Senate debates insider trading ban for Congress (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Congress is rushing to take a mostly symbolic step to make clear to voters that its members are banned from insider stock trading, hoping to improve the sagging image that has their approval ratings at historic lows.

Senators were making the first move Monday. Their procedural vote was setting up action ? possibly this week ? to approve a bill that would require disclosure of stock transactions within 30 days and explicitly prohibit members of Congress from initiating trades based on non-public information they acquired in their official capacity. The legislation is aimed at answering critics who say lawmakers profit from businesses where they have special knowledge.

U.S. lawmakers already are subject to the same penalties as other investors who use non-public information to enrich themselves, but many voters don't realize it. No member of Congress in recent memory has been charged with insider trading. In 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission and Justice Department investigated then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's sale of stock in his family's hospital company, but no charges were ever brought against the Tennessee Republican.

Voters, however, may believe lawmakers paid an annual salary of $174,000 are enriching themselves by making investments based on what they learn in Congress. A recent segment of CBS' "60 Minutes" in November questioned trades by a House committee chairman, the current speaker and his predecessor's husband. Speaker John Boehner, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., all denied wrongdoing. Bachus chairs the Financial Services Committee.

"Members of Congress are not above the law," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said before Monday's test vote. "We must play by the same rules every other American plays by." He said the bill "will clear up any perception that it's acceptable for members of Congress to profit from insider trading."

A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll of registered voters found 56 percent favored replacing the entire 535-member Congress. Other polls this year have given Congress an approval rating between 11 percent and 13 percent, while disapproval percentages have ranged from 79 percent to 86 percent.

Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn. said, "The numbers of people who have a favorable impression of this body are so low that we're down to close relatives and paid staff. And I'm not so sure about the paid staff."

Said Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., one of the bill's authors: "Beginning today, the Senate is embarking on a mission to help address the deficit of trust with the American people."

The bill is entitled the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act. President Barack Obama endorsed it in his State of the Union speech last week and also raised the issue in his radio and Internet address Saturday.

The White House said Monday in a statement, "The administration believes this bipartisan legislation is an important first step to prevent members of Congress from profiting from their positions and calls for swift passage."

The Senate bill would prohibit lawmakers from tipping off family members or others about non-public information that could influence a stock's price, in addition to the explicit ban itself, and would require members to disclose stock transactions within 30 days. And it would direct the House and Senate ethics committees to write rules that would make insider trading violators subject to congressional punishment.

Other legislative branch employees also would be subject to the ban, but only those who are required to file annual financial disclosure statements would be subject to the reporting requirement. For 2012, employees making $119,554 or more are required to file disclosure statements..

House leaders hope to pass their version of the bill by the end of February, and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said he wants to expand the legislation to include land deals and other transactions.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_insider_trading

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Experts: US ill-prepared for oil spill off Cuba (AP)

MIAMI ? The U.S. is not ready to handle an oil spill if drilling off the Cuban coast should go awry but can be better prepared with monitoring systems and other basic steps, experts told government officials Monday.

The comments at a congressional subcommittee hearing in the Miami Beach suburb of Sunny Isles come more than a week after a huge oil rig leased by Spanish energy giant Repsol YPF arrived in Cuban waters to begin drilling a deep water exploratory well.

Similar development is expected off the Bahamas next year, but decades of tense relations between the U.S. and Cuba makes cooperation in protecting the Florida Straits particularly tricky. With memories of the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico still fresh, state and federal officials fear even the perception of any oil flowing toward Florida beaches could devastate an economy that claims about $57 billion from tourism.

Florida International University Professor John Proni told officials to be proactive. He is leading a consortium of researchers on U.S. readiness to handle any spill.

"For the last few years, my colleagues and I have been visiting Washington to say the best time to start preparing for an oil spill is before it happens," Proni told leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in a hotel-turned-hearing room overlooking turquoise waters. Proni said he has seen little action from officials in Washington, though they responded positively.

U.S. officials have turned attention to preventing future spills since the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by the energy company BP exploded in April 2010, causing the well to blow out and unleashing millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Crude washed up on pristine shoreline, soiled wildlife and left a region dependent on tourist dollars scrambling to rebuild its image.

Coast Guard officials said Monday they didn't know if drilling off Cuba had begun.

Experts testified current estimates have surface oil ? in event of any spill off Cuba ? moving up to 3 mph due to the Gulfstream, but that the fast-moving current would make it difficult for any crude quickly crossing the Florida Straits.

Rear Adm. William Baumgartner, commander of the Coast Guard region that covers the Florida Straits, said a likely scenario would have oil spreading and reaching U.S. waters in six to 10 days.

Proni said he wants a system that can monitor changes in underwater sounds to immediately alert U.S. officials to a spill or other unusual activity. He also wants the U.S. to invest in developing better computer models to predict oil movement and to assess the existing ecosystem and the type of oil Cuba possesses. That way, experts can better pinpoint any possible damage and find out if it came from Cuban wells.

Proni said the fast-moving water would make it difficult to burn the oil or strain it, as was done to halt the spread of the Deepwater Horizon spill. He added that more research is needed on the risks of using chemicals that break down the oil into tiny droplets.

Baumgartner said his agency has been working on a response plan. The Coast Guard and private response teams have been granted the required visas under the U.S. embargo to work with the Cuban government and its partners should a problem arise. Since March 2011, the agency has been working with Repsol, and U.S. officials inspected the rig earlier this month.

The rig was given a good bill of health. Asked Monday about the rig's readiness, though, the U.S. Department of Interior's regional director for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Lars Herbst said inspectors found some minor problems with the safety systems that would have kept it from being allowed to drill in U.S. waters. He said it was unclear whether repairs had been made.

Jackie Savitz a senior scientist with the nonprofit Oceana, who attended the hearing, said she was glad lawmakers were so concerned but hoped they would express similar interest in offshore drilling in areas such as the Gulf of Mexico, where many rigs are already drilling for oil.

