Car bombs, shootings kill 23 across Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 23 people were killed in Iraq on Monday in a series of car bombs in Shi'ite Muslim areas and militant attacks, medics and police sources said, taking the week's death toll to nearly 200 as sectarian violence intensifies.

Clashes have increased as the civil war in Syria puts strain on fragile relations between Sunnis and Shi'ites. The tensions are at their highest in Iraq since U.S. troops pulled out more than a year ago.

The latest bout of blood-letting began when security forces raided a Sunni protest camp near Kirkuk last week triggering clashes that quickly spread to other Sunni areas including the western province of Anbar, which borders Syria and Jordan.

Iraq decided on Monday to close a border crossing with Jordan for two days starting on Tuesday due to "organizational issues", the interior minister said without giving any details.

It is the second time this year that authorities have ordered the closure of the Traibil border post in Anbar where Sunnis have been protesting against Iraq's Shi'ite-led government since December.

The demonstrations had eased in the past month, but this week's army raid on a protest camp in Hawija, near Kirkuk, 170 km north of Baghdad, angered Sunnis and appears to have given insurgents more momentum.

Early on Monday, at least nine people were killed and 40 wounded in two car bomb explosions in Amara, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad.

The first of two blasts in Amara, ripped through a market where people were meeting to eat breakfast, and the second hit an area where day laborers were gathering to look for work.

Another car bomb was detonated in a market in Diwaniya, 150 km south of Baghdad, killing two people, police said.

"I was preparing to go to work when a big explosion shook my house and broke the glass in all the windows," said witness Widy Jasim. "I ran outside, the explosion was near my house and bodies were everywhere".

A bomb in a parked car went off near a busy market in Kerbala, killing at least three people. A further six people were killed in an explosion near a Shi'ite worship site in Mahmudiya, about 30 km south of Baghdad.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but car and suicide bombings are trademarks of the Islamic State of Iraq, the Iraqi wing of Sunni Islamist al Qaeda which seeks to provoke sectarian conflict.

Violence is still well below its height in 2006-07, but provisional figures from rights group Iraq Body Count indicate about 1,494 people have been killed so far in 2013.

In Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, gunmen clashed with the army early on Monday, killing two soldiers and wounding three others, military sources said.

A sniper shot dead a soldier and wounded another while they were on patrol in Madaen in eastern Baghdad, police said.

The speaker of parliament Osama al-Nujaifi, himself a Sunni, proposed an initiative to avoid "the ghost of civil war and sectarian strife", calling on Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his Shi'ite-led government to resign, dissolve parliament and prepare for an early parliamentary election.

Iraqi politics are deeply divided along sectarian lines, with Maliki's government mired in crisis over how to share power among Shi'ite Muslims, the largest group, Sunnis and ethnic Kurds who run their own autonomous region in the north.

(Reporting by Aref Mohammed in Basra, Kareem Raheem and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Emad al-Khuzaie in Diywaniya; Additional reporting by Ali al-Rubaie in Hilla and Ziad al-Sanjary in Mosul; Writing by Suadad al-Salhy; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/car-bombs-shootings-kill-23-across-iraq-143130081.html

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Aircraft crash in Afghanistan kills 7

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A civilian cargo aircraft crashed at Bagram Air Field, north of the Afghan capital, soon after takeoff on Monday, killing all seven people aboard, the U.S.-led military coalition said.

The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the crash, but the coalition said in a statement to The Associated Press: "Taliban's claims are false."

It said the cause of the crash was being investigated by emergency crews that rushed to the site, but there was no sign of insurgent activity in the area at the time.

Capt. Luca Carniel, a coalition spokesman, said the aircraft crashed from a low altitude right after takeoff.

The coalition did not identify the victims, the type of aircraft involved, or the company that owned it.

In another development, President Hamid Karzai accused U.S. forces of killing four civilians and wounding one in the eastern province of Nangarhar on Sunday after an American' convoy was attacked by insurgents.

In a statement issued by his office, Karzai "strongly condemned the killing of innocent civilians."

The U.S.-led military coalition said it was still investigating the weekend clash, which left four soldiers with minor injuries and damaged a patrol vehicle. In a statement issued on Monday, the coalition said the Taliban attacked the coalition patrol with small arms fire and roadside bombs as it moved through a local bazaar in the province where there were civilians.

"Coalition forces engaged the enemy, pushed through the hostile area, and traveled to a nearby Afghan National Army checkpoint," the coalition said in a statement. "An investigation is currently underway to assess whether there are any civilian casualties as a result of insurgent fire."

___

AP writers Amir Shah and Thomas Wagner in Kabul contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aircraft-crash-afghanistan-kills-7-185257046.html

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Sleeveless

Mika Brzezinski attends the opening of the Milly Madison Avenue boutique in May 2011.

Photo by Thomas Concordia/Getty Images

The female newscaster of today does sexy in a very specific way. It is sleeveless sexy, an age-defying, loose-skin-defying means of telling the world that she worked out this morning and every morning, long before she went to hair and makeup and started broadcasting the nation?s news, long before viewers even considered waking up.

The sleeveless sheath dress, now ubiquitous on cable and local news, and especially beloved by morning news programs, is as much a uniform for TV newswomen as androgyny was in the mid-?90s, when boxy blazers and short hair reigned. Only seven years ago, when Katie Couric took over the CBS Evening News, critics worried whether she might be scandalizing the nation by showing too much leg. Now, legs are the least of it. They?ve been joined by bare arms and dresses so form-fitting that Couric has said many of her colleagues look like they?re going ?clubbing.? The seriousness of the news (OK, seriousness sometimes) has been completely decoupled from the seriousness of the attire of the women presenting it. Only in this precise sartorial moment could Melissa Harris-Perry, the eggheady Tulane professor who has her own show on MSNBC, tackle the angsty politics of black hair in a fitted, halter-neck dress suited to a night out in the meatpacking district.

The sleeveless look is especially jarring this time of year. On Fox News, which has long pushed the sex appeal of its female talent further than other networks, it is typical to see a suited man next to a woman outfitted for lunch on some sunny Roman piazza, as if the colleagues are dressed not only for widely disparate occasions but for different climates as well. On Today, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb are typically sleeveless, sitting before windows that showcase people bundled up against the Manhattan cold. They also love to get loaded, on-air, well before the lunch hour. They are TV women, after all, observing rules neither of time nor of space.

There?s a reason why the women of TV news have embraced sleevelessness while treading carefully in matters like cleavage (sexy weather reporters aside). Bare arms read as a kind of smart-sexy, a look that women in positions of authority can pull off. Michelle Obama is responsible for this, as are socialites of the Manhattan cocktail circuit, for whom bare arms long ago became a currency of wealth and fitness. MSNBC?s Mika Brzezinski and Chris Jansing are fans of the look, as is CBS?s Gayle King, and CNN?s Brooke Baldwin. Fit arms are about control, a state of poised strength you work at?so much so that supermarket magazines have accused Madonna and Angelina Jolie of pushing their exercise regimes too far, featuring their ropy, veiny biceps right next to close-ups of some other unfortunate?s cellulite. But if cellulite and cleavage can read as sloppy, toned arms are the very opposite; they?re all about intention and control. Which is why newswomen get to show them off. They are appropriate for early risers and Ivy League overachievers?the sexiness of success rather than vulnerability.

