Texas DA's killing puts other prosecutors on alert

This undated photo taken from the Kaufman County, Texas, website shows Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland. McLelland and his wife were found killed in their house, Saturday, March 30, 2013, two months after one of his assistants was gunned down near their office, authorities said. (AP Photo/Kaufman County)

This undated photo taken from the Kaufman County, Texas, website shows Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland. McLelland and his wife were found killed in their house, Saturday, March 30, 2013, two months after one of his assistants was gunned down near their office, authorities said. (AP Photo/Kaufman County)

Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes, center, walks away after a news conference in Kaufman, Texas, on Sunday March 31, 2013. On Saturday, Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were murdered in their home. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes, right, speaks at a news conference, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Kaufman, Texas. On Saturday, Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were murdered in their home. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

A Kaufman County Sheriff's deputy walks near the taped-off property of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, near Forney, Texas, on Sunday, March 31, 2013. On Saturday, McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were murdered in their home. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

In this Saturday, March 30, 2013 photo, authorities work in the middle of Blarney Stone Way where Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and wife Cynthia McLelland were found dead in their home in Forney, Texas. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Ian C. Bates) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET OUT; AP MEMBERS ONLY

KAUFMAN, Texas (AP) ? After one of his assistant prosecutors was gunned down in January, Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland carried a gun everywhere, even when walking the dog.

He was extra careful when answering the door at his home outside of Forney, about 20 miles east of Dallas. And a neighbor said a sheriff's deputy was stationed outside the home for about a month after the killing.

On Saturday, McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found shot to death in their house. Authorities haven't said much about their investigation, including whether they have any leads or a theory about why the couple was killed. But law enforcement throughout Texas is on high alert, and steps are being taken to better protect other DAs and their staffs.

Tarrant County District Attorney Joe Shannon said his staff has been cautioned, but he declined to discuss the specific security measures that have been taken. Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins declined to comment on the issue, citing safety concerns.

Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson said he accepted the Houston sheriff's offer of 24-hour security for him and his family after learning about the slayings, mostly over concerns for his family's safety. Anderson said he also would take precautions at his office, the largest one in Texas, which has more than 270 prosecutors.

"I think district attorneys across Texas are still in a state of shock," Anderson said Sunday.

Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes said little at a brief news conference Sunday about the McLelland investigation, and he deflected questions about possible suspects. He said security would be stepped up at the courthouse in Kaufman, but he declined to say what other steps might be taken to protect the other prosecutors in McLelland's office. The DA's Office will remain closed Monday.

McLelland, 63, is the 13th prosecutor killed in the U.S. since the National Association of District Attorneys began keeping count in the 1960s.

The couple's slayings came less than two weeks after Colorado's prison chief was shot to death at his front door, apparently by an ex-convict, and a couple of months after Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was killed in a parking lot a block from his courthouse office. No arrests have been made in Hasse's slaying Jan. 31.

Byrnes would not give details Sunday of how the killings unfolded and said there was nothing to indicate for certain whether the DA's slaying was connected to Hasse's.

El Paso County, Colo., sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Joe Roybal said investigators had found no evidence so far connecting the Texas killings to the Colorado case, but added: "We're examining all possibilities."

Colorado's corrections director, Tom Clements, was killed March 19 when he answered the doorbell at his home outside Colorado Springs. Evan Spencer Ebel, a white supremacist and former Colorado inmate suspected of shooting Clements, died in a shootout with Texas deputies two days later about 100 miles from Kaufman.

McLelland himself, in an Associated Press interview shortly after the Colorado slaying, raised the possibility that Hasse was gunned down by a white supremacist gang.

McLelland, elected DA in 2010, said his office had prosecuted several cases against racist gangs, who have a strong presence around Kaufman County, a mostly rural area dotted with subdivisions, with a population of about 104,000.

"We put some real dents in the Aryan Brotherhood around here in the past year," he said.

In recent years, the DA's office also prosecuted a case in which a justice of the peace was found guilty of theft and burglary and another case in which a man was convicted of killing his former girlfriend and her 10-year-old daughter.

McLelland said he carried a gun everywhere around town, a bedroom community for the Dallas area. He figured assassins were more likely to try to attack him outside. He said he had warned all his employees to be constantly on the alert.

"The people in my line of work are going to have to get better at it," he said of dealing with the danger, "because they're going to need it more in the future."

The number of attacks on prosecutors, judges and senior law enforcement officers in the U.S. has spiked in the past three years, according to Glenn McGovern, an investigator with the Santa Clara County, Calif., district attorney's office who tracks such cases.

For about a month after Hasse's slaying, sheriff's deputies were parked in the district attorney's driveway, said Sam Rosander, a McLelland neighbor.

The FBI and the Texas Rangers joined the investigation into the McLellands' deaths.

McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, 65, were the parents of two daughters and three sons. One son is a police officer in Dallas. The couple had moved into the home a few years ago, Forney Mayor Darren Rozell said.

"Real friendly, became part of our community quickly," Rozell said. "They were a really pleasant, happy couple."

___

Riccardi reported from Denver. Associated Press writers Michael Graczyk in Houston, Angela K. Brown in Fort Worth and P. Solomon Banda in Denver contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-01-District%20Attorney%20Dead-Texas/id-6430bae814b24a8a9462f57eddb3e69b

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A belated, rambling Easter post (Unqualified Offerings)

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Top 10 trends shaping the future of publishing | Mal Warwick's Blog ...

By?Johanna Vondeling???

