Sunday, June 30, 2013

Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing In NYC's Hudson River After Losing Power

NEW YORK ? A charter helicopter carrying a family of four Swedes on a sightseeing tour of New York City lost power shortly after takeoff Sunday and made an emergency landing on the Hudson River, authorities said. The pilot and occupants were uninjured.

The helicopter landed shortly before noon in the section of the river near 79th Street by the New York City Marina.

Deputy Fire Chief Thomas McKavanaugh said the helicopter had taken off from the Wall Street Heliport and lost power after 12 minutes in the air. The pilot used the craft's pontoons, and it remained upright as it landed.

"The pilot did a terrific job considering he'd lost his engine power," McKavanaugh said.

The passengers were two adults and two children from Sweden, he said. No one was injured, but the tourists were taken to the hospital for observation, authorities said.

Sebastien Berthelet, visiting from Montreal, was on a boat when the craft went down and went over to help, bringing the pilot back to shore.

"At the beginning, we thought maybe it was an exercise," he said, but then "when he hit the water, it was hard."

He said he complimented the pilot on the landing, but the pilot said it could have been smoother.

"I said, `Well, it could have been worse, too,'" Berthelet said.

Another boater brought the family back to shore, and they were all calm, he said.

"They all seemed very healthy. They were all shocked, of course," Berthelet said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the helicopter, a Bell 206, is registered to New York Helicopter, which offers sightseeing tours ranging from $139 per person for a 15-minute flight to $295 per person for a 25-minute flight. A call to the company went unanswered.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

The emergency landing on the Hudson River was reminiscent of another one where all aboard escaped unharmed. In 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III safely landed a US Airways flight after striking a flock of geese. All 155 people aboard survived.

But other aviation incidents over the waterways surrounding Manhattan have been deadly.

In 2011, a helicopter crashed into the East River. Two passengers were killed at the scene, and a third died a month later.

In 2009, a collision between a tour helicopter and a small plane over the Hudson River killed nine people.

___

Associated Press photographer John Minchillo in New York contributed to this report.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/30/helicopter-hudson-river_n_3525946.html

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Stocks fall in end to a rocky month

Stocks closed mostly lower Friday, a peaceful end to the most volatile month in nearly two years.?Mixed economic news Friday added to investor uncertainty after big gains in stocks.

By Bernard Condon,?AP Business Writer / June 28, 2013

Specialists David Haubner and Wingszi Cihang work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday. Stocks fell after a three-day rally.

Richard Drew/AP

Enlarge

After flitting between tiny gains and losses most of Friday, the U.S.?stock?market closed mostly lower, a peaceful end to the most volatile month in nearly two years.

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"It's a dull Friday," said Gary Flam, a?stock?manager at Bel Air Investment Advisors. A bull market, he added, is "rarely a straight march up."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index ended its bumpy ride in June down 1.5 percent, the first monthly loss since October. The index still had its best first half of a year since 1998.

Investors seemed unsure how to react to recent statements by Federal Reserve officials about when the central bank might end its support for the economy. Mixed economic news Friday added to investor uncertainty after bigstock?gains.?

On Friday, an index consumer confidence was up but a gauge of business activity in the Chicago area plunged.

"Investors don't know what to make of the news," said John Toohey, vice president of?stock?investments at USAA Investment Management. "I wouldn't be surprised to see more ups and downs."

The S&P 500?stock?index closed down 6.92 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,606.28. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 114.89 points, or 0.8 percent, to 14,909.60. The Nasdaq composite index rose 1.38 points, or 0.04 percent, to 3,403.25.

Stocks?have jumped around in June. By contrast, the first five months of the year were mostly calm, marked by small but steady gains as investors bought on news of higher home prices, record corporate earnings and an improving jobs market.

By May 21, the S&P 500 had climbed to a record 1,669, up 18 percent for the year. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke the next day, and prices began gyrating.