And yet. It?s telling that we now expect sexy at all from our TV newswomen. We haven?t always. Beauty, sure. When Diane Sawyer appeared in the ?80s in an off-the-shoulder evening dress on the cover of Vanity Fair, the decision caused such a stir that she was moved to remind a reporter that ?there were no tassels involved.? But if you look back at images of newswomen from the ?80s and ?90s, they were notable for what they didn?t show. When MSNBC launched in 1996, Couric covered everything but her face, wearing a turtleneck under her beige blazer for the virgin broadcast. And women who?ve been on the air for decades tend not to go bare, either because they think it inappropriate to do so at their age or because they were schooled at a time when TV reporters didn?t do such things. In either case, clothing confers dignity. You can?t imagine Christiane Amanpour leveraging her erotic capital on the air.

It does, after all, matter when female voices of authority disrobe. Baring one?s skin, whether it?s d?colletage or arms, remains an indicator of seriousness?are you going to look at me, or are you going to listen to what I?m saying? Because, as the Washington Post pointed out last year in a story about the blazer disappearing from newswomen?s wardrobes, male viewers appear unable to do both. A 2010 study found that the sexier the female anchor, the less men retain of what she says. They literally see instead of hear her. Rachel Maddow has said this is why she maintains a ?conveyor belt of gray blazers,? in order to look the same for every broadcast.

?Don?t focus on what I?m wearing,? Maddow says. ?Focus on what?s coming out of my face.?

The more you think about sleevelessness, the more it reads as a fault line in a stressed and fragmented news industry. TV reporters have always straddled the line between news and entertainment?the path from model or actress or pageant queen (Sawyer was one) to TV reporter is a well-trodden one. But for shows desperate not to lose eyeballs, skin becomes a competitive edge. Thus, the form-fitting sleeveless sheath has become a kind of uniform of Fox News women, favored by Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson, Martha MacCallum, Michelle Malkin, and others. And thus, when Kelly, a high-profile Fox News anchor, was asked by GQ in 2010 what she thought of the network?s shots of her behind a glass table, showing off her legs, Kelly replied casually, ?Well, it?s a visual business. People want to see the anchor.? Her logic seemed to echo the wisdom of chairman Roger Ailes, who, as Liza Mundy has written, presides over a network that pushes a heavily made-up look sometimes dubbed ?Fox glam.? Quoting journalist Gabriel Sherman, Mundy suggested that Ailes, a one-time Broadway producer, is especially attuned to the entertainment aspect of television news. ?The colors are brighter, the camera angles faster,? Sherman told her. ?Everything pops on the screen more, every?thing is eye candy.?

I should mention that, for that same GQ story, Kelly posed wearing only a black slip and 4-inch red Louboutins, her bosom erupting from her bra. (Headline: ?She Reports, We Decided She?s Hot.?) No tassels involved, but just barely.

Sleevelessness has become so commonplace, you barely notice it anymore. It?s been adopted even by newswomen who are acutely aware of the symbolism of their clothing, as well as the collapsing distinction between news and entertainment. As co-host of MSNBC?s Morning Joe, Brzezinski has on several occasions struck a blow against the trivialization of the news, most famously refusing to read a news item about Paris Hilton by shredding the script on air. She?s also told the Post how, during her first years on Morning Joe, network execs dressed her in clothing that was ?short, skimpy, tight,? and she had to rebel and find her own look. It is clean, chic, and often sleeveless, generally more country club than nightclub.

Still, just a few months ago, Brzezinski posed for a Vanity Fair image that threw her self-awareness into doubt. In the photo, naughtily reminiscent of Michelle Pfeiffer?s piano-crawling scene from The Fabulous Baker Boys, the journalist wears a black sheath dress and poses provocatively on top of a table with one bare leg extended in the air. She gazes adoringly at Scarborough, who sits in a chair, fully suited, grinning at the camera. The message of her arms, not to mention those legs, is this: First and foremost, I am here to entertain you. Would you like me to sing or to dance?

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=ab60d43b586b6c8a7a1618e51b0edafd

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Maverick operator Digicel takes on the big boys in Myanmar

By Jeremy Wagstaff

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Cellular operator Digicel Group Ltd jumped into Myanmar early and big, hiring staff, funding local sports, negotiating land deals for thousands of cell tower sites and signing up hundreds of partners for retail outlets.

The strategy helped propel it onto the shortlist for a mobile license in one of the world's last mobile frontiers, putting an operator that ranks 65th globally in terms of customers up against giants such as Vodafone Group Plc.

Whether its strategy pays off or not, industry insiders say, Digicel, largely unknown outside the Caribbean and some Pacific islands, has shaken up a usually conservative industry.

"They have been a disruptive force," said Roger Barlow, a Hong Kong-based telecommunications consultant who has worked in Asia for more than 25 years. "Some of the big guys tend to look down their noses at them but they shouldn't because they're becoming a credible player."

Myanmar this month short-listed 12 consortia for two licenses it plans to grant foreign operators in late June. The government wants to expand mobile penetration from less than 4 percent to up to 80 percent by 2015-16.

While Digicel is up against behemoths such as Vodafone, China Mobile Ltd and Telenor ASA, several other big players failed to make the list - among them South Korea's SK Telecom Co Ltd and Egypt's Orascom Telecom Holding SAE.

It's a vindication of sorts for Digicel's long-term approach. Business development director Frank O'Carroll led the charge into Myanmar in 2009. In early 2012 he persuaded the company to commit funds to build a local brand and prepare the ground so that if it did get the go-ahead it could roll out a service in a matter of months.

That entailed deploying hundreds of workers across the country to negotiate thousands of leases for base station sites, months before the government had even begun the tender process.

"There's not one square inch of the country we haven't been in," O'Carroll said in an interview in Singapore.

Its sponsorship of the national football federation has built brand awareness - of sorts. Lots of locals have heard of Digicel, O'Carroll said, though at least initially they were as likely to think it's a brand of battery as a cellphone operator.

It's a strategy, he said, that Digicel has been pursuing in much smaller markets for more than a decade.

"What we are doing in Myanmar is not unique to Myanmar," said O'Carroll. "The first country that Digicel as a company looked to get a license was Trinidad and Tobago. We did very the same thing. We were there, we leased the land, we rented local offices, we started a local team, sponsored big sports."

SMALL AND NIMBLE

Digicel has since set up shop in 31 markets, gaining 13 million customers. While none boasts a population above 10 million people, the company has taken on some major rivals, including America Movil SAB, Vodafone, Telefonica and Cable & Wireless.

"I don't think there's any fantastic science to it, but I do think it's our ability to move fast because we're small, we don't have this complex machinery that takes months and months to make decisions," said Vanessa Slowey, Singapore-based CEO of Digicel Asia Pacific, in an interview.

Making those decisions is Digicel owner Denis O'Brien, an Irish billionaire who first focused on small markets in the Caribbean after noticing that spectrum was being auctioned off in Jamaica. Eventually the Pacific beckoned.

