nettle warplane: 2013

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Obama to unveil climate plan in Tuesday speech

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is preparing to unveil his long-awaited national plan to combat climate change in a major speech, he announced on Saturday.

"There's no single step that can reverse the effects of climate change," Obama said in an online video released by the White House. "But when it comes to the world we leave our children, we owe it to them to do what we can."

People consulting with White House officials on Obama's plan, to be unveiled Tuesday at Georgetown University, say they expect him to put forth regulations on heat-trapping gases emitted by existing coal-fired power plans. They were not authorized to disclose details about the plan ahead of the announcement and requested anonymity.

Environmental groups have been pleading with Obama to take that step, but the administration has said it's focused first on controls on new power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency, using its authority under the Clean Air Act, has already proposed controls on new plants, but the rules have been delayed ? to the chagrin of states and environmental groups threatening to sue over the delays.

An administration official said last week that Obama was still weighing whether to include existing plants in the climate plan. The official wasn't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.

The White House wouldn't disclose any details Saturday about what steps Obama may call for. But his senior energy and climate adviser, Heather Zichal, said last week that controls on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants would be a major focus. She also said the plan would boost energy efficiency of appliances and buildings, plus expand renewable energy.

Putting a positive spin on a contentious partisan issue, Obama said the U.S. is uniquely poised to deal with the serious challenges posed by climate change. He said American scientists and engineers would have to design new fuels and energy sources, and workers will have to adapt to a clean energy economy.

"We'll need all of us, as citizens, to do our part to preserve God's creation for future generations," Obama said.

Environmental groups have for months been pushing Obama to make good on a threat he issued to lawmakers in February in his State of the Union address: "If Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will." Obama's move to take the matter into his own hands appears to reflect a growing consensus that opposition in Congress is too powerful for any meaningful, sweeping climate legislation to pass anytime soon.

"They shouldn't wait for Congress to act, because they'll be out of office by the time that Congress gets its act together," Rep. Henry Waxman, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in an interview.

Environmental groups applauded the announcement that Obama was finally releasing a plan for executive action, but made clear they want to see firm proposals ? including controls for existing power plants.

"Combating climate change means curbing carbon pollution ? for the first time ever ? from the biggest single source of such dangerous gases: our coal-fired power plants," said Frances Beinecke, president of the National Resources Defense Council. "We stand ready to help President Obama in every way we can."

Another key issue hanging over the announcement ? but unlikely to be mentioned on Tuesday ? is Keystone XL, a pipeline that would carry oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. A concerted campaign by environmental activists to persuade Obama to nix the pipeline appears to be an uphill battle. The White House insists the State Department is making the decision independently.

Obama's speech on Tuesday will come the day before he leaves for a weeklong trip to three African nations.

___

Online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcL3_zzgWeU

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-unveil-climate-plan-tuesday-speech-191840941.html

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Tencent, Naspers JV Ibibo Buys Redbus To Grow Its Online Travel Empire In India

China's internet giant Tencent and South Africa's media powerhouse Naspers are doubling down on tech in India. TechCrunch has just found out that Ibibo, their domestic joint venture, has acquired redBus.in, an online bus ticketing company that has become a dominant and disruptive force in how people travel in the country. A formal announcement is coming out shortly.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/OKSowJEb4lI/

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

Vast British spy op revealed in documents

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's spy agency GCHQ has tapped fiber-optic cables that carry international phone and internet traffic and is sharing vast quantities of personal information with the U.S. National Security Agency, the Guardian newspaper said on Friday.

The paper, which has in recent weeks been publishing details of top-secret surveillance programs exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, said on its website that Snowden had shown it documents about a project codenamed "Tempora."

Tempora has been running for about 18 months and allows GCHQ, which stands for Government Communications Headquarters, to tap into and store huge volumes of data drawn from fiber-optic cables for up to 30 days, the paper said.

The Guardian said Snowden had provided it with access to documents about GCHQ's alleged cable-tapping operation as part of his effort to expose "the largest program of suspicionless surveillance in human history."

For decades, the NSA and GCHQ have worked as close partners, sharing intelligence under an arrangement known as the UKUSA agreement. They also collaborate with eavesdropping agencies in Canada, Australia and New Zealand under an arrangement known as the "Five Eyes" alliance.

The latest Guardian story will likely put more pressure on British Prime Minister David Cameron's government to reassure the public about how data about them is collected and used.

Earlier this month, in response to questions about the secret U.S. data-monitoring program Prism, British Foreign Secretary William Hague told Parliament that GCHQ always adhered to British law when processing data gained from eavesdropping.

He would not confirm or deny any details of UK-U.S. intelligence sharing, saying that to do so could help Britain's enemies.

"In line with long-standing practice we do not comment on intelligence matters," a GCHQ spokesman said on Friday.

NSA spokeswoman Judith Emmel rejected any suggestion the U.S. agency used the British to do things the NSA cannot do legally. Under U.S. law, the NSA must get authorization from a secret federal court to collect information either in bulk or on specific people.

"Any allegation that NSA relies on its foreign partners to circumvent U.S. law is absolutely false. NSA does not ask its foreign partners to undertake any intelligence activity that the U.S. government would be legally prohibited from undertaking itself," Emmel said.

INTERCEPT PROBES

The Tempora operation involves attaching intercept probes to transatlantic cables where they land on British shores from North America, the Guardian said.

That was done with the agreement of unnamed companies, which were forbidden from revealing warrants that compelled them to allow GCHQ access, it added.

Snowden made world headlines earlier this month when he provided details of NSA surveillance programs to the Guardian and the Washington Post.

