Three Lebanese soldiers killed in fighting with anti-Hezbollah group

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Three Lebanese soldiers were killed in the coastal city of Sidon on Sunday in clashes with followers of a Sunni Islamist cleric who is a fierce critic of Hezbollah's military intervention in neighboring Syria, a security official said.

Sources in the city said the fighting broke out when a follower of Sheikh Ahmed al-Assir was arrested at an army roadblock in Sidon, 40 km (28 miles) south of Beirut.

The clashes were followed by fighting between Hezbollah members based in the mostly Sunni city and Assir's followers in which automatic weapons and shoulder fired rockets were used, the sources said.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a Shi'ite militant group, has been fighting on behalf of President Bashir al-Assad's forces against mostly Sunni rebels trying to topple him.

(Reporting by Laila Bassam; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/three-lebanese-soldiers-killed-fighting-anti-hezbollah-group-130422395.html

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Wimbledon 2013 Day 1: Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova Among Players To Watch On Monday

LONDON -- Five things to watch at Wimbledon on Monday, Day 1 of the grass-court Grand Slam tennis tournament:

1. FEDERER, MURRAY, NADAL GET STARTED: Three of the men who comprise what's often referred to as tennis' Big Four are scheduled to play Monday. Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who won the 2012 title, is up against Romania's Victor Hanescu in the first match of the year on Centre Court. Andy Murray, last year's runner-up, renews his bid to give Britain its first male champion in 77 years by taking on Germany's Benjamin Becker (best known, if at all, for beating Andre Agassi in the American's last professional match, at the 2006 U.S. Open). And Rafael Nadal, twice the champion at Wimbledon, plays his first match at the All England Club since last year's surprising second-round loss, facing Belgium's Steve Darcis. The No. 2-seeded Murray, No. 3 Federer and No. 5 Nadal all wound up on the same half of the draw, which is why they all start on the same day, prompting this wisecrack from No. 1 Novak Djokovic, safely ensconced on the other half: "Well, I think it's going to be a great Monday for tennis."

___

2. SHARAPOVA LETS RACKET DO THE TALKING: Two of the women other than top-seeded Serena Williams given any chance of winning Wimbledon this year are 2004 champion Maria Sharapova and two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka. Sharapova will follow Federer onto Centre Court for a first-round match against 37th-ranked Kristina Mladenovic of France. Sharapova, seeded third, helped add some extra juice to the tournament with a verbal jab in response to comments attributed to Williams in a recent magazine story. Azarenka, seeded second, opens the Court 1 schedule against 106th-ranked Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal, who is making her Wimbledon debut and only has won two main-draw, tour-level matches anywhere.

___

3. YOUNG AMERICANS FACE OFF: There are two matches that both pit a pair of young American women against each other. The most intriguing is 17th-seeded Sloane Stephens (who beat Williams en route to the Australian Open semifinals in January) against 25th-ranked Jamie Hampton (who beat 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to reach the French Open's fourth round this month). Stephens is 20; Hampton is 23. While their match is last on Court 18, the last match on Court 10 is 70th-ranked Christina McHale against 147th-ranked Alexa Glatch. McHale is 21; Glatch is 23.

___

4. OLD CHAMP IN ACTION: The last man other than Federer (seven titles in the last 10 years), Nadal (two) and Djokovic (one) to win Wimbledon was Lleyton Hewitt in 2002. The former No. 1-ranked Hewitt also won the 2001 U.S. Open, beating Pete Sampras in the final. Hewitt is now 32, and ranked 70th, after a series of injuries derailed his career. But Hewitt knows his way around a grass court: His seven tournament titles on the surface are tied with Boris Becker for the fifth-most in the 45-year Open era and second to Federer's 13 among active men. Hewitt could present some problems on Court 1 for 11th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka.

___

5. NADAL'S NEMESIS AND OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: With such a full slate scheduled for Monday ? all told, 64 singles matches ? there are plenty of places to find something interesting. The guy who shocked the tennis world a year ago by eliminating Nadal in five sets under Centre Court's closed roof, Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic, will be out on Court 19. John Isner, the 18th-seeded American forever linked to his all-sorts-of-records-breaking 70-68 fifth-set victory over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, is in action on Court 14. And Mahut ? whose first ATP title came at the age of 31 by beating Wawrinka in the final at Rosmalen, Netherlands, on Saturday ? will be on Court 5.

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/24/wimbledon-2013-day-1-schedule-federer_n_3489203.html

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Tapering? Maybe later, says Fed.

Fed chief Bernanke spooks the markets with comments that Fed's bond-buying could slow later this year. Dow drops, housing and jobless claims rise ? this week in the economy.??

By Schuyler Velasco,?Staff writer / June 23, 2013

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks during a news conference in Washington Wednesday. Mixed signals from the Federal Reserve have rattled investors for weeks. When Mr. Bernanke tried to set the record straight ? suggesting the potential for shrinking the Fed's bond-buying program later this year if the economy continues to improve ? the Dow plunged 353 points.

Susan Walsh/AP/File

Enlarge

No taper ? yet: The Federal Reserve released its statement from the May Federal Open Market Committee Wednesday, and Fed chief Ben Bernanke indicated that the central bank wouldn?t change its monetary policy of buying up bonds to keep interest rates low. At least not yet.

Skip to next paragraph Schuyler Velasco

Staff writer/editor

Schuyler Velasco is a writer and editor for the Monitor's business desk.? She writes about consumer issues, sports, and the occasional sandwich.

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But Mr. Bernanke did hint that tapering could be on the horizon. He said bond buying could begin to slow later this year, and, if the unemployment rate falls below 7 percent, end entirely by mid-2014. ?Interest rates, Bernanke said, will stay low until the unemployment rate falls below 6.5 percent.

?The?Fed?sent more tapering signals than we anticipated for this meeting,? Paul Edelstein, director of financial economics for IHS Global Insight, wrote in an e-mailed analysis. ?But we maintain that the?Fed?is too optimistic on unemployment, and continue to believe that it won?t taper until 2014. Of course, this view is predicated on progress in the labor market. If the unemployment rate declines enough over the summer, we would likely expect a tapering as early as September.?

Bernanke's comments sent Wall Street into a tailspin, sending the Dow tumbling 353 points for its worst one-day loss of the year.?

Davis' hit in 9th lifts Blue Jays over Orioles 7-6

TORONTO (AP) ? Add a new chapter to Munenori Kawasaki's remarkable run.

Kawasaki hit his first career home run, a game-tying shot in the seventh inning, Rajai Davis singled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied for their ninth straight win, 7-6 over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

"The legend grows, the Kawasaki legend grows, and rightfully so," Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey said.

Kawasaki went 2 for 4 with three RBIs. Eight of his 17 RBIs this season have come against the Orioles: he also beat them with a two-run double in the ninth inning of a 6-5 win on May 26.

"He's been doing that all year," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He's done a tremendous job for us."

Kawasaki has been playing shortstop for Toronto in the absence of Jose Reyes, who's been out since April 13 with a sprained left ankle. Reyes is currently rehabbing with Triple-A Buffalo and could be back Monday.

