tamarausta: এপ্রিল 2013

সোমবার, ২৯ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks extended a rally on Monday, with the S&P 500 unofficially ending at an all-time high as growth-oriented stocks like energy and technology lead the way.

Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 105.21 points, or 0.72 percent, at 14,817.76. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was up 11.29 points, or 0.71 percent, at 1,593.53, surpassing the previous record of 1,593.37. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 27.76 points, or 0.85 percent, at 3,307.02.

(Reporting By Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-futures-higher-ahead-data-corporate-results-115148731.html

social security social security paulina gretzky paulina gretzky david bowie elvis presley elvis presley

Thymus teaches immune cells to ignore vital gut bacteria

Apr. 29, 2013 ? The tiny thymus teaches the immune system to ignore the teeming, foreign bacteria in the gut that helps you digest and absorb food, researchers say.

When immune cells recognize essential gut bacteria as foreign, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease can be the painful, debilitating result.

In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers show that the regulatory T cells, or Tregs, that keep this from happening in most of us come from the tiny immune organ nestled near the heart, said Dr. Leszek Ignatowicz, immunologist in the Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

In fact, mice born lacking T cells that were given a specific T cell type that causes colitis-like wasting disease, didn't get the disease if they also received thymus-derived Tregs.

"This essential gut-bacteria is one group that you don't want to mount an immune response against," said Ignatowicz, the study's corresponding author. "In fact, you need the Tregs' help in inducing tolerance to these bacteria if you want to treat Crohn's and other inflammatory bowel disease."

Knowing exactly where the Tregs come from is essential to making more of them, noted Dr. Richard A. McIndoe, the center's Associate Director and a study co-author. "The Tregs have to shut down the immune response. The question is: Do we have to expand the pre-existing Tregs that came to the gut from the thymus or teach peripheral na?ve or effector T cells to become Tregs? "

The answer was thought to be that most immune cells learn to ignore the vital bacteria after they reach the gut. However, the new study shows that only a fraction of bacteria-friendly Tregs come from there. Since T cells don't have license plates, they looked at their antigen receptors and found the Tregs in the gut had the same receptors as their precursors in the thymus. Easing the comparison was the fact that na?ve T cells, which also get their education in the thymus, have mostly different receptors than thymus-educated Tregs.

They soon realized that while conversion of na?ve cells to Tregs occurs more often in the gut than other organs, it was much less frequent than conventionally believed. Once in the gut, na?ve cells can become Tregs or effector cells; effector cells only attack unless constrained by Tregs.

"We either have to induce effector T cells to change to Tregs or boost the number of Tregs coming out of the thymus to help patients with inflammatory bowel disease," McIndoe said. Some compounds, including vitamin A and transforming growth factor beta, already are known to aid conversion.

While T-cells mostly earn their receptors in the thymus, most don't take action until they actually see their chosen antigens, a variety of substances that can provoke an immune response. Well-educated thymus-derived Tregs can recognize antigens from the body's tissue as well as foreign antigens derived from sources like gut bacteria. Interestingly most immune cells circulating in the body are na?ve T-cells that become effector cells upon their first contact with an antigen.

It was previously believed that thymus-derived Tregs primarily protect the body's own tissue but don't induce tolerance to foreign antigens like ones derived from gut's bacteria. However Ignatowicz and Dr. Rafal Pacholczyk reported in 2007 in the journal Immunity that Tregs could actually recognize both self- and non-self-antigens. The gut, which regularly deals with an onslaught of foreign substances such as food and drink, was a logical place to figure out where the accommodating Tregs originated, Ignatowicz said.

MCG scientists note that effector cells also are needed in the gut to recognize and eliminate harmful bacteria, such as campylobacter, a common cause of diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramping that can result from eating inadequately washed and cooked poultry.

Populating gut bacteria starts early, with mother's milk or formula, and is determined largely by diet as well as the environment so every individual's is different although bacteria tend to be compatible among the same species, McIndoe said.

Vaccines are likely the oldest example of using the body's natural defense system to protect against invaders. Conversely, select immune cell populations already are being used to help fight cancer. More sophisticated approaches are being developed to turn down the immune response, in the case of an organ transplant or an autoimmune disease such as lupus or arthritis.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

Journal Reference:

Anna Cebula, Michal Seweryn, Grzegorz A. Rempala, Simarjot Singh Pabla, Richard A. McIndoe, Timothy L. Denning, Lynn Bry, Piotr Kraj, Pawel Kisielow, Leszek Ignatowicz. Thymus-derived regulatory T cells contribute to tolerance to commensal microbiota. Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature12079

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/top_news/top_health/~3/TDQLYj2_2lA/130429130512.htm

daniel day lewis Life of Pi Christoph Waltz QuvenzhanÃ© Wallis dancing with the stars cast kristen stewart Shirley Bassey

JPMorgan co-COO Bisignano leaves to run First Data

NEW YORK (AP) ? JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Sunday that one of its co-chief operating officers is leaving the company, marking the latest high-profile departure since the bank's massive trading loss last year.

Frank Bisignano will become CEO of payment processor First Data Corp. on Monday. Matt Zames, who was co-chief operating officer with Bisignano, will become the sole COO of JPMorgan Chase effective immediately.

First Data said Bisignano, 53, succeeds Ed Labry, who has been interim CEO and president of Retail and Alliance Services since Jan. 28. Labry will continue as president of Retail and Alliance Services.