In Washington, Snowden's disclosures have ignited a political storm over the balance between privacy rights and national security, but the NSA has defended the programs, saying they have disrupted possible attacks.

In the wake of Snowden's revelations, U.S. officials acknowledged that the NSA, with cooperation from internet and telephone companies, collected email on foreign intelligence suspects, including counterterrorism targets, as well as masses of raw data on calls made within the United States and overseas by subscribers to major telephone companies.

The content of messages of people in the United States - including U.S. citizens - sometimes are intercepted "incidentally," officials have said, but rules require such intercepts to be purged unless U.S. authorities get court authorization.

(Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien and Michael Holden in London and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Andrew Roche and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/british-spy-agency-taps-cables-shares-nsa-guardian-181011320.html

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The future of natural gas is the car?

Rising use of natural gas in the transportation sector will offset a slowdown in other areas, says the International Energy Agency in?a new report. But don't expect natural gas vehicles to dominate roadways anytime soon.

By David J. Unger,?Correspondent / June 20, 2013

A man fills his truck with compressed natural gas at a filling station in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jim Urquhart/Reuters/File

Enlarge

The natural gas revolution is getting some wheels ? and just in time for the gas industry.

Skip to next paragraph

Why It Matters

Energy: Natural gas is plentiful, cheap, and cleaner-burning than other fossil fuels.

Environment: Drilling for natural gas can release potent greenhouse gases and threaten local ecosystems.

U.S. decision delayed on easing gadget use on airplanes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel weighing whether to ease restrictions on in-flight use of personal technology devices like e-readers has delayed its recommendations by two months until late September, the FAA said on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal, citing industry officials and a draft copy of the panel's report, said on Friday that the group will recommend relaxing restrictions on electronic gadgets.

The advisory panel was supposed to finish its work by July 31 but was granted a two-month extension to continue examining whether the use of electronic and WiFi enabled devices, such as iPods, laptops, e-readers and other gadgets, would be safe to use through takeoff and landing and at altitudes under 10,000 feet.

The panel is not examining any change in the use of cell phones in flight, which is banned by the Federal Communications Commission.

The FAA said it recognizes that consumers are intensely interested in the use of personal electronics on aircraft.

"Basically the panel is looking at a range of portable electronic devices, including computers and portable cameras," FAA spokesman Les Dorr said. "What the panel was not charged with was the use of voice communications."

Airlines have long told travelers not to use iPods, music players, laptops and other gadgets during takeoffs and landings.

NBC News reported that the recommendations are likely to call for allowing passengers to use devices such as electronic readers throughout a flight, and that FAA officials are likely to adopt the change.

Current restrictions grew out of concerns they may pose a safety hazard by interfering with radio frequencies and disrupting aircraft systems. The Wall Street Journal said the draft report says aircraft are now more tolerant of interference and the personal devices emit weaker signals.

"Wireless devices and cell phones should be seen in two different categories because cell phones use higher radio frequency and have a much higher potential of interfering with airplane instruments," said Daniel Stancil, the department head of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University in Raleigh who has extensively researched passenger use of electronics on planes.

Getting more time with technology while traveling sounded "great" to frequent airline passenger Ike Bethel, 34, of Fairfax, Virginia.

"It would make flying 100 percent better. Now just add the charging stations," he said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington and Victoria Cavaliere in New York; Editing by Eric Beech and Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/faa-decision-delayed-lifting-ban-gadget-airplanes-143448613.html

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EFF looks at rules controlling NSA surveillance, sees big risks for Americans

While The Guardian undoubtedly garnered attention when it posted court papers detailing data collection rules for the NSA, it also provided a lot of detail that isn't easy to digest. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is more than willing to break down those rules, however -- and it doesn't like what it sees. It's concerned that there are too many exceptions letting the NSA store and transmit private information, with little oversight preventing investigators from seeing more US data than they should. Allegedly, the rules could defy American rights to anonymous speech; they may also violate attorney-client privileges both inside and outside of the US. We have a hunch that the NSA might disagree with this interpretation of its authority, but you can see all the points of contention for yourself at the link below.

[Image credit: David Drexler, Flickr]

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Source: EFF

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/22/eff-studies-rules-controlling-nsa-surveillance/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Sunday, June 2, 2013

Heidi Klum 'Gangnam Style' Dance Is Cause For Celebration (VIDEO)

Whether she's modeling, hosting a TV show or saving her child's life, Heidi Klum really commits. The gorgeous industry veteran doesn't just look great in a dress -- she injects every activity with a healthy sense of enthusiasm.

Even dancing. Back in November, Heidi hosted the MTV Music Awards in her native Germany, a gig which, it turns out, involved heavy choreography to a vital viral hit song... while wearing a ridiculous costume.

As June 1 marks Heidi's 40th birthday, we think the joyful occasion calls for a spirited celebration. Pay your respects to the model's accomplishments in the performing arts by revisiting her rendition of "Gangnam Style" with Psy below. Blue tux optional.

WATCH:

Heidi's come a long way:

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Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/01/heidi-klum-gangnam-style-psy-video_n_3372070.html

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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Suicide bomber kills 6 in northwest Pakistan

An injured Pakistani girl cries while getting medical treatment at a local hospital following a bomb blast, in Peshawar, Pakistan on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Pakistani Taliban detonated bombs at the campaign offices of two politicians in the country's northwest on Sunday, police said, killing many people in an escalation of attacks on secular, left-leaning political parties. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

Pakistani police officers and volunteers visit the site of an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Pakistani Taliban detonated bombs at the campaign offices of two politicians in the country's northwest on Sunday, police said, killing many people in an escalation of attacks on secular, left-leaning political parties. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? A suicide bomber targeting policemen killed six people in northwestern Pakistan on Monday in the latest attack ahead of next month's parliamentary election, police said.