But Kawasaki's continued heroics might just make him indispensable.

"Nobody has said that Kawasaki was going down," Gibbons said. "People might assume that but we don't know what's going to happen, to be honest."

Casey Janssen (2-0) worked one inning for the win while Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion both homered for the Blue Jays, who reached .500 for the first time since July 30, 2012.

"We're starting to become family and it's showing," Dickey said.

Toronto has won 13 of its past 16 and has gone 26-15 since May 2, when they were a season-worst 10-21.

"We've definitely come back to life, that's for sure," Gibbons said. "We're riding a nice high right now."

Facing Orioles reliever Brian Matusz (2-1), Maicer Izturis singled to begin the ninth and moved to second on Josh Thole's sacrifice. Pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa was intentionally walked to bring up Kawasaki. With the crowd of 35,472 chanting his name, Kawasaki moved up both runners with a grounder.

"Unbelievable," Kawasaki said of the ovation. "I was nervous."

Pedro Strop came on to face Davis, who lined a single over the head of shortstop J.J. Hardy. Davis' teammates poured out of the dugout in celebration, mobbing him and tearing off his jersey.

"We've got to give credit to Kawasaki," Davis said. "He had some big hits with men on base. My hit doesn't even happen without those big hits."

Chris Davis hit his major league leading 27th home run for the Orioles, who also got homers from Hardy and Ryan Flaherty.

Toronto took an early lead when Lind hit a two-run homer off Jason Hammel in the first, his 10th. Hammel has allowed 10 runs in the first inning of his 15 starts this season.

Hardy's hit a two-out solo shot in the second, his 15th, to cut it to 2-1, but the Blue Jays got a run in the fifth on Kawasaki's two-out RBI single.

Nate McLouth singled to open the sixth and Nick Markakis drew a one-out walk. McLouth scored on Adam Jones' base hit and Davis followed with his third homer in the past two games.

Davis had two homers and five RBIs in Wednesday's 13-3 win over Detroit.

Encarnacion answered with a leadoff drive in the bottom half, his 20th, cutting it to 5-4, but Flaherty's leadoff drive in the seventh restored Baltimore's two-run lead.

Tommy Hunter replaced Hammel to begin the seventh and gave up a leadoff single to Izturis, Two outs later, Kawasaki tied it at 6 by hitting a 1-1 pitch into the right field bullpen.

Kawasaki said he felt like he was dreaming as he circled the bases for his first homer in 247 big league at bats.

"I would say that it's no surprise but that home run was a surprise," Dickey joked.

Called out of the dugout for a curtain call, Kawasaki bowed several times before tipping his cap.

All three Baltimore homers came off Dickey, who matched a season-worst by allowing three longballs.

Dickey allowed six runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. The right-hander, who walked two and struck out five, has a 6.02 ERA in eight home starts this season.

"I had a pretty good knuckleball going into the game, threw a couple of hangers up there and they got punished in bad situations," Dickey said.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was ejected in the second for arguing with plate umpire Angel Hernandez. He was replaced by bench coach John Russell.

Davis struck out swinging to begin the inning, but the pitch got away from catcher Thole and Hernandez ruled it a foul ball as Thole threw to first base. Gibbons came out and the umpires huddled, then called Davis out.

That brought out Showalter for an animated discussion with Hernandez. After being tossed, Showalter pointed at all four umpires, then mimicked throwing them out of the game.

"I don't know if the umpires considered the fact that two wrongs don't make a right," said Showalter, who was ejected for the first time this season.

NOTES: Baltimore 3B Manny Machado's single in the first was his ML-leading 104th hit. ... Reyes went 1-for-4 and scored the game-winning run for Buffalo in the first Triple-A game of his rehab assignment. ... Baltimore activated RHP Miguel Gonzalez off the paternity list and put OF Steve Pearce (left wrist) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Thursday. Gonzalez will start against Toronto on Saturday. ... Baltimore 2B Brian Roberts (right hamstring) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/davis-hit-9th-lifts-blue-jays-over-orioles-032127002.html

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Veteran Jeremiah Espinoza Overcomes Blindness To Create Successful Whip Making Business (WATCH)

With a strong enough entrepreneurial spirit, not even the failure of sight can slow down some small business owners.

Take Utah man Jeremiah Espinoza, for example. A United States Army veteran, Espinoza is running a successful business making whips despite losing 99 percent of his eyesight from an injury sustained shortly after his return from the first Gulf War, KSL reports. Espinoza says his disability actually helps him make the whips that are still used by cattle drivers today. In 2012, Espinoza and his company Blind Man's Whips was recognized by the Utah State University Small Business Development Center.

"This is really the spirit of entrepreneurism,? Mark Holmes, director of the Utah State University Small Business Development Center, told UBMedia. ?Getting knocked down, and getting back up, doing something new and trying it and if that doesn?t work you try something else, you just keep trying and going.?

Indeed, Espinoza isn't the only entrepreneur to overcome blindness to start a successful business. Nashville woman Diane Ross overcame blindness to become known as "The Amazing Quilter" due to the success of her business, according to Tomorrow's Trends. Computer programmer Michael Arbitman also didn't let his lack of vision deter him from working to create an insulin pump that can be used by blind people, the Global Genes Project reports.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/jeremiah-espinoza_n_3484066.html

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Attacks kill NATO service member, 2 Afghan police

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Taliban militants attacked local security checkpoints in a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan, killing two policemen in a fight that also left 18 insurgents dead, Afghan officials said Saturday.

NATO said a coalition service member also died in a militant attack in the south on Saturday, but did not provide further details.

The violence follows NATO's formal handover of security in the entirety of Afghanistan to Kabul's forces ? a transition that comes at a time with violence levels matching their worst in nearly 12 years of war.

In northern Afghanistan, Kunduz provincial police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini said Saturday that the Taliban attacked multiple checkpoints at about noon Friday in the provincial capital of the same name, killing one member of the Afghan local police, a community-based force, and wounding two.

The Taliban then moved outside the city where a gun battle with Afghan security forces lasted until about midnight, Hussaini said.

Eighteen Taliban fighters and another local policeman were killed in the battle, and another 11 militants were wounded, he said. Hussaini posted on his Facebook page a picture of 11 bodies lined up inside the provincial police compound in Kunduz that he said were those of Taliban militants his troops recovered from the scene of the fight.

The Interior Ministry said the battle outside of the city involved Afghan National Police, and that it was conducted independently "without the involvement of any foreigners."

As Afghan forces have become more involved in security operations they have seen a sharp rise in deaths, while casualties among the U.S.-led military coalition have been reducing as the international forces pull back to let the Afghans take the lead.

According to an Associated Press count, 807 Afghan security force members ? including soldiers and police ? and 365 civilians have been killed so far this year through the end of May. A total of 63 coalition troops were also killed in that span.

Last year through the end of May, Afghan security forces lost 365 soldiers and police and 338 civilians were killed. Coalition forces lost 177 troops during that time.