Telecoms executive David Borrill recalls meeting O'Brien in his office after three years working for the incumbent operator in Samoa. "He went straight over to his library and opened the biggest atlas he had, turned to the Pacific and said, 'Tell me about this, where would you put an office here?'"

A few weeks later Borrill was back in Samoa, this time working for Digicel. The company bought out Telecom New Zealand's stake in the incumbent operator in 2006, and within six months had more than doubled its customer base.

Last financial year the company reported revenue of $2.5 billion, year-on-year growth of 14 percent and EBITDA of $1.08 billion, up 13 percent. It has 87 percent market share in Haiti, at least 75 percent in Jamaica and 92 percent of Papua New Guinea, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

"Digicel is very astute in selecting the markets it enters," said John Hibbard, an Australia-based telecoms consultant. "It has to be convinced it will win a reasonable market share."

When it isn't, it's prepared to abort. In East Timor, for example, Digicel went so far as building cell towers, and assured the government that if granted a license it could cover more than 90 percent of the population within four months.

But, Digicel said, the government dragged its feet and ignored advice to issue only one license. So when it did eventually win one of the two on offer last year, Digicel turned it down. "Why would we invest $50 million to compete with two other operators, for the 40 percent that is left? It's crazy. So we handed our license back," said O'Carroll.

Digicel sold its assets to the other licensee Telin, a unit of Indonesia's PT Telkom. The company broke even on its Timor investment, said Digicel's Slowey, without giving details.

Such an approach is at odds with the industry's more conservative approach, where investment decisions must be highly rational and based on certain outcomes.

"Digicel doesn't have the institutional memory of other telcos," said Rob Bratby, a Singapore-based telecoms lawyer with Olswang LLP. "It's an example of a company with a different mental framework."

SOROS PARTNERSHIP

Digicel, however, has not had a free ride in Myanmar. The government turned down its proposal in 2012 to set up a joint venture with the incumbent operator, Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications, in favor of an open tender.

That has meant facing the diplomatic and financial muscle of some of the world's biggest and best-connected operators, prompting Digicel to take on its own partners: Yoma Strategic Holdings, owned by Serge Pun, a powerful businessman who, unlike many tycoons in Myanmar, isn't entangled in Western sanctions. The other member of the consortium: Quantum Strategic Partners, owned by financier George Soros.

The Soros-funded Open Society Foundations have long worked with exiles, refugees and dissidents, according to its website. Last year Soros said he would set up an office in Yangon.

Digicel shrugs off criticism that it lacks the experience of working in big markets like Myanmar, arguing that it's harder to work in lots of countries, whatever their size. Among the shortlistees, only France Telecom SA matches Digicel in the number of markets covered.

"Whether it's the smallest country in the world you deploy in or the largest, it's still the same building blocks, still the same issues that you must go through," said O'Carroll. "A lot of those same things, whether it's Nauru's 9,000 people or Myanmar's 60 million, we think are going to be identical."

(Additional reporting by Jason Szep in Bangkok; Editing by Emily Kaiser)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/maverick-operator-digicel-takes-big-boys-myanmar-210540502.html

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Nintendo now selling refurbished DSi XL and 3DS units for $100 and up

It's easy for us to go shopping for a refurbished Nintendo handheld at stores and auction houses, but not if we're looking for a huge bargain: small discounts and dodgy quality often make it wiser to buy new instead. Nintendo has just offered us some better reasons to scrimp and save by quietly offering both the DSi XL and 3DS through its refurb shop. The used (and occasionally bruised) systems respectively start at $100 and $130, or $30 and $40 less than they'd normally cost -- enough to justify splurging on a game or two. While the selection is currently scarce, we'll set that qualm aside when everything gets the same year-long warranty as a new unit. About the only debate left is whether or not we're looking for a dedicated game machine in the first place.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Nintendo

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The CW Picks Up The Originals, New Seasons of Beauty and the Beast and Hart of Dixie

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Tyler Bray and Marcus Lattimore show opposite emotions of 2013 NFL Draft

The fortunes of Tyler Bray and Marcus Lattimore showed the ups and downs of what was a historic 2013 NFL Draft for the Southeastern Conference.

By Mark Sappenfield,?Staff writer / April 28, 2013

Running back Marcus Lattimore speaks with the media during South Carolina's NFL football pro day on this spring in Columbia, S.C.

Rainier Ehrhardt/AP/File

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Somehow, University of Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray ? a 6-foot-6 specimen with a cannon arm ? was not selected in the seven rounds of the 2013 NFL Draft.

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Somehow, University of South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore found two knees to stand on at his pro workout earlier this spring ? enough to get him a standing ovation from the coaches and scouts present and a selection by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round.

In a draft where 63 players from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) were selected ? a record for any college football conference ? two of the SEC players who made the biggest splash on the last day of the three-day extravaganza Saturday did it for opposite reasons.

Bray was left standing at the altar. Admittedly, this was not a sterling draft for quarterbacks. But perhaps that's why he decided to leave Tennessee a year early year to go pro. According to one mock draft, NFLDraftScout.com, he was seventh best pick of the litter. In the end, he wasn't even among the 11 chosen.

It's a glimpse into a situation that plagued basketball for years. Many high school players, egos inflated by friends and hangers on, would enter the National Basketball Association draft, forgoing any college eligibility. When they were not drafted ? or drafted late and then let go ? they would be left in a limbo, not good enough to make a pro team, but not able to go to college to hone their skills.

The situation forced the NBA to institute a "one year in college" rule for all players, giving each time to assess his draft prospects with clearer eyes. The NBA has also started a developmental league akin to the baseball minor leagues to help those who fall through the cracks.

In the end, Bray was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs after the draft ? and as a junior, he had ample time to make an informed decision about his pro prospects. But the National Football League also has a Draft Advisory Board precisely for this reason. It offers undergraduate prospects an impartial assessment of where they're likely to land in the draft.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/tQt1AoBedqo/Tyler-Bray-and-Marcus-Lattimore-show-opposite-emotions-of-2013-NFL-Draft

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Draft was light on glamour, heavy on intrigue

Minnesota went all in with three first-round picks.

Super Bowl champion Baltimore went for replacements for Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

The New York Jets added to their quarterback uncertainty by taking Geno Smith in the second round.

Teams loaded up on linemen, making the big and beefy guys this year's stars.

The 2013 NFL draft was light on glamour at the skill positions, but heavy on intrigue (when would Manti Te'o go?) and burly bodies able to either get after or protect all those pricey passers.

Denver Broncos boss John Elway called the draft "deep in the trenches.

"It wasn't sexy, but there were a lot of good football players in this draft, he said. "It was deep in the other-than-glitzy positions."

The first round included 18 linemen, one quarterback and, for the first time since 1963, no running backs.

"That's a lot of love for the big boys up front, which we usually don't get," said No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher, an offensive tackle from Central Michigan taken by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here's a breakdown:

VALIANT VIKINGS

Nobody made more noise in this year's draft than the Vikings.

Coming of a surprising run to the playoffs spearheaded by MVP Adrian Peterson, they became the first team since the Rams in 2001 to have three first-round picks. They traded four selections to New England to move up and take Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson after grabbing Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes.