U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, one of three South Florida Cuban-American lawmakers who attended the hearing, said the concerns over Cuba's oil exploration were particularly pressing because of the political context and hopes the Obama administration would quickly respond to the consortium's concerns. But he agreed Proni's proposals could be applied to the Gulf of Mexico too.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has authored a bill that would sanction those who help Cuba develop its oil reserves.

"We can't stop Repsol from drilling now, but we can act to deter future leaders to avoid the Castro brothers becoming the oil tycoons of the Caribbean," she told the committee.

Fellow South Floridian U.S. Rep. David Rivera wants to expand the 1990 Oil Pollution Act to fully cover companies operating in foreign waters, in the event oil reaches U.S. territory to ensure they repay the U.S. government for any cleanup costs for spills.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_re_us/us_cuba_oil_drilling

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Gaborik bests Lundqvist to earn All-Star MVP honor (AP)

OTTAWA ? Now that forward Marian Gaborik and goalie Henrik Lundqvist have playfully settled their NHL All-Star game rivalry, the two can go back to combining their talents and creating headaches for the rest of the league.

With much of the focus this weekend on all-star captains Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara, the unsettled future of the Phoenix Coyotes, and a still cloudy outlook regarding Sidney Crosby's health, Gaborik grabbed the limelight in capping the league's All-Star festivities in Ottawa.

The 11-year veteran earned MVP honors after scoring three times and adding an assist in leading Team Chara to a 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson on Sunday.

Gaborik proved he was the Rangers' top star by beating Lundqvist twice during the first period in delivering payback after the goalie ? and Team Alfredsson assistant captain ? failed to push for his selection in the All Star player draft on Thursday.

"I was trying to get into his mind over the whole weekend," Gaborik said, referring to a series of back-and-forth comments and tweets the two had exchanged the past few days. "And I think it was a pretty good challenge against him, and worked a little better for me."

No worries, said Lundqvist, who prefers Gaborik as a teammate.

"Obviously, he has a lot of leverage from all the games we've had against each other," Lundqvist said, recalling the time he gave up five goals to Gaborik, when the forward was with the Wild. "Hopefully, he stays in New York for a long time so I don't have to face him in a game."

The one-two punch of Gaborik and Lundqvist has had the Rangers on a roll for much of this season.

Gaborik's team-leading 25 goals and 39 points, and Lundqvist's 1.82 goals-against average ? best among NHL goalies with at least 25 starts ? has the Rangers (31-12-4) with 66 points, one behind league-leading Detroit.

The final two-plus months of the season resumes with 13 games on Tuesday. And if Sunday's game is any measure, the league isn't bereft of stars in the absence of Crosby, who's played only eight games this season due to a concussion and neck injury, and Alex Ovechkin, who didn't attend after the NHL suspended him for three games for an illegal hit.

Chara delivered by scoring the eventual winner in the midst of a decisive three-goal outburst over a 1:22 span that put his team up 11-8 with 6:34 remaining.

The Vancouver Canucks' Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, continued to prove they're among the game's top play-makers with several nifty passes.

And even in defeat, Alfredsson rewarded the hometown fans with two goals and an assist to further cement his place as Ottawa's favorite athlete, before providing a hint that he might come back for one more season.

With one year left on his contract, Alfredsson has sidestepped questions over whether he might retire after this season.

In an interview broadcast on the arena's scoreboard, the 39-year-old broke into a wide grin in giving his most definitive answer yet by saying, "Fifty percent yes, and my wife's going to have to decide the other 50," as the crowd broke into a cheer.

Even Chara got into the spirit of the exhibition, saying he was rooting for his former Senators teammate to complete his hat trick.

"Alfie's such a classy guy, obviously a big icon in Ottawa and Sweden, as well, and such a great player to represent this team," Chara said. "So of course I was pulling for him."

There was plenty to root for after fans were treated to a wide-open, no-hitting style in a game that featured plenty of nifty passing, numerous odd-man breaks and even a penalty shot awarded to Steven Stamkos, who leads the NHL with 32 goals.

Stamkos, however, was foiled on his freebie ? the second in All-Star game history ? when he attempted the same spin-around move he used to beat Carey Price in the skills competition on Saturday night. Jimmy Howard didn't bite on Sunday, holding his ground and hugging the post to stop Stamkos' penalty-shot attempt.

"I think I ran out of moves," Stamkos said. "I tried something fancy and hoped it would work. It didn't. But I just tried to have fun with it."

Tim Thomas made 18 saves in the final period, and extended his record by winning his fourth All-Star game.

Marian Hossa and Jarome Iginla had a goal and two assists, and Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Team Chara.

For Team Alfredsson, Henrik Sedin had a goal and two assists, and Daniel Sedin, John Tavares, Jason Pominville and Milan Michalek had a goal and assist each.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_sp_ho_ga_su/hkn_all_star_game_folo

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Obama Killed Pipeline Deal Over Politics, Not Environmental Concerns (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | President Barack Obama nixes the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, sending our neighbor to the north in search of another willing partner in the expansion of the oil sands reserve in Alberta. It didn't take them long to find another country very interested in doing business in Canada: China.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Chinese leaders in November at the Pacific Rim economic summit in Hawaii and is set to make a state visit to China in February. Associated Press reported China has invested more than $16 billion into Canadian energy projects and is very interested in developing any resource that would give its growing economy access to Canadian oil.

Harper said he was "profoundly disappointed" by Obama's decision to axe the pipeline deal. Clearly, Harper can see Obama is playing to his environmentalist supporters in what may be a tight re-election campaign. That pandering is going to cost Americans thousands of jobs that would have resulted from the pipeline construction, plus all the spin off jobs that come with a project of that size.

Environmentalists are arguing the potential damage from such a long pipeline. But a quick walk down memory lane will remind everyone that environmentalist strongly opposed the Trans-Alaska pipeline back in the 1970s, and it has proved to be a complete success. A 1987 article in the Los Angeles Times reflected on the first 10 years of the pipeline's existence and the tremendous impact it had on Alaska and on over 70,000 workers.