In a brazen attack last month for which the Taliban claimed responsibility, four militants using a car bomb, grenade launchers and suicide vests assaulted the Kabul compound of the International Organization for Migration, a U.N-affiliated agency assisting returning Afghan migrants.

The Italian government said one of four aid workers injured in the attack, 40-year-old Italian Barbara De Anna, died in a hospital in Germany on Friday where she was being treated for severe burns.

Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said De Anna "embodied the best of Italy," and that "we pay tribute to those who, like her, work in the most remote and difficult areas of crisis."

_____

Rahim Faiez in Kabul and Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/attacks-kill-nato-member-2-afghan-police-122229292.html

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Starman falls to Earth after five-month space odyssey

By Dmitry Solovyov and Irene Klotz

ALMATY/CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The Canadian astronaut who became a music sensation when his zero-gravity version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" went viral on the web returned to Earth along with two crewmates on Tuesday after a five-month stint on the International Space Station.

Chris Hadfield landed safely in central Kazakhstan with his American and Russian colleagues. Their Soyuz space capsule descended under an orange parachute and raised clouds of dust as it ignited an engine to cushion its landing about 150 km (90 miles) southeast of the town of Zhezkazgan.

The astronauts were presented with Russian nesting dolls with their images painted on and wore traditional Kazakh embroidered robes and hats over their blue flight suits when they posed for cameras before returning to Russia's cosmonaut training center outside Moscow for medical tests.

"It's part of humanity to be in space," Hadfield said in Russian. "What we were feeling, what we were doing there, the music we played, this is a big part of our lives." He called his time in orbit an "amazing experience".

Hadfield, NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn and Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko had left the $100-billion orbital outpost about 3-1/2 hours earlier as it sailed 255 miles over eastern Mongolia.

Hadfield, the first Canadian to command the space station, made more history on Monday when he released the first music video shot in space - his poignant "cyberspace" rendition of Space Oddity, which was first released in 1969 just before the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The video, with its familiar refrain "Ground Control to Major Tom" had almost seven million hits on YouTube on Tuesday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

"I'm very happy that ... seven million are interested. It is very interesting and historic to be in space," Hadfield said.

SPACEWALK

The space mission included an impromptu spacewalk on Saturday to fix an ammonia coolant leak that had cropped up two days earlier. Without the repair, NASA likely would have had to cut back the station's science experiments to save power. The cooling system dissipates heat from electronics on the station's solar-powered wing panels.

During the 5-1/2-hour walk, Marshburn and Chris Cassidy, who remains aboard the station, replaced a suspect ammonia coolant pump, apparently resolving the leak. Engineers will monitor the system for several weeks to make sure there are no problems.

The mission of Hadfield, Marshburn and Romanenko, who blasted off 146 days ago, was the 35th expedition aboard the station, a permanently staffed laboratory where crew carry out experiments in fields including biology, physics and astronomy.

Their replacements are due to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 28. Until then, a skeleton crew led by Pavel Vinogradov and including NASA astronaut Cassidy and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin will keep the station operating.

The crew's return to Earth was on the 40th anniversary of the launch of the first U.S. space station, Skylab. Three crews lived and worked on the relatively short-lived Skylab between May 1973 and February 1974.

The project helped NASA prepare for research aboard the space shuttles and the International Space Station, which was constructed in orbit beginning in 1998.

The outpost, scheduled to remain in orbit until at least 2020, has been permanently staffed since 2000.

(Additional reporting by Aliyah Suivdikova and Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/space-trio-lands-kazakhstan-five-months-orbit-044631446.html

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AP source: FBI eyes possible extortion at Rutgers

Eric Murdock speaks during a news conference in East Hanover N.J., Friday, April 5, 2013. Murdock, a former Rutgers empoyee who made public the video that led to the basketball coach's dismissal and athletic director's resignation, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the university. Murdock filed the lawsuit Friday in state court, claiming the university violated the state's employee protection act and his contract. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Eric Murdock speaks during a news conference in East Hanover N.J., Friday, April 5, 2013. Murdock, a former Rutgers empoyee who made public the video that led to the basketball coach's dismissal and athletic director's resignation, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the university. Murdock filed the lawsuit Friday in state court, claiming the university violated the state's employee protection act and his contract. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Eric Murdock arrives for a news conference in East Hanover, N.J., Friday, April 5, 2013. Murdock, a former Rutgers empoyee who made public the video that led to the basketball coach's dismissal and athletic director's resignation, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the university. Murdock filed the lawsuit Friday in state court, claiming the university violated the state's employee protection act and his contract. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Eric Murdock listens during a news conference in East Hanover, N.J., Friday, April 5, 2013. Murdock, a former Rutgers empoyee who made public the video that led to the basketball coach's dismissal and athletic director's resignation, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the university. Murdock filed the lawsuit Friday in state court, claiming the university violated the state's employee protection act and his contract. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Rutgers President Robert Barchi describes Friday, April 5, 2013, in New Brunswick, N.J., the shoving he saw on a video that showed men's head basketball coach Mike Rice's abusive behavior. Barchi also announced the resignation of athletic director Tim Pernetti, who had decided to "rehabilitate" rather than fire Rice, whose abusive behavior was captured on a video. Barchi's job appeared to be safe. Pernetti dismissed Rice on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Rutgers University Board of Governors Chairman Ralph Izzo, left, looks on Friday, April 5, 2013, in New Brunswick, N.J., as university President Robert Barchi listens to a question. Barchi announced the resignation of athletic director Tim Pernetti, who had decided to "rehabilitate" rather than fire men's head basketball coach Mike Rice, whose abusive behavior was captured on a video. Pernetti dismissed Rice on Wednesday. Barchi's job appeared to be safe after getting a public nod of support from the school's board of governors. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

The FBI is investigating whether a former Rutgers basketball employee tried to extort the university before he made videos that showed ex-coach Mike Rice shoving and kicking players and berating them with gay slurs.

A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday that investigators are interested in Eric Murdock, who left his job as the men's basketball program's player development director last year and later provided the video to university officials and ESPN.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the inquiry has not been announced. The investigation was first reported by The New York Times.

A spokeswoman for the FBI's Newark office said the agency would not say whether there is an investigation. Murdock's lawyer did not return a call to the AP on Sunday. A Rutgers spokesman referred questions to the FBI.

A December letter from Murdock's lawyer to a lawyer representing Rutgers requested $950,000 to settle employment issues and said that if the university did not agree by Jan. 4, Murdock was prepared to file a lawsuit. The letter was obtained last week by the AP and other media outlets.

No settlement has been made. The video became public last week, and Murdock on Friday filed a lawsuit against the university, contending he was fired because he was a whistleblower trying to bring to light Rice's behavior.

The video's release last week set off a chain reaction that led to Rice's firing and the resignations of athletic director Tim Pernetti, the university's top in-house lawyer and an assistant basketball coach. Some critics want the university's president, Robert Barchi, to resign.

At a news conference last week, Barchi said the firing and resignations likely never would have happened unless Murdock provided the video to ESPN. Barchi said he did not see the video himself until after it had been made public.

