Cries of cover-up in possible vote on attorney general (reuters)

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

montgomery county public schools the river dr dog ke$ha earl csco big bend national park

Photos: Firefighters' parade in Ocean City, Md.

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

orange crush harden nor easter nor easter ted nugent veep los angeles kings

Video: Obama?s executive privilege order may tie Romney to House GOP

Why your diet tanks as the day wears on

??It's the same old story: You start out your day with the best of eating intentions but, by lunchtime, that candy bar's starting to sound really good. And dinner? Well, let's just say the pizza delivery guy asked you to come to his wedding.

whitney houston last performance cpac straw poll breaking dawn part 2 breaking dawn part 2 whitney cummings msnbc i will always love you

Hawaii Gov.: Oracle's Ellison to buy most of Lanai

HONOLULU (AP) ? Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison has reached a deal to buy 98 percent of the island of Lanai from its current owner, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Wednesday.

The land's owner, Castle & Cooke Inc., filed a transfer application with the state's public utilities commission, which regulates utilities on the island that serve its two resorts.

The sale price for the property, which comprises the vast majority of the island's 141 square miles, was not immediately clear. Lawyers for the seller redacted a copy of the sale agreement signed May 2, saying it includes confidential information that would competitively hurt Ellison and the seller if disclosed. The Maui News previously reported the asking price was between $500 million and $600 million.

Self-made billionaire David Murdock, who owns Castle & Cooke, said he would keep his home on Lanai and the right to build a wind farm, a controversial project that would place windmills on as many as 20 square miles of the island and deliver power to Oahu through an undersea cable.

Murdock said in a statement that selling Lanai was not an impulsive decision, but he has been looking for a buyer who would have the right enthusiasm, commitment and respect for the island's residents.

"I have learned in life that change is inevitable and can be quite positive when guided in the right direction," Murdock said.

Attempts to reach a representative for Ellison through Oracle were not successful after business hours Wednesday.

Ellison co-founded the Redwood City, Calif.-based business software company in 1977. Forbes ranks him as the world's sixth-richest person, with a net worth of $36 billion as of March.

Abercrombie said Ellison has had a longstanding interest in the island.

"We look forward to welcoming Mr. Ellison in the near future," Abercrombie said. "His passion for nature, particularly the ocean is well known specifically in the realm of America's Cup sailing," he said.

Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa wished Murdock well and said he looks forward to meeting Ellison.

The deal involves 88,000 acres of land, plus two resorts, two golf courses, a stable and various residential and commercial buildings, lawyers for Murdock told the utilities commission in its application.

Ellison plans to pay cash, and the deal should result in new jobs, economic stimulus and a reinvigorated local tourism industry, the application said.

"The buyer anticipates making substantial investments in Lanai and is looking forward to partnering with the people of Lanai to chart the island's future," Castle & Cooke lawyers said in the application.

Lanai is Hawaii's smallest publicly accessible inhabited island, with some 3,200 residents. It is known as the "pineapple island" even though Murdock closed its pineapple operations to make way for luxury resort and home development. The majority of the island was once owned by James Dole of Dole Food Company Inc., who bought it in 1922.

Murdock bought out fellow Castle & Cooke shareholders for nearly $700 million in 2000 and took the company private.

The island boasts unspoiled charm with 30 miles of paved roads, 400 miles of unpaved roads and no traffic lights. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, more than 26,000 people visited the island from January to April of this year, a 6 percent decline from the same period last year.

The utilities commission is reviewing the prospective deal because it involves indirectly transferring public utilities Castle & Cooke owns on the island ? a water company, a bus and shuttle service, and the island's wastewater utility. Castle & Cooke asked for interim approval by June 26.

Hawaii law requires commission approval to transfer public utilities, and the commission will try to make its decision by that date, said Sean Mikell of the PUC's research division, which is considering the application. The commission does not have jurisdiction over the sale of the island, aside from the transfer of public utilities.

J. Kalani English, a state senator who represents Lanai in Hawaii's Legislature, said he's hopeful the sale to Ellison will mean a return of agriculture to the island.

"I'm relieved because he's one of the richest people on the planet, which means he knows he'll lose a lot of money in the beginning and he can sustain that," said English, a Democrat.

English said Ellison has been known to vacation on Lanai.

Robin Kaye, president of Friends of Lanai, said he wasn't surprised to hear who the buyer is because Ellison's name has been floating around the island lately.

Before Murdock announced he would keep wind farm rights on the island, Kaye said he hoped Ellison wouldn't pursue the project.

"Lanai is worth more than supplying power to Oahu," Kaye said.

Seventh-generation Lanaian Sol Kahoohalahala said he hopes to see an end to high unemployment and more opportunities for economic development beyond tourism.

"I look at this as a potential opportunity for us to get the new owner to look at Lanai in terms of an island that needs to work at sustaining itself," he said. "Tourism cannot be the only economic engine on Lanai."

Kahoohalaha's family managed to hold on to some Lanai land. The 2 percent Ellison isn't buying is owned by the state, county and private residents.

