Smith 9, Oregon 8.

"We really dug ourselves a big hole," Singler said. "We tried to figure back as much as possible, but Louisville's a really, really good team. They just played better than us today."

But the Ducks aren't a team that gives in.

After losing six of their last 11 regular-season games, the Ducks have been on a tear. They won the Pac-12 tournament, then upset Oklahoma State and Saint Louis last weekend.

They went on a 16-4 run that cut Louisville's lead to six points, the smallest it had been since the opening minutes of the game.

"We watched film and seen how they run, and we kind of figured out that would happen," Chane Behanan said.

Instead of panicking, the Cardinals regrouped and regained control. After Ware and Behanan's baskets, Smith shot 3-of-4 from the line to seal the win.

"Coach has been telling me to fight through (his cold), fight through it, dig in. My teammates as well," Smith said. "We're fighting through it and just doing whatever we can to get a win."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-30-NCAA-Oregon-Louisville%20Folo/id-5d4e5bbf2ba64cb3aa37c53d9f2c038e

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You want to see this flying armbar (Video)

The flying arm bar is one of those submissions that happens so quickly, that you need to look twice to realize what happened. Skip to the 1:10 mark in this video and you'll see Oliver Fontaine pull it off at the Lyon Fighting Championship in France. And you have to feel for his opponent, Sofian Benchohra, who never saw the arm bar coming. With a record of 4-7-1, he hasn't won a fight since October of 2010.

Thanks, MMA Fighting.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/want-see-flying-armbar-video-151956671--mma.html

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To the essential go the breaks?unfair, or just reality? ? Business ...

Q: ?My manager says everybody is important, but she still treats people differently. For example, she expects me to clean out the department refrigerator and wipe up spills in the coffee area. She also tells me to keep the printer and copier filled with paper.

?I have a very responsible job as an administrative assistant in this medical center. However, my boss clearly feels that the clinical staff?s time is more important than mine. Although she preaches teamwork, she doesn't expect the medical people to replace paper or clean up after themselves.

?Our manager often says 'Remember that if it weren?t for the medical staff, we would not have jobs.' This makes the rest of us feel unimportant. In this day and time, shouldn?t everyone be expected to do these tasks?? Unappreciated

A: There?s no right or wrong answer here, but I?ll gladly give you my personal opinion. Your paper replacement duties seem reasonable to me, because dealing with office equipment is typically part of an assistant?s job. However, being the assistant does not make you the maid.

Refrigerator cleaning ought to be done by the maintenance staff. If that?s not possible, then everyone should take a turn, using a weekly assignment roster. A notice should be posted near the coffee asking people to clean up their own spills.

That said, my opinion does not change the fact that certain people are likely to be exempt from these tasks. Although every employee makes a valuable contribution, some positions will always have more status and therefore more leverage.

In any organization, the greatest status is given to those who are both essential for success and difficult to replace. For example, movie stars are more highly esteemed than camera operators, even though camera operators are very important.

The reality, therefore, is that physicians are not likely to start scrubbing out vegetable bins, and your manager will not be able to make them. But if you present your request in a reasonable manner, perhaps you can convince her to enlist your other colleagues in a cleaning rotation.

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An Easter treat: Spring's first full moon

Greg Diesel Walck

The 2013 March full moon hangs bright over the Bodie Island Lighthouse in Outer Banks, N.C., in this photo from Greg Diesel Walck.

By Joe Rao
Space.com

The first full moon of the new spring season comes Wednesday night (March 27), and it plays a surprisingly important role for the upcoming Easter Sunday.

The moon officially turned full at 5:27 a.m. EDT (2:27 a.m. PDT), but your first view of the full moon at night will likely come later this evening. Traditionally, the March full moon is known as "Worm Moon," supposedly because when the ground softens, the earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. But because of its association with Easter, it's also known as the Paschal Moon.?

Other lunar monikers for this month include "Crow Moon," (when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter), "Crust Moon," (because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night) and "Sap Moon," (marking the time of tapping maple trees).

Traditional names for the full moons of the year are found in some publications such as The Farmers' Almanac. We also published the full list of full moon names?here on Space.com earlier this year. The origins of these names have been traced back to Native Americans, though they may also have evolved from old England or, as Guy Ottewell, editor of the annual publication "Astronomical Calendar" suggests, "writer's fancy." [10 Suprising Moon Facts You May Not Know]

The first full moon of spring is also sometimes referred to as the Paschal Full Moon, because it is the moon used to set the date of Easter in a given year. This year, if you have not already noticed, Easter will arrive a bit on the early side, on March 31. The earliest Easter in our lifetimes came five years ago, on March 23 (the last time that Easter fell this early in the calendar was 1913, and before that, in 1856).

Which leads us to ask the question, exactly just how is the date of Easter determined?

Equinox and the full moon
Traditionally, Easter is observed on the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. If the Paschal Moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is the following Sunday.

Following these rules, we find that Easter can fall as early as March 22 and as late as April 25 in any given year. Pope Gregory XIII decreed this in 1582 as part of the Gregorian calendar.