The bomber, who was riding a motorcycle, detonated his explosives as a police patrol passed in the main northwestern city of Peshawar, said city police chief Liaqat Ali Khan.

Three policemen were among over 30 people who were wounded by the blast, Khan said. Many of the dead and wounded were from a nearby passenger bus, which bore the brunt of the attack.

Local TV footage showed the wreckage of the bus and the motorcycle, as rescue workers rushed wounded people to hospitals in the city.

No one immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion will likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban. The group has been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for years and has stepped up attacks ahead of the May 11 parliamentary election.

On Sunday, the Taliban killed 11 people in bomb attacks on a political rally and two campaign offices in the northwest, part of their quest to disrupt the election. The group has killed at least 60 people in attacks on politicians and party workers since the beginning of April.

The Taliban have specifically targeted more secular political parties that have supported military offensives against the militants in the northwest. The Taliban have largely spared Islamic parties and others who believe the government should strike a peace deal with the militants, rather than fight them.

There is a concern that the violence could benefit the parties that take a softer line toward the militants because they are able to campaign more freely.

"Unless the government, the country's independent election commission and security forces ensure that all parties can campaign freely without fear, the election may be severely compromised," Ali Dayan Hasan, the head of Human Rights Watch in Pakistan, said in a statement issued Monday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-29-Pakistan/id-47de4fa39316467586621688c83ca5bf

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Helen Mirren reigns at London's Olivier awards

LONDON (AP) ? Helen Mirren was crowned queen of the London stage at the Olivier Awards Sunday, while compelling, canine-titled teen drama "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" emerged as best in show with seven trophies.

Mirren, 67, was a popular and expected best actress choice for her regal yet vulnerable Queen Elizabeth II in "The Audience," Peter Morgan's behind-palace-doors drama about the relationship between Britain's queen and its prime ministers.

The actress, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for playing Britain's monarch in "The Queen," quipped that it was 87-year-old Elizabeth who deserved an award, "for the most consistent and committed performance of the 20th century, and probably the 21st century."

Backstage, it turned out she wasn't kidding. Mirren, who has been Olivier-nominated three times before, said that finally winning "doesn't mean that I was the best actor. There were so many incredible performances out there."

"I was making a joke about the queen winning, but I think actually it is a reflection of the kind of respect the queen is held in," she said.

Her "Audience" co-star, Richard McCabe, who won the supporting actor trophy for playing 1960s and 70s Prime Minister Harold Wilson, said Mirren was a joy to work with.

"It's important as an actor to be absolutely fearless, and she is," he said.

While the queen herself hasn't been to see the Stephen Daldry-directed show ? rumored to be Broadway-bound ? McCabe said "a lot of people in the royal household have been coming in and watching incognito, and they must be reporting back."

The surprise of the awards ceremony at London's Royal Opera House was "Curious Incident," an adaptation of Mark Haddon's best-selling young-adult novel about a teenage math prodigy with Asperger's Syndrome who sets out to find the killer of his neighbor's dog, with destabilizing results.

The show, which premiered at the state-subsidized National Theatre last year before transferring to a commercial West End playhouse, has won praise for its creative use of movement and technology to make the leap from page to stage.

The Simon Stephens-scripted drama was named best new play, and 28-year-old Luke Treadaway was crowned best actor, beating a strong list of contenders including Rupert Everett, Mark Rylance and James McAvoy.

Treadaway said the "Curious" company knew they had created "something really special" with the show about a teenager "who sees the world differently to a lot of people."

"I think people could kind of see themselves in him," Treadaway said.

"This is not even necessary," he said, holding his trophy, a bust of the late actor Laurence Olivier. "I enjoy doing it so much anyway."

The play also won prizes for director Marianne Elliott and supporting actress Nicola Walker, as well as for set, lighting and sound.

Walker said the play had, through some "magic," succeeded in creating an onstage world as seen through the eyes of a teenage hero with autism.

"You start out thinking (it) is completely different to our world, and you end up thinking 'No, there are parts of this world I understand.'"

The Olivier awards honor achievements in London plays, musicals, dance and opera. Winners in most categories are chosen by a panel of stage professionals and theatergoers.

Founded in 1976, the Oliviers have been laying on the glitz in recent years, with glossy ceremonies modeled on Broadway's Tony Awards.

"Downton Abbey" actor Hugh Bonneville and West End star Sheridan Smith ? an Olivier winner in 2011 and 2012 ? hosted a sparky ceremony that included performances by "Glee" star Matthew Morrison, Tony-winning "Wicked" diva Idina Menzel and 60s songstress Petula Clark.

The best new musical category had a retro feel, with the trophy going to "Top Hat" ? a tap-dancing, tail-coated homage to Hollywood's Golden Age based on the 1935 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie. It also won awards for costume design and choreography.

Blood-soaked musical "Sweeney Todd" took the prize for best musical revival, with its stars Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball named best actress and actor in a musical.

"I'm not sure I deserve this," Ball said. "But I've also got sciatica, and I don't deserve that either."

Royal Ballet principal dancer Marianela Nunez took the prize for outstanding achievement in dance, while the same company's "Aeternum" was named best new dance production.

An immersive staging of the Philip Glass opera "Einstein on the Beach" at London's Barbican Centre was named best new opera production. American tenor Bryan Hymel won the outstanding achievement in opera prize for performances at the Royal Opera House.

Special achievement awards went to choreographer Gillian Lynne ? best known for her work on Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals including "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera" ? and playwright Michael Frayn, whose classic backstage farce "Noises Off" is still going strong 30 years after its debut.

