Exclusive: Two women accused Cain of inappropriate behavior (Politico)

During Herman Cain?s tenure as the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, at least two female employees complained to colleagues and senior association officials about inappropriate behavior by Cain, ultimately leaving their jobs at the trade group, multiple sources confirm to POLITICO.

The women complained of sexually suggestive behavior by Cain that made them angry and uncomfortable, the sources said, and they signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them financial payouts to leave the association. The agreements also included language that bars the women from talking about their departures.

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Martin on Cain allegations

In a series of comments over the past 10 days, Cain and his campaign repeatedly declined to respond directly about whether he ever faced allegations of sexual harassment at the restaurant association. They have also declined to address questions about specific reporting confirming that there were financial settlements in two cases in which women leveled complaints.

POLITICO has confirmed the identities of the two female restaurant association employees who complained about Cain but, for privacy concerns, is not publishing their names.

Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon told POLITICO the candidate indicated to campaign officials that he was ?vaguely familiar? with the charges and that the restaurant association?s general counsel had resolved the matter.

The latest statement came from Cain himself. In a tense sidewalk encounter Sunday morning outside the Washington bureau of CBS News ? where the Republican contender had just completed an interview on ?Face the Nation? ? Cain evaded a series of questions about sexual harassment allegations.

Cain said he has ?had thousands of people working for me? at different businesses over the years and could not comment ?until I see some facts or some concrete evidence.? His campaign staff was given the name of one woman who complained last week, and it was repeated to Cain on Sunday. He responded, ?I am not going to comment on that.?

He was then asked, ?Have you ever been accused, sir, in your life of harassment by a woman??

He breathed audibly, glared at the reporter and stayed silent for several seconds. After the question was repeated three times, he responded by asking the reporter, ?Have you ever been accused of sexual harassment??

Cain was president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association from late 1996 to mid-1999. POLITICO learned of the allegations against him, and over the course of several weeks, has put together accounts of what happened by talking to a lengthy roster of former board members, current and past staff and others familiar with the workings of the trade group at the time Cain was there.

In one case, POLITICO has seen documentation describing the allegations and showing that the restaurant association formally resolved the matter. Both women received separation packages that were in the five-figure range.

On the details of Cain?s allegedly inappropriate behavior with the two women, POLITICO has a half-dozen sources shedding light on different aspects of the complaints.

The sources ? which include the recollections of close associates and other documentation ? describe episodes that left the women upset and offended. These incidents include conversations allegedly filled with innuendo or personal questions of a sexually suggestive nature, taking place at hotels during conferences, at other officially sanctioned restaurant association events and at the association?s offices. There were also descriptions of physical gestures that were not overtly sexual but that made women who experienced or witnessed them uncomfortable and that they regarded as improper in a professional relationship.

Peter Kilgore, who was the association?s general counsel in the 1990s, and remains in that position today, has declined to comment to POLITICO on whether any settlements existed, saying he cannot discuss personnel matters.

But one source closely familiar with Cain?s tenure in Washington confirmed that the claims related to allegations of sexual harassment ? behavior that disturbed members of the board who became aware of it, as well as the source, who otherwise liked Cain.

?I happen to know there were sealed settlements reached in the plural. I think that anybody who thinks this was a one-time, one-person transgression would be mistaken,? this source said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1011_67194_html/43443307/SIG=11msdl173/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67194.html

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Qantas Airways grounds global fleet due to strikes

Stranded passengers line up at the Qantas Airways counter for asking information in Hong Kong International Airport Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011 as their flight to Sydney was cancelled. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday imposing an employee lockout after weeks of disruptive strikes, and the Australian government sought emergency arbitration. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Stranded passengers line up at the Qantas Airways counter for asking information in Hong Kong International Airport Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011 as their flight to Sydney was cancelled. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday imposing an employee lockout after weeks of disruptive strikes, and the Australian government sought emergency arbitration. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

A Qantas Airbus A380 sit on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport, London Saturday Oct. 29, 2011 after Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely after weeks of disruptive strikes. Flights in the air continued to their destinations, but others were stopped even taxiing on the runway, according to one flier. Booked passengers were being rescheduled at Qantas' expense, chief executive Alan Joyce said. The Australian government was seeking emergency arbitration to end the strikes. Qantas is the world's 10th largest airline and among the most profitable. (AP Photo) UK OUT, NO MAGAZINES, NO SALES

Brothers Kevin and Chris Crulley, sit on the floor at the Qantas check-in counter at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, after they were removed from their flight home to England. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday in a lockout of workers whose strikes have disrupted airline operations for weeks, and the government said it would seek arbitration. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

FILE - In this April 21, 2010 file photo, Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce address the media in Sydney, Australia. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday in a lockout of workers whose strikes have disrupted airline operations for weeks, and the government said it would seek arbitration. Flights in the air were continuing to their destinations. Booked passengers were being rescheduled at Qantas' expense, chief executive Alan Joyce said. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)

FILE - In this June 12, 2011 file photo, Qantas jets sit on the tarmac at the international airport in Sydney, Australia. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, in a lockout of workers whose strikes have disrupted airline operations for weeks, and the government said it would seek arbitration. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) ? Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet Saturday, suddenly locking out striking workers after weeks of flight disruptions an executive said could close down the world's 10th largest airline piece by piece.

The Australian government called for an emergency arbitration hearing, which was adjourned early Sunday morning after hearing evidence from the unions and airline. It will resume Sunday afternoon when the government will argue that the airline be ordered to fly in Australia's economic interests.