This year the Paschal Full Moon falls Wednesday, so according to the current ecclesiastical rules, Easter is to be celebrated four days later, on Sunday.

Interestingly however, these rules also state that the vernal equinox is fixed on March 21, even though at European longitudes from the years 2008 through 2101 it actually will occur no later than March 20.

Hence, there can sometimes be discrepancies between the ecclesiastical and astronomical rules for dating Easter. In the year 2038, for instance, the equinox falls on March 20, with a full moon the next day, so astronomically speaking, Easter should fall on March 28 of that year. In reality, however, as mandated by the rules of the Church, Easter in 2038 will be observed as late as it can possibly come, on April 25!

Adding additional confusion is that there is also an "ecclesiastical" full moon, determined from ecclesiastical tables and whose date does not necessarily coincide with the "astronomical" full moon, which is based solely on astronomical calculations. In 1981, for example, the full moon occurred on Sunday, April 19, so Easter should have occurred on the following Sunday, April 26. But based on the ecclesiastical full moon, Easter occurred on the same day of the full moon, April 19.

So in practice, the date of Easter is determined not from astronomical computations, but rather from other religious formulas such as Epachs and Golden Numbers. In 2013, we are in Epach 17 and the Golden Number is 19. [Who Observes Easter? (Infographic)]

Since the beginning of the 20th century, a proposal to change Easter to a fixed holiday rather than a movable one has been widely circulated, and in 1963 the Second Vatican Council agreed, provided a consensus could be reached among Christian churches. The second Sunday in April has been suggested as the most likely date.

Changeable weather too
Interestingly, the fact that Easter occurs at a time of the year when weather patterns are transitioning from winter to spring, means a wide variation in the type of weather that can be expected, depending upon just when the holiday falls in a given year. Ask somebody what type of weather immediately comes to mind when Christmas is mentioned, and likely the answer will be cold and snowy. For the Fourth of July, it's probably sunny and hot.?

Yet Easter can feature both of these extremes!?

In 1970, Easter fell on March 29. In that year, a snowstorm hit the northeastern United States. In New York City, the famous Easter Parade had to be canceled, as four inches of snow fell, with as much as a foot of it?in the northern suburbs.

And yet, just six years later, in 1976, Easter fell on April 18, which ended up going down in New York weather annals as the hottest Easter on record. Not only was the 96-degree Fahrenheit reading that day the hottest temperature recorded in Central Park that year, it was also the very first (and only time) that New York held the distinction of being the hottest location in the United States!??

Editor's note:?If you have an amazing picture of the full moon or any other night sky view that?you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send photos, comments and your name and location to Managing Editor Tariq Malik at?spacephotos@space.com.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The?New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.?Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook?and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

Copyright 2013 Space.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a109ca2/l/0Lscience0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C270C174898980Ean0Eeaster0Etreat0Esprings0Efirst0Efull0Emoon0Dlite/story01.htm

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HP's Officejet Pro Does 1 Thing Extremely Well

The HP Officejet Pro X551dw doesn't scan, doesn't copy, doesn't fax, and obviously doesn't make coffee. It is, however, among the best single-use printers you could get in a small-to-medium sized office environment. It is fast, it operates at a low cost, and although it doesn't do those aforementioned things, it does much more.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2a00b7bb/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C77620A0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Cyprus still groping for a solution to a banking crisis that's roiling Europe

Cyprus lawmakers are facing hard choices. Swallowing a bitter pill in exchange for a European bailout or leaving the eurozone are just two of them.

By Robert Marquand,?Staff writer / March 22, 2013

A woman waits as two people use the ATM machines in central capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Friday. Cypriot authorities were putting the final touches Friday to a plan they hope will convince international lenders to provide the money the country urgently needs to avoid bankruptcy within days.

Petros Karadjias/AP

Enlarge

The instant saga of Cyprus ? and whether it will go belly up, default, and shake the European, if not the world, economy like some crazed mouse that roared ? continues along with enough hourly news to bring live updates here and here.?

Skip to next paragraph Robert Marquand

Staff writer

Over the past three decades, Robert Marquand has reported on a wide variety of subjects for?The Christian Science Monitor, including American education reform,?the wars in the Balkans, the Supreme Court, South Asian politics, and the oft-cited "rise of China." In the past 15 years he has served as the Monitor's bureau chief in Paris, Beijing, and New Delhi.?

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Cyprus has until Monday to come up with $7 billion and a reform plan, or face losing its creditors and sinking into ignominious pools of red ink.

Today the Russians said "nyet" to Cypriot officials, who waited in Moscow for three days?to get a possible bailout. Russian oligarchs hold at least 40 percent of Cyprus bank deposits. Cypriots had hoped, for some reason, that Russia might bail out what is essentially a banking system that thrives on helping the wealthy evade paying Russian taxes.

?The next few hours will determine the future of the country,? Reuters reports?Cypriot government spokesman Christos Stylianides said today, ahead of a vote on a slew of different and changing plans to stay solvent. ?We must all assume our share of the responsibility.??