___

Associated Press writer Lisa Leff in San Francisco contributed to this report.

davy jones dead monkees last train to clarksville tim tebow taylor swift post grad arpaio carol burnett

On Same Stage, President Obama and Fla. Gov. Scott Talk of Job Growth

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

earned income credit super bowl commercials florida primary 2012 super bowl matthew broderick tax refund calculator huntington disease

Mapping moon's Shackleton reveals icy secrets

Caroline Morley, online picture researcher

New map of Shackleton crater false-coloured to emphasise height (Image: NASA/M.?T. Zuber and colleagues, Nature, 2012)

The four words "Shackleton", "ice" and "south pole" often occur together. On one of his expeditions, Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance became trapped in pack ice. Against all odds, all his men survived, and Shackleton is remembered as a heroic leader for the decisions he made under pressure.

Those same four words are perhaps a little more surprising when we add "moon" and "crater" to them. NASA has announced that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has returned measurements that indicate ice on the surface in the Shackleton crater at the moon's south pole.

The crater is over 19 kilometres wide and 3 kilometres deep, and is thought to have been created more than 3 billion years ago. The lunar south pole is in permanent sunshine because of the moon's tilt, but Shackleton's interior is permanently shaded by its own walls. The LRO's laser altimeter mapped the dark crater floor (as seen in this image) and also measured the brightness of reflections from its surface. From the brightness readings, it looks like up to 22 per cent of the crater's surface could be covered in ice, mostly in the walls. Other craters in the region appear to be much drier.

The combination of permanent sunshine for energy and the possible presence of a water resource have led NASA to suggest that the moon's south pole could be a contender for human settlement. So one day we might also be able to add "explorers" to the words that fit with "Shackleton, ice and south pole" on both Earth and the moon.

Journal reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature11216

albert pujols the shining mariano rivera mariano rivera jobs report tiger woods masters 2012 nikki haley

Report: US, Israel Started Flame War

Today in international tech news: The U.S. and Israel are apparently the culprits behind the recent Flame cyberattacks. Also: WikiLeaks' Julian Assange seeks refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London; a Nike ad campaign upsets a UK advertising watchdog; and Denmark tries to find a new way to deal with file-sharing.

kenny powers kenny powers carl hagelin triple play virginia tech shooting james neal jackie robinson

Summer Business (Casual) Travel Wardrobe - Road Warriorette

If you?re traveling right now in the steamy parts of the country, you may be wondering if your current wardrobe will get you through the season. Folks, it is hot right now. (Unless you?re in Boston, which I heard was delightful over the weekend. I?m jealous, as it was 100 degrees on Sunday. Anyway.) Dressing in the summer is an art?there are always those women who look cool and collected, no matter how high the temperature. Unfortunately, I am not those women. I have to work hard to maintain my cool in the heat. After a few years on the road during the hottest months, I have a pretty good strategy for dressing without overheating. The keys:

Lightweight fabrics. So important!!! The lighter the better. Look for cottons and linens with a bit of stretch, in a lighter-colored fabric. The con is that they wrinkle more easily, but honestly a little ironing time is worth it to me to stay cool throughout the day. My tops are as thin as I can get them without being sheer or too revealing.

Layers. Offices and airplanes tend to be very chilly this time of year, so cardigans and pashminas are a must. Once outside you can remove layers as needed.

Bike shorts. On travel days that I wear a skirt or dress, I always wear bike shorts underneath. Just in case there?s an unexpected up close and personal interaction with the TSA?.. They also help reduce any accidental chafing. For non travel days, those worried about chafing should try something like Body Glide or Monistat Soothing Care.

Peep toes. They?re not appropriate for all offices, but something about peep toe shoes makes me feel cooler. It?s probably an illusion (how much ventilation can that small hole really offer?) but I?ll take it!

Here is my main summer (business casual) travel wardrobe:

One skirt. Pencil is good, but for summer I prefer a slightly less clingy skirt, such as slightly A-line.

One pair of pants. Again, a lightweight fabric like seersucker is great.

One dress. Anything that breathes, is comfortable, and easy to pack (like this one from Talbots).

?Two blouses. I like short sleeves, so they can be worn with a cardigan or without.

Two lightweight tees. Corporette has a great roundup of work-worthy tees this week.

Two cardigans. I have one with shorts sleeves and one with elbow length sleeves.

Two pairs of shoes. Peep toe flats are my summertime favorite!

Lightweight pashmina. I have a lightweight cotton pashmina that I spent maybe $12 on from Old Navy last year (similar to this one), and I take it everywhere. Works great as a scarf in the office, a blanket on the plane, and a swimsuit coverup at the pool.

Jewelry. Gotta have jewelry!!

Readers, what are your tricks for dressing cool in the sweltering heat?

nikki minaj grammy performance shel silverstein niki minaj grammy performance grammys 2012 ll cool j deadmau5 phoebe snow

