Genome of rare fruit fly, Drosophila mauritiana, sequenced: New method measures genetic variability of populations

Dec. 17, 2012 ? In the twentieth century the sequencing of an entire genome of a higher (eukaryotic) organism was a truly exceptional event -- by the end of the year 2000, only four such sequences were available. Since then, technological advances have put whole-genome sequencing within the reach of many more groups and new sequences have appeared at regular intervals. Viola Nolte in the group of Christian Schl?tterer at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has just published the first whole-genome sequence of a eukaryote to be determined at this university.

The results are published in the current issue of the journal Genome Research and reveal intriguing details about the evolution of the species.

The species in question is the fruit fly Drosophila mauritiana, a close relative of the well known (and previously sequenced) Drosophila melanogaster that swarms around our fruit bowls in summer. Nolte and colleagues now present a complete genomic sequence, annotating it to indicate the various genes it contains. The information will naturally be extremely useful to all those who are working on this organism.

But the present study goes much, much further. Schl?tterer's group has recently developed powerful analytic methods for measuring the genetic variability of populations. In contrast to its widespread cousin, Drosophila mauritiana is only found on the island of Mauritius and it might be expected that the species' highly restricted distribution would lead to a relatively low rate of variability. Surprisingly, however, Nolte and her colleagues found that its genome is highly diverse, with polymorphisms (genetic variation) present across the chromosomes. Interestingly, the polymorphisms are not evenly distributed throughout the genome. Instead, the researchers observed that within the highly variable regions there are two large areas where the sequence is much more highly conserved. Such "troughs in variability" are thought to be the result of selective sweeps: newly arising mutations confer so great a selective advantage on the flies in question that they spread rapidly through the population until they become "fixed," or present in essentially all individuals.

One of the classical tenets of genetics is that when a parent carries two different versions of a gene at a particular locus, each of the so-called alleles has an equal probability of being passed to the next generation. Recently, however, it has become clear that certain genes are able to "cheat" and ensure that they are preferentially transmitted to the offspring. The simplest model involves two genes close together, of which one encodes a poison to which the other confers resistance. The poison kills all the gametes that do not contain the resistance gene, effectively ensuring the rapid spread of the allele in question through the genome. Might the two "troughs in variability" in the Drosophila mauritiana genome have arisen from an intragenomic conflict of this kind? It is hard to answer this question with certainty. However, one of the two troughs that Nolte identified contains the so-called Odysseus gene, which has previously been suggested to be involved in genomic conflict in the closely related Drosophila simulans. The other might relate to a second system characterized in Drosophila simulans.

The fact that two areas of the Drosophila mauritiana genome vary considerably less than surrounding regions suggests that some of the genes present have recently been involved in intragenomic conflicts. And these may indirectly help ensure the species' identity. As Schl?tterer explains, "the biggest challenge for a newly separated species is to avoid being subsumed back into the species from which it derived. The weapons used in intragenomic conflicts also work against hybrids with related species so we can speculate that they act as a type of 'speciation gene'. It will be intriguing to study whether this has been the case for the Mauritius fruit flies."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. V. Nolte, R. V. Pandey, R. Kofler, C. Schlotterer. Genome-wide patterns of natural variation reveal strong selective sweeps and ongoing genomic conflict in Drosophila mauritiana. Genome Research, 2012; DOI: 10.1101/gr.139873.112

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/OGDkwl9ZOk0/121217102651.htm

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Mental Health Care and Tedddy Bears - KTXL.com

GRANITE BAY?

Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference. Dede Bannister knows it.

?Because it felt like there wasn?t anything else I could do,? she said while making her drop-off at Operation Fuzzy Wuzzy II.

Adam Johns knew it too. In 2004, when 186 school children were killed in a massacre in Belzan, Russia, Adam started the first Operation Fuzzy Wuzzy.

?He was impacted by that,? said his mom, Deborah Johns.

She and Adam?s brother are behind Operation Fuzzy Wuzzy?II. It?s an effort to send support, teddy bears and donations, to the families of Newtown, Connecticut.

They are doing it in Adam Johns? memory. He took his own life in March, 2011.

Deborah Johns still clutches the teddy bear someone gave her after Adam?s death. She says it helps, but she says the real help would be to begin a real conversation about mental health in America.

Johns is convinced that if we treated mental health care like we do physical health care, her son and 27 people in Newtown would still be alive today.

?We have to take it out of the darkness and into the light. And work with it,? Johns said.

If you?d like to donate to Operation Fuzzy Wuzzy II, you can drop off stuffed animals or money to and Beach Hut Deli location, or contact Johns directly at this email: customerservice@p7clothing.com

Source: http://fox40.com/2012/12/16/mental-health-care-and-tedddy-bears-operation-fuzzy-wuzzy-is-back/

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Home for the holidays when a parent is an alcoholic or addict

?The Drunk? ? George Bellows, 1923

Are you going home or having family over for Christmas with trepidation because it means dealing with a drunken parent? Are you not going home for Christmas because, after years of discomfort, you?re not willing to put up with it anymore?

I?ve been writing about coping with alcoholism and addiction for years and people sometimes ask about the parallel issue: when a friend, family member or partner is an addict or alcoholic. As this family holiday approaches, I?ll talk a little about the alcoholic or addict parent.

Before my parents passed away, Christmas meant visiting their home. And, among other things, dealing with my dad?s alcoholism. My dad was usually a pretty harmless drunk, getting gradually mellower and eventually passing out. But occasionally he would get rageful instead. And though he never resorted to physical violence, that is all too common a result when alcohol simultaneously fuels anger and loosens inhibitions. (Being of a mix of pilgrim and pioneer stock, my parents? form of punishment was not violence but shunning ? the silent treatment ? which could last for days.)

But family holidays meant more drinking than usual, and it meant my dad stayed up and engaged. This combination meant an ?incident? or two ? of anger or inappropriateness ? was likely.