Investors have long known that the central bank would eventually pull back from its bond purchases, which are designed to lower interest rates and get people to borrow and spend more. Last week, Bernanke got more specific about the timing. He said the Fed could start purchasing fewer bonds later this year, and stop buying them completely by the middle of next year, if the economy continued to strengthen.

Investors dumped?stocks, but then had second thoughts this week as other Fed officials stressed that the central bank wouldn't pull back on its support soon. The Dow gained 365 points over the previous three days this week. The Dow has had 16 triple-digit moves for the month, the most since September 2011.

Bonds have also been on a bumpy ride in recent weeks, mostly down.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/r-s0LIF-Uaw/Stocks-fall-in-end-to-a-rocky-month

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Hospitals seek high-tech help for hand hygiene

In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo, Theresa Gratton, infection prevention coordinator at St. Mary's Health Center, wears a device to help remind health care workers to keep their hands clean at the hospital in Richmond Heights, Mo. In the past, hospitals have mostly relied on education, threats of discipline and reports from observers to try and make sure staff keep their hands clean but St. Mary's began testing the device about a year ago and officials say they've been stunned by how well the system works.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. (AP) ? Hospitals have fretted for years over how to make sure doctors, nurses and staff keep their hands clean, but with only limited success. Now, some are turning to technology ? buzzers, lights and tracking systems that remind workers to sanitize and chart those who don't.

Health experts say poor hand cleanliness is a factor in hospital-borne infections that kill tens of thousands of Americans each year. Hospitals have tried varying ways to promote better hygiene.

Since last year, SSM St. Mary's Health Center in suburban St. Louis has been testing a system developed by Biovigil Inc., of Ann Arbor, Mich. A flashing light on badges worn by workers changes colors when hands have been cleaned and tracks compliance.

It is among several being tried at hospitals around the country.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hospitals-seek-high-tech-help-hand-hygiene-071012525.html

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Student debt stalemate will hammer millions of undergrads

student-loans

58 minutes ago

Boston College students walk across the college campus in Boston, March 29, 2005.

CHITOSE SUZUKI / AP file

Boston College students walk across the college campus in Boston, March 29, 2005.

Time is running out for Congress to act. And low-income college students will pay a high price if a deal can't be reached by Monday's deadline.

Interest rates on many new subsidized Stafford loans will skyrocket?from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent?on Monday, unless the Senate reaches a compromise.

Read More: Senate Can't Save Student Loan Rates

More than 7 million undergraduates receive these loans, for which the federal government pays the interest while the students are enrolled in school.

But the nation's student debt crisis affects so many more.

More than 38 million Americans have student loan debt, totaling nearly $1 trillion, a staggering number that has quadrupled in 10 years and keeps rising. Student loan debt now surpasses credit card and auto loan debt in this country?and it's only expected to get worse before it gets better.

Most in Congress agree the loan rates should to stay lower than 6.8 percent, at least for the subsidized Stafford loans used by the country's lowest-income students. But they're stuck on how to get there.

Republicans want to let the rates fluctuate with the markets every year and use the proceeds for deficit reduction. Democrats say that's unreasonable and want to cap how fast rates can rise.

"I see the debate about interest rates as a distraction from the real problem, which is the amount of debt," said Mark Kantrowitz, founder of FinAid.org and senior vice president and publisher of Edvisors.com.

"Each year the average cost of graduation goes up by about $1,000 or more. And having less expensive debt is going not going to make much of a difference if the total amount owed keeps on going up."

A study done this spring by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that the share of 25-year-olds with student debt has increased from just 25 percent in 2003 to 43 percent in 2012. The average student loan balance among those 25-year-olds with student debt grew by 91 percent over that time, from $10,649 in 2003 to $20,326 in 2012.

The amount of debt has risen as tuition, room, board, fees and other college expenses have soared. The cost of attending college has risen about 4 percent in the past year alone?and has far outpaced the rate of inflation in recent years.

Total charges for a full-time undergraduate at an in-state public college rose from $17,136 in 2011-2012 to $17,860 in 2012-2013, according to the College Board. Private college costs for one year totaled $39,518 in the past year, up from $37,971 the previous academic year.

