Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/307361045?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Oklahoma tornado was a monster, but it wasn't a record-breaker
The Oklahoma tornado Monday was an EF5 ? the severest rating. But a tornado that hit the same area in 1999 had faster winds, and a 2004 Nebraska twister was almost twice as wide.
A tornado moves past homes in Moore, Okla., on Monday. A monstrous tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs, flattening entire neighborhoods with winds up to 200 m.p.h.
Alonzo Adams/AP
EnlargeThe National Weather Service has rated the tornado that struck Moore, Okla., Monday afternoon as an EF5, the highest rating with wind speeds estimated at more than 200 miles an hour.
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The event gives Moore the distinction of being the only city in the world to have taken a direct hit from an EF5 twister twice ? once in 1999 and again Monday. The new estimate, up from a preliminary estimate of EF4, brings to 59 the number of these chart-topping tornadoes to strike US since 1950, according to data gathered by the National Weather Services Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Okla.
The wind strengths are estimates based on the extent of damage inflicted on different types of structures. With the exception of the weakest tornadoes, twisters tend to destroy any wind sensors placed in their paths. Researchers have been able to measure wind speeds higher in the funnel on a few tornadoes through other means. They clocked wind speeds in the twister that hit Moore in 1999 at 302 miles an hour ? the fastest wind speeds ever recorded on Earth.
Monday's tornado widened and narrowed along its path, notes Rick Smith, warning coordination meteorologist at the local National Weather Service Forecast office, also in Norman. But it reached its maximum width as it spun across Moore, leaving behind a path of destruction some 1.3 miles wide, he says.
The current record for widest tornado remains an EF4 twister that hit Hallam, Neb., in May 2004. At its most intense, it spanned nearly 2.5 miles.
Oklahoma turns out to be ground zero for tornadoes rated EF4 or EF5, according to the SPC, while Oklahoma City has had some 100 twisters cross its boundaries since 1896, with another 49 counting as near misses.
The tornadoes that have popped up over the past few days belie the relatively benign conditions that have existed throughout much of the past year, researchers say.
While April was the 13th warmest on record globally, it was the 23rd coolest for the continental US and the coolest for the lower 48 since April 1997, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This contributed to a very slow start to the 2013 tornado season. For the 12 months ending April 30, the US experienced 197 tornadoes rated EF1 or higher, according to data compiled by Harold Brooks, a tornado researcher at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman. That's 50 fewer twisters than the previous record low, which was set from June 1991 to May 1992.
And while severe weather in January and February led to more reports of tornadoes for each month than the 1991-2010 averages would suggest, March and April's tornado reports were well below the 30-year average.
But by mid May, the atmosphere, and severe thunderstorms, began to fire up. For the month through May 21, preliminary data gathered by the SPC indicate some 127 tornado reports around the US, but focused largely on the Plains and Midwest. This compares with 83 reports in April, 18 in March, 46 in February, and 64 in January. The total year to date is running well below the 2005-2011 average total of 718 reports through May 20.
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PayPal to increase marketing this year for offline push
By Alistair Barr
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - PayPal, the online payment operation owned by eBay Inc, will increase marketing spending to support its push into physical stores, President David Marcus said on Tuesday.
"You'll start seeing us amping marketing up later this year," Marcus said in an interview with Reuters.
PayPal is trying to become a common way of paying in physical stores, a much larger market than its online roots. The company expects to be in 2 million merchant locations by the end of 2013 and it is working on ways to persuade consumers to use PayPal rather than their usual credit and debit cards.
Customers would use PayPal via smartphone app. In addition, shoppers at the checkout counter can use PayPal by typing in a mobile phone number and a four-digit PIN that has to be set up online beforehand into the merchant's system. They can also use a PayPal card that links to their account.
"Swiping a card in a store is not hard," Marcus said during a meeting earlier on Tuesday with reporters at PayPal's headquarters in San Jose, California. "We really have to bring a lot of value to consumers to change that behavior."
Marketing will be a big part of this push. PayPal has already run several online video ads starring movie actor Jeff Goldblum to promote its payment service.
EBay ran a big TV ad campaign in 2011 which helped revive its online marketplace. EBay waited to fix consumer problems with the marketplace before it spent heavily on such marketing and PayPal's Marcus is taking a similar approach now with the expansion into stores.
"We want to make sure we have enough density of consumer experiences before we do a lot of marketing," Marcus explained. "We have really only one chance at this and we do not want to disappoint customers."
PayPal has been testing a way for customers of smoothie store Jamba Juice to order ahead using PayPal's smartphone application and pick up their drinks at a separate line.
PayPal has been testing this at seven Jamba stores in the San Francisco Bay area but will roll it out at more Jamba stores across the United States. It expects to announce similar line-skipping deals with other companies soon, Marcus said.
Also on Tuesday, Marcus announced a new partnership with RadioShack Corp that will introduce PayPal into all of the electronics retailer's stores starting this month.
(Reporting by Alistair Barr; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Grant McCool and Cynthia Osterman)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/paypal-radioshack-stores-starting-may-182145459.html
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Expiscor (20 May 2013) | Arthropod Ecology
This week?s Expiscor?is coming to you on a holiday Monday across much of Canada. This is the day that many Canadians feel that the ?warm season? has officially arrived. We can plant things in our garden without fear of frost; the lawn shall be mowed, the birds are busy, the butterflies are flying.
What is Expiscor? ?it?s a weekly digest of discoveries from the world of entomology, biology, and so much more.
- It seems that every week there?s a story about ?dangerous spiders? ? this week, Bug Girl wrote a post to help FIX THE INTERNET ? in this case, to discuss a bogus spider poster.
- On the topic of jumping spiders ? they can make you look twice ? WOW, WOW and WOW again. (thanks Alex Wild, for that photo, and permission to use it)
- Biodiversity under foot ? great video about threats to soil biodiversity (thanks to my former MSc student, and recent PhD graduate,?Zach for posting that link.
- Fireflies: I always find the larvae of the?Lampyridae beetles to be odd-looking, and I sometimes have trouble reconciling their habitus with adults. ?This is a lot easer thanks to Derek Hennen for this lovely photo of an adult ? check out that abdomen! (and thanks, Derek, for allowing me to use this photo)
- Scale it. This is VERY worth checking out. I personally like 10 to the power of -2.5
- A worthy ordeal: Another great post from one of my heroes, Simon Leather ? a terrific tradition in the British University system.