Planes in the air continued to their destinations, and at least one taxiing flight stopped on the runway, a flier said. Among the stranded passengers are 17 world leaders attending a Commonwealth summit in the western city of Perth.

When the grounding was announced, 36 international and 28 domestic Australian flights were in the air, said a Qantas spokeswoman, who declined to be named citing company policy.

Qantas said 108 airplanes were being grounded but did not say how many flights were involved. The spokeswoman could not confirm an Australian Broadcasting Corp. television report that 13,305 passengers were booked to fly Qantas international flights within 24 hours of the grounding.

The lockout was expected to have little impact in the United States. Only about 1,000 people fly daily between the United States and Australia, said aviation consultant Michael Boyd. "It's not a big deal," he said. Qantas is "not a huge player here."

Los Angeles International Airport spokeswoman Diana Sanchez said Saturday that she was not aware of any passengers stranded at the airport because of the strike. Five Los Angeles-bound Qantas flights were already in the air when the lockout began and were expected to arrive as scheduled, she said.

Sanchez said Qantas has indicated it plans to cancel the handful of flights scheduled to depart from Los Angeles on Saturday.

The real problems for travelers are more likely to be at far busier Qantas hubs in Singapore and London's Heathrow Airport, says another aviation consultant, Robert Mann.

Booked passengers were being rescheduled at Qantas' expense, chief executive Alan Joyce said. Bookings already had collapsed after unions warned travelers to fly other airlines through the busy Christmas-New Year period.

He told a news conference in Sydney the unions' actions have caused a crisis for Qantas.

"They are trashing our strategy and our brand," Joyce said. "They are deliberately destabilizing the company and there is no end in sight."

Union leaders criticized the action as extreme. Qantas is among the most profitable airlines in the world, but Joyce estimated the grounding will cost Qantas $20 million a day.

Qantas already had reduced and rescheduled flights for weeks after union workers struck and refused to work overtime out of worries a restructuring plan would move some of Qantas' 35,000 jobs overseas.

The grounding of the largest of Australia's four national domestic airlines will take a major economic toll and could disrupt the national Parliament, due to resume in Canberra on Tuesday after a two-week recess. Qantas' budget subsidiary Jetstar continues to fly.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said her government would help the Commonwealth leaders fly home after 17 were due to fly out of Perth on Qantas planes over the next couple of days.

"They took it in good spirits when I briefed them about it," Gillard told reporters.

British tourist Chris Crulley, 25, said the pilot on his Qantas flight informed passengers while taxiing down a Sydney runway that he had to return to the terminal "to take an important phone call." The flight was then grounded.

"We're all set for the flight and settled in and the next thing ? I'm stunned. We're getting back off the plane," the firefighter told The Associated Press from Sydney Airport by phone.

Crulley was happy to be heading home to Newcastle after a five-week vacation when his flight was interrupted. "I've got to get back to the other side of the world by Wednesday for work. It's a nightmare," he added.

Qantas offered him up to 350 Australian dollars ($375) a day for food and accommodation, but Crulley expected to struggle to find a hotel at short notice in Sydney on a Saturday night.

Australians Len and Christie Dunlop were stranded at London's Heathrow Airport when their flight to Sydney was grounded.

The couple, who have lived in Leeds for four years, said they would have to catch up with fewer friends when they return to Perth for three weeks for a friend's wedding.

"We've got dinners and lunch booked every day, so now we've missed two or three days worth of catching up with friends," Len Dunlop told ABC television. "It just a lot of frustration."

Gillard said her center-left government, which is affiliated with the trade union movement, had "taken a rare decision" to seek an end to the strike action out of necessity.

"I believe it is warranted in the circumstances we now face with Qantas ... circumstances with this industrial dispute that could have implications for our national economy," Gillard told reporters.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese described the grounding as "disappointing" and "extraordinary." Albanese was angry that Qantas gave him only three hours' notice.

All 108 aircraft in as many as 22 countries will be grounded until unions representing pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers reach agreements with Qantas over pay and conditions, Joyce said.

"We are locking out until the unions withdraw their extreme claim and reach agreement with us," Joyce said, referring to shutting staff out of their work stations. Staff will not be paid starting Monday.

"This is a crisis for Qantas. If the action continues as the unions have promised, we will have no choice but to close down Qantas part by part," he added.

Richard Woodward, vice president of the pilot's union, the Australian and International Pilots Association, accused Qantas of "holding a knife to the nation's throat" and said Joyce had "gone mad."

Steve Purvinas, federal secretary of the mechanics' union, Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, described the grounding as "an extreme measure."

Long-haul, budget airline AirAsia tried stepping into the void with what it called "rescue fares" for Qantas passengers. The offer was valid for ticket-holders flying within 48 hours to AirAsia destinations, the airline statement said.

Malaysia-based AirAsia flies to three Australian destinations, plus New Zealand.

The recent strike action in which two unions have had rolling four-hour strikes on differing days has most severely affected Qantas domestic flights.

In mid-October, Qantas grounded five jets and reduced domestic flights by almost 100 flights a week because aircraft mechanics had reduced the hours they were prepared to work.

Qantas infuriated unions in August when it said it would improve its loss-making overseas business by creating an Asia-based airline with its own name and brand. The five-year restructure plan will cost 1,000 jobs.

Qantas announced in August that it had more than doubled annual profit to AU$250 million, but warned the business environment was too challenging to forecast earnings for the current fiscal year.