Unpredictability

All families are dysfunctional in various ways. We?re all flawed. But when a parent is an alcoholic or addict, it can pour gasoline on the mix. Perhaps the most difficult issue is unpredictability. Will the parent be mellow or rageful, happy or depressed? Having the rules shift under your feet creates a lack of feeling safe. You can think you?re OK, and next thing you know, you?re being yelled at. You can think you deserve to be in trouble and have it totally overlooked.

This unpredictability and the seeming arbitrariness of authority figures can also damage a child?s respect for them. From a pretty early age, I was aware that my father?s reasoning abilities were worse than my own (when he was drunk), removing most of the incentive to follow his rules or respect his guidance. Children need and want structure ? not harsh or cruel structure ? but an appropriate predictable framework.

You might have heard the term ?adult child of an alcoholic? abbreviated as either ACOA or ACA. There is a whole subculture in the recovery movement devoted to it, though it was much bigger in the 80s. Unfortunately, much of the support out there is unhelpful ? amounting to little more than feeding a sense of victimhood.

True forgiveness, true recovery

True recovery from the damage of growing up in an addictive home comes from getting to a place where it no longer continues to harm you. ?Resentment? comes from the Latin sentire, to feel, and it literally means to re-feel an incident from the past. The only one being harmed is you. And despite aphorisms like ?time heals all wounds,? the damage to family relationships caused by harms done in the past rarely fades on its own. As Rick Warren said so crisply, ?Delay only deepens resentments and makes matters worse. In conflict, time heals nothing; it causes hurts to fester.?

The reason most people never let go of the hurt done by a parent is that they never take the essential step of forgiveness. That?s not surprising; forgiveness is hard. But forgiveness is not excusing what happened or defending it. To forgive means to let go of the desire to punish, to look past the harms done and see that of God within the other person. To put it bluntly, the alcoholic or addict parent did they best they could. The ?best they could? may not have been good enough ? it may have been inexcusable ? but it was still the best they could. This is a difficult concept, especially if the harm they did crosses the line from bad parenting into violence or incest. And I?m not suggesting anyone put themselves in a situation they consider unsafe. But if, through prayer and meditation and spiritual counseling, you are able to see the parent as a damaged soul like you, then you can start to let go of the past and not be controlled by it anymore. Because ultimately the point is not what they did; the point is how you can live happily today.

With a decade of self-help work under my belt, I was stuck in a place where I was controlled by my resentments and hurts with my parents. And I had plenty of ammunition. At the height of my father?s alcoholism, he threw me out of the house in a rage at 15 while my codependent mother stood by, and I lived on the streets of New York as a homeless teenager. This would seem unforgivable. It was certainly inexcusable and, I think, illegal. But after deeper spiritual work I can wholeheartedly say that I forgive them. I know they didn?t see any other option, and I see how painful it was for them too.

Most people, instead, keep re-feeling the hurt, nurturing their resentments with a sense of entitlement until in many cases the relationship is nearly or completely severed. Unfortunately, in many ACOA circles, this is celebrated as taking care of yourself.

But what about current harms?

Of course, I?ve been talking about letting go of past harms. But what about the current ones? What if visiting your parents for Christmas means submitting to new abuse? This is where the typical self-help counsel sometimes makes sense. Familial responsibility should not mean putting up with incessant verbal attacks or worse.

In my own case, though, visits in later years were marred mostly by minor incidents ? seeing my dad fall over while everyone pretended they hadn?t noticed (it?s called denial, people), or putting up with a brief drunken argument. If the alcoholic parent?s behavior is more annoying or disturbing than it is hurtful, maybe you can let it slide. In my post about dealing with politics and religion at family holiday events, I offered some suggestions for dealing with conflict that might be helpful here. And in the next few days I?ll be posting some concrete tips for navigating the alcoholic family gathering.

Parented by God

The damage of an inconsistent, untrustworthy or unrespectable parent has another dimension. Many with such backgrounds find it hard to embrace the idea that they are loved and cared for by the ultimate authority figure, especially when the metaphor used to talk about God is that of a parent. Why would you turn your heart and soul over to the care of God the Father when your only experience of a being parented wasn?t safe or supportive?

Self-help often talks about self-parenting the damaged inner child. I?m talking about something else entirely. Both relationships ? that between you and your parent, and that between you and God ? can be repaired together. Compassionately seeing our parent as a flawed child of God who may not have had the tools to be a decent parent, we let ourselves be parented by God, humbly submitting to divine grace moving within us, guiding us to become the adult we were meant to be. In this way, no longer needing from our parent that which they cannot give, we can build a new relationship with them, free of resentments over their shortcomings.

Have you found other ways to make the best of spending holidays in an alcoholic home? Or of repairing the relationship with a parent? Has a childhood with an addicted parent hurt your relationship with God? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.

Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/philfoxrose/2012/12/home-for-the-holidays-when-a-parent-is-an-alcoholic-or-addict/

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Ordinary heart cells become 'biological pacemakers' with injection of single gene

Dec. 16, 2012 ? Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have reprogrammed ordinary heart cells to become exact replicas of highly specialized pacemaker cells by injecting a single gene (Tbx18)-a major step forward in the decade-long search for a biological therapy to correct erratic and failing heartbeats.

The advance will be published in the Jan 8 issue of Nature Biotechnology and also will be available on the journal's website.

"Although we and others have created primitive biological pacemakers before, this study is the first to show that a single gene can direct the conversion of heart muscle cells to genuine pacemaker cells. The new cells generated electrical impulses spontaneously and were indistinguishable from native pacemaker cells," said Hee Cheol Cho, PhD., a Heart Institute research scientist.

Pacemaker cells generate electrical activity that spreads to other heart cells in an orderly pattern to create rhythmic muscle contractions. If these cells go awry, the heart pumps erratically at best; patients healthy enough to undergo surgery often look to an electronic pacemaker as the only option for survival.

The heartbeat originates in the sinoatrial node (SAN) of the heart's right upper chamber, where pacemaker cells are clustered. Of the heart's 10 billion cells, fewer than 10,000 are pacemaker cells, often referred to as SAN cells. Once reprogrammed by the Tbx18 gene, the newly created pacemaker cells -- "induced SAN cells" or iSAN cells -- had all key features of native pacemakers and maintained their SAN-like characteristics even after the effects of the Tbx18 gene had faded.