- To finish, as usual, with some music. I?ve been a fan of Steve Earle for quite a long time, and his latest album (the Low Highway) does not disappoint. Here?s a video from one of the songs from that album. Worth a listen (and a good lesson in there, too)
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Source: http://arthropodecology.com/2013/05/20/expiscor-20-may-2013/
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Budget-friendly LG Optimus F3 pictured for Sprint
Optimus G Pro also rumored for the Now Network
LG is keen to make inroads into the budget LTE space with its Optimus F series devices, first announced at Mobile World Congress back in February. But one device that wasn't shown in Barcelona was the Optimus F3, a budget-focused 4G handset with a 4-inch WVGA display. Now it seems the F3 may be headed to Sprint, as prolific leaker @evleaks has unearthed a render of the device with Sprint branding.
At the other end of LG's product portfolio, @evleaks also mentions that the 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro, currently exclusive to AT&T, will be headed to Sprint "this quarter." A model number of LS980 is given, tying in with a device we've already seen pass by the Bluetooth SIG.
As for the Optimus F3, that's expected "in the next few weeks."
Source: PhoneArena
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/DkM7BwRK8KQ/story01.htm
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Detecting the ?arthritis bomb? | Revista Women s Health
The awful epidemic of inflammatory disease
Many Americans suffer from inflammatory disease. In fact, it?s the second largest incapacitating sickness, next to heart condition. The condition of {arthritis|inflammatory sickness} effects additional girls than men all told cohort of these that suffer with the disease. of these living with inflammatory disease within the us, nearly simple fraction ar girls. whereas the sickness is commonest within the West, it?s a chronic condition that?s full-fledged by men and ladies throughout the us.
Arthritis will strike anyone. Studies, however, show a relation between lack of awareness, lack of education and severity of the sickness as common fraction of the adult population suffering with inflammatory disease has but a highschool education. it?s projected that by the year 2020 nearly sixty million individuals living within the America can suffer with inflammatory disease. this is often regarding twenty p.c of the yank population. smart to glorious health is full-fledged among thirty four p.c of these living with inflammatory disease as compared to seventy one p.c of the population that?s not suffering with inflammatory disease. {arthritis|inflammatory sickness} may be a disease that affects the existence of the person with problems and issues occurring that include:
Frequent journeys to the physician: Persons with inflammatory disease visit their physicians doubly as persistently annually than those while not inflammatory disease.
Higher hospitalization rate: Persons with inflammatory disease report a better proportion of hospital use. Among inflammatory disease sufferers, 16 PF report that they were hospitalized in a very year?s time-frame, whereas the hospitalization rate for people who don?t have inflammatory disease is five-hitter.
Greater use of medicine|prescribed drugs|pharmaceuticals}: Among the older that suffer with {arthritis|inflammatory sickness} ninety four use prescription drugs verses eighty two of the older that don?t suffer with the disease.
Less mobility: Among inflammatory disease sufferers there ar additional reports of staying in bed as a result of the unhealthiness or impairment.
Low incomes: Among inflammatory disease sufferers that ar within the men, it?s reported that, on a median, most ar earning a lower financial gain than people who don?t have the sickness. In fact, among arthritis sufferers, estimates show that in the primary six years of getting the sickness, hr show a decline in earnings on the average. Projections into the long run additionally predict that individuals UN agency don?t suffer from the sickness are going to be additional financially secure.
Premature retirement: Early retirement typically happens among those with inflammatory disease. In fact, it?s calculable that40% of {arthritis|inflammatory sickness} sufferers with arthritis can retire from the men at intervals the primary 5 years of being diagnosed with the disease. The sickness additionally affects their interests in life like with activities as well as travel, volunteer work, hobbies, and sports as they report the activities as not being vital.
Low satisfaction in life: Among persons suffering with the sickness and people UN agency don?t there?s a dramatic distinction within the quality of life and also the satisfaction of life between the 2 teams. 2 of the largest variations concern satisfaction with monetary and health circumstances. inflammatory disease sufferers ar a lot of less glad with monetary and health circumstances in their life and plenty of different aspects of life.
Other effects on the inflammatory disease sufferer include:
- Experience less quality
- Experience bigger restrictions on physical activity
- Have a better proportion of activity limitations
- Are not as content with current circumstances
- Are not as optimistic regarding the long run
Arthritis may be a sickness which will be prevented through a natural way with the addition of physical exertion, uptake a coffee fat ? high macromolecule diet and taking flavorer supplements combined with the natural way is understood to scale back the danger of developing the sickness and to diminish the symptoms of inflammatory disease.
Source: http://revistawomenshealth.com/diseases/detecting-arthritis-bomb.html
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Monday, May 20, 2013
Kepler epitaph? Eight most intriguing finds of troubled telescope.
Kepler, the space telescope designed to help us find other Earth-like planets, is on the fritz. Scientists hope they will be able to fix it remotely, but if they can't, its brief, brilliant career could be over. Since it began operations in 2009, peering continuously at the same field of 145,000 stars in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra, it has found more than 2,700 planet-candidates. Here are eight of its most remarkable discoveries.?
This artist's conception illustrates Kepler-22b, a planet known to comfortably circle in the habitable zone of a sun-like star. (JPL-Caltech/Ames/NASA/File)
1. Kepler-22b: Goldilocks planet
Kepler has made an array of stunning discoveries ? from oddball solar systems to sun-scorched planets that orbit their stars in less than an Earth day. But Kepler-22b was the first discovery that truly validated the mission.
The goal for Kepler has always been to find Earth-mass planets orbiting sun-like stars at Earth-like distances. In other words, to find Earth's cosmic twins. Kepler-22b was perhaps a bit more like a big brother ? it's larger than Earth ? but its discovery was proof that Kepler was on the right track.
Scientists announced the discovery of Kepler-22b in December 2011. It was smack dab in the middle of its star's so-called habitable zone ? the "Goldilocks zone" close enough to allow water to be liquid but far enough to ensure that it didn't burn off. Kepler-22b orbits its sun once every 290 days. Moreover, its sun is the same G-type star as our sun, though slightly smaller and cooler.
