World Trade Center

One World Trade Center reaches height milestone

4/30/2012

NEW YORK - Soon - perhaps as early as Monday - the iconic Empire State Building no longer will be king of the Big Apple's skyline.

Weather permitting, the rising steel frame of One World Trade Center is expected to surpass 1,250 feet in height, overtaking the roof of the observation deck of the 1930s vintage skyscraper and claiming the title of New York City's tallest building, says Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The title of tallest building in New York City was held by the World Trade Center's twin towers from the early 1970s until they were destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

PHOTOS: New World Trade Center stands tall

U.S.-China talks

U.S.-China talks may yield little major progress

4/30/2012 By Chris Oliver | MarketWatch 

Reuters The U.S. Embassy in Beijing

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — China experts don’t expect high-level talks between Washington and Beijing this week to yield major progress on big issues, given a stymied policy backdrop, a fresh diplomatic row, and upcoming changes in Chinese and possibly U.S. leadership.
Some progress, however, could be forthcoming on issues involving further opening China’s market to U.S. companies, with banking and financial services cited by experts as a key sector to watch, analysts said.
One reason for U.S. optimism is recent statements by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, in which he urged

200 Bln Investment

EU Preparing E200 Bln Investment Plan To Boost Growth: Press

4/30/2012

French Presidential Candidate Hollande Hails Stimulus Projects
MADRID (MNI) – The European Commission is preparing a “kind of
Marshall Plan” of E200 billion to stimulate growth in Europe via public
and private investment in infrastructure, renewable energies and high
technology, the Spanish daily El Pais reported over the weekend.
The most likely financing strategy would mobilize E12 billion in
unused funds of the European Financial Stability Mechanism to attract
private funds for the European Investment Bank (EIB) as guarantees for
public-private infrastructure projects, the paper said, citing “European
sources.”

INSIDE THE NBA

Clippers, Grizzlies live up to hype as Los Angeles stages Game 1 rally

April 30, 2012



MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The buzzer sounded at the end of the third quarter and Chris Paul was already in Vinny Del Negro's ear. Let me go back in, it's not over. Del Negro was not inclined to leave his prized point guard and his still sore groin out on the floor much longer, not with his team down 21 and playing like the Washington Generals. Let me go back in, it's not over, Paul said, knowing that stinking out the joint for three quarters was "just how we play," knowing his team had a rally left in them. Let me go back in, it's not over, Paul said, and Del Negro listened, opening the door for one of the most improbable comebacks in NBA playoff history.
This is why Paul was a Clipper, why he forced his way out of the chaos in New Orleans and into Blake Griffin's backyard. Not even Paul could have predicted how the Clippers were going to come back, that Nick Young would can three 3-pointers, that Eric Bledsoe would score seven points, that a white hot Grizzlies team that shot 50 percent through the first three quarters would miss 12 consecutive shots and hand Los Angeles a 99-98 win. It didn't matter how, though. Playoff games are precious, and Paul wanted this one.
"In these situations," Paul said, "you always have to believe."
Paul believed, his team believed, and now the Clippers took home court and a 1-0 lead in the most anticipated first-round series. These Clippers, so young, so inexperienced, going up against a Memphis

Google wi-fi

Google staff 'knew of wi-fi snooping', report says

4/30/2012

The Google engineer who wrote a program that collected personal data from wi-fi networks told at least two other colleagues, a report has revealed.

Google released the full investigation conducted by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

It said senior staff on the Street View team were unaware of the plans.

The company was fined $25,000 (£15,300) earlier this month for impeding the FCC's investigation, but was ruled to not have broken the law.

The report came two weeks after a heavily redacted version was released by the FCC at the time of the original fine.

It detailed how one Google engineer, referred to only as "Engineer Doe", produced a computer program

Caron Butler

Butler fractures hand in Clippers' win

APR 30, 2012
Forward Caron Butler fractured his left hand during the Los Angeles Clippers' incredible 99-98 win Sunday in Game 1 at Memphis, and he is expected to miss a month.

"It happened early in the third quarter, my hand got caught in Rudy Gay's jersey coming off a pindown screen," Butler said during a televised postgame interview. "I was able to keep playing but once I got subbed out, I felt the throbbing. I went and got the X-ray and noticed I got a fracture."

He left the game with 2:38 remaining in the third quarter and did not return, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting.

The Clippers trailed 81-55 at the time, but rallied to stage an epic win. Chris Paul hit two free throws with 23.7 seconds left to secure the victory, which saw the Clippers close on a 28-3 run to overturn a 27-point deficit.

Syria news

Syria: 8 killed in bombings in city of Idlib

4/30/2012

BEIRUT (AP) – Two powerful bombs exploded near a military compound in the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on Monday, killing at least eight people, and causing heavy damage, Syrian state media and opposition activists said.

One activist group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, put the death toll at more than 20, but the figure could not be confirmed.
Syria's pro-government al-Ekhbariya TV aired footage of the aftermath, showing torn flesh, smashed cars, twisted debris and blood stains on the pavement at the sites. The force of the explosions shattered windows in the area and sent debris flying for hundreds of meters.

An astrological rarity: Venus moving across the sun in May

By Blaine P. Friedlander Jr., Published
April 28,1012
It’s a setup of cosmic proportions. May starts with super bright Venus extraordinarily high in the western sky, but the planet falls out of view by month’s end, leaving us earthlings positioned for one of nature’s rarest of events: A transit of Venus across the sun on June 5 and 6.

Venus is high in the western sky at sunset. The negative fourth magnitude object is bright enough to fool airplane pilots into thinking it’s another plane. Right now, it sets around 11:30 p.m.

The young, crescent moon approaches Venus on May 21. It creeps closer to Venus on May 22 and then moves away May 23.