1. Everyone?s a publisher

Now?that digital content is popular and relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, millions of individuals and thousands of non-book-publishing media companies have leapt into the business of creating and distributing digital content (often coupled with print-on-demand options).[i]?[ii]?The near-elimination of barriers to entry into the publishing marketplace has produced an ever-increasing flood of information and entertainment options for consumers.[iii]

Moreover, publishers? primary competition today isn?t other books, but rather other forms of media, such as social media platforms, games, and streaming media. As the presence and relevance of physical retail for books continues to decline, so too will the necessity for other entities ? including authors and other content producers ? to work with established legacy publishers to bring books to market.[iv]

2. Content comes first

All content producers now need to approach format as a secondary consideration. The innovators are designing work-flows that prioritize the development and (pre-publication) tagging of content irrespective of format, knowing that the eventual outputs could be infinite: Print book? E-book? Online course? Webinar? App? Blog? Tweet? Tagging must be ?semantic? (tagged for meaning, not just coincidence of terms), to facilitate discoverability. Content producers must make it as easy as possible for content to be re-purposed by its curators and leveraged and shared by its marketers and distribution partners.

3. Content marketing?is king

Content is still king. And content marketing (defined as ?marketing without marketing, or building soft power and social gravity for a brand through shared values and interests?) is edging out traditional push-marketing practices. By disseminating great quality and immersive content through social platforms, content producers can market themselves without interrupting consumers with more explicit advertising.[v]

Content marketing facilitates reader engagement. Engagement, in turn, produces strong brand ties, leading to increased purchasing, product loyalty, and customer advocacy. But there is no standard definition or metric for engagement, nor do most organizations fully understand the migration from engagement to revenue. The challenges are 1) understanding what?s happening within the dynamic ecosystem of content and social media and 2) being able to make tactical changes to increase conversion and revenue.

4. Big data rules

The amount of data in our world has been exploding. Analyzing large data sets?so-called big data?has become a key basis of competition, driving growth and innovation. The increasing volume and detail of information captured by enterprises, and the rise of multimedia and social media, have all been fueling exponential growth in data.[vi]?As a result, businesses now have broad and deep visibility into their stakeholders? behaviors and values. But which information matters most? Big data offers promise in making sense of this complexity.

The few businesses that have successful migrated from print-first to digital-first models have invested significantly in building in-house data and analytics teams.[vii]?While the growing importance of data analysts should not be under-estimated, the need for creative thinking in the changing world of marketing has never been greater. Note the rise in recruitment of ?data scientists,? who are savvy in computer science but ? crucially ? also able to apply creative thinking to data-driven challenges.

5. Mobile matters

The number of mobile-connected devices will exceed the world?s population in 2013.[viii] In 2012, mobile subscriptions in China surpassed 1 billion and mobile Web users overtook PC access to the web.[ix]?Millions of people in developing countries may never own a book or a computer, but they do own a mobile phone.

To move forward in ?mobile optimization? means content must be conceived of and designed explicitly for mobile devices. Every experience offered through digital channels ? every web page, shopping cart and piece of rich content ? must work well on any device in any location. Customers generally understand that concessions need to be made for the smaller screen, touchscreen input, and slower speed, but they won?t accept unnecessary hassle or delay. Apps are a part of today?s approach to mobile, but they are not a cure-all to this challenge, as use of the mobile web increases daily.[x]

6. The Internet is the classroom

The education industry is experiencing dramatic disruption. Profits and enrollment at for-profit colleges and universities in the United States are growing at a staggering rate.[xi]?We?re witnessing the proliferation of ?massive open online courses (?MOOCs?).[xii]?Education start-ups are creating and offering online study groups, flashcards, lecture notes, and a wealth of other tools for free. Investment in education technology companies increased from less than $100 million in 2007 to nearly $400 million last year.[xiii]?And while digital textbooks have been slow to gain adoption, many education providers are turning away from print textbooks in favor of digital devices in classrooms and lecture halls. In response, some publishers are diving head-first into the growing business of online education.[xiv]

The disruptive power of information technology may be our best hope for containing the soaring costs that are driving a growing number of students into ruinous debt or out of higher education altogether. It is also a potential boon to those displaced workers under pressure to become ?life-long learners.? But this disruptive power also poses a potential existential threat to many physical universities and traditional textbook publishers.[xv]

7. Get used to strange bedfellows

Legacy industries, like book publishing, are realizing that they can?t go it alone if they hope to survive and thrive. Many are forming unlikely alliances or funding start-ups to help them adapt amid the present flux and strategize for the future. In 2012, Pearson bought Author Solutions, one of the leading providers of self-publishing services. In 2013, Pearson and Kaplan have both launched incubator programs to help vet and mentor education-tech start-ups. Macmillan has been aggressively investing a fund of over $100 million in ed-tech start-ups.[xvi]?Other publishers are leveraging ties with other branded media platforms and content providers. Hyperion is selling its backlist and will focus exclusively on content tied to its sister companies Disney and ABC.[xvii]?Wiley is distributing material from (former competitor) OpenStax College, an open-source platform that makes introductory college textbooks available as free downloads.[xviii]

8. Set up high-value networks

Platforms like Craigslist and eBay engage in ?commons-creation? by establishing virtual spaces in which strangers can pool their ideas, sell products or services, and make social connections. The platforms that can provide real value gain users (and often revenue) quickly. We?re also witnessing a dramatic rise in the use digital personal assistants networks like Task Rabbit.

And Amazon successfully launched Audiobook Creation Exchange, a platform that connects freelance narrators of audio books with the owners of content who are looking to publish audio books. As workers experience less job security and turn increasingly to independent and task-based employment options, such platforms provide value by leveraging the sponsor?s ?right of way? to create credible networks that connect people seeking products and services with those eager to provide them.

9. Crowdfunding has come of age

Digital crowdsourcing platforms like Indiegogo, Kickstarter, Unbound, and Pubslush are proliferating, gaining both users and donors at a remarkable pace. Now, content curators can use these platforms to locate content that readers are attracted to and willing to pay for ? before it is produced and distributed. Combined with the boom in self-publishing, this trend means more opportunities for cultural producers to identify content with proven market demand, and more ways to identify the hardcore fan base for a particular set of content, before making the decision to invest.[xix]

10. The means of production is going hyper-local

Paradoxically, globalization is both making it easier to purchase a product on the other side of the planet and moving the production of goods closer to the site of purchase. The emergence of ?additive manufacturing? and 3-D printing holds the promise that individual creators and users can ?make? anything in their own homes. Book and magazine publishers are printing closer to their customers through globally dispersed printing operations and print-on-demand programs. Espresso machines facilitate the printing of out-of-stock and self-published books in physical bookstores.[xx]

All these developments offer the opportunity to bring production closer to the customer, facilitating just-in-time sales and providing more sustainable alternatives to current distribution practices.