But the Cedars-Sinai researchers, employing a virus engineered to carry a single gene (Tbx18) that plays a key role in embryonic pacemaker cell development, directly reprogrammed heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) to specialized pacemaker cells. The new cells took on the distinctive features and function of native pacemaker cells, both in lab cell reprogramming and in guinea pig studies.

Previous efforts to generate new pacemaker cells resulted in heart muscle cells that could beat on their own. Still, the modified cells were closer to ordinary muscle cells than to pacemaker cells. Other approaches employed embryonic stem cells to derive pacemaker cells. But, the risk of contaminating cancerous cells is a persistent hurdle to realizing a therapeutic potential with the embryonic stem cell-based approach. The new work, with astonishing simplicity, creates pacemaker cells that closely resemble the native ones free from the risk of cancer.

For his work on biological pacemaker technology, Cho, the article's last author, recently won the Louis N. and Arnold M. Katz Basic Research Prize, a young investigator award of the American Heart Association.

"This is the culmination of 10 years of work in our laboratory to build a biological pacemaker as an alternative to electronic pacing devices," said Eduardo Marb?n, MD, PhD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Mark S. Siegel Family Professor, a pioneer in cardiac stem cell research. A clinical trial of Marb?n's stem cell therapy for heart attack patients recently found the experimental treatment helped damaged hearts regrow healthy muscle.

If subsequent research confirms and supports findings of the pacemaker cell studies, the researchers said they believe therapy might be administered by injecting Tbx18 into a patient's heart or by creating pacemaker cells in the laboratory and transplanting them into the heart. But additional studies of safety and effectiveness must be conducted before human clinical trials could begin.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Nidhi Kapoor, Wenbin Liang, Eduardo Marb?n, Hee Cheol Cho. Direct conversion of quiescent cardiomyocytes to pacemaker cells by expression of Tbx18. Nature Biotechnology, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2465

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/3s94VJ1DgdM/121216132509.htm

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PFT: Suggs marries woman who accused him

AP

The Dolphins have launched a new smartphone app that allows fans to upgrade their seats while at the game.

RB C.J. Spiller is among four Bills making a late push for a Pro Bowl berth.

Jets CB Antonio Cromartie has done a nice job of replacing Darrelle Revis as the guy who matches up with the other team?s best receiver.

Patriots DT Vince Wilfork says LB Jerod Mayo is ?like Tom [Brady] on the other side of the ball.?

Browns K Phil Dawson?s final appearance at Cleveland Browns Stadium could be coming on Sunday.

Steelers WR Antonio Brown says his ankle is still less than 100 percent, but that like other injured players ?[w]e?ll all just tape it up and go on.?

For Ravens P.R. guru Kevin Byrne, the decision to fire offensive coordinator Cam Cameron conjured memories of the organization?s decision in 1993 (while in Cleveland) to cut QB Bernie Kosar.

Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden wants to see QB Andy Dalton play better in the final two regular-season games; ?We expect to see progress and not regression, and he kind of took a step back [Thursday] night,? Gruden said.

Titans DT Karl Klug will get more snaps on Monday night after getting two sacks in only 15 plays against the Colts.

The Texans have donated more than 225 bikes to local kids.

The Colts have thrown a league-high 21 tipped or batted balls, which isn?t a good thing considering that the Texans defense has a league-high 35 tipped or batted balls.

Rookie G Austin Pasztor is going from the Jaguars? practice squad to the starting lineup, all in the same week.

WE Rod Streater is emerging as an unlikely star for the Raiders.

More words of wisdom from Chiefs QB Brady Quinn regarding a tragedy that feels like it happened a lot longer than two weeks ago.

This week, Chargers coach Norv Turner is avoiding contact with Carolina assistant Scott Turner, for obvious reasons.

The key to keeping Broncos QB Peyton Manning from being sacked on a regular basis could be G Chris Kuper.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan explained the penalty he received for getting into a verbal spat with Cincinnati OT Andre Smith:? ?I think he was attacking the American Flag,? Ryan said.? ?We?re America?s Team and he was attacking America.?

Eagles CB Nnamdi Asomugha is a finalist for the 2013 Bart Starr Award.

Given that Redskins QB Robert Griffin III loves superheroes, it was a no-brainer for coach Mike Shanahan to put RG3?s locker next to LB London Fletcher.

A pair of Virginia Tech rookies ? RB David Wilson and CB Jayron Hosley ? will play big roles for the Giants on Sunday.

Lions WR Kris Durham has learned more about playing the position from three months with the Lions and Calvin Johnson than Durham had in three prior seasons.

The future of Bears coach Lovie Smith remains shrouded in mystery.

Vikings DE Jared Allen thinks expanding the playoffs would be ?stupid.?? (He arguably would disagree if the Vikings finish No. 7 in the NFC and the league offered to let his team in.)

Packers WR Greg Jennings says that he?s aware of no contract talks between his agent and the team.

Bears coach Lovie Smith insists QB Jay Cutler doesn?t have a knee ?problem,? but he?s listed as having a knee injury, and multiple reports indicate it?s a mild MCL sprain.

Saints QB Drew Brees wants a different kind of explanation.

The Buccaneers have had a hard time holding leads against hurry-up offenses.

Falcons WR Julio Jones prefers to let his play do the talking.

Rookie S D.J. Campbell is quickly becoming a leader for the Panthers.

The Cardinals look to be poised to abandon their 25-year relationship with Northern Arizona University, site of their training camp.

Seahawks DE Bruce Irvin has cut a $100,000 check to West Virginia University; the money will support the construction of a new weight room.

Sunday is Fan Appreciation Day at the Rams? home stadium, and the Rams would surely appreciate it if fans show up.? For a change.

