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Friday, 27 January 2012
Thursday, 26 January 2012
'Real' Housewife Kim Richards Admits: "I'm an Alcoholic"
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kim Richards is finally ready to admit what anyone who watches her show has known all along.
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Giffords says goodbye with a plea for civility (AP)
WASHINGTON ? The applause rolled through the big chamber, growing ever louder as hundreds of Republicans and Democrats suddenly realized Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was back in the House. But this time she had come to say goodbye.
Fellow lawmakers gave her a fitting send-off: cheers, hugs, a cascade of tributes and plenty of tears in a rare moment of political unity.
A year since that fateful Saturday morning when Giffords was severely wounded during a shooting rampage in her home district, the Arizona congresswoman resigned on Wednesday with a plea for civility ? and a hint that she'll be back on the national stage. For now, the 41-year-old said, her movements and speech still halting, she needs to focus on her recovery.
For all the kind words showered on her, Giffords reflected in her resignation letter about a level of respect that seems like an aberration these days in a bitterly divided Washington.
In her five years in Congress, she said, "Always I fought for what I thought was right. But never did I question the character of those with whom I disagreed. Never did I let pass an opportunity to join hands with someone just because he or she held different ideals."
Said Republican Rep. Ted Poe of Texas in the first of many tributes: "Gabby is the spirit of bipartisanship that we should all learn from."
Giffords' friend Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., became emotional before reading Giffords' resignation letter in the well of the House. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., held Giffords' hand. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, cried after Giffords slowly made her way to the podium and handed him the envelope with her resignation letter.
Last January, a gunman opened fire at Giffords' "Congress on Your Corner" event in Tucson, killing six people, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge and wounding 13, including Giffords who suffered a gunshot wound to her head. She has spent the past year recovering, showing up in the House just once last August to vote on raising the nation's borrowing authority.
That appearance stirred speculation about her political future and whether she would seek another term or even pursue an open Senate seat.
Giffords put that talk to rest on Sunday, announcing in a Web video that she would resign this week. On Monday, she met with survivors of the shootings in Arizona, , finishing the event that she had started outside a supermarket. On Tuesday night, she received thunderous applause and a hug from President Barack Obama at his State of the Union address.
Colleagues and friends stood with her, Flake by her side. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., had her back.
On Wednesday, Republicans and Democrats turned a morning debate over Giffords' last bill into a forum to praise her work and perseverance.
"We haven't seen the last of Gabby Giffords," said Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas. "I believe ... whatever the future holds for her she has made this a better place."
Around 10 a.m., Giffords entered the chamber through the main door, the same one Obama used the previous night. Wasserman Schultz assisted her as she made her way down the aisle, greeted warmly by colleagues with kisses and hugs. She sat in the front row for a flurry of tributes. In the gallery sat her mother, Gloria, and husband, retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, the former astronaut.
"All of us come to the floor today ... to salute her as the brightest star among us, the brightest star Congress has ever seen," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said he received a call from Kelly on Sunday informing him of Giffords' plans to resign. He said Giffords' "strength against all odds serves and will continue to serve as a daily inspiration to all of us."
Said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., "The House of Representative has been made proud by this extraordinary daughter of the House. Gabby, we love you, we have missed you."
Prolonged standing ovations and spontaneous whoops marked the tributes. Giffords briefly waved at Kelly and her mother when their names were mentioned.
Surrounded by colleagues and friends, Giffords stood in the well of the chamber to resign. Wasserman Schultz read her two-page letter to Boehner.
"Everyday, I am working hard," Giffords wrote. "I will recover and will return, and we will work together again, for Arizona and for all Americans."
She purposefully made it to the podium to deliver the letter to Boehner.
Moments later, the House, including Giffords, voted for her final piece of legislation ? a bill that would impose tougher penalties on smugglers who use small, low-flying aircraft to avoid radar detection and bring drugs across the Mexican border.
The vote was 408-0. The Senate, which recently passed a version of the bill, is expected to vote Thursday on the measure and send it to Obama for his signature.
Giffords submitted resignation letters to both Boehner and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. It falls to Brewer to set a date for a special primary and general election to fill the Arizona seat. That will probably happen in the spring or early summer. In November, voters will choose someone for the full two-year term.
After the tribute, Kelly said his wife realized stepping down was the right thing to do.
"But I'm more optimistic than anybody else about her future. She just needs some more time, whether it's a year or two years or three years, I'm very confident she's going to have a long and effective career as a public servant," he said.
Asked about her daughter's future, Gloria Giffords said, "I kind of think she's transcended Congress. I don't know where she's going to end up."
"She's remembered every boy she's ever kissed, every song she's ever sang, every bill she's ever passed," she said. "So upward and onward."
___
Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Jim Abrams contributed to this report.
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Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Florida pollsters expect tight race between Gingrich and Romney (The Ticket)
Gingrich and Romney (Eric Gay/AP)
As the As Republican presidential candidates begin campaigning in Florida before next Tuesday's primaries, two polling groups are anticipating tight race in the state between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.
Results from InsiderAdvantage, a Republican polling firm run by a former Gingrich staffer, shows the former House Speaker leading by eight points in the Sunshine State, after weeks of polling behind Romney. The poll of 557 registered Republican voters showed Gingrich with 34 percent, and Romney with 26 percent. Ron Paul is in third with 13 percent with Santorum trailing with 11 percent.
"The poll shows a huge bounce for Newt Gingrich, coming out of? South Carolina," IA pollster Matt Towery told Newsmax Magazine.
Meanwhile, Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm, says their first night of survey results show Gingrich and Romney "neck and neck," although the group has not yet released its official results.
"[Two] more people picked Mitt than Newt out of about 600 people we polled tonight," said PPP pollster Tom Jenson on Twitter. "That's how close we're talking."
On Monday, Rasmussen released a new poll showing Gingrich leading Romney by nine percentage points. The survey of 750 likely Republican voters taken Sunday night by telephone, shows 41 percent saying they will support Gingrich over 32 percent for Romney. The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points, suggests a major swing for Gingrich in just the past few weeks, when he trailed Romney by more than 20 percentage points in a Florida Rasmussen survey released on Jan. 12.