Johanna Vondeling is Vice President for Business Development at Berrett-Koehler Publishers.?

Notes

i.???????? ?Shatzkin: Soon, Most People Working in Publishing Won?t Be Working at Publishing Companies.? Digital Book World. March 19, 2013.

ii.???????? ?Ecco, MLB Team Up for E-book Series.? Publishers Weekly. March 20, 2013.

iii.???????? ?The Ten Awful Truths About Book Publishing.? Steve Piersanti. March 6, 2012.

iv.???????? ?Book Publishers Scramble to Rewrite Their Future.? Wired. March 19, 2013.

v.???????? Adobe/Econsultancy Quarterly 2013 Digital Intelligence Briefing. January, 2013.

vi.???????? ?Big data: The next frontier for innovation, competition, and productivity.? McKinsey Global Institute. March, 2011.

vii.???????? ?The FT has ?crossed over? to become a digital business?but can anyone else replicate that feat?? paidContent. March 18, 2013.

viii.???????? Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2012-2017. February 6, 2013.

ix.???????? ?2013: The year nothing but mobile matters for any business selling in China.? MobiThinking. December 20, 2012.

x.???????? Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2012-2017. February 6, 2013.

xi.???????? ?The Rise of For-Profit Universities and Colleges.? University World News. July 15, 2012.

xii.???????? ?Massive open online courses: Time and a little money are a worthy investment.? Financial Times. March 11, 2013.

xiii.???????? ?The Siege of Academe.? Washington Monthly. September/October 2012.

?xiv.???????? ?Wiley Launches Digital Classroom, Video and Ebook E-Learning Site.? Digital Book World. March 19, 2013.

xv.???????? ?The Siege of Academe.? Washington Monthly. September/October 2012.

xvi.???????? Publishers Lunch. March 7, 2013.

xvii. ? ? ? ?Publishers Lunch. March 7. 2013

xviii. ? ? ? ??Wiley, OpenStax Team on College Biology Textbook.? InformationWeek.com. March 11, 2013.

xix.???????? ?Veronica Mars Lives again: Lessons from a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign.? paidContent. March 17, 2013.

xx.???????? ?Just Press Print.? The Economist. February 12, 2010.

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Source: http://malwarwickonbooks.com/2013/04/01/top-10-trends-shaping-the-future-of-publishing/

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Study shows Shakespeare as ruthless businessman

LONDON (AP) ? Hoarder, moneylender, tax dodger ? it's not how we usually think of William Shakespeare.

But we should, according to a group of academics who say the Bard was a ruthless businessman who grew wealthy dealing in grain during a time of famine.

Researchers from Aberystwyth University in Wales argue that we can't fully understand Shakespeare unless we study his often-overlooked business savvy.

"Shakespeare the grain-hoarder has been redacted from history so that Shakespeare the creative genius could be born," the researchers say in a paper due to be delivered at the Hay literary festival in Wales in May.

Jayne Archer, a lecturer in medieval and Renaissance literature at Aberystwyth, said that oversight is the product of "a willful ignorance on behalf of critics and scholars who I think ? perhaps through snobbery ? cannot countenance the idea of a creative genius also being motivated by self-interest."

Archer and her colleagues Howard Thomas and Richard Marggraf Turley combed through historical archives to uncover details of the playwright's parallel life as a grain merchant and property owner in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon whose practices sometimes brought him into conflict with the law.

"Over a 15-year period he purchased and stored grain, malt and barley for resale at inflated prices to his neighbors and local tradesmen," they wrote, adding that Shakespeare "pursued those who could not (or would not) pay him in full for these staples and used the profits to further his own money-lending activities."

He was pursued by the authorities for tax evasion, and in 1598 was prosecuted for hoarding grain during a time of shortage.

The charge sheet against Shakespeare was not entirely unknown, though it may come as shock to some literature lovers. But the authors argue that modern readers and scholars are out of touch with the harsh realities the writer and his contemporaries faced.

He lived and wrote in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, during a period known as the "Little Ice Age," when unusual cold and heavy rain caused poor harvests and food shortages.

"I think now we have a rather rarefied idea of writers and artists as people who are disconnected from the everyday concerns of their contemporaries," Archer said. "But for most writers for most of history, hunger has been a major concern ? and it has been as creatively energizing as any other force."

She argues that knowledge of the era's food insecurity can cast new light on Shakespeare's plays, including "Coriolanus," which is set in an ancient Rome wracked by famine. The food protests in the play can be seen to echo the real-life 1607 uprising of peasants in the English Midlands, where Shakespeare lived.

Shakespeare scholar Jonathan Bate told the Sunday Times newspaper that Archer and her colleagues had done valuable work, saying their research had "given new force to an old argument about the contemporaneity of the protests over grain-hoarding in 'Coriolanus.'"

Archer said famine also informs "King Lear," in which an aging monarch's unjust distribution of his land among his three daughters sparks war.

"In the play there is a very subtle depiction of how dividing up land also involves impacts on the distribution of food," Archer said.

Archer said the idea of Shakespeare as a hardheaded businessman may not fit with romantic notions of the sensitive artist, but we shouldn't judge him too harshly. Hoarding grain was his way of ensuring that his family and neighbors would not go hungry if a harvest failed.

"Remembering Shakespeare as a man of hunger makes him much more human, much more understandable, much more complex," she said.

"He would not have thought of himself first and foremost as a writer. Possibly as an actor ? but first and foremost as a good father, a good husband and a good citizen to the people of Stratford."