The Keystone XL pipeline is an economic necessity for the U.S. and would create an unbroken partnership with our largest trading partner to the north. Were it not a hotly contested presidential election year, that pipeline would already be in the works. Americans need the jobs and the oil. There is no logical reason for Obama to give China an upper hand in negotiated with Canada -- well, except to garner a few more votes from his left-wing environmentalist supporters.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120129/pl_ac/10899809_obama_killed_pipeline_deal_over_politics_not_environmental_concerns

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Bucks trample travel-sick Lakers (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The Milwaukee Bucks, missing key starters, stunned the travel-sick Los Angeles Lakers 100-89 Saturday, helped by a herculean effort from Drew Gooden.

The Bucks (8-11) were without leading rebounder Andrew Bogut, who has a broken ankle, while second top scorer Stephen Jackson sat out the game with suspension.

Gooden filled the void with 23 points - 18 coming in the second half - and eight rebounds, Mike Dunleavy and Ersan Ilyasova scoring 15 points each coming off the bench.

The loss dropped Los Angeles (11-9) to a woeful 1-7 on the road.

Gooden hit a three pointer late in the first quarter to spark a 17-0 Milwaukee run that extended into the second quarter to turn a six-point deficit into an 11-point lead at 34-23.

"I've been working on that day-in and day-out, and the best thing I like about it is coach (Scott Skiles) is giving me the confidence to shoot it," Gooden told reporters.

"I have to thank my coach and my teammates for having the faith in me shooting that three, and it is helping our offense."

Outside of a brief Lakers surge near the end of the third quarter that trimmed the Bucks lead to three points, Milwaukee maintained a comfortable grip on the lead.

Dunleavy scored 10 points in the first half but went silent in the second half until scoring five points in a 40-second span in the final two minutes of the game.

That spurt helped push the Bucks' lead back to an insurmountable 11 points.

"As so often happens, they made a little run at us and we had to make some big shots and big plays - and tonight we made them," said Skiles.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with a near triple double, including 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, while the Bucks limited Andrew Bynum to 15 points.

Spaniard Pau Gasol grabbed 15 rebounds but scored just 12 points.

"Before the game, the question was, 'How are we going to guard Bynum and Gasol?' And I kept saying they've got to guard us also," said Skiles.

"We put them in as many pick-and-roll situations as possible. We made (Lakers coach) Mike Brown have to switch the coverage numerous times.

"They got a little confused out there on certain occasions and it led to open jump shots or we made a play to the open man."

Brown lamented his team's poor play away from home

"I just hope that we don't need a home crowd to get us juiced, to play the right way," he said. "We're not bringing it mentally nor physically when we're playing on the road."

(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario. Editing by Alastair Himmer)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/sp_nm/us_nba_nuggets

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How the Apollo 1 Fire Changed Spaceship Design Forever (SPACE.com)

NASA's first major disaster, the Apollo 1 fire that killed three astronauts 45 years ago today, marked a dark day for the space agency. But it also marked the beginning of NASA's continual process of learning from its own mistakes.

And what a costly mistake it was. On Jan. 27,?1967, Virgil 'Gus' Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee, the first crew of America's manned moon program, Apollo, were suited up and strapped inside their new space capsule for a dress rehearsal of their upcoming launch ? a mission to fly the Apollo capsule to Earth orbit to test the vehicle for moon flights. This was to be a ground test only, and wasn't thought to pose much risk.

But when an electrical spark ignited a fire, flames and smoke swept through the capsule, and the crew was unable to escape. An investigation later was unable to pinpoint the exact initiation spot of the fire, but determined that the plethora of flammable materials (especially Velcro) and pure oxygen environment inside the capsule were partly to blame.

In the 45 years since that day, spacecraft builders have learned a lot about constructing safer space vehicles. [Photos: The?Apollo 1?Fire]

"From a human safety perspective, I think because of the shock that the industry went through following the Apollo 1 fire, I think they set a great foundation and since the recovery from Apollo 1 I think people have been able to make good refinements," said Bill Johns, chief engineer at Lockheed Martin for the Orion capsule, NASA's next-generation spaceship being designed to carry astronauts to deep space.

Examining the evidence

The fact that the disaster occurred on the ground rather than in space made a big difference to those hoping to understand what went wrong, and do better next time. In this case, all the evidence was sitting there waiting to be examined, which would have been impossible for an accident after launch.

One of the most incriminating finds made by the investigation team was that the 100-percent oxygen environment of the capsule, originally intended to reduce the weight of the vehicle, made fire extremely easy to start.

NASA soon put a stop to that, and redesigned Apollo to fly with a mix of about 34 percent oxygen in its pressurized modules.

"The biggest single change that they made, and they made it phenomenally within the next year, was that they had to go from pure oxygen environment to an air environment," Johns told SPACE.com. "Materials exposed to pure oxygen are just looking for an excuse to burn." [Infographic: How the Apollo 1 Fire Happened]

In addition to changing the mix of gas in the cabin, engineers had had to redesign many aspects of the vehicle to accommodate the change, including making the spacecraft's walls significantly thicker to handle the increased pressure.

Fire safety lessons

Another major finding was that the prevalence of flammable materials inside the Apollo 1 cabin further increased the risk of fire.

After the accident, NASA reduced the amount of flammable Velcro in the crew cabin, and tested many of the capsule's materials for flammability.

Now, as a result of the lessons learned from Apollo 1, many new materials have been developed for spaceflight with fire safety in mind. The insulation surrounding wires, for instance, is now made of a special coating so fire-resistant that it can't burn even when put in a pure oxygen environment.

The hatch

A particularly tragic aspect of the Apollo 1 fire was the fact that the astronauts inside the capsule tried to open the hatch to escape, but couldn't.

The investigation later revealed that the hatch opening procedures were way too difficult and took too long to be executed in an emergency. Furthermore, the inward-opening hatch was impossible to open under any pressure higher than normal atmospheric pressure ? and the fire had boosted the cabin pressure significantly.

Ironically, NASA had considered installing explosive bolts on the hatch for emergency openings, but opted against it out of fear that the door might open accidentally, putting the astronauts at risk. (The hatch had prematurely opened on Grissom's previous Mercury flight, when his Liberty Bell 7 landed in the ocean).