Coast Guard: Similarities in Texas, NJ hoax calls

Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York Capt. Gregory Hitchen, right, and Special Agent Michael Donnelly of the Coast Guard Investigative Service take questions from the media at a news conference in New York, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Similarities in a caller's voice and phrasings have led the Coast Guard to believe there's a link between a hoax distress call reporting a yacht explosion off New Jersey and a mayday call in Texas last month. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York Capt. Gregory Hitchen, right, and Special Agent Michael Donnelly of the Coast Guard Investigative Service take questions from the media at a news conference in New York, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Similarities in a caller's voice and phrasings have led the Coast Guard to believe there's a link between a hoax distress call reporting a yacht explosion off New Jersey and a mayday call in Texas last month. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York Capt. Gregory Hitchen gestures towards a map of New York Harbor while speaking at a news conference in New York, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Similarities in a caller's voice and phrasings have led the Coast Guard to believe there's a link between a hoax distress call reporting a yacht explosion off New Jersey and a mayday call in Texas last month. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York Capt. Gregory Hitchen gestures towards a map of New York Harbor while speaking at a news conference in New York, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Similarities in a caller's voice and phrasings have led the Coast Guard to believe there's a link between a hoax distress call reporting a yacht explosion off New Jersey and a mayday call in Texas last month. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Coast Guard believes there could be a link between a hoax distress call reporting a yacht explosion off New Jersey earlier this month and a mayday call in Texas last month, an official said Wednesday.

There's no guarantee it was the same man making the calls, but "enough similarities" in the voice and phrasings have led the Coast Guard to investigate the possibility, Capt. Gregory Hitchen said.

A voice expert has been analyzing the calls.

"The voices are indeed similar," the captain told a news conference.

The New Jersey hoax call came in around 4:20 p.m. on June 11. The caller claimed there were three dead, nine injured and 20 in the water off Sandy Hook, N.J.

Nothing was found, and authorities later determined the call came from land.

On May 20, the Coast Guard searched for six people reported missing after a mayday call saying they were abandoning their sinking fishing boat in the waters off Galveston, Texas.

Hitchen said similarities between the two calls include the fact that both came over a high-frequency channel to the Coast Guard "vessel traffic service," not the search and rescue center usually used for distress calls.

The caller in both cases said he was using a "beacon" to describe a hand-held automatic signaling device.

The captain said the caller used "unique language." In addition to words like "souls" describing those supposedly on board, the man in both calls said his antenna was down, and he therefore could not give a precise position. And in both cases, the Coast Guard was told that the people on board were getting into an orange life raft.

Hitchen said the cost to taxpayers of responses to false distress calls runs into thousands of dollars, at least. The "Blind Date" yacht rescue effort topped $300,000, he said. He had no immediate estimate for the Galveston rescue operations, which lasted 36 hours.

The captain said Coast Guard investigators noticed that details in the calls indicated the man "knew a lot about internal Coast Guard operations that you wouldn't find from a typical boater."

But he said he doesn't believe the perpetrator ever worked for the Coast Guard, because of terms like "souls" a mariner doesn't usually use.

Hitchen said all such hoaxes "divert assets from real emergencies."

During rescue efforts for the "Blind Date" hoax, there was one other distress call reporting a person in the water off Bayonne. The Coast Guard responded but found no one. They didn't have a problem mobilizing personnel because it was a small incident, but Hitchen said that if the agency had to respond to a more serious situation at the time, it would have been a scramble.

He said it's important the public be aware of these developments, "so we can generate new leads."

Without witnesses, Hitchen said it's very difficult to solve such cases, but hoax perpetrators "do brag about it in certain cases" ? and he hopes that might happen again.

Associated Press

hoya casa de mi padre corned beef and cabbage diners drive ins and dives jeff who lives at home 49ers news saint louis university

State, church dispute flares over Pa. child care

A bill that would relax the qualifications for employees at religiously affiliated child-care centers in Pennsylvania won the approval of the state Senate Education Committee on Tuesday as lawmakers waded into a dispute between the state government and the Roman Catholic Church.

The bill passed 9-2, and the committee chairman, Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin, called it an effort to firmly and clearly send a message to the Department of Public Welfare that it must back off regulatory language that Catholic Church lobbyists worry could be used to encroach on religious freedom.

Aside from easing education and training requirements for the facility staff -- anyone from a director to a 16-year-old employee -- the bill also would transfer oversight of religiously affiliated child care facilities to the Department of Education.

A lobbyist representing the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference told committee members that the aim of the bill is to limit the authority of the Department of Public Welfare to impose rules that do not concern health and safety.

The lobbyist, Philip Murren, acknowledged that the department has not encroached on religious liberties.

But he said cease-and-desist orders from the welfare department are pending against 14 religiously affiliated child care facilities because they refuse to submit to a licensing process that they believe involves rules outside of health and safety concerns.

daniel von bargen the beach blood diamond 8 bit google maps kids choice awards 2012 micah true kansas vs ohio state

Shenzhou 9 Sparks Renewed Debate On Space Race With China

China had wanted to cooperate with the world in the space venture

China had wanted to join the ISS

The United States of America objected, and barred the Chinese from ever stepping into the ISS

That left China with no other alternative but to construct their own space station

In other words, the space "RACE" has become a race because that's what USA had always wanted

stephen colbert new madrid fault rihanna and chris brown affirmative action helicon zac efron and taylor swift real housewives of orange county

5 Ways Microsoft Could Screw Up the Surface Tablet

Yesterday Microsoft previewed its upcoming Surface tablet, a thin, lightweight, gorgeous black slab designed to run Windows 8?Microsoft?s sleek, fast, and gorgeous reinvention of its core operating system. Yet the company?s decision to name the tablet Surface, giving it the same name as the touch-enabled computer tablet launched four years ago, is ominous, an inadvertent nod to Microsoft?s missed opportunities of the past.