She said the playwright's funeral monument in Stratford's Holy Trinity Church reflected this. The original monument erected after his death in 1616 showed Shakespeare holding a sack of grain. In the 18th century, it was replaced with a more "writerly" memorial depicting Shakespeare with a tasseled cushion and a quill pen.

_____

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-shows-shakespeare-ruthless-businessman-150909584.html

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'Thrones' vs. 'Walking Dead': Which show's best?

By Ree Hines and Drusilla Moorhouse, TODAY contributors

HBO, AMC

Sunday night promises to be a bloody good time for fans of quality cable dramas and made-for-TV gore. The highly anticipated finale of "The Walking Dead" will dish up one final -- and staggering -- body count for the season just as the equally anticipated premiere of HBO's "Game of Thrones" launches viewers back into the world of Westeros (and beyond).

But Sunday night will also be bittersweet. Sure, it'll be packed with perfect programming for horror-and-fantasy-loving nerds, but only one of those shows will be back the following week. As those mama-loving dragons return, the flesh-loving Walkers will walk away. Just as we say hello to one fully witty "half-man", it'll be time to bid Daryl Dixon and his quiver adieu.

What are devoted fans to do? Why, pit their favorite shows against each other, of course! Just for fun.

Before it's a case of one or the other, take a closer both shows and pick your favorite parts from the following match-ups:

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Artificial spleen to treat bloodstream infections: Sepsis therapeutic device under development

Mar. 30, 2013 ? The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University announced today that it was awarded a $9.25 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to further advance a blood-cleansing technology developed at the Institute with prior DARPA support, and help accelerate its translation to humans as a new type of sepsis therapy.

The device will be used to treat bloodstream infections that are the leading cause of death in critically ill patients and soldiers injured in combat.

To rapidly cleanse the blood of pathogens, the patient's blood is mixed with magnetic nanobeads coated with a genetically engineered version of a human blood 'opsonin' protein that binds to a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, and toxins. It is then flowed through microchannels in the device where magnetic forces pull out the bead-bound pathogens without removing human blood cells, proteins, fluids, or electrolytes -- much like a human spleen does. The cleansed blood then flows back to the patient.

"In just a few years we have been able to develop a suite of new technologies, and to integrate them to create a powerful new device that could potentially transform the way we treat sepsis," said Wyss founding director and project leader, Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. "The continued support from DARPA enables us to advance our device manufacturing capabilities and to obtain validation in large animal models, which is precisely what is required to enable this technology to be moved towards testing in humans."

The team will work to develop manufacturing and integration strategies for its core pathogen-binding opsonin and Spleen-on-a-Chip fluidic separation technologies, as well as a novel coating technology called "SLIPS," which is a super-hydrophobic coating inspired from the slippery surface of a pitcher plant that repels nearly any material it contacts. By coating the inner surface of the channels of the device with SLIPS, blood cleansing can be carried out without the need for anticoagulants to prevent blood clotting.

In addition to Ingber, the multidisciplinary team behind this effort includes Wyss core faculty and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science faculty member Joanna Aizenberg, Ph.D., who developed the SLIPS technology; Wyss senior staff member Michael Super, Ph.D., who engineered the human opsonin protein; and Mark Puder, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School who will be assisting with animal studies.

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Where do you stand on fracking?

Few topics in the energy sector generate more debate than the relative merits and demerits of fracking, Stuebi writes.?

By Richard T. Stuebi,?Guest blogger / March 29, 2013

A drilling rig is set up near a barn in Springville, Pa., to tap gas from the giant Marcellus Shale gas field. It?s up to us as engaged citizens to ensure that the powers-that-be fully hold accountable those who participate in fracking activities, Stuebi writes.

Alex Brandon/AP/File

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In the energy sector, there are few topics that generate more debate today than the relative merits/demerits of fracking.? To see just how strongly-held yet evenly-divided opinion is, check out this?online debate?moderated by?The Economist?and sponsored by?Statoil (NYSE: STO).

Skip to next paragraph Cleantech Blog

A premier site for commentary on clean tech, energy, and the green economy, Cleantech Blog is edited by longtime clean-tech industry investor and executive Neal Dikeman of Jane Capital Partners LLC, and venture capitalist and industry analyst Richard Stuebi. For more clean-tech news and analysis, click?here.

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The question is framed simply:? ?Do the benefits derived from shale gas outweigh the drawbacks of fracking??? Writing in defense of the ?pro? position was?Amy Myers Jaffe, the Executive Director for Energy and Sustainability at the?Graduate School of Management?at the?University of California Davis.? Writing in opposition was?Michael Brune, the Executive Director of the?Sierra Club.

The final tally of the debate:? 51% voted ?No?, while 49% voted ?Yes?.

Honestly, I lean more towards the ?Yes? side of the ledger.? While fracking raises significant concerns, I believe that they can be managed ? though it?s up to us as engaged citizens to ensure that the powers-that-be fully hold accountable those who participate in fracking activities to the highest standards.?

Moms demonstrate for gun control, armed men stage counter-protest in Indiana (Washington Post)

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Keep police business off Facebook, NYPD tells cops

Tom Hays , The Associated Press ? ? ? 1 day

The New York Police Department has begun policing how its officers use Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

An internal order made public on Thursday advises members of the nation's largest police department to be careful with what they reveal online ? even urging them not to disclose that they're on the force.

Officers "are to exercise good judgment and demonstrate professionalism expected of them while performing their official duties," the memo says. It also warns that "personal social media sites may be used against them to undermine the credibility of the department, interfere with official police business, compromise ongoing investigations and affect their employment status."

The guidelines bar officers from posting photos of themselves in uniform ? with the exception of those taken at promotion or awards ceremonies ? unless they have permission from the department. Officers could face discipline if they don't comply.