____

Associated Press writer Katie Oyan in Phoenix and Associated Press Economics Writer Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-10-29-AS-Australia-Qantas/id-8cc35aa16c784debabaa1c313ea540bd

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At Democratic meeting, Biden blames GOP for country's woes (tbo)

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COBRA Health Insurance - articles - What Is My Computer IP

COBRA, or Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is designed to ensure that individuals that suddenly find themselves unemployed still have access to health insurance as they look for a new employer. As with any program mandated by the government, there are a number of stipulations to be eligible for enrollment, and as with everything else, it comes at a price.

This act generally requires that employers that employed twenty or more people during the previous year offer the option of COBRA, or group health insurance, to individuals and their families upon termination from the company. There are three general elements in which previous employees may be considered eligible for COBRA.

There are a number of qualifying events that would make a person eligible for coverage. An employee?s reduction or complete loss of working hours due to circumstances within the company aside from gross misconduct is the primary work-related event. This also allows for the spouse and any dependents to be eligible for COBRA.

Qualifying events for spouses include the death of employee, divorce from the employee, and the employee becoming entitled to Medicare (before the spouse). This is also the case for any and all dependent children to be eligible for COBRA health insurance.

In the case of any of these situations, there is always a period of time during which the previously covered individual may file for coverage. This election period is 60 days, and generally at least the first monthly premium must be paid for coverage to begin.

Claims for coverage while under COBRA health insurance are submitted and handled in the same manner as they had been before the qualifying event occurred. As previously, assistance can generally be obtained from the company?s health insurance specialist if problems or issues arise.

However, one must keep in mind the higher costs associated with this option, as it is designed to be used as short term insurance. Even if employment that offers medical benefits is not obtained in the coverage period, the option to have COBRA at all ends 18 months after the qualifying event.

Anyone who finds themselves in a situation in which they are considering this type of medical coverage should consider it as a temporary solution. If finances are tight, it may initially be more important to obtain new employment as soon as possible, and push looking for alternative health insurance options until later.

Previous employees without pre-existing conditions have a plethora of options when it comes to finding affordable health insurance. Almost all health insurance companies offer the option of applying for a quote online or over the phone, during which a good deal of otherwise private information will need to be disclosed. Failing to provide accurate information can result from a policy being immediately terminated and having to re-pay any previous coverage.

People with pre-existing conditions may find themselves eligible for Medicaid or the state high-risk pool. Many states are now offering additional options for health insurance as well, making the necessity to maintain COBRA coverage long-term usually unnecessary.

Casey Trillbar is the editor of the YourOnlineInsuranceAgent.com website which offers information, resources and online home, auto and health insurance quotes. For more information visit: http://youronlineinsuranceagent.com

Source: http://articles.whatismycomputerip.com/19997/cobra-health-insurance.html

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Confident Cain plans to cut back campaign events

Republican Presidential candidate, Herman Cain campaigns in Talladega, Ala., Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Republican Presidential candidate, Herman Cain campaigns in Talladega, Ala., Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Republican Presidential candidate, Herman Cain campaigns in Talladega, Ala., Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) ? Presidential candidate Herman Cain isn't lacking in confidence about his 2012 prospects.

It's been weeks since he's set foot in first-voting Iowa or New Hampshire, yet he says he expects to finish first or second in each state.

He's also predicting victory in South Carolina, which will hold the South's first presidential contest in 2012. And that win, he says, will set the stage for him to capture the GOP nomination.

But Cain also says he plans to "dial back" his campaign and media appearances in order to avoid missteps. Since climbing in the polls, he's had a series of fumbles and has had to clarify comments on abortion, immigration and terrorism suspects.

Cain appeared Saturday at a Samford University football tailgate in Alabama.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-10-29-Cain/id-41200b1403944c93bb1a01dc399ac3b7

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[OOC] Foreverlost

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This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Foreverlost"

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to like... friken legandary! Like Chuck Norris.. Rp style! 8D

MirrorMirror1498

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It looks great darling! I can't wait to play Beloved. "Aww come back my sacrifice I'm lonely!" I see it now lol :)

Lovely ?

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I knew you were GM from the minute I saw it! XD I love this series. I will likely join, but I'm watching a movie right now. Maybe tomorrow. :)

Food ish yummy.
Paramore ish aweshum.

SlightlyInsane

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Okay, Slightly! :)
It'll be good to have someone familiar to the books playing, too. :)

MirrorMirror1498

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Rapper 50 Cent Admits He Was a School Bully

Many celebrities have come forward lately to help the anti-bully cause and to share their own experiences with bullying in school -- and now it's  50 Cent's turn. But instead of talking about being the victim of bullying (like most stars), the rapper admits he was the one doing the bullying.

His new young adult novel Playground is written from the perspective of the bull -- an overweight student named Butterball, who bullies his classmates because he can't come to terms with his own emotions.

The issue is important to 36-year-old 50 Cent (ne: Curtis Jackson) in more ways than one. As a father, he could see how bullying was affecting adolescents.

"Because my son is 15-years old, it's a relevant issue for me because of him. I wrote it because I wanted to do something about it," he said on the Today show on Wednesday.

But the Grammy-winning entrepreneur, who has been working on the book for more than a year, has another even more personal reason to tackle the subject -- he was himself a bully growing up in Queens, New York.

"I had more experiences where I was a part of the problem, where I was actually bullying," Jackson admits. "To know now from an adult's perspective and be able to write things, I can look back on those actual situations and say, 'That was completely wrong.' But I know what was motivating it now."

If only all bullies could grow up to redeem themselves like 50 Cent!