However, after the fire crew capsule hatches were significantly redesigned. NASA changed Apollo's hatch to an outward-opening design, and that same choice persists today in Orion.

"It's the minimum entry ? if you want to deal with carrying humans to space, you need to have a hatch that opens outward so that the crew has a chance to open it," Johns said. "Those rules have carried forth to this day."

Additionally, the Orion capsule includes an alternate escape option through the docking hatch, and an explosive system to blow out the hatch in an emergency.

Ultimately, though, while spacecraft safety has improved leaps and bounds since Apollo 1, the business of flying in space is still risky, and NASA aims to remember that. The Apollo 1 fire was not the last of NASA's deadly space accidents. Two fatal space shuttle accidents, one in 1986 and the other in 2003, killed 14 astronauts in all, forcing NASA each time to reexamine its spacecraft safety.

"In the face of our greatest accomplishments, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that each time men and women board a spacecraft, their actions carry great risks, along with the opportunity for great discoveries and the chance to push the envelope of our human achievement," NASA administrator Charles Bolden said in a video message to commemorate the Apollo 1 anniversary this week. "In memory of our colleagues I ask all of you in the NASA family once again to always make your opinions known and be unafraid to speak up to those in authority so that safety can always be our guiding principle and the sacrifices of our friends and colleagues will not have been in vain."

You can follow SPACE.com assistant managing editor Clara Moskowitz on Twitter @ClaraMoskowitz. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120127/sc_space/howtheapollo1firechangedspaceshipdesignforever

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Mpls. council majority slows down Dome plan with call for vote (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Flurry: Amazon?s Kindle Fire Is Already Starting To Smoke Samsung?s Galaxy Tab

Wuh oh, Samsung ? better watch your tail. While Apple might not be seeing any impact (be it positive or negative) on iPad sales from the launch of the Kindle Fire, Samsung's Galaxy Tab ought to be feeling the heat. Tapping into the data provided by their app analytics platform (which they estimate has found its way onto around 90% of the Android devices out there), Flurry highlights a few surprising numbers.

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

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How the Etruscan Pygmy Shrew inspired a bewhiskered disaster relief robot (Yahoo! News)

Scientists have long been working on the creation of robots for?search and rescue missions, like the kind undertaken by disaster relief crews following last year's?tsunami in Japan.?Now, a group of researchers came up with a successful design for a robot that can be used for operations in pitch black locations. Inspired by an?Etruscan shrew, one of the tiniest mammals in the world, this robot called Shrewbot is fitted with synthetic whiskers that work just like the real thing.

Etruscan shrews are blind, and rely on their whiskers to get around and capture prey. Like real shrews, the Shrewbot's whiskers pick up vibrations from its environment, which its system then translates into information about shape and texture. Shrewbot's developers from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory and the University of Sheffield Active Touch Laboratory chose to study and design robots that navigate with the?sense of touch, because the sense of sight has already been extensively researched.

In the future, the blind but bewhiskered Shrewbot could be sent to places and undertake tasks unsafe for humans, just like the?radiation-sniffing and the?debris-clearing robots that helped out in?Fukushima. Professor Tony Pipe of Bristol explained: "There are real advantages to this form of tactile sensing for robots that we are just beginning to understand. For example this whisker technology could have applications in dark, dangerous or smoke filled environments which are unsafe for humans, where in future we might want?robots to go."

University of Bristol via?Makezine

This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca

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Jupiter?s 'Trojans' on an atomic scale

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) ? The planet Jupiter keeps asteroids on stable orbits -- and in a similar way, electrons can be stabilized in their orbit around the atomic nucleus. Calculations carried out at the Vienna University of Technology have now been verified in an experiment.

Planets can orbit a star for billions of years. Electrons circling the atomic nucleus are often visualized as tiny planets. But due to quantum effects, the behavior of atoms usually differs significantly from planetary systems. Austrian and US-American scientists have now succeeded in keeping electrons on planet-like orbits for a long time. This was done using an idea from astronomy: Jupiter stabilizes the orbits of asteroids (the so called "Trojans"), and in a very similar way, the orbits of electrons around the nucleus can be stabilized using an electromagnetic field. The results of this experiment have now been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Giant Atoms

They are probably the largest atoms on earth: "The diameter of the electronic orbits is several hundredths of a millimeter -- an enormous distance on an atomic scale," says Shuhei Yoshida (Vienna UT). The atoms are even larger than erythrocytes. Yoshida made the calculations at Vienna University of Technology, the experiment was carried out at Rice University in Houston (Texas).

The Electron is not a Planet

The idea that atoms are similar to planetary systems dates back to Niels Bohr: he came up with the first atomic model, in which electrons circle the nucleus in well-defined orbits. This view, however, is now seen to be outdated. In quantum physics, the electron is described as a quantum wave, or a "probability cloud," that surrounds the atomic nucleus. The location of an electron in the ground state (the lowest possible energy level) is not well defined. Relative to the nucleus, it is situated in all possible directions at the same time. Asking about its "real position" or its orbit just does not make sense. Only if the electron is transferred into a state of higher energy, it can be manipulated in such a way that it moves along orbit-like paths.

Jupiter's trick -- Used for the Atom

Unlike planets, electrons will not keep moving in such an orbit for ever. "Without additional stabilization, the electron-wave would become delocalized after a few cycles," says Professor Joachim Burgd?rfer, head of the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Vienna UT. A simple idea on how to stabilize orbits has been known in astronomy for a long time: the gravity of Jupiter, the heaviest planet in our solar system, stabilizes the orbits of the "Trojans" -- thousands of small asteroids. They aggregate around so-called "Lagrange points" on Jupiter's orbital path. Staying close to these Lagrange points, the asteroids circle the sun together with the planet -- with exactly the same orbital velocity, so that the asteroids never collide with Jupiter.