Police officials said the policy has been in the works for about two years, and arose out of concern that police officers' online postings could embarrass the NYPD or be misinterpreted as official police policy. The department punished more than a dozen officers after they made degrading remarks about revelers at the West Indian Day Parade in 2011.

"We believe these guidelines are reasonable and make sense," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Thursday.

The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, which represents 23,000 police officers, declined comment. In the past, the union has cautioned its members about what they post and who they interact with on the Internet.

The NYPD edict prohibits the posting on personal websites of crime scene photos or witness statements. It also bars officers from using social media to contact witnesses, crime victims or lawyers involved in pending cases, or to contact minors who aren't part of their families.

"Such communications may be deemed inappropriate or unethical and may jeopardize an ongoing investigation," it says.

The adoption of guidelines was first reported in the Daily News.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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'Dairy-Free' Mixes Recalled Over Milk

Mar 29, 2013 11:17am

Heartland Gourmet is recalling some "dairy-free" mixes that may contain milk. (Image credit: Heartland Gourmet/FDA)

A gourmet food company is recalling three of its ?dairy-free? baking mixes because they might contain milk, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Heartland Gourmet, based in Lincoln, Neb., announced the voluntary recall Thursday after routine sample testing in Canada uncovered milk in some cookie and pizza crust mixes, which are labeled both gluten-free and dairy-free.

The recall notice cites ?a temporary breakdown in the company?s production and packaging processes? leading to the contamination, but a company spokeswoman said the problem is still under investigation.

Milk is one of the most common food allergens, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious disease. It can cause hives, wheezing and vomiting, as well as abdominal cramps and diarrhea. In rare cases, milk can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction.

17 Scary Allergy Triggers

An ABC News analysis in?December?2012 revealed that more than 400 recalls for undeclared allergens in food were reported to the FDA since March 2009. More than 140 of them were for desserts and snack foods, including cookies, candy and ice cream.

The Heartland Gourmet?mixes were distributed to stores in Minnesota, Texas, Indiana, Connecticut, North Carolina, California and Colorado between October 2012 and March 2013, according to the recall notice. The company also supplies mixes for fundraisers, according to its website. No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled products include:

• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix: Item # 2017 UPC Code 7376967020171 16 oz. Lot #0023065, best buy date of 12/2014 and distributed in March of 2013, and Lot # 0023007, best buy date of 10/2014 and distributed in February 2013.
• Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cookie Mix: Item # 1530 -UPC Code 737697015306 16 oz. Lot #0012289 ? Best buy Date of 10/2014 and distributed in October of 2012; Lot #0022317 with a best buy date of 10/2014 and distributed in November of 2012; and Lot #0012341 with a best buy date of 01/2014 and distributed in December of 2012.
• Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix: Item # 2024 UPC Code 737697020249 15.4 oz. Lot #0073007. Best buy date of 09/2014 and distributed in January of 2013.

Customers are urged to return the recalled products to the place of purchase for a refund, according to the recall notice. Click here for more information.

SHOWS: Good Morning America

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/03/29/dairy-free-baking-mixes-recalled-over-milk/

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The Telegraph erects paywall for UK readers

The Telegraph has had a paywall in place for international readers since November, and now its spreading the subscription model to folks in the UK. Despite the slow rollout, the price tiers are staying the same: £1.99 a month nets unlimited access to the newspaper's website and mobile apps, while £9.99 per month grants the same perks, plus use of its tablet editions. Each subscription comes with a free trial before you're charged, but you could keep your wallet shut and skate by on 20 free articles every month. If you're already subscribed to the dead tree version of the publication, however, you'll be able to reap the benefits of its digital incarnations without spending any extra pennies pence.

[Image credit: Pleasance, Flickr]

Filed under: Misc

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Source: The Telegraph

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/the-telegraph-uk-subscriptions/

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5 Eco-friendly kitchen improvements we can all afford

By Ryan Hirst | March 28, 2013 | DIY, How To's and Guides, Featured Stories, Kitchen Knowledge

A huge amount of emphasis is now on becoming more energy efficient and environmentally friendly within the home. We need to do all we can to ensure electricity bills and energy bills drop too. Having these added incentives give us a reason to improve our home.

Now the ?Green Deal? is in full flow in the United Kingdom we should be looking to improve our home in any way we can ? the kitchen is somewhere we should be doing this in. In today?s article I will give you 5 Eco-friendly kitchen improvements we can all afford, that will not only help to reduce our carbon footprint but also help decrease our bills too.

Recycling and separating waste

This technique will not actually save you any money however it won?t cost you anything either. Instead of having to install anything or change the look of your home, or even have renovations. We can all do this one, no matter where we live in the UK we will be all very familiar with the colour coded recycling bins for different waste products. Spending a little bit of time to separate your waste and dispose of it correctly will contribute to your community hitting local recycling targets and reduce the amount of waste across the county.

By simply taking the time to separate things such as cardboard, paper, waste food and all sorts of other items will contribute nationally and locally to a better environment. One good tip for reusing your waste is to create your own compost heap with your food waste; this can take around 6 months before use but is a good idea if you?re a keen gardener.

Making kitchen repairs

In the kitchen and any other part of the home, one of the main reasons for waste on energy bills is because repairs have not been made. Your homes energy bills and water bills can be higher than they need to be if you have problems such as leaks in the kitchen. This is one for the DIY lover, a good chance to save some money without spending either.

By simply getting the correct sized wrench you can adjust pipes to ensure you are not wasting any water. Another common problem can be windows not being sealed properly allowing heat to leave your home and also the cold to enter? Checking for any cracks and resealing can save money on heating bills.

You may also have waste pipes from your ovens or sinks, if so you need to ensure the holes are properly sealed for the same reasons.

Installing energy saving light bulbs

This is something that hopefully most home owners are already doing. However if you are not I cannot understand why. Do you know how much better an energy efficient light bulb is then the standard one?