"Grants are not keeping pace with the increases in college costs," Kantrowitz said. "When grants are relatively stagnant or even going down that causes students to borrow more."

But many families don't plan or try to calculate the total cost of attendance for a student's college and graduate studies?and that may be at the crux of the student debt crisis.

Sallie Mae CEO Jack Remondi said poor planning exacerbates a borrower's burden, regardless of the rate on the loan. Sallie Mae is the largest provider of private student loans.

"If you overborrow, whether the rate is 4 percent or 7 percent, you're still going to encounter difficulties," Remondi said. "A plan that takes into consideration what your income potential is going to be when you graduate and what that debt burden is going to be is critical."

Unfortunately, many students and parents have failed College Planning 101.

Less than a third of low-income parents said they knew how they would pay for their child's college education before they enrolled, according to a Sallie Mae study. Only 37 percent of middle-income families had a plan. Among high-income families, only slightly more than half said they had a plan to pay for college before their children enrolled.

Yet this critical lesson can significantly cut borrowing costs: As long as your total student debt at graduation is less than your annual income, you should be able to pay back your student loans in 10 years or less, Kantrowitz said.

Keeping that formula in mind when choosing a college, graduate school and course of study can help students significantly cut borrowing costs.

?By CNBC's Sharon Epperson. Follow her on Twitter @sharon_epperson.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663286/s/2def8c16/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cstudent0Edebt0Estalemate0Ewill0Ehammer0Emillions0Eundergrads0E6C10A480A484/story01.htm

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'Dexter' review: take out part of Your Brain and Enjoy

By Tim Molloy

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - The premiere of the final season of "Dexter" finds our favorite serial killer looking for a psychopath who surgically removes parts of his victim's brains.

For the last two seasons, "Dexter" has invited us to remove some of our minds, too. There's plenty of room for shows that don't ask us to think, but "Dexter" wasn't always one of them. Its fourth season was pulp at its best, a Swiss timepiece of a construction that put Dexter up against a brilliantly worthy enemy (John Lithgow) and more than delivered on its sense of menace.

Season 5, which paired Dexter with Julia Stiles as an assault victim seeking vengeance, wasn't as good, but what would have been? The clock didn't really fall apart until the sixth and seventh seasons. The show seemed to lose its way as ridiculous murders and silly subplots bought time until the inevitable end. It took Dexter's sister Deborah (Jennifer Carpenter, pictured) much too long to catch him in the act, and when she did, her response seemed totally out of sync with the Deb we'd come to know and like.

So killer ratings aside, plenty of critics wish Dexter had hung up his knives sooner. Just imagine if Deb had arrested him at the end of Season 5, and then we'd been treated to a season of Dexter trying to do what he does while surrounded by killers on death row. Am I resorting to fan fiction? Yes. But I'm not the first "Dexter" fan to wish it had done something different than it did.

If you've made it this far into the series, nothing I say will stop you from sticking around for this eighth season, premiering Sunday on Showtime, to see how it ends. And you should, even if "Dexter" has turned into one of those shows where some of the fun is heckling. This time around, you'll find things to gripe about, but also some good news.

"Dexter" still takes a lot of the same shortcuts it has for the past two seasons. It's still dragged down by hokey exposition, much of it provided by Dexter (Michael C. Hall) in his monotone and monotonous voiceovers. It still goes for cheap thrills, like the pandering nudity in the premiere. An explanation for Angel taking a career 180 is forced.

But the show also promises to bring Dexter's story full circle. A well-cast Charlotte Rampling joins the show as a serial killer expert whose droll performance all but screams: I know a secret.

By the second episode, written by series vet Manny Coto and directed by Hall, the show even finds its deadpan humor again. Dexter's voiceover is finally put to good use as he examines a fellow killer's house and tries to guess where he keeps his implements. Quinn and Angel have a funny moment involving a quilt. And Rampling's plotline starts to crackle.