The candidates plan to face off twice this week in Florida, with debates on Monday and Thursday nights.
Other popular Yahoo! News stories:
? Finally, a real party at Gingrich HQ: Scenes from the victory party
? Romney defeat exposes significant weaknesses for potential battle with Obama
? Romney rips into Gingrich (without uttering his name) in primary speech
Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook, follow uson Twitter, or add us on Tumblr.
Handy with a camera? Join our Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Wasp found in upstate New York shows up in Southern California
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Public release date: 24-Jan-2012[ | E-mail |
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University of California - Riverside
UC Riverside entomologist discovered Gonatocerus ater in Irvine; wasp arrived in the United States from Europe
RIVERSIDE, Calif. In August 2010, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside discovered a tiny fairyfly wasp in upstate New York that had never been seen in the United States until then. Nearly exactly a year later, he discovered the wasp in Irvine, Calif., strongly suggesting that the wasp is well established in the country.
Called Gonatocerus ater, the wasp is about 1 millimeter long and arrived in North America from Europe. It lays its eggs inside the eggs of leafhoppers.
Leafhopper females lay their eggs inside plant tissue. Gonatocerus ater females find these eggs and lay their own eggs inside them. When the wasp eggs hatch, the larvae eat the leafhopper eggs.
"This wasp was accidentally introduced in North America," said Serguei Triapitsyn, the principal museum scientist in the Department of Entomology and the director of the Entomology Research Museum, who made the discovery. "It most likely got here in parasitized eggs of the leafhoppers in twigs of Lombardy poplar seedlings coming from Europe, perhaps long ago."
Triapitsyn explained that the wasp had been reported in Italy where the leafhopper Rhytidodus decimaquartus was determined to be its host.
"In California, we do not know if the wasp's host is this leafhopper, but I found it on the same Lombardy poplar trees that had the wasp, so an association is very likely," he said.
Triapitsyn found the wasp on August 7, 2011, when he was doing field work along a trail. He caught the insects in a net that he had swept over Lombardy poplar leaves. He preserved the sample of insects in ethanol and brought it to his lab at UC Riverside for analysis and identification, which can take long. He got a positive identification of the potential leafhopper host only two weeks ago.
"I identified the wasp as Gonatocerus ater by comparing it to wasps from upstate New York and also Europe," he said. "It would not surprise me if this wasp is found wherever Lombardy poplars are located because its likely leafhopper host prefers these trees for feeding."
According to Triapitsyn, the wasp poses no known risk besides killing leafhopper eggs.
"It actually helps naturally control leafhopper numbers," he said. "In its absence, leafhopper populations could have skyrocketed. This illustrates how plant pests are sometimes accompanied by their natural enemies across very long distances without our knowledge."
In August 2010, Triapitsyn discovered another species of Gonatocerus on a large willow tree in the middle of a lawn on the campus of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY.
"This wasp, which has yet to be described, is native to the United States," he said. "The fact that I found it in a relatively well visited and studied area shows just how little we know about these minute insects."
###
The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 20,500 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.
A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 24-Jan-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala
iqbal@ucr.edu
951-827-6050
University of California - Riverside
UC Riverside entomologist discovered Gonatocerus ater in Irvine; wasp arrived in the United States from Europe
RIVERSIDE, Calif. In August 2010, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside discovered a tiny fairyfly wasp in upstate New York that had never been seen in the United States until then. Nearly exactly a year later, he discovered the wasp in Irvine, Calif., strongly suggesting that the wasp is well established in the country.
Called Gonatocerus ater, the wasp is about 1 millimeter long and arrived in North America from Europe. It lays its eggs inside the eggs of leafhoppers.
Leafhopper females lay their eggs inside plant tissue. Gonatocerus ater females find these eggs and lay their own eggs inside them. When the wasp eggs hatch, the larvae eat the leafhopper eggs.
"This wasp was accidentally introduced in North America," said Serguei Triapitsyn, the principal museum scientist in the Department of Entomology and the director of the Entomology Research Museum, who made the discovery. "It most likely got here in parasitized eggs of the leafhoppers in twigs of Lombardy poplar seedlings coming from Europe, perhaps long ago."
Triapitsyn explained that the wasp had been reported in Italy where the leafhopper Rhytidodus decimaquartus was determined to be its host.
"In California, we do not know if the wasp's host is this leafhopper, but I found it on the same Lombardy poplar trees that had the wasp, so an association is very likely," he said.
Triapitsyn found the wasp on August 7, 2011, when he was doing field work along a trail. He caught the insects in a net that he had swept over Lombardy poplar leaves. He preserved the sample of insects in ethanol and brought it to his lab at UC Riverside for analysis and identification, which can take long. He got a positive identification of the potential leafhopper host only two weeks ago.
"I identified the wasp as Gonatocerus ater by comparing it to wasps from upstate New York and also Europe," he said. "It would not surprise me if this wasp is found wherever Lombardy poplars are located because its likely leafhopper host prefers these trees for feeding."
According to Triapitsyn, the wasp poses no known risk besides killing leafhopper eggs.
"It actually helps naturally control leafhopper numbers," he said. "In its absence, leafhopper populations could have skyrocketed. This illustrates how plant pests are sometimes accompanied by their natural enemies across very long distances without our knowledge."
In August 2010, Triapitsyn discovered another species of Gonatocerus on a large willow tree in the middle of a lawn on the campus of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY.
"This wasp, which has yet to be described, is native to the United States," he said. "The fact that I found it in a relatively well visited and studied area shows just how little we know about these minute insects."
###
The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 20,500 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.
A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/uoc--wfi012412.php
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Drought returns to Sahel, bringing hunger
DAKAR, Senegal?? For the third time in the past decade, drought has returned to the arid, western shoulder of Africa, bringing hunger to millions. Aid agencies are warning that if action is not taken now, the region known as the Sahel could slip into crisis.