The planet itself has a radius 2.4 times larger than Earth. Scientists are not sure about the composition of the planet, but some have suggested it could be a mini-Neptune with a global ocean and a rocky core. If it has an atmosphere, the temperature could be 72 degrees F.
"It's so exciting to imagine the possibilities," Natalie Batalha, the Kepler deputy science chief, told the Associated Press in 2011. Floating on that "world completely covered in water" could be like being on an Earth ocean, and "it's not beyond the realm of possibility that life could exist in such an ocean."
Sign up to receive a selection of Editors Picks of the best stories of the week every Saturday.
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Austin dubbed one of the most affordable getaways by Travel + ...
It seems that someone still finds value in traveling to Austin (no matter what that Huffington Post article said). Travel + Leisure recently ranked Austin the No. 9 spot on its list of Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways.
Though some have challenged Austin's worth as a weekend getaway due to "everyone ... here looking so stressed" (not true, David?Landsel!), Travel + Leisure finds plenty of redeeming reasons for a Capital City vacation, namely the bang for the buck. For the national magazine, that comes in the form of summertime favorites like food trucks and swimming holes.
Hungry? Hit a food truck. "Among the best food trucks, for instance, is Gourdough?s on South Lamar, which may finally legitimize the donut as a complete meal: its Boss Hog donut ($5.50) is topped with pulled pork, potato salad, and honey BBQ sauce," touts the publication.
If you want to cool off after your donut super meal, take a dip. "One of the most classic, all-ages Austin experiences costs just $3: taking a dip in Barton Springs in Zilker Park; it?s great for some free and colorful people-watching."
Kansas City took the top spot on the list, earning recognition for cheap hotel prices, "fun factory-style tours" of Hallmark and Boulevard Brewing Company and budget-friendly (read: burnt) barbecue.?San Antonio ranked No. 3 for its free historic attractions (Remember the Alamo!) and for the affordable option to B-Cycle along the Riverwalk for just $10 per day.?
At No. 7, Houston was recognized for "the city's old-school Tex-Mex [Ninfa's on Navigation]" and other deals like complimentary wine at art openings and free programming at Miller Outdoor Theatre.?Dallas/Fort Worth took No. 16, with a nod to the Dallas Museum of Art and $9?minor league baseball games with downtown Fort Worth views.
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Charlotte remembers historic1963 desegregation 'eat-in'
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? In the spring of 1963, a prominent civil rights leader led dozens of protesters on a four-mile march from a predominantly African-American college campus to the center of Charlotte's downtown.
At the rally, Dr. Reginald Hawkins warned city leaders that if something wasn't done to end segregation, future marches might not be so peaceful
Nearly two weeks later, civil rights and white business leaders quietly joined forces to desegregate the city's upscale restaurants and hotels. In a simple but powerful gesture, they ate lunch together in the restaurants, peacefully opening the door to integration.
The May 29, 1963, lunch was a turning point in Charlotte's emergence as a leading New South city. It contrasted sharply with the massive resistance seen in other Southern cities, such as Birmingham, Ala., where the police chief that same month turned fire hoses and police dogs on young civil rights protesters.
"The city's leadership recognized that there was a need to make necessary changes, but they did not want the violence that happened in other communities to happen here," said Willie Ratchford, executive director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee.
That lunch is being remembered this month with a series of events. On March 29, African-Americans and white civic leaders will discuss race relations at a Charlotte lunch event. The city's community relations board is urging residents to invite someone of a different race to lunch the same day.
Ratchford said while race relations have improved, it's important to honestly discuss the issue.
"Many of us think that the racism of the past is no longer here," he said. "We think that way because we don't see it. Back in those days, it was more overt. What we don't realize is it still does happen ? but not to the degree that is used to."
____
Charlotte has long considered itself a major business community. In the years after the Civil War, the city's banks provided capital to help the region's then-flourishing textile industry expand. Today, Charlotte ? with 760,000 people ? is the largest city in North Carolina and one of the fastest growing in the U.S. The city is home to Bank of America Corp., the second largest U.S. bank by assets, and Duke Energy, the country's largest energy company. In 2012, Charlotte hosted the Democratic National Convention.
But in the aftermath of the Civil War, Charlotte ? like most Southern cities ? was deeply segregated. African-Americans were forced to attend segregated schools. They were barred from mingling with whites in movie theaters, hotels and restaurants.
After World War II, African-Americans returning home from military service began challenging the status quo.
One of the leaders in Charlotte's civil rights movement was Hawkins, a Korean War veteran, dentist and Presbyterian preacher. For years, he led successful sit-ins and protests.
He helped escort to Dorothy Counts ? the first African-American to integrate a Charlotte school ? to Harding High in 1957. Scores of white teenagers and adults surrounded her as she walked into the school, spitting and yelling racial slurs.
The stories and photos made national news, and some leaders, including Mayor Stan Brookshire, believed it cast Charlotte in a negative light. They decided to work behind the scenes for change.
But change was slow, as it was throughout the South.
Many Southern communities were resisting desegregation. In the early 1960s, civil rights leaders ? many of them college students ? began dramatic sit-ins against segregated lunch counters. They boycotted retail establishments that maintained segregated facilities.
Hawkins led many of those protests in Charlotte and was successful in ending segregated lunch counters.
But in early 1963, racial discrimination was still widespread for African-Americans in Charlotte, Hawkins' son, Abdullah Salim Jr., an attorney, said Thursday.
And a showdown came in the spring of 1963.
____(equals)
A major international trade show was headed to Charlotte in April 1963, but Hawkins threatened a massive protest unless hotels and "white-tablecloth eateries" were desegregated.
Brookshire brokered the desegregation of key restaurants and hotels with business leaders, and Hawkins called off the protest. But when the trade show left, businesses reverted to segregation.
Hawkins wrote Brookshire to condemn the action.
"Unless we come to a full realization and act, we shall continue to have demonstrations led by me or someone else," he wrote.
Hawkins then organized a march for May 20 - the same day North Carolina officials in 1775 signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence declaring freedom from England.