In the experiment, the stabilizing influence of Jupiter's gravity is substituted by a cleverly designed electromagnetic field. The field oscillates precisely with the frequency corresponding to the orbital period of the electron around the nucleus. It sets the pace for the electron, and that way the electron-wave is kept at a specific point for a long time -- much like a large number of asteroids, staying close to Jupiter's Lagrange points on their orbit around the sun. Quantum physics even allows manipulations which are impossible in a planetary system: using the electromagnetic field, the electron can by shifted into a different orbit -- as if the orbit of Jupiter and its asteroids was suddenly shifted to the orbit of Saturn.

Big and Small

The physicists succeeded in creating an atomic miniature version of a solar system and preparing atoms which are remarkably close to the historic Bohr model. In future, the researchers want to prepare atoms in which several electrons move on planetary orbits at the same time. Using such atoms, it should be possible to investigate in greater detail how the quantum-world of tiny objects corresponds to the classical world as we perceive it.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Vienna University of Technology, TU Vienna, via AlphaGalileo.

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Journal Reference:

1. B. Wyker, S. Ye, F. Dunning, S. Yoshida, C. Reinhold, J. Burgd?rfer. Creating and Transporting Trojan Wave Packets. Physical Review Letters, 2012; 108 (4) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.043001

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125091057.htm

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Justin Bieber Makes 'Huge Impact' On Organ Donor Registrations

Registration at Ontario bank surges after singer tweets about one fan's need for a lung transplant.
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images

Justin Bieber is a charitable guy. So when a fan of his reached out to him on Twitter to help spread the word about organ and blood donation, one particular bank quickly saw more and more people in the giving spirit.

Belieber Helene Campbell, 20, tweeted the teen star last week about her own struggles (including how she herself needs a lung transplant). Bieber then began tweeting to her and about her, shedding more light on the cause than the fan could have ever anticipated.

In the days since the online correspondence, the Ontario-based Trillium Gift of Life Network has seen donations skyrocket to more than 1,200 people, four times the amount the network usually receives. In part it had a lot to do with Bieber, but also the campaign started by Campbell, who suffers from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

"Helene has done an incredible job inspiring and motivating Ontarians to register their consent to organ and tissue donation. On an average day we would expect about 50 new online registrations," President and CEO Ronnie Gavsie said in a statement on Wednesday (January 25). "Since Helene's campaign began last Thursday, the average has been closer to 200 per day! There are over 1,500 people in Ontario waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, on behalf of all them and Trillium Gift of Life Network, thank you Helene and thank you Justin Bieber!"

Shortly after his initial tweet, she shared with him, "@justinbieber you have made a huge impact, not only on my life, but for many others in need of the gift of life now and in the future!"

His response: "@alungstory glad to be able to help. best part of what i do."

Bieber's other charity work includes his Believe Charity Drive as well as his participation with the Pencils of Promise foundation.

Related Artists

• Justin Bieber

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677905/justin-bieber-organ-donor.jhtml

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Sundance 2012: The Five Most Buzzed-About Movies

From teen comedy 'The First Time' to horror flick 'V/H/S,' MTV News wraps up the most talked-about premieres.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Helen Hunt and John Hawkes in "The Surrogate"
Photo: Fox Searchlight

For those of us not lucky enough to be in Park City, Utah, right now, the biggest stories coming out of the Sundance Film Festival detail the standing ovations and the distribution deals that filmmakers sign for millions of dollars.

With so many films making their premieres at Sundance, it can be difficult to keep track of which ones you need to be paying attention to and looking out for later this year. To help you out, we've rounded up the five films that are coming out of Park City with the biggest buzz.

Here is our list of the five most talked-about Sundance films.

"The Surrogate"
With Oscar nominations being announced Tuesday, looking forward to the 2013 Oscar nominees may seem a little premature. That hasn't stopped festival attendees from heralding the performances from John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy and predicting Academy Award nominations come next January. In the film, Hawkes plays Mark, a man in an iron lung. Mark decides that he must finally lose his virginity and contacts a sex surrogate played by Hunt. "The Surrogate" earned standing ovations and some of the earliest Oscars talk we've ever heard.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
One of the outright surprises of the festival came in the form of six-year old Quvenzhané Wallis and her breakout role in Benh Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild." The film virtually came out of nowhere and won over audiences handedly. Set in some alternate, but fairly relatable reality, Wallis plays Hushpuppy, who has to navigate a brave new world after her father becomes ill. Arguably the festival's most coveted distributor, Fox Searchlight, snapped up the distribution rights for "Beasts" after paying $6 million for "The Surrogate."

"V/H/S"
What better praise can a horror film get than an audience member fainting during a screening? The horror anthology "V/H/S" supposedly had that exact effect on one unlucky audience member. Six of horror's hottest up-and-coming directors contributed segments to this found-footage film, which follows a group of burglars breaking into a mysterious house to search for a specific VHS tape. The movie scared audience throughout the festival and is considered a must-see for horror fans.

"The First Time"
Once you find out that a movie called "The First Time" follows a blossoming romance between two teenagers, you'd probably assume you know what's going on. Most of the reviews for the film acknowledge their expectations going into the teen comedy from writer-director Jon Kasdan, but many of those reviews then describe how "The First Time" surprised them with its infectious charm. Set over the course of one weekend, "The First Time" stars Britt Robertson of "The Secret Circle" and Dylan O'Brien of MTV's "Teen Wolf" as high school kids who meet cute but are tied up in other relationships.

"Celeste and Jesse Forever"
Rashida Jones has charmed audiences in movies and television for years but always remained just outside the realm of leading lady. Perhaps deciding to make the change herself, Jones co-wrote and starred in "Celeste and Jesse Forever," an indie romance with Andy Samberg. The two play a recently divorced couple attempting to remain friends after the breakup. Critics applauded the film's script, which strikes a balance between comedy and poignant romantic drama.

Which of these five films are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments!

Related Videos

• Sundance 2012: Interviews From Park City

Related Photos

• Celebrities Hit The Ground At Sundance 2012 Film Fest

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677917/sundance-best-the-surrogate.jhtml

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Calming the GOP Establishment (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/190564797?client_source=feed&format=rss

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13 killed, 8 at funeral, in violent Mexico state (AP)

ACAPULCO, Mexico ? Police say eight men were killed in an attack on a funeral in a rural area of Guerrero, part of a death toll of 13 over the weekend in the southern state plagued by drug violence.