Watch 50 Cent talk about bullying below:

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/rapper-50-cent-admits-he-was-school-bully/1-a-396634

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Nintendo to post its first ever annual net loss (Reuters)

OSAKA, Japan (Reuters) ? Nintendo Co Ltd said on Thursday it would make its first ever annual net loss this financial year, cutting earnings guidance for a second time as the soaring yen and weak software sales dealt fresh blows to the former games industry champion.

The creator of the Super Mario franchise dominated the industry for years with its DS handheld games players and Wii home consoles, but is now struggling to keep up with more versatile gadgets like Apple's smartphones and tablets.

This year's failed launch of its 3DS handheld games machine forced Nintendo to slash prices, crushing its profit outlook for the year, while a dearth of attractive software and the yen's strength against the euro are causing further pain.

Nintendo expects an annual net loss of 20 billion yen, its first such loss in history and also slashed its full-year operating profit forecast to just 1 billion yen from 35 billion yen.

In the latest quarter, it tumbled to a 19.6 billion yen ($258 million) operating loss, a slightly bigger loss than the market had expected and much worse than the company had forecast. That compares with a 30.9 billion yen profit in the same period last year.

Nintendo chopped its forecast for sales of 3DS software by 30 percent to 50 million units for the year to March, but left its 3DS hardware forecast at 16 million units for the year, a target fund managers said might be hard to achieve.

"I think its highly optimistic," said Yuuki Sakurai, president of Fukoku Capital Management in Tokyo. "I think they need to change their strategy drastically."

"Now that people can do so much on their smartphones, will they want to buy a games machine?" he said, adding that global economic uncertainty would also likely weigh on the stock.

Nintendo has been battling competition from traditional rivals Microsoft Corp and Sony Corp while Apple and Google are also making rapid inroads into the casual gaming market.

The Kyoto-based company, which generates 80 percent of its sales overseas, also faces a massive hit in earnings from the soaring yen, which has crushed the value of profits repatriated from abroad, especially from the euro zone.

The company took a 52.4 billion yen charge after reassessing its foreign currency-denominated assets as of the end of September, it said.

President Satoru Iwata said the WiiU, the successor to the highly popular Wii home console would be shown in its final form at the E3 games show in the United States next year and launched after that. An initial version of the WiiU shown at this year's E3 garnered some positive reviews from gamers but triggered a slide in Nintendo's share price.

The stock has tumbled by about 50 percent since April 1, compared with an 8.5 percent fall in the Nikkei average. Nintendo ended Thursday trading down 0.6 percent at 11,110 yen ahead of the announcement.

($1 = 75.990 Japanese Yen)

(Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111027/bs_nm/us_nintendo_earnings

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Italy at heart of crisis as borrowing costs climb (Reuters)

ROME (Reuters) ? Italy's borrowing costs jumped to record levels Friday, underlining its vulnerability at the heart of the euro zone debt crisis and skepticism about whether the struggling government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi can deliver vital reforms.

The 6.06 percent yield paid at an auction of 10-year bonds was the highest since the launch of the euro, and not far from the level reached before the European Central Bank intervened in August to cap Rome's borrowing costs by buying Italian debt.

Italy, the euro zone's third largest economy, is again at the center of the debt crisis, as fears grow that its borrowing costs could hit levels that overwhelm the capacity of the bloc to provide support amid chronic political instability in Rome.

In a speech in Rome, Berlusconi insisted that Italy would meet its target of balancing the budget by 2013.

Tainted by scandal and repeatedly at odds with his coalition allies, Berlusconi has promised European partners a package of measures to spur Italy's stagnant economy and cut its towering public debt, but has failed to convince markets made skeptical by his repeated failure to deliver reforms.

European leaders welcomed a letter of intent on reforms that he delivered to their summit last Wednesday, but emphasized that the measures must now be implemented.

"The interest rates that they are paying are punitive," said Monument Securities strategist Marc Oswald. "Italy ... is still the 'bete noire' of the whole euro zone problem."

"They are still going to carry on having to pay higher yields unless they come up with reform plans and implement them. But anyone who expresses an optimistic opinion about that is probably looking through rose-tinted glasses," he added.

EXASPERATION

France and Germany have expressed open exasperation at a succession of unfulfilled reform promises by Berlusconi, and fear the crisis in Italy could spark a wider emergency that would threaten the very existence of the single currency.

Even if a weakened government manages to pass the promised reforms, most will not come into force until mid-2012. Markets are unlikely to remain patient for so long.

In his speech Berlusconi took aim at the euro, calling it a "strange" currency.

"There is an attack on the euro which as a currency has convinced no-one, because it belongs to more than one country but does not have a bank of reference and guarantee," he said, referring to reluctance by Germany and other countries to allow the European Central Bank to be used as a lender of last resort.

He later issued a statement saying his words had been interpreted in a "malicious and distorted" way.

"The euro is our currency, our flag. It is precisely to defend the euro from speculative attacks that Italy is making great sacrifices," the statement said.

Berlusconi, who is facing two court cases for accusations of fraud and one for allegedly having sex with an underage prostitute, complained that he faced 37 judicial hearings between now and mid-January. He says leftist magistrates are persecuting him in an attempt to undermine democracy.

Speaking after Wednesday's summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy addressed fears that the crisis could spread to Italy.

"If we had allowed Greece to fall, and the speculation shifted on to attack Italy, the markets would then have said we will allow Italy to fall too, and that would be the end of the euro," he said in a television interview.

As Italy sinks deeper into the debt crisis, tensions in the government have grown sharply, prompting widespread speculation in the press and even Berlusconi's party that the government will fall, leading to an election in 2012, a year early.