Murdock, a New Jersey native who played for seven NBA teams from 1991 to 2000, was on the initial staff Rice assembled when he became the Rutgers coach in 2010. He left the team last year, though there are conflicting stories about the circumstances.

Murdock has said Rice fired him after he skipped a session of Rice's summer basketball camp, but has said he was targeted because he had spoken with others about Rice's conduct at practice. The university found in a report that Murdock was not actually fired and that he could have continued working at the school.

After Murdock left, he spoke with university officials about his allegations against Rice. He also used an open public records request to obtain hundreds of hours of videos of basketball practice. It's not clear who shot the original footage, but it was edited into the half-hour video later given to the university that touched off a scandal last week.

The university report on Rice, which was completed in December but not made public until Friday, criticized the video provided by Murdock as taken many situations out of context. While the report found fault with Rice's behavior in several instances, it also said he did not create a hostile work environment, as Murdock had suggested.

The report also said that Murdock had claimed some violations of NCAA rules ? including that he and others in the program paid players ? but he did not provide evidence.

After a review, university officials agreed to suspend Rice without pay for three games, fine him $50,000, send him to anger-management counseling and monitor his behavior.

Barchi said when he first saw the video last week he immediately decided Rice could not continue as coach.

____

AP sports writer Tim Sullivan contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-07-Rutgers-FBI%20Inquiry/id-961e1ab155ba4ecd8681b8ece06100fe

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What will North Korea do next?

help ease the crisis.

>>> outbreak of a deadly new virus and fears that it could start to spread from person to person. what the u.s. is doing to protect americans.

>>> the dangerous game known as celebrity swatting. two new episodes that force swat teams to respond to phoney threats.

>>> flash point. the growing controversy over a new way to make guns. just about anyone can do it with computer programs and a 3-d printer.

>>> and the funny man. in a land of strict tradition, he models himself after jon stewart and is wildly popular in his country. but not everyone is laughing.

>>> good evening. tonight north korea is rallying its citizens onto a war footage amid a barrage of threats against the u.s. and south korea . right now u.s. officials with one eye warily trained on the north's military movements, trying to figure out a way to dial back the tension. north yokorea has a history of threatening the west, but now with joint military south korea exercises, has taken things to a dangerous new level. we'll get washington's reaction in a moment, but first to seoul and nbc's jim asada with the latest there. jim?

>> reporter: hi, lester. it seems like every day this week, north korea took another step toward war, but today the peninsula was strangely quiet, as if both sides were taking a breather and wondering what to do next. kim jong -un, the man who idolizes michael jordan and collects his sneakers is showing the world he can lead the world to war as well. once again they filled the airways with kim, the supreme leader , a before adoring crowds and citizens. at times honing his own shooting skills, and on one occasion telling the people they must guarantee the quality of their weapons to ensure a preemptive attack on the enemy. after weeks of tensions, the two koreans seemed on a knife's edge. the north with at least two missiles locked on their anchors ready to go as far as guam but wait to be truly tested skpchlt in the sea, south korea tracks its every move. the border has been closed for days, leaving south korean tourists unail to cross and fearing how things will turn out. i feel so worried, she says. and my children do as well. but just as this war of words risks becoming a real battle, the u.s. and north korea seemed to step back from the brink. the u.s. stopped parading american firepower after the show of force showed pyongyang dialing back the tension. and there were no new threats from kim today. in seoul the talk was about diplomacy. with secretary of state john kerry looking for answers on a visit next week, some american analysts say there is a window of opportunity to deal with the young north korean dictator.

>> he's a kid. we need to get to know who he is, and through dialogue and engagement, we need to change him, to some extent, if we have to.

>> reporter: that is, if we don't go to war with him first. it seems very likely now that in the days ahead, north korea will fire those two mid-range missiles, most probably as a test, not as an attack, but that will spike emotions and tension across the region once again. lester?

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2a6a4967/l/0Lvideo0Bmsnbc0Bmsn0N0Cid0C51453446/story01.htm

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Kidnapped 89-year-old to captors: 'You got to be kind to other people'

An 89-year-old woman who spent two days locked in her car trunk thinking she'd never be found has a message for her teen captors.

"You got to be kind to other people if you want somebody to be kind to you," Margaret Smith said.

The 4-foot-11 octangenerian's story began with an act of kindness on March 18.

Smith had stopped at the Chicken Man Convenience Store in Milford, Del., for a Butter Pecan ice cream cone when two teenage girls approached her and asked for a ride across town.

"I decided not to, then I said, 'Well, a good deed,'" Smith said.

After driving around for a while, Smith said the girls snatched her car keys and stuffed her in the trunk of her Buick.

"The way they drove off flying, I didn't think nobody would ever find me," she said. "I just had to pray about and hope that I'd be found."

Smith spent the next two days crammed in the trunk, without food, water and her blood pressure medication. She said the only time the girls opened the trunk was to rob her of the cash she was carrying.

"I was very tired, cold, hungry, scared," Smith said. "I didn't know what to expect."

After spending 48 hours locked in her trunk, Smith's kidnappers inexplicably decided to dump her in a remote cemetery.

"I was crawling through the cemetery on hands and knees," Smith said. "Nothing but a pair of stockings on, no jacket...Finally somebody found me. I don't know who."

Smith was taken to a local hospital, where her family, who had reported her missing, received a call that she was safe.

Delaware State Police found Smith's car days later and arrested and charged five teenagers inside. All are believed to have some involvement in the kidnapping, robbery and theft, ABC News' Philadelphia affiliate WPVI reported.

Four of the teens, ranging in age from 14 to 17, are being charged as adults, while a fifth faces receiving stolen property and conspiracy charges as a minor.

Also Read

Source: http://gma.yahoo.com/kidnapped-89-old-her-captors-got-kind-other-155806683--abc-news-topstories.html

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Church: Pastor Rick Warren's son commits suicide

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) ? The 27-year-old son of popular evangelical Pastor Rick Warren has committed suicide at his Southern California home, Warren's church and authorities said on Saturday.

Matthew Warren struggled with mental illness, deep depression and suicidal thoughts throughout his life, Saddleback Valley Community Church said in a statement. His body was found in his Mission Viejo home Friday night, said Allison O'Neal, a supervising deputy coroner for Orange County. She declined to release the cause and manner of death pending an autopsy of the young man.

"Despite the best health care available, this was an illness that was never fully controlled and the emotional pain resulted in his decision to take his life," the church statement said.

Rick Warren, the author of the multimillion-selling book "The Purpose Driven Life," said in an email to church staff that he and his wife had enjoyed a fun Friday evening with their son. But their son then returned home to take his life in "a momentary wave of despair."

Over the years, Matthew Warren had been treated by America's best doctors, had received counseling and medication and been the recipient of numerous prayers from others, his father said.

"I'll never forget how, many years ago, after another approach had failed to give relief, Matthew said 'Dad, I know I'm going to heaven. Why can't I just die and end this pain?'" Warren recalled.

Despite that, he said, his son lived for another decade, during which he often reached out to help others.