___

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Online: http://www.olivierawards.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/helen-mirren-reigns-londons-olivier-awards-204835864.html

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Self Help And Improvement Tips And Techniques - App For Lists

Personal development can turn your life. This article contains the keys you started in your personal development journey.

TIP! Avoiding decisions means missing opportunities in the arena of personal development. Never back down from an opportunity.

Use your time efficiently.The simple trick is to take more breaks during your work day. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but breaks allow you to refocus and re-energize, allowing you to return and work more efficiently.

Always carry a way to write down thoughts you may have at any time or location. Carry some kind of paper with you.

TIP! You should know the values that bear importance to you prior to planning a personal development program. These are the areas that will have greater impact on your development instead of conflicting value areas.

You should know your own values to come up with a self improvement plan. It wouldn?t make any sense to develop a trait that was contrary to who you are.

Weight loss is not be the only reason that people need to exercise. There are so many physical reasons for the need to exercise.

Begin a special savings for emergency purposes.This money can help out in the short term because debt continues decreasing.

Ask other people about their accomplishments instead of boasting about your own.

TIP! There is one key strategy to consider, no matter what your individual goals for personal development. That one thing is you must choose to be an active person and live your life, not be a spectator.

You have to provide care for yourself before you can properly care for others. No matter how much progress you have made in your self improvement, you need to relax and reflect every once in a while.

TIP! Identify which things in life are the most important to you, then focus on obtaining and maintaining them. Your life will be more peaceful, satisfying, and happy if you can stop obsessing over negative or meaningless things and concentrate your energy on what you really care about.

Therapy is the answer for people who have serious problems. Books can be very helpful to help you understand your problems, but do not contain the one-on-one personal touch you can get from a therapist. Simply talking can help motivate you in finding motivation. Books can be useful tools but a trained psychiatrist is able to.

TIP! Eliminate any disorganization in your life. Organizing things will give you the feeling that you?ve accomplished something, and increase your confidence levels as well.

This article should have shown you that developing into your best self isn?t something you can do overnight. However, if you stay focused and surround yourself with a reliable support system, you can achieve your self improvement goals, and learn many important lessons along the way. The tips you just read should make getting started a bit easier.

Source: http://appforlists.com/self-help-and-improvement-tips-and-techniques/

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You're welcome, Kyle! Enjoy your HTC One Developer Edition!

Thanks

Got a great video response today from Kyle, aka Phestor or AnAm85, who won the 64-gigabyte HTC One Developer Edition in our recent contest. HTC pitched in some goodies, too, after the contest ended, which was more than generous.

So congrats to Kyle -- as well as Rey Ford and misterasset, who each won Nexus 4s -- and hope you enjoy your phone!

Check out Kyle's gracious reply after the break.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/0ZEiSpQziEo/story01.htm

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Monday, April 29, 2013

Israel lawmaker: Hezbollah getting chemical arms

JERUSALEM (AP) ? A former Israeli defense minister alleged Monday that Syria's chemical weapons are "trickling" to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. It was the first such claim by a senior politician in Israel, but he did not supply evidence to support his assertion.

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a retired general who is now a lawmaker from the opposition Labor party, told The Associated Press: "The process of weapon transferal to Hezbollah has begun."

He told Israel Radio that he "has no doubt" that Syrian President Bashar Assad has already used chemical weapons and that that "these weapons are trickling to Hezbollah."

His statement on chemical weapons reaching Hezbollah did not represent an official assessment, and Israeli defense officials sought to distance themselves from Ben-Eliezer's allegation.

They said that while Israeli officials are deeply concerned about such weapons reaching Hezbollah, they have not seen evidence that this has occurred. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a confidential intelligence assessment and were not authorized to brief reporters.

Israel has repeatedly expressed concern that Syria's chemical arsenal could fall into the hands of anti-Israel militants like Hezbollah, an Assad ally, or an al-Qaida-linked group fighting with the rebels. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that militants' acquisition of chemical arms or other sophisticated weapons is could trigger military action.

Israel is widely believed to have carried out an airstrike in Syria early this year on a shipment of sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles allegedly bound for Hezbollah. Israel has all but confirmed it carried out the attack.

Although Assad is a bitter enemy, Israel has been careful not to take sides in Syria's civil war, partly because the Assad family has kept the border with Israel quiet for the past 40 years and because of concerns of what would happen if he is overthrown.

Israeli military officials believe some Syrian opposition groups, especially those affiliated with the al-Qaida terror group, will turn their focus toward Israel if Assad is ousted.

Ben-Eliezer said he is "amazed by the silence of the world" and that the international community needs to intervene to end the high civilian death toll in Syria's civil war. He said Israel should consider action if there is no international intervention.

"I wouldn't rule out preparing a plan for Israel to act if the world continues to remain silent and the weapons continue to flow to Hezbollah. These are crazy people, terrorists who will not hesitate to use this tomorrow morning," he said.

This week another former defense chief, Environment Minister Amir Peretz, also called for international action in Syria.

Both sides in Syria's civil war accuse each other of using chemical weapons in the war, which according to the U.N. has killed more than 70,000 people.

The U.S. has warned such weapons cross a red line and last week said the weapons were probably used, though it still seeks definitive proof.

Last week, Brig. Gen. Itai Brun, the head of research and analysis in Israeli military intelligence, said Assad's soldiers had used chemical weapons against rebels. He said sarin gas, a lethal nerve agent, was probably used in one instance. He cited images of alleged victims of the attacks foaming at the mouth and displaying other apparent symptoms of chemical attacks as part of the evidence.