In fact an energy efficient light bulb lasts as long as ten years longer and along with this also uses between 70%-75% less energy in its lifetime. So in reality we are not having to change the bulb nearly as many times, which is saving us money but we?re also ensuring that we are becoming more energy efficient in the home and the kitchen. This is something I would definitely advise you doing in the kitchen because of the amount of time being spent in it. We need to save as much money on energy bills as we possibly can.

Energy saving kitchen appliances

The kitchen is probably the most packed room in the home, filled with different appliances, using both electricity and also water. With this in mind we need to think about how we are using them. When it comes to actually replacing appliances or redesigning your kitchen look for ones with the highest possible energy efficiency rating. They are usually around the same price and will save you a lot of money in the long run, what more could you ask for?

There are many appliances you can buy that are energy efficient such as:

-????????? Washing machines

-????????? Dishwasher

-????????? Tumble drier

-????????? Ovens

-????????? Taps etc.

The way we use these appliances contributes to your carbon footprint too. In fact by simply turning your washing machine down onto a 30?C instead of its usual will help save money, think about filling the dishwasher fully before use too.

Is your home properly insulated?

The ?Green Deal? something I have wrote about on many different occasions. Something that I think is a great idea by the government, as I touched on before it is now up and running in the UK. The Green Deal allows us to make energy efficient home improvements, without having to pay it all off in one go.

Although ensuring your home is properly insulated is not just a kitchen improvement it is one that I feel I still have to mention. By properly insulating your home you could be saving as much as 10% on your energy bills annually. So why wouldn?t you want to do so? This is one of the many improvements we can have done to our home from the Green Deal and I urge you all to check it out now.

If you enjoyed this post, please take a moment to share it with your friends and colleagues using your favourite social network.

Source: http://www.eurofitdirect.co.uk/blog/5-eco-friendly-kitchen-improvements-we-can-all-afford/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-eco-friendly-kitchen-improvements-we-can-all-afford

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Microscale medical sensors inserted under skin powered wirelessly by external handheld receiver

Mar. 27, 2013 ? Implantable electronic devices potentially offer a rapid and accurate way for doctors to monitor patients with particular medical conditions. Yet powering such devices remains a fundamental challenge: batteries are bulky and eventually need recharging or replacing. Jia Hao Cheong at the A*STAR Institute for Microelectronics, Singapore, and his co-workers are developing an alternative approach that eliminates the need for a battery. Their miniature devices are based on wireless power-transfer technology.

The research team has developed a microscale electronic sensor to monitor blood flow through artificial blood vessels. Surgeons use these prosthetic grafts to bypass diseased or clogged blood vessels in patients experiencing restricted blood supply, for example. Over time, however, the graft can also become blocked. To avoid complete failure, blood flow through the graft must be monitored regularly, but existing techniques are slow and costly.

These limitations prompted the researchers to develop a bench-top prototype of a device that could be incorporated inside a graft to monitor blood flow. The implant is powered by a handheld external reader, which uses inductive coupling to wirelessly transfer energy, a technology similar to that found in the latest wireless-charging mobile phones. The team developed an application-specific, integrated circuit for the implant designed for low power use (see image).

The incoming energy powers circuits in the device that control sensors based on silicon nanowires. This material is piezoresistive: as blood flows over the sensor the associated mechanical stresses induce a measurable increase in electrical resistance, proportional to the flow pressure.

Key to the success of the device is its ability to work with a very limited power supply. Most of the incoming energy is absorbed by skin and tissue before it can reach the implant, which may be inserted up to 50 millimeters deep.

"Our flow sensor system achieves an ultra-low power consumption of 12.6 microwatts," Cheong says. For example, the sensor transmits its data to the handheld reader passively, by backscattering some of the incoming energy. "We have tested our system with 50-millimeter-thick tissue between the external coil and implantable coil, and it successfully extracted the pressure data from the implantable device," he adds.

Cheong and his co-workers' tests showed that the prototype sensor was also highly pressure sensitive, providing pressure readings with a resolution of 0.17 pounds per square inch (1,172 pascals). "The next step of the project is to integrate the system and embed it inside a graft for [an experimental] animal," Cheong says.

The A*STAR-affiliated researchers contributing to this research are from the Institute of Microelectronics

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Jia Hao Cheong, Simon Sheung Yan Ng, Xin Liu, Rui-Feng Xue, Huey Jen Lim, Pradeep Basappa Khannur, Kok Lim Chan, Andreas Astuti Lee, Kai Kang, Li Shiah Lim, Cairan He, Pushpapraj Singh, Woo-Tae Park, Minkyu Je. An Inductively Powered Implantable Blood Flow Sensor Microsystem for Vascular Grafts. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 2012; 59 (9): 2466 DOI: 10.1109/TBME.2012.2203131

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/top_news/top_technology/~3/oPdGd-Vm3EA/130327162425.htm

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Petraeus apologizes for affair that led to CIA resignation

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

Former CIA director and retired four-star general General David Petraeus makes his first public speech since resigning as CIA director at University of Southern California dinner for students Veterans and ROTC students on March 26.

By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

David Petraeus apologized Tuesday for the extramarital affair that led to his resignation?as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency last November in his first public speech since then.

Petraeus was invited a year ago -- before the scandal broke -- to be the keynote speaker before 600 guests at the University of Southern California annual ROTC dinner.

The retired four-star general has remained out of the public eye since the revelations of the affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, but decided to keep this appointment.

??It truly is a privilege to be here with you this evening -- all the more so given my personal journey over the past five months,? he said. ?I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago ? I'm also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing,? he said Tuesday night.

?So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret and apologize for the circumstances that led to my resignation from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters,? he added.

Petraeus then stressed that the evening was ?not about me,? but the cadets, active duty military and veterans from USC and efforts to support them.

ISAF via Reuters file

Meet the people who have been pulled into the scandal that caused Gen. David Petraeus to resign.

He said that the post 9/11 generation of veterans deserved to be known as America?s greatest generation. More could and should be done to help veterans, particularly those with physical injuries and mental health problems, he argued.