On May 24, Venus hangs low in the western sky, and it sets around 10 p.m. Enjoy the bright evening

GPS neurons

Magnetic fields light up 'GPS neurons', scientists say

By Jason Palmer

Science and technology reporter, BBC News
4/29/2012




Researchers have spotted a group of 53 cells within pigeons' brains that respond to the direction and strength of the Earth's magnetic field.

The question of how birds navigate using - among other signals - magnetic fields is the subject of much debate.

These new "GPS neurons" seem to show how magnetic information is represented in birds' brains.

However, the study reported by Science leaves open the question of how they actually sense the magnetic field.

David Dickman of the Baylor College of Medicine in the US set up an experiment in which pigeons were held in place, while the magnetic field around them was varied in its strength and direction.

Prof Dickman and his colleague Le-Qing Wu believed that the 53 neurons were candidates for sensors, so they measured the electrical signals from each one as the field was changed.

Every neuron had its own characteristic response to the magnetic field, with each giving a sort of 3-D compass reading along the familiar north-south directions as well as pointing directly upward or downward.

In life, this could help the bird determine not only its heading just as a compass does, but would also reveal its approximate position.

Each cell also showed a sensitivity to field strength, with the maximum sensitivity corresponding to the strength of the Earth's natural field.

And just like a compass, the neurons had opposite responses to different field "polarity" - the magnetic north and south of a field, which surprised the researchers most of all.

"People had reported in the past, in a 1972 paper in Science, establishing that birds do not seem to

John Edwards

Ex-Edwards aide: Donors' cash went into NC house

4/29/2012


FILE - In this April 23, 2012, file photo, former U.S. Sen. and presidential candidate John Edwards arrives at federal court in Greensboro, N.C. for his criminal trial for allegedly violating campaign finance laws. Andrew Young, once an aide and good friend to Edwards, testified on Wednesday, April 25, that the former senator stopped returning his calls in January 2008, as Edwards was ending his White House bid. The next month, Edwards' child, Frances Quinn Hunter, was born to his mistress, Reille Hunter. (Gerry Broome / AP)


GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — John Edwards' former aide acknowledged Thursday that much of nearly $1 million in campaign supporters' cash went to build his North Carolina dream house, not to buy the silence of the presidential candidate's pregnant mistress.
Andrew Young testified for a fourth straight day at Edwards' campaign finance fraud trial, peppered with questions from Edwards attorney Abbe Lowell about the money from two donors that flowed into

Nigerian news

Witnesses Say 15 Killed in Nigerian Church Attack

Witnesses say an attack inside a university theater used for Christian services in Kano, in northern Nigeria, has killed at least 15 people.

Many more people were reported wounded, but there is no confirmed total.

Witnesses say the attackers arrived at Bayero University by motorcycle and a car, hurling explosive devices and opening fire.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility, but the radical Islamic group Boko Haram has targeted Nigerian Christians in the past.

Last Christmas, at least four bomb blasts killed 39 people, including dozens at a Catholic church near Abuja.

Bryce Harper

Kemp's walkoff spoils Bryce Harper's impressive debut

By Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY 4/29/2012

LOS ANGELES – Bryce Harper couldn't say enough about Matt Kemp, the guy who had just spoiled his major league debut.

Someday, that's the kind of player the Washington Nationals rookie might become.

Hardly fazed by playing in front of a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium, the 19-year-old Harper showed some of the eye-popping talent that made him the first player picked in the 2010 draft, singling in his third at-bat, hitting a sacrifice fly and nearly nailing a runner at the plate with a perfect throw from left field.

That wasn't enough to avoid the Nationals' third consecutive loss, as interim closer Henry Rodriguez blew a two-run lead in the ninth. Kemp led off the 10th with the fifth game-ending home run of his career as the Los Angeles Dodgers roared back for a 4-3 win Saturday night.

"Seeing him hit a bomb, that's just terrible. But he's a great player, great hitter,'' Harper said before

Washington Correspondents Dinner Dates: Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan -

2012/4/28

UN

UN Monitoring Mission Head On Way To Syria

April 29, 2012
The UN says that the new head of its monitoring mission in Syria is on his way to Damscus to start his mission.

Spokesman Neeraj Singh told reporters in Damascus that Major General Robert Mood will arrive on April 29 in the capital and be the world body's chief military observer in Syria.

Mood, a veteran Norwegian peacekeeper, was head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization, which monitors Middle East truces, from 2009 until 2011.

He was also twice part of the international force in Kosovo between 1999 and 2002.

Last Saturday the U.N. Security Council decided to send 300 monitors to the country in order to observe the ceasefire announced on April 10.

In the meantime, there are two monitors stationed in Homs, two in Hama and two in Idlib.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP

The president...

Obama to dish out, and take, some digs

By the CNN Wire Staff  April 28, 2012

Washington (CNN) -- Whose turn is it to squirm?
At least one person wasn't laughing at last year's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
Remember Donald Trump's frown when comedian Seth Meyers lampooned him about his hair and political aspirations?
"Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president as a Republican, which is surprising, since I just assumed he was running as a joke," said Meyers.
Taking his turn, President Barack Obama credited Trump with making hard decisions -- such as firing Gary Busey over Meatloaf on an episode of "The Celebrity Apprentice."

North ,South Korea

North Korea said it would South Korea to take special action level the super taeyonpyong event

Source: China News

BEIJING, April 27, according to South Korea, "Chosun Ilbo" reports on the 27th, the 23rd of this month, North Korea has said, will Lee Myung-bak government on special operations, and once again pointed out that on the 26th towards the media, will take an unprecedented defense of the highest dignity means "level over the shelling of the taeyonpyong. 　　According to reports, North Korea Korea propaganda network media, "our nation" in an editorial on the 26th, the Korean revolutionary armed "will not be empty words," If only taeyonpyong shelling that level is a big mistake. 　　The editorial said that the Korean revolutionary armed to defend the highest dignity "and decided to" adopt specific means unprecedented, and Korean-style "Lee Myung-bak authorities to eradicate from the earth".