More than 1 million children in the eight affected countries are expected to face life-threatening malnutrition this year, according to the United Nations Children's Fund. The region has not yet recovered from the last drought two years ago, and many families lost their herds which means that they will not have assets to purchase food.
Aid workers also worry that donors are suffering from "famine fatigue," as the looming West African crisis comes just six months after Somalia's capital was declared a famine zone.
"I think there is a real risk that people may think this is the kind of thing that just happens every few years," Stephen Cockburn, the West Africa regional campaign manager for Oxfam, said of the droughts in the Sahel.
Earlier this week, aid agencies revealed that thousands of people died needlessly in the Horn of Africa because donors waited until people started dying to respond. The warning signs were there as early as August 2010 but aid wasn't ramped up until July 2011.
Signs of the looming famine in the Sahel were first detected late last year, according to the report released Wednesday by Oxfam and Save the Children. The lessons of Somalia and the Horn of Africa, where as many as 100,000 people died, are front and center in how aid agencies are responding to the potential famine in West Africa.
"Everyone recognizes in looking back that there was a delay in responding (in the Horn of Africa). Tens of thousands of people died because of that delay ... We know from this recent and painful experience what the risks are," said Cockburn.
He said that there could be more hope for the Sahel, since the indications of a crisis have been detected early on.
"The alarms (for the Sahel) were already sounding in November and December. Every country in the region, and every president in the region, has recognized this and asked for outside help," he said.
The U.N. children's agency was among the agencies reacting early. The organization issued an appeal in December and began ordering therapeutic foods for infants and toddlers. By then, Niger had already issued its own alert saying that more than half the country's villages were vulnerable to food insecurity.
Droughts in the Sahel ? a region spanning eight countries, including northern Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, northern Nigeria, Cameroon and southern Chad ? have become increasingly frequent with emergencies declared in 2005, 2008 and 2010. The consequences are especially dire for children, said UNICEF spokesman Martin Dawes.
"In this crisis adults will suffer, but children will die. Why? Because nutrition deterioration is a vicious cycle ? in growing, the body requires more to replace and make up what it lacks and when the right kinds of food are not available the situation gets worse," said Dawes. "They go from moderately malnourished to acute, and lifesaving intervention is needed."
As the child gets weaker, he or she becomes more vulnerable to routine problems, like diarrhea. The child is less able to fend off diseases, and the effects are more pronounced, Dawes said.
Even during a non-drought year, as many as 300,000 children die of malnutrition in the Sahel, says Cockburn. It's a region that is perpetually on the edge, and any extra shock sends it over the precipice.
"The increasing frequency of droughts in the Sahel means that communities have had little time to recover from the last food crisis," according to Malek Triki, the Dakar-based spokesman for the U.N. World Food Program. "Their savings are exhausted and livestock herds have not been rebuilt."
The United Nations is already purchasing food and deploying specialized teams to the region. Grain prices across the region are rising and WFP has observed a rush on maize by wholesalers, who are buying up local stocks. Markets are emptying and staples including millet and sorghum are now in short supply.
Traders from the Sahel are traveling increasingly greater distances to buy maize, with some spotted as far as northern Ivory Coast, according to the WFP.
Cockburn said that the hard-learned lessons of Somalia are already bearing fruit. He is cautiously optimistic by the response from the European Union, which announced this week that it is doubling its humanitarian aid for the Sahel.
Kristalina Georgieva, the European commissioner for humanitarian aid visited Niger on Wednesday in order to see the problem up close.
"Within months people will begin to starve unless we act," she said, according to a statement posted on the European Union's website. "The alarm bells are ringing."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46090345/ns/weather/
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Monday, 23 January 2012
Heidi Klum and Seal Confirm It's Over; Singer's Temper Reportedly to Blame
Two days after reports first surfaced that they are divorcing, Heidi Klum and Seal have confirmed that they are splitting up after almost seven years of marriage.
In a statement to People, the Project Runway host and the singer say:
"While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate."
"We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and while we continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart."
"This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition."
"We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children's sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy."
The couple are parents to Leni, 7, Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2.
The model, 38, and singer, 48, began dating in 2003, got engaged in 2004 and wed in 2005. Despite reports that the split was not a done deal, it is.
So what triggered the seemingly perfect couple's breakup?
TMZ, which first reported the story of the impending divorce, says Heidi's decision to leave Seal has nothing to do with a third party or infidelity.
Seal's inability to control his anger has become too much for Heidi to take, however, in no small part because it's affecting their four small children.
It was not a snap decision. A source said, "It was a long time in coming."
Their careers also played a part in Heidi's decision. She has become an extremely rich entrepreneur, and that professional evolution created a distance between them.
For his part, Seal has a new album coming out and he's about to launch an international tour, so the distance factor was about to get even worse as well.
[Photo: WENN.com]
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Analysis: Iran's softer Gulf words don't mean nuclear shift (Reuters)
TEHRAN (Reuters) ? Iran has stepped back from a threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, but while its softened rhetoric appears to be aimed at de-escalating military tensions, it does not indicate any change of stance on its nuclear program.
"Iran's leadership has a strong sense of self-preservation," said Robert Smith, a consultant at Facts Global Energy. "The comments can likely be interpreted as a sign of cooler heads prevailing."
A senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Saturday the likely return of U.S. naval vessels to the region was "not a new issue and ... should be interpreted as part of their permanent presence.
That was a significant shift from earlier this month when Tehran said the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier, which left at the end of December during Iranian naval maneuvers, should not return - an order interpreted by some observers in Iran and Washington as a blanket threat to any U.S. carriers.
Only a few weeks ago Tehran was threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, used by a third of the world's seaborne oil trade, if new sanctions cripple its oil exports - exactly the effect Washington and Europe are aiming for.
European Union foreign ministers are set to meet on Monday to agree a ban on importing oil from Iran and sanctions signed by U.S. President Barack Obama on New Year's Eve aim to make it impossible for countries around the world to buy Iranian crude.
Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, who had said Iran would not allow "even one drop of oil" through the strait if oil sanctions are imposed, was less fiery in remarks reported on Sunday.