After a full season of Deb seeming out of sorts, she finally has a cool arc. She's now working for private detective agency, and deeply resents Dexter for her decision to kill LaGuerta. She's in the midst of one of those "Dexter" spirals, like Quinn's in Season 6, that we suspect will be conveniently short. And she has an assassin pursuing her. Fun.

The second episode also introduces some intriguing ideas about the role of sociopaths in our evolution. I'll be really impressed if "Dexter" finds somewhere to go with those ideas, since lately it's been content to throw them at the wall like so much splatter.

It will take Dexter at his best to take that splatter and find his way to a conclusion. Time is running out, and we need "Dexter" back on its old clock.

The premiere of the final season of "Dexter" airs Sunday at 9/8 c on Showtime.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dexter-review-part-brain-enjoy-004227398.html

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Investigator: No sign progressives mistreated

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A Treasury Department inspector general says he has no evidence that progressive groups seeking tax-exempt status got tough treatment from the Internal Revenue Service.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, J. Russell George says that while the term "Progressives" appeared on a list IRS screeners used to look for groups with potential problems, he has no indication that agency workers set aside applications from progressives for tough scrutiny.

Democrats have complained that a report George released last month revealing IRS mistreatment of tea party groups unfairly omitted mention of progressives.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/investigator-no-sign-progressives-mistreated-132046101.html

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Friday, June 28, 2013

What Paula Deen could teach the Supreme Court (Washington Post)

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GRP Partners Raises $200 Million Fund, Nabs New Office Space And Rebrands As Upfront Ventures

PrintLos Angeles-based VC firm GRP Partners has raised a whole new, $200 million fund to make investments both in Southern California and throughout the U.S. With the launch of the new fund, the firm is also rebranding as Upfront Ventures, and it's opening up a brand new office in Santa Monica to be closer to all the action.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4T4PlT73B4s/

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Elephants Shaped Their Own Evolution

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Western missions, civil society groups press for ... - Stabroek News

Westerns missions and a host of institutions here issued a joint statement today saying that the path is now clear for the approval of four key bills that would pave the way for local government elections and urging all parties and civil society to take the process to conclusion.

It was the first time that the missions and the local organisations have collaborated on a joint statement on the long-awaited local government elections.

Those who subscribed to the statement were the British High Commission, the Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, the Embassy of the United States of America, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers, the Guyana Bar Association, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, the Guyana Trades Union Congress, the High Commission of Canada, the Private Sector Commission and Transparency Institute Guyana Inc.

The statement will add to the pressure on the PPP/C government to quickly pilot the four bills which were recently worked on by a Select Committee of Parliament. This committee was chaired by a representative of the opposition and some of the amendments to the bills were approved despite objections by representatives of the government on the committee. The government has frequently signalled that bills presented to the House without its approval will not be passed with their approval or assented to by President Donald Ramotar if passed with the one-seat opposition majority.

The statement issued by the US Embassy today said in part:

?At the start of 2013, political party leaders, civil society, private sector representatives, and members of the diplomatic community all expressed confidence that this would be the year in which Guyana would move forward to ensure that its citizens benefit from strong and effective local governance.? We are now midway through the year and, with a concerted effort, local government elections ? and the safer, more prosperous, and more democratic communities they can help build ? are within reach.

?After months of debate, hard work, and compromise, the parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government has forged agreement on the four bills necessary to establish a more modern and effective system of local governance.? This is a significant and positive step forward.? We welcome this action on the part of Guyana?s elected representatives to come together in the national interest.

?The path is now clear for approval of these four bills in the National Assembly before the upcoming annual recess.? We encourage all parties, with the support of civil society, to build on the constructive progress and goodwill thus far achieved to complete these vital pieces of legislation in the coming days so that technical preparations for local government elections can begin as soon as possible.

?Building on our established record of constructive engagement and support for effective and responsive democratic institutions, we look forward to supporting the Guyana Elections Commission, the Government of Guyana and civil society organizations as they move forward to prepare for local government elections this year.? There is much work ahead to boost public knowledge of the local government election process, the role of local government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens and elected officials.?