London :Welcome to Shopping

London Olympic Games is no limit on number of visas to China: Welcome to Shopping

British Immigration Minister Damian Green confirmed recently in Beijing, held during the Olympic Games in London, the British government on the Chinese citizen is no limit on the number of issuing visas. He also revealed that the UK visa applications in China, from April 30, via the Internet, online booking and submit in order to reduce the waiting time for applicants. 　　For outgoing earlier "Britain will limit the number of Chinese tourists to visit to Britain." During the Olympics, Green on the 25th specialized rumor, said: "This is purely a rumor, Britain will not set any limit on the number of visitor visas issued in China. contrary, we welcome the visit to Britain this summer, the Chinese people, and regardless of whether they come for the Olympics, or come for business, leisure or shopping. " 　　The UK Border Agency regional manager of the Department of International Organizations He Simin added, do not need tickets to the Olympics can apply for and obtain a visa visit to Britain during the Olympics. 　　In recent years, Fu Ying tourism and doing business more and more Chinese citizens. In 2011, the United Kingdom the number of visitor visas issued to Chinese citizens reached 205,000, an increase of 30% compared to 2010, an increase of nearly 80% compared to 2009. Moreover, in 2011, citizens of China, Fu Ying visa application success rate of 95%. 　　Eyes of the world in the summer, focusing on the occasion of the London Olympics, there will be more Chinese citizens to the United Kingdom. In response to the growing visa demand, the British government launched a series of new visa measures. 　　First of all, from April 16 onwards, the British launched a new online application system. He Simin the China Youth Daily reporter said that the appointment online, via the Internet to apply for a visa queue waiting time can be about one and a half hours shortened from the previous to no more than half an hour, and thus save the waiting time for visa applications. Moreover, from April 30, all UK visa applications must be submitted through the online way, the United Kingdom will only accept online fill out the visa application form. 　　Secondly, the new "five days to get the special services of the visa policy, on April 16 launched British visa center in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shenzhen in six cities. He Simin told the China Youth Daily reporter, who has visited the countries of the Commonwealth Business visa applicants, just extra per person to pay 520 yuan, you can guarantee to get a visa, and without an appointment within 5 working days; ADS tourist visa applicants, the appointment under the premise, just per person to pay additional 260 yuan, are available five working days to get visa "preferential treatment. Under normal circumstances, 15 days to complete the whole process from the submission of the application to obtain a visa. 　　Third, the UK Border Agency has promised the delegation of the Chinese Olympic athletes, coaches, and certified registered media staff and officials, outside the United Kingdom in advance to submit their biometric information, that is as personal as fingerprints and digital photos. At present, the UK Border Agency has placed the Chinese Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Beijing, a special equipment used to collect this information. We are generally concerned about the "media access to the UK reported that the Olympic Games whether the program is simple," this issue, He Simin the China Youth Daily reporter said that media reporters are officially issued by the Media Certification Pass "will no longer need a visa. 　　Fourth, beginning in April, the British Government still in China Visa Center an additional 150 visa officer to meet Fu Ying needs of Chinese citizens. 　　In addition, the British Crown is still the Chinese new launch of the British visa inquiry service (via e-mail and telephone), optional query languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese and English; new Chinese website of the information of the delivery of the visa application process; provide a Chinese version visitor visa application to fill in a form guide. 　　Despite this series of measures, the British Minister for Immigration, Green remains of Chinese citizens to make recommendations: "If you intend to during the Olympics to the UK must apply for a visa as early as possible, it is best to start now to apply for 　Source: China Youth Daily : Zhe Kun

Philippine Speaker

Philippine Speaker said that China did not fire the only reason the Department of the United States for the Philippine allies

Abstract: The confrontation in the Huangyan Island, the South China Sea between China and the Philippines has entered the first 19 days, the Philippines has been to promote a high-profile confrontation with China. April 27, the Philippines, former Secretary of Defense, now Senate Speaker Juan Ponce Enrile (JuanPonceEnrile) called on the Philippine National People's Solidarity President Corazon Aquino behind, to compete with China on the sovereignty over the South China Sea. The speaker also declared that the Chinese did not dare to use force against the Philippine warships the only reason is because the American superpower is the ally of the Philippines.
　　Global Network reporter Liang reported that the confrontation Huangyan Island in the South China

Delmon Young

Delmon Young needs to change his image to teams, fans

By Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press
NEW YORK – The last time Alex Rodriguez faced the Tigers in the bottom of the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium, he stood against a team that could do no wrong. He whiffed for the last out in the Tigers' historic series-clinching victory last October.
But Friday night, A-Rod had the benefit of confronting a Tigers team that can't do anything right at the moment.
The Tigers can't even stay out into the wee hours of the morning without embarrassing themselves.

MORE: Young charged in hate crime

Rodriguez didn't even need to swing the bat to win the game. The Tigers' damage was all self-inflicted, losing their fifth straight — and seventh in their last eight — thanks to a ninth-inning wild pitch on a walk and then a passed ball with A-Rod at the plate.

"That's just how it goes when you're in a funk," catcher Alex Avila said. "The wild pitch skipped off the dirt, then my glove then off (umpire Joe West's) leg and rolled to the back wall. And I just missed (the passed ball). Those things just seem to happen more frequently when you're struggling."

An already bad day for the Tigers got progressively worse with their 7-6 loss.

They had a losing streak and a slumbering offense when they woke Friday morning to the disturbing news that Delmon Young allegedly had a little more pop in his mouth than his bat.

Young missed the game after spending much of the day in police custody following his arrest on a hate-crime accusation. As his teammates prepared to open an important three-game series against the Yankees, Young stood before a judge in a Manhattan criminal court. He was arraigned on a misdemeanor aggravated harassment charge and released when he posted a $5,000 bond.