49ers LB Aldon Smith is donating $5,099 for each regular-season sack to the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco and the Peninsula; the current total of his donation is $99,430.50.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/15/terrell-suggs-marries-woman-who-accused-him-of-domestic-violence/related/

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Engadget Podcast 319 - 12.07.2012

This Engadget Podcast comes to you cold: that is to say it's notably un-Heater'd, allowing the remaining hosts to tak a dispassionate look at some of the hottest new computers to hit the shelves running this week. Let's do this.

Hosts: Tim Stevens, Dana Wollman
Guest: Ben Gilbert
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Orbital - Never

01:55 - Engadget's New York City meetup wrap-up!
03:20 - Tim Cook confirms one line of Macs will be exclusively US-manufactured in 2013
11:55 - T-Mobile and Apple sign agreement to launch products in 2013
22:30 - Apple iMac review (2012)
34:35 - Samsung ATIV Smart PC review (AT&T LTE)
39:50 - ASUS Zenbook Prime review (UX51Vz): a blazing 15-inch Ultrabook with a lofty price
43:05 - Instagram pulls Cards support from Twitter, favors its own web experience
45:00 - Netflix signs licensing agreement with Disney, will be exclusive US subscription service for first-run films beginning in 2016
47:38 - Eric Schmidt: 'it's extremely curious' that Apple hasn't yet sued Google






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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/h2eMxZrFUpg/

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Officials in Texas town say no criminal charges against driver of parade float on which 4 died

MIDLAND, Texas - Officials of a West Texas city where four wounded veterans died when a train slammed into their parade float say the driver of the truck towing the float won't be charged.

Midland spokeswoman Sara Higgins says no charges will be filed against Dale Andrew Hayden, of Midland. She also said the police report on the crash soon will be sent to the Midland County district attorney.

Assistant District Attorney Steve Stallings tells the Midland Reporter-Telegram (http://bit.ly/SCeuSM) that no decision on charges will come until the report is completed.

A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman says board investigators haven't questioned Hayden. Higgins wouldn't say if Midland police had done so.

Four veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were killed and 16 more people were injured in the Nov. 15 collision.

___

Information from: Midland Reporter-Telegram, http://www.mywesttexas.com

Source: http://www.startribune.com/nation/182483651.html

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LeAnn Rimes Wants Babies With Eddie Cibrian

LeAnn Rimes Wants Babies With Eddie Cibrian

LeAnn Rimes has opened up about wanting to have children with Eddie Cibrian. She is stepmom to Eddie’s sons with Brandi Glanville, but wants her own kids with the husband she stole from Brandi. LeAnn, who spent a month in rehab in August to deal with emotional problems, said she loves spending time with Eddie’s ...

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Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/12/leann-rimes-wants-babies-with-eddie-cibrian/

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Bigger and better means opportunity | Car Finance, Loans ...

Nearly all finance industry operators have reacted positively to the news from the Budget that the Investment Allowance has been increased to 50 percent for small business. It rates right up there with the ways businesses are taking advantage and moving to buy new cars.

?

And there are two other interesting finance service news items from us:

?

• Up to $100k no doc processing for dealer purchase on cars less than 3 years old, for approved business applicants.
• Health care professionals package is now up to $100k in no doc processing, for approved applicants.

Source: http://h3sean.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/bigger-and-better-means-opportunity-car-finance-loans-leasing-blog-roche-finance.html

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YouTube Relaunches NextUp Program To Find Collaborative Creators

YouTube is launching the next round of its YouTube NextUp program with collaboration in mind. YouTube will choose 30 creators who have decided to partner up and create videos together and provide them with funding, equipment, and some classes to help them jump-start their work together.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/CAM7c5RD4Ls/

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Democrats: Obama to ask for $50 billion Sandy aid

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama plans to ask Congress for about $50 billion in additional emergency aid for states hit by Superstorm Sandy, Democrats on Capitol Hill said Wednesday.

Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that the administration is still working on a request for a supplemental spending bill to provide the aid and expects to send it to Congress this week.

"We do not have a specific number," Donovan said.

The price tag is expected to be anywhere between $45 billion and $55 billion. Two Senate Democratic aides, speaking on condition of anonymity because the request is still being assembled, put the number in the neighborhood of $50 billion.

"The president isn't going to leave New York, New Jersey or the entire region to fight for itself," Donovan, who is coordinating the government's Sandy recovery efforts for Obama, told reporters after the hearing.

Donovan urged Congress to take action in "the next few weeks" on the administration's upcoming request.

On Tuesday, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Craig Fugate, said the government's disaster relief fund still has $4.8 billion, enough to pay for recovery efforts into early spring. So far the government has spent about $2 billion in the 11 states struck the late October storm, one of the worst ever in the Northeast.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are together seeking about $83 billion in aid. Donovan described that figure as more of damage estimate, saying some of might be covered by private insurance and other already-funded government programs.

Given the recent budget talks and the strong pressures against new spending, Congress is not expected to approve large amounts of additional money all at once.

The storm devastated coastal communities from North Carolina to Maine, killing more than 120 people. New York and New Jersey were hit the hardest.

Obama can request up to $5.4 billion more without hitting a spending ceiling. Several Republicans have said that more than that should be matched by spending cuts in other federal programs.

Donovan said people who lost homes or businesses are waiting desperately for help. He said it would be a mistake for Congress to quickly approve the $5.4 billion as a "down payment" and defer until next year providing additional funding.

"A down payment simply means that these families, these communities are going to be waiting for months or longer to get on with their lives," he said.

Donovan said requiring spending cuts in other federal programs to cover the cost of additional disaster aid makes no sense. "We believe strongly that the country has to come together even in difficult times and stand behind places that have been devastated," he said.

Officials in the affected state expect the fight for more recovery money will last for months and probably require a series of spending bills. They also fear it will fade as a priority next year.

Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., voiced disappointment in a joint statement.

"While $50 billion is a significant amount of money, it unfortunately does not meet all of New York and New Jersey's substantial needs," they said. "While we know there will be additional supplementals, the administration needs to come as close as possible to meeting our states' needs in the first request."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democrats-obama-ask-50-billion-sandy-aid-194150907.html

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Penn State sorority apologizes for Mexican-themed party

A sorority having a Mexican-themed party seems harmless. ?But a Penn State sorority party photo surfaced Monday showing a group of girls wearing sombreros, ponchos and fake moustaches and holding signs saying ?will mow lawn for weed? and ?I don?t cut grass, I smoke it,? reports the Onward State.