?Guyana?s constitution states that `Local Government is a vital aspect of democracy and shall be organised so as to involve as many people as possible in the task of managing and developing the communities in which they live.? All of Guyana?s political parties have consistently affirmed their commitment to holding local elections and reinvigorating local government entities.? The Private Sector Commission, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Guyana Trades Union Congress and many other stakeholders have likewise raised their voice to reinforce this national consensus.? This consensus is so broad because stakeholders recognize that elected local government puts power into the hands of the citizens, giving them a vital framework to participate directly in building their communities.? It also makes possible the active civic participation that leads to better services, increased investment, and greater accountability and transparency, all of which contribute to better governance and stronger communities.

?The path is now clear for the restoration of effective democratic local governance in 2013.? That is good news for the citizens in every community in Guyana.?

Source: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2013/news/stories/06/26/western-missions-civil-society-groups-press-for-speedy-passage-of-local-govt-laws/

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Iran's top leader: Nuclear solution 'easy'

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's supreme leader said a solution to the nuclear impasse with the West would be "easy" if the United States and its allies are serious about seeking a deal, Iranian media reported Thursday.

The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are his first on the nuclear issue since the presidential election earlier this month of Hasan Rouhani, who supports direct talks with Washington. It suggests Khamenei also could endorse bolder diplomacy by Tehran if talks resume with world powers.

Several newspapers, including the hard-line Jomhouri Eslami, quoted Khamenei as saying "the solution to Iran's nuclear case is an easy and smooth job" if Western powers want to strike a deal.

"The opposition front against Iran does not want the nuclear issue to be solved," Khamenei told a group of judiciary officials Wednesday.

Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, singled out the U.S. for what he called "new excuses" to block possible headway on negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.

No other details were given in the press reports, but Rouhani has suggested greater openness on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions.

The West suspects Iran seeks a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies the charge, saying its nuclear activities aim at peaceful purposes such as power generation and medical isotopes.

Khamenei also urged all governmental bodies to support Rouhani, a former nuclear negotiator who has the backing of reformist leaders. He formally takes over from outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in August.

"Managing the country is a difficult job, indeed," Khamenei said. "All individuals and bodies must help the president-elect."

Also Wednesday, Iran's foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, said Iran supports direct flights to the U.S. as a way to serve the large Iranian community in Southern California and elsewhere. There have been no direct air routes between the two countries since the U.S. broke ties after the storming of the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979 in the wake of the Islamic Revolution.

Previously, Iran's national carrier Iran Air operated the longest nonstop flight at the time between Tehran and New York.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-top-leader-nuclear-solution-easy-092414199.html

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Comparing the Blackhawks, Heat titles

(AP) ? Comparing the championship runs of the NBA's Miami Heat and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks:

___

UNBEATABLE: Both teams had long runs of success on their way to the respective titles, though Miami's was actually unblemished while Chicago's was a bit less shiny. The Heat put together the second-longest winning streak in NBA history during the regular season, 27 consecutive games. The Blackhawks opened the season with a 24-game streak of getting at least one point out of every game ? and while that encompassed exactly half of the lockout-shortened season, their longest actual winning streak in that span was just 11 games, with two of those coming in shootouts. Chicago technically lost three times in that 24-game run, all in shootouts, and two of them consecutively.

___

TITLE TOWNS: Welcome to the Heat and Blackhawk eras in their respective leagues. For Miami, this year's NBA championship was its third in eight years and its second straight. Chicago won the Stanley Cup for the second time in four seasons. Before the 2010 title, the last time the Blackhawks hoisted hockey's biggest prize was 1961. And naysayers could try to take some of the luster off crowns for both cities, since the Heat title last year and the Blackhawks' crown this season both came in lockout-shortened seasons.