"Today they (the West) have launched a new game against Iran but it is clear that we will resist against their excessive demands," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.
But while Iran may be reining in its most hawkish rhetoric, and calling for a resumption of talks with world powers that stalled a year ago [ID:nL6E8CI1Q1], it is no closer to offering concessions on the nuclear issue that could lead to an easing of sanctions.
OIL IMPACT
One Western diplomat in Tehran compared Iran's offer of talks to its position before the last round of sanctions were imposed in mid-2010.
"They were saying then: 'Let's have talks,' but it wasn't followed up by any kind of concrete commitment," he said, adding that, despite several public declarations of goodwill, Tehran has yet to deliver a reply to a letter Ashton sent to Tehran on October 21 letter offering to resume talks.
"Iran is not softening its stance," said Meir Javedanfar, Iran analyst and co-author of "The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran."
"It's changing its strategy after realizing that its ill-timed and exaggerated threat to close the Strait of Hormuz in case of sanctions caused more damage to its stance and position than anyone else."
The change in Iran's rhetoric could add to the bearish direction of oil prices which were down on Friday due to signs of reduced demand.
"The result of Iran softening its stance, amongst other factors, will contribute to an easing of oil markets," Smith said, adding that the impact will be limited.
"If recent events are any indication, the markets have listened to Iran's rhetoric so many times that its impact has become quite muted compared to the reactions of, say, five years ago."
While the likelihood of imminent naval clashes in the Gulf may have receded, Iran could yet see through its threat of closing Hormuz in the event of an Israeli air strike on its nuclear facilities, Javedanfar said.
"Iran could still block the strait of Hormuz in case of a preemptive strike against it.
"This is a scenario which nobody could or should ignore, despite the fact that the recent threat to close the strait in case of sanctions turned out to be a bluff."
(Additional reporting by Hashem Kalantari; Editing by Myra MacDonald)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/wl_nm/us_iran_gulf
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Sunday, 22 January 2012
Generation 88 activists back Myanmar's reform path
Min Ko Naing, a leader of the 88 Generation Students Group, speaks during a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. The nearly legendary student leader from Myanmar's failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising was freed on Jan. 13 as part of a presidential pardon for 651 detainees. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)
Min Ko Naing, a leader of the 88 Generation Students Group, speaks during a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. The nearly legendary student leader from Myanmar's failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising was freed on Jan. 13 as part of a presidential pardon for 651 detainees. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)
Activists of the 88 Generation Students Group, including Min Ko Naing, seated third left, Ko Ko Gyi, seated third right, and Htay Kywe, seated second left, attend a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)
Ko Ko Gyi, center, an activist of the 88 Generation Students Group, talks during a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)
Htay Kywe, center, an activist of the 88 Generation Students Group, talks during a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Prominent student activists recently released from prison in Myanmar said Saturday they will work with political reformers and support pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in upcoming by-elections.
Min Ko Naing, a top member of the 88 Generation Students Group, said it would always side with those who strive for "fairness, freedom and equality" and join hands with supporters of President Thein Sein's reforms.
The group's name refers to a failed democracy uprising in 1988 that resulted in long prison terms for the activists. They were at the cutting edge of that rebellion and are widely admired for their perseverance and dedication despite the threat of re-arrest always hanging over them.
At least four 88 Generation members spoke at the news conference, attended by about 500 people, including many of their supporters. It was their first joint public appearance since being released from prison on Jan. 13.
Thein Sein took office last year as chief executive of a military-backed but elected government after two decades of military repression made Myanmar a pariah state. Reforms he has initiated include starting a dialogue with Suu Kyi, legalizing labor unions and signing a cease-fire agreement in a long-running campaign against Karen insurgents.
An 88 Generation statement said the group "will participate to the fullest extent with the government led by the President, the parliament, military, political parties and ethnic minority groups for the emergence of democracy, peace and development."
"There are those who want to carry out reforms and those who are averse to reforms. We promise that the 88 Generation Students will side with the reformists," said Min Ko Naing.
Suu Kyi has expressed cautious optimism in the reform movement and lent her support by having her National League for Democracy reregister as a legal political party, and contest all 48 seats at stake in an April 1 by-election. The NLD had boycotted the November 2010 general election, saying it was conducted in an unfair and undemocratic manner.
Another Generation 88 member, Ko Ko Gyi, said the group would not run in the upcoming polls but "will support ... Aung San Suu Kyi who has made a risky and practical choice in order to achieve national reconciliation."
Some critics fear the military is using Suu Kyi as window-dressing to promote Myanmar as democratic while the countries constitution ensures army dominance over politics. For more than two decades, the military had kept the upper hand despite Suu Kyi's nonviolent resistance, armed conflict with ethnic minority groups, and political and economic sanctions by Western nations.
Another Generation 88 member, Mya Aye said that many political prisoners remain in prison.
"The fact is that the government's denial to acknowledge the existence of political prisoners amounts to ignoring the reality," he said.
After the initial euphoria over this month's release of about 500 political prisoners, it became evident that many convicts who are political detainees by most definitions remain behind bars because they were convicted of crimes not regarded by the government as political offenses.
The number of those still held is nearly impossible to determine because of the various crimes under which they are held and the limited information available about the detainees.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), based in neighboring Thailand, welcomed the releases, but pointed out that they are conditional and can be withdrawn, putting practical limits on those freed.
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Aspirin merits testing for prevention of cervical cancer in HIV-infected women
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Research conducted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center global health investigators and cancer specialists in New York, Qatar and Haiti suggests that aspirin should be evaluated for its ability to prevent development of cervical cancer in HIV-infected women.
The report, published in the current issue of journal Cancer Prevention Research, says this simple and inexpensive solution has the potential to provide enormous benefit for women in the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa, who suffer from a disproportionately high rate of cervical cancer death.
Preventive aspirin use could be especially useful in Haiti, where invasive cervical cancer is a common cause of death in HIV-infected women. The country also has the highest reported incidence of cervical cancer in the world and one of the highest HIV infection rates in the Western Hemisphere.