'Instructive' to others who stumble
The general said that hanging up the uniform and leaving comrades behind was difficult, and returned to the reasons for his departure at the end of his speech.

?As I close, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you as well to those who provided words of encouragement to my family and me in recent months. That support meant a great deal as we sought to look forward rather than backward,? Petraeus said.

?This has obviously been a very difficult episode for us. But perhaps my experience can be instructive to others who stumble or indeed fall as far as I did. One learns, after all, that life doesn't stop with such a mistake. It can, and must, go on,? he said.

?And the effort to move forward over the rocky path of one's making is vital, inescapable, and ultimately worth it,? he added. ?I know that I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and a number of others. I can, however, try to move forward in a manner that is consistent with the values to which I subscribed before slipping my moorings, and as best possible to make amends to those I have hurt and let down, and that is what I will strive to do.?

The discovery of Petraeus? affair came after another woman, Florida socialite Jill Kelley, complained to the FBI that she was receiving harassing emails from Broadwell.

The ensuing bureau investigation revealed a string of emails indicating an affair between Petraeus and Broadwell.

In a letter to the CIA workforce announcing his decision to step down last fall, Petraeus acknowledged "extremely poor judgment" and said, "such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours."

Days after the high-profile resignation, President Barack Obama announced there was no reason to believe the ex-CIA director compromised national security or divulged classified information to Broadwell, who had unprecedented access to the general while writing his biography.

And supporters like Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., maintained that the personal transgression should not have led to Petraeus' departure.

With the former high-profile military leader's resignation came the end of a nearly four-decade career in the military and intelligence.

As a commander in the U.S. Army, Petraeus was largely credited with salvaging the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and helping develop U.S. counterinsurgency strategy.

He was one of the most popular military commanders in modern history, and was talk about as a future presidential candidate.

Tuesday's speech may mark the beginning of attempts by the 60-year-old Petraeus to rebuild his image. His appearance in front of former and future members of the armed services made for a friendly audience.

USC president C. L. Max Nikias praised Petraeus ahead of his appearance at the university.?

?In our post 9/11 world, Gen. Petraeus? influence on our military is unmatched, and his contributions to the CIA are far-reaching,? Nikias said.

?Gen. Petraeus is arguably the most effective military commander since Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower,? he added.

NBC News' Denise Ono and Ian Johnston contributed to this report.

Related:

David Petraeus: Battlefield 'hero' and savvy Washington insider

'I screwed up royally,' Petraeus writes to old Army chum

Jill Kelley speaks out: 'I knew I was being stalked'

This story was originally published on Wed Mar 27, 2013 1:25 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a0830ca/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C270C174776420Epetraeus0Eapologizes0Efor0Eaffair0Ethat0Eled0Eto0Ecia0Eresignation0Dlite/story01.htm

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Ke$ha 'Gives Haters The Finger' In 'Crazy Beautiful' Trailer: Watch Now!

Pop star's docuseries premieres April 23 on MTV, and she'll perform at Logo's NewNowNext Awards on April 15.
By Jocelyn Vena

Ke$ha in "My Crazy Beautiful Life"
Photo: MTV

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704513/kesha-crazy-beautiful-trailer.jhtml

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High court skeptical of federal marriage law

Gabriela Fore, 6, of Upper Darby Pa., holds a sign with her moms in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, as the court heard arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay marriage case, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Gabriela Fore, 6, of Upper Darby Pa., holds a sign with her moms in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, as the court heard arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay marriage case, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

A woman holds up a sign that reads "REPEAL DOMA," the Defense of Marriage Act, as a group from Alabama prays in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. In the second of back-to-back gay marriage case, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Wyatt Tan, left and Mark Nomadiou, both of New York City, kiss in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, prior to the start of a court hearing on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay marriage cases, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

With the Capitol in the background, supporters of gay marriage carry signs in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, before the court heard arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay marriage case, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Supreme Court is indicating it could strike down the law that prevents legally married gay couples from receiving a range of federal benefits that go to married people.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, often the decisive vote in close cases, joined the four more liberal justices Wednesday in raising questions about the provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that is being challenged at the Supreme Court.

Kennedy said the law appears to intrude on the power of states that have chosen to recognize same-sex marriages. Other justices said the law creates what Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called two classes of marriage, full and "skim-milk marriage."

The federal law affects a range of benefits available to married couples, including tax breaks, survivor benefits and health insurance for spouses of federal employees.

It still is possible the court could dismiss the case for procedural reasons, though that prospect seemed less likely than it did in Tuesday's argument over gay marriage in California.

The motivation behind the 1996 federal law, passed by large majorities in Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton, was questioned repeatedly by Justice Elena Kagan.

She read from a House of Representatives report explaining that the reason for the law was "to express moral disapproval of homosexuality." The quote produced an audible reaction in the courtroom.

Paul Clement, representing the House Republican leadership in defending the law, said the more relevant question is whether Congress had "any rational basis for the statute." He supplied one, the federal government's interest in treating same-sex couples the same no matter where they live.