What first caught world attention was an EU-inspired plan, voted on and killed by Cyprus lawmakers this week, to tax or expropriate private bank deposits in the country. That sent a shudder through the minds of ordinary Europeans, not to mention a lot of Russians and Cypriots themselves.

Yet facing looming insolvency, the largest Cypriot bank today called for the nation?s parliament to levy a tax on holdings over 100,000 euros ($120,000), arguing the alternative is collapse.

Plans on Cypriot tables include the creation of ?good? banks with credible holdings and ?bad? banks with toxic holdings, and to cordon off the bad Greek bank debt whose exposure helped cause the problem in the first place, in the midst of a three-year euro crisis that started in Athens.

EU approval is essential to get the tranche of bailout funds from the European Central Bank. Today the Germans said no to a Cyprus pension raiding scheme that has been floated for days.

Cypriot banks remain closed, ostensibly until Tuesday, when no one knows what will happen; bank ATMs are for now providing petty cash for the commercial sustenance of regular folk and lines are long.

As the world starts to focus on why an island making up 0.2 percent of the EU economic picture could shake world markets, the question is being asked: Why would Cypriot officials turn their island into a quasi-money laundering center for offshore oligarchs and at the same time buy Greek debt that was already shaky ? and imagine this would somehow turn out fine?

Paul Krugman of The New York Times continues to probe the story, writing Thursday that Cyprus has combined on one tiny Mediterranean island all the mistakes made by the European economies of Portugal, Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and so on (the so-called ?PIIGS?) that have helped bring the euro crisis to bloom.?

This includes ?runaway banking,? the all-too familiar real estate bubbles brought by ?massive overvaluation,? and the problem of not having enough productive capacity to pull out of a dive into debt when things went sour.

Mr. Krugman asks:

So then what? As a number of people have pointed out, Cyprus is arguably better positioned than Iceland to do an Iceland, because devaluing a reintroduced Cypriot currency could bring in a lot of tourism. But will the Cypriots ? who haven?t even reconciled themselves to the end of their round-tripping business ? be willing to go there

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/BypO6pVAFgg/Cyprus-still-groping-for-a-solution-to-a-banking-crisis-that-s-roiling-Europe

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Bar Refaeli Controversy: Model Criticized For Role in Pro-Israel Campaign

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/bar-refaeli-controversy-model-criticized-for-role-in-pro-israel/

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How You Can Find Out If Personal Bankruptcy - HWM Personal ...

Making the decision to file for bankruptcy isn?t an easy one, but sometimes it can be the only way out of a mountain of debt. It is best to go into this kind of thing when you know what going on and how to go about doing it. This article contains wisdom and knowledge to help you fully understand the bankruptcy process.

Find people who are going through bankruptcy on the internet and talk with them. Going through bankruptcy can put a strain on your mental health and make you feel like a stranger when you are trying to have fun with friends. The Internet gives you a place to talk about your hardships and seek advice from those who?ve previously filed for bankruptcy.

Gain an understanding of bankruptcy law before you file. There are many traps in the bankruptcy laws that could trip up your case. Small errors could even cause your case to be dismissed. Do the proper research on bankruptcy before taking the next step. This will make things easier in the long run.

TIP! Examine all of the possible options available to you before you choose to file for bankruptcy. Take stock of your debts, and figure out which ones can be discharged through bankruptcy.

Do not delay in filing your personal bankruptcy case. If you have no other options, then delaying it will not improve the situation. Your financial position may deteriorate even further and make an already stressful situation even less tolerable. Stress has an adverse affect on your health and negatively impacts your life. It is best to file as quick as possible.

Be brutally honest when you file for bankruptcy, as hiding assets or liabilities, will only come back to haunt you. Penalties may include fines, imprisonment or denial of the filing. Don?t withhold information, and create a smart way of coping with the reality of the situation.

Learn as much as you can about bankruptcy by going to informational websites. The United States Justice Department, the ABI (American Bankruptcy Institute), as well as the NABCA (National Assoc. Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys) are excellent sources of information. You will find that the process of filing for personal bankruptcy is easier and less of a hassle with the more information on the subject you gather ahead of time.

If you?re considering filing for bankruptcy, it is critical that you assess what events and behaviors brought you to this point. You should not worry about your money managing skills if you owe money because of unplanned medical expenses, but if most of your money has been spent irresponsibly, you need to look for a long-term solution to manage your finances. If you are a spend-a-holic, you should consider getting some help so you can avoid putting yourself right back into the same bad financial situation once the bankruptcy is complete.

TIP! No matter what?s going on, make sure you tell the truth about your situation. Lying about assets and debts is something you really should not do at all.

Before you make the final decision to file bankruptcy, consider the other options you have. Think about seeing a credit counselor. There are some good non-profit organizations that could help you. They can negotiate with each of your creditors to work out payments that you can afford, along with reduced interest rates. Often, they make the payments to your creditors, and you make your payment to them.