The school?s newspaper the Daily Collegian reports the offensive photo reached the Penn State Penhellenic Council to investigate the Nu Gamma Chapter of Chi Omega who in turn issued an apology. ??Our chapter of Chi Omega sincerely apologizes for portraying inappropriate and untrue stereotypes,? said the chapter?s head Jessica Riccardi.

The identity of the girls from the Chi Omega sorority were discovered because they were tagged on Facebook. ?The students have not been disciplined yet since the case is still under investigation, reports Gawker.

Onward State reports Susan LeGalley, Penn State?s Assistant Director of Fraternity & Sorority would not comment on the case adding her office ?traditionally doesn?t talk with reporters.?

This is not the first time students hold inappropriate parties.?Last week , pictures of Baylor University students also in sombreros, moustaches displaying ?Green Card? signs attempting to scale a border fence surfaced on Facebook and Instagram. ?Baylor is an academic community that does not and would not tolerate racism on our campus,? said Lori Fogleman, the director of ?Media Communications told Latino Rebels?. Though the school confirmed the student who posted the pictures was a Baylor student, they could not say if the pictures were taken on campus.?In June,?A Southern California high school?cancelled senior week??Seniores? and ?Senoritas??events after deciding students dressed as gang members, Border Patrol agents and a pregnant female pushing a stroller were offensive.

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Source: http://nbclatino.com/2012/12/04/penn-state-sorority-apologizes-for-having-offensive-mexican-themed-party/

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Nigerian naira firms further on dollar sales by oil major, banks

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's naira firmed further against the U.S dollar on the interbank market on Wednesday, boosted by dollar sales by some unit of foreign banks and U.S. oil major Chevron, traders said.

The local unit closed at 157.04 to the dollar on the interbank, stronger than 157.15 at Tuesday's close.

Traders said Chevron sold about $27 million to some lenders, while some units of foreign banks buying local debt for offshore investors sold ample amounts of dollars in the market, which buoyed liquidity and supported the naira.

The currency of Africa's top energy producing country has been supported by large dollar flows from energy companies selling dollars to meet month-end domestic obligations, and by offshore investors buying local debt in the past few weeks.

"We see the naira appreciating further in the near term as more companies wind down their operations for the year and demand for the dollar gradually decline," one dealer said.

On the official window, the central bank sold $80 million at 155.76 to the dollar compared $154.28 million sold on Monday at same rate.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nigerian-naira-firms-further-dollar-sales-oil-major-142639853--finance.html

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Europe needs joint effort to tackle tax avoidance: EU

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European governments should coordinate their efforts to root out tax avoidance costing them around 1 trillion euros ($1.31 trillion) every year, the European Union's executive body said on Thursday.

The European Commission said member states need to share information better, introduce an EU-wide tax identification number and devise common criteria for blacklisting tax havens.

The proposals were part of an action plan detailed by EU taxation policy commissioner Algirdas Semeta on Thursday to deal with inventive and increasingly common tactics used by big companies and others to reduce their tax bills.

"Tax competition must not open the door to fraudulent or abusive tax practices," Semeta said. A new framework would result in profits being taxed in the state where the "actual economic activity takes place".

The Commission intends to present its action plan to EU finance ministers next year but is not aiming to persuade member states to pass binding legislation.

The impetus to deal with the problem has grown as several European countries try to increase tax revenues and cut spending to rein in heavy debts.

A number of high-profile examples have hit headlines in recent months, including one involving coffee chain Starbucks .

A recent examination by Reuters of Starbucks' accounts showed that the company had reported 13 years of losses at its UK unit, even as it told investors the operation was profitable and among the best performing of its overseas markets.

The chain's UK unit paid no corporation tax on its income in the last three years for which figures were available.

Starbucks said on Thursday it could pay up to 20 million pounds ($32.18 million) more in tax as it announced plans to change its accounting practices, surrendering to criticism from lawmakers, campaigners and the media.

A Reuters examination of Amazon's accounts showed how the world's biggest online retailer had minimized corporate taxes by setting up in Luxembourg, and channeling sales through its units there.

In effect, Amazon used inter-company payments to form a tax shield for the group, behind which it has accumulated $2 billion to help finance its expansion. Amazon declined to answer questions from Reuters about its tax affairs.

BusinessEurope, the lobby group that represents companies, said it supported the Commission's initiative, but also called for a simplification of the tax system across European Union.

Semeta suggested part of the blame lay on tax regimes "artificially designed to steal tax bases or encourage aggressive tax planning".

He rounded on non-EU state Switzerland as one country whose policies encourage aggressive tax avoidance.

"I can openly say that we consider that several tax regimes in Switzerland, according to our estimations, do not meet criteria of the code of conduct on business taxation," he said. ($1 = 0.7652 euros) ($1 = 0.6214 British pounds)

(Reporting By John O'Donnell; Editing By Sebastian Moffett and Tom Pfeiffer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/europe-needs-joint-effort-tackle-tax-avoidance-eu-150315736--finance.html

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Former NJ construction manager pleads guilty to workers comp fraud

Posted:?December 3, 2012

A former construction company president has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $450,000 in workers compensation.

Herlindo Garcia-Merlos, 49, whose last known address was in Trenton, N.J., pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree theft by deception for using fake and misleading information to the workers compensation insurance carrier of the now-defunct Orients Construction Company in Trenton. Garcia-Merlos stopped doing business with Orients and started doing business as Melrose Construction Inc. in March 2009.

Prosecutors said Garcia-Merlos admitted he provided the false information to New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group from February 2007 until April 2010. As a result of the fraud, Garcia-Merlos got reduced premiums that his company was not entitled to, with a difference of $315,680.