___

STAR POWER: Maybe something about the winds off Lake Erie helps create superstars. Heat star LeBron James hails from Akron, Ohio, maybe 40 miles or so south of the shores of the great lake ? definitely close enough to get some good lake-effect storms in the winter. Blackhawks star Patrick Kane comes from Buffalo, N.Y., situated along the lake's eastern edge. James won the NBA Finals MVP award; Kane was this year's Conn Smythe Award winner, presented to the best player in the entire NHL postseason.

___

TIES THAT BIND: Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon ? whose club plays about a half-hour north of the arena that the Heat call home ? was the architect of the Blackhawks team that won the Cup in 2010, and some of his moves paid off for Chicago again during this most recent title run. Meanwhile, Heat guard Dwyane Wade hails from Chicago, and remember that the Bulls tried unsuccessfully to sign him, James and Chris Bosh in the summer of 2010, just a few days after the Blackhawks hoisted the Cup.

___

BOSTON GIVEAWAYS: Both of these postseasons will likely be remembered for what Boston lost. Last summer, it was Ray Allen, who turned down more years and money from the Celtics and decided to sign with the Heat. And Allen went on to hit what will go down as the biggest shot in Heat history, the 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in regulation of Game 6 that forced overtime and denied the San Antonio Spurs what would have been their fifth NBA title. And during the Stanley Cup final, the Bruins were up by a goal with about a minute remaining in Game 6 ? then surrendered two lightning-fast goals to not only lose, but lose in regulation even, a stunning collapse that brought the NHL season to a quick and dramatic close.

___

BRING ON BASEBALL (SADLY): Heat fans, Blackhawks fans, take heart. You had a good winter. Entering Tuesday, the Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox all had one thing in common. They were all in last place. So after the Blackhawks hold their celebration, looks like Miami and Chicago will be parade-free for the next few months.

___

LUCKY NUMBERS: Heat record in this postseason? 16-7. Blackhawks record in this postseason? 16-7. And with that, the winter season is complete.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-25-Blackhawks-vs-Heat/id-73479c531bf0413bae03f3571b5d722c

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Samsung denies giving up on desktop PC tower business

Samsung 'will continue to open all possibilities in PC business,' including PC towers

Yesterday, The Korea Times reported that Samsung was to close its "unprofitable" desktop PC business as "demand for conventional desktop PCs is going down," according to an unnamed spokesperson. The weirdly written article also quoted another Samsung official saying "tablets, all-in-one and hybrid PCs are Samsung's current focus," thus suggesting the company seemed to be singling out desktop PC towers or boxes.

Even though it's been a while since some of us last saw a Samsung desktop PC tower (the latest models we covered date back to 2006, though there have been more recent efforts), something didn't smell right here so we reached out to Samsung directly. The response we got was that this rumor is all "groundless," and the company also specifically said it'll keep an open mind about its PC tower business. Here's the full statement:

"The rumor that Samsung is withdrawing from the PC desktop business is groundless. Samsung will continue to offer diverse products according to market needs, including our recently announced ATIV One 5 Style, a stylish all-in-one PC. We will continue to open all possibilities in PC business including our PC Tower business, to satisfy consumer's diverse lifestyle and needs."

So in a nutshell: nothing to see here, move along. And technically speaking, the Chromebox kinda counts too, right?

Update: Samsung just informed us that it actually launched a couple of desktop PC towers, the 700T3A and 300T3A, in January this year, but only for the Korean B2C market. We got them pictured after the break.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/25/samsung-desktop-pc-tower-business/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Aussie PM Gillard loses leadership ballot to Rudd

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks in parliament in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Supporters of Gillard's chief intra-party rival are again pushing for a vote to oust the Australian prime minister this week. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks in parliament in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Supporters of Gillard's chief intra-party rival are again pushing for a vote to oust the Australian prime minister this week. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd smiles as he sits in parliament during question time in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Supporters of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's chief intra-party rival are again pushing for a vote to oust the Australian prime minister this week. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, top, stares at the opposition leader, Tony Abbott, in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Opposition leader Abbott challenged Gillard to bring forward the election to Aug. 3 because of the leadership wrangling. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd walks in the chambers in the parliament during question time in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Supporters of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's chief intra-party rival are again pushing for a vote to oust the Australian prime minister this week. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks in the parliament in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Supporters of Gillard's chief intra-party rival are again pushing for a vote to oust the Australian prime minister this week. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

(AP) ? Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was ousted as Labor Party leader Wednesday by her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, in a vote of party lawmakers hoping to avoid a huge defeat in upcoming elections.