"You who watched Matthew grow up knew he was an incredibly kind, gentle, and compassionate man," Warren wrote. "He had a brilliant intellect and a gift for sensing who was most in pain or most uncomfortable in a room. He'd then make a bee-line to that person to engage and encourage them."

The elder Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980, according to his biography on the church website, and over the years watched it grow to 20,000 members. He and his wife, Kay, began by holding Bible studies for people who weren't regular churchgoers.

Matthew Warren was the youngest of their three children.

As Saddleback grew over the years, it spread out from its Lake Forest headquarters, 65 miles southeast of Los Angeles, adding several other campuses and ministries around Southern California.

The church says it now offers more than 200 community ministries and support groups for parents, families, children, couples, prisoners, addicts, and people living with HIV, depression and other illnesses.

In 2008, the church sponsored a presidential forum with Barack Obama and John McCain. Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney were invited to a similar forum last fall, but Warren canceled it several days beforehand, saying the campaign had become too uncivil.

Warren was named the top newsmaker of the year for 2009 by the Religion Newswriters Association. He gained attention that year with his invocation at Obama's inauguration, as well as with comments he made in the aftermath of California's Proposition 8, which overturned gay marriage.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/church-pastor-rick-warrens-son-commits-suicide-211206608.html

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AP PHOTOS: Easter celebrations around the world

Pope Francis blesses a man as he leads the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis blesses a man as he leads the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leaves after celebrating the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis celebrated a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leaves after celebrating the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis celebrated a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Cardinal Audrys Juozas Backis bless during the Easter vigil mass at the Cathedral-Basilica in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, March 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Penitents of the "Las Siete Palabras" brotherhood take part in the procession of "La Soledad" during Holy Week in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, March 30, 2013. Hundreds of processions take place throughout Spain during the Easter Holy Week. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

In his Easter Vigil homily at St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis kept his message simple and tied to the liturgical readings. "Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life!" Just a few hours after the vigil ends, Francis on Sunday will celebrate his first Easter Mass as pontiff and deliver his "Urbi et Orbi" speech, Latin for "To the city and the world."

Here are scenes from Easter celebrations at the Vatican and across the world.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-30-Easter-Photo%20Gallery/id-62edbb13ed854dc28d219765f763c4c1

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NAIS Career Center: Technology jobs, Encino jobs, California jobs ...

?

?

Duties and Responsibilities:

Network Infrastructure

?????? Monitor, manage, and report regularly on the health of the network, servers, security, backups, firewall, and Internet service.

?????? Ensure network wiring for, servers, switches and wireless networks? are maintained and up graded as necessary.

?????? Administer IP address framework including public and private addresses, DNS, VLANS & DHCP.

?????? Maintain accurate and complete documentation of the network.

?????? Maintain and administer network operating systems, network equipment, servers and virtual servers.

?????? Configure, oversee, maintain and troubleshoot a network of printers, projectors, computers, iPads, SmartBoards, and manage all applicable software licenses.

?????? Manage and direct upgrade and/or repair of network hardware

?????? Deign and implement short and long term strategic plans to make certain the network capacity meets existing and future requirements.

Hardware and Software Maintenance and Installation

?????? Manage? Apple and Windows servers, desktops, iPads, printers and laptops to ensure they are in working order.

?????? Monitor hardware components (memory, hard drives, operating systems, drives, etc.)to enusure they are properly maintained and upgraded as necessary.

?????? Create, test, and maintain images for desktops, laptops, and iPads.

?????? Manage software installation and upgrades on server, desktops and laptops.

?????? Maintain accurate and complete documentation for all servers, systems, software, and hardware.

?????? Administrate and maintain Blackbaud?s Education Edge, Financial Edge, and Raiser?s Edge databases.

?????? Work with school administration in developing and maintaining the school?s website.

?????? Help manage Silverpoint?s database, which entails the updating and roll over of student and faculty information at the start of each academic year.

?????? Responsible for ensuring network security and anti-virus polices are in place, and that proper backup of the network are maintained.

?????? Regularly conduct recovery capability tests

?????? Manage and support the school?s firewall and IP and URL filtering system.

?????? Develop and deploy methodologies for testing network performance and providing network performance statistics and reports.

?????? Manage all components of Google and iPad Apps

?????? Manage the content of data that flows through the school?s network to ensure it is incompliance with the school?s acceptable use policy.

Help Desk and Desktop Support

?????? Manage and trouble shoot, as necessary, daily networking, software, printer and hardware problems submitted to the help desk ticketing system? through (SchoolDude ITDirect).

?????? Ensure help desk requests are addressed to in a timely manner.

?????? Follow up with users, recommend upgrades, and coordinate with vendors for parts and repairs.

?????? Maintain excellent communication with all end users and other members of the technology department.

?????? Administer user accounts and contact lists for all systems as well as e-mail, telephone and emergency notification systems.

?????? Advise school administrators on the maintenance and effectiveness of data applications, and on next-generation applications.

?????? Establish best practices and policies for installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting end user workstation hardware, software, and peripheral devices.

Audio Visual

?????? Coordinate setup, and operate (as necessary), audio and video equipment for Westmark day and evening events.

?????? Service, and maintain AV equipment including projectors and DVD/VCR players.

?????? Monitor and manage the service, upgrade, and repair of SmartBoards.

?????? Maintain an inventory of all AV equipment including projectors, camera, video recorders, etc.

Miscellaneous

?????? Participate in weekly Tech Committee meetings.

?????? Direct and monitor the work of IT outsourced providers.

?????? Maintain expertise in computer technology and provide suggested improvements and advancements to the school?s network and computer systems.

?????? Work with the Tech committee to advance the school?s technology plan.

?????? Develop, implement, and maintain policies, procedures, and associated training plans for network resource and appropriate use.

?????? Collaborating with administration on development of an IT department budget and capital planning.

?????? Other duties as assigned by Head of School.

Knowledge and Skills:

Knowledge/Experience in:

?????? Data communications theory, protocols and hardware.

?????? Severs (including virtual) and server operating systems, including MS SQL and Active Directory.

?????? Database design, implementation, and management.

?????? Helpdesk design, organization, and operation.

?????? Internet and Intranet development standards.

?????? Strategic planning and project management.

?????? Window OS and Mac OS X

?????? Organization, management, and control of complex computer equipment and data processing systems.

?????? Demonstrated knowledge of iPad and management of a 1:1 iPad program.

?????? Knowledge of SmartBoard operations and support.

?????? Principles of budget preparation and administration.

?????? Website authentication and portals.

Ability to:

?????? Develop and articulate long term strategic plans

?????? Express complex ideas clearly and accurately both orally and in writing.

?????? Supervise and manage help desk resources.

?????? Analyze complex problems and recommend solutions.

?????? Evaluate network requirements and user needs and advise on appropriate hardware and software configurations.

?????? Conduct meetings and make presentations.

?????? Establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Credentials

?

?????? Google Certified ? preferred

?????? Knowledge of Blackbuad ? preferred

?

Experience and Education

?