Bisignano and Zames were named co-chief operating officers in a management reshuffle in July after JPMorgan Chase revealed a trading loss of about $6 billion. The massive loss became a focus of the risky bets taken at large banks and oversight of traders who make those bets. It also prompted congressional hearings, as well as investigations by international regulators.

Others called for the resignation of CEO Jamie Dimon, who initially called the trade a "tempest in a teapot." Dimon later backtracked and apologized several times for the mischaracterization after the scope of the loss was revealed.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Bisignano would be the ninth executive in the past year and a half to leave Dimon's operating committee of key decision makers.

Dimon and Bisignano have known each other since the 1980s, according to the Journal, and worked together at Citibank.

Before he was named co-chief operating officer this summer, Zames had taken over as chief investment officer for Ina Drew, who resigned in the days after the big trading loss was revealed.

JPMorgan also said Sunday that Paul Compton will become chief administrative officer. He is currently co-chief administrative officer of the Corporate & Investment Bank and deputy head of operations for JPMorgan Chase.

Louis Rauchenberger, who shares Compton's current role, will become sole chief administrative officer of the Corporate and Investment Bank.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-28-JP%20Morgan-Personnel/id-2cdf1cb364f345f4b87afc8a86e08128

illinois primary trayvon martin 911 call kiribati vernal equinox mr rogers jamie lee curtis spring equinox

Curry leads Warriors past Denver 115-101 in Game 4

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) ? Stephen Curry shook off a sore left ankle to score 22 of his 31 points in the third quarter, leading the Golden State Warriors past the Denver Nuggets 115-101 on Sunday night for a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Curry shot 10 of 16 from the floor and added seven assists in a dominant and dazzling display that rivaled his days in the NCAA tournament for tiny Davidson. His five 3-pointers in the third quarter lifted Golden State to a 20-point lead and its third straight victory in this frenetic and flashy series.

Jarrett Jack added 21 points and nine assists and Andrew Bogut broke out in the first half with 12 points and five rebounds for the sixth-seeded Warriors, who can close out the Nuggets in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Denver.

Ty Lawson scored 26 points and Andre Iguodala had 19 for the third-seeded Nuggets.

The Warriors lost All-Star forward David Lee to a season-ending hip injury in Game 1, and Curry sprained his left ankle late in Game 2. With Curry carrying the load anyway, none of it has seemed to matter.

The quick-shooting point guard hit 5 of 8 from beyond the arc in a spectacular third quarter, when nearly every gold-shirt wearing fan in the sellout crowd of 19,596 stood and cheered. Curry scored all 22 points in the final 6:22 of the quarter, showing the kind of range that helped him make 272 3-pointers in the regular season ? three more than Ray Allen's record set in 2005-06 with Seattle.

Curry capped his remarkable run with two of his most highlight-reel plays.

He stole the ball from Lawson, stopped in heavy traffic and dropped in a 27-footer before sprinting all the way to the bench high-fiving and chest-bumping teammates. Following a timeout, Curry sprung free near Denver's bench for a corner 3 that gave Golden State a 91-72 lead entering the fourth.

Curry's five 3s in the quarter were a Warriors record for a half.

Curry, wearing heavy tape around his nagging ankle, gave fans a scare when Corey Brewer poked Curry in the eye going for a rebound early in the fourth. Curry returned about 4? minutes later, receiving another standing ovation from the home fans.

While Curry scored only seven points in the first half, Bogut broke out in a big way to provide the one-two punch Golden State had long envisioned.

The 7-footer from Australia sliced down a wide open lane off a pick-and-roll with Curry in the first quarter, took one dribble and dunked over JaVale McGee with a thunderous right-handed slam. Bogut, who received a technical foul in Game 3 for daring Denver's big man to punch him on the chin during a face-to-face altercation, stared back at McGee while backpedalling down court.

In the second quarter, Bogut backed down Kosta Koufos before hammering home another dunk. He also soared high for a backdoor alley-oop from Curry to help the Warriors go ahead 45-37, and chants of "Bogut! Bogut!" echoed around the arena while the video board kept replaying his dunks.

Bogut sat out the final 4:37 of the first half with three fouls, and Andre Miller almost single-handily brought Denver back within a point. Then Curry hit his first 3-pointer of the game ? officially a 27-footer that seemed closer to the scorer's table than the arc ? as Golden State scored the last 11 points before the break to go ahead 56-44.

After falling behind by 15 early in the third quarter, the Nuggets started to rally behind their point guard.

Lawson, who scored a career-playoff high 35 points in the Game 3 loss, shook off a slow start to highlight a 14-4 run that sliced Golden State's lead to 62-58 midway through the third quarter. Just when it seemed they might crawl back, Curry countered with a devastating blow to Denver's playoff hopes.

NOTES: For the third straight game, Warriors coach Mark Jackson listed Carl Landry at power forward in his starting lineup submitted before the game, even though Harrison Barnes started at power forward and Landry came off the bench. Jackson said beforehand that he'd do it again because "it worked." Nuggets coach George Karl said it's not what coaches typically do but joked that Jackson is "consistent" and maybe "superstitious." ... Jackson's wife, Desiree Coleman Jackson, sang the national anthem.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/curry-leads-warriors-past-denver-115-101-game-042746068.html

tomb of the unknown soldier tomb of the unknown soldier HMS Bounty dominion power Heather Clem Con Edison LaGuardia Airport

রবিবার, ২৮ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

Uncover gives your MacBook's lid a new, Apple-less kind of glow

Etsy stickers adorning your MacBook's lid, oft making a cute play on the presence of that glowing Apple? That's so 2012. Uncover, a Dutch company showcasing its talents here at The Next Web Conference in Amsterdam this week, has crafted a new method of customizing one's MacBook lid. And, perhaps most importantly, it involves the seamless removal of the Apple logo altogether. In essence, these guys use a specialized laser cutting process that can etch out anything your brain can muster -- from band logos to company mantras. And, as you'll see in the gallery below, the Apple logo doesn't have to be a part of the equation.