"COALITION IS SOLID"

Berlusconi, whose ratings have been torpedoed by a mix of scandal and economic and political problems, rejected speculation that he might be forced into an early election.

He said his alliance remained solid with the pro-devolution Northern League party, whose leader Umberto Bossi has expressed open skepticism about the survival of the coalition.

"There is an absolute need for political stability and Bossi thinks exactly the same way I do. The pact we have with the League has never been up for discussion," Berlusconi said.

"No credible political alternative exists."

This week the League rejected plans to raise the pension age to 67, leading to tense late-night talks before a compromise was reached in time to take to the summit in Brussels.

The proposals, including an increase in the pension age, rules making it easier to lay off staff and provisions to place civil servants in special redundancy schemes, have raised fierce opposition from unions and skepticism about whether they will ever be implemented.

In Italy's increasingly murky politics, there has been speculation that the package is part of a deal between Berlusconi and Bossi to take the government to the end of the year before triggering an election in the spring.

Friday, Berlusconi dismissed such suggestions and said an election campaign in the middle of the crisis would be "very seriously damaging to Italy."

(Additional reporting by Marius Zaharia in London and Brian Love in Paris; Editing by Barry Moody and Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111028/wl_nm/us_italy_berlusconi

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Four reasons why illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border has dropped (The Christian Science Monitor)

Skip to navigation ? Skip to content ? By Sara Miller Llana Sara Miller Llana ? Wed?Oct?26, 3:23?pm?ET Follow Yahoo! News on , become a fan on Facebook

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20111026/wl_csm/417481

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Our brains are made of the same stuff, despite DNA differences

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Our brains are all made of the same stuff. Despite individual and ethnic genetic diversity, our prefrontal cortex shows a consistent molecular architecture. For example, overall differences in the genetic code (?genetic distance?) between African -Americans (AA) and caucasians (cauc) showed no effect on their overall difference in expressed transcripts (?transcriptional distance?). The vertical span of color-coded areas is about the same, indicating that our brains all share the same tissue at a molecular level, despite distinct DNA differences on the horizontal axis. Each dot represents a comparison between two individuals. The AA::AA comparisons (blue) generally show more genetic diversity than cauc::cauc comparisons (yellow), because caucasians are descended from a relatively small subset of ancestors who migrated from Africa, while African Americans are descended from a more diverse gene pool among the much larger population that remained in Africa. AA::cauc comparisons (green) differed most across their genomes as a whole, but this had no effect on their transcriptomes as a whole. Credit: Joel Kleinman, M.D., Ph.D., NIMH Clinical Brain Disorders Branch

Despite vast differences in the genetic code across individuals and ethnicities, the human brain shows a "consistent molecular architecture," say researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health. The finding is from a pair of studies that have created databases revealing when and where genes turn on and off in multiple brain regions through development.

"Our study shows how 650,000 common genetic variations that make each of us a unique person may influence the ebb and flow of 24,000 genes in the most distinctly human part of our brain as we grow and age," explained Joel Kleinman, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Clinical Brain Disorders Branch.

Kleinman and NIMH grantee Nenad Sestan, M.D., Ph.D. of Yale University, New Haven, Conn., led the sister studies in the Oct. 27, 2011 issue of the journal Nature.

"Having at our fingertips detailed information about when and where specific gene products are expressed in the brain brings new hope for understanding how this process can go awry in schizophrenia, autism and other brain disorders," said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D.

Both studies measured messenger RNAs or transcripts. These intermediate products carry the message from DNA, the genetic blueprint, to create proteins and differentiated brain tissue. Each gene can make several transcripts, which are expressed in patterns influenced by a subset of the approximately 1.5 million DNA variations unique to each of us. This unique set of transcripts is called our transcriptome ? a molecular signature that is unique to every individual. The transcriptome is a measure of the diverse functional potential that exists in the brain.

Both studies found that rapid gene expression during fetal development abruptly switches to much slower rates after birth that gradually decline and eventually level off in middle age. These rates surge again as the brain ages in the last decades, mirroring rates seen in childhood and adolescence, according to one of the studies. The databases hold secrets to how the brain's ever-changing messenger chemical systems, cells and development processes are related to gene expression patterns through development.

For example, if a particular version of a gene is implicated in a disorder, the new resources might reveal how that variation affects the gene's expression over time and by brain region. By identifying even distant genes that may be turning on and off in-sync, the databases may help researchers discover whole modules of genes involved in the illness. They can also reveal how variation in one gene influences another's expression.

Prefrontal cortex

Kleinman's team focused on how genetic variations are linked to the expression of transcripts in the brain's prefrontal cortex, the area that controls insight, planning and judgment, across the lifespan. They studied 269 postmortem, healthy human brains, ranging in age from two weeks after conception to 80 years old, using 49,000 genetic probes. The database on prefrontal cortex gene expression alone totals more than 1 trillion pieces of information, according to Kleinman.

Among key findings in the prefrontal cortex:

• Individual genetic variations are profoundly linked to expression patterns. The most similarity across individuals is detected early in development and again as we approach the end of life.
• Different types of related genes are expressed during prenatal development, infancy, and childhood, so that each of these stages shows a relatively distinct transcriptional identity. Three-fourths of genes reverse their direction of expression after birth, with most switching from on to off.
• Expression of genes involved in cell division declines prenatally and in infancy, while expression of genes important for making synapses, or connections between brain cells, increases. In contrast, genes required for neuronal projections decline after birth ? likely as unused connections are pruned.
• By the time we reach our 50s, overall gene expression begins to increase, mirroring the sharp reversal of fetal expression changes that occur in infancy.
• Genetic variation in the genome as a whole showed no effect on variation in the transcriptome as a whole, despite how genetically distant individuals might be. Hence, human cortexes have a consistent molecular architecture, despite our diversity.