"The sole purpose of the march was to address the ills and conditions that were going on at the time," Salim said. Hawkins ad-libbed a speech. "He declared independence from segregation," Salim said.
In response, Brookshire called a meeting of Chamber of Commerce leaders and urged them to coordinate a voluntary desegregation of hotels and restaurants. The chamber approved a resolution asking that all businesses serving the general public be open to people of all races, creeds and color.
But some white restaurant operators were concerned that serving African-Americans might drive away white customers.
James "Slug" Claiborne, a 30-year-old cafeteria operator, suggested the chamber use sit-in tactics: Let every chamber director invite a black counterpart to lunch, disperse themselves across the city, and do it all on the same day. That would leave no place for offended whites to flee.
Claiborne's proposal was adopted, and white and African American leaders lunched at hotels and restaurants throughout the city.
Jack Claiborne said his brother was a problem solver.
"He had some appreciation for what black people went through and sensitivity to them," he said. "I don't think he did this out of any ideological idea. He was just, 'Let's solve the problem.'"
The successful desegregation pushed Charlotte in the national spotlight.
"There was a lot of one-on-one personal lobbying behind the scenes to get restaurant owners to agree to this," said Tom Hanchett, historian of the Levine Museum of the New South. "It was a success and made national headlines."
But Hawkins ? considered the public face of the Charlotte's civil rights movement, a man at the center of every protest ? wasn't invited to the "eat-in," his son said.
"They considered him a troublemaker," Salim said. "Here you have a man who has a master's degree in divinity, and they considered him a troublemaker," Salim said. "He never advocated violence in any way."
Hanchett said Hawkins wasn't invited because he believes white business owners wanted to avoid controversy ? and the appearance that they were giving in to the civil rights leader.
___(equals)
Over the next few years, Hawkins and other local civil rights leaders continued to fight against racial discrimination. Most of the battles were peaceful.
But the calm was shattered Nov. 22, 1965, when the homes of four Charlotte civil rights leaders ? including Hawkins' ? were bombed. No one was hurt, and no one was ever charged.
Salim said it didn't stop his father, who ran for governor in 1968 and 1972. He said his father continued to fight for racial equality until his death in 2007.
"He battled his entire life for equality," he said.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/charlotte-remembers-1963-desegregation-eat-150718506.html
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Sunday, May 19, 2013
How the mighty have fallen: Nokia?s struggles, put in perspective
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian police enraged by the kidnapping of seven of their colleagues by Islamist gunmen in the Sinai Peninsula blocked a commercial border crossing with Israel on Sunday, security sources said. Police have been blocking another border post, the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip, since Friday to press the government of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, to help free the seven. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mighty-fallen-nokia-struggles-put-perspective-021520952.html
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92% Jurassic Park: An IMAX 3D Experience
All Critics (100) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (101) | Rotten (8) | DVD (39)
The enthralling man-vs.-nature parable based on the late Michael Crichton's best-selling novel hasn't aged one bit.
The 3-D process adds not just dimension but depth - a technological extension of cinematographer Gregg Toland's deep-focus innovations in The Grapes of Wrath and Citizen Kane. The change in perspective creates greater intensity.
I'm a fan of this movie. It is thrilling, and the 3-D treatment is a nice enhancement.
This movie doesn't just stand the test of time, it transcends it.
"Jurassic Park" remains an absolute thrill from a Spielberg in top form: Funny, scary, fast-moving and full of just-right details.
"Jurassic Park" was impressive in 1993. Twenty years later, it's flawless.
Some things have dated - Sam Jackson wouldn't be allowed to smoke in the office; everyone would have mobiles; Google Earth would have kept the island from being kept a secret - but the power of the film's pioneering CGI remain strangely undiminished.
Steven Spielberg's summer adventure is still one of the ultimate movie roller coaster rides.
Jurassic Park is a how-to guide for structuring a multi-character disaster film.
Still proves as thrilling as ever.
A classic gets even better.
Steven Spielbeg's 1993 tale of an island plagued dinosaurs running amok holds up surprisingly well in the special effects category.
The film is a classic and the chance to see it on the big screen again (or for the first time) should not be missed
Sentiment is explained by science as the family impulse that motivates so many Steven Spielberg stories is revealed to be an evolutionary imperative in this near-perfect action-adventure.
[Looks] better not only than effects-driven movies of the same period, but better, frankly, than half of what gets released nowadays.
Kids who love dinosaurs will love it. And who doesn't?
confirms both Spielberg's mastery of cinematic thrills and the comparatively empty bombast of today's summer tentpole movies, even the better ones.
Jurassic Park shows us a director in transition, and the film captures his transformation in its own kind of cinematic amber.
[The] 3D [conversion] provides the definitive version of this classic film. Jurassic Park has been transformed with with artistry, nuance and sophistication, and it's an absolute must-see during this brief run.
The 3D effects had me nearly jumping out of my seat. Some say Hollywood is converting too many old films to 3D. But, "Jurassic Park" was the perfect choice. There's nothing more fun than sharing a seat with a snapping dinosaur.
Spielberg treats us as he does his characters, leading us into a strange land and expecting us to make it out with all our faculties intact; it's a tall order, given the heart-stopping, bloodcurdling, limbs-numbing excitement packed into the second hour.
It is as if time has passed the movie by. "Jurassic Park" remains solid entertainment, but the awe and wonder have faded.
The thrill of seeing live dinosaurs on screen is not as acute today as it was 20 years ago admittedly, but there is still some 3D awe left in the creations that roared 65 billion years ago...
The 3D isn't pushed on the audience, but it does reveal the amount of depth that Spielberg actually put into the film 20 years ago.
While it's not the most profound of Spielberg's works or the most entertaining from a popcorn perspective, it's one of the most technically flawless movies he's ever produced.
Jurassic Park 3D is like being reunited with an old friend; an old friend that wants to eat you and maul you to death, but still. A classic is reborn in glorious IMAX with a vibrantly stunning use of 3D.
Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jurassic_park_an_imax_3d_experience_1993/
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Saturday, May 18, 2013
10 Things to Know about the Preakness _ and beyond
Steam rises from Kentucky Derby winner Orb as a groom washes him after a workout at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Friday, May 17, 2013. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place May 18. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Steam rises from Kentucky Derby winner Orb as a groom washes him after a workout at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Friday, May 17, 2013. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place May 18. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Preakness Stakes entrant Goldencents with jockey Kevin Krigger aboard, walks the track at Pimlico Race Course Friday, May 17, 2013 in Baltimore. At right on the pony is assistant trainer Jack Sisterson. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled for Saturday. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)
Arnold Velasquez walks Preakness Stakes favorite Orb in the shed row after a morning gallop at Pimlico Race Course Friday, May 17, 2013 in Baltimore. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled for Saturday. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)
Kentucky Derby winner Orb stands as he is cooled down after a workout at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Friday, May 17, 2013. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place May 18. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
BALTIMORE (AP) ? There are only two outcomes when it comes to Saturday's Preakness Stakes ? either the Kentucky Derby winner Orb wins the race to set up a Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes in three weeks, or another horse pulls an upset and prevents a shot at history.
With that in mind, here are 10 things to know about the Preakness ? and beyond.
___
1. ELEVEN HAVE DONE IT. Starting in 1919 with Sir Barton, 11 horses have won the Triple Crown, sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Orb will be trying to become the 34th horse with a Triple Crown chance. Of the horses who failed, 19 didn't win the Belmont and three didn't make the race, including I'll Have Another in 2012. Last year's Derby and Preakness winner was scratched the day before the Belmont with a tendon injury and retired.
2. INSIDE SLOT. Orb leaves from the No. 1 post in the Preakness, not among the most popular places to start. Since 1961, only one horse ? Tabasco Cat in 1994 ? has won from the rail.
3. SECOND CHANCERS AND NEW SHOOTERS. Kentucky Derby winner Orb will be facing five familiar foes from the Derby and three new shooters. The Derby five are Mylute, Oxbow, Will Take Charge, Itsmyluckyday and Goldencents; the fresh faces are Departing, Govenor Charlie and Titletown Five.
4. SHORTER DISTANCE. The Preakness distance is 1 3-16 miles, a sixteenth of a mile shorter than the Kentucky Derby, and five sixteenths shorter than the 1?-mile Belmont Stakes, called the Test of the Champion. The longer distance is considered one of the major reasons why Triple tries are thwarted. In recent years, two horses who won the Preakness convincingly ? Funny Cide by 9? lengths in 2003 and Smarty Jones by a record 11? lengths in 2004 ? fell short in the Belmont. Funny Cide was a length off the lead with a quarter mile to go and finished third; Smarty Jones was passed in the final 70 yards by Birdstone.
5. A NICE REBOUND. Goldencents and Co. are looking for a little Preakness history. If the horse wins, he will top Louis Quatorze for the best rebound from the Derby. In 1996, Louis Quatorze finished 16th in the Derby and won the Preakness two weeks later. Goldencents was 17th in the Derby. A win would make Kevin Krigger the first black jockey to win the race since Willie Simms with Sly Fox in 1898, and it would make Doug O'Neill the first back-to-back Preakness winning trainer since Bob Baffert in 2001 and 2002.
6. THREE CHANCES. D. Wayne Lukas has one-third of the field in the nine-horse Preakness. The 77-year-old trainer is seeking his sixth Preakness win, which would break a second-place tie with Bob Baffert and Thomas J. Healey. The leader is Robert Wyndham Walden with seven, including five in a row starting in 1878. Lukas also is seeking a record 14th win in Triple Crown race win, which would put him one ahead of "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons. Lukas trains Oxbow, Will Take Charge and Titletown Five.
7. ROSIE'S RUN. Rosie Napravnik will be aboard 5-1 second choice Mylute. A win would make the rider who started her career in Maryland the first female to win the Preakness. She posted the best finish for a female rider in the Derby when Mylute ran fifth.
8. HOF LINEUP. There are a half-dozen Hall of Famers in the Preakness. The trainers are Shug McGaughey (Orb), D. Wayne Lukas (Oxbow, Will Take Charge and Titletown Five) and Bob Baffert (Govenor Charlie); the jockeys are Gary Stevens (Oxbow), Mike Smith (Will Take Charge) and John Velazquez (Itsmyluckyday).
9. THE GREATEST. The fastest Preakness was run by 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. Big Red won in 1:53. By comparison, last year's winner I'll Have Another won in 1:55.94. For those looking ahead, Secretariat also has the record for the Belmont, covering the 1? miles in 2:24. The second-fastest time is 2:26 by Easy Goer in 1989 and A.P. Indy in 1992. Union Rags won last year in 2:30.42.
10. THE DISAPPOINTMENTS. If Orb wins the Preakness, he will become the ninth horse since Silver Charm in 1997 to have a chance at the Triple Crown. The others who missed after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness were (Real Quiet, 1998), Charismatic (1999), War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), Smarty Jones (2004), Big Brown (2008) and I'll Have Another (2012), who never made the race because of an injury.
___
Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/rosenblattap
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Restaurant show rolls into town with more exhibitors - Consumer ...
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The National Restaurant Association's annual conference is back to its regularly scheduled time this year with one of its biggest shows. The industry gathering, which runs tomorrow through Tuesday, has added another floor ...
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BOJ may seek ways to calm bond yields, policy on hold
By Leika Kihara
TOKYO (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan is expected to stand pat on monetary policy next week despite jitters over the recent jump in bond yields, hoping it can stem the volatility by fine-tuning market operations.
The central bank may front-load bond purchases or offer funds via market operations more frequently if the bond market turbulence persists, which are technical steps that can be taken by its bureaucrats without approval by the nine-member board.
It is expected to hold off on easing policy through further increases in asset purchases, having already pledged in April to double its bond holdings in two years to expand the supply of money at an annual pace of 60 trillion ($588 billion) to 70 trillion yen.
The recent bond selloff, which sent the 10-year yield to a one-year high of 0.92 percent on Wednesday, has highlighted the dilemma the central bank faces as it attempts to generate inflation in a country mired in price falls for 15 years.
"The BOJ is walking a very narrow path trying to engineer a gradual, not a sudden, rise in long-term rates backed by improvements in the economy," said an official with knowledge of the central bank's thinking.