You will find many people, who have filed for bankruptcy, completely separate themselves from ever using credit again if possible. This isn?t necessarily a good strategy to follow because good credit is established by getting, and handling, credit responsibly. If you don?t use your credit, you won?t be able to make big purchases on credit in the future. Keep it simple with one card and take a slow approach to rebuilding.

Obtain copies of all credit reports about six months after the bankruptcy petition has been approved. Make sure that the report accurately represents your discharged debts and closed credit accounts. Ask about any discrepancies once you see any, so that you could start repairing your credit.

Make sure that you act at the appropriate time. When filing for personal bankruptcy, it is very important that you act at the correct time. Sometimes it is the best option to file quickly, whereas in other situations filing should be put off until the worst has already passed. Speak with a bankruptcy lawyer about when the best time is to file for your specific needs.

Don?t make the mistake of thinking that Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a magic debt eraser. Some debts require you to reaffirm them by signing a new repayment agreement, while some others are very rarely dischargeable at all. For instance, child support debts, court fines and alimony obligations cannot be discharged in Chapter 7 cases.

Make sure that bankruptcy is used as a last resort, so that your credit history remains as clear as possible. Some creditors will work with you on other ways to pay off your debt, such as lowering your interest rate, forgiving late fees, or extending your payment schedule. In addition to saving money, this will allow you to raise your credit score. Explore the option of a consolidation loan for your debts before filing.

If you think you have to file a petition for bankruptcy, get a lawyer who specializes in bankruptcy. An attorney can offer valuable advice and help to simplify an extremely complex process. Attorneys can prepare your documents and help you with any concerns you may have.

TIP! If you are considering using credit cards to pay your taxes and then file for bankruptcy, you may want to rethink that. In a lot of places, the debt cannot be discharged, and you may still owe money to the IRS.

When you feel certain that you must file for personal bankruptcy, refrain from squandering your life savings to pay off unsecured debt. You should not use your retirement savings unless the situation calls for it. If you do have to dig into your savings, make sure that you leave enough to sustain you and your family for a couple of months.

Nobody wants to file for bankruptcy, but in some cases the situation becomes necessary. Having studied the information in this article, hopefully you are better prepared to deal with the bankruptcy process. If you can understand the path that others have followed, your journey will be more successful.

tips

Source: http://hwm.cc/?p=628

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Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2013

One of the most prestigious writing prizes for upcoming UK-based science writers is back. Organised by The Wellcome Trust, in association with the Guardian and The Observer, the Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2013 is welcoming entries from non-professional writers until 28 April. And the science writing tips series, a great resource for any upcoming science writer, is also back with new guest posts from experienced science writers.

Similar to previous years?, this year?s competition comprises two categories: professional scientists or postgrads and anybody with a non-professional interest in science. Winners of both categories will have their entries published in either the Guardian or The Observer. Plus, winners pocket a cool ?1,000 (? $1,500) each.

Entries should be 800 words long and can be about any area of science. As a general rule, the more enthusiastic you are about what you are writing, the more this will show in your writing, so it might be a good idea to cover something that blows your mind. This eager voice is actually one of the things the judges will be looking for:

?The judges are looking for originality, bright ideas and a clear writing style. Your article should show a passion for science and encourage the general public to consider, question and debate the key issues in science and society.?

Another good tip about writing in general:

?Above all, write simple prose. Don?t use baroque phrases, and avoid over-embroidering your story with unnecessary feats of linguistic acrobatics. It?s much more important to find a good story to write about than to come up with flowery turns of phrase or stunning metaphors.

Good writing is clear, pithy and accessible. Good writers want to impress readers with the tales they tell; they are not interested in making themselves sound clever with the words they use.?

Be sure to check out shortlisted entries from the previous years as well. Don?t try to copy the styles of those writers but instead figure out how they tell their stories and how they show why their stories matter.

Beside the actual competition, another great thing that comes out of the Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize is the yearly science writing tips series which runs on the Guardian. The series typically pins experienced writers against the wall and ask them to write short posts about science writing in general: how to start writing, how to tackle a science story, etc. The series probably contains at least a hundred posts so it?s well worth checking out even if you?re not submitting anything.

In a few bullet points, here?s what you should remember:

A few links:

A cup of tea and a laptop is all you need to enter. Good luck!

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=f3871483846dffc72ae52b595ef37ee2

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How the consumer is impacting search engine optimisation ...

Forget generic search terms, today?s consumer is more likely to get social recommendations and hone their target before they hit Google and brands need to take notice says David Bain in a piece that first appeared in Encore.

Nine years is a long time on the internet. In 2004, 11.5 per cent of the world?s population was online. By December 2012 that figure had increased to more than 34 per cent, or more than 2.4 billion people.?

Yet despite this surge in internet usage, Google is reporting a significant drop in the popularity of many common search terms. According to Google Trends, there has been a 400 per cent decrease in popularity for the search term ?hotels? over the past nine years.

This drop is too steep to just be an industry slowdown. In fact, many other generic search terms in other industries are following a similar downward trend.

Each year the world?s internet population continues to grow and Google is still the number one site in the world, so we?re not seeing a reduction in the popularity of search as a medium. Rather, what is happening is that online consumers are now more selective in how they search ? not surprisingly they are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

So why are consumers changing their online search habits?