The outfit will take in any aluminum-faced MacBook from around the world, and once it lands in Holland, you'll typically see it headed back to your domicile within four to five days. If you're selecting one of Uncover's designs, you can have your machine tweaked for as little as €249 (around $325), while completely custom work starts at €599 ($780). (And yes, you can just buy a totally new Mac from Uncover as well.) We spoke to Jasper Middendorp, the company's CEO, and he confessed that only MacBooks are being accepted due to Apple's unique backlighting arrangement. They're obviously keen to offer similar work for PCs, but to date, every one he has seen blocks or covers the backlight in some way. For those looking to get it on the fun, allow the source link below to be your guide.

Gallery: Uncover MacBook lid modification

Filed under: Laptops

Comments

Source: Uncover

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/27/uncover-macbook-lid-mod-apple-light-laser-cutting/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

ricky martin larry bird chauncey billups caucus results exton kurt warner kurt warner

New excavations in Sweden indicate use of fertilizers 5,000 years ago

Apr. 26, 2013 ? Researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have spent many years studying the remains of a Stone Age community in Karleby outside the town of Falk?ping, Sweden. The researchers have for example tried to identify parts of the inhabitants' diet. Right now they are looking for evidence that fertilisers were used already during the Scandinavian Stone Age, and the results of their first analyses may be exactly what they are looking for.

Using remains of grains and other plants and some highly advanced analysis techniques, the two researchers and archaeologists Tony Axelsson and Karl-G?ran Sj?gren have been able to identify parts of the diet of their Stone Age ancestors.

'Our first task was to find so-called macrofossils, such as old weed seeds or pieces of grain. By analysing macrofossils, we can learn a lot about Stone Age farming and how important farming was in relation to livestock ranching,' says Axelsson.

Another aim has been to collect animal bone material -- or simply 5,000 year old food remains. The researchers know that pieces of bones from cattle, pigs and sheep can be found at the site.

'By studying the levels of isotopes in the bones, we can for example find out where the animals were raised, which in turn can give important information about their role in trade,' says Sj?gren.

The results of the first grain analyses have now been presented, and besides revealing that both barley and wheat were farmed at the site, they point to elevated levels of the isotope N15 (nitrogen 15). The elevated levels may indicate that fertilisers were used in the area of Karleby already 5,000 years ago.

'We will continue our analyses both in the field and in the lab, and are hoping to find more macrofossils. Hopefully we'll find some weed seeds, as they may help confirm that fertilisers were indeed used since the type of weeds found in a field can signal whether fertilisers or some other method was used,' says Axelsson.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Gothenburg.

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

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/ogiJ5EtLo7Q/130426114853.htm

is snooki pregnant snooki pregnant gbc hedy lamarr kowloon walled city ronda rousey vs miesha tate lindsay lohan snl

Yeah, well, the not-nice-words store called, and they?re running out of you (Unqualified Offerings)

Share With Friends:

| Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/301912940?client_source=feed&format=rss

student loan forgiveness ufc 145 weigh ins record store day 2012 detroit red wings jose canseco zimmerman derek fisher

Obama readies for annual correspondents' dinner

Late-night television host and comedian Conan O'Brien tours the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, April, 26, 2013. O'Brien visited the White House ahead of his schedule hosting of the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Late-night television host and comedian Conan O'Brien gives a 'thumbs-up' as he tours the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, April, 26, 2013. O'Brien visited the White House ahead of his schedule hosting of the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The annual gathering not far from the White House brings together journalists, government officials, politicians and media personalities for what's usually an evening of light-hearted banter and celebrity gawking.

Presidents are made fun of and they poke at themselves, too.

But President Barack Obama's scheduled appearance Saturday night at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was coming at a somber time, nearly two weeks after the deadly Boston Marathon bombing and 10 days after a devastating fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.

In 1995, in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, President Bill Clinton dispensed with the traditional presidential humor to remember victims and praise journalists for their coverage of the explosion.

Coincidentally, this year's dinner entertainer, comedian and late-night TV talk-show host Conan O'Brien, also headlined that 1995 gala.

Obama spent the afternoon on the golf course at Andrews Air Force Base with former U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and two White House aides.

Six journalists, including Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace, were to be awarded prizes for their coverage of the presidency and national issues.

The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza won the Aldo Beckman Award, which recognizes excellence in the coverage of the presidency.

Pace won the Merriman Smith Award for a print journalist for coverage on deadline.

ABC's Terry Moran was the winner of the broadcast Merriman Smith Award for deadline reporting.