In previous studies, Kleinman and colleagues have found that all genetic variations implicated to date in schizophrenia are associated with transcripts that are preferentially expressed in the fetal brain. This adds to evidence that the disorder originates in prenatal development. By contrast, he and his colleagues are examining evidence that genetic variation implicated in affective disorders may be associated with transcripts expressed later in life. They are also extending their database to include all transcripts of all the genes in the human genome, examining 1000 post-mortem brains, including many of people who had schizophrenia or other brain disorders.

Multiple brain regions

Sestan and colleagues characterized gene expression in 16 brain regions, including 11 areas of the neocortex, from both hemispheres of 57 human brains that spanned from 40 days post-conception to 82 years ? analyzing the transcriptomes of 1,340 samples. Using 1.4 million probes, the researchers measured the expression of exons, which combine to form a gene's protein product. This allowed them to pinpoint changes in these combinations that make up a protein, as well as to chart the gene's overall expression.

Among key findings:

• Over 90 percent of the genes expressed in the brain are differentially regulated across brain regions and/or over developmental time periods. There are also widespread differences across region and time periods in the combination of a gene's exons that are expressed.
• Timing and location are far more influential in regulating gene expression than gender, ethnicity or individual variation.
• Among 29 modules of co-expressed genes identified, each had distinct expression patterns and represented different biological processes. Genetic variation in some of the most well-connected genes in these modules, called hub genes, has previously been linked to mental disorders, including schizophrenia and depression.
• Telltale similarities in expression profiles with genes previously implicated in schizophrenia and autism are providing leads to discovery of other genes potentially involved in those disorders.
• Sex differences in the risk for certain mental disorders may be traceable to transcriptional mechanisms. More than three-fourths of 159 genes expressed differentially between the sexes were male-biased, most prenatally. Some genes found to have such sex-biased expression had previously been associated with disorders that affect males more than females, such as schizophrenia, Williams syndrome, and autism.

###

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health: http://www.nimh.nih.gov

Thanks to NIH/National Institute of Mental Health for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114653/Our_brains_are_made_of_the_same_stuff__despite_DNA_differences

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Why Did Lindsay Lohan Say Yes to Playboy?

Troubled star Lindsay Lohan made the controversial, eyebrow-raising decision to pose for Playboy - full-frontal style no less - for a very simple reason.

Or a million simple ones, to put it more accurately.

Proving she may not have killed ALL her brain cells over the years, Lohan is reportedly worried about her financial situation and possible jail sentence.

So when Hugh came a knockin', LiLo obliged.

The embattled actress is facing up to 18 months behind bars for a probation violation in her shoplifting case. A hearing has been set for November 2.

Moreover, "Lindsay still hasn't signed a contract for the Gotti biopic. Lindsay is concerned about her finances and needs the money," says a source.

"Lindsay's flow of income has greatly diminished in the last year. With jail as a possibility, she felt now was the time to do the Playboy photo shoot."

It's unclear when Playboy will unveil its Lindsay Lohan nude spread, but it's gonna be epic. The 25-year-old just completed a "tasteful" four-day shoot.

Thoughts on seeing LiLo naked in Playboy?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/why-did-lindsay-lohan-say-yes-to-playboy/

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HBT: Again, Carpenter tirade is hypocritical

Last night, after giving up a homer to Adrian Beltre, Chris Carpenter retired Mike Napoli on a long fly out to end the sixth inning. ?After the fly ball, Carpenter appeared to yell multiple expletives at Napoli. Expletives that begin with the letter F and which seem to say ?Good sir, you may have thought you were going to do something productive there, but you did not. Thus (a) you should go have intercourse with yourself; and (b) you are a portion of excrement.?

Or maybe he didn?t. Maybe he was just yelling ?Motte? but everyone misheard him. ?Either way,?Big Legaue Stew has video of it with someone filling in the words that seem to fit Carpenter?s words, but be VERY forewarned: it?s loud and profane. It?s funny too, but that?s beside the point.

All of which makes me wonder about Chris Carpenter. About how he justifies his own behavior in light of the fact that he once famously called out a player for yelling at himself. That took place in 2010 when Carlos Lee popped out in a key situation and, angry at his failure, appeared to chastise himself for it. ?The theory behind Carpenter?s anger at that: you don?t disrespect the pitcher by implying that the failure was your own as opposed to you being dominated by said pitcher. Yeah, I know, that sounds crazy, but at the time, Carpenter?s manager Tony La Russa said that Carpenter was totally in the right:

Pence hits the ball out of the ballpark. Carp didn?t make a good pitch. Carp doesn?t say a word. He doesn?t say anything to the guy that hit it. It?s his mistake. Well, routinely now, hitters pop up a pitch they think they should deal with and they start making noises, and that really is disrespectful to the pitcher. Most of the pitchers just turn around and ignore it. Carp doesn?t. I think Carp?s right, and I think Carp?s in the right. Respect should go both ways.

?If he gets you out, he gets you out. Zip it and go back to the plate. If he gives it up, you zip it and let the guy go around the bases?or single, double, whatever it was. Most pitchers let the guy
jabber. I don?t think Carlos Lee is anything special as far as a guy who disrespects, but it?s so common now. Carp will let you know.?

Respect should go both ways. Hitters should shut up no matter what, even if they?re not talking to the pitcher at all, but the pitcher can call the hitter a ?piece of sh**? and give him the old ?eff you? when he pops up.