The Israeli government convened its Security Cabinet to discuss Syria on Sunday, but no details were released.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-lawmaker-hezbollah-getting-chemical-arms-183928327.html

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Budweiser's Buddy Cup makes Facebook friending a toast away

Making new friends over cold brew isn't particularly difficult, but making those friendships Facebook-official requires a bit more effort -- unless you have Buddy Cup, that is. Developed by ad outfit Agencia Africa and creative studio Bolha for Budweiser Brazil, the drinking vessel makes folks who toast with each other friends on Zuckerberg and Co.'s social network as soon as their beverages collide, with an LED lighting up to confirm the new acquaintance. Partygoers link their Facebook profile with the LilyPad-based grail by scanning a QR code underneath the glass with an app from the brewer, and they'll be on their way to making new pals. The Drum reports that the Buddy Cup will be used at concerts, festivals and parties sponsored by The King of Beers, but we're sure intrepid imbibers can hack some together for use at their own soirees. Hit the jump to for a video of the contraption.

Filed under: Misc, Facebook

Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: Budweiser Brazil (YouTube)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/p5boM22aSmA/

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Chris Brown Taking Jennifer Lopez Back To The Block For Her Next Album

J.Lo opens up about 'getting that whole "Jenny from the Block" flavor back' with Brown on their upcoming collaboration.
By Jocelyn Vena

Jennifer Lopez and Chris Brown
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706494/chris-brown-jennifer-lopez-collaboration.jhtml

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Friday, April 26, 2013

Iraq gunmen storm small Sunni town near Baghdad

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraq's Defense Ministry says gunmen have taken over a small Sunni town north of Baghdad after clashes with security forces.

Thursday's statement says the gunmen have taken control of Suleiman Beg police station and deployed in the streets. The mayor of Toz Khormatu city to which Suleiman Beg is administratively annexed, Shalal Abdool, says security forces have laid siege and sporadic clashes occurred.

On Wednesday, fierce clashes between Iraqi soldiers and the gunmen in the town killed four soldiers and 12 others, including some gunmen. Abdool added that the gunmen suffered casualties on Thursday, but couldn't give numbers. The town is about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Baghdad.

The unrest followed a bloody incident involving soldiers and Sunni protesters on Tuesday that set off fighting in Sunni towns.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-gunmen-storm-small-sunni-town-near-baghdad-081653234.html

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Angela Davis lawyer Leo Branton Jr. dies at 91

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Leo Branton Jr., a lawyer who helped successfully defend radical Angela Davis in a sensational 1972 murder case, has died. He was 91.

Branton died of natural causes on April 19 in Los Angeles, his son, Tony Nicholas, told the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/15L6WFQ ).

Branton, the only 1948 black graduate of the Northwestern University law school, already had decades of civil rights law when he became co-lead defense counsel at Davis' trial.

Davis gained national attention in 1969 when the University of California, Los Angeles professor was fired for being a member of the Communist party.

The next year, she was charged in a 1970 armed takeover of a Marine County courtroom. A 17-year-old boy smuggled guns into the San Rafael courtroom and armed three black convicts. They tried to drive away with a judge, prosecutor and three women jurors as hostages. Police opened fire and in the melee the judge, the teenager and two of the convicts died.

Davis was charged with murder, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy because she had bought the smuggled guns ? including a shotgun that had been taped to the judge during the escape attempt.

She fled and was placed on the FBI's 10 most wanted list.

After her arrest, the case became a cause celebre among progressives. She claimed the guns had been stolen from her, and eventually was acquitted by an all-white jury.

Branton was instrumental in the decision, Davis told the Times on Thursday.

On the trial's closing day, he showed the jury a drawing of his client wrapped in chains, then ripped it away to reveal another of Davis unbound and urged jurors to "pull away these chains as I have pulled away that piece of paper." He then attacked the prosecution case and asked jurors to "understand what it means to be black."

"Certainly his brilliant closing argument had a profound impact on the jury," Davis said.

Branton had been involved in civil rights cases dating to the late 1940s. He helped singer Nat King Cole integrate the wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood of Hancock Park, defended Communists in the McCarthy era and won police misconduct cases decades before Rodney King.

"He was a hero of mine," said Connie Rice, a Los Angeles civil rights attorney who helped lead efforts to reform the LAPD after the King beating.

"All the things I've done, Leo Branton did 50 years before I even thought about going to law school," she told the Times. "He saw himself not as a private practitioner out to make money for himself but as a lawyer with the skills to be a champion for black liberation."

Branton also was an entertainment lawyer who represented the Platters, Miles Davis and Richard Pryor.

Branton practiced law until early this year, and won his last case involving a dispute with a credit card company, his son said.

In addition to Tony, Branton is survived by two other sons, Leo Branton and Paul Nicholas, a brother, sister and five grandchildren.

___

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/angela-davis-lawyer-leo-branton-jr-dies-91-134331952.html

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Women's Health Forum Preview ? Fitness Syndicate Team | KTLA 5

Gayle Anderson was live in Lawndale to begin her contribution to the KTLA MORNING NEWS ?LOSE FIVE WITH FIVE? ?month long health and fitness initiative.

Gayle was at CJ?s Functional Fitness with members of the Fitness Syndicate to follow up on their war on obesity in Los Angeles. Last November, Gayle visited Functional Fitness to report on the?Fitness Syndicate vs. Obesity, ?Push Through the Obstacle,? a 12-week program designed to get 12 lucky participants into their best shape.?