Reporters Jim Morris, Chris Hamby and Ronnie Greene of the Center for Public Integrity won the Edgar A. Poe Award for coverage of issues of national significance.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-27-Obama-Correspondents/id-f1c7f6d049544bf49971564b437c0cfc

matilda cab calloway melissa gilbert deadliest catch dwts sean hannity bobby petrino fired

Nicki Minaj Joins The Other Woman

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/nicki-minaj-joins-the-other-woman/

NBA draft 2012 alicia sacramone Don Grady ann curry euro 2012 Colorado Springs Nora Ephron

শনিবার, ২৭ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

Tax-free Internet shopping in jeopardy

FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2010 file photo, an Amazon.com package is prepared for shipment by a United Parcel Service (UPS) driver in Palo Alto, Calif. States could force Internet retailers to collect sales taxes under a bill that overwhelmingly passed a test vote in the Senate Monday, April 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Internet shoppers are moving closer to paying sales taxes for their online purchases. But the fight is far from over.

The Senate voted 63-30 Thursday to advance a bill that would impose state and local sales taxes on purchases made over the Internet. An agreement among senators delayed the Senate's final vote on passage until May 6, when senators return from a weeklong vacation.

Opponents hope senators hear from angry constituents over the next week, but they acknowledged they have a steep hill to climb to defeat the bill in the Senate.

Their best hope for stopping the bill may be in the House, where some Republicans consider it a tax increase. President Barack Obama supports the bill.

The bill would empower states to reach outside their borders and compel online retailers to collect state and local sales taxes for purchases made over the Internet. Under the bill, the sales taxes would be sent to the states where a shopper lives.

Under current law, states can only require stores to collect sales taxes if the store has a physical presence in the state. As a result, many online sales are essentially tax-free, giving Internet retailers an advantage over brick-and-mortar stores.

"We look forward to passing this landmark bill in 11 days and call on the House to stand up for America's Main Street businesses with us," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said shortly after Thursday's vote.

Senate Democratic leaders wanted to finish work on the bill this week, before leaving town for the recess. But they were blocked by a handful of senators from states without sales taxes.

Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire and Delaware have no sales taxes, though the two senators from Delaware support the bill.

"I think it's going to be interesting for senators to get a response from constituents over this upcoming week," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. "I'm not sure that the country knows that something like this coerces businesses all around America to collect other people's sales taxes."

The bill pits brick-and-mortar stores like Wal-Mart against online services such as eBay. The National Retail Federation supports it. And Amazon.com, which initially fought efforts in some states to make it collect sales taxes, supports it, too.

Retailers who have lobbied in favor of the bill celebrated Thursday's vote.

"The special treatment of big online businesses at the expense of retailers on Main Street will soon be a thing of the past," said Bill Hughes of the Retail Industry Leaders Association. "The overwhelmingly bipartisan support for leveling the playing field is rare in today's political environment and paves the way for a level playing field once and for all."

Supporters say the bill is about fairness for local businesses that already collect sales taxes, and lost revenue for states. Opponents say the bill would impose complicated regulations on retailers and doesn't have enough protections for small businesses. Businesses with less than $1 million a year in online sales would be exempt.

Many of the nation's governors ? Republicans and Democrats ? have been lobbying the federal government for years for the authority to collect sales taxes from online sales.

The issue is getting bigger for states as more people make purchases online. Last year, Internet sales in the U.S. totaled $226 billion, up nearly 16 percent from the previous year, according to Commerce Department estimates.

The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates that states lost $23 billion last year because they couldn't collect taxes on out-of-state sales.

Anti-tax groups have labeled the bill a tax increase. But it gets support from many Republicans who have pledged not to increase taxes. The bill's main sponsor is Sen. Mike Enzi, a conservative Republican from Wyoming. He has worked closely with Durbin, a liberal Democrat.

Enzi and Durbin say the bill doesn't raise taxes. Instead, they say, it gives states a mechanism to enforce current taxes.

In many states, shoppers are required to pay unpaid sales taxes when they file state tax returns. But governors complain that few people comply.

Under the bill, states that want to collect online sales taxes must provide free computer software to help retailers calculate the taxes, based on where shoppers live. States must also establish a single entity to receive Internet sales tax revenue, so retailers don't have to send them to individual counties or cities.

___

Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephenatap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-26-Internet%20Sales%20Tax/id-943aa4aeec8041ea98b7065a13d6bba7

paczki lent la times heart attack grill KTLA Ash Wednesday 2013 ted nugent

Pope hints at possible changes to scandal-ridden Vatican bank

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has indicated for the first time that he may make changes to the Vatican's scandal-ridden bank as part of a broad review of the Holy See's troubled administration.

Before Francis was elected last month, many of the cardinals who went on to choose him expressed concern about the harm done to the Church's image by three decades of scandals at the bank, which Italian magistrates are now investigating for money laundering.

A report last year by Moneyval, a European anti-money laundering body, found that the bank, officially the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), had failed to meet some of its standards on fighting financial crimes, and called for increased oversight.

In an impromptu sermon at a Mass for Vatican employees including staff from the bank, the pope said they should concentrate on the true mission of the Church and that Vatican departments were needed "only up to a certain point".

"The Church is not an NGO (non-governmental organization). It is a story of love," he said, according to a transcript published by Vatican Radio.

"I know that people from the IOR are here, so excuse me. Offices are necessary but they are necessary only up to a certain point."

It was the first time Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, had mentioned the Vatican bank in public since his election.

The account of the sermon in the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, omitted the mention, however. Italian media said this was a sign of conflict within the Vatican on how to deal with the bank.

Vatican sources have said the pope could restructure the IOR and has the power to close it if he wants to.

Italian media have reported that the bank, which currently answers to a commission of cardinals and enjoys great autonomy, could be placed under the control of another Vatican department to enable tighter control.