?This defendant was responsible for making sure that he had adequate and lawful workers? compensation coverage for his companies,? Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi said. ?By providing misinformation to his workers? compensation carrier, he not only failed in this responsibility but also defrauded an insurance company out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The cost of such fraud is passed on to consumers through increased premiums.?

Garcia-Merlos also pleaded guilty to stealing more than $135,462 by failing to file tax returns for his companies, Orients and Melrose Construction. He also underreported wages on his individual tax returns.

Along with eight years in prison, the state will seek restitution of more than $400,000.

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Source: http://ifawebnews.com/2012/12/03/former-nj-construction-manager-pleads-guilty-to-workers-comp-fraud/

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Soundmatters unveils foxLv2 aptX Bluetooth speaker with $199 price tag

Soundmatter's just debuted its latest entrant into the portable Bluetooth speaker arena: the foxLv2 aptX. Picking up where its predecessor left off, the foxLv2 aptX keeps the same form factor while predictably adding aptX support, which promises CD-quality audio in addition to improved sound and picture sync for games and video. A built-in mic for noise cancelation during speakerphone use, a rechargeable battery and audio output from 80Hz to 20kH also make a return. Those yearning to pick up the refreshed hardware can already do so for $199. Hit the jump for the full spec rundown.

Continue reading Soundmatters unveils foxLv2 aptX Bluetooth speaker with $199 price tag

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/04/soundmatters-foxlv2-aptx-bluetooth-speaker/

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Video: Still-stunned GOP seeks recovery from losses

Auto recovery gains momentum in November

It?s been nearly 40 years since Volkswagen did as well. For Porsche, it was its best month. Ever. After an unexpected setback just a month earlier, November appears to have delivered a new level of momentum for the U.S. auto industry ? which now appears to be on track for an even bigger recovery in 2013.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/50062643#50062643

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Revealing The Truth About Health And Exercise

Some of the lies about health and fitness are not really untruths. Exercise and each body have different reactions. Because each person?s body reacts differently to exercise what is true for you may not be true for someone else. In that situation, it is not a lie at all. That is why you need to deal with questionable truths, or information, almost on a case by case basis. A little bit a research can help you uncover a lot of information and that is the real clue to getting the truth about health and fitness. There is information in this article regarding research and health and fitness and what may or may not be true.

One perennial urban myth that has assumed legendary proportions is that using an ab machine/device and doing crunches will help rid you of fat in the midsection. We are always amazed to actually hear this. The whiz bang ab blaster fat dissolver vaporizer thing according to the late night infomercials will help you get rid of your belly fat. Belly fat equals body fat. You will see your ab muscles, such as they are, once you lose enough fat so your abs become visible.

Sweat is another subject in this series. A lot of people think that sweating means they are working out well. Most also believe the flip side of that too. Sweat is your body?s way of cooling itself. While they may be a product of one another sweat and physical exertion are not indicative of one another. You do not have to sweat to burn calories. It?s easy enough to burn calories with simple walk.

Another myth that is common is the excuse No Time for exercise. All a person needs is ten to twenty minutes on three days during the week. This short exercise schedule is better than nothing especially if you can top it off with a 30 minute aerobic workout on your days off. Can you squeeze in a walk at work or with your children? Jumping rope, taking a walk or just stretching and doing simple exercises at your desk or even in your apartment is better than not doing anything at all. Ten minutes is not that hard to find, we can all do it if we try.

It is extremely important to sort out the truth from the fiction about health and fitness, especially if you?re totally new to working out. This is important because you are still forming your fitness habits. If you cultivate the wrong habits now, you?re setting yourself up for a painful process of re-education later. Sticking to a workout routine like using the schwinn recumbent exercise bikes and succeeding with it requires you to form good habits from the start.

This kind of biking exercise where Angelou Shakespeare became popular can help those people who are hoping to become fit. He is knowledgeable when talking about an indoor cycling fitness routine and doing such muscle building through utilizing the upright exercise bikes.

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Source: http://www.passionforbeauty.biz/revealing-the-truth-about-health-and-exercise.html

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Rihanna PUNISHES Chris Brown, Gets Revenge at Last ? in Hilarious Instagram Parody

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/rihanna-punishes-chris-brown-gets-revenge-at-last-dot-dot-dot-in/

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American Airlines, One Year Bankruptcy Anniversary. What's Next ...

A year ago, American Airlines filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The historic data of airlines filing and emerging from bankruptcy in one year is not an easy task. The other legacy carriers such as Delta and United took well over a year to emerge from bankruptcy. Today Delta is among the most profitable of the legacy carries after a rocky merger with Northwest in 2008. United has since merged with Continental to create the world?s largest airline so where does that leave American? What can American Airlines do to compete and maintain their spot on the legacy stage as a profitable airline? Merger talks between American and U.S Airways were running strong six months ago but have fizzled out. Are mergers a quick fix to a long term problem among airlines? American didn?t think so. Although the pilots union, along with other American labor unions voted to support the idea of a U.S Airways merger, American parent company, AMR felt they can emerge from bankruptcy on their own.

A judge recently granted American a 6 week extension on their bankruptcy and the airline plans to come out of it mid-March. The reports say American is still weighing the option of a U.S Airways merger.

A merger between the two legacies could spell out disaster if the process concludes like the first U.S Airways merger played out in 2005 when Phoenix based America West took control of U.S Airways as they struggled through a bankruptcy. Both airlines eventually merged into one under the U.S Airways brand, however, the labor unions have yet to work together under one union. Both are split based on east and west. One side makes more than the other and the tensions between the two continue to this day.

Although a merger between American and U.S Airways has the potential to make the American brand stronger, how will it play out behind the scenes? Both airlines have a bad history with their unions that continue to intensify today. Recently the U.S Airways Flight Attendants vote to authorize a strike if a new contract couldn?t be agreed on, meanwhile you have the pilots union at American finally reaching some sort of tentative agreement with AMR management after a very tense standoff.

It seems that neither airline really has a plan on how to make it work or they are at least keeping it on a top secret level. Either way, the American Airlines brand will likely remain, the labor groups will continue to grumble over contracts and profits will always be within reach. Welcome to the continuation of the American airline industry.