Specialist websites such as niche booking sites and limited-time sale sites allow consumers to go elsewhere to find what they are looking for ? and often at a better price.

Thanks to the emergence of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, web users are now able to quickly and easily ask for recommendations from their friends rather than rely on search engines.

Search engines themselves are changing the types of results they deliver. Last year Google introduced Search Plus Your World, which shook up search results by enhancing them with personalised results. This sped up the change in consumer search behaviour.

However, that is not to say that all Google searches are decreasing in popularity. People still tend to rely on search engines to look for specific deals, categories or locations of items. For example, they are now increasingly searching for the term ?hotel deals?.

As consumers now have more places to go, and as they become more comfortable at being able to conduct online research without the help of search engines, search engines have to take more signals into account when it comes to determining the ranking of web pages.

What we are seeing relates more to the evolution of the internet as a whole, and the increased level of sophistication of the average internet user. Users are now more likely to first refer to other websites ? or ask people they trust ? before making up their minds which niche area of the generic topic really interests them.

Only then, after feeling comfortable with which niche area is relevant to them, will the average internet user revert to a search engine to further enhance their knowledge. And more importantly, consumers are now becoming increasingly likely to stick with a brand they know and trust, combined with asking their friend?s opinion on what they should do.

Five years ago it was relatively easy for a search engine optimisation firm to position a website towards the top of Google organic results for highly searched, popular keyword terms.

Now it?s not so easy ? and not necessarily as rewarding.

Search engine optimisation is now firmly part of the marketing mix ? and needs to be thought of alongside website design, brand positioning and content production. Building a brand that people love and want to evangelise is a large part of effective SEO. If people search for ?hotel deals? and they don?t like what they find, the short time they spend on your site will send a negative signal to Google ? and you won?t be ranked for that keyword phrase for long.

Clearly, the increasingly sophisticated consumer is having a significant impact on SEO due to the precise nature of their searches and the actions they take while on a website. This is causing a few headaches for SEO firms, but if it has a positive impact on the quality of search results, then surely it?s a good thing.

In short, move with the times. This isn?t something that?s going away and agencies that continue to focus on the increasingly unrewarding ?head terms? will discover that their initial internet land grab is starting to erode.

Professional SEO agencies will need to be business consultants to their clients in the future. That means getting under the skin of what their business is about ? fully understanding their product and service range and the psychology of their customers. Agencies will need to be at the cutting edge of multi-touch attribution modelling, ensuring their clients understand the true long-term value of specific keyword phrases.

Now, and more so in the future, the best keywords will be those that convert at the highest ratios over the long term ? not the ones that deliver the most website visitors. A quick visit from an irrelevant visitor just sends out a negative message to search engines. That old adage ?turnover is vanity, profit is sanity? will apply to websites more and more in the future.

David Bain is the SEO manager at MEC.

?

This story first appeared in the weekly edition of Encore available for iPad and Android tablets. Visit encore.com.au for a preview of the app or click below to download.

March 18th, 2013 at 9:34 am

Source: http://mumbrella.com.au/how-the-consumer-is-impacting-search-engine-optimisation-145754

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Americans sympathize with Israel; Want U.S. out of it

Many more Americans continue to side with Israel rather than the Palestinian Authority, but - with President Obama's first visit there days away - most also prefer to leave peace negotiations to the two protagonists, rather than having the United States take the lead.

Fifty-five percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll sympathize more with Israel, vs. 9 percent who side more with the Palestinian Authority, with the rest favoring neither, or undecided. It's been a similar gap for many years, including polling back to the 1980s testing Israel vs. the Arab nations of the Middle East.

See PDF with full results, charts and tables here.

Despite that preference for Israel, seven in 10 want the U.S. largely to leave resolving the conflict to the Israelis and Palestinians themselves - a result that underscores the difficulties in finding a solution to the decades-old conflict. Preference for the United States to eschew a leading role is 15 percentage points higher than the last time it was asked in an ABC/Post poll, during an outbreak of violence between the two sides nearly 11 years ago.

Even among those who are more sympathetic to one side or the other, regardless of which side it is, about two-thirds don't want the U.S. to take the leading role. That preference rises to about three-quarters of those who don't favor either side.

In another expression of support for Israel, more Americans say the Obama administration has put too little pressure on the Palestinian Authority than too much pressure - 34 vs. 8 percent. They split about evenly, by contrast, on whether the administration has put too much or too little pressure on Israel. About four in 10, meanwhile, think the U.S. has appropriately pressured each side in the conflict.

RELIGION and POLITICS - This poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, finds little sympathy for the Palestinian Authority across groups, always well behind support for Israel. However, breadth of support for Israel varies considerably, with the Palestinian Authority and frustration with both groups gaining somewhat among less broadly pro-Israel groups.

Among religious groups, sympathy for Israel peaks, at 76 percent, among evangelical white Protestants, falling to 55 percent among non-evangelical white Protestants and Catholics, and bottoming out at 39 percent among those who aren't religiously affiliated. Religiosity is a factor as well, with those who attend religious services more apt to side with Israel.