Famiglia Cristiana, Italy's leading Catholic weekly, has called for the funds in the IOR, which manages money mostly for dioceses and religious institutions, to be administered by an independent "ethical bank" external to the Vatican.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said he was not aware of any imminent changes affecting the bank.

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-hints-possible-changes-scandal-ridden-vatican-bank-143811123.html

Beyonce Lip Sync Star Wars citizens bank Hansel and Gretel LGBT Giovanna Plowman martin luther king jr quotes

শুক্রবার, ২৬ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

Stocks sputter on tepid US economic growth

NEW YORK (AP) ? The stock market sputtered Friday after the U.S. economy didn't grow as much as hoped. Neither did earnings from a handful of big companies.

Economic growth accelerated to a 2.5 percent annual rate in the first three months of the year, the government said. But it was below the 3.1 percent forecast by economists.

The shortfall reinforced the perception that the economy is grinding, rather than charging, ahead. Investors have also been troubled by reports in the last month of weaker hiring, slower manufacturing and a drop in factory orders.

"There are some concerns as we head into the summer," said JJ Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist for TD Ameritrade. "In the last three weeks, we've have seen numbers that weren't exactly what you'd love to see."

Corporate earnings this week have also contained worrisome signs. Many companies missed revenue forecasts from financial analysts, even as they reported higher quarterly profits. For example, Goodyear Tire slipped 3.4 percent to $12.49 Friday after revenue fell short of analysts' estimates, hurt by lower global tire sales.

Of the companies that have reported earnings so far, 70 percent have exceeded Wall Street's expectations, compared with a 10-year average of 62 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ. However, 43 percent have missed analysts' revenue estimates.

The S&P 500 index fell three points to 1,583, or 0.2 percent, paring its gain for the week to 1.8 percent.

The Dow, however, was up 11 points, or 0.1 percent, at 14,717, lifted by Chevron's stock. Profit for the U.S. oil company beat expectations of financial analysts in the first quarter, pushing shares up $1.29, or 1 percent, to $119.80 on Friday.

The Dow index is 1.2 percent higher this week.

The Nasdaq composite was down 20 points at 3,269, a decline of 0.6 percent. The index is still 2 percent higher this week.

The tech-heavy index has lagged both the Dow and the S&P 500 this year, but led the way higher this week, boosted by Microsoft. The software giant, which makes up 5.3 percent of the Nasdaq, is on track to record its biggest weekly gain since January last year, after reporting earnings April 19 that beat Wall Street expectations and revealing an aggressive push into the computer tablet market.

Even Apple, the largest stock in the Nasdaq, had a good week, advancing 5.8 percent to $413.20, despite posting a decline in quarterly profit Tuesday. Apple accounts for 7.6 percent of the index's value and the weekly gain was its biggest since November.

Among big names that investors were focusing on Friday, Amazon.com fell 7 percent to $255.20 after the company warned of a possible loss in the current quarter. And in the first quarter, the online retailer reported lower income fell as it continued to spend heavily on the rights to digital content. Expedia fell 11 percent to $58.15 after the online travel company's reported a quarterly loss.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton surged 8 percent to $26.48 its income nearly tripled thanks to a continuing recovery the housing market. The results were handily beat the forecasts of financial analysts who follow the company.

J.C. Penney jumped 8.5 percent to $16.52 after the billionaire financier George Soros disclosed that he had taken a 7.9 percent stake in the struggling company.

In government bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.67 percent from 1.71 percent, its lowest rate of the year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-sputter-tepid-us-economic-growth-184133429.html

jason aldean Brigitte Nielsen Cricinfo Geno Smith ny giants brandon marshall ryder cup

Police identify victims in Illinois killings

MANCHESTER, Ill. (AP) ? The five people found shot to death in a small south-central Illinois town this week were two young brothers, their pregnant mother, their father and their great grandmother, authorities said Thursday.

Investigators were still trying to piece together the events that led to Scott County's first homicide in two decades, and why the suspect, Rick O. Smith allegedly walked into a home Wednesday and shot an entire family ? including a 6-year-old girl who survived ? before he was killed during a shootout with police.

The Illinois State Police said the victims were: 1-year-old Brantley Ralston, 5-year-old Nolan Ralston, 29-year-old James Ralston, 23-year-old Brittney Luark, and 67-year-old Jo Ann Sinclair. Sinclair was Luark's grandmother.

Authorities believe Smith and the victims were acquainted, but they didn't provide details of the relationships. Manchester Mayor Ronald Drake confirmed Wednesday that Smith was his nephew.

The state police said they believe Smith, 43, entered the home through the back door Wednesday and shot the victims at close range with a shotgun. Two people were found in a bedroom, two in a second bedroom and the man in the hallway. A sixth victim, a 6-year-old girl, was injured and taken to a hospital in Springfield.

"The offender took the 6-year-old out of the residence and put her in the hands of a neighbor," State Police Lt. Col. Todd Kilby said.

A bystander called police and told them that Smith fled in a white sedan. Smith led authorities on a chase to the nearby town of Winchester, where they exchanged gunfire. Officers shot Smith, and he later died at a hospital.

Police said they found a rifle, shotgun and large hunting knife in Smith's car.

Scott County State's Attorney Michael Hill said Smith, of rural Morgan County, had previous convictions for reckless homicide, drugs and bad checks.

Drake said he hadn't spoken to Smith in two years but that he believed his nephew was unemployed. Drake said the last time Smith contacted him was to borrow tools.