Established by CJ, CEO of CJ?s Functional Fitness March 6, 2010, the?Fitness Syndicate?is?a group of Los Angeles trainers and coaches who have joined forces to combat obesity. As part of this program, each?Fitness Syndicate?member was given one week?with the contestants to train them for two to three days on various methods of fitness training. This weekly variation of both trainers and training techniques helped keep participants motivated throughout the process. In addition to physical fitness, this program aimed to show the public the real process behind weight loss, by emphasizing the dedication, hard work, and consistency needed to sustain good health rather than quick fixes.

Contestants were selected by Radio Free 102.3 KJLH air personality, Adai Lamar and CJ, CEO of CJ?s Functional Fitness, and announced during the Morning Drive Show on Friday, October 26, 2012. Also, four alternates were selected and personally notified.?The winners and alternates had until January 5, 2013 (Orientation Day) to obtain a medical clearance from their care provider in order to participate in the program. If a winner failed to obtain a medical release, they then forfeited their spot to an alternate.?The fitness sessions began January 12, 2013 and ended Saturday, April 6, 2013.?

During a mandatory Orientation Day, the participants took before pictures and had?weigh-ins, body fat testing, and their measurements taken. This data was tracked weekly throughout the 12-week process.?All the winners will be showcased at the 13th Annual KJLH?s Women?s Health Forum this Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

?The 13th Annual KJLH Women?s Health Forum is a community health fair that offers free health screenings, exercise classes, breakout sessions, a holistic health wellness village, healthy food samples, free massages, prize giveaways and a vendor area. Attend the live radio broadcast for your chance to win a trip to any of the 48 contiguous states in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, courtesy American Airlines.?

?This event is not just for women! Men can visit the ?Man Cave,? a 5,720 square foot environment JUST FOR MEN. The Man Cave will offer a variety of health screenings, such as prostrate screenings, STD screenings, HIV/AIDS testing, and BMI, diabetes, blood pressure, and lung function screenings. There will also be a panel of speakers to address men?s health and overall wellness concerns. While in the ?Man Cave,? roll the dice for a chance to win $25,000 cash. In addition, there will be FREE hair cuts and a chess tournament hosted by Kevin Nash.?

Admission to the Women?s Health Forum is FREE, although you must register online by clicking HERE.?West Hall parking at the Los Angeles Convention Center is $12. For more information, call (310) 330-2235.?

13th Annual KJLH Women?s Health Forum
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Check-in begins at 7:00 a.m.?
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.?
Admission is FREE
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(310) 330-2235

If you want to follow Gayle?s ?Lose Five with Five? progress, you can contact Gayle via:
Twitter: @ KTLAGayle
Facebook: Gayle Anderson

If you have questions, please feel free to call Gayle Anderson at?323-460-5732?or e-mail Gayle at?Gayle.Anderson@KTLA.com.

Source: http://ktla.com/2013/04/24/womens-health-forum-preview-fitness-syndicate-team/

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Samsung?s enterprise ambitions put on hold as KNOX security software delayed

By Simon Evans WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - Landon Donovan's return to the U.S. squad for June's World Cup qualifiers is no certainty as the country's all-time top scorer dropped down the pecking during his break from the game, coach Juergen Klinsmann said on Wednesday. Donovan has already missed World Cup qualifiers against Honduras, Costa Rica and Mexico in recent months following his decision last December to take a break from the game. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-enterprise-ambitions-put-hold-knox-security-software-231038568.html

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Hoax tweet tests firms that filter social media for Wall Street

By Ryan Vlastelica

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Firms that scour social media sites such as Twitter for information to help investors and traders make money faced their biggest test yet this week.

A tweet reporting explosions at the White House appeared on the Associated Press's official feed Tuesday afternoon, sparking a temporary sell-off that briefly wiped out about $140 billion in market value on the S&P 500.

The tweet was a fake and the account had been hacked. But for analytics firms that comb through tweets for tradable ideas - a small but growing niche industry - it was the latest example of the challenges they face in delivering information to a client base that often prizes speed first.

Failure to highlight a tweet saying President Barack Obama had been injured in an explosion would have left people in the dust as the market zoomed lower - but a hair-trigger response to sell may have been worse.

Some of these firms did throw up red flags, based on other tweets or on the unusual nature of the news, but the selloff had already happened. For some of the firms, that's just fine - they're aware of their limitations.

"The guys who trade on tweets as they happen will always be susceptible to things like this, that's why we've shied away from delivering every tweet to people for them to trade off," said Oli Freeling-Wilkinson, chief executive officer of the London-based analytics firm Knowsis, one of several recent start-ups which sell subscriptions to investors and institutions such as retail brokers and fund managers.

"Algorithms used to trade off news headlines, now they trade off tweets. That's very dodgy, very shaky ground."

For Knowsis and other firms doing this analytical work, the ability to discern news from noise is the key to success, and it appears to be getting harder. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said earlier this month that companies can use Twitter, Facebook and other social media to make key announcements.

Tuesday's fateful tweet appeared at 1:07 p.m. EDT. It was picked up almost immediately by investors and analytic companies scanning Twitter for key words to determine breaking news or measure sentiment. Stocks and commodities moved sharply lower and bond prices soared.

Within minutes, analytics firm Dataminr issued an alert saying the AP account was probably hacked, citing another tweet by a reporter in the White House basement.

That warning came at 1:11 pm EDT, "just four minutes after the fake message had been published on the AP's hacked Twitter account," said Ted Bailey, New York-based chief executive of Dataminr, which was founded in 2009.

The difficulty of reacting to such news can be seen in this case, however. By the time Dataminr's message went out, the market recovery was already underway.