An Atoyac de Alvarez municipal police statement says officers found seven dead and two injured early Sunday morning at the scene of a vigil. One of the injured later died.

The statement said the funeral-goers were attacked by masked men firing large caliber rifles favored by drug cartels as they mourned the victim of shooting several days earlier.

Acapulco police said Sunday that three bodies were found dumped in a vacant lot in the resort city, while a fourth was found decapitated in a car and another man died in a shootout with police.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_mexico

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2nd Freddie Mac contract with Gingrich is released

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during an event at the Cambier Park Bandstand, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Naples, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during an event at the Cambier Park Bandstand, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Naples, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) ? GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich began receiving payments from Freddie Mac in 1999 under a contract that paid his consulting business $25,000 a month to work with the mortgage giant's chief lobbyist, according to a second agreement released Tuesday night.

The contract specifically excluded lobbying services, stating "nothing herein is or shall be construed as an agreement to provide lobbying services of any kind or engage in lobbying activities."

The Center for Health Transformation, founded by Gingrich, provided the second contract a day after releasing a 2006 agreement for Gingrich's services. The two contracts paid Gingrich's consulting business $1.65 million and required Gingrich to report to Freddie Mac's lobbying office.

The 1999 contract was signed in July and renewed through 2002, and the 2006 contract was renewed for one year in 2007, said Susan Meyers, a spokeswoman for the Center for Health Transformation.

Gingrich's work with Freddie Mac has received renewed scrutiny as GOP rival Mitt Romney has criticized the arrangements as influence peddling by the former House speaker. Gingrich has blasted Romney, saying he has mischaracterized his work in a desperate attempt to regain momentum in the Republican presidential race.

Gingrich in the past described his work for the government back mortgage company as that of a historian, and later he said he served as a strategic adviser. For months he has said he could not provide the Freddie Mac contracts related to his work because they were confidential, the property of a consulting business that he no longer ran. But after Romney's repeated criticism on the issue, Gingrich persuaded his former business partners to release the contracts.

Gingrich's ties to Freddie Mac could be a liability for him in Florida, where the next GOP primary is scheduled Jan. 31. The housing crisis hit the state particularly hard, and Freddie Mac has been blamed for contributing to the crisis.

Romney has pressed Gingrich further to release details of his work for Freddie Mac, including any work product or reports completed for the company that would show exactly what type of services he provided. Gingrich urged the consulting company he left last year to release the contracts, but no other materials have been released.

The second contract released Tuesday night provides more detail on the work Gingrich was hired to perform, including "serve as advisor to Freddie Mac in the areas of strategic planning and public policy." It also called on Gingrich, who is mentioned by name in the second contract, to "engage in discussions" with Freddie Mac's chief lobbyist and senior officers "to strategize on approaches to Freddie Mac business opportunities and challenges."

Gingrich, who was hired to help the company reach out to Republicans, also was expected to "contribute to Freddie Mac corporate planning and business goals" and to "meet with major stakeholders of Freddie Mac."

The contract also states that "neither The Gingrich Group nor Newt Gingrich will provide lobbying services of any kind nor participate in lobbying activities on Freddie Mac's behalf."

The second contract also provided up to $1,000 a month for Gingrich's expenses.

Freddie Mac reserved the right to cancel the 1999 contract if Gingrich, who resigned his House leadership after a poor showing by Republicans in the 1998 election, decided to get back into government.

Other terms of the contract are similar to the first provided by the Center for Health Transformation, which was created by Gingrich in 2003 to focus on health-care issues. Gingrich left the center, formed as a part of his Gingrich Group consulting business, last year before announcing his candidacy for president.

___

Blackledge reported from Washington.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-24-Gingrich-Freddie%20Mac/id-ed150d0e96724732ac3e891b4f01c6f5

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Rep. Giffords to resign and focus on recovery, setting up wide-open race for Ariz. seat (Star Tribune)

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Megaupload suspect denies Internet piracy

Megaupload founder "Kim Dotcom," the alleged mastermind behind one of the Internet's biggest and most lucrative schemes, appeared in a New Zealand court Monday morning as new details emerged about his extravagant lifestyle. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

By msnbc.com staff and news services

The founder of file-sharing website Megaupload was ordered to be held in custody by a New Zealand court Monday, as he denied charges of Internet piracy and money laundering. Two other suspects were also arrested in Europe.

Prosecutor Anne Toohey argued at a bail hearing that Kim Dotcom, a German national also known as Kim Schmitz, was a flight risk "at the extreme end of the scale" because it was believed he had access to funds, had multiple identities and had a history of fleeing criminal charges.

---

"The FBI believes the sums located are unlikely to represent all the overseas bank accounts owned by Mr. Dotcom," she said.

Toohey told the court that when police detained Dotcom there was an open safe about four yards away from him containing a firearm, Radio New Zealand reported. The safe's keys were in the lock.

But Dotcom's lawyer said he posed no threat of absconding or restarting his businesses, arguing that his client had cooperated fully, his passports had been seized and his funds frozen, and also that he had a distinctive appearance.

"He is not the sort of person who will pass unnoticed through our customs and immigration lines and controls," defense lawyer Paul Davison said of the former hacker, who is reportedly 6ft 6ins and 285 lbs.

Davison also said Dotcom wants to stay in New Zealand because his wife and children were there, Radio New Zealand said.

Judge David McNaughton said the bail application was too complicated for an immediate ruling, adding he would issue a written decision no later than Wednesday.

U.S. authorities want to extradite Dotcom on charges he masterminded a scheme that made more than $175 million in a few short years by copying and distributing music, movies and other copyrighted content without authorization. Megaupload's lawyer has said the company simply offered online storage.

FileSonic halts file-sharing
Prosecutor Toohey said two other men sought for involvement in Megaupload had been arrested in Europe. U.S. authorities had earlier issued international warrants for Sven Echternach, 39, a German, and Andrus Nomm, 32, of Estonia.

The shockwaves of the case appeared to be spreading among rival websites offering lucrative file-sharing. FileSonic, a website providing online data storage, said in a statement on its website that it had halted its file-sharing services.