Support for Israel also is broad - more than seven in 10 - among Republicans and conservatives alike. This drops to roughly five in 10 moderates, independents and Democrats, and to just 39 percent of liberals, with more saying they favor neither side, compared with Republicans and conservatives.

A similar pattern plays out on the matter of the Obama administration's use of influence on each side, with Republicans and conservatives more likely than others to think Israel is being pressured too much and the Palestinian Authority too little. Majorities of Democrats, not surprisingly, are happy with the pressure the Obama administration's applying to each side.

On the other hand, when it comes to U.S. involvement in the peace process, there's agreement across religious, partisan and ideological groups (from 66 to 70 percent) that the two sides should handle negotiations themselves.

Age is another prominent marker of support for Israel, ranging from 48 percent among younger adults to 57 percent of 40- to 64-year-olds and topping out at two-thirds among seniors. Views that the Obama administration is putting too much pressure on Israel, and is applying too little of its muscle with the Palestinian Authority, also peak among seniors.

Obama is scheduled to leave Wednesday for a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank, ruled by the Palestinian Authority.

METHODOLOGY - This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone March 7-10, 2013, among a random national sample of 1,001 adults, including landline and cell-phone-only respondents. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points, including design effect. Partisan divisions are 33-25-35 percent, Democrats-Republicans-independents.

The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by Abt-SRBI of New York, N.Y.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/more-americans-sympathize-israel-dont-051205946.html

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Lil Wayne: Still in ICU, Still in Rough Shape

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/lil-wayne-still-in-icu-still-in-rough-shape/

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Accuser in Steubenville rape case says she recalls little

By Drew Singer

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - The 16-year-old accuser in the trial of two Ohio high school football players charged with raping her while she was drunk at a party took the stand on Saturday and said she remembered little of what happened on the night she says she was assaulted.

The girl recounted drinking vodka mixed with store-bought frozen slushies at the party that evening, then finding herself sitting on a curb early the next day, after the alleged rape, with her hands between her legs, vomiting into the street.

She testified that she otherwise had no recollection of her own of what happened in the early hours of August 12, 2012, when witnesses in the case have said she was too drunk to move or talk.

Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters is not identifying the girl.

Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of the Steubenville High School football team, are charged as juveniles with raping the girl by digital penetration while she was essentially unconscious.

Mays and Richmond have denied raping her and say that any sexual contact that occurred was consensual.

The case, being tried before a judge rather than a jury, drew national attention to the Ohio steel town of Steubenville, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after photo and video images from the party were posted online appearing to document the assault.

The girl testified that she only learned what had happened to her from text messages, pictures and other bits of information posted on social media by classmates who witnessed the assaults. Some of those witnesses have testified.

TEARFUL REACTION

Prosecutors displayed to her some of the pictures that circulated on social media, including one that showed her naked with what prosecutors say is semen on her stomach.

The girl started crying as she looked at the photo, saying she had never seen the image before.

"Who is that in the photo?" prosecutor Marrianne Hemmeter asked.

"Me," the girl answered.

"How does it make you feel?" Hemmeter said.

"Not good."

The girl also testified that when she finally went to the hospital, after seeing a video in which classmates joked about the assault, she was reluctant to identify her assailants.

When Hemmeter asked her why, the girl replied: "Because honestly, I was praying that everything I heard wasn't true. I didn't want to get myself into drama because I knew everyone would just blame me."

Defense attorneys have questioned whether the witnesses in the case remembered details from the party or were just repeating rumors that circulated afterward through their social groups or from investigators looking into the rape allegations.

Earlier on Saturday, the defense called two former friends of the accuser - Kelsey Weaver and Gianna Anile - who testified that the girl had a reputation for dishonesty.

Weaver, 17, testified the accuser had told her she liked Mays. Weaver also said she watched the accuser drink four shots of vodka and two beers and flirt with Richmond on the night she says the rape occurred.

Weaver said the accuser told her she thought she had been drugged as well - a conclusion Weaver said she did not believe. Asked by defense why she had doubts, Weaver said, "Because (she) lies about things."

Both Weaver and Anile were with the accuser on the night of the alleged rape. Both testified that they ended their friendship with her because of the accusations.

On Friday, Mark Cole, a teammate of Mays and Richmond, granted immunity for his testimony, said he recorded a video of Mays performing a sex act on the girl while she was passed out during a car ride between houses in Steubenville the night of the party, but he deleted the footage the next morning.

A second teammate, Evan Westlake, who also was granted immunity, testified he saw Richmond commit a sex act on the girl on the basement floor of a house that same night.

If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to a juvenile detention facility until they turn 21, and be required to register as sex offenders.

(Writing by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Steve Gorman and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/steubenville-rape-trial-accusers-veracity-questioned-175804991.html

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RNC to spend $10 million to reach minorities

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Reeling from back-to-back presidential losses and struggling to cope with the country's changing racial and ethnic makeup, the Republican National Committee plans to spend $10 million this year to send hundreds of party workers into Hispanic, black and Asian communities to promote its brand among voters who overwhelmingly supported Democrats in 2012.