You see, I remember being in Redmond, Wash., a few years ago, getting an early preview of the original Surface table. It was a technological marvel (and a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award winner). At the time, nothing like it existed?it was a large format, multitouch, multiuser device designed for consumers. It had the potential to change what we thought about computing. As I questioned Microsoft?s executives about the tablet, however, I could tell that I had higher expectations for its future than they did. I asked about embedded intelligence in furniture; corporate boardrooms with interactive collaborative tables; and touch-enabled kitchen countertops. But then I learned that Microsoft planned to put this thing in casino bars, hotel lobbies, and AT&T stores. It wasn?t the future of computing; it was an interactive kiosk. Since then, the product has become larger and flatter and has been renamed PixelSense. It also has become a commonplace and completely unremarkable retail technology with plenty of imitators?an also-ran in the category it created.

So here comes the Surface tablet, a piece of hardware (well, two pieces of hardware) that blur the distinction between tablet and laptop in a beautiful and beneficial way. These are the first devices to offer a fully realized and completely different alternative to Apple?s iPad. Surface has the potential to deliver on the one-device promise?it?s a tablet when you want to consume media and browse the Internet, yet it?s a full Windows computer when you want to do something productive. But if you read between the lines of Microsoft?s sparsely detailed announcement, you can see all the unanswered questions that could kill this dream in its infancy. Here are the ways that this promising technology could go wrong.

1. Multiple, Confusing, and Frustrating Product Lines

You can already see this happening. Microsoft isn?t launching one Surface tablet but two: the ARM-based Surface RT and the Intel-based Surface Pro. Both have 10.6-inch screens and handsomely crafted magnesium cases. The RT version is a thin and light tablet at only 1.5 pounds and .37 inches thick. The Pro is thicker (.53 inches) and heavier (just under 2 pounds) and has USB 3.0 and an Intel Ivy Bridge i5 processor in it. Both are beautiful machines, but having to select between them makes each one seem like a compromise in comparison. I want something as svelte as the RT, but it?s not going to be a true laptop replacement; I want something as powerful as the Pro, but it?s probably going to be almost double the price of the RT. Then there?s the business about the screens. According to Microsoft, the RT has an HD screen, while the Pro has a "full HD" screen. That?s marketing shorthand for 1366 x 768 (HD) and 1920 x 1080 (full HD), respectively, but it really means that Microsoft isn?t trying to compete with Apple?s high-pixel-count Retina screens.

2. Stupid and Unappealing Pricing

So far, the only thing we?ve heard about pricing is that the Surface is going to be "competitive." But competitive with what? The idea is supposed to be that the RT will be competitive with tablets while the Pro will be priced in the ultrabook price range. But both tablets and ultrabooks have a pretty wide price swing. An Amazon Kindle Fire is only $199, while a top-end iPad costs $830. Similarly, a cheapo ultrabook such as the Lenovo U310 costs only $800, while a fully loaded 13-inch MacBook Air goes for $1500. I?ll say it now?a base-model RT should cost no more than $450, and Surface Pro should start at less than $900. Premium pricing for Microsoft tablets only makes me start thinking about alternatives with highly evolved app ecosystems.

3. Expensive Accessories

The hands-down coolest thing about the Surface tablets is the magnetically attachable, pressure-sensitive Touch Cover that functions as a keyboard and a touchpad. It?s a brilliant accessory that makes these tablets true laptop replacements, adds a beautiful touch of color, and serves a protective function as well. You know the best way to turn the Surface into just another tablet? Don?t include the cover and make it a $150 accessory.

4. A Crippled Operating System

Another unsettling fact: Windows RT, the flavor that runs on ARM processors, is not going to be the full version of Windows. It will support the cool new Metro apps and features such as Semantic Zoom and Live Tiles. But it features only a limited desktop won?t support the legacy software you know and love. That last part is not exactly Microsoft?s fault?all that software would need to be rewritten for ARM?but it reinforces the idea that the light, portable, affordable Surface RT is not really a laptop replacement. It?s just another iPad competitor.

5. Balky Release Dates

Surface RT is expected to release in the fall, concurrent with the launch date of Windows 8, but the Pro version won?t be available for another three months. Microsoft, if you want me to get excited about the launch of Windows 8, make the coolest hardware you?ve got available on day one. Instead, your message is: "Hey, look at our cool, highly capable, and beautifully designed operating system?except our own equipment runs only the light version. You?ll have to buy a third-party device to get the full functionality. But you really don?t want to do that, because we?ve got a much better piece of hardware coming down the pike, so our best advice is . . . you know . . . hold off for a few months before you buy."

rob lowe peyton manning what is sopa marianne gingrich ibooks author gabrielle union merle haggard ladainian tomlinson

(((AMAZING))) Mushroom Cloud over Beijing, China June 14, 2012

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

roger clemens apple earnings the glass castle jennifer hudson trial north korea threat brandon jacobs brandon jacobs

Microsoft unveils 'Surface' tablet computer

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Taking aim at perceived flaws in Apple's iPad, Microsoft unveiled Surface, a tablet computer that comes with a detachable rubberized keyboard that also acts like a book cover.

CEO Steve Ballmer said Monday that the sleek new device will be as useful for consuming entertainment as it will be for creating documents "without compromising the productivity that PCs are uniquely known for."