?????? Minimum five years experience in supporting a dual platform network with multiple users and servers, and three years experience of managing a broad dual platform network.

?????? Bachelor?s degree in Information Technology, or other relevant field; Master?s preferred.

?????? Previous school or non profit experience preferred, but not required.?

Source: http://careers.nais.org/jobs/5292240/director-of-it

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Dozens indicted in Atlanta school cheating scandal

ATLANTA (AP) ? In another embarrassing blow to Atlanta public schools, nearly three dozen former educators, including the ex-superintendent, were indicted Friday in one of the nation's largest test cheating scandals.

Former Superintendent Beverly Hall faced charges including racketeering, false statements and theft because prosecutors said some of the bonuses she received were tied to falsified scores.

Hall retired just days before a state probe was released in 2011. She has long denied knowing about the cheating or ordering it.

During a news conference Friday, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard provided examples of two students who demonstrated "the plight of many children" in the Atlanta school system. He described a third-grader who failed a benchmark exam and received the worst score in her reading class in 2006. The girl was held back, yet when she took a separate assessment test not long after, she passed with flying colors.

Howard said the girl's mother, Justina Collins, knew something was awry, but was told by school officials that the child simply was a good test-taker. The girl is now in ninth grade, reading at a fifth-grade level.

"I have a 15-year-old now who is behind in achieving her goal of becoming what she wants to be when she graduates. It's been hard trying to help her catch up," Collins said.

The criminal investigation lasted 21 months and the allegations date back to 2005. In addition to Hall, 34 people were indicted: four high-level administrators, six principals; two assistant principals; six testing coordinators; 14 teachers; a school improvement specialist and a school secretary.

All of the people named in the indictment face conspiracy charges. Other charges in the 65-count indictment include false statements and writings, false swearing, theft and influencing witnesses.

The investigation involved at least 50 schools as well as hundreds of interviews with school administrators, staff, parents and students. The district has about 50,000 students.

Howard would not directly answer a question about whether Hall led the conspiracy.

"What we're saying is that without her, this conspiracy could not have taken place," he said. "It would not have taken place if her actions had not made that possible."

Hall faces up to 45 years in prison, Howard said.

Richard Deane, an attorney for Hall, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The tests were the key measure the state used to determine whether it met the federal No Child Left Behind law. Schools with good test scores get extra federal dollars to spend in the classroom or on teacher bonuses.

It wasn't immediately clear how much bonus money Hall received. Howard did not say and the amount wasn't mentioned in the indictment.

"Those results were caused by cheating. ... And the money that she received, we are alleging that money was ill-gotten," Howard said.

The previous state investigation in 2011 found cheating by nearly 180 educators in 44 Atlanta schools. Educators gave answers to students or changed answers on tests after they were turned in, investigators said. Teachers who tried to report it faced retaliation, creating a culture of "fear and intimidation" in the district.

State schools Superintendent John Barge said last year he believed the state's new accountability system would remove the pressure to cheat on standardized tests because it won't be the sole way the state determines student growth. The pressure was part of what some educators in Atlanta Public Schools blamed for their cheating.

Hall served as superintendent for more than a decade, which is rare for an urban schools chief. She was named Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2009 and credited with raising student test scores and graduation rates, particularly among the district's poor and minority students. But the award quickly lost its luster as her district became mired in the scandal.

In a video message to schools staff before she retired, Hall warned that the state investigation launched by former Gov. Sonny Perdue would likely reveal "alarming" behavior.

"It's become increasingly clear that a segment of our staff chose to violate the trust that was placed in them," Hall said. "There is simply no excuse for unethical behavior and no room in this district for unethical conduct. I am confident that aggressive, swift action will be taken against anyone who believed so little in our students and in our system of support that they turned to dishonesty as the only option."

The cheating came to light after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that some scores were statistically improbable.

Most of the 178 educators named in the special investigators' report in 2011 resigned, retired, did not have their contracts renewed or appealed their dismissals and lost. Twenty-one educators have been reinstated and three await hearings to appeal their dismissals, said Atlanta Public Schools spokesman Stephen Alford.

Superintendent Erroll Davis said the district was focused on nurturing an ethical environment, providing quality education and supporting the employees who were not implicated.

"I know that our children will succeed when the adults around them work hard, work together, and do so with integrity," he said in a statement.

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is responsible for licensing teachers and has been going through the complaints against teachers, said commission executive secretary Kelly Henson. Of the 159 cases the commission has reviewed, 44 resulted in license revocations, 100 got two-year suspensions and nine were suspended for less than two years, Henson said. No action was taken against six of the educators.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3-dozen-indicted-atlanta-cheating-scandal-214241949.html

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Authors Guild head blasts Amazon buy of Goodreads

NEW YORK (AP) ? Authors Guild president and best-selling novelist Scott Turow is condemning Amazon.com's purchase of Goodreads, a leading book recommendation website.

In a statement posted Friday on the Guild home page, Turow called the acquisition a "textbook example" of how a monopoly is built. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. announced Thursday that it had bought Goodreads, a favorite Internet stop for readers to review and discuss books. Founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco, Goodreads has 16 million subscribers.

Goodreads co-founder Otis Chandler is defending the sale, which has set off a debate about Amazon's market power. In a blog posting Thursday on Goodreads, Chandler said that Goodreads would continue to operate independently and that Amazon's resources would help his company reach more readers.

___

Online:

www.authorsguild.org

www.goodreads.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-29-Books-Turow-Amazon/id-87ab7d0fbf06411bb40c793e0d29eac6

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Judge strikes down NYC ban supersized sodas

FILE - This May 31, 2012 file photo shows a display of various size cups and sugar cubes at a news conference at New York's City Hall. A judge struck down New York City's groundbreaking limit on the size of sugar-laden drinks Monday, March 11, 2013 shortly before it was set to take effect, agreeing with the beverage industry and other opponents that the rule is arbitrary in applying to only some sweet beverages and some places that sell them. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - This May 31, 2012 file photo shows a display of various size cups and sugar cubes at a news conference at New York's City Hall. A judge struck down New York City's groundbreaking limit on the size of sugar-laden drinks Monday, March 11, 2013 shortly before it was set to take effect, agreeing with the beverage industry and other opponents that the rule is arbitrary in applying to only some sweet beverages and some places that sell them. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - In this March 8, 2013 file photo, customers at Brother Jimmy's BBQ call cheers with 24-ounce, left, and 16-ounce beverages, in New York. New York City's groundbreaking limit on the size of sugar-laden drinks has been struck down by a judge shortly before it was set to take effect. The restriction was supposed to start Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The rule prohibits selling non-diet soda and some other sugary beverages in containers bigger than 16 ounces. It applies at places ranging from pizzerias to sports stadiums, though not at supermarkets or convenience stores. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

FILE - In this March 8, 2013 file photo, a Coca-Cola poster about the city's anticipated beverage ban is displayed at a pizza shop at New York's Penn Station. New York City's groundbreaking limit on the size of sugar-laden drinks has been struck down by a judge shortly before it was set to take effect. The restriction was supposed to start Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The rule prohibits selling non-diet soda and some other sugary beverages in containers bigger than 16 ounces. It applies at places ranging from pizzerias to sports stadiums, though not at supermarkets or convenience stores. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A judge struck down New York City's pioneering ban on big sugary drinks Monday just hours before it was supposed to take effect, handing a defeat to health-minded Mayor Michael Bloomberg and creating confusion for restaurants that had already ordered smaller cups and changed their menus.