Man, I?m glad we have Chris Carpenter around to keep us straight on all of these unwritten rules. They?re so complicated!

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/25/chris-carpenter-seems-to-have-forgotten-one-of-those-unwritten-rules-he-cares-so-much-about/related

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FOR KIDS: The brain looks at the bright side of things

Scientists find good news changes people?s predictions more than bad news

Web edition : Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

From love and health to money matters, studies show that people tend to look on the bright side of many situations. Even when the reality is fairly grim, we think things will get better. ?

Scientists, of course, want to know why. ?

A new study finds that the human brain latches on to good news and disregards the bad. The scientists who conducted the study also identified parts of the brain that become active when a person receives good or bad news. The new research may show how thought processes guide human behavior.

Visit the new?Science News for Kids?website?to read the full story:?The brain looks at the bright side of things

Found in: Science News For Kids

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/335553/title/FOR_KIDS_The_brain_looks_at_the_bright_side_of_things

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Nokia Launches Two Windows Phones in Android Race (NewsFactor)

Nokia World is well under way in Europe, and the handset maker is rolling out a diverse lineup of new phones, including the Nokia Lumia 800 and 710. The Lumia devices are the first in Nokia's portfolio to use the Windows Phone 7 operating system.

The Lumia 800 aims to bring content to life with its design, imaging capabilities and new experiences while the Lumia 710 is a more-affordable option that competes with mid-tier Android devices.

"Since Nokia's major strategic shift only eight months ago, the company has found a new energy," said Pete Cunningham, principal analyst at Canalys. "It has provided substantial improvements to Symbian, managed to differentiate on Windows Phone and it continues to build on its strong portfolio in mobile phones. Nokia is delivering on its pledges, and is clearly demonstrating its path to future success."

Illuminating Windows Phone

With the Nokia phones, Microsoft has plenty at stake. The Lumia 800 is billed as a social phone with strong Internet performance. The phone offers one-touch social-network access, contact grouping, integrated communication threads and Internet Explorer 9.

The Lumia 800 has a 3.7-inch AMOLED ClearBlack curved display blending into the reduced body design, and a 1.4 GHz processor. The hardware includes an instant-share camera based on leading Carl Zeiss optics, HD video playback, 16GB of internal user memory and 25GB of free SkyDrive storage for storing images and music. The Nokia Lumia 800 will sell for about 420 euros.

"A lot of attention is going to be given to the high-end phone, the Lumia 800, which offers a spectacular design but otherwise provides basically a stock Windows Phone experience," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis, from Nokia World.

"The challenge is going to be to get people to consider a Windows Phone over Android and iPhone. But in Europe, Nokia's brand is still strong and the design of the phone is strong. I would expect they will have some success with it."

The Lumia 710 can be personalized with exchangeable back covers and thousands of apps. Nokia designed the Lumia 710 for instant social and image sharing. The Lumia 710 offers the same 1.4 GHz processor, hardware acceleration and graphics processor as the 800, but sells for only 270 euros.

"The 710 doesn't look nearly as nice as the 800 but offers a better user experience for the price," Greengart said. "At 270 euros, Nokia is competing with a lot of mid-tier Android phones, some of which are rather poor. The 710's price point and the performance beat some of the low-end Android phones that it's going to sit next to."

Nokia Gets Musical

Both Lumia smartphones include signature Nokia experiences optimized for Windows Phone, including Nokia Drive, which delivers a full-fledged personal navigation device with free, turn-by-turn navigation and dedicated in-car user interface. The phones also sport Nokia Music with MixRadio, a free, global music-streaming application with hundreds of channels.

In an update delivered later this year, Nokia Lumia users also will be able to create personalized channels from a global catalog of millions of tracks. Also integrated in Nokia Music is Gigfinder, which offers the ability to search for live local music for a complete end-to-end music experience, as well as the ability to share discoveries on social networks and buy concert tickets also coming in the Nokia Music software update delivered later this year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20111026/bs_nf/80759

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US assigns new task to Pakistan