One version, which won't go on sale until sometime in the fall, is 9.3 millimeter thick and works on the Windows RT operating system which was made for tablets that run on low-power chips designed by British chipmaker ARM Holdings PLC. It comes with a kickstand to hold it upright and a touch keyboard cover that snaps on using magnets. The device weighs under 1.5 pounds and will cost about as much as other tablet computers.

The size is similar to the latest iPad, which is 9.4 millimeters thick and weighs 1.3 pounds. Microsoft also promised that the Surface's price tag will be similar to the iPad, which sells for $499 to $829, depending on the model.

Microsoft's broadside against the iPad is a dramatic step to ensure that its Windows software plays a major role in the increasingly important mobile computing market.

"They are saying it's a different world now and are trying to put the sexy back into the Microsoft brand," said Gartner Inc. analyst Carolina Milanesi.

Microsoft is linking the Surface's debut with the release of its much-anticipated Windows 8 operating system, which has been designed with tablets in mind. The company hasn't specified when Windows 8 will hit the market, but most analysts expect the software to come out in September or October.

Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division, called the device a "tablet that's a great PC ?a PC that's a great tablet."

A slightly thicker version ? still less than 14 millimeters thick and under 2 pounds ? will work on Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 Pro operating system and cost as much as an Ultrabook, the company said. The pro version comes with a stylus that allows users to make handwritten notes on documents such as PDF files. It will be released about three months later.

Each tablet works with a keyboard cover that is just 3 millimeters thick and resembles the lightweight "Smart Cover" that Apple Inc. sells for $38, but with a full QWERTY keyboard. It is rigidly flat instead of foldable. The kickstand for both tablets was just 0.7 millimeters thick, less than the thickness of a credit card.

Although the Surface looks like an elegant device, Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps criticized Microsoft for not using attention focused on Monday's announcement to highlight some of the reasons that it might be a better option than the iPad. For instance, she thinks Microsoft could have shown how its video calling service, Skype, will work on Surface or how people might be able to use its motion-control sensor, Kinect, on the tablet.

"I am excited about this product, but it felt like Microsoft was pulling punches with this announcement," Epps said. "Hardware is only part of the dynamic. They need to explain how Microsoft manufacturing this device will change people's experience with a tablet."

Microsoft also may be limiting the Surface's impact by limiting the initial sales to its own stores and online channels.

The cautious approach may be part of Microsoft's attempt to minimize a possible backlash to an expansion that will thrust it into competition with some of its longtime business partners and customers.

Manufacturing a tablet represents a departure from Microsoft's highly successful strategy in the PC market.

With PCs, Microsoft was content to leave the design and marketing of the hardware to other companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo and Acer, that licensed the Windows operating system and other software applications.

The more hands-on approach may upset some manufacturers.

"Are their partners going to be happy about it? No, but there isn't much they can do about it," said Gartner's Milanesi.

Epps also believes Microsoft runs the risk of alienating key partners. Microsoft may even be able to build a sleeker device than traditional PC makers because it won't have to pay licensing fees for an operating system.

Microsoft has been making software for tablets since 2002, when it shipped the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Many big PC makers produced tablets that ran the software, but they were never big sellers. The tablets were based on PC technology, and were heavy, with short battery lives.

Microsoft didn't say how long the Surface would last on battery power.

It won't be the first time Microsoft has ventured into hardware. And the Surface won't be its first computer, in the broad sense. The successful Xbox game console is essentially a PC designed to connect to a TV and play video games.

Microsoft has also made its own music player, the Zune, and a line of phones, the Kin. In both cases, it produced these products after hardware partners had failed to produce competitive products with Microsoft's software.

Both products were failures. The Zune gained favorable reviews when it launched in 2006, but still couldn't hold its own against the iPod, and was discontinued last year. The Kin phones were panned and pulled from shelves within two months of their launch in 2010.

The Xbox, on the other hand, didn't tread on the toes of any Microsoft partners. Launched in 2001, it has made Microsoft a major player in console gaming, alongside Sony and Nintendo. But it was a money-loser for many years, and while it's been profitable more recently, it's only marginally so, especially when compared to Microsoft's lucrative software business.

___

AP Technology Writers Michael Liedtke in San Francisco and Peter Svensson in New York contributed to this report.

san diego weather north korea frances bean cobain north korea missile launch modesto detroit tigers st louis weather

How to See China's Space Capsule and Lab Module in Night Sky

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

packers mike adams janoris jenkins john edwards trial brandon weeden felicia day nfl 2012 draft

Rangers rout Astros

By STEPHEN HAWKINS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:08 p.m. ET June 16, 2012

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Justin Grimm kept telling himself to go out and just make pitches in his major league debut for the Texas Rangers.

Even though he had never pitched above the Double-A level, the right-hander kept the mindset that it was just a game with a better defense and offense on his side. Particularly with those Rangers bats.

Nelson Cruz hit a towering three-run homer the pitch after Adrian Beltre's two-run single and the Rangers went on to an 8-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

"I'm more than certain he was dealing with a lot of butterflies that first inning, but he settled down," manager Ron Washington said. "He didn't lose his poise, executed his pitches. That's really the gist of what he did."

After giving up a two-out solo homer to Jed Lowrie in the first, Grimm struck out five consecutive batters.