Clement said the government does not want military families "to resist transfer from West Point to Fort Sill because they're going to lose their benefits." The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is in New York, where same-sex marriage is legal, and Fort Sill is in Oklahoma, where gay marriages are not legal.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-27-Supreme%20Court-Gay%20Marriage/id-77dd37350381483bad072d8916b2a761

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10 Things to Know for Today

FILE - This undated publicity photo from Disney/Bruckheimer Films, shows actors, Johnny Depp, left, as Tonto, a spirit warrior on a personal quest, who joins forces in a fight for justice with Armie Hammer, as John Reid, a lawman who has become a masked avenger, The Lone Ranger, from the movie, "The Lone Ranger." The film opens nationwide on July 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Disney/Bruckheimer Films, Peter Mountain, File)

FILE - This undated publicity photo from Disney/Bruckheimer Films, shows actors, Johnny Depp, left, as Tonto, a spirit warrior on a personal quest, who joins forces in a fight for justice with Armie Hammer, as John Reid, a lawman who has become a masked avenger, The Lone Ranger, from the movie, "The Lone Ranger." The film opens nationwide on July 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Disney/Bruckheimer Films, Peter Mountain, File)

FILE - In this June 17, 2010 file photo, former South African President Nelson Mandela leaves the chapel after attending the funeral of his great-granddaughter Zenani Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The South African presidency says Nelson Mandela was re-admitted to hospital with a recurrence of a lung infection Thursday March 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Siphiwe Sibeko, Pool, File)

Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson, left, celebrates a 3-point shot, as Miami Heat forward Shane Battier watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today (times EDT):

1. PRAYERS URGED FOR MANDELA

The anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa's first black president has had a recurrence of a lung infection.

2. BANKS IN CYPRUS REOPEN

Cypriot banks are open for the first time since March 16, with customers now able to access their accounts ? with restrictions.

3. THIS POPE IS NOT LIKE THE OTHERS

Francis' belief that a pontiff's job is to serve the lowliest will be demonstrated on Holy Thursday when he washes the feet of young inmates.

4. WHY GUN CONTROL IS NO EASY FIX

Gun control supporters are struggling to win over moderate Democrats in their drive to push expanded background checks for firearms purchasers through the Senate next month.

5. GAY MARRIAGE REMAINS A POLARIZING ISSUE

AP's David Crary says that however the Supreme Court rules on same-sex marriage, the issue seems certain to divide states and people for years to come.

6. "BLADE RUNNER" WANTS TO MAKE A LIVING

Lawyers for Pistorius appeal against some of his bail restrictions, saying the Olympian accused of murder might need to return to the track to earn money.

7. A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR THE U.S.

Germany's experience with "guest workers," namely 3 million immigrants from Turkey, offers lessons for America as it debates immigration reform.

8. GOP AIMS TO GET MORE TECH SAVY

Republicans are moving aggressively to repair their technological shortcomings from the 2012 election, opening a new tech race to counter a glaring weakness against Obama.

9. "HI-HO, SILVER! AWAY!"

"The Lone Ranger" co-star Johnny Depp will take part in a live Q&A with fans in Las Vegas next month, an event that will be streamed online.

10. BULLISH END TO NBA STREAK

Chicago beats Miami 101-97, snapping the Heat's 27-game winning streak and leaving them six short of the league record set by the 1971-72 Lakers.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-28-10%20Things%20to%20Know-Today/id-3993d474c92544ffb6e87a5a9e875c3e

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North Korea says ready for combat as sanctions tighten

By Jack Kim and Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea repeated threats on Tuesday to target U.S. military bases as Washington and its allies tightened economic sanctions against the isolated country by targeting Pyongyang's main foreign exchange bank with new measures.

The rhetoric from North Korea - which has threatened the United States with nuclear war and rehearsed drone attacks on South Korea - and Washington's hardening reaction, drew more concern from China, Pyongyang's only major ally, which said the situation was "sensitive".

Pyongyang says United Nations sanctions, agreed after North Korea carried out a third nuclear test in February, are part of a Washington-led plot to topple its leadership.

"From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army will be putting into combat duty posture No. 1 all field artillery units, including long-range artillery units and strategic rocket units, that will target all enemy objects in U.S. invasionary bases on its mainland, Hawaii and Guam," the North's KCNA news agency said.

The order was issued in a statement from the North Korea's military "supreme command."

The Pentagon condemned North Korea's rhetoric, saying it was designed to "raise tensions and intimidate others."

"They need to stop threatening peace on the peninsula. That doesn't help anyone ... and we stand ready to respond to any contingency," Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters.

The Pentagon has declined to define the range of North Korea's rockets, saying it is classified. But Admiral James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged on March 15 that one type of North Korean missile likely had the range to reach the United States.

South Korea's defense ministry said it saw no sign of imminent military action by North Korea and most military analysts say Pyongyang will not risk a conflict with the United States that it would lose.

South Korea and the U.S. military are conducting military drills until the end of April, which they have stressed are strictly defensive in nature. The North accuses Washington of war preparations by using B-52 bombers which have flown over the Korean peninsula as part of the drills, and it has abrogated an armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

The Pentagon said there have been three such flights by U.S. B-52 bombers since March 8, with the most recent one on Monday.

BANK SANCTIONS?

Officials said Japan and Australia plan to impose sanctions on North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank as part of U.S.-led efforts targeting Pyongyang's funding for its nuclear program.

China again called on all parties to show restraint. "At present, the situation on the Korean peninsula remains complex and sensitive," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

Pyongyang's aggressive rhetoric appears to mark a further attempt to boost the military credentials of Kim Jong-un, who took power in December 2011 after the death of his father. He has cemented the role of the military and the North's nuclear weapons and missile ambitions with the nuclear test and two long-range rocket launches.

KCNA said on Tuesday that Kim had guided a landing operation by combined units including the North Korean navy.

"This is a mythmaking for the (military) commander," said Jeung Young-tae, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute of National Unification in Seoul.

Many Americans appeared unfazed by what the Pentagon described as a "well-worn pattern" of rhetoric and threats from Pyongyang.

"I think they're threatening more than anything else. I don't' feel very threatened," said Sophie Hara, a Hawaii resident.

"It's just a bluff."

South Korea marked the third anniversary on Tuesday of the sinking of a navy ship that killed 46 sailors that it and the United States have blamed on North Korea. Pyongyang denied the charge.

On March 22, South Korea and the United States signed a "counter-provocation plan" meant to fine tune joint reaction to any future North Korean military strikes. The Pentagon said details of the plan were classified.

(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington and Suzanne Roig in Honolulu; Editing by Ian Geoghegan and David Brunnstrom)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-says-ready-combat-sanctions-tighten-171020760.html

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