"These young patients -- many of whom were mothers and the sole support for their families -- had worked hard to have their HIV controlled with antiretroviral therapy, only to develop and die from cervical cancer," says the study's lead researcher, Dr. Daniel Fitzgerald, an associate professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College who lived in Haiti for seven years and continues to treat HIV patients there.
Dr. Fitzgerald is a key member of the Weill Cornell Medical College Center for Global Health and directs the College's collaboration with GHESKIO, a Haitian non-governmental organization dedicated to providing clinical service, research and training in HIV/AIDS since 1980.
"The results of this collaborative effort will make a real difference for women living in one of the poorest nations in the world," he says. "It is wonderful that clinicians and scientists from different parts of the world were able to come together to address such a critical issue of care."
The researchers discovered that HIV induces expression of the COX-2/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) inflammatory pathway in cervical tissue samples from Haitian women who were infected with HIV. The findings tie two known facts together: that HIV causes chronic inflammation; and that PGE2, which is elevated during inflammation, is linked to cancer development in a number of tumor types, including cervical cancer.
The fact that HIV ramps up production of PGE2 in cervical tissue was not known before this study, the researchers say.
This may help explain why HIV-positive women are five times more likely to develop invasive cervical cancer than HIV-negative women. It also suggests that inhibitors of the COX-2 molecule (which contributes to the production of PGE2) might break the link between HIV and cervical cancer. Aspirin is one of the cheapest and most effective COX inhibitors.
"The findings in this study provide new insights into the link between viral infection and inflammation, two known drivers of cancer development," says senior author Dr. Andrew Dannenberg, director of the Weill Cornell Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and the Henry R. Erle, M.D.?Roberts Family Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.
"Future studies will be needed to determine whether aspirin-like agents, known inhibitors of prostaglandin production, can reduce the risk of cervical cancer in this high-risk population," he adds.
The researchers examined levels of COX-2 and PGE-M (a stable metabolite of PGE2) in three groups of women and found increased levels of both molecules in 13 women who were co-infected with HIV and HPV. COX-2 and PGE-M were also elevated in 18 HIV-infected women with a negative HPV test and lowest in 17 HIV-negative women who also were not infected with HPV.
The findings thus demonstrate that HIV infection is associated with increased cervical COX-2 and elevated systemic PGE2 levels, says Dr. Fitzgerald. Co-infection with HPV adds to the cervical cancer risk. Future studies will seek to define the population of women that may benefit from daily use of aspirin or related inhibitors.
Dr. Fitzgerald, along with GHESKIO physician and study co-author Dr. Cynthia Riviere, initiated the clinical research program to care for and prevent cervical cancer in HIV-positive women in Haiti after they began noticing an increasing report of cases.
"The goal is to give patients in Haiti the same standard of treatment found in any cancer center," says Dr. Jeremie Arash Rafii Tabrizi, assistant professor of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar who has treated women at the GHESKIO clinic. "We are focusing on procedures that will allow for a reduction of morbidity -- as this is a major concern in this population -- as well as a reduction of risk of recurrence."
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New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College: http://www.med.cornell.edu
Thanks to Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College for this article.
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Saturday, 21 January 2012
International Development - Communications Manager Washington ...
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Devex is a social enterprise serving its members ? leading firms, donor agencies, and NGOs working in international development, global health and humanitarian assistance ? through business information and recruiting services. We operate devex.com, the most popular international development website. Our members include CARE, Microsoft, World Bank, UNDP, ADB and thousands of international development professionals working around the world. Our international organization is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in Barcelona, London, Manila, and Tokyo.
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The world?s most popular international aid & development web media brand ? Devex ? has an opportunity for a web-savvy communications and marketing professional who gets our market.
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Devex is seeking a bright and driven professional with some communications and/or marketing experience, the ability to write for the web, and strong project management skills.? This is a full-time staff position available in our Washington, DC.? There?s lots of room for growth and compensation is competitive.
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Primary Responsibility: Project Management
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- Project manage marketing and communications projects such as special featured content for the Devex website or marketing materials, micro-sites, and special promotions on social media
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Manage Devex Events
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Friday, 20 January 2012
Obama's rejection of the Keystone pipeline: Winners and losers (The Week)
New York ? Republicans all but dared the president to say no to a big Canada-to-Texas pipeline project, and Obama took the bait. A look at the fallout
As part of last year's payroll-tax deal, congressional Republicans squeezed a seemingly unrelated promise out of President Obama: Instead of punting until after the 2012 election, he'd have to decide by Feb. 21 whether to allow TransCanada to build an oil pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to the Texas Gulf Coast. On Wednesday, Obama made his decision,?denying TransCanada's permit request ? at least for now. The State Department notes that TransCanada can still reapply for a permit, and the company says it will try again. But in the meantime, the political fallout was swift and immediate. Here, some winners and losers from the rejected Keystone project:
WINNERS
SEE MORE: Will Iran's oil threat lead to $5 gas?
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Environmentalists
"Environmental activists deserve to take a bow" for the (at least temporary) death of Keystone XL, says Steve Benen at?Washington Monthly. They successfully increased "visibility of the issue, and the pressure no doubt affected White House" thinking on the pipeline. "Denying this one permit isn't going to halt climate change," says Erik Loomis at?Lawyers, Guns, and Money. But keeping environmentally awful tar-sands crude from flowing through, and spilling into, the U.S. Midwest is "a pretty big victory for those trying to move us to a cleaner energy future."
Mitt Romney
Obama's rejection of the Keystone pipeline "is being greeted with glee by Republicans" and their probable 2012 presidential nominee, says Jennifer Rubin at?The Washington Post. And rightly so: Romney immediately recognized the "political gift" Obama had given him, accusing the president of robbing America of potential jobs and confusing "the national interest with his own interest in pleasing the environmentalists in his political base." You can bet that Romney will "make the Keystone pipeline a centerpiece of his general-election campaign," says Jonathan Chait at?New York.
SEE MORE: Will ethanol survive without government subsidies?