"All sharing functionality of FileSonic is now disabled. Our service can only be used to upload and retrieve files that you have uploaded personally," it said.

Natalie Slade / AP

An aerial shot of Kim Dotcom's house in Coatesville, north west of Auckland.

Dotcom, 38, and three others, were arrested Friday after New Zealand police raided his country estate at the request of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Police cut Dotcom out of a safe room he had barricaded himself in, because, according to his lawyer, he was frightened and panicked.

Presenting the case for flight risk, the prosecutor said 45 credit cards in three wallets were found in the mansion under Dotcom's various names, while three passports were also found. But his defense lawyer said: "My client collects them (credit cards), most of them are out of date."

Dotcom smiled and waved at around 20 supporters who filled the courtroom and spoke to them after the judge's decision.

"Hey guys thanks for turning up, I appreciate it," he said, wishing a female supporter a "happy birthday."

Defense lawyer Davison said Dotcom was "realistic about what is happening."

"He would obviously prefer to be at large. He doesn't want to be there any longer than he absolutely has to be," he told reporters outside the court.

Media reported that Dotcom ordered around NZ$4 million ($3.2 million) of renovations to the sprawling mansion that he leased near Auckland, with its manicured lawns, fountains, pools, palm-lined paths and extensive security.

The case is being heard as the debate over online piracy reaches fever pitch in Washington, where Congress is trying to craft tougher legislation.

Piracy laws debated
Lawmakers stopped anti-piracy legislation on Friday, postponing a critical vote in a victory for Internet companies that staged a mass online protest against the fast-moving bills.

The movie and music industries want Congress to crack down on Internet piracy and content theft, but major Internet companies such as Google and Facebook have complained that current drafts of the legislation would lead to censorship.

Critics of the U.S. Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, and Protect IP Act (PIPA), quickly showed their opposition to the shutdown of Megaupload.com, with hackers attacking the public websites of the Justice Department, the world's largest music company Universal Music, and the two big trade groups that represent the music and film industries.

Dotcom's New Zealand lawyer Davison said in court that Megaupload's business was being misrepresented and authorities were being aggressive to add drama to the case.

"His business did not reproduce or copy material as alleged," he told the court, adding that copyright holders had been given access to Megaupload to identify improper posting of material. He likened the site to the popular YouTube video site, where people "promoted their creativity."

In New Zealand, questions are being asked about how Dotcom, who moved to the country in 2010, could be given permanent residency under a business investor scheme despite criminal convictions for insider trading.

A legal expert said extradition arrangements between New Zealand and the United States were reasonably straightforward and standard, but there were some important factors.

New fallout from the government's shutdown of the file-sharing site, Megaupload, with CNBC's Julia Boorstin. The hacker group Anonymous attacked various government sites and content-related organizations, as a result.

"The offence for which extradition is sought must be an offence in the jurisdictions of both states," said Otago University law professor Kevin Dawkins, adding that an accused must be tried on the offence for which they are extradited.

'Fast cars, hot girls, superyachts'
New details emerged about Dotcom's lavish lifestyle and tastes, with reports that he had a heated lap pool built just off the master ensuite, with underwater speakers, and imported spring water.

"It's insane, and it gets more insane inside. When we were there we called it 'extreme home makeover, millionaire edition'," a source close to the teams that did renovation work told the New Zealand Herald.

A film posted on the Internet shows Dotcom, surrounded by topless women and men spraying champagne on board a superyacht during a "crazy weekend" in Monaco reported to have cost $10 million.

"Fast cars, hot girls, superyachts and amazing parties. Decadence rules," said the commentary accompanying the so-called fun documentary, which Dotcom dedicated to "all my fans."

The FBI estimates that Dotcom personally made around $115,000 a day during 2010 from his empire. The list of property to be seized, includes nearly 20 luxury cars, one of them a pink Cadillac, works of art, and NZ$10 million invested in local finance companies.

Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10214044-megaupload-suspect-kim-dotcom-denies-internet-piracy-money-laundering

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Williams out of Australian Open in 4th round (AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia ? Numbers told the surprising story for Serena Williams in her fourth-round loss at the Australian Open on Monday.

Seven double-faults, including four in one game; 37 unforced errors, and a first-serve percentage of just over 50 percent that had her convinced "maybe I should have started serving lefty."

Some other numbers indicated why her 6-2, 6-3 loss to Russia's Ekaterina Makarova on what she admitted was a still-sore left ankle was more of a shock, particularly at this stage of the year's first major.

She has played 43 singles matches at Melbourne Park since she won the first of her five Australian Open titles in 2003, and Monday's loss was just her third. She's 54-7 since playing here for the first time in 1998, and she hasn't gone out this early here since 2006.

"I'm not physically 100 percent, so I can't be so angry at myself, even though I'm very unhappy," Williams said. "I know that I can play a hundred times better than I did this whole tournament."

Without Williams, who injured her left ankle in Brisbane two weeks ago, the only major winners still in contention were Maria Sharapova, defending champion Kim Clijsters and Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova.

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, still in search of her first Grand Slam title, played Clijsters in a quarterfinal on Tuesday. The Belgian advanced to the quarterfinals with a comeback win over Li Na on Sunday in a rematch of the 2011 decider, while Kvitova had some trouble late before beating former top-ranked Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 7-6 (2) Monday. Sharapova was playing Sabine Lisicki on Monday night.

Kvitova will next play Sara Errani of Italy, who beat 2008 semifinalist Zheng Jie 6-2, 6-1.

Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic will try to advance to the quarterfinals and keep alive his chance of winning his third straight Grand Slam when he plays Lleyton Hewitt on Rod Laver Arena after the Lisicki-Sharapova match. The Djokovic-Hewitt winner will play fifth-seeded David Ferrer, a 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 winner over Richard Gasquet, in the quarterfinals.

Earlier, two-time runner-up Andy Murray was leading 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 when Mikhail Kukushkin retired from their fourth-round match with a left hip injury, giving Murray an easy path into the quarters.