That's pushing all your chips into the center of the table.

"I don't think it could've worked out any better for the caliber of players we got coming into our program," Vikings GM Rick Spielman said after addressing three of his four major needs in a dizzying 30-minute span. "I'm very excited."

When the Vikings finally got back on the clock Saturday, Spielman addressed his other big need by grabbing Penn State linebackers Gerald Hodges in the fourth round and Michael Mauti in the seventh.

With that, Minnesota served notice that they're coming after Aaron Rodgers and everyone else in 2013.

QB CONUNDRUM

The Jets are testing out the old saying you can never have too many quarterbacks.

After Buffalo surprised nearly everyone by picking Florida State's EJ Manuel as the only QB in the first round (at No. 16), the Jets pulled off their own stunner by selecting West Virginia's Geno Smith in the second round, at No. 39.

Coach Rex Ryan's three-ring circus at QB now includes a half dozen passers. The others are Mark Sanchez, David Garrard, Tim Tebow, Greg McElroy and Matt Simms.

"I hope they're all thinking, 'Hey, I have an opportunity to go win a job,'" Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said.

Smith certainly is.

"My goal is to be a franchise quarterback," he said. "But as of now, there's lots of work to be done."

Smith put up great numbers in college but also had accuracy issues and fumbled the ball an alarming 32 times, and scouts also questioned his overall skills and leadership in some pre-draft reports.

"You know what," Smith said, "critics don't have a pick."

SUPER SELECTIONS

Will the Harbaugh brothers be making plans for another family reunion in February? Both Baltimore and San Francisco restocked for another Super Bowl run.

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome launched a defensive makeover after Lewis retired and Reed led a free agency exodus following their title, signing with Houston. Newsome used his first four picks and six of 10 selections on defenders, beginning with safety Matt Elam and linebacker Arthur Brown, who have some huge cleats to fill.

San Francisco's 11-player haul included defensive back Eric Reid, defensive end Tank Carradine and tight end Vance McDonald, but the most intriguing pick was that of fourth-rounder Marcus Lattimore. The South Carolina running back suffered a career-threatening right knee injury last season just one year after tearing ligaments in his left knee.

San Francisco took a similar gamble several years ago when it spent a third-round selection on Frank Gore, who had suffered torn ligaments in each of his knees a year apart at the University of Miami, but has made the Pro Bowl four times and is the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

"I love the aggressive mental approach he has taken through this whole process, but we're going to slow down the aggressive physical things and make sure Marcus is 100 percent healthy before he goes out there on the field," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "If he doesn't play this year, then he doesn't play this year."

REMAKING ROSTERS

The heavy turnover after last season ? eight new coaches and seven new general managers ? meant there were plenty of newbies making draft decisions.

Led by the Chiefs new brain trust of coach Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey, eight of the top 11 picks were made by teams that had turnover at the decision-making positions as the Jaguars, Eagles, Browns, Cardinals, Bills, Jets and Chargers also had a first-year coach and/or general manager.

Of those, the biggest splash was made by the Bills when GM Buddy Nix gave new coach Doug Marrone a new QB by trading out of the eighth spot and selecting Florida State's Manuel.

"If we can develop this guy, he has the talent to take you to the dance," Nix said.

Other than the decision to take a chance on Manti Te'o in the second round, the Chargers rookie tandem of GM Tom Telesco and coach Mike McCoy added right tackle D.J. Fluker of Alabama with the 11th pick and Cal wide receiver Keenan Allen in the third round, two players who should help embattled QB Philip Rivers right away.

BUSTS OR BRONZE

For all the money and hours spent watching tape and workouts, evaluating players' bodies and minds, recording height, weight, speed and strength, the draft remains an inexact science. There will be first-round busts like always and maybe some undrafted guys end up with bronze busts in Canton, Ohio.

"You never really know because you're dealing with humans," Elway said.

The Broncos have had at least one college free agent make the 53-man roster coming out of camp every year since 2004, but it's going to be hard for any of Denver's 15 undrafted additions to make it this year after Denver loaded up in free agency and the draft after a 13-3 season.

Elway wasn't called on to close the sale on any of the free agent candidates. He learned his lesson when he bought his first car dealership many years ago and a salesman called him in to seal the deal.

"So I go in and the guy says, 'You've got a lot more money than I do. Why would I want to pay you $1,000?" Elway recounted. "I said, 'OK, you can have it for $500.'

"So, ever since then, I've stayed out of the negotiating business."

___

Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/draft-light-glamour-heavy-intrigue-201224881.html

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Thunder's Westbrook to have knee surgery Saturday

In this photo taken Wednesday, April 24, 2013, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook stumbles after injuring his right knee in the second quarter of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Oklahoma City. Westbrook, who remained in the game, will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and be out indefinitely, dealing a harsh blow to the City Thunder?s championship chances. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

In this photo taken Wednesday, April 24, 2013, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook stumbles after injuring his right knee in the second quarter of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Oklahoma City. Westbrook, who remained in the game, will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and be out indefinitely, dealing a harsh blow to the City Thunder?s championship chances. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

In this photo taken Wednesday, April 24, 2013, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook grabs his right knee during the second quarter of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Oklahoma City. Westbrook, who remained in the game, will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and be out indefinitely, dealing a harsh blow to the City Thunder?s championship chances. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

HOUSTON (AP) ? Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks says All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook is scheduled to have knee surgery on Saturday.

The team announced Friday that Westbrook would need the surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee and that he would be out indefinitely.

Westbrook, who has a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, was hurt when rookie Patrick Beverley tried for a steal in the second quarter of Game 2 and ran into his knee.

Brooks also said on Saturday at the team's shootaround that Reggie Jackson would start for Westbrook later in the evening in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series, which the Thunder lead 2-0.

It will be the first time Westbrook has missed a game in his career. He has appeared in an NBA-best 394 consecutive regular-season games and each of Oklahoma City's 45 playoff games.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-27-BKN-Thunder-Westbrook-Surgery/id-eab3a2be99634585b1db3c9be0937235

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Reuters: Verizon lining up $100 billion bid to buy out Vodafone's share of VZW

Word that Verizon would like to buy out Vodafone's 45 percent share of Verizon Wireless is hardly new, but Reuters reports it may finally be financially ready to take that step. According to unnamed sources, it's hired bank and legal advisers to prepare the bid, raising $50 billion in bank financing plus $50 billion in its own shares. Friendly discussions are said to start "soon", but if Vodafone is not interested it could take its bid public. It's probably no coincidence that the news is leaking just before Verizon's board meets to discuss a buyout before its regular shareholders meeting, but there are some potential complications. One holdup has been a potential hefty tax bill, but the Verizon CFO has been quoted saying he thinks that can be avoided, giving it more flexibility based on the cash generated by the wireless business.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon

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Source: Reuters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/reuters-verizon-lining-up-100-billion-bid-to-buy-out-vodafone/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Ingredient in New MS Drug Linked to Serious Brain Disease - Health ...