The nature of the hoax created a challenge as the AP account is considered a trusted source. Past hoaxes originated from newly created accounts that were more readily identifiable as suspect. But the extraordinary nature of the news would have been another cautionary signal, some said, especially in the absence of similar reports by other news outlets.

"We would have published the AP tweet but because it could not have been verified at the time we would have clearly marked it as a rumor," said Emmett Kilduff, chief executive officer at Eagle Intel in Dublin. "When it was proven to be false we would have published a note to our clients saying so."

Kilduff, in an email, noted differences in the language of the fake tweet and official Associated Press style that could have outed it as a hoax, including the use of capital letters and that it referred to "Barack Obama" instead of "President Obama" or "Obama," the two ways the AP refers to the president.

European markets were closed at the time of the hoax tweet.

The mini-crash sparked by the bogus tweet was reminiscent of the "flash crash" of May 2010 when security prices suddenly plunged, as if the floor had been yanked from underneath them.

The free-fall nature can be explained by a couple of factors. For one, automatic stop-loss orders, which are designed to limit an investor's losses, kicked in, adding to the selling.

In addition, trading firms that provide liquidity pulled their bids, making the selloff more chaotic. Similar moves worsened the flash crash. In a market where participants step back when news is either onerous or uncertain, the combination of stop-loss orders and market makers withdrawing bids can make a selloff worse.

"We see this every time this type of news comes out: liquidity evaporates quickly. High-frequency traders cancel their orders on even one little tweet," said Dennis Dick, a trader at Bright Trading LLC in Las Vegas.

Freeling-Wilkinson said analytics firms like his are more interested in looking at trends than individual tweets.

"I would never recommend that anyone trades on a single tweet," he said.

(Additional reporting by Herb Lash; Editing by Claudia Parsons)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hoax-tweet-tests-firms-filter-social-media-wall-075118556--sector.html

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CSN: Bullpen, missed chances cost Phillies

BOX SCORE

Wednesday?s game should have been about Roy Halladay having another quality start. It should have been about Chase Utley and Ryan Howard hitting solo home runs. It should have been about the Phillies winning.

It wasn?t about those things, because the Phillies didn?t win. And the Phillies didn?t win because the bullpen failed.

That unit had been pretty good lately. In 14 of the last 16 games before Wednesday?s meeting against the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies' 'pen allowed one or no runs. That had a lot to do with why the Phils were 6-0 after six innings this season. They were 6-0. They aren?t any longer.

When Halladay came out of the game, the Phils had a two-run lead. Then Antonio Bastardo, Mike Adams and Jeremy Horst pitched the last three innings against Pittsburgh and that lead turned into a permanent deficit.

Pirates 5, Phillies 3 (see Instant Replay).

Bastardo, Adams and Horst combined to allow six hits and four earned runs from the seventh inning on. Adams had a particularly bad outing. He gave up two hits, two walks and two earned runs and was pulled after facing just four batters in the eighth inning. He didn?t record an out.

?It?s very frustrating,? said Adams, who got the loss. ?We got out to a lead and got to the bullpen, but we weren?t able to hold on. It?s frustrating when the guys are battling and trying to put something together. For us to let them down like that, it?s very frustrating.?

Utley hit a solo home run in the first inning, his fourth of the season. Howard added a solo home run in the fourth when he crushed an 0-2 curveball to right field. It was Howard?s second homer of the year. The blasts by Utley and Howard were the first for any of the Phillies off a left-handed pitcher this season. When Kevin Frandsen hit an RBI single in the sixth, the Phillies looked like they were in good shape.

After all, Halladay had his third solid outing in a row. In his first two starts of the season, Halladay allowed 18 base runners and lasted only 7 1/3 total innings. Since then, he?s been much better. He won his last two starts, and he looked sharp against the Pirates on Wednesday.

Halladay went six innings, surrendering just one hit, one eared run and two walks. He struck out eight and threw 95 pitches, 57 for strikes.

?To me, it was like two different games,? Halladay said. ?We did so many things early. Defensively, we made some great plays. Chase hitting a home run. Ryan hitting a home run. We did a lot of great things early on in the game. Then, obviously, later in the game we didn?t do things like we had earlier. It almost felt like two different games.?

True enough. Bastardo took over for Halladay in the seventh and surrendered a home run to Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez. From there, things deteriorated quickly.

?[Wednesday] our bullpen, the back end of it, we had some trouble,? Charlie Manuel said. ?We didn?t get it done.

?I felt like we were in control of the game. Even after Bastardo gave up a home run to Alvarez in the seventh, I still felt like we were in control of the game. [Wednesday] was one of those nights. Our bullpen has been real good and we didn?t get it done. That?s going to happen.?

The bullpen was the most obvious reason the Phillies fell to the Pirates, but it wasn?t the only factor. The Phillies had several opportunities to score more runs. The Phils had 10 hits, but left eight men on base. They were also just 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

The biggest blunder came in the fifth inning. The Phillies had runners at first and third with no outs. But when Michael Young hit a grounder to third, Jimmy Rollins, who was on third base, didn?t immediately break for home. The hesitation resulted in a rare 5-4-2 double play when Rollins was thrown out at the plate. The Phillies didn?t score that inning.

?We definitely had a chance to score more runs, but we didn?t do it,? Manuel said. ?That?s the bottom line. We had chances. They were there for us.?

Source: http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/bullpen-missed-chances-lead-phillies-loss-pirates

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Nasal lining used to breach blood/brain barrier

Apr. 24, 2013 ? Neurodegenerative and central nervous system (CNS) diseases represent a major public health issue affecting at least 20 million children and adults in the United States alone. Multiple drugs exist to treat and potentially cure these debilitating diseases, but 98 percent of all potential pharmaceutical agents are prevented from reaching the CNS directly due to the blood-brain barrier.