Though the 23-year-old Grimm had joined the Rangers two days earlier, his contract was purchased from Double-A Frisco before the game. It didn't take long for him to settle in on the mound.

"Probably after that first inning. That was the hardest inning I've thrown in my whole career," Grimm said. "The first couple of pitches, I couldn't tell you where they were going in the zone. ... I just told myself to go out there and make the same pitches."

Rookie Lucas Harrell (6-5) held Texas scoreless until those consecutive one-out pitches in the sixth, right after a botched rundown loaded the bases instead of getting out the lead runner.

Grimm allowed six hits and three runs over six innings. The fifth-round draft pick from two years ago struck out seven without a walk.

"He threw well. He was aggressive and he was around the zone, especially for a kid making his debut," Astros first baseman Brett Wallace said. "Usually they have some nerves. But he got out of jams."

Still, when Grimm threw the last of his 88 pitches, he walked off the mound trailing 3-0.

Craig Gentry and Ian Kinsler had consecutive singles to start the bottom of the sixth. They advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Elvis Andrus before a big defensive miscue.

Harrell snagged Michael Young's comebacker and had Gentry caught up between third base and home. After the throw to Chris Johnson pursing the runner, the third baseman's toss to catcher Chris Snyder was dropped and allowed Gentry to safely scamper back to third.

"I thought Luke did a good job getting the ball back. Chris Johnson gave the ball up because the guy was more than halfway home," manager Brad Mills said. "When you're having a tough time getting some runs, there's not much margin for error."

Beltre followed by grounding a single through the left side of the infield to cut the deficit to 3-2. Cruz then hit his ninth homer, a 431-foot shot that landed deep in the Astros bullpen in left-center field.

"It was an awesome experience," Grimm said. "I threw my hands in the air and screamed."

Grimm was pitching in place of Alexi Ogando, who will be out four to six weeks after he strained his right groin running out a bunt single in San Francisco last Sunday. Ogando had thrown three perfect innings in his first start of the season while filling in for Derek Holland, who was already on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue.

With an off day Thursday, the Rangers haven't said what they will do when that spot in the rotation comes up again at the end of next week. They could skip the spot, have Grimm make another start or three-time All-Star Roy Oswalt - scheduled to make his fourth minor league start Sunday since signing with Texas last month - could be ready to join the Rangers by then.

"We haven't had a chance to make that decision yet," Washington said. "(Grimm) did what he had to do, kept us in the ball game. ... Because he performed, he's in consideration."

Harrell allowed five runs and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings. He had won his previous two starts, games the Astros won 9-8 and 11-9.

Texas clinched the Silver Boot Trophy for the sixth year in a row, having won four of five games this season before the series finale between the Lone Star State rivals Sunday afternoon. They will be division rivals next year when the Astros switch from the National League Central to the American League West.

Houston led 3-0 in the fifth after Brian Bogusevic had a leadoff double and scored on Justin Maxwell's double before Jordan Schafer's RBI single. Lowrie's 13 homers are the most among major league shortstops.

Before their outburst in the sixth, the second night in the row the Rangers had a five-run inning against Houston, only one runner had even reached second base against Harrell.

NOTES: LHP Dallas Keuchel will make his major league debut Sunday for the Astros. They will have to make a roster move before Sunday's game to add Keuchel, who starts in place of RHP Bud Norris (sprained left knee). ... The Astros said after the game that 1B Carlos Lee (strained left hamstring) will be reinstated from the DL on Sunday. Wallace will be sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... Young matched the Rangers' career record with his 66th sacrifice fly in the seventh.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

More news

Hot Yankees beat Nats in 14

Mark Teixeira hit a two-run double in the 14th inning Saturday as the New York Yankees won their eighth straight game, beating the Washington Nationals 5-3.

Hammel's 1-hitter lifts O's past Braves

ATLANTA (AP) - Jason Hammel pitched a one-hitter for his first career shutout, allowing only Jason Heyward's two-out single in the seventh inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Atlanta Braves 5-0 on Saturday night.

the monkees strikeforce davy jones love actually miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy deep impact

Factbox: Ethnic and religious unrest in Nigeria

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

orcl the hartford illinois primary 2012 michael bay zsa zsa gabor illinois primary trayvon martin 911 call

Everybody Lies (Theagitator)

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

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

Bird sings song with heavy wings

16 June 2012 Last updated at 01:02 By Alejandra Martins Reporter, BBC Nature

The male club-winged manakin performs its mating call

The only bird known to sing with its wings contains some secrets of its performance in its bones, researchers have found.

The club-winged manakin, which lives in the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador, performs a mate-attracting song by rubbing its wings together.

A Cornell University team from the US scanned its bones.

They found unlike most birds, it has dense, solid wing bones that help it to emit a violin-like sound.

Lead researcher Kim Bostwick, curator of birds and mammals at the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates, and her colleagues carried out CT scans of manakin wings.

These revealed that, while most birds have hollow wing bones, the club-winged manakin's are "bulky and solid".

Continue reading the main story

More about manakins:

• There are around 45 species of manakins (Pipridae). They are found almost exclusively in tropical forests.
• Manakins are polygynous birds. Male manakins spend most of their time at leks (groups of males gathering for mating displays), which females visit to choose mates.
• Mating dance: Each species of manakin has its own style of courtship display.
• Male manakins are known for showing off their bright plumages.