By Brenda Goodman
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) ? The active ingredient in a drug that?s expected to become a popular treatment for multiple sclerosis has been linked to four European cases of a rare but sometimes fatal brain disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

The ingredient, dimethyl fumarate, is used in a drug called Fumaderm that was approved in Germany in 1994 to treat the skin condition psoriasis. It is also in a different but closely related medication called Tecfidera, which was just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). It is known as a fumaric acid ester, which is commonly used as a food additive and has been used to treat psoriasis in Germany for 30 years.

According to reports published in the April 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, however, four patients who were taking Fumaderm to treat their psoriasis developed PML.

In a letter responding to the reports, Biogen, the company that makes both drugs, said Tecfidera may be safer because it contains only dimethyl fumarate, while Fumaderm also contains three other fumaric acid esters.

The company also noted that none of the patients taking Tecfidera during clinical trials (then known as BG-12) developed PML. Since Tecfidera is a pill rather than an injection, and was effective and well-tolerated by patients in clinical trials, analysts have predicted it would soon become the top-selling multiple sclerosis treatment.

But the German doctor who treated one of the psoriasis patients who got PML thinks there is still cause for concern.

Dr. Jorg Schulz, a neurologist at Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen, a research university in Aachen, said the two drugs are virtually identical once they are broken down in the body.

?The problem is that the studies with BG-12 covered a two-year period, but no longer periods,? Schulz said, and he believes it may take prolonged treatment with the drug for PML to surface.

?With the publication of our case, we wish to create awareness that treatment with any form of fumaric acid may bear the risk of developing PML,? Schulz said.

PML is caused by the JC virus, which normally lies dormant in the body and causes no harm. About half of multiple sclerosis patients have antibodies to the JC virus in their blood, suggesting a current or former infection. When the immune system is depleted by illnesses like cancer or AIDS or suppressed by certain medications, the virus can flare and destroy nerve cells in the brain.

Ironically, PML is a lot like multiple sclerosis, but it progresses more rapidly as it causes weakness, paralysis, confusion, memory loss and loss of vision or speech. Quick treatment can stop the damage, although patients may be permanently disabled.

PML is rare, but it is so serious that Genentech pulled its psoriasis treatment Raptiva off the market in 2009 after reports of four cases in patients who were taking the biologic medication. Biologic drugs are medications derived from living organisms that are used to prevent certain diseases, including ones where the immune system malfunctions.

Another biologic, Tysabri, a treatment for multiple sclerosis and Crohn?s disease, was shelved in 2005 for about a year after three patients involved in clinical trials of the drug developed PML. Tysabri returned to the market in 2006 with strict new safeguards in place. Before starting the drug, for example, patients must get an MRI of their brains. They also may get blood tests to check for antibodies to the JC virus. They also are monitored by doctors every three to six months while taking the medication, which is also made by Biogen.

No such precautions are currently recommended for Tecfidera, which has been hailed as a less toxic alternative to other treatments. Other multiple sclerosis drugs are known to cause flu-like symptoms, chest pain, and heart, liver and eye problems.

In clinical trials, the main side effects reported with Tecfidera were comparatively mild, and included facial flushing, stomach upset and low white blood cell counts.

?The main reason why our [psoriasis] patient developed PML after three years of treatment with Fumaderm is prolonged lymphocytopenia [low white blood cell counts],? Schulz said. ?In both BG-12 trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012, 4 percent to 5 percent of patients developed this kind of severe lymphocytopenia and are in my view at risk to also develop PML.?

Another expert noted another caveat.

About 3 percent of patients in the Tecfidera trials were taken off the medication when their white blood cell counts dropped too low, said Dr. Robert Fox, a staff neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

?The intensive monitoring of the clinical trial may have been what helped to prevent PML,? said Fox, who was on the steering committee for one of the studies that tested the medication and who has been a paid consultant for Biogen.

Fox added that the PML case reports are ?very important additions to our understanding of this class of therapy.?

?Although we haven?t seen any PML cases in patients treated with Tecfidera, I think there?s good reason to apply the lessons learned here to Tecfidera,? he said.

More information

For more on the risks and benefits of multiple sclerosis treatments, visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Source: http://news.health.com/2013/04/24/ingredient-in-new-ms-drug-linked-to-serious-brain-disease/

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?Our Town? Cast Fails to Do Justice to Thorton Wilder's 1938 Pulitzer ...

Thornton Wilder?s masterpiece of modern drama, Our Town, is a deceptively difficult play to stage successfully, because it requires a large supporting cast capable of transforming their fleeting cameo roles into unforgettable characters. This powerful and poetic three-act play, which won the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, delivers three juicy slices of turn-of-the-century American life in Grover?s Corners, New Hampshire, circa 1901 until 1913. Wilder labeled Act I ?Daily Life,? Act II ?Love and Marriage,? and Act III ?Death and Eternity.? But to squeeze every delicious drop from Our Town requires a talent pool deeper and broader than the Towne Players of Garner have tapped for their current community-theater production.

Opening-night jitters arrived a day late for Towne Players mainstay Holmes Morrison, who struggled all Saturday evening ? and frequently failed ? to remember his lines as the omniscient, nearly omnipresent Stage Manager, who narrates the show and summons the rest of the cast to act out selected scenes in the lives of bashful high school baseball star-turned-farmer George Gibbs (played by Jackson Honeycutt) and the brainy girl-nextdoor, Emily Webb (portrayed by CeeCee Huffman), whom George chases until she catches him.

While Holmes Morrison was experiencing the actor?s nightmare live onstage, Jackson Honeycutt and CeeCee Huffman were charming Towne Players patrons with their cute old-fashioned courtship. Meanwhile, Tim Stancil and Leslie Dahlin were provoking chuckles as George?s prickly physician father, Civil War buff Dr. Frank Gibbs, and his restless wife, the fomer Julia Hersey, who wants to bankroll a trip for the two of them to Paris with the unexpected windfall that she received when she sold Grandmother Wentworth?s highboy to the dawn of the 20th century version of ?American Pickers? Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz.

Daniel Barth injects even more personality into his pithy portrait of Charles Webb, the crusty editor of the local newspaper; but Rebecca Stiles is out of her depth trying to impersonate Emily Gibbs? mother, Myrtle, and her characterization is bland.

Jason Weeks likewise fails to make much of a mark as troubled church organist and choirmaster Simon Stimson, but Verlene Oates provides some comic relief as town busybody Louella Soames.

Towne Players artistic director Beth Honeycutt, who staged a more successful production of Our Town in 2004, still has a lot of work to do to whip the current ensemble into shape. As it is, they fail to do justice to one of the masterpieces of the American theater ? and that?s a shame.