The preschool program that Nolan Ralston attended was closed Thursday, and Winchester Community School District Superintendent Dave Roberts said staff was meeting Thursday to decide how to broach the subject.

"I am trying to work with staff to get them prepared," he said. "They are very emotional at this point."

Roberts said he also wants to meet with parents Thursday night.

"I would say at least 40 kids knew him, and they're 3,4, 5 years old and that makes it even more difficult," he said.

He said a school psychologist will be at the school on Friday to talk with the children in the classrooms ? including the class of the 6-year-old girl who survived. He said that the girl is the older sister of the two dead boys.

___

Associated Press writers Don Babwin and Jason Keyser in Chicago and David Mercer in Champaign, Ill., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-identify-victims-illinois-killings-150032733.html

Staten Island Trick or Treat Amy Weber Happy Halloween! Star Wars Episode 7 jfk airport faith hill

বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৫ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

As Bush re-emerges on public stage, a mixed presidential legacy takes shape

By Michael O'Brien, Political Reporter, NBC News

As former President George W. Bush steps back onto the public stage, he?s facing both criticism from detractors who point to his lingering unpopularity and divisive impact on the GOP, and praise from supporters who cite the importance of ?compassionate conservatism? to the modern Republican Party.

While the former two-term president has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office in 2009, focusing on private speaking engagements and his burgeoning?painting hobby, he will be back in the spotlight Thursday for the dedication of his presidential library in Dallas, Texas.

His re-emergence at this week?s event ? which will feature all of the United States? five living presidents ? arrives just as his lasting political legacy comes into focus.

Mladen Antonov / AFP - Getty Images

The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas will be dedicated on Thursday.

The controversies of the Bush administration ? including the conflict in Iraq, the waging of the ?global war on terror,? the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis ? saddled the former Texas governor with staggering unpopularity by the end of his presidency, which helped give way to President Barack Obama?s ascendancy and an ongoing identity crisis within the GOP.

The library dedication offers Bush loyalists an opportunity to highlight what they see as the positive legacy of his eight years in office.?But even among supporters, there is a sense of resignation that he won?t win the kind of historical vindication that once seemed assured.

?I?m increasingly doubtful, just because I think the lens of history is not changing,? said Ari Fleischer, Bush?s former press secretary. ?A lot of us used to say President Bush will look good and he?ll be vindicated in the public eye. But realistically speaking, I don?t see a lot of the people who write history all of a sudden changing their mind about George W. Bush.?

The persistent focus on those controversies has made it difficult for Bush to repair his public image since leaving office. Thirty-five percent of Americans expressed a favorable opinion of Bush in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted at the beginning of this month; 44 percent of Americans said they viewed Bush unfavorably. (A Washington Post/ABC News poll released Tuesday featured rosier numbers for Bush ? 47 percent approval vs. 50 percent disapproval.)

?He's had a little uptick in the polls, but I think in terms of historians, he'll rank near the bottom of mediocre presidents,? said strategist Bob Shrum, a top adviser to the two Democratic presidential nominees who lost to Bush, Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. ?I don't think the Iraq War can be redeemed. What was done to the economy and budget will be permanently part of his legacy.?

Benny Snyder / AP

Letters written from around the world and sent to the White House offering thoughts and prayers after the 9/11 attacks are displayed at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas.

And while Bush might have shied away from the spotlight in the four years since leaving office, his effect in American politics is undeniable. The specter of Bush was a constant presence during the 2012 campaign, when Obama warned that his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, would return the country to the ?failed policies of the past.?

A further study in contrast came during last summer?s Republican National Convention, where Bush was nowhere to be found in Tampa. Former President Bill Clinton, rather, was one of the featured prime-time speakers at his party?s confab, a stark reminder of the popularity gap between the two.

For Bush supporters, the economic collapse in 2008, along with Katrina and the extended conflict in Iraq, are blemishes against him ? but they do not believe that he deserves to shoulder the primary blame. And for those allies of the former president who have toured the library (and continue to defend their former boss), they describe the new library as a blunt and forthright assessment of the Bush presidency.

?I think visitors are going to be surprised to see a frank discussion of what was done and why it was done,? Fleischer?said. ?It doesn?t shy away from controversy. The museum takes on the biggest issues for which the president was criticized.?

For all of the baggage that continues to surround Bush?s eight years in office, many of his supporters argue that the unpopular former president?s record offers Republicans more clues about their path to resurgence than cautionary tales.

Bush, for instance, unsuccessfully led a charge for comprehensive immigration reform in 2007, an initiative which conservatives are now revisiting amid the GOP?s slide with Hispanic voters. (Bush won 40 percent of the Latino vote in 2004.)

And following some of the harsher conservatism of congressional Republicans in the 1990s, Bush tried to put a somewhat softer face on the party ? much as the party is trying to do now ? during his 2000 bid for the presidency.

?He established the idea of compassionate conservatism, which is a concept that most Republicans realize was a winning message and one the party needs to return to in order to win,? said Mark McKinnon, a senior political adviser to Bush?s two presidential campaigns.

Benny Snyder / AP

An exhibit is shown in the museum area at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas.

Those aspects of Bush?s political strategy are what helped make him such a formidable opponent, according to Shrum.

?The attempt he made with Kennedy and McCain to do immigration reform was right on the merits, but also right on the money politically as well,? he said.

But as the party he helped cleave continues to search for a path forward, Bush himself said that he did not think the GOP is so hopelessly moribund that it?s beyond repair.