The ballot took place three years and two days after Gillard ousted Rudd in a similar internal government showdown to become the country's first female prime minister. Wednesday's vote makes Rudd leader of the party, but he is not yet prime minister and may not get the job if lawmakers abandon Labor's ruling coalition.

Party official Chris Hayes said Gillard lost 57 votes to 45.

Rudd will likely have to demonstrate that he can command a majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives before Governor-General Quentin Bryce makes him prime minister as early as Thursday.

If he cannot, opposition leader Tony Abbott could be asked to form a government, or the elections could be moved up from September to August.

Labor controls 71 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, Abbott's coalition holds 72 and the remaining 7 are held by independents or the minor Greens party.

Constitutional lawyer George Williams of the University of New South Wales said it is likely that the government will retain power with the support of independent lawmakers and Rudd as prime minister.

The Sept. 14 election was a Gillard promise. Rudd could call an election as early as Aug. 3.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-06-26-Australia-Politics/id-1141b4b1a96343c69ed47f92d3360cca

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New name emerges among Minnesota's top political givers (Star Tribune)

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Zeebox launches developer portal, widens access to its second screen platform

Zeebox now supports timeshifting and recommendations, adds developer hub

Zeebox is clearly busy these days. It just added automatic show syncing and recommendations to its second screen app a few days ago, and it's back with a new developer portal that opens the Zeebox APIs to everyone, not just partners. Those building mobile and web apps can now integrate Zeebox's guides, social networking and tagging into their projects, as well as create synchronized widgets for Zeebox's own release. If you're inclined to build on the company's TV experience, it's free to try the programming tools you'll find at the source link.

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Source: Zeebox

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/25/zeebox-launches-developer-portal/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Lebanese troops secure hardline cleric's complex

BEIRUT (AP) ? Lebanese troops detonated booby traps at a complex captured from followers of a hardline Sunni cleric on Tuesday, securing the area after two days of fighting that left dozens dead in the port city of Sidon.

Soldiers who blocked off several office and residential buildings around the mosque where Ahmad al-Assir once preached told reporters they were clearing the complex of explosives. An Associated Press photographer on the scene heard several explosions and saw black smoke billowing during the operation.

The fate of Al-Assir, a maverick Sunni sheik who controlled the complex for about two years, is unknown. His rapid rise in popularity among Sunnis underscored the deep frustration of many Lebanese who resent the influence Shiites have gained in government via the militant group Hezbollah.

Official reports said at least 17 soldiers were killed and 50 were wounded in the fighting while more than 20 of al-Assir's supporters died in the battle, according to a security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to reporters.

The fighting, some of the worst involving Lebanese troops in years, was seen as a test of the weak government's ability to contain the furies unleashed by the civil war in neighboring Syria.

Despite the heavy death toll, the military appeared to have successfully put down the threat from al-Assir and his armed supporters by late Monday.

The officials said troops raided several apartments around Sidon on Tuesday in search of al-Assir's followers. Security was tight in hospitals where wounded militants were being treated, they added, with even relatives prevented from visiting them.

"I was surprised. This was not a mosque. It was a security center," outgoing Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told reporters after touring the Bilal bin Rabbah complex in Sidon where al-Assir's supporters had been holed up. He said among the detainees who were fighting with al-Assir were foreigners.

"They brought in foreigners to kill Lebanese," Charbel said, without giving nationalities other than a Sudanese who was detained Tuesday.

President Michel Suleiman said in a statement that army command has been given the "political support" to retaliate against groups that threaten national security.