According to New York police and court documents, an inebriated Young hurled an anti-Semitic slur outside the Tigers' midtown Manhattan hotel about 2:30 a.m. and then a scuffle ensued with a 32-year-old man.

The extent of the fight reflected the Tigers' recent offensive woes: There wasn't much contact.

The victim sustained an injured elbow that didn't require medical treatment. Young spent time in the hospital because the arresting officers believed that he was in an intoxicated state.

The Tigers hoped that Justin Verlander would return a little sanity to a crazy day. He battled through a rare off night, giving the Tigers a late lead that the bullpen couldn't hold.

"We just have to keep fighting through this," manager Jim Leyland. "We know that we're a good team. We don't have to convince ourselves of that. But we're just going through a little funk right now. But we'll break out of it."

Leyland snapped at a television reporter following the game who asked whether he had any reaction to the Young arraignment.

"Get lost," he barked at the reporter. "Get lost. Do yourself a favor (and) get lost."

Young's incident gained national attention throughout Friday, ironically coming just days an African-American Washington Capitals player, Joel Ward, got hit with a Twitter barrage of racially charged insults from Boston Bruins fans after he scored the Game 7-winning overtime goal in their first-round series.

Any potential Young fallout isn't about political correctness or overly heightened sensitivities. If Young were the recipient of racially influenced venom against African Americans there would be considerable outrage against the perpetrator and sympathy toward him. The disgust should be just as strong if it's true that Young was the verbal dispenser of such narrowed stupidity against Jewish people.

Young, now 26, needs to grow up. Aside from potentially damaging his reputation for, at the very least, putting himself in a needlessly embarrassing situation, Young might have compromised his marketability since this is his contract season. He will hit the free-agent market for the first time next winter. And he will have to work hard to rectify the character blemish he likely will sport for the remainder of this season.

Young issued a statement.

"I apologize to everyone I affected," the statement read, "the Ilitch family, the Detroit Tigers organization, my teammates, my family and the great Tigers fans that have supported me since Day One. I take this matter very seriously, and assure everyone that I will do everything I can to improve myself as a person and player."

Restoring the confidence of the organization becomes an immediate and necessary first step.

Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper can handle this challenge, ready or not

By Adam Kilgore


As the sun sets over the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday night, Bryce Harper will stroll to the plate for the first time as a major leaguer, thousands of gazes focused on him, the baseball nation watching from home. He may or may not get a hit. It will not be a challenge for him.

Do you want to know what a challenge is for Harper? When he was 13 and 14, which is not so long ago, he traveled across the country, without his parents, to play baseball in the best tournaments, the best leagues, for 15- and 16-year-olds. The other kids teased him. The other parents were jealous. Harper could gain acceptance if he played baseball well. Then he would fly to another tournament, put

CinemaCon 2012

Charlize Theron Jokes: "I Should Have Gotten a Boob Job 10 Years Ago"

Charlize Theron has a few regrets in her career: She should have gotten a boob job and never watched the movie Splash!
The actress got personal when she accepted the award for Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film Thursday at the CinemaCon 2012 Awards Show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
PHOTOS: Charlize's hottest looks of all time
“To some people that [the reel] might look like I’m completely bipolar. To the actors in this audience that shows what a lucky bitch I am," Theron, 36, joked of her wide ouevre of gritty dramas, comedies and action-adventure flicks. The Oscar-winner is a new mom and revealed on March 14 in a statement to Us Weekly that she adopted a baby boy named Jackson. "Thanks for giving me an opportunity in an industry that I love so much. And can just say if I knew that 3D was going to be such a big deal, I would have gotten that boob job 10 years ago."
PHOTOS: Charlize's surprise hookup with Keanu Reeves
After the audience quieted down from Theron's joke, she continued, "I want to thank every director,

NBA Playoff Preview

NBA Playoff Preview - Miami vs. New York

By John McMullen, NBA Editor

Miami Heat: 2nd Seed, East (46-20)

New York Knicks: 7th Seed, East (36-30)

(Sports Network) - A classic rivalry gets revisited in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals when the Miami Heat and New York Knicks square off.

Chicago is the top seed in the East but No. 2 Miami is the team everyone was trying to avoid. Unfortunately for the New York Knicks their final game of the regular season was against the woeful

Stendra

Stendra Approved for Erectile Dysfunction

Stendra is marketed by Mountain View, CA-based VIVUS Inc.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Stendra (avanafil), a new drug to treat erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction is when a man has trouble getting or keeping an erection. An estimated 30 million men in the United States are affected by erectile dysfunction.

Stendra is a pill that patients take on an as-needed basis 30 minutes before sexual activity. Doctors should prescribe the lowest dose of Stendra that provides benefit.

"This approval expands the available treatment options to men experiencing erectile dysfunction, and enables patients, in consultation with their doctor, to choose the most appropriate treatment for their needs," said Victoria Kusiak, M.D., deputy director of the Office of Drug Evaluation III in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Stendra belongs to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, which are used to help increase blood flow to the penis. As with other PDE5 inhibitors, Stendra should not be used by

They do – again!

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Renew Wedding Vows in Paris

by people.com

They do – again!

Almost four years after their surprise wedding in the Bahamas, Nick Cannon got down on one knee before Mariah Carey in a vow renewal ceremony Friday night atop the Eiffel Tower.

In a photo shoot beforehand, Carey is beaming in a stunning white mermaid dress with spaghetti straps and a black bow at the waist as Cannon, in a white suit and black tie, locks his eyes with hers.

"Tonight was an incredible night," the singer Tweeted. "I can't express how amazing it was to renew our vows in Paris at the top of the Eiffel tower."