The BOJ unleashed the world's most intense burst of stimulus last month, promising to inject $1.4 trillion into the economy in less than two years to meet its pledge of achieving 2 percent inflation in roughly two years.
By gobbling up 70 percent of the bonds newly issued by the government, it hopes to nudge Japanese investors out of the safety of bonds and into riskier assets like equities.
The rise in Tokyo shares to a 5-1/2-year high shows this may be starting to happen.
BOJ officials say they would accept a natural rise in long-term interest rates that reflect prospects of an economic recovery and future inflation.
But the intensity of the BOJ's purchases caused disruptions in the market by drying up liquidity, making bond prices vulnerable to sharp swings that could potentially lead to a damaging sell-off hard to control.
The pace of bond price falls and the huge volatility has made some central bankers nervous, but not enough to consider additional policy steps at the two-day policy meeting that ends on Wednesday next week.
LACK OF SOLUTIONS
Japan's economy expanded at an annualized 3.5 percent in the first quarter, the fastest in a year, offering evidence that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's sweeping stimulus is beginning to work.
The BOJ may thus revise up its assessment of the economy to say it is picking up, compared with the previous month's view that it is "bottoming out with some signs of a pick-up."
But a sustained sharp rise in bond yields will hurt corporate capital expenditure, the soft spot of an otherwise more robust economy, and strain Japan's already tattered finances by boosting the cost of funding its huge debt pile.
Finance Minister Taro Aso appeared sanguine so far, telling parliament on Friday that it made sense for investors to shift funds out of bonds and into equities given recent sharp rises in Tokyo stock prices.
For now, the central bank hopes to use market operations to stem the volatility. It did so on Wednesday by offering to inject 2.8 trillion yen into the Tokyo money market, more than three times the size usually offered in a single day.
If volatility persists, the BOJ may also consider increasing the amount of bonds it buys each month from the current 7.5 trillion yen until bond prices stabilize, sources say.
But there is no guarantee that such minor tweaks in its bond-buying program can soothe market jitters for long. Wednesday's huge fund injection failed to prevent bond yields from ending higher for a fourth session.
Expanding stimulus, by pledging to increase bond purchases even more, could backfire by draining already thin liquidity in the market.
"The bond market has been distorted by the BOJ. It's reliant on central bank purchases more than ever, and a lack of liquidity will keep it vulnerable to sharp swings," said Masaaki Kano, chief Japan economist at JPMorgan Securities.
"The BOJ probably didn't expect so much volatility, and simply boosting its bond purchases won't solve the problem."
($1 = 101.9600 Japanese yen)
(Editing by Kim Coghill)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/preview-boj-may-seek-ways-calm-bond-yields-031040134.html
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Friday, May 17, 2013
Kings Sale Agreement Reached By Maloofs, Vivek Ranadive Group: REPORT
A person familiar with the deal says the Maloof family has reached an agreement with a Sacramento group headed by TIBCO software tycoon Vivek Ranadive to sell a 65 percent controlling interest in the Kings at a total franchise valuation of $535 million.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press late Thursday night because they weren't authorized to talk publicly, said there are about 30 investors in the group put together by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former All-Star guard.
An official announcement is expected Friday.
The NBA is expected to officially approve the agreement next week. The person said the agreement has to be closed by May 31.
On Wednesday, the NBA Board of Governors rejected a bid from a Seattle group that wanted to buy and move the franchise to the Pacific Northwest.
The 22-8 vote killed a deal that would have sold a 65 percent controlling interest at a total franchise valuation of $625 million to a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen, who boosted the offer twice after the NBA showed an unwillingness to relocate.
The vote ended an emotional saga that has dragged on for nearly three years. Hansen wanted to move the franchise and rename it the SuperSonics, who left Seattle for Oklahoma City in 2008 and were renamed the Thunder. NBA Commissioner David Stern praised Hansen's proposal and said the NBA might consider expansion once a new TV deal is in place.
The plan includes a new downtown arena after Johnson got the Sacramento City Council to approve a non-binding financing plan for a $447 million facility with a $258 million public subsidy.
The Sacramento ownership group also includes 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, former Facebook senior executive Chris Kelly and the Jacobs family that owns communications giant Qualcomm.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/kings-sale-agreement-ranadive-reach_n_3290260.html
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Archos introduces the 80 Xenon tablet, arriving in June for $199
Quad-core, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and 3G capabilities in Archos' latest 'Elements' line tablet
Archos has today introduced another tablet to their Elements series, the Archos 80 Xenon. This 8-inch tablet comes with 3G and WiFi, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 1.2GHz processor and a 1024x768 resolution IPS display. So, we're looking at a solid mid-range tablet, with Jelly Bean and full Google Play access as is now the norm for Archos tablets.
Other specs to mention include 1GB of RAM, but just 4GB of on-board storage expandable by way of microSD card. It comes with a pair of cameras, though neither is much to shout about. The rear camera is just 2MP, with a front facing 'webcam.'
The 80 Xenon is set to be available sometime in June, priced at $199.99.
Source: Archos
| |
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/5jK3oGlZ46Q/story01.htm
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One Direction Getting 'Edgier' In 2014 With Album, World Tour
Band announces Where We Are Tour stops in U.K., Ireland and South America, with more dates on the way.
By Jocelyn Vena
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1707453/one-direction-2014-world-tour-new-album.jhtml
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Thursday, May 16, 2013
'Good vibrations:' Brain ultrasound improves mood
May 15, 2013 ? Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques aimed at mental and neurological conditions include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for depression, and transcranial direct current (electrical) stimulation (tDCS), shown to improve memory. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has also shown promise.
Ultrasound consists of mechanical vibrations, like sound, but with frequencies far greater than the upper limit of human hearing, around 20 thousand to 20 million cycles per second (20 kilohertz to 20 megahertz). Ultrasound vibrations penetrate bodily tissue including bone, and are widely used to image anatomical structures via echo effects, e.g. visualizing unborn babies in mothers' wombs, and organs, blood vessels, nerves and other structures in medical procedures. Virtually every part of the body, including the brain, has been safely imaged with low to moderate intensity ultrasound.