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President Obama
The Keystone rejection was "politically beneficial to all parties involved," including Obama, say Glenn Thrush and Darren Samuelsohn at?Politico. In fact, except for angering labor unions, this is "no-brainer election-year politics" for the president. The pipeline was as much a cause celebre for deep-pocketed environmentalists as it was for pro-pipeline Republicans, and only one of those groups cuts Obama checks. Besides, says Ed Morrissey at?Hot Air, in punting the decision until after the election, Obama essentially got what he wanted in the first place, House GOP be damned.
LOSERS
President Obama
Republicans rightly point out that Keystone would have resulted "in job gains during a sluggish economic recovery" ? the key issue in the election, says The Washington Post in an editorial. And it has to sting that Obama's own jobs council just recommended building oil pipelines. "The Obama team knew that the issue had the potential to be a loser no matter how it was decided," says Alex Koppelman at?The New Yorker. "Congressional Republicans aren't stupid" to have forced his hand.
Big Oil
"There have been very few days in the last two decades when the scientists have been smiling and Big Oil scowling," but this is one of them, says Bill McKibben at?The Daily Beast. Building a "leaky pipeline" through the Midwest that would raise gas prices there, for fuel that would be shipped overseas, only makes sense for one reason: "To make even more money for the richest industry on earth." Killing Keystone won't stop climate change, "but it does stop Big Oil's winning streak, and that's a hopeful sign."
U.S.-Canada relations
Obama's decision "will probably be ugly for U.S.-Canada relations,"?says Michael Levi at?The Washington Post. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had made the pipeline a top priority, and he even invoked Iran's oil blockade threat to change Obama's mind. After the decision, Canada started threatening to ship their tar sands exports to China. "Certainly,"?David Pumphrey at the Center for Strategic and International Studies?tells?Bloomberg, this "introduces new uncertainties into the economic relationship" between the U.S. and Canada.
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Capsule reviews of `Haywire,' other new releases (AP)
"Haywire"_ A straight-up action picture may sound unusual coming from Steven Soderbergh, but as he's repeatedly demonstrated throughout his career, he's keen to experiment with every genre imaginable. And if you look closely here, you'll find it reveals glimmers of some of his greatest hits, including "The Limey," "Traffic" and the "Ocean's" movies. By comparison, it feels like minor Soderbergh: zippy, hugely entertaining and well-crafted as always (since he once again serves as his own cinematographer and editor), but not one of his more important films. It does, however, mark the auspicious film debut of MMA superstar Gina Carano as special-ops bad-ass Mallory Kane. Carano had never acted before, and not only did she do all her own stunts, she had to do them in a way that she wouldn't injure her male co-stars, including Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender and Channing Tatum. Her dialogue delivery may seem a bit stiff ? and she has acknowledged that Soderbergh made some tweaks to her voice in post-production ? but she has tremendous presence: an intriguing mix of muscular power and eye-catching femininity. Mallory must figure out who double-crossed her, and why, after a mission in Barcelona. Soderbergh wisely emphasizes Carano's strengths. He lets the elaborate fight scenes play out ? lets us see every kick, punch and body slam ? without a lot of needless edits and even without any music. You may feel as if you've been worked over as well. But in a good way. R for some violence. 93 minutes. Three stars out of four.
? Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic
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"Miss Bala"_ Gerardo Naranjo may have made the least-glamorous movie ever about a pageant queen. And that's what makes it so beautiful. With long, fluid takes that create a mesmerizing tension, the Mexican director and writer initially draws us into a world of youthful optimism, one which ends up being wildly unpredictable and increasingly desperate. Sadly, it couldn't be more relevant in depicting the brutal violence plaguing Mexico's northern border areas. At its center is the gorgeous, leggy Stephanie Sigman, a former model making her striking film debut. Sigman stars as Laura Guerrero, a young woman who hopes to be crowned the next Miss Baja California. (The title is a play on words: "bala" means bullet in Spanish.) When Laura goes to a club with her best friend, she finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, as gang members shoot the place up while targeting some DEA agents who are partying there. Laura escapes briefly but she's seen too much, and ends up becoming their captive pawn. The group's leader is the wily Lino (a subtly menacing Noe Fernandez), who's been terrorizing northern Mexico with his minions while working the angles across the United States border, as well. Lino at first forces Laura to run a few errands, but the tasks become more and more dangerous. R for language, some brutal violence and sexuality. In Spanish with English subtitles. 113 minutes. Three stars out of four.
? Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic
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"Red Tails" ? The famed Tuskegee Airmen get the John Wayne-style heroic rendering they very much deserve, but also a hackneyed and weirdly context-less story that does them a disservice. George Lucas' pet project has the laudable goal of proving all-black movies can be a success, but "Red Tails" reduces a historical story of deep cultural significance to merely a flyboy flick. The film, directed by TV veteran Anthony Hemingway, superimposes the tale of the black World War II pilots on a dated, white genre of 1940s patriotic propaganda. "Red Tails" is blatantly old-fashioned, just with a change in color. It focuses entirely on aerial combat in Europe, skipping all that pesky backstory of black men braving the segregation of Jim Crowe America and, against the odds, rising up at the Tuskegee Institute. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard play higher-ups, but the film is centered on a band of pilots, particularly the brash, talented Joe "Lightning" Little (David Oyelowo) and his alcoholic captain Marty "Easy" Julian (Nate Parker). The script, by John Ridley and Boondocks cartoonist Aaron McGruder is swaggering but hopelessly corny and curiously avoids really fleshing out the Tuskegee Airmen's other battle front: racism at home. The dogfights, though, are elegant and clearly staged, set against a majestic European landscape. PG-13 for some sequences of war violence. 125 minutes. Two stars out of four.
? Jake Coyle, AP Entertainment Writer.