?The party ought to nominate somebody who can stand by principles and explain why conservative principles are better for the vast majority of the citizens,? Bush told Parade Magazine in an interview published last Sunday. ?I?m not one who believes that the Republican Party is doomed forever.?

The person to do that might end up being Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida and the brother of George W. Bush. Of his younger sibling?s future potential ambitions, Bush said: ?I hope he will run.?

Related story:

This story was originally published on Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:37 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2b1aa694/l/0Lnbcpolitics0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C240C1788170A60Eas0Ebush0Ere0Eemerges0Eon0Epublic0Estage0Ea0Emixed0Epresidential0Elegacy0Etakes0Eshape0Dlite/story01.htm

12/21/12 winter solstice Jabari Parker 2012 australia Brothers Grimm Tate Stevens

Heads up! 'Fireball season' hits peak this week!

Paola-Castillo

San Mateo College student Paola-Castillo used her cell phone to capture the Oct. 17, 2012 fireball over Northern California while stuck in traffic.

By Joe Rao
Space.com

The dramatic fireball that exploded over Russia in February got many people wondering if there is any way to anticipate future dazzling meteors before they appear.

Well, meteors not associated with an annual shower are certainly tough to predict. But there are some patterns that skywatchers can keep in mind to maximize their chances of spotting a fireball (which technically is any meteor that shines more brightly than Venus in the sky).

For example, springtime is "fireball season," when the number of bright meteor sightings increases by as much as 30 percent, NASA experts say. And the three-day stretch this week from Tuesday to Thursday?is perhaps the best time to watch for the next prospective fireball event, which might possibly even lead to the fall of a meteorite. [5 Amazing Fireballs Caught on Video]

Over the years, some real dazzlers have been seen during this time frame. And in at least two cases, the orbits of the meteors were virtually identical, suggesting Earth might hit more such space rocks when it passes through this part of its orbit.

A river of rubble?
Is there perhaps a "river of rubble" orbiting the sun that is populated by rather large meteoroids?

Unlike most of the annual meteor showers that are composed chiefly of dust and sand-sized particles ? such as the Lyrids, which peaked overnight Sunday?? this supposed fireball stream might be made up of objects that are considerably larger, perhaps originating in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter or perhaps being shed by the nucleus of a long-dormant comet.?

The circumstantial evidence for such a meteor stream lies with two brilliant fireballs that appeared during the 1960s.

One of these fireballs cast shadows over northern New Jersey on April 23, 1962. The other was seen by thousands of people over England, Wales and Northern Ireland on April 25, 1969 and also dropped a 0.6-pound (0.27 kilograms) meteorite in the town of Sprucefield, Northern Ireland.

After enough ground observations were gathered, orbits for both objects were computed. Remarkably, the two turned out to be very similar.?

Something to ?Crow? about
Both the New Jersey and United Kingdom meteors seemed to emanate from a spot in the sky near the constellation of Corvus (the Crow).?

Corvus is a rather striking star pattern situated low in the southeast sky around 9 p.m. local daylight time ? a little four-sided figure of fairly bright stars, like a triangle whose top has been removed by a slanting cut.

By around midnight it appears almost due south, and by the first light of dawn it?s disappearing beyond the southwest horizon. So any brilliant fireballs traveling on a general south-to-north trajectory might be related to this supposed fireball stream, especially if they seem to come from the direction of Corvus.

Here are three other possible candidate "Crow" meteors, all of which blazed up on the calendar date of April 25:

April 25, 1966:?This brilliant exploding meteor passed northward over New Jersey and eastern New York into Canada along a flat trajectory. Observations were analyzed by both U.S. and Canadian experts, who determined that the end point of the meteor's visible path was at an altitude of around 9 miles (15 kilometers) near Huntingdon, Quebec. Canadian astronomers B.A. McIntosh and J.A.V. Douglas noted, "The anticlimax of so spectacular an event is surely the failure to recover meteorites ... Much of the possible fall area is either sparsely populated or unfavorable terrain for recovery." They suggest that part of the meteoric mass may have come down in the rugged Adirondack Mountains, along the trajectory but before the end point.???

April 25, 1971:?A man named James A. Lewis reported that he and his wife heard a "thunder-like" sound in north-Central Wisconsin. "I thought it was lightning," Lewis wrote, "until I looked up and saw the fireball-like object hurtling northerly through the clouds. It seemed to break up about 30 degrees above the northern horizon." (As reported in Natural History Magazine, Vol. LXXX, No. 7, August-September 1971).

April 25, 2005:?A fireball was seen as far north as Portland, Maine and as far south as Long Island. A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said that a number of witnesses thought the meteor was a plane crashing in Connecticut, the Associated Press reported at the time.

Prospects for 2013
It should be stressed that this possible fireball stream bears no relation to the annual performance of the Lyrid meteor shower. [Spectacular Lyrid Meteor Photos from 2013]

If you do plan on watching the night sky for any prospective fireball activity this year, keep in mind that you're going to have stiff competition from a very bright moon which, unfortunately, turns full on Thursday night.

The moon?s brilliant light will squelch the light of all but the brightest stars, but if you?re lucky enough to witness a fireball suddenly bursting forth, it should easily be seen in spite of the moonlight.?

Also keep in mind that any potential fireball sightings are likely to be very few and very far between. This plus that bright moon might sound discouraging, but considering what some have been lucky to see in the past around this time of year, it still just might be worthwhile to spend a little time under the stars on the nights of April 23, 24 and 25.?