Committee chairman Reince Priebus on Sunday also proposed shortening the presidential nominating calendar in 2016 and limiting the number of primary-season debates to avoid the self-inflicted damage from inside-party squabbling on the eventual nominee. Priebus' top-to-bottom changes include picking the moderators for the debates and then crowning the nominee as early as June so he or she could begin a general election campaign as quickly as possible.

"Mitt Romney was a sitting duck for two months over the summer," Priebus said of the 2012 GOP nominee.

To help his party ahead of the 2016 contest already in its earliest stages, Priebus said he would be hiring new staffers to build the GOP among voters in the states.

"It will include hundreds of people ? paid ? across the country, from coast-to-coast, in Hispanic, African American, Asian communities, talking about our party, talking about our brand, talking about what we believe in, going to community events, going to swearing-in ceremonies, being a part of the community on an ongoing basis, paid for by the Republican National Committee, to make the case for our party and our candidates," Priebus said.

That move was part of the recommendations included in a monthslong look at what went wrong in 2012. Priebus tapped a handful of respected party leaders to examine how the GOP could better talk with voters, raise money from donors and learn from Democrats' tactics. Priebus also asked the group to examine how they could work with independent groups such as super political action committees.

Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary under former president George W. Bush, and Sally Bradshaw, a veteran strategist and top adviser to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, were among those leading the inquiry. Republican National Committeeman Henry Barbour, a GOP strategist and nephew of former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, was also part of the group. RNC members Zori Fonalledas of Puerto Rico and Glenn McCall of South Carolina rounded out the five-person committee that listened to Republicans' ideas and frustrations.

Those leaders heard from 50,000 rank-and-file members about how to respond to the nation's shifting demographics.

Priebus planned a full-scale rollout of their recommendations Monday, although the proposals are far from a done deal. They would have to win the approval of the 168-member Republican National Committee and then each state's election chief would have to abide by the party's proposed calendar or face consequences, such as losing voting delegates to the nominating convention. The states previously have ignored such penalties.

Priebus said the party review recommended downplaying its internal divisions among candidates, which forced Romney to take more conservative positions on issues such as immigration during his quest to capture the party's nomination. In all, Priebus counted 23 debates among his party's crowded field of contenders, and there were a handful of other events ? including a Newt Gingrich-Herman Cain faceoff in Texas ? that distracted from their main task of defeating Obama.

"Our primary process was way too long... I think we had way too many debates with our candidates slicing and dicing each other," Priebus said, adding that under his proposal the party would pick the networks that would host the debates and journalists who would question the candidates.

"I would limit the debate to a reasonable amount, maybe seven or eight. But not 23. It's ridiculous," Priebus said. "While we were playing footsy debating each other 23 times, what was the other side doing? ... They were actually getting the job done."

Exit polls indicated Obama carried female, black, Hispanic and Asian voting blocs. He also won among voters under the age of 45 and those who lived in mid- to large-sized cities.

That spells troubles for the GOP in a nation that is increasingly diverse. The latest census data and polling from The Associated Press suggest non-Hispanic whites will lose their majority in the next generation, somewhere around the year 2043.

In 2010's elections, Republicans enjoyed the biggest midterm gains since 1938 and became the majority party in the U.S. House. Yet two years later, Democrats captured the biggest prize in American politics, the presidency, and picked up seats in both of Congress' chambers. Despite solid fundraising from the party and quick work from Romney after he won the nomination, the GOP couldn't overcome Obama's four-year head start and on-the-ground organization.

"We have become a party that parachutes into communities four months before an election," Priebus said. "The Obama campaign lived in these communities for years."

Priebus spoke with CBS' "Face the Nation."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rnc-spend-10-million-reach-minorities-150656306--election.html

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Streelman finally a PGA Tour winner

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) ? Kevin Streelman finally won on the PGA Tour with a game that looked as if he had done this many times before.

Streelman didn't make a bogey over the final 37 holes on the tough Copperhead course at Innisbrook. He didn't miss a shot over the last 11 holes on his way to a 4-under 67 on Sunday for a two-shot win in the Tampa Bay Championship.

Boo Weekley, who teed off three hours before the leaders, had a tournament-best 63 and waited to see if that would be enough.

Streelman, locked in a battle with Justin Leonard over the final hour, came up with one clutch shot after another. He hit 5-iron into 6 feet on the par-3 13th hole, the toughest at Innisbrook in the final round, to take the lead for good.

"Probably the best shot of my life in that situation," Streelman said. "It's just how I envisioned it and I pulled it off."

He locked up the win with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and he was all smiles walking up the 18th fairway. Until Sunday, the biggest tournament Streelman won might have been the club championship at Whisper Rock.

He won in his 153rd start on the PGA Tour, and it sends him to the Masters next month for the second time in his career.

"That was really cool," Streelman said. "I just stayed really patient, and I had a peace about me today."

He finished at 10-under 274.