The Towne Players present OUR TOWN at 8 p.m. April 25 and 26 and 2 and 8 p.m. April 27 in Garner Performing Arts Center, 742 W. Garner Rd., Garner, North Carolina 27529. TICKETS: $15 ($12 students and seniors). BOX OFFICE: General-admission tickets will be sold at the door and online at http://www.garnerperformingartscenter.com/TPG.asp. GROUP RATES/INFORMATION: 919-779-6144. SHOW/SEASON: http://www.towneplayers.org/performances/current-season/. PRESENTER: http://www.towneplayers.org/. VENUE: http://www.garnerperformingartscenter.com/. DIRECTIONS: http://www.garnerperformingartscenter.com/Directions.asp. OTHER LINKS: Our Town (play) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Town (Wikipedia). The Script (with foreword by Donald Margulies): http://books.google.com/ (Google Books). Study Guide http://www.bard.org/education/studyguides/OurTown/town.html (Utah Shakespeare Festival). Thorton Wilder (playwright): http://www.twildersociety.org/ (Thorton Wilder Society) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Wilder (Wikipedia). Beth Honeycutt (director): https://www.facebook.com/beth.honeycutt2 (Facebook page).

Robert W. McDowell is editor and publisher of Triangle Review, a FREE weekly e-mail arts newsletter. This preview is reprinted with permission from Triangle Review.

To start your FREE subscription to this newsletter, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE TR in the Subject: line.

To read all of Robert W. McDowell?s Triangle Review previews and reviews online at Triangle Arts & Entertainment, click http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/author/robert-w-mcdowell/.

Tagged as: Beth Honeycutt, Garner Performing Arts Center, Our Town, Thornton Wilder, Towne Players

Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/2013/04/our-town-cast-fails-to-do-justice-to-thorton-wilders-1938-pulitzer-prize-winning-play/

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Real Estate: Foreclosures in Fairfax County/City - Fairfax City, VA ...

?

Foreclosures nationwide are on the decline, writes Amrita Jayakumar?in the Washington Post?- but that doesn't mean it's impossible to find one, if you're looking to save money.

In Virginia, the number of homes in foreclosure is down more than 42 percent from where it was a year ago,?according to the report released Tuesday by LPS Applied Analytics, a market research company.

The state has foreclosures resources for Virginia homeowners.

Here are five bank-owned homes on the market in the Fairfax County and City area, according to AOL Real Estate.

10832 Charles Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

• $394,000
• 4 Bed, 3 Bath?
• Single Family Home
• Brokered By: Windows Over Washington Realty Group, LLC

10224 Antietam Dr., Fairfax City, VA 22030

• $399,900
• 4 Bed, 3 Bath
• Single Family Home
• Brokered By: REO Real Estate

5204 Faraday Ct., Fairfax, VA 22032

• $514,900
• 4 Bed, 3 Bath
• Single Family Home
• Brokered By: RE/MAX Allegiance

4227 Bumbry Terrace, Fairfax, VA 22030

• $585,900
• 4 Bed, 4 Bath
• 3,636 Sq Ft
• Single Family Home
• Brokered By: Century 21 New Millennium

5907 Windsor Gate Lane, Fairfax, VA 22030

• $859,900
• 5 Bed, 5 Bath
• Single Family Home
• Brokered By: RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate, Inc.

?

What do you think of these houses and the prices? Tell us in the comments below.

?

Source: http://fairfaxcity.patch.com/articles/real-estate-foreclosures-in-fairfax-countycity

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Nasal lining used to breach blood/brain barrier

Apr. 24, 2013 ? Neurodegenerative and central nervous system (CNS) diseases represent a major public health issue affecting at least 20 million children and adults in the United States alone. Multiple drugs exist to treat and potentially cure these debilitating diseases, but 98 percent of all potential pharmaceutical agents are prevented from reaching the CNS directly due to the blood-brain barrier.

Using mucosa, or the lining of the nose, researchers in the department of Otology and Laryngology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School and the Biomedical Engineering Department of Boston University have demonstrated what may be the first known method to permanently bypass the blood-brain barrier, thus opening the door to new treatment options for those with neurodegenerative and CNS disease. Their study is published on PLOS ONE.

Many attempts have been made to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier using methods such as osmotic disruption and implantation of catheters into the brain, however these methods are temporary and prone to infection and dislodgement.

"As an endoscopic skull base surgeon, I and many other researchers have helped to develop methods to reconstruct large defects between the nose and brain using the patient's own mucosa or nasal lining," said Benjamin S. Bleier, M.D., Otolaryngologist at Mass. Eye and Ear and HMS Assistant Professor.

Study co-author Xue Han, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University, said, "The development of this model enables us to perform critical preclinical testing of novel therapies for neurological and psychiatric diseases."

Inspired by recent advances in human endoscopic transnasal skull based surgical techniques, the investigators went to work to develop an animal model of this technique and use it to evaluate transmucosal permeability for the purpose of direct drug delivery to the brain.

In this study using a mouse model, researchers describe a novel method of creating a semi-permeable window in the blood-brain barrier using purely autologous tissues to allow for higher molecular weight drug delivery to the CNS. They demonstrated for the first time that these membranes are capable of delivering molecules to the brain which are up to 1,000-times larger than those excluded by the blood-brain barrier.

"Since this is a proven surgical technique which is known to be safe and well tolerated, this data suggests that these membranes may represent the first known method to permanently bypass the blood-brain barrier using the patient's own tissue," Dr. Bleier said. "This method may open the door for the development of a variety of new therapies for neurodegenerative and CNS disease.

Future studies will be directed towards developing clinical trials to test this method in patients who have already undergone these endoscopic surgeries."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Benjamin S. Bleier, Richie E. Kohman, Rachel E. Feldman, Shreshtha Ramanlal, Xue Han. Permeabilization of the Blood-Brain Barrier via Mucosal Engrafting: Implications for Drug Delivery to the Brain. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (4): e61694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061694

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/gkF2Z1R2mSc/130424185207.htm

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White House formally notifies Congress of Japan free-trade talks

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration on Wednesday notified Congress it will start free-trade talks with Japan, bringing the world's third-largest economy into U.S.-led negotiations on a regional free-trade pact.

"The participation of Japan, a major U.S. trading partner as well as close ally, further increases the economic significance of a TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Agreement," acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said in a letter to congressional leaders.

The 90-day notification was expected after U.S. and Japanese negotiators reached a deal on April 12 on the terms of Japan's entry into the TPP talks, which are now in their fourth year. It could clear the way for Japan to participate in the July round of TPP talks.

The United States and the 10 other countries already involved in the TPP talks on Saturday formally approved Japan's entry into the negotiations at a meeting of regional trade ministers in Indonesia.

Marantis sought to reassure lawmakers that Japan's participation would not slow down the TPP negotiations, which are slated for conclusion by the end of the year, and that Japan would not refuse to negotiate in sensitive agricultural and manufacturing sectors of interest to U.S. exporters.

"Japan has confirmed it will participate positively and constructively in the negotiations. Japan also confirmed that it will subject all goods to negotiations - both agricultural and manufactured goods - and will join with the other TPP countries to achieve a high-standard and comprehensive agreement this year," Marantis said.

The White House sees the TPP pact as part of its economic rebalancing toward Asia. It also plans to launch free-trade talks with the 27-nation European Union in coming months.

Countries around the world are moving increasingly toward regional free-trade agreements in the absence of any progress toward a comprehensive world trade deal.

Detroit-based auto makers, particularly Ford Motor Co, have lobbied against Japan joining the TPP talks.

They say the agreement will open the door for more imports from Japan, without tearing down barriers that they say keep U.S. autos out of Japan's market.