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Thursday, 19 January 2012
Today on New Scientist: 17 January 2012
Vegetarian orang-utans eat world's cutest animal
When fruit gets scarce for Sumatran orang-utans, some adopt an unusual coping strategy: they hunt slow lorises
Singing mummy found in Valley of the Kings
The first mummy not linked to the ancient Egyptian royal families has been discovered in the Valley of the Kings - a 3000-year-old singer
Death by helium for cosmos-mapping Planck observatory
The last of the spacecraft tasked with measuring the big bang's echo has run out of liquid coolant, effectively ending the mission
Math in a Minute: How to create a spaghetti monster
Watch a chaotic mathematical structure take shape from a single knot
The rationality and repercussions of Instinct
Matthew Maguire's new play explores the collision of scientific reasoning and human instinct
Cruise ships shouldn't capsize so fast, says union
A maritime union is leading calls for the redesign of cruise liners after the fatal capsizing of the Costa Concordia
Bitcoin online currency gets new job in web security
The once-trendy virtual currency is being repurposed to secure e-voting systems and circumvent internet censorship
Retina cell growth measured by lasers
The cone cells in the retina grow 24 times faster than fingernails, a laser-based measuring approach finds
Blood test on mother detects fetus's sex at five weeks
A test for the presence of male fetal DNA in early pregnancy identifies sex of a baby with complete accuracy
How many languages can one person speak?
Michael Erard sets out on the trail of hyperpolyglots in Babel No More: The search for the world's most extraordinary language learners
Wikipedia to shut for 24 hours over US anti-piracy laws
The online encyclopedia will take action alongside other high-profile websites by blacking out its pages on Wednesday
FDA bans some - but not all - farmyard antibiotics
The US Food and Drug Administration has restricted the farmyard use of antibiotics to prevent livestock illness, for fear that they may generate superbugs
China set to launch first caps on CO2 emissions
In preparation for future national markets in greenhouse gas emissions, China has ordered seven provinces and cities to set absolute caps on emissions
Roaming quakes: is New York or London due a big one?
Lurking clusters of seismic energy could explain why large earthquakes have occurred where we least expected them
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City of Jerusalem Appoints Steinreich Communications to Promote
City of Jerusalem Appoints Steinreich Communications to Promote
City of Jerusalem Appoints Steinreich Communications to Promote Tourism
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HACKENSACK, N.J., Jan. 17, 2012 - Steinreich Communications Group, Inc., an international public relations firm based in New Jersey, said today that it was awarded an 18-month contract to serve as agency of record for the City of Jerusalem in Israel, to promote tourism through the municipality?s Jerusalem Development Authority.
The campaign will be anchored around the key calendar events, kicking off with the Second Annual Jerusalem Marathon in March, the first Jerusalem Ice Festival in March and April, and the Light Festival in June and the Jerusalem Opera and Classical Music festivals in September.? These events are designed to showcase the diverse and varied fields of interest of the millions who visit Jerusalem every year.
Steinreich Communications was chosen for its cultural and tourist promotional campaign that emphasized the multi-faceted attractions the city has to offer. Late last year, the agency was one of five firms invited to participate in a public bidding process for the work.
?Jerusalem is not only a city rich in religious and world history, but is also increasingly becoming an important global destination for cultural and sport tourism. Our program will employ traditional and social media tools to highlight the venues, hotels and infrastructure development that make the city such a key destination to visit,? said Steinreich Communications President & CEO Stan Steinreich.
The agency?s Israel office Co-Managing Director Jason Pearlman will lead the implementation team for the assignment.
?It is an honor to have been chosen for this key assignment with one of the most important tourism destinations in the world,? said Pearlman. ?We offer a unique ability for the municipality to tap into our resources not only on the ground in Israel, but from our other offices abroad. Working synergistically, we are able to provide a very seamless approach to international service.?
Founded in 2003, Steinreich Communications Group, Inc. is an international full-service public relations firm singularly focused on consistently delivering measurable results to its clients. With offices in New Jersey, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, London, Frankfurt and Tel Aviv, the firm offers client services that include media relations, social networking, investor and community relations, philanthropy, government affairs, employee communications and crisis communications.
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Contact:
Bill Bray
Steinreich Communications
201-498-1600
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SOURCE Steinreich Communications Group, Inc.
Steinreich Communications Group, Inc.
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Wednesday, 18 January 2012
GOP maps strategy in wake of payroll tax debacle
Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, front right, shakes hands with a boy during a visit to the Vidigal slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday Jan. 9, 2012. Boehner toured a Rio de Janeiro shantytown that has recently been taken over from drug traffickers by police. Boehner is leading a seven-member congressional delegation to Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, front right, shakes hands with a boy during a visit to the Vidigal slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday Jan. 9, 2012. Boehner toured a Rio de Janeiro shantytown that has recently been taken over from drug traffickers by police. Boehner is leading a seven-member congressional delegation to Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
FILE - In this photo taken Nov. 16, 2011, astronaut and former Ohio Sen. John Glenn, center, poses with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., left, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., on Capitol Hill in Washington, during a ceremony where Glenn received a Congressional Gold Medal. Glenn says he believes an "unattractive" elections process discourages the best people from pursuing public service. The 90-year-old Democrat is optimistic that good people will run for office but understands some might shy from opening their lives to intense public scrutiny, he told The Columbus Dispatch in a wide-ranging interview published Sunday, Jan. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? When last seen in Washington, House Republicans were furious with their own leader, Speaker John Boehner, and angry with their Senate Republican brethren over how the showdown over the Social Security tax cut turned into a year-end political debacle.
The holidays and three weeks away from the Capitol have tempered some of the bad feelings, but several GOP lawmakers' emotions are still raw as Congress returns for a 2012 session certain to be driven by election-year politics and fierce fights over the size and scope of government and its taxing, spending and borrowing practices.
In the week before Christmas, House Republicans revolted against the Senate-passed deal to extend the payroll tax cut for two months for 160 million workers and ensure jobless benefits for millions more long-term unemployed. Facing intense political pressure, Boehner, R-Ohio, caved, daring tea partyers and other dissenters to challenge his decision to pass the short-term plan without a roll-call vote. None stepped forward to stop him.
"A lot of us who went into battle turned around and no one was behind us," freshman Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., said last week, sounding like the fight was still fresh and insistent that leadership had abandoned them.