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Source: http://www.letsflycheaper.com/blog/american-airlines-one-year-bankruptcy-anniversary-whats-next/

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Starbucks for iPhone now supports iPhone 5

The Starbucks app for iPhone has finally been updated to support the iPhone 5's larger display. Starbucks has also added back the sound effect that was removed when stars were added to your cup. For those who don't like the sound, they can disable it in the Settings section.

All I really have to say about this update is: finally!

Free - Download Now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/beh7-GaeUsY/story01.htm

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The Fox Delusion Continues (OliverWillisLikeKryptoniteToStupid)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/267864104?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Bien loch? - Elitistreview

I get hordes of people finding this site searching for the phrase ?bien loch??, presumably finding me because it?s tucked away in a few tasting notes. Well, after 11 people came to me yesterday searching for that, I thought I would service my readers requirements and make the definition clear in a post of its own.

Bien loch? means ?well titted-out? or, if you prefer, ?nice poonts?. It is one of the few phrases I know in French and, as a wine writer, it has proved hilariously useful.

When I went to tastings of 2009 Burgundy the phrase leapt to mind and right out of my mouth countless times. Similarly for 2005 Southern Rhones and countless other fleshy, generously proportioned wines I?ve tried over the years.

When you tell a French winemaker his wines are well-stacked he will look confused for a second, then a huge but slightly embarrassed grin will spread across his face. I only wish I had known ?bien loch?? when I visited the Fallers in Alsace; their wines are and so are they.

The other useful phrase of his type in French is ?il y a du monde au balcon? made with suitable hand gestures in front of your chest. It means pretty much the same thing about having an amply proportioned bosom. This can be great when standing in a cellar and making the gestures really expansive.

Most people, including me, would admit to liking bouncers without too much prompting, so I?ve never met a winemaker who hasn?t been charmed and flattered by this metaphor. I?m no good with languages but knowing such a brilliant, funny and useful piece of slang makes me think I?ve mastered all that is important in French. Hooray for knockers!

Source: http://elitistreview.com/2012/12/02/bien-loche/

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December General Meeting ?Best and Worst Deals of 2012 - GaREIA

GaREIA General Meeting, 5:30 pm

Date: Mon Dec 10, 2012 5:30 PM - 9:00 PMGaREIA Monthly General Meeting is held on the 2nd Monday of every month at the Wyndham Atlanta Galleria formerly Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter NW . Doors open at 5:30 pm [?]

HUD / REOs / Auctions Education Network Group, 12:30 pm

Date: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:30 PM - 2:30 PMThe HUD / REOs / Auctions Education Network Group meets on the 2nd Wednesdays of every month at 12:30 pm at GaREIA Headquarters. [?]

Probate Investing Boot Camp, Robert Wright, Nov 30 Dec 1

Date: Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:00 AM - 4:00 PMProbate Investing Boot Camp, presented by Robert Wright, November 30 and December 1, 9 am 4 pm, both days, GaREIA Headquarters, 4353 Tilly Mill Rd, Atlanta 30360. [?]

Dealmakers II Education Network Group, 10 am

Date: Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:00 AM - 12:00 PMDealmakers meets every Wednesday at GaREIA Headquarters at 10 am. [?]

Lease Option Creative Financing Education Network Group, 7 pm

Date: Mon Dec 03, 2012 7:00 PM - 9:00 PMThe Lease Option Creative Financing Education Network group meets the 1st Monday of every month at 7 pm at GaREIA Headquarters. [?]

Source: http://gareia.org/december-general-meeting-best-and-worst-deals-of-2012/

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Video: Morsi loyalists rewrite constitution

>>> sight again today. huge crowds protesting in tahrir square, angry at president morsy and his muslim brotherhood , accusing them of hijacking their revolution in their country. and it was hard to miss the large number of women in that crowd today. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel has more from cairo.

>> reporter: tens of thousands came, down with morsy, they shouted. leave, leave. what a change for the new egyptian president . just last week, he won praise from mediating an end to the gaza crisis. but then, riding high , morsy shocked the country, declaring his decisions above the law . leaving parliament and the courts virtually powerless. now his loyalists have pushed through a new constitution in a single day. judges call it illegal. but they have been silenced. it triggered a wave of protests. the anger is also directed to the united states , people say president obama has gone too far to embrace the muslim brotherhood and has been too quick to praise president morsy, only making him bolder to take this controversial power grab. the demonstrators say the new constitution favors the islamic extremists , and allows citizens to become morality police , and doesn't protect women enough. this eighteen-year-old student says that the area is dominated by the religious sealists.

>> since morsy came to power, do you feel more threatened as a woman?

>> yes, i feel much more threatened.

>> reporter: egyptians fear that morsy is becoming more of a tyrant than hosni mubarak ever was. and tomorrow, morsy supporters are holding demonstrations of their own.

>> richard engel above tahrir square, where they love using laser pointers when folks are on television. richard, what a report

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50033023/

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PFT: Vick worsening, could be done for season

On the same day that former Saints assistant Mike Cerullo testified in the bounty appeal hearing convened by former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Judge Helen Berrigan issued a reminder that she has ultimate jurisdiction over the process.

And she hinted that she?s leaning against the league?s position.

Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has obtained an order entered by Judge Berrigan on Thursday.? Here?s the full text of it:? ?In light of the CBA Appeal Panel?s Decision of September 7, 2012, that ?pay for performance? discipline was within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Systems Arbitrator, anticipating that the forthcoming decision by Mr. Tagliabue may be subject to an expedited review as to its fundamental fairness, and assuming as undisputed the testimony by the New Orleans Saints players and coaches that only ?legal hits? were used to intimidate and/or injure opposing players, the parties shall brief the following: 1. Does Articles 43 and 46 of the CBA exclude discipline by the Commissioner for ?legal? contact? 2. Does the CBA give the players and coaches adequate notice as to what conduct could be sanctioned as ?conduct detrimental?? In other words, is that portion of the CBA ambiguous, hence unenforceable? Counsel should discuss the significance, if any, of the separate provision for sanctions upon players for ?unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct on the playing field with respect to an opposing player? in Article 46, Section 1(b) from ?[a]ll disputes involving a fine or suspension imposed upon a player for conduct on the playing field? and ?conduct detrimental? in Section 1(a). Reference to relevant NFL rules defining ?legal? and ?illegal? contact is welcomed, as well as a discussion of examples of ?conduct detrimental? provided in the CBA and related documents.?