Using mucosa, or the lining of the nose, researchers in the department of Otology and Laryngology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School and the Biomedical Engineering Department of Boston University have demonstrated what may be the first known method to permanently bypass the blood-brain barrier, thus opening the door to new treatment options for those with neurodegenerative and CNS disease. Their study is published on PLOS ONE.

Many attempts have been made to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier using methods such as osmotic disruption and implantation of catheters into the brain, however these methods are temporary and prone to infection and dislodgement.

"As an endoscopic skull base surgeon, I and many other researchers have helped to develop methods to reconstruct large defects between the nose and brain using the patient's own mucosa or nasal lining," said Benjamin S. Bleier, M.D., Otolaryngologist at Mass. Eye and Ear and HMS Assistant Professor.

Study co-author Xue Han, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University, said, "The development of this model enables us to perform critical preclinical testing of novel therapies for neurological and psychiatric diseases."

Inspired by recent advances in human endoscopic transnasal skull based surgical techniques, the investigators went to work to develop an animal model of this technique and use it to evaluate transmucosal permeability for the purpose of direct drug delivery to the brain.

In this study using a mouse model, researchers describe a novel method of creating a semi-permeable window in the blood-brain barrier using purely autologous tissues to allow for higher molecular weight drug delivery to the CNS. They demonstrated for the first time that these membranes are capable of delivering molecules to the brain which are up to 1,000-times larger than those excluded by the blood-brain barrier.

"Since this is a proven surgical technique which is known to be safe and well tolerated, this data suggests that these membranes may represent the first known method to permanently bypass the blood-brain barrier using the patient's own tissue," Dr. Bleier said. "This method may open the door for the development of a variety of new therapies for neurodegenerative and CNS disease.

Future studies will be directed towards developing clinical trials to test this method in patients who have already undergone these endoscopic surgeries."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

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

Journal Reference:

Benjamin S. Bleier, Richie E. Kohman, Rachel E. Feldman, Shreshtha Ramanlal, Xue Han. Permeabilization of the Blood-Brain Barrier via Mucosal Engrafting: Implications for Drug Delivery to the Brain. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (4): e61694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061694

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/gkF2Z1R2mSc/130424185207.htm

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White House mulls plan to halt FAA furloughs

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Under pressure, the White House signaled Wednesday it might accept legislation eliminating Federal Aviation Administration furloughs blamed for lengthy flight delays for airline passengers, while leaving the rest of $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts in place.

The disclosure came as sentiment grew among Senate Democrats as well as Republicans for legislation to ease the impact of the cuts on the FAA, possibly by loosening restrictions on agency spending.

In a further reflection of congressional concern, the senior members of the Senate Commerce Committee met with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta to consider possible ways to eliminate the delays.

According to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which is privy to FAA data, there were 5,800 flight delays across the country for the three-day period beginning Sunday, when the furloughs took effect. Some were caused by weather. The union said that compares with 2,500 delays for the same period a year ago.

At the White House, press secretary Jay Carney said that if Congress "wants to address specifically the problems caused by the sequester with the FAA, we would be open to looking at that.

"But that would be a Band-Aid measure," he added. "And it would not deal with the many other negative effects of the sequester, the kids kicked off of Head Start, the seniors who aren't getting Meals on Wheels, and the up to three-quarter of a million of Americans who will lose their jobs or will not have jobs created for them."

Officials estimate the FAA furloughs will save slightly more than $200 million through Sept. 30, a small fraction of the $85 billion in overall reductions that stem from across-the-board cuts, officially known as a sequester, that took effect in March.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the other top Democrats have consistently expressed opposition to piecemeal legislation aimed at easing the impact of the spending cuts, a position that congressional officials say reflected the administration's position.

But support for that view among Senate Democrats has eroded in recent days as airlines reported thousands of flight delays and industry executives pressed for a restoration of full funding for air traffic controllers.

"I think it's better to do a big deal, but as we work toward that big deal we have to admit that there are some things that are very problematic," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who helped write legislation to give the FAA flexibility to switch money between accounts and permit full staffing by controllers.

At least three other Democrats support the measure, which Klobuchar co-sponsored with Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota and several other GOP lawmakers. "This is a very simple bipartisan bill that fixes the problem," Hoeven said, adding he had informed the White House of his plans.

It was not clear whether supporters of the legislation or of similar proposals would seek a vote before Congress begins a one-week vacation at the end of the week.

Nor was it clear whether any FAA-related measure might include a provision to keep open smaller towers that the agency says might be closed as a result of the spending cuts, a provision that numerous lawmakers in both parties favor.

Democrats said it was unlikely any FAA bill would be expanded to offset the impact of the cuts on Head Start or other programs that draw more support from Democrats than Republicans.

Apart from the inconvenience caused by delays, some lawmakers have criticized Huerta, saying they were blindsided by the flight delays. Republicans have been particularly vocal.

Huerta got a public tongue-lashing during the day when he appeared before the House Appropriations Committee.

"You didn't forewarn us this was coming. You didn't advise us how to handle it. This imperial attitude on the part of this administration ? you are the latest example of it ? is disgusting," Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said.

Huerta said LaHood had warned at a news conference in February that the furloughs were coming and could create flight delays of up to 90 minutes.

He also said he had testified about them at a hearing before a different committee earlier over the winter.

"It's fair to say the thing that captured the media's attention was the" threatened closure of small towers, he added. "The furlough problem didn't sink in with Congress and the public until recently."

___

Associated Press writer Joan Lowy contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-says-open-fix-faa-furloughs-203548947--politics.html

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