The couple have much to celebrate beyond their four-year anniversary, which falls on Monday. Along with enjoying nearly 1-year-old twins, Cannon appears to be on the mend from frightening health problems, including kidney disease.

After leaving the hospital in January, Cannon called Carey his "hero" and "the virtuous person who is my angel." Carey returned the compliment by telling him he was her "incredible husband" who, despite his struggles, was still "all strong and healthy and big."

PHOTOS: Mariah & Nick: Their 10 Best Photos Ever!

The couple arrived in France by private jet around 1 a.m. Friday. During the day, Carey was spotted shopping at Baby Dior – the couple's twins turn 1 on Monday – and at the Louis Vuitton flagship store on the Champs-Elysees.

Friday night, after they posed for their wedding renewal photos, the couple were spotted dining Le Jules Verne restaurant on the Eiffel Tower.

Limited results so far from Obama’s ‘reset’ with Russia, ‘pivot’ to Asia as counter to China

By Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s “pivot” to China’s neighborhood and the “reset” in relations with Russia have produced limited results for signature foreign policy initiatives designed to improved America’s standing with its former Cold War rivals.

Obama has succeeded in increasing cooperation with Moscow on nuclear arms reduction and shoring up U.S. partnerships in Asia to counter expanding Chinese power. But on other questions crucial to U.S. interests, those countries have proved stubbornly unyielding.


From nuclear-armed North Korea to potentially nuclear-armed Iran, the Obama administration has won only lip-service pronouncements of agreement on the endgames, but little more. U.S. officials say Russia and China supported new penalties on Iran and fresh condemnations, but previous administrations had similar records.

China and Russia have blocked Obama’s attempts to get the United Nations to take significant action against Syria’s government and ignored U.S. warnings that they will end up on the wrong side of history.

Rights defender thorn in China's side

By Ben Blanchard
(Reuters) - Blind Chinese rights defender Chen Guangcheng has never been one to give up without a fight.
Robbed of his sight as a child, the rural-born Chen taught himself law and used his knowledge with gusto, drawing international attention in 2005 after accusing officials of enforcing late-term abortions and sterilizations.

His campaign appeared to pay off initially, after the government sacked and detained officials in his home province of Shandong for forcing pregnant women to undergo abortions or sterilizing couples with more than two children.

Typically combative, Chen said the move really did not amount to much.

"It falls far short of the number of officials who should be punished," Chen told Reuters at the time, dismissing the government crackdown.

Now, aged 40, he finds himself at the center of what could become a damaging diplomatic spat between China and the United States, adding to tensions between the two countries already at loggerheads over everything from trade to the South China Sea.

He is believed to be under U.S. protection in Beijing after fleeing 19 months of house arrest.

Tear

Tear gas for 25,000-strong Malay fair vote rally

 by http://rt.com

Police in Kuala Lumpur used tear gas grenades and chemical-laced water to break up what they say was a 25,000-strong demonstration for electoral reform in Malaysia. The mass rallies in the capital were the country’s largest in a decade.
For several hours, the demo remained peaceful, with demonstrators waving banners, chanting slogans and singing the national anthem. Protesters dressed in yellow T-shirts reportedly made an attempt to access Independence Square, but were stopped by riot police and barbed wire. Authorities announced that demonstrators had no right to rally in the public square, reserved for military parades and national celebrations.

The organizers of the rally then announced the event a success and told supporters to head back home. Once the majority of demonstrators started to leave the scene, a small group reportedly made a sudden attempt to break through police ranks.
Officers fired tear gas grenades, and cannons were used to pour water with chemicals on the crowd. The battle lasted for half an hour as police armed with batons chased fleeing demonstrators to

With air fares soaring, how can passengers trim ticket costs?

(CBS News) Airlines have raised ticket prices three times this year - that's ON TOP of the 20 percent that they've risen since 2010. And just in time for your summer vacation, air fares are expected to jump another 3 percent.

What is an air traveler to do?

CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg says it's not rising fuel prices - or even the fear of rising fuel prices - that is pushing fares higher.

NBC’s ‘30 Rock’

NBC’s ‘30 Rock’ live performances: Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey shine without a net 

Sendup of 'Honeymooners' highlight on funny episode

 by nydailynews.com




In a break from its usual filmed style, NBC’s “30 Rock” went live Thursday night with an episode that was full of fun and, yes, very lively.
As promised, the setup for the episode had boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) delivering the bad news that, as a cost-cutting measure, “TGS,” the fictitious show-within-a-show produced by Liz Lemon (series star Tina Fey), would henceforth be filmed, not broadcast live.

“From now on,” he said, “you write and shoot the season in two weeks, like ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and Fox News.”
Liz erupted in protest.

American work,sleep, why?

41 million American workers don't get enough sleep, CDC say
By Ryan Jaslow


CBS News) If you happen to be at work right now and you're feeling tired, you've got a lot of company. A new CDC study finds more than 40 million workers get fewer than six hours of sleep per night - that's about 30 percent of the country's civilian workforce.

Study: Sleeping less may mean you'll eat more
Dozing on duty? Survey finds sleepiest transportation workers
PICTURES: Sleepy states: 15 most fatigued

And by not getting the National Sleep Foundation's recommended seven to nine hours of shut-eye per night, the CDC says these workers pose a serious and potentially fatal risk to themselves and coworkers. The CDC's study is published in the April 26 issue of its journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Some workers were hit harder in their slumber time, the survey of more than 15,000 workers found. Forty-four percent of night-shift workers reported not getting enough sleep with rates highest among workers in the transportation or warehouse industries, followed by health care and social assistance

veto yes or not

Obama would veto Republican student loan bill, says White House

By Olivier Knox | The Ticket
The pitched political battle over student loans isn't going away. On Friday, the White House threatened to veto a bill to keep interest rates on a popular kind of loan from doubling come July 1 because the Republican-crafted legislation pays for it by tapping a special fund in President Barack Obama's landmark health care law. The House ignored the veto threat and passed the bill anyway on Friday, with a 215-195 vote.
Obama criss-crossed the country this week in support of legislation that would keep more money in the pockets of cash-strapped college students. Republicans initially resisted the idea, but Mitt Romney quickly moved to neutralize the issue as a political weapon by embracing it in principle. House Republicans adapted by finding a clever "pay-for" solution to defray the cost of the legislation (lower interest rates = lower payments = lower revenue for the government). They chose the Prevention and Public Health Fund included in what all sides have now agreed to call "Obamacare," which Republicans

How can you Retirement ...