You never know.

Editor's note:?If you snap a great photo dazzling fireball that?you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send photos, comments and your name and location to Managing Editor Tariq Malik at?spacephotos@space.com.

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

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2b13892d/l/0Lscience0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C230C17880A60A40Eheads0Eup0Efireball0Eseason0Ehits0Epeak0Ethis0Eweek0Dlite/story01.htm

Lauren Silberman Sim City Manchester United Alvin Lee mila kunis hugo chavez nicki minaj

Joe Biden being Joe Biden (Washington Post)

Share With Friends:

| Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/301277509?client_source=feed&format=rss

channel 2 news adrienne bailon yelp stock honda classic news channel 5 nashville weather jason varitek

বুধবার, ২৪ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

Pamper Yourself On A Budget | Jackie's Women's Interest Bazaar

Related eBooks

A short guide to pampering yourself on a budget. Some of my favourite, yet affordable products.

Source:Pamper Yourself On A Budget

HBT: McCourt made $1.278 billion?on Dodgers

That?s free and clear, after paying taxes and taking an offset for the debt assumed by the Dodgers? new owners, reports Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.

We know this because he?s in court right now, trying to fight off a challenge from Jamie McCourt. Jamie is now trying to get a better deal than the one she walked away with when they settled their divorce. Her deal:?$131 million, tax free. ?She now claims that Frank committed fraud when they settled, misleading her as to the value of the team. Of course, at the time, most folks thought she was getting a pretty good deal, being able to walk away from what then appeared to be a doomed business. Which she helped doom.

As for Frank, I?m struggling to think of anyone who has done better financially while making so many dumb and questionable decisions while running a baseball team. It?s either a testament to how hard it is to go broke as a team owner or a testament to how naive I am about how capitalism works at its highest levels.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/23/frank-mccourt-turned-a-1-278-billion-profit-on-the-sale-of-the-dodgers/related/

CES 2013 joe budden notre dame notre dame football Bcs Bowl Chuck Hagel ncaa football

Skimlinks Raises Growth Funding Led by Greycroft Partners, Opens Japanese Site

Skimlinks, the platform which effectively gives publishers control over affiliate links and content monetization, has completed a growth financing round led by Greycroft Partners. Joining the round are Japan-based angel investors, Hiro Maeda and Ryota Matsuzaki, as well as Forum Foundry, a Texas-based network of blog and forum communities. Existing investors also participated in the round. The capital will be used to develop its content monetization platform and expand across the US, Asia, and Europe. In particular Skimlinks opens its Japanese site, although a full office is still in the works.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/aChNjhnDl4U/

champs champs calvin johnson calvin johnson sound of music Peter Billingsley festivus

মঙ্গলবার, ২৩ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

American Golfer: Golf Road Warriors Take on ?The Best Island ...

(Portland, Ore.) ? TheAPosition.com kicks off its spring golf season with a tropical flourish by sending five journalists to Maui from April 21-27 to sample the Magical Isle?s world-class golf courses, beaches, hotels, cuisine, and more. ?Four writers and a videographer will create and broadcast daily original content via a collection of websites and social media that will be further disseminated by sponsor partners. ?The content will include short travelogues, videos, and reviews of courses, restaurants, and other attractions, as well as the observations of a team of seasoned golf enthusiasts. This edition of Golf Road Warriors involves members of The A Position who have reported from previous trips to Myrtle Beach, Scottsdale, Reynold?s Plantation, Palm Springs, Casa de Campo, and other locales.

Brian McCallen is a long-time golf travel writer whose credits include GOLF Magazine (where he was a Senior Editor for 16 years), Robb Report, Cigar Aficionado, Travel & Leisure, the Washington Post and many others top publications. ?McCallen is also the author of a number of books about the world?s best golf destinations.

Manhattan-based writer Jim Frank has been a golf journalist and editor for more than 30 years, including stints as Executive Editor of GOLF Magazine from 1990-2003, and founder of Golf Connoisseur. ?Franks has edited and published countless articles in the best golf and travel publications and published several books.

Award-winning writer Tom Bedell is the only member of both the Golf Writers Association of America and the North American Guild of Beer Writers. ?His work has appeared in Travel & Leisure Golf, Celebrated Living, Lexus Magazine, and many other top publications.

Jeff Wallach, Executive Editor of the A Position, has published in The New York Times, Money Magazine, Outside, and other magazines and newspapers. The author of five books, he claims to have a pretty good short game for a journalist.

On Maui the writers will be videoed by Jamie McWilliams, whose extensive sports background has included producing, directing, and writing for NFL Films. ?McWilliams has worked as the videographer for a number of Golf Road Warriors adventures. ?He will document adventures at such great golf courses as Wailea Gold, Kapalua?s Plantation Course, King Kamehameha Golf Club, and Kaanapali?s Royal Course.

Check out the warriors? field reports at GolfRoadWarriors.com and theAposition.com.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

Source: http://americangolfer.blogspot.com/2013/04/golf-road-warriors-take-on-best-island.html

nor easter nor easter veep los angeles kings timothy leary jonathan frid pujols

BISON Database Lets You Stalk Nature From Anywhere

There was lichen on some trees near El Malpais National Monument in north west New Mexico on January 14, 1987. No, seriously there was. If you want to double check, the U.S. Geological Survey has released a database called Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) that tracks 100 thousand species in the U.S.. More »