In addition to the United States and Japan, TPP countries include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The 17th round of TPP talks is scheduled for May 15-24 in Lima, Peru. It is expected to be followed by an 18th round sometime in July that could be the first time that Japan participates in the negotiations.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Sandra Maler and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-formally-notifies-congress-japan-free-trade-202413960.html

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Presidents praise George W. Bush at new library

President Barack Obama, and former presidents, from second from left, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter arrive for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center ,Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY; NO SALES

President Barack Obama, and former presidents, from second from left, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter arrive for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center ,Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY; NO SALES

Former president George W. Bush speaks during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

President Barack Obama laughs with former first lady Barbara Bush during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Former President George W. Bush, center, shares a laugh with his wife, former first lady Laura Bush and father, former President George H.W. Bush during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

President Barack Obama laughs as he sits between his wife, first lady Michelle Obama and former first lady Barbara Bush after his speech during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

DALLAS (AP) ? Presidents past and present lionized one of their own Thursday, putting politics aside as President George W. Bush dedicated the library that documents his place in history. President Barack Obama praised his predecessor's strength and resolve after Sept. 11, calling Bush a "good man" who faced the storm head on.

"My deepest conviction, the guiding principle of the administration, is that the United States of America must strive to expand the reach of freedom," Bush said. "I believe that freedom is a gift from God and the hope of every human heart."

Obama and Bush spoke along with the three other living former presidents in a rare reunion at the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. "To know President George W. Bush is to like him," Obama said.

The presidents lauded Bush's aid to the people of Africa, his effort to reach across the aisle on issues like immigration and education and his leadership in the days after the 2001 terrorist attacks. But they avoided the two wars that dominated much of his time in office ? Iraq and Afghanistan.

The presidents ? Obama, Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter ? were cheered by a crowd of former White House officials and world leaders as they took the stage together to open the dedication. They were joined on stage by their wives ? the nation's current and former first ladies ? for the outdoor ceremony on a sun-splashed Texas morning. For Bush, 66, the ceremony also marked his unofficial return to the public eye four years after the end of his deeply polarizing presidency.

The five men have been described as members of the world's most exclusive club, but Obama said they are "more like a support group."

"Being president above all is a humbling job," Obama said. He there were moments that they make mistakes and wish they could turn back the clock, but "we love this country and we do our best."

In a reminder of his duties as the current Oval Office inhabitant, Obama planned to travel to Waco in the afternoon for a memorial for victims of last week's deadly fertilizer plant explosion.

Obama praised Bush for pushing to reform the country's immigration system, although Congress never agreed to go along during Bush's time in office. Obama said he hopes they will this year. "And if we do that it will be in large part thanks for the hard work of President George W. Bush," Obama said.

President George H.W. Bush, who has been hospitalized recently for bronchitis, spoke haltingly for just about 30 seconds while seated in his wheelchair, thanking guests for coming out to support his son. A standing ovation lasted nearly as long as his comments, and his son and wife helped him to his feet to recognize the applause.

Clinton, too, was warmly received by the heavily Republican crowd, who applauded and laughed along with his joke-peppered speech. He concluded on a serious note about the importance of the leaders coming together. "Debate and difference is an important part of every free society," Clinton said.

President Jimmy Carter praised Bush for his role in helping secure peace between North and South Sudan in 2005 and his approval of expanded aid to the nations of Africa. "Mr. President let me say that I am filled with admiration for you and deep gratitude for you about the great contributions you've made to the most needy people on earth," Carter said.

Former first lady Laura Bush said the library isn't just about her husband, but reflects the world during his time as the first president as the 21st century. "Here we remember the heartbreak and heroism of Sept. 11 and the bravery of those who answered the call to defend our country," she said.

Presidential politics also hung over the event. Ahead of the ceremony, former first lady Barbara Bush made waves by brushing aside talk of her son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, running for the White House in 2016.

"We've had enough Bushes," said Mrs. Bush, the wife of George H.W. Bush and mother of George W. Bush. She spoke in an interview with NBC's "Today" show.

Yet George W. Bush talked up the presidential prospects of his brother in an interview that aired Wednesday on ABC.

"He doesn't need my counsel, because he knows what it is, which is, 'Run,'" Bush said.

Key moments and themes from George W. Bush's presidency ? the harrowing, the controversial and the inspiring ? would not be far removed from the minds of the presidents and guests assembled to dedicate the center, where interactive exhibits invite scrutiny of Bush's major choices as president, such as the financial bailout, the Iraq War and the international focus on HIV and AIDS.

More than 70 million pages of paper records. Two hundred million emails. Four million digital photos. About 43,000 artifacts. Bush's library will feature the largest digital holdings of any of the 13 presidential libraries under the auspices of the National Archives and Records Administration, officials said. Situated in a 15-acre urban park at Southern Methodist University, the center includes 226,000 square feet of indoor space.

A full-scale replica of the Oval Office as it looked during Bush's tenure sits on the campus, as does a piece of steel from the World Trade Center and the bullhorn that Bush used to punctuate the chaos at ground zero three days after 9/11. In the museum, visitors can gaze at a container of chads ? the remnants of the famous Florida punch card ballots that played a pivotal role in the contested 2000 election that sent Bush to Washington.

Laura Bush led the design committee, officials said, with a keen eye toward ensuring that her family's Texas roots were conspicuously reflected. Architects used local materials, including Texas Cordova cream limestone and trees from the central part of the state, in its construction.

From El Salvador to Ghana, Bush contemporaries and former heads of state made their way to Texas to lionize the American leader they served alongside on the world stage. Among the foreign leaders set to attend were former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The public look back on the tenure of the nation's 43rd president comes as Bush is undergoing a coming-out of sorts after years spent in relative seclusion, away from the prying eyes of cameras and reporters that characterized his two terms in the White House and his years in the Texas governor's mansion before that. As the library's opening approached, Bush and his wife embarked on a round-robin of interviews with all the major television networks, likely aware that history's appraisal of his legacy and years in office will soon be taking form.

An erroneous conclusion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, a bungling of the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina and a national debt that grew much larger under his watch stain the memory of his presidency for many, including Obama, who won two terms in the White House after lambasting the choices of its previous resident.

There's at least some evidence that Americans are warming to Bush four years after he returned to his ranch in Crawford, even if they still question his judgment on Iraq and other issues. While Bush left office with an approval rating of 33 percent, that figure has climbed to 47 percent ? about equal to Obama's own approval rating, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released ahead of the library opening.

Bush pushed forcefully but unsuccessfully for the type of sweeping immigration overhaul that Congress, with Obama's blessing, is now pursuing. And his aggressive approach to counterterrorism may be viewed with different eyes as the U.S. continues to be touched by acts of terrorism.

Obama, too, may have his own legacy in mind. He's just a few years out from making his own decision about where to house his presidential library and the monument to his legacy.

___

Associated Press writer Nomaan Merchant contributed to this report.