State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling said the 16-ounce limit on sodas and other sweet drinks arbitrarily applies to only some sugary beverages and some places that sell them.

"The loopholes in this rule effectively defeat the stated purpose of this rule," Tingling wrote in a victory for the beverage industry, restaurants and other business groups that called the rule unfair and wrong-headed.

In addition, the judge said the Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health intruded on City Council's authority when it imposed the rule.

The city vowed to appeal the decision, issued by New York state's trial-level court.

"We believe the judge is totally in error in how he interpreted the law, and we are confident we will win on appeal," Bloomberg said. He added: "One of the cases we will make is that people are dying every day. This is not a joke. Five thousand people die of obesity every day in America."

For now, though, the ruling it means the ax won't fall Tuesday on supersized sodas, sweetened teas and other high-sugar beverages in restaurants, movie theaters, corner delis and sports arenas.

"The court ruling provides a sigh of relief to New Yorkers and thousands of small businesses in New York City that would have been harmed by this arbitrary and unpopular ban," the American Beverage Association and other opponents said, adding that the organization is open to other "solutions that will have a meaningful and lasting impact."

The first of its kind in the country, the restriction has sparked reaction from city streets to late-night talk shows, celebrated by some as a bold attempt to improve people's health and derided by others as another "nanny state" law from Bloomberg during his 11 years in office.

On his watch, the city has compelled chain restaurants to post calorie counts, barred artificial trans fats in restaurant food and prodded food manufacturers to use less salt. The city has successfully defended some of those initiatives in court.

Because of the limits of city authority and exemptions made for other reasons, the ban on supersized beverages doesn't cover alcoholic drinks or many lattes and other milk-based concoctions, and it doesn't apply at supermarkets or many convenience stores ? including 7-Eleven, home of the Big Gulp.

The rule, if upheld, would create an "administrative leviathan," warned Tingling, who was elected to the Supreme Court bench in 2001 as a Democrat.

In defending the rule, city officials point to the city's rising obesity rate ? about 24 percent of adults, up from 18 percent in 2002 ? and to studies tying sugary drinks to weight gain. Care for obesity-related illnesses costs government health programs about $2.8 billion a year in New York City alone, according to city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

Critics said the measure is too limited to have a meaningful effect on New Yorkers' waistlines. And they said it would take a bite out of business for the establishments that had to comply, while other places would still be free to sell sugary drinks in 2-liter bottles and supersized cups.

Beverage makers had expected to spend about $600,000 changing bottles and labels, movie theater owners feared losing soda sales that account for 10 percent of their profits, and delis and restaurants would have had to change inventory, reprint menus and make other adjustments, according to court papers.

The city had said that while restaurant inspectors would start enforcing the soda size rule in March, they wouldn't seek fines ? $200 for a violation ? until June.

Some restaurants had already ordered and started using smaller glasses for full-sugar soda, while others began experimenting with freshly squeezed juices as alternatives to soda for children's parties. Dunkin' Donuts shops have been telling customers they will have to sweeten and flavor their own coffee. Coca-Cola has printed posters explaining the rules.

The ruling "serves as a major blow to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's incessant finger-wagging," said J. Justin Wilson at the Center for Consumer Freedom, created by restaurants and food companies. "The court confirmed what most New Yorkers already know: They don't need a government regulator to dictate their diet choices. New Yorkers should celebrate this victory by taking a big gulp of freedom."

Jose Perez, a fifth-grade special education teacher in Manhattan who was getting a hot dog and can of soda from a street vendor, called the ruling "dead-on."

"Really, I think it's just big government getting in the way of people's rights," he said. "I think it's up to the person. If they want to have a giant soda, that's their business."

___

Associated Press writer Deepti Hajela contributed to this story.

___

Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-11-Sugary%20Drinks-Lawsuit/id-f8132256ae4a4d2fbe1d252583a6bae2

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Tim Howard likely to miss US qualifiers

File-This July 29, 2009 file photo shows Everton FC goalkeeper Tim Howard applauding the crowd during second half of the MLS All Stars soccer game against the MLS All Stars in Sandy, Utah. Howard has two broken bones in his back and likely will miss the Americans' World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico this month. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

File-This July 29, 2009 file photo shows Everton FC goalkeeper Tim Howard applauding the crowd during second half of the MLS All Stars soccer game against the MLS All Stars in Sandy, Utah. Howard has two broken bones in his back and likely will miss the Americans' World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico this month. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

File-This Nov 17, 20121 file photo shows Aston Villa's goalkeeper Brad Guzan during his team's English Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at The Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England. Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has two broken bones in his back so Guzan is likely to take over in goal in what would be his first qualifiers in four years. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has two broken bones in his back and likely will miss the Americans' World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico this month.

Aston Villa's Brad Guzan is poised to take over in goal in what would be his first qualifiers in four years.

Howard was hurt Feb. 26 in an FA Cup win over Oldham and missed last weekend's Premier League game against Reading. That ended his streak of consecutive league matches at 210, two shy of the Everton record set by goalkeeper Neville Southall from 1987-93.

Everton manager David Moyes said Howard will miss Saturday's FA Cup quarterfinal against Wigan and the March 16 match league match versus Manchester City, but could return March 30 against Stoke.

"We are not sure how long Tim will be out for because, obviously with a goalkeeper, he has to dive around and hit the ground," Moyes said Friday, according to the team's website. "If everything goes well, he misses next week's game, as well, and then because of the international break he might be close after the rest because that would be four weeks."

Howard, 34, was the U.S. starter at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and has played in all seven qualifiers for the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

"He has two fractures, but they are not bones that are supporting anything," Moyes said. "It is off the spine. They are not weight-bearing. It just needs a bit of healing time. It is not like a pure fracture where you need to wait to look at it. It is a question of whether he can cope with the pain. The bones will heal themselves, but it's not good."

Guzan won Villa's starting job from Shay Given early this season. He has 20 international appearances and a 3-1-1 record in qualifiers, with two wins over Barbados in 2008 and one over Guatemala, a loss at Trinidad and Tobago that year, and a draw the following year at El Salvador. He also played in the 3-0 win over Egypt at the 2009 Confederations Cup.

The Americans lost 2-1 at Honduras last month in their opener of the final round of qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean, with new central defenders Geoff Cameron and Omar Gonzalez struggling in front of Howard. They host Costa Rica on March 22 at Commerce City, Colo., then play four days later at Mexico City.

The top three nations in the finals, which also include Jamaica and Panama, advance to the 32-team field at next year's tournament. The No. 4 team goes to a playoff for another berth, likely against New Zealand.