High intensity, focused ultrasound can damage tissue by heating and cavitation, and has been used to ablate tumors and other lesions. 'Sub-thermal' ultrasound can safely stimulate neural tissue. In 2002 a UCLA group led by Alexander Bystritsky noticed beneficial side effects in psychiatric patients whose brains were imaged by TUS. A team led by Virginia Tech's W. Jamie Tyler has shown TUS-induced behavioral and electrophysiological changes in animals. A Harvard group led by S-S Yoo has used focused ultrasound aimed at mouse motor cortex to wag the mouse's tail. But clinical trials of TUS aimed at human mental states have been lacking.
Now, in an article in the journal Brain Stimulation, a group from the Departments of Anesthesiology and Radiology at the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona has investigated TUS for modulating mental states in a pilot study in human volunteers suffering from chronic pain. A clinical ultrasound imaging device (General Electric LOGIQe) was used, with the ultrasound probe applied at the scalp overlying the brain's temporal and frontal cortex (visible on the imaging screen). In random order, each subject received two 15 second exposures: sham/placebo, and 8 megahertz ultrasound (undetectable to subjects). Following exposure, subjects reported (by visual analog scales) significant improvement in mood both 10 minutes and 40 minutes after TUS, but not after sham/placebo. In a followup study (led by University of Arizona psychologists Jay Sanguineti and John JB Allen) preliminary results suggest 2 megahertz TUS (which traverses skull more readily) may be more effective in mood enhancement than 8 megahertz TUS.
The mechanism by which TUS can affect mental states is unknown (as is the mechanism by which the brain produces mental states). Tyler proposed TUS acts by vibrational stretching of neuronal membranes and/or extracellular matrix, but two recent papers from the group of Anirban Bandyopadhyay at National Institute of Material Sciences (NIMS) in Tsukuba, Japan (Sahu et al. [2013] Appl. Phys. Letts. 102, 123701; Sahu et al [2013] Biosensors and Bioelectronics 47:141) have suggested another possibility. The NIMS group used nanotechnology to study conductive properties of individual microtubules, protein polymers of tubulin (the brain's most prevalent protein). Major components of the neuronal cytoskeleton, microtubules grow and extend neurons, form and regulate synapses, are disrupted in Alzheimer's disease, and theoretically linked to information processing, memory encoding and mental states. Bandyopadhyay's NIMS group found that microtubules have remarkable electronic conductive properties when excited at certain specific resonant frequencies, e.g. in the low megahertz, precisely the range of TUS.
Dr. Stuart Hameroff, lead author on the new TUS study, said: "This suggests TUS may stimulate natural megahertz resonances in brain microtubules, enhancing not only mood and conscious mental states, but perhaps also microtubule functions in synaptic plasticity, nerve growth and repair. We plan further studies of TUS on traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease and post-traumatic stress disorders. 'Tuning the tubules' may help a variety of mental states and cognitive disorders."
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/UYv25BgQEuE/130515094825.htm
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A new laser paradigm: An electrically injected polariton laser
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Public release date: 15-May-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Nicole Casal Moore
ncmoore@umich.edu
734-647-7087
University of Michigan
ANN ARBOREngineering researchers at the University of Michigan have demonstrated a paradigm-shifting "polariton" laser that's fueled not by light, but by electricity.
Polaritons are particles that are part light, and part matter.
"We report the first electrically injected polariton lasera truly transformative result," said Pallab Bhattacharya, the Charles M. Vest Distinguished University Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the James R. Mellor Professor of Engineering, whose paper on the work is published online in Physical Review Letters.
"Since the proposal of such a device in 1996, researchers around the world have been trying to demonstrate it. It is no longer a scientific curiosity. It's a real device."
The new device requires at least 1,000 times less energy to operate, compared with a conventional laser, Bhattacharya says. He envisions its eventual use in any application where a laser is used today, such as in the optical communication field for wired Internet and in the medical field for surgery.
And as transistorsthe building blocks of computersreach their fundamental size limit over the coming decade, Bhattacharya says lasers like this one that are low-power and easier to modulate could play new roles in consumer electronics.
"Some of the communication on the chip and from chip to chip is going to move to optical communication, or lasers," Bhattacharya said.
Technically, "laser" is a misnomer for the new device. The word is actually an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A polariton laser produces a coherent beam of light in a different way.
"The physical process is Light Amplification by Stimulated Scattering of Polaritons," Bhattacharya said.
The researchers generated polaritons by using electricity to excite samples of the semiconductor gallium arsenide in a microcavity under certain conditions. The polaritons quickly decayed by transferring their energy to photons, which, due to properties of the original polaritons, escaped the cavity as a single-colored beam of light.
"Our success is based on two novel features," Bhattacharya said. "First, we deployed additional electron-polariton scattering to enhance the relaxation of polaritons to form the coherent ground state. Second, we applied a magnetic field so that more carriers can be injected with the bias current without losing the required conditions for polariton lasing."
This laser must be at cryogenic temperatures to operate, but Bhattacharya and his colleagues are working on a room temperature version.
###
The paper is titled "Solid state electrically injected exciton-polariton laser": http://prl.aps.org/accepted/fb072YbfJa31fa2e36ef9b39e528d354fabd828bd
Pallab Bhattacharya: http://www.eecs.umich.edu/ece/faculty/bhattacharya
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 15-May-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Nicole Casal Moore
ncmoore@umich.edu
734-647-7087
University of Michigan
ANN ARBOREngineering researchers at the University of Michigan have demonstrated a paradigm-shifting "polariton" laser that's fueled not by light, but by electricity.
Polaritons are particles that are part light, and part matter.
"We report the first electrically injected polariton lasera truly transformative result," said Pallab Bhattacharya, the Charles M. Vest Distinguished University Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the James R. Mellor Professor of Engineering, whose paper on the work is published online in Physical Review Letters.
"Since the proposal of such a device in 1996, researchers around the world have been trying to demonstrate it. It is no longer a scientific curiosity. It's a real device."
The new device requires at least 1,000 times less energy to operate, compared with a conventional laser, Bhattacharya says. He envisions its eventual use in any application where a laser is used today, such as in the optical communication field for wired Internet and in the medical field for surgery.
And as transistorsthe building blocks of computersreach their fundamental size limit over the coming decade, Bhattacharya says lasers like this one that are low-power and easier to modulate could play new roles in consumer electronics.