"A lot of us are still smarting," he added.
The two-month extension that Senate Republican and Democratic leaders Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid had characterized as a draw ended up as a big victory for President Barack Obama at the end of a year in which Republicans had forced him to accept a series of spending cuts.
Grievances are certain to be aired at a House GOP retreat in Baltimore later this week. The strategy and agenda session also will be a gripe session for some of the 242 House Republicans.
"It might be a little more spunky than normal," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah.
Senators come back to Capitol Hill on Jan. 23.
The wave of Republicans who lifted the GOP to the House majority in the 2010 elections emerged from their first year frustrated by the limitations of divided government and the recurring, down-to-the-wire fights over spending ? in April, the squabble was over keeping the government operating, and in August lawmakers dueled over increasing the nation's borrowing authority. And at year's end, there was another rhetorical shoot-out over keeping the government running.
Tea partyers who came to Washington intent on deep cuts to counter the growing deficit railed against the budget numbers and the all-too-frequent fights.
"There was a Groundhog Day quality to 2011," said freshman Rep. Nan Hayworth, R-N.Y.
Boehner, who frequently had to rally the disparate elements of his caucus, was a bit bruised by the year's final act. Still, he remains well in control of his caucus, with Republicans recognizing that any leadership challenge or internal strife now would be politically disastrous.
In the coming year, House Republicans remain doubtful about accomplishing anything more than the must-do spending bills and a year-long extension of the Social Security tax cuts, unemployment benefits and a reprieve in the cuts to doctors for Medicare payments. Congress faces a Feb. 29 deadline to agree on a new extension, no easy task after last year's deep divisions but politically inevitable as lawmakers would be loath to raise taxes in an election year.
Uncertain is the fate of a highway bill and reauthorization of a farm bill, legislation that could mean jobs in a struggling economy but measures also likely to get caught up in the typical fight over how to pay for the programs.
Republicans are pinning their hopes on November's elections and the tantalizing possibility that the GOP holds the House, wins four or more of the Senate seats needed to seize control and the party's nominee ousts Obama. Controlling both the presidency and Congress would be a mandate for significant change.
Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., bemoaned the failure last summer of the so-called "grand bargain" between Obama and Boehner for massive spending cuts, the promise of overhauling the tax code and reductions in entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. The bipartisan deficit-reduction supercommittee fared no better in the fall.
"It's hard to see us getting out of the mess we're in until there's another election," Rooney said.
The year of brinksmanship produced little legislation that became law while approval ratings for Congress dropped to single digits. The House passed 384 measures in 2011, the Senate 402, according to the Congressional Record. The Senate had 24 bills enacted into law, the House 56 in one of the least productive years in history.
Republicans are gearing up for Obama campaign attacks on a "do-nothing Congress," ready to counter that many of their bills went nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Top on the list: The House completed a budget last year and the Senate did not.
Last April, the House passed a $1.019 trillion budget plan that would have sharply cut spending, changed Medicaid into a block grant program and transformed Medicare by providing voucher-style federal payments to buy private insurance coverage instead of direct government payments to health care providers. Democrats vilified the plan by Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and warned of the impact the Medicare changes would have on seniors.
Ryan is expected to unveil another budget this spring. Mulvaney said the GOP is eager to push for changes in the budget process, beginning with requiring Congress to pass a budget.
Adding to the uncertainty in a volatile election year are the dozen or so House Republicans whose tea party purity about reducing the government's reach often outweighs re-election concerns, making other Republicans nervous as the party looks to hold onto its 50-seat edge.
Some have dubbed the tea partiers the "Braveheart caucus" for their affection for the 1995 Mel Gibson movie about William Wallace, who led the fight for Scotland's independence. Wallace was hanged and quartered.
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Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Vote for best red carpet look at Golden Globes
By Kurt Schlosser
Another Golden Globe Awards ceremony is in the books. That means the only thing there's left to talk about is when you're going to see "The Descendants" or "The Artist" or "The Iron Lady" before the Oscars. Oh, and?who looked best on the red carpet.
We took a quick spin through the fashions earlier Sunday night with a live blog aimed at showing some of the arrivals before showtime. Seems we managed to capture at least a few of the favorites out there. TODAY style editor Bobbie Thomas was on point with her fashion-minded tweets throughout the red carpet, and we turn to her here for a critique of the top six looks of the night.
So check out Angelina Jolie, Evan Rachel Wood, Tilda Swinton, Paula Patton, Charlize Theron and Claire Danes. And at the bottom of this post, vote for your favorite ... or name someone else who you liked better in the comments.
Angelina Jolie: #HeadTurner -- she?s a master of simple elegance, the Atelier Versace was a flawless fit and her red lips were a perfect accent.
Getty Images
Evan Rachel Wood: #DontMissDetails -- always sleek and edgy, from sequins to feathers -- she pulls off a gorgeous textured "scaled" gown.
Reuters
Tilda Swinton: #AvanteGarde -- a fashion favorite?and refreshingly original (as always) in a powder blue Haider Ackermann ensemble.
AP, Getty Images
Paula Patton: #Fresh -- the rising star was in sync with a bold new color, and popped on the red carpet in Monique Lhuillier.
Reuters, Getty Images
Charlize Theron: #RiskTaker?-- not afraid of a big fashionable bow, Theron was stunning in a softly structured Dior.
AP, Getty Images
Helen Mirren: #Timeless?-- the ever graceful talent Mirren sweeps the carpet in a midnight blue Badgley Mischka dress, proving style knows no age.
Getty Images
Who looked best on the Golden Globes red carpet?
Related content:
| Angelina Jolie | ? 44.7% (15,296 votes) |
| Helen Mirren | ? 20% (6,837 votes) |
| Charlize Theron | ? 14% (4,786 votes) |
| Paula Patton | ? 6.6% (2,261 votes) |
| Evan Rachel Wood | ? 6% (2,069 votes) |
| Someone else, who I'll name in the comments | ? 5.9% (2,024 votes) |
| Tilda Swinton | ? 2.8% (950 votes) |
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