In English, Judge Berrigan wants the parties to submit written documents that address specific angles and issues that may be relevant to her decision about the imposition of punishment on players for a pay-for-performance system based on clean, legal hits that kept opponents from continuing in a given game.? The way the questions are written suggests that she has identified specific problems that the NFL may have under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

For example, Judge Berrigan wants the parties to address whether discipline for ?legal? on-field contact is prevented because she apparently thinks it may be.? Likewise, she wants to know whether the CBA gives players and coaches ?adequate notice? regarding the conduct that could be regarded as ?conduct detrimental? because she thinks it may not.

Judge Berrigan also seems to think that the punishment for clean, legal hits falls under the portion of the CBA that gives Ted Cottrell or Art Shell exclusive jurisdiction over the disciplinary process ? an argument that the NFL surely will argue the players have waived by not raising it under the CBA.

Regardless of the arguments raised by the parties, the order seems to be good news for the players, and bad news for the NFL.? The fact that it was issued at a time when key witnesses in the case against the players are testifying could rattle the league?s lawyers and create a sense that, no matter what happens before Tagliabue, the suspensions will ultimately be thrown out.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/30/michael-vick-could-miss-rest-of-season/related/

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Unruly British press may bow to regulation plans

LONDON (Reuters) - Lord Justice Brian Leveson produced plans for the toughest regulation of the British press in 300 years on Thursday after decades of misbehavior, final warnings and universal acceptance that the current system had failed.

Although rows lie ahead over whether a law will be required to underpin Leveson's vision for a tough new regulator, the 63-year-old has shrewdly found a way forward which indicates that much of which he suggests is likely to be accepted by even his harshest critics.

Britain's unruly newspapers, which came to simply disregard their own previous code, might bluster at the threat of new legislation but could be quietly relieved they are not facing anything even worse.

"We are grateful to Lord Justice Leveson for his thorough and comprehensive report," said Tom Mockridge, chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper arm News International.

It was a phone hacking scandal centered on News International which led to Leveson's inquiry but it merely represented the culmination of decades of growing belief that the press had run out of control, answerable only to a body run by its own editors.

The so called "dark arts" of the tabloid reporters included hiring private detectives to appropriate personal details, bribing officials for information, rummaging through garbage bins for discarded documents, and long-lens photography that exposed the intimate moments of the rich and famous.

Since 1695, when King William III was on the throne, the British press has been free of state control although it was not always the aggressive industry it is considered to be today.

While international readers were able to read about King Edward VIII's affair with American divorcee Wallis Simpson in the 1930s, the story remained conspicuously absent from the pages of British newspapers.

SERIOUS QUESTIONS

But after World War Two that changed, and with it serious questions began to be asked whether the press should be regulated by law. In 1953, papers received their first warning that failure to get their house in order would lead to legislation.

"I give warning here and now that if it fails, some of us again will have to come forward with a measure similar to this bill," said lawmaker C J Simmons after he withdrew a proposal for a press law.

Similar warnings that parliament would act followed in 1962, 1977, 1990 and in 1993, not long after a government minister had warned the press they were "drinking in the last chance saloon".

The current system of regulation was established in 1991 with the creation of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) with its own code of conduct. But it failed to prevent the press from running ever more sensational stories to attract readers, particularly about the British royal family.

Papers which had declined to report Edward VIII's affair, regularly hounded Princess Diana, the wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles who died in Paris in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.

They also had no qualms about publishing secretly recorded, intimate phone calls between Charles and his future second wife Camilla, with whom he was having an affair while married to Diana.

"Attempts to take them to task have not been successful. Promises follow other promises. Even changes made following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, have hardly been enduring," said Leveson, whose year-long inquisition heard from more than 600 witnesses detailing a catalogue of horror stories about "outrageous" press behaviour.

"Too many stories in too many newspapers were the subject of complaints from too many people, with too little in the way of titles taking responsibility, or considering the consequences for the individuals involved."

He dismissed the industry's suggestion of a new self-regulatory body, saying it did not go "anything like far enough" in showing it was independent of the press.

He called for a new watchdog which would be independently appointed, would not consist of any serving editors, unlike the PCC, nor any members of the government or House of Commons, and could impose fines of up to 1 million pounds ($1.6 million).

The body would offer an arbitration service providing quick and inexpensive resolution of disputes, which would be an incentive for publications to sign up, he said.

POWERFUL INCENTIVE

Those who declined to join, and thus were not party to this service, could face exemplary damages in libel cases and have to pay all their legal expenses even if they won. Leveson said this too would be a powerful incentive to join.

"We accept that a new system should be independent, have a standards code, a means of resolving disputes, the power to demand prominent apologies and the ability to levy heavy fines," News International's Mockridge said.

Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors, said the industry proposal was not that far away from what the judge recommended.

"I believe that the industry will take on board those points," he told Reuters, adding the bulk of the press still remained steadfastly opposed to any law, which Leveson says is essential to underpin a new body.

This is the one main area of contention for the industry and Prime Minister David Cameron has already outlined his opposition.

But even without legislation, the Leveson proposals will constitute a far greater oversight for the press, which many say has already begun to show greater restraint in the light of growing public awareness of its methods and behaviour.

"I think it's a very shrewd and elegant report which cleverly has the lightest, lightest, touch of statutory ... and really only if the industry doesn't put its house in order," Roy Greenslade, a former senior editor at Murdoch's Sun tabloid, told Reuters.

"So it's partly a return to the last chance saloon and with the axe hanging there in the background. It is self regulation with a stick." ($1 = 0.6236 British pounds)

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unruly-british-press-may-bow-regulation-plans-205438736.html

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