"Some of the communication on the chip and from chip to chip is going to move to optical communication, or lasers," Bhattacharya said.
Technically, "laser" is a misnomer for the new device. The word is actually an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A polariton laser produces a coherent beam of light in a different way.
"The physical process is Light Amplification by Stimulated Scattering of Polaritons," Bhattacharya said.
The researchers generated polaritons by using electricity to excite samples of the semiconductor gallium arsenide in a microcavity under certain conditions. The polaritons quickly decayed by transferring their energy to photons, which, due to properties of the original polaritons, escaped the cavity as a single-colored beam of light.
"Our success is based on two novel features," Bhattacharya said. "First, we deployed additional electron-polariton scattering to enhance the relaxation of polaritons to form the coherent ground state. Second, we applied a magnetic field so that more carriers can be injected with the bias current without losing the required conditions for polariton lasing."
This laser must be at cryogenic temperatures to operate, but Bhattacharya and his colleagues are working on a room temperature version.
###
The paper is titled "Solid state electrically injected exciton-polariton laser": http://prl.aps.org/accepted/fb072YbfJa31fa2e36ef9b39e528d354fabd828bd
Pallab Bhattacharya: http://www.eecs.umich.edu/ece/faculty/bhattacharya
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/uom-anl051513.php
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Holder defends subpoenas for AP telephone records
Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation's top law enforcement official, is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 15, 2013, prior to testifying before the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the Justice. Department. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte,R-Va., wants to know more about the unwarranted targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department's secret seizure of telephone records at The Associated Press. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation's top law enforcement official, is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 15, 2013, prior to testifying before the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the Justice. Department. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte,R-Va., wants to know more about the unwarranted targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department's secret seizure of telephone records at The Associated Press. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Attorney General Eric Holder testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 15, 2013, before the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the Justice Department. Holder is expected to face aggressive questioning on topics ranging from the Justice Department's gathering of phone records at the Associated Press to the government's handling of intelligence before the Boston Marathon bombings. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation's top law enforcement official, prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 15, 2013, before the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the Justice Department. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte,R-Va., wants to know more about the unwarranted targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department's secret seizure of telephone records at The Associated Press. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A man holds a sign t-shirt protesting the Guantanamo detention facility as Attorney General Eric Holder, right, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 15, 2013, to testify before the House Judiciary Committee Justice Department oversight hearing. Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., watches at left. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress Wednesday that a serious national security leak required the secret gathering of telephone records at The Associated Press as he stood by an investigation in which he insisted he had no involvement.
Pestered by Republicans and some Democrats, Holder testified that he has faith in the individuals conducting the broad investigation, driven in large part by GOP outrage last year over the possibility that administration officials leaked information to enhance President Barack Obama's national security reputation in an election year.
Holder said he had recused himself from the case because "I am a possessor of information eventually leaked." He said he was unable to answer questions on the subpoenas and why the Justice Department failed to negotiate with the AP prior to the subpoenas, a standard practice.
That elicited frustration from some committee members with the Obama administration and the attorney general.
"There doesn't appear to be any acceptance of responsibility for things that have gone wrong," Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., told Holder. He suggested that administration officials travel to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and take a photo of the famous sign, "the buck stops here."
It was the Justice Department's No. 2 official, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, who made the decision to seek news media phone records, Holder said.
Last year, Holder appointed two U.S. attorneys to lead a Justice inquiry into who leaked information about U.S. involvement in cyber-attacks on Iran and an al-Qaida plot to place an explosive device aboard a U.S.-bound flight. Holder had resisted calls for a special counsel, telling lawmakers that the two attorneys, Ron Machen and Rod Rosenstein, are experienced, independent and thorough.
Holder was grilled on several scandals rocking the administration, including the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service and any missteps in sharing intelligence information prior to the bombings in Boston.
Responding to news of the gathering of AP records, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., planned to revive a 2009 media shield bill that protects journalists and their employers from having to reveal information, including the identity of sources who had been promised confidentiality.
The law does contain some exceptions in instances of national security.
"This kind of law would balance national security needs against the public's right to the free flow of information," Schumer said in a statement. "At minimum, our bill would have ensured a fairer, more deliberate process in this case."
The White House threw its support behind the legislation, said a White House official, who was not authorized to speak on the record about the topic and demanded anonymity. Ed Pagano, President Barack Obama's liaison to the Senate, placed a call Wednesday morning to Schumer's office to ask him to revive the bill, a move the senator had planned to make.
Obama's support for the bill signaled an effort by the White House to show action in the face of heated criticism from lawmakers from both parties and news organizations about his commitment to protecting civil liberties and freedom of the press.
White House officials have said they are unable to comment publicly on the incident at the heart of the controversy because the Justice Department's leak probe essentially amounts to a criminal investigation of administration officials.
Holder on Tuesday defended the move to collect AP phone records in an effort to hunt down the sources of information for a May 7, 2012, AP story that disclosed details of a CIA operation in Yemen to stop an airliner bombing plot around the anniversary of the killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. The attorney general called the story the result of "a very serious leak, a very grave leak."
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence committee, said Wednesday that the leak was "within the most serious leaks because it definitely endangered some lives."
Feinstein said it was her understanding that the information gathering did not focus on the "content of phone calls," but rather "to see who reporters have spoken to, that somebody did provide this information with respect to this bomb."
At a news conference Tuesday, Holder defended the subpoenas to the AP and disclosed that the department was investigating the IRS for giving tea party groups extra scrutiny when they applied for tax exempt status.
Documents obtained by the AP suggest the targeting of conservative groups could be more widespread than the IRS has acknowledged. The agency has said it was limited to low-level workers in a Cincinnati office.
At Tuesday's news conference, Holder said the U.S. has gotten good cooperation from the Russians on the Boston bombings investigation. U.S. law enforcement officials are trying to determine whether Tamerlan Tsarnaev was indoctrinated or trained by militants during his visit to Dagestan, a Caspian Sea province of Russia that has become the center of a simmering Islamic insurgency.
___
Associated Press writers Josh Lederman, Erica Werner and Donna Cassata contributed to this report.
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