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Pakistan will suffer ?dire consequences? if it fails to ?contain? terrorists operating from its soil, and it needs the US and Afghanistan to help get the job done.
The Obama administration isn?t asking Pakistan?s military to occupy its rugged border regions, the base for extremist groups that attack US, allied and Afghan forces on the other side, Clinton said in an interview with Bloomberg News posted on its website on Monday.
There are ?different ways of fighting besides overt military action,? she said.
Clinton said she pressed Pakistan to fully share intelligence with US forces in Afghanistan to prevent attacks and choke off money and supply routes. Better coordination might prevent incidents like the Sept 20 assault on the American Embassy in Kabul, which the US blames on the Haqqani network, she said.
?We can go after funding. We can go after couriers,?? she said she told Pakistani leaders.
Already strained ties with Pakistan were exacerbated by the US commando assault in May that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden near Islamabad. Clinton, along with CIA Director David Petraeus and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Army Chief of Staff, and Ahmad Shuja Pasha, head of the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate. Clinton praised recent cooperation against al-Qaeda as a model for how to crack down on the Haqqanis as well as the Taliban, based in Pakistan?s southwestern city of Quetta.
?Because of intelligence sharing and mutual cooperation, we have targeted three of the top al-Qaeda operatives since bin Laden?s death. That could not have happened without Pakistani cooperation,? she said.
Pakistan?s political parties came together last month behind a resolution to seek talks and a ceasefire with insurgents rather than an all-out military assault. Prime Minister Gilani urged the Americans ?to give peace a chance? before pressing his military for more, he said in a statement.
Clinton said the US message to Pakistan was that the same insurgents who have launched lethal attacks against US and Afghan targets may unleash their violence inside Pakistan.
Clinton said she urged Pakistan?s leaders to take advantage of the roughly 130,000-troop, US-led Nato force next door in Afghanistan while it?s still there. The US and Nato have begun pulling out troops and plan to hand full security control to Afghanistan?s government by the end of 2014.
In the coming months, forces from Pakistan and the coalition in Afghanistan should ?squeeze? the Taliban and allied extremists, such as the Haqqani network, which operate on both sides of the border.
?There?s no way that any government in Islamabad can control these groups,? Clinton said in an interview, conducted in Tajikistan as she wrapped up a seven-nation trip across the Mideast and south-central Asia.
There is an ?opportunity, while we are still with 48 nations across the border in Afghanistan, where we have a lot of assets that we can put at their disposal? to help Pakistan.
The Pakistanis said they ?have to figure out a way to do it that doesn?t cause chaos? in their country, she recounted. She said the US and Pakistan agreed on ?90 to 95 percent of what needs to be done? and the two countries will work on what ?next steps we take together.?
US and Afghan troops have recently begun what they call ?enhanced operations? against guerrillas in Afghanistan?s Khost province, which abuts the Pakistani region where the Haqqani network is based.
Asked if US troops in Afghanistan will launch cross-border attacks if Pakistan fails to act, Clinton replied, ?There?s a lot going on that is aimed at these safe havens, and we will continue to work with them on that.?
Clinton also defended US efforts to encourage the Afghans and Pakistanis to seek negotiations to disarm militants. Reconciliation efforts have gone nowhere since Clinton announced the Obama administration?s support for talks early last year.
Negotiations are ?a bumpy process? requiring ?patience and persistence that we?re willing to invest, in order to determine what?s real and what?s not,? she said.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/today-headlines/~3/jOmwMkYxdkw/US-assigns-new-task-to-Pakistan

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Libya leader orders investigation of Gadhafi death (AP)

TRIPOLI, Libya ? Libya's transitional leader has ordered an investigation into the death of Moammar Gadhafi after the U.S. and other international powers pressed for the probe.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil told a news conference in the eastern city of Benghazi that the National Transitional Council formed a committee to investigate the killing on Thursday, amid conflicting reports of how the dictator who ruled Libya for four decades died.

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

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) ? A human rights groups says it has discovered 53 decomposing bodies, apparently of Moammar Gadhafi loyalists, some of whom may have been executed by revolutionary forces.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Monday that the discovery in Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte "seems part of a trend of killings, looting and other abuses committed by anti-Gadhafi fighters who consider themselves above the law."

The group urged Libyan authorities to rein in armed groups.

The latest discovery of the grave came to light as Libya's new leaders declared the country liberated, following a brutal eight-month civil war. The declaration was overshadowed by continued questions about whether Gadhafi was executed after capture last week.

The U.S. and Britain have called for an investigation.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111024/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_libya

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Consider Magazine ? Blog Archive ? Exotic Animals Are Not Pets ...

All Things Consider ? By Leslie Horwitz on October 24, 2011 at 11:00 am

Reading The New York Times this week felt like reading a screenplay of a?Law & Order SVU episode. This episode involved a mentally instable?individual who let loose over 50 exotic animals before killing himself. The?Ohio police then hunted, shot, and killed these animals. Terry Thompson was?clearly instable. He had just completed a jail sentence for possessing?illegal firearms, had a history of abusing animals, and had vast debt over?unpaid taxes. Why this man was allowed to house lions and tigers in the?first place, I have no idea. At first, I regarded this news story as?somewhat comical given how ridiculous the whole thing was. Then, upon?reflection, I found a darker depth to the whole incident.

Peter Laufer, in his New York Times Op-Ed, channels the fear of these?animals that had to be hunted by the police.?To me, this extenuates the root of the issue. We should not feel for these?animals as if they were our own pets and our own responsibility. I?sympathize with animals that are poached in the wild. However, the only?beings I feel for, in this case, are the hypothetical human beings who?could have been mauled and killed if these animals had not been shot down.?Clearly, tranquillizers would have been a more ideal option. However, the?Ohio police are not trained to take down large animals alive.

Disagree with me if you will, but I see this chaotic news story as a?hyperbolic example of what is wrong with people being too attached to their?pets and to animals in general. I firmly believe that human life should?always come first. Pets are dependents that stay dependent until they die.?They have no future and no goals in life. Not too say that pets cannot?express affection or promote happiness in their owners, but they cannot?embody the complexities and the potential of a human life.

I should not have to feel like a bad person for saying that the Muskingum?County Sheriff, Matt Lutz, made 100% the right choice in ordering the?killing of these animals instead of sedating them with tranquillizing?darts. Even wildlife experts agreed that killing the animals was the only
way to ensure the safety of the people of Zanesville. As Alexander?Chancellor of the British newspaper The Guardian commentates, ?There?seems now to be quite a sizable number of people in America who would?sooner put human lives at risk than cause a wild animal to die.?

Granted, I have never had a pet. However, I would say that what happened in?Ohio is a bizarre circumstance that all in all had the best ending?possible. It is one of those SVU episodes where they end up catching their?perpetrator before it is too late.

(Photo by possumgirl2 under a Creative Commons license)

Tags: animals, Ethics, exotic pets, Pets, safety

Source: http://consideronline.org/2011/10/24/exotic-animals-are-not-pets-pets-are-not-people/

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