By noon, streets around al-Assir's complex were packed with people who came to inspect their homes and shops, many of which were damaged during the fighting. Lebanese commandos patrolled streets littered with cars that were burnt-out and riddled with bullets.

Inside the complex, a seven-story building was pockmarked with shells and bullet holes and the top two floors appeared totally burnt. The small mosque where al-Assir preached appeared intact. Troops had avoided hitting it directly.

A woman who came to the area weeping asked to be allowed to enter the complex to see if her son was there. "I saw his picture on TV and he was dead," she screamed, before soldiers directed her search to the hospital morgue.

Earlier Tuesday, the bodies of six fighters were found in the complex and on roofs of nearby buildings. They were later taken away in Lebanese Red Cross ambulances.

The state-run National News Agency reported Tuesday that military prosecutor Saqr Saqr has asked military intelligence to open an investigation into the Sidon clashes and begin interrogating some 40 detainees. On Monday, Saqr issued arrest warrants for al-Assir and 123 of his supporters.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut urged Americans to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of safety and security concerns. "U.S. citizens living and working in Lebanon should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks," it said.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the attacks by militants against the Lebanese Armed Forces, which have resulted in the deaths of a number of soldiers and civilians," said U.S. State Department Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell. He added that the U.S. is fully committed to Lebanon's stability, sovereignty, and independence and said Washington will continue to assist and train security forces.

Sidon, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Beirut, had largely been spared from violence plaguing Lebanon's border areas where Syria's civil war has been spilling over. Fighting in the Mediterranean city began Sunday after troops arrested an al-Assir follower. The army says the cleric's supporters opened fire without provocation on an army checkpoint.

The fighting in Sidon is the bloodiest involving the army since the military fought a three-month battle in 2007 against the al-Qaida-inspired Fatah Islam group inside the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared in northern Lebanon. The Lebanese army crushed the group, but the clashes killed more than 170 soldiers.

Syria's civil war has been bleeding into Lebanon for the past year, following similar sectarian lines of Sunni and Shiite camps. Overstretched and outgunned by militias, the military has struggled on multiple fronts in the eastern Bekaa valley and the northern city of Tripoli, where armed factions have fought street battles that often last several days.

Al-Assir, a 45-year-old cleric, supports the overwhelmingly Sunni rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Also Tuesday, a roadside bomb exploded on the key highway linking Beirut to the Syrian capital without causing casualties, security officials said. They said the small bomb went off early in the morning near the town of Barr Elias, a few kilometers (miles) from the border crossing point of Masnaa.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. It was the second such attack on the highway within weeks.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lebanese-troops-secure-hardline-clerics-complex-111029152.html

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Ecuador Says Snowden Seeks Asylum (WSJ)

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The CW Sets Fall Premieres: 'Tomorrow People,' 'The Originals'

By Tim Kenneally

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The CW's new sci-fi drama "The Tomorrow People" will premiere October 9 at 9 p.m., following the the Season 2 premiere of the network's superhero hit "Arrow."

Meanwhile, the historical drama "Reign" will make its debut on October 10, after the season premiere of "The Vampire Diaries," and the "Vampire Diaries" spinoff "The Originals" will sink its teeth into the CW schedule on October 15, prior to the season premiere of "Supernatural."

The CW released its Fall 2013 premiere dates on Monday, including new series such as "The Originals" and returning shows such as "Hart of Dixie" and "The Carrie Diaries."

Read the full schedule of premiere dates below.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7

8:00-9:00 PM HART OF DIXIE (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Season Premiere)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9

8:00-9:00 PM ARROW (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM THE TOMORROW PEOPLE (Series Premiere)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM REIGN (Series Premiere)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15

8:00-9:00 PM THE ORIGINALS (Series Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL (Season Premiere)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25

8:00-9:00 PM THE CARRIE DIARIES (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL: GUYS AND GIRLS

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cw-sets-fall-premieres-tomorrow-people-originals-211406172.html

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