___

Follow Josh Lederman on Twitter: http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-25-Bush%20Library/id-bc5854bb390e439794a2cd59b1d96d85

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'The Voice' Recap: Shakira Teaches Usher A Lesson During Final Battle Round

Usher learns 'never get into an argument with a Latin woman' as the battle rounds come to an end.
By Natasha Chandel

Shakira and Usher on "The Voice"
Photo: Trae Patton/ NBC

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706230/the-voice-battle-recap-shakira-usher.jhtml

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Boston victims face huge bills; donations pour in

Cost of amputating a leg? At least $20,000. Cost of an artificial leg? More than $50,000 for the most high-tech models. Cost of an amputee's rehab? Often tens of thousands of dollars more.

These are just a fraction of the medical expenses victims of the Boston Marathon bombing will face.

The mammoth price tag is probably not what patients are focusing on as they begin the long healing process. But friends and strangers are already setting up fundraisers and online crowd-funding sites, and a huge Boston city fund has already collected more than $23 million in individual and corporate donations.

No one knows yet if those donations ? plus health insurance, hospital charity funds and other sources ? will be enough to cover the bills. Few will even hazard a guess as to what the total medical bill will be for a tragedy that killed three people and wounded more than 270. At least 15 people lost limbs, and other wounds include head injuries and tissue torn apart by shrapnel.

Health insurance, as practically anyone who has ever gotten hurt or sick knows, does not always cover all costs. In the case of artificial limbs, for example, some insurance companies pay for a basic model but not a computerized one with sophisticated, lifelike joints.

Rose Bissonnette, founder of the New England Amputee Association, said that the moment she heard about the bombings, she knew immediately that her organization's services would be needed. The advocacy group helps amputees navigate things such as insurance coverage for artificial limbs.

Bissonnette shared one group member's struggle to get coverage for artificial arms as an example of the red tape some bombing victims could face. The woman "got a call from the insurance company and the person on the other end said, 'How long are you going to need the prosthetic hands?'" Bissonnette recalled.

Bissonnette herself was in a horrific car crash 16 years ago that left her with injuries similar to those facing the Boston victims. Her mangled lower left leg had to be amputated and her right ankle was partially severed. Her five-month hospital stay cost more than $250,000. Health insurance covered all her treatment, rehab and her prosthesis.

Health economist Ted Miller noted that treating just one traumatic brain injury can cost millions of dollars, and at least one survivor has that kind of injury. He also pointed out that the medical costs will include treating anxiety and post-traumatic stress ? "an issue for a whole lot more people than just people who suffered physical injuries," he said.

Adding to the tragedy's toll will be lost wages for those unable to work, including two Massachusetts brothers who each lost a leg, Miller said. They had been roofers but may have to find a new line of work.

Many survivors will also need help with expenses beyond immediate health care, including things like modifying cars for those who lost limbs or remodeling homes to accommodate wheelchairs.

Many survivors live in Massachusetts, a state that requires residents to have health insurance, "which should cover most of their required treatment," said Amie Breton, spokeswoman for Massachusetts' consumer affairs office. "The total cost of that treatment is impossible to calculate at this early stage."

Amputees may face the steepest costs, and artificial legs are the costliest. They range from about $7,200 for a basic below-the-knee model to as much as $90,000 for a high-tech microprocessor-controlled full leg, said Dr. Terrence Sheehan, chief medical officer for Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital in Rockville, Md., and medical director of the Amputee Coalition, a national advocacy group.

Legs need to be replaced every few years, or more often for very active users or those who gain or lose weight. Limb sockets need to be replaced even more often and also cost thousands of dollars each, Sheehan said.

Massachusetts is among about 20 states that require health insurers to pay for prosthetic limbs, but many plans don't cover 100 percent of those costs, Sheehan said. "Most are skimpy beyond basic prosthetics and they have not caught up with current available technology," he said.

"The insurer will use terminology such as 'not medically necessary'" to deny computerized feet or knees that can often make the patient better able to function and more comfortable and safe, Sheehan said.

Some insurers may be willing to make exceptions for the Boston blast survivors.

"We will work to ensure that financial issues/hardship will not pose a barrier to the care that affected members' need," said Sharon Torgerson, spokeswoman for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, one of the state's largest health insurers.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, another big insurer, is changing its policy and will pay for some of the more expensive bionic limbs when there is a demonstrated need, said Dr. Michael Sherman, chief medical officer. He said that 15 blast survivors admitted to hospitals are Harvard Pilgrim customers and that the insurance company is discussing "whether we might absorb some of the copays and deductibles."

"This is a terrorist act, and our only thought here is about providing support," he said.

The 26 hospitals that have treated bombing victims have charity funds that will cover some of the costs, said Tim Gens, executive vice president of the Massachusetts Hospital Association. Some injured residents may be eligible for Massachusetts' public health funds for the uninsured or underinsured. People with huge medical bills they can't afford are eligible, regardless of income.

Gens said hospitals are still focused on treating survivors, not on costs.

"It's an extraordinary shock to so many individuals. The hospitals are working very hard to make sure that each family gets the support they need. Billing is not an issue they're addressing right now," Gens said.

At Massachusetts General Hospital, where 31 victims have gotten treatment, chief financial officer Sally Mason Boemer said bills "create a lot of stress. Our assumption is there will be sources we can tap through fundraising." Boemer added: "Now is not the time to add additional stress to patients."

Bombings survivor Heather Abbott said Thursday she has already gotten offers of help to pay for an artificial leg. The 38-year-old Newport, R.I., woman was waiting in line to get into a crowded bar when the bombs went off.

"I felt like my foot was on fire. I knew I couldn't stand up," she recalled from her hospital bed. Surgeons amputated her left leg below the knee.

A big chunk of charity money for survivors will come from One Fund Boston, established by Boston's mayor and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

The fund has gotten more than $20 million in donations. Determining who gets what is still being worked out, but victims' insurance status and place of residence won't be a factor, said Kenneth Feinberg, the fund administrator. He oversaw the 9/11 compensation fund during its first three years, distributing more than $7 billion to 5,300 families and victims.

Grass-roots fundraising efforts include online funds set up by friends and relatives of the victims.

Those victims include Roseann Sdoia, a Boston woman who was near the marathon finish line when the blasts occurred. Sdoia was hit by shrapnel, fire and a tree that became a projectile and injured her left leg, the funding site says. Her right leg had to be amputated above the knee. After several operations, Sdoia has started rehab.

"She is a fighter and her attitude is phenomenal," said her friend and former sorority sister, Christine Hart, who set up the site. More than $270,000 has been raised for Sdoia so far, money that may help pay for an artificial leg, transportation to and from rehab, and modifications to her car or home, Hart said.

The donations will help make sure "that finances are not part of the burden" she has to bear, Hart said.

Other funds have been set up in communities like Stoneham, a Boston suburb that counts at least five current or former residents among the victims. A Stoneham Strong fundraising event is set for Friday evening, with participants asked to circle the high school track to show support for the marathon victims. Hundreds are expected, said organizer Shelly MacNeill.

"The outpouring has been unbelievable," she said.

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AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson contributed to this report.

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Donations: http://www.onefundboston.org; http://www.gofundme.com/BelieveinBoston

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AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-victims-face-huge-bills-donations-pour-174957328.html

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