IRA and 401(k) Retirement Drawdown: Just Tell Me What to Do!
By Steve Vernon | CBS MoneyWatch
How can you generate income from your retirement savings that lasts the rest of your life, no matter how long you live and no matter what happens in the economy? This is one of the most difficult retirement planning challenges facing boomers, and you'd get lots of different answers if you were to ask financial planners or analysts that question.

But many people don't have enough retirement savings to have access to planners who are qualified to make effective recommendations, or who are unbiased by financial incentives and truly have your best interests at heart. So this post -- and my next two -- continues the spirit of my last post, where I'll offer some simple solutions that will be effective in most circumstances and will help you get a fair shake from the financial institutions you deal with. While I prefer you take the time to learn about the various strategies and approaches so you can make informed choices, if you don't have the time or inclination to make that effort, this series of posts describes the next best thing.

The overall strategy

G D P

Growth slows on inventories, weak business spending

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Economic growth cooled in the first quarter as businesses cut back on investment and restocked shelves at a moderate pace, but stronger demand for automobiles softened the blow.
Gross domestic product expanded at a 2.2 percent annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Friday in its advance estimate, moderating from the fourth quarter's 3 percent rate.
While that was below economists' expectations for a 2.5 percent pace, a surge in consumer spending took some of the sting from the

Brazil sex worker may sue U.S. embassy over injuries
(Reuters) - A former Brazilian prostitute plans to sue the United States embassy and five of its personnel for injuries sustained outside a strip club late last year, complicating the second of two embarrassing incidents to emerge recently involving American officials and sex workers in South America.


Romilda Aparecida Ferreira, 31, and her lawyer said they plan to file suit for injuries, medical expenses, lost income, and psychological trauma after an embassy van ran over her and left her stranded in the club parking lot with a broken collarbone, punctured lung and other injuries. The incident occurred December 29 when an embassy driver was dispatched to the club to pick up three marines and one civilian staffer.

A civil suit would compound a case in which Brazilian prosecutors have already said they are considering criminal charges, including assault and failure to provide assistance to an injured person. It also threatens to further tarnish the image of overseas U.S. personnel in the wake of a separate scandal involving U.S. Secret Service members and prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia, earlier this month.

Little noticed at the time, the incident in Brasília, Brazil's capital, gained traction this week when a local reporter asked U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, then on a visit to the country, about what happened. Panetta said the United States had investigated the matter, "severely punished" the marines, and pulled them out of Brazil.

Help to slow down brain aging

The study found women to eat more blueberries and strawberries help to slow down brain aging


according to Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" reported on the 27th, a U.S. study found that women eat more blueberries and strawberries to help slow down brain aging. 　　The researchers found that women who ate the most food of berries, brain aging can delay for up to two and a half years, because the berries food will help slow the brain of the older women cognitive decline. 　　The results of this study is particularly important to the increasing aging population. According to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2000 to 2010, the U.S. population over the age of 65 increased by 15%.

Source: China News

Standard & Poor's lowered Spain's long-term sovereign credit rating to BBB +
Source: Sina Finance original link　
Sina Finance Beijing April 27 morning news, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on Thursday released a report, Spain's long-term sovereign credit rating cut two grades from "A" down to "BBB +" rating outlook is negative "(Negative).

In the report, Standard & Poor's said the downgrade reflects the agency fears enhanced by the Spanish government bonds risk, the country is currently facing the economic downturn and the banking sector need to obtain additional support for the possibility of rising predicament.

Standard & Poor's, said: "So we believe that the risk of financial performance and flexibility in Spain is growing sovereign debt burden facing the risk is also enhanced, especially in the government balance sheet or debt even more there may be entities of the situation This is particularly true. "

At the same time, Standard & Poor's also lowered this year's GDP growth rate in Spain is expected from the originally expected growth of 0.3% to 1.5% decline.
(文武/编译)

'American Idol' Reject Elise Testone: I Don't Really Feel Judges' Advice Helpful


Elise Testone doesn't believe that the advice she received from the judges of "American Idol" help her in the competition. In fact, when met backstage after her elimination on Thursday, April 26 night, the 28-year-old honestly admitted to E! Online, "I'd like to say they were, but I don't really feel that. I'm sorry. I feel bad about that."

"It's different for me," she went on to explain. "I'm 28, so I'm young, but I've learned so much. Some of the things they say don't line up with what I feel I have learned on my own, so I don't think it was always helpful. I'm not meaning to sound like I'm the best. Sometimes it was helpful, but for the most part I don't think it always made sense and I think it's hard to judge someone in such a short amount of time in that situation."

Asked about her thought on her elimination, the aspiring singer from Charleston, South Carolina said, "I think that my brain is just worried in a way that I just accept everything that happens so as soon as I heard my name, I feel like I heard it before [Ryan Seacrest] said it and I was immediately like, 'OK, now I gotta do my best.' I just want to do my best in every moment."