"Birds tend not to want to carry around a lot of extra weight," said Dr Bostwick.

"[So the fact] that the club-winged manakin is carrying around such enlarged, solid and densely mineralized bones, must mean they have some great contribution to sound production.

During a courtship display, male club-winged manakins (Machaeropterus deliciosus) knock their wings above their backs to create sound.

Dr Bostwick thinks that having ridged, vibrating feathers attached to a solid, stiff mass is the best way to make sure the vibrations are emitted from the feather as sound, rather than being absorbed into the bone.

Dr Bostwick was the first to decode the mechanism behind the manakin's unique sound - revealing a new kind of birdsong.

She began travelling to South America to study and film the birds in 1997, as a graduate student of Yale University ornithologist Richard Prum.

But the bird's wing movements were so fast that the footage she obtained then yielded no clues.

It was only when Dr Bostwick returned to Ecuador with a portable high-speed camera, which recorded images 30 times faster than previous attempts, that the exact movements of the wings became clear.

Her footage, along with analysis of the diminutive bird's anatomy, showed that manakins knock their wings together more than 100 times per second in order to sing.

When the wings meet, a specialised feather, with a stiff tip bent at a 45 degree angle, rubs against another feather that has seven separate ridges. This mechanism produces a mating call.

Similar performances are well known in the insect world, but nothing the same has been recorded in vertebrates before.

Charles Darwin was fascinated by club winged manakins and wrote in 1871 about the remarkable diversity of the sounds made by these birds and their importance for "sexual purposes".

The evolution of their "violin wings" is an example of sexual selection, a term used to describe how the mating preferences of females can impact on male characteristics.

Dr Bostwick said the fact that it existed revealed that female manakins have a preference for the males that make this "fascinating sound".

Exactly why females were initially attracted to it is less clear. Dr Bostwick's next step is to find out more about "the evolutionary story of how the strange features we see in the club-winged manakin came to be".

She has already discovered some clues about how the club-winged manakin "derived" from the ancestors it shares with "normal-winged" birds.

"Some of [its] closest relatives 'share', in an evolutionary sense, behaviours, sounds, and even some anatomical precursors of the crazy traits we see in the club-wings," she explained.

But a century and a half after Darwin was dazzled by it, the club-winged manakin apparently still has a lot to teach us about evolution.

purim acc tournament big ten tournament big east tournament 2012 solar storm solar flares spanx

Analysis: Obama takes a risk on immigration front

WASHINGTON (AP) ? There's not much President Barack Obama can do to boost the economy in the next five months, and that alone might cost him the November election. But on a range of social issues, Obama is bypassing Congress and aggressively using his executive powers to make it easier for gays to marry, women to obtain birth control, and, now, young illegal immigrants to avoid deportation.

It's a political gamble that might fire up conservatives, many of whom remain cool to Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Democrats think it's more likely to inspire enthusiasm among groups that were crucial to Obama's 2008 victory ? young voters, women and Hispanics.

In relatively good times, a first-term president's wide array of powers can force his challenger to shift from issue to issue, hoping to find a gap in the incumbent's armor. This year, that scenario is practically turned on its head.

Romney is the play-it-safe candidate, rarely straying from his jobs-and-economy talking points and sharply limiting encounters with national reporters. Romney took six hours Friday to offer a short and carefully worded comment that criticized Obama's new immigration policy for not providing "a long-term solution."

Romney didn't say whether he would overturn it if elected. But by noting "it can be reversed by subsequent presidents," he might have sown doubts in the minds of some young illegal immigrants studying the policy.

Obama looks like the bigger risk-taker. He doesn't have many options.

He is constrained by a complex, interrelated and frail global economy, and by a Republican-run House. Together, they severely limit his ability to influence the struggling U.S. economy, which Obama says needs more investments in education, renewable energy sources and other areas.

With a single action, however, Obama can allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military; direct Catholic-affiliated employer insurance plans to cover contraceptives; and protect hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants from being deported.

Obama took that last step Friday. It delighted many Hispanic groups while prompting Republican officials to grouse more about the process he used than the actual policy.

Democrats enjoy a hefty edge among Hispanic voters, and some GOP strategists fear Romney is widening the gap.

In the primaries, Romney criticized one rival, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, for granting in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants. The former Massachusetts governor also distanced himself from opponent Newt Gingrich's call for making it clear the United States will not deport illegal immigrants who have led stable, crime-free lives in the United States for many years.

"This is the right thing to do," Obama said in the Rose Garden as he outlined the new policy Friday.

Sidestepping Congress, where immigration proposals have languished for years, Obama acted to make illegal immigrants immune from deportation if they were brought to the U.S. before they turned 16 and are younger than 30, have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have no criminal history, graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED diploma or certificate, or served in the military.

Millions of people in the United States, especially younger voters, rallied to Obama's 2008 campaign because they saw it as a barrier-breaking crusade giving voice to those weary of the Iraq war and falling economic opportunities. Democratic strategists hope to reignite some of that enthusiasm this year.

With significant economic gains so hard to achieve, a possible route is to be seen as expanding or protecting the rights of gays and lesbians, young Hispanics and young women.