The U.S. also will be missing midfielder Landon Donovan, not scheduled to return to training with the Los Angeles Galaxy until late March. In addition, Tottenham midfielder Clint Dempsey has not played since Feb. 21 because of a calf injury. Hannover right back Steve Cherundolo has an injured knee and his return is uncertain.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-09-SOC-Everton-Howard/id-00c336230adf4f7685b403ea677f51a7

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PFT: Boldin's chances of staying in Baltimore 50-50

Getty Images

When it comes to obtaining public funding for an NFL stadium, the best approach is to not approach the voters directly.? In Miami, the plan making its way through the legislature would, if successful, result in a public referendum.

Thus, getting the bills passed has been much easier than the voter-circumvention strategy employed elsewhere, such as Minnesota.

Via the Associated Press, three legislative committees in Florida have approved a bill that would guarantee $3 million per year for 30 years to help pay for an upgrade of SunLife Stadium, which is owned by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.? If the bill becomes law, the voters will then become involved.

Some lawmakers nevertheless oppose the effort.? ?The NFL is conning us, vote against this madness,? Rep. Bill Hager, a Republican representing Delray Beach, told the AP.

Nationwide, the trend among voters is to reject such measures.? In Miami, current polling conducted not by the Dolphins indicates that opposition is significant.

That?s why the Dolphins need to make an extra-big splash in free agency this year.? They need to create the kind of excitement that will increase supporters of the effort and motivate them to show up and cast ballots at the appropriate.

Still, unless and until the Dolphins have the leverage that comes from a potential relocation of the franchise, the locals will remain ambivalent, at best.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/09/boldins-chances-of-staying-in-baltimore-at-50-50/related/

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Military Air Shows Cancelled Due To Sequestration Budget Cuts

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Even a rural festival celebrating the harvest of Georgia's famous sweet onions isn't safe from the federal budget battle 600 miles away, as automatic cuts are threatening to take away the star attraction for the Vidalia Onion Festival's popular air show: the Navy's daredevil fighter pilots, the Blue Angels.

The $85 billion in automatic budget cuts that took effect March 1 have thrown planning for the festival's air show into a tailspin, just weeks before the April 20 event that officials agreed to hold a week earlier than usual so they could book the vaunted group. The Navy plans to cancel Blue Angels shows booked next month in Vidalia and three other cities. And there is a good chance dozens more air shows across the U.S. could get the ax as well, leaving host cities facing threats of lost tourism revenue and dwindling ticket sales.

"It's going to hurt us," said Marsha Temples, chief organizer of the Vidalia air show, who estimates past festival weekends have drawn 15,000 extra people when the Blue Angels were on the bill. "People like to see the Blues because they put on an absolutely phenomenal show. You have people who actually follow them and a lot of people come from out of town just to see them."

While the Blue Angels' spring schedule is in doubt, the Air Force's formation-flying Thunderbirds and the Army's Golden Knights skydivers have canceled their performances outright. Combined, the three teams had booked more than 190 performances between the spring and fall. That's left many air show organizers scrambling to find replacements, such as civilian pilots with loud, fast jets from the Vietnam era or vintage planes from World War II. The uncertainty has forced others to simply cancel altogether.

John Cudahy, president of the Virginia-based International Council of Air Shows, said at least 150 U.S. air shows each year count on military performers to draw big crowds. A group like the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds can account for 10 to 30 percent of attendance ? in some cases enough to determine if a show makes or loses money.

Canceled appearances don't just mean fewer dollars spent on tickets, souvenirs and concessions. They also mean fewer fans traveling to shows out of town and spending on hotels, restaurants and gas.

"If the military does not participate in air shows during the 2013 season, the economic impact will reach far beyond the show itself and deeply into the communities in which those shows are held," Cudahy said.

Several air shows hosted by military bases, which show off their flashiest planes for publicity and as a recruitment tool, were canceled almost immediately. They include shows at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.; Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Dover Air Force Base, Del.; and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.

Businesses and community boosters at Pensacola Beach, Fla. ? where the Blue Angels are stationed ? are already trying to avert possible cancellation of the team's July show that's become one of the city's biggest tourism bonanzas. An economic impact study last year estimated the Pensacola air show lured more than 15,000 visitors in addition to the normal July weekend beach crowd of about 109,000.

Buck Lee, chairman of the Santa Rosa Island Authority that oversees Pensacola Beach, said business owners and sponsors are offering to donate $100,000 or more to pay for jet fuel and other costs if that means the Blue Angels will commit to flying.

"We have a restaurant that just opened that contacted me and said, `We're in for $10,000 if you need it,'" Lee said. "It's a $2 million weekend for the area. That's for hotels, employees, restaurants, souvenirs. It's just a great three days out here."

While the Las Vegas-based Thunderbirds and the Golden Knights from Fort Bragg, N.C., have outright canceled their schedules beginning April 1, the Blue Angels have hedged. The team has continued training in California for upcoming March shows in El Centro, Calif., and Key West, Fla. On Monday, the team updated its Facebook page with a statement saying the Navy "intends to cancel" the Blue Angels' April performances.

Air show organizers said the Blue Angels have been unable to tell them if they will perform or not. A spokeswoman for the Navy jet team, Lt. Katie Kelly, said the Blue Angels are waiting until the last minute in the hope something will change.

Private organizers of big air shows in Dayton, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky., have vowed to continue even if military pilots are no-shows. Others have folded their tents for 2013. The Thunder Over the Blue Ridge air show scheduled for May 11-12 in Martinsburg, W.Va., was canceled after the Air Force's Thunderbirds announced they had been grounded.

Organizers of the Indianapolis Air Show also decided to pull the plug despite the Blue Angels holding out hope they might be able to fly in the show Father's Day weekend. The air show's chairman, Robert Duncan, said a $10,000 sponsor pulled out as soon as the president and Congress failed to avert the budget cuts. If the Blue Angels canceled, organizers expected the show to lose 25 percent or more of its audience. Duncan said that kind of financial blow would likely leave the show unable to cover expenses.

"They weren't committing to anything other than to say, `We will continue to practice and fly,'" Duncan said of the Blue Angels.

The Indianapolis show, which has raised $1.3 million for charity in its 15-year history, attracted more than 65,000 spectators last year when the Thunderbirds performed.

On the South Carolina coast, the April 27-28 air show hosted by Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort remains on track ? at least for now. Chief organizer Ivey Liipfert said "there's still some time to hold out hope."

More than 100,000 spectators swarm into Beaufort, a city of 12,400, for the air show. Surveys indicate more than a third of the crowd travels more than 50 miles to see it, and many spectators stay for more than three days. Liipfert said without the Blue Angels, it's possible the show would be canceled.

John Rembold, a board member of the local Chamber of Commerce, said that will definitely deprive hotels and other business of tourism dollars. It would serve as an unavoidable civics lesson, however.

"If folks have not been paying attention to the dire budget problems our nation faces," Rembolt said, "this might be a little bit of cold water in the face."

___

Associated Press writer Melissa Nelson-Gabriel in Pensacola, Fla., contributed to this story.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/10/military-air-shows_n_2849761.html

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