The contestant, who shared bottom three position with Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine this week, added, "If I could do it over again, I probably wouldn't. I just keep going. Remember what you learned. I never really was a huge fan of [reality television] in the beginning and everyone was shocked I did it, but I'm glad I did."

from aceshowbiz.com

China's banks are important for America too

By Douglas J. Elliott



Douglas J. Elliott is a fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution, where he specializes in analyzing the global financial system and its regulation.
We all realize by now that China's economy matters greatly to America, directly affecting our trade, our investments, the value of the dollar, and inflation.

Indirectly, it affects us even more through its impact on our other trading partners, especially Europe, and also by propelling China forward as a global power at all levels, not just economically.
Less well understood is the critical role that China's banks play in all this.

US and Japan revise Okinawa agreement


WASHINGTON, April 26 – The US and Japan announced on Thursday a revised agreement on streamlining US military presence on Okinawa that will shift 9,000 marines from the southern Japanese island to Guam and other Asia-Pacific sites.
The new plan, unveiled days before Yoshihiko Noda, Japanese prime minister, meets President Barack Obama in Washington, helps the allies work around the central but still-unresolved dispute over moving the Futenma air base from a crowded part of Okinawa to a new site that has vexed relations for years.

“I am very pleased that, after many years, we have reached this important agreement and plan of action.

Jets

2012 NFL draft: NY Jets pick North Carolina pass rusher Quinton Coples in first round, No. 16 overall

Defensive end could help pressure QB in Rex Ryan's scheme


By Manish Mehta / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Amid a wild start to the NFL draft that included one swap after another, the typically trade-happy Jets uncharacteristically didn’t budge before grabbing one of the most intriguing players on the board. Rex Ryan & Co. selected North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples, widely regarded as the best — and most confounding — pass rusher in the draft with the 16th pick of the first round on Thursday night.


The 6-6, 284-pound Coples, who has drawn comparisons to former UNC great Julius Peppers,

Amazon Amazon

Housing, profits lift Wall Street, Amazon up late
By Caroline Valetkevitch | Reuters


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose for a third day on Thursday after upbeat housing data and stronger-than-expected results from companies, including Citrix Systems Inc , overshadowed some high-profile earnings misses.
An index of pending home sales rose to nearly a two-year high in March, sending the Philadelphia Stock Exchange index of housing-related shares <.HGX> up 3 percent. Shares of homebuilder Lennar climbed 5.7 percent to $27.38.
The stock of PulteGroup Inc , the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder, soared 10.1 percent to $9.58 after it reported a narrower-than-expected loss and its biggest increase in new orders in seven years.
After the closing bell, shares of Amazon.com jumped 8.6 percent to $212.50 as the world's largest

Warren Buffett announced last week that he has stage 1 prostate cancer

Guidelines limiting prostate cancer screening are widely ignored



By Thomas H. Maugh II / For the Booster Shots blog
April 24, 2012, 1:28 p.m.
Guidelines limiting PSA screening for prostate cancer detection in older men are widely ignored, researchers said Tuesday, and physicians seem likely to continue to ignore them. Nearly half of all men age 75 and older receive the PSA test from doctors, despite a growing body of evidence that the tests
do more harm than good, according to Dr. Scott E. Eggener of the University of Chicago Medical Center. The issue has been in the news lately with the report last week that 81-year-old Warren Buffett, the well-known entrepreneur, was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer and would begin receiving radiation treatment for it. Because stage 1 prostate cancer is very slow-growing, an elderly man is more likely to die of some other cause before the tumor gets large enough to do any damage. Critics thus charged that Buffett should never have had a PSA test in the first place, that he definitely should not have had a biopsy for a slightly elevated PSA level, and that he should not have been treated. All three actions, critics said, are a waste of medical resources.

In August 2008, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which issues recommendations that are generally followed by Medicare and many insurers, said that men over the age of 75 should not receive the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which measures blood levels of a protein secreted by the prostate gland. In younger men, elevated levels are usually a sign that a biopsy needs to be performed. But because most prostate cancers are very slow growing -- 80% of men over the age of 80 have them with no apparent harm -- such testing is not advisable in older men. The task force noted that "there is moderate or high certainty the service has no net benefit or that the harm outweighs the benefits." Side effects from treatment of a prostate tumor can include incontinence, impotence, rectal bleeding and many other complications.

Eggener and his colleagues used data from the 2005 and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys, in which a representative sample of the U.S. population was interviewed. They reported Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. that in 2005, before the recommendation was released, 43% of men over age 75 received the test. In 2010, two years after the new guidelines were released, the percentage had grown to 43.9%. In both years, the researchers excluded men who had a test because of a specific prostate complaint, restricting it only to those who received the test as part of routine screening. Only 12.5% of men in their 40s and 33.2% of men in their 50s -- both groups that could benefit much more greatly from early diagnosis and treatment -- received the test. Among men ages 60

Frozen Foods

             10 Best and Worst Frozen Foods


By The chicks at TotalBeauty.com | Healthy Living

 For someone who loves eating healthfully, I'm a terrible cook. If a recipe calls for more than five ingredients or uses a word like "julienne," I bail and curl up with a bag of baby carrots on the kitchen floor, rocking myself.

Related: 7 Simple Diet Secrets You Can Start Today

So for me, the frozen foods aisle at the grocery store can be a savior. The only problem? A lot of frozen meals have hidden health horrors.

"Most frozen meals are high in sugar and sodium, contain tons of preservatives, and don't have much to offer in terms of fruits, vegetables, or fiber," says Laura Cipullo, a registered dietician and certified d

Powerball jackpot

Center City ticket wins huge Powerball jackpot

By Peter Mucha

A ticket sold in Pennsylvania hit the big one Wednesday night.

And it was purchased right here in Philadelphia at the Newsstand at the Gallery.

An official news conference was scheduled to take place there at 3 p.m.

The Powerball jackpot was worth $172.7 million in 30 yearly payments, or $107.7 million cash, and only the Pennsylvania ticket matched all the numbers: 4, 25, 29, 34 and 43, with a Powerball of 29.