Obama ended the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy in 2010. He won more praise from gay activists last month when he embraced same-sex marriage, even if the move was largely symbolic. The bigger legal step was his 2011 decision not to enforce a federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Some Republicans denounced Obama's deportation decision as pandering. It's "patently political and self-serving," and will do nothing to change the fact that jobs and the economy will determine the Nov. 6 election, said GOP strategist Danny Diaz.

But Congress's Republican leaders were silent on the matter. Republicans know that Hispanic voters are crucial in Florida, Nevada and Colorado, and could make the difference in tight elections in Virginia and North Carolina.

Many Democrats hailed Obama's move. "It's the right thing to do for the country, and the right thing to do politically," said veteran strategist Matt Bennett." If Republicans directly challenge the decision, he said, it puts them "in the position of saying we should be attacking, legally, innocent children who did nothing wrong."

Republican consultant Mike McKenna said Obama's advisers "have obviously made a decision that they are going to win this election by energizing the base. Between this decision and the gay marriage emphasis, they have doubled down on their core and moved away from where most registered voters are."

McKenna said the strategy might inspire activists on both the left and right to turn out to vote.

But Democratic campaign veteran Doug Thornell sees more gains than risks in Obama's immigration decision.

"The Republican base is pretty inspired to beat Obama already," Thornell said. For persuadable voters, he said, "this is in keeping with a president who does big and bold things." Romney, he said, is "pretty vanilla."

If the economy were humming, Obama might not need to do big and bold things. But a national unemployment rate of 8.2 percent forces him to take some chances.

That's what he did Friday and briefly stole attention from the start of Romney's five-day bus tour, whose theme is clear: jobs, jobs, jobs.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Charles Babington covers national politics for The Associated Press.

An AP News Analysis

nfl mvp lana del rey snl performance nick diaz sheryl sandberg superbowl recipes super bowl kick off chili recipes

Video: Burned teen testifies against alleged ringleader

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

meniscus the colony kids choice awards ncaa final four 2012 texas chainsaw massacre uk vs louisville university of kansas

Richard Ford: Why writing is an act of optimism

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ford talks about his new novel "Canada," his memories of the late Raymond Carver, and how art makes life.
???

By J.P. O? Malley / June 14, 2012

?Canada,? Richard Ford?s seventh novel to date, is the story of Dell Parsons, a teenage boy whose parents are sent to jail for robbing a bank, leaving him and his twin sister, Berner, to fend for themselves. "Canada" illustrates the way that one foolish decision can destroy a family.

Enlarge

Richard Ford published his debut novel ?A Piece of My Heart? in 1976.? But it was ?The Sportswriter? (1986) ? the book which introduced the world to Frank Bascombe, and other marginalized characters trapped on the edge of the American Dream ? that distinguished Ford as a preeminent voice in literary fiction. The two books that followed, ?Independence Day? (1995), which won him the Pulitzer prize in fiction, and ?Lay of The Land? (2006), completed the Frank Bascombe trilogy.

Skip to next paragraph

Recent posts

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "off"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

?Canada,? Ford?s seventh novel to date, begins in Montana in 1960. It?s narrated by Dell Parsons, the son of a retired Air Force pilot, and a schoolteacher. At the beginning of the novel, Dell?s parents are sent to jail for robbing a bank, leaving him and his twin sister, Berner, to fend for themselves. The story illustrates the way that one foolish decision can destroy a whole family, mapping out a future of destitution and loneliness. The book sees Ford return to a simpler style of prose, marking a distinctive shift away from the more elaborate language of the Frank Bascombe novels.

Here Ford talks about his memories of the late Raymond Carver, why writing is an act of optimism, and how art makes life.
????
Q. Was it hard to leave behind the voice of Frank Bascombe for this novel?

The challenging part for me was to find a diction that wasn?t just a replication of those other books. As far as getting away from Frank, and the kind of extravagances that Frank?s vocabulary imposes, that wasn?t hard at all. I still love to write notes in Frank?s voice. I thought ?The Lay of the Land? was the right point to separate myself from Frank Bascombe.

Q. What?s the significance of the title of this book, ?Canada??

I always found as an American, that Canada was a place that attracted me. I felt I could accommodate to Canada extremely well if I had to. I think of Canada as a kind of psychic-moral-spatial refuge, whereas I think America ? even though it?s my home ? is challenging all the time. I experience America in many ways. It doesn?t make me want to abandon it, but it certainly does make it a very strange place to live sometimes.??????

Q. Would you say you are a positive writer who explores existential failures in your books?

I feel that?s exactly what I am ? an optimist, who believes with Sartre, that to write about the darker possible things is an act of optimism. But what I?m looking for is drama, which occurs when people are at a loss, and not succeeding. I try to find a vocabulary which makes those things expressible. In the process of making those expressible to a readership, it becomes an act of optimism, because it imagines a future in which these things will be understood, and be mediated in some way. Writing for me is always an act of optimism. I probably wouldn?t do it otherwise, no matter how dark things are.

Q. Do you believe art is an escape from the boredom of life?

packers stock mastectomy st. nicholas st. nicholas heisman finalists heisman finalists kepler 22 b

Poetry Thursday (Unqualified Offerings)

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

january jones ncaa final game miranda lambert reba mcentire acm awards luke bryan april fools