Cameron Tringale had a 66 and finished alone in third when Leonard, who earlier made bogey from the bunker on the 16th, three-putted the final hole for a 71. Leonard wound up in a tie for fourth with defending champion Luke Donald (69) and Greg Chalmers (70).

The other big winner was Jordan Spieth, the 19-year-old from Texas who holed a 50-foot chip for birdie on the 17th hole and made a 7-foot par putt on the final hole for a 70 to tie for seventh.

That gave him enough money to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour for the rest of the year, meaning he can take unlimited sponsor exemptions.

Until making that chip, Spieth was projected to be $195 short of the temporary membership, which is based on earning the equivalent of 150th on the money list last year.

"That would have been brutal," he said with a grin. "But it's nice to get the crowd excited on 17. That was one of the coolest shots I've ever hit. That was as loud as it gets. Hair on the back of your neck stands up. But yeah, if I was $200, short, I would have just asked if I could pay them $200."

He now has earned $521,893 in three starts, the bulk of that coming from a runner-up finish in the Puerto Rico Open last week.

The 34-year-old Streelman was the 14th consecutive win by an American in official PGA Tour events, dating to Tommy Gainey at Sea Island last fall. Americans have won the first 12 events of the season, their best streak since winning 13 in a row in 1989.

All that mattered to Streelman was finally getting a win.

"Just keep chasing your dreams," Streelman said. "You never know what will happen."

Sixteen players were within three shots of the lead when the final round began, and anything could have happened. No one imagined a 63 at Innisbrook, and Weekley's round was so strong that it was 8.6 shots better than the field average.

"That will go down as one of the best rounds of the year," Pat Perez said in the parking lot, pleased with his own 67 and stunned someone could have a 63.

Weekley began his round by missing a 4-foot birdie putt, and he closed with such brilliance that he ran off three straight birdies on the back nine from inside 2 feet.

"It was impressive," Weekley said. "Even I'm still kind of shocked at how good I really hit it. The greens that I missed, I thought were going to be perfect. Overall, one of the best days I've had in ball striking in a long time."

Considering what was on the line, Streelman's performance might have been better, even his score was only a 67. He had to play in the final group, knowing that he hasn't had a chance this good to finally win.

Leonard tied him for the lead on the 12th, where Streelman missed a short birdie. Every shot after that was right where Streelman was aiming, including the key shot on the 16th hole, when he hit driver with a baby cut that worked its way around the lake.

The birdie on the 17th kept some stress out of the final hole, and Streelman played that the way he had the other holes on the back nine.

"It definitely has not sunk in yet," Streelman said. "It's a total dream come true. Ten years ago, I was in a car driving to mini tours and the Hooters Tour and Gateway Tour and U.S. Pro Tour.

"And I've been very blessed, but I've worked very hard to get here, too. The game is getting harder and younger, and these kids are fearless out here. I've worked diligently, and I think smarter as of late, and fortunately it paid off."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/streelman-finally-pga-tour-winner-225828622--spt.html

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AP PHOTOS: A look at past Iditarod sled dog races

Essential News from The Associated Press

AAA??Mar. 2, 2013?3:48 PM ET AP PHOTOS: A look at past Iditarod sled dog races By The Associated Press??By The Associated Press FILE - Iditarod front-runner Dallas Seavey makes his final drive toward Nome, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Anchorage Daily News, Marc Lester, File) FILE - Iditarod front-runner Dallas Seavey makes his final drive toward Nome, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Anchorage Daily News, Marc Lester, File) FILE - Rick Swenson leads his team the final few yards at the conclusion of the ninth annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Nome, Alaska, March 19, 1981. The Eureka musher won the race for the third time, covering the 969 miles from Settlers Bay, near Anchorage, to Nome in 12 days, 8 hours, 45 minutes and 2 seconds. (AP Photo, File) FILE - Last year?s winner and veteran dog musher Susan Butcher pulls into this checkpoint in the heat of the day in McGrath, Alaska, March 12, 1987. (AP Photo/Rob Stapleton, File) FILE - Bruce Johnson of Atlin, B.C., Canada, takes a nap in the heat of the day at Nikolai checkpoint along the Iditarod trail in Alaska, March 12, 1987. (AP Photo/Rob Stapleton, File) FILE - The aurora borealis, or northern lights, fill the sky above the Takotna, Alaska checkpoint during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. (AP Photo/The Anchorage Daily News, Bob Hallinen, File) The world's most famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, kicks off Saturday with an 11-mile-long trot through Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The race consists of a grueling 1,000-mile trek through unpredictable wilderness to the old gold rush town of Nome on Alaska's western coast. Whoever reaches Nome first wins a new truck and a cash prize of $50,400. The rest of the $600,000 purse will be split between the next 29 mushers to cross the finish line. The iconic race, however, seems to be about more than a monetary prize for most involved: a competition of human versus wild. Here's a gallery of pictures looking back at more than 30 years of "The Last Great Race." Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-02-AP-Iditarod-Photo-Gallery/id-0fd5b7011aed4c039249b30688648ef6

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