"It's obviously good for me, I get to conserve some energy," Murray said. "Tough for him, first time in the fourth-round of a Slam."

Murray will next play Kei Nishikori, who had a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 finalist.

The 22-year-old Nishikori became the first Japanese man in the last eight at the Australian Open in 80 years, and only the second man from his country to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since the Open Era started in 1968. Shuzo Matsuoka reached the 1995 Wimbledon quarterfinals.

"Is feeling unbelieveable. My first quarterfinal and beating Tsonga, makes me really happy," Nishikori said. "I hope it's big in Japan. A lot of people messaged me a couple of days ago about the round of 16 and now the quarterfinals. It's really exciting."

Makarova, a 23-year-old Russian left-hander, was equally thrilled about her win over Williams. And considering she'd lost in the first round of the last six tournaments she'd played, in awe over who she beat.

"Yeah, I'm surprised because she's a great player and it's really tough to play against her. But, I don't know, I just feeling so good and so focus. So I played my game, and that's it. I won against Serena. That's amazing."

Makarova overcame plenty of Williams crowd support, many of whom weren't that familiar with the Russian. Oracene Price, Williams' mother, was in the players' box with her sunglasses on and a wide-brimmed hat.

In the fourth game of the second set with Makarova serving, Williams netted an easy forehand return. She made an angry sound, and there was a bit of laughter in the crowd. Price just turned away, shaking her head.

After Williams' fourth double-fault in the fifth game of the second set, which gave Makarova the game and a 3-2 lead ? Williams shouted "Oh my god." She looked ready to smash her racket, but in the end bounced it on the court and caught it on the rebound.

The 13-time Grand Slam winner had only played two competitive matches since losing the U.S. Open final to Sam Stosur in September, and her light preparation was curtailed when she badly twisted her ankle as she won her second-round match at Brisbane earlier this month.

For that reason, Williams wasn't about to beat herself up over Monday's loss.

"Am I usually angry? I don't know. Crying? I don't cry. So I don't know what I usually project," she said. "I feel like I didn't play well today. I don't feel like I can't get better."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_sp_te_ga_su/ten_australian_open

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Nanni Moretti to head jury at Cannes Film Fest (omg!)

PARIS (AP) ? Organizers of the Cannes Film Festival have chosen satirical Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti to head the jury at this year's festival.

The veteran actor and director of 2001 Palme d'Or winner "The Son's Room" will head the jury for the May 16-27 festival on the French Riviera.

Festival organizers said Friday that Moretti's films "are the incarnation of all the best in cinema over the past thirty years."

Moretti, 58, directed and acted in last year's Palme contender "Habemus Papam" ? Latin for "We Have a Pope" ? a surprisingly gentle comedy about a cardinal who suffers stage fright when he is chosen as the next pontiff.

Robert De Niro headed last year's nine-member jury, which chose Terrence Malick's drama "The Tree of Life" for the festival's top honor.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_nanni_moretti_head_jury_cannes_film_fest040041405/44239539/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/nanni-moretti-head-jury-cannes-film-fest-040041405.html

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Support for PIPA collapses in blackout aftermath (Yahoo! News)

18 U.S. Senators withdraw support of the controversial bill, but the fight isn't over

Yesterday's?internet blackout may have had some success changing minds and winning hearts in the nation's capital. In the?last 24 hours, a total of 18 U.S. senators have publicly withdrawn support of the controversial?Protect IP Act, better known as PIPA.

[Related: PIPA/SOPA timeline]

Though on the internet the issue has largely been bi-partisan, the recent withdrawl of support has largely come from Republicans. Many of the defections have been high-profile, including former PIPA co-sponsors?Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH),?Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL),?Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO),?Sen. John Boozman (R-AR),Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT),?Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), and?Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD).

According to an informal?head count at opencongress.org, 33 senators currently stand in support of the bill, while 36 remain opposed. A total of 51 votes are needed to defeat this bill for sure; though the bill could be killed with as few as 40 votes if Senate Republicans decide to mount a filibuster. The PIPA legislation is still slated for a vote on January 24.

House Majority Leader Eric?Cantor announced Monday that PIPA's sister bill,?SOPA, would not be coming to a vote in the House after the?White House announced its opposition.

[Image credit:?laslzo-photo]

(Source)

This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca

More from Tecca:

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'Voice' star Blake Shelton's father dies (AP)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Blake Shelton's father has died, forcing "The Voice" star to reschedule several tour dates.

A news release says Dick Shelton died Tuesday surrounded by loved ones in Oklahoma. The elder Shelton had been in declining health.

Blake Shelton dedicated his win at last month's American Country Awards to his father, who was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Shelton thanked fans: "Your support means the world to me. I love you guys."

The country singer will miss four shows in the Dakotas and Montana this week. Those shows have been rescheduled for March. He will return to the road Jan. 26 in Columbus, Ga.

Shelton will sing "America the Beautiful" with wife Miranda Lambert before the Super Bowl next month. The "Honey Bee" singer is also up for three Grammys.

___

Online:

http://www.blakeshelton.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_en_mu/us_people_blake_shelton

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This 14" Lenovo Core i5 Laptop Is Your You-Can-Choose-Any-Color-As-Long-As-It-Is-Ebony-Brown Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

I'm so bored of computers it makes me sad. Ultrabooks? Ultrasnooze. Desktops? Ha. Netbooks? Wait, do Netbooks even exist anymore? Seriously though, I will upgrade my phone and tablet every year for here until infinity but I'm running my computer to the ground. I've had my laptop for almost 4 years now and it's still chugging along fine. What am I missing out on a brand spanking new laptop? Less oily keys? Non dusty display? I don't game on zee PC. I don't edit video. I don't do anything on a computer but go on winding Wikipedia knowledge trails and read about sports. So screw boring computers. Screw them to mundane hell. If you're not like me though, go ahead and buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Z470 14-inch Laptop for $580. If you are like me, enjoy the oily dusty betsy you got. -CC More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Gi3KjcHtgZI/this-14-lenovo-core-i5-laptop-is-your-you+can+choose+any+color+as+long+as+it+is+ebony+brown-deal-of-the-day

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