It’s the second jackpot win in Eastern Pennsylvania in six months. In November, Steven Lloyd of

‘American Idol’ Top 6 Night

‘American Idol’ Top 6 Night: But Is It Art?

By Lyndsey Parker | Reality Rocks

Back on "American Idol" Season 8, when critiquing Scott MacIntyre's self-described "artistic" song choice, Simon Cowell dared to utter the immortal, dreaded words: "It's fine being artistic...JUST NOT ON THIS SHOW." And I got serious déjà vu this week on "Idol," when Simon's replacement judge Jennifer Lopez similarly criticized this season's resident remaining risk-taker, Phillip Phillips, for covering the dark, relatively obscure Dave Matthews Band song, "The Stone."
J.Lo annoyingly, almost ignorantly called the DMB jam "too artsy," and even voiced concerns that it might land Phillip in the bottom three for the very first time. "Each one of you has a shot to win--especially you, Phillip--so I get a little scared when you do that. I need you to

sports news

Packers cut Nick Collins because of health issues


By Melissa Rohlin
The Green Bay Packers have released veteran safety Nick Collins because of lingering concerns over a neck injury he suffered seven months ago.


Collins suffered a season-ending neck injury Sept. 18 while trying to

re-transplant kidney

Illinois surgeons re-transplant kidney into second patient in unusual operation





By Thomas H. Maugh II / For the Booster Shots blog
In what is claimed to be the first operation of its kind, surgeons at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago have removed a transplanted kidney from its original recipient and implanted it in a second recipient. The kidney was failing in the first patient, but began fluorishing in the second and is now healthy.

The first recipient of the kidney was Ray Fearing, a 27-year-old Arlington Heights, Ill., resident who

Student Loan

Student Loan Debt Is A “Ticking Time Bomb”: Here’s How To Deal With Your Bills
By Morgan Korn 
Zac Bissonnette hates student loans. Good thing the 2011 University of Massachusetts graduate and author of the new book "How to Be Richer, Smarter, and Better Looking Than Your Parents" does not have any, unlike 37 million other Americans. Bissonnette paid for his higher education by working throughout high school and college but acknowledges that many of his friends were not as lucky and will be struggling to pay off their student loan debt well into adulthood.

An investigation by the Associated Press found that more than half of recent college graduates are either unemployed or underemployed, making it that much more difficult to pay off their loans. President Obama visited college students in Colorado, North Carolina and Iowa this week, underscoring the urgency to keep interest rates low for current and future college students.
"At this make-or-break moment for the middle class we've got to make sure you're not saddled with debt before you even get started in life," the president told students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Obama shared that he and Michelle paid off their "mountain of [student loan] debt" just eight years ago.
U.S. student loan debt surpassed credit card debt and auto loans for the first time last year and estimates for the total number of outstanding student loans range from $850 billion to $1 trillion. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York projects that at least 37 million Americans, or 15 percent of the population, are actively paying off student debt. About two-thirds of student loans are held by individuals under the age of 30 but the New York Fed has determined that people age 50 and older are carrying as much as $135 billion in student loan balances.
The House will vote Friday on legislation that would keep the interest rate on government subsidized undergraduate student loans at 3.4 percent. The low rate expires after July 1 and will double to 6.8 percent if Congress cannot reach an agreement.
The Obama administration says 7.4 million students currently have subsidized student loans and millions more will be applying for federal aid this year. The White House asserts that a rate increase would add another $1,000 a year to students' debt. The federal government backs about 84 percent of student loans; the average amount owed was $25,250 in 2010 according to the Institute for College Access & Success.
Students and recent college graduates are starting to realize the seriousness of the nation's student loan crisis. Demonstrations took place Wednesday in major U.S. cities to protest what was billed as "One Trillion Dollar Day" - the day when student loan debt was expected to reach $1 trillion.
Bissonnette has written extensively about the escalating cost of college and the 23-year-old rising financial star is on a mission to help his peers tackle their mounting student debt, which he calls "a ticking time bomb."
"My biggest takeaway is if you have private student loans, pay them off as quickly as you possibly can," he says in an interview with The Daily Ticker. "I would throw every nickel I had at the private loans."
Unlike government loans that have a fixed rate, private loans offered by banks are variable and are likely to move higher in the next few years. Bissonnette recommends that recent graduates stick to a 10-year amortization schedule and pay the monthly amount in full. The alternative would be to stretch out the loan repayment process but these lower monthly bills come at a high cost: more interest.
Bissonnette writes in his book that student loan debt does not equal "good debt" and the interest accrued on student loans can be written off as a tax deductible — but not for those making more than $75,000 a year. Bissonnette firmly believes college, despite its skyrocketing costs, will always be a good investment and encourages young people to earnestly think about how they're going to pay for their education.
"Probably 10 percent of borrowers have essentially ruined their lives with student loans," he says.

Contracts for US homes rose last month

By Christopher s. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy U.S. homes rose in March, the latest sign the battered housing market is slowly improving.
The National Association of Realtors says its index of sales

Five-Year Engagement

'Five-Year Engagement' is several years too long



A review of the cute but long-winded romantic comedy "The Five-Year Engagement," starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt.
By Moira Macdonald

Nicholas Stoller's romantic comedy "The Five-Year Engagement" is one of those movies that you badly want to like much more than you actually do. It stars Jason Segel, that puppy-eyed Muppet of a man, and the always-enchanting Emily Blunt as Tom and Violet, an engaged couple who seem believably and happily in love. It lets us spend two hours in the company of two characters we genuinely like and root for. And, just to tip things over the edge, it features a scene in which Blunt and Alison Brie (as Violet's sister Suzie) have a meaningful conversation while impersonating Cookie Monster and Elmo. (I've never really thought of a cookie as a metaphor for