Helen Mirren reigns at London's Olivier awards

LONDON (AP) ? Helen Mirren was crowned queen of the London stage at the Olivier Awards Sunday, while compelling, canine-titled teen drama "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" emerged as best in show with seven trophies.

Mirren, 67, was a popular and expected best actress choice for her regal yet vulnerable Queen Elizabeth II in "The Audience," Peter Morgan's behind-palace-doors drama about the relationship between Britain's queen and its prime ministers.

The actress, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for playing Britain's monarch in "The Queen," quipped that it was 87-year-old Elizabeth who deserved an award, "for the most consistent and committed performance of the 20th century, and probably the 21st century."

Backstage, it turned out she wasn't kidding. Mirren, who has been Olivier-nominated three times before, said that finally winning "doesn't mean that I was the best actor. There were so many incredible performances out there."

"I was making a joke about the queen winning, but I think actually it is a reflection of the kind of respect the queen is held in," she said.

Her "Audience" co-star, Richard McCabe, who won the supporting actor trophy for playing 1960s and 70s Prime Minister Harold Wilson, said Mirren was a joy to work with.

"It's important as an actor to be absolutely fearless, and she is," he said.

While the queen herself hasn't been to see the Stephen Daldry-directed show ? rumored to be Broadway-bound ? McCabe said "a lot of people in the royal household have been coming in and watching incognito, and they must be reporting back."

The surprise of the awards ceremony at London's Royal Opera House was "Curious Incident," an adaptation of Mark Haddon's best-selling young-adult novel about a teenage math prodigy with Asperger's Syndrome who sets out to find the killer of his neighbor's dog, with destabilizing results.

The show, which premiered at the state-subsidized National Theatre last year before transferring to a commercial West End playhouse, has won praise for its creative use of movement and technology to make the leap from page to stage.

The Simon Stephens-scripted drama was named best new play, and 28-year-old Luke Treadaway was crowned best actor, beating a strong list of contenders including Rupert Everett, Mark Rylance and James McAvoy.

Treadaway said the "Curious" company knew they had created "something really special" with the show about a teenager "who sees the world differently to a lot of people."

"I think people could kind of see themselves in him," Treadaway said.

"This is not even necessary," he said, holding his trophy, a bust of the late actor Laurence Olivier. "I enjoy doing it so much anyway."

The play also won prizes for director Marianne Elliott and supporting actress Nicola Walker, as well as for set, lighting and sound.

Walker said the play had, through some "magic," succeeded in creating an onstage world as seen through the eyes of a teenage hero with autism.

"You start out thinking (it) is completely different to our world, and you end up thinking 'No, there are parts of this world I understand.'"

The Olivier awards honor achievements in London plays, musicals, dance and opera. Winners in most categories are chosen by a panel of stage professionals and theatergoers.

Founded in 1976, the Oliviers have been laying on the glitz in recent years, with glossy ceremonies modeled on Broadway's Tony Awards.

"Downton Abbey" actor Hugh Bonneville and West End star Sheridan Smith ? an Olivier winner in 2011 and 2012 ? hosted a sparky ceremony that included performances by "Glee" star Matthew Morrison, Tony-winning "Wicked" diva Idina Menzel and 60s songstress Petula Clark.

The best new musical category had a retro feel, with the trophy going to "Top Hat" ? a tap-dancing, tail-coated homage to Hollywood's Golden Age based on the 1935 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie. It also won awards for costume design and choreography.

Blood-soaked musical "Sweeney Todd" took the prize for best musical revival, with its stars Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball named best actress and actor in a musical.

"I'm not sure I deserve this," Ball said. "But I've also got sciatica, and I don't deserve that either."

Royal Ballet principal dancer Marianela Nunez took the prize for outstanding achievement in dance, while the same company's "Aeternum" was named best new dance production.

An immersive staging of the Philip Glass opera "Einstein on the Beach" at London's Barbican Centre was named best new opera production. American tenor Bryan Hymel won the outstanding achievement in opera prize for performances at the Royal Opera House.

Special achievement awards went to choreographer Gillian Lynne ? best known for her work on Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals including "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera" ? and playwright Michael Frayn, whose classic backstage farce "Noises Off" is still going strong 30 years after its debut.

___

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

Online: http://www.olivierawards.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/helen-mirren-reigns-londons-olivier-awards-204835864.html

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Financing a business: internal and external financing options ...

Capital is the lifeblood of any business. As well as supporting long term investment, working capital is used to invest in the current assets used in a company?s day-to-day operations.

Businesses have multiple ways of raising finance which may be suitable depending on the characteristics of the firm, the nature of the intended investment and the economic environment. To simply the advantages and disadvantages of these options, HBR has compiled the following table (click to enlarge).

Note: This table shows the general characteristics of financing options. However, most change according to factors such as business reputation, credit ratings, market conditions and service used.

DEFINITIONS

Internal sources of finance

Retained profits:
Companies can increase funds by retaining profits and not distributing them as dividends. The shareholders deprived of capital will expect retained profits to be invested to achieve a competitive rate of return. Most big businesses retain 50% of profits to fund expansion.

Tighter credit control:
The remaining internal financing options increase businesses? cash assets by decreasing working capital items. For example, chasing trade receivables owed by credit customers releases funds which can be re-invested in the business.

Reduce inventories:
Purchase and storage costs use revenue that could otherwise be used to expand the business. However, when reducing inventories enterprises should be careful to retain the capacity to meet future demand.

Delay paying trade payables:
This cheap form of finance extends the period before a business has to make good on their credit payments, releasing the funds in the interim. This can come at a reputational cost, which damages the possibility of buying on credit in the future.

External sources of finance

Ordinary shares:
Under this arrangement, companies raise capital by selling stock in their business. This entitles the purchaser to a voice in the decisions made by the firm. While ordinary shares do not have a fixed rate of dividend (a share of company profits) from profits after current liabilities and other investors are services, not paying them can diminish share value. A business will avoid this if they hope to issue shares in the future.

Preference shares:
Preferential shareholders receive dividends before individuals with ordinary shares. Their lower risk and lower levels of return mean that preference shares have a less volatile market price. These have lost popularity since, while they are alike borrowings in many other aspects, dividend payments are not tax deductible.

Rights issue:
In order to raise finance without diluting control of the business, a rights issue offers new shares to existing shareholders. Shares issued this way generate goodwill and maintain the predictability of shareholder governance, but must also be discounted (sold at an average of 31% under market price).

Bank overdraft:
Businesses can access funds by maintaining a negative balance on its bank account. The advantages of using an overdraft include flexibility, competitive interest rates and can become a long term source of finance (dependent on the confidence inspired by the borrower). But, reliance on an overdraft can have devastating consequences, since it is repayable on demand.

Term loan:
Financial institutions provide negotiable loans in which the rate of interest, repayment dates and security for the capital offered must be agreed. Because they are commonplace, this option is easy to set up and has a degree of flexibility. At the same time, borrowed capital often comes with obligations and restrictions known as ?loan covenants?.

Loan notes/stock:
This form of borrowing, exchanges capital from investors for a note representing the loan which can then be traded on the Stock Market. The value of a loan note fluctuates with the business?s performance.

Finance lease:
Under this arrangement, a business will select an asset which is then purchased by a finance company. The lease will then be paid in a series of rentals or instalments. This avoids the large cash outflows of an outright purchase. The risks and rewards associated with the purchased item are transferred to the lessee.

Operating lease:
This is similar to the finance lease, except the rewards and risks of the item stay with the owner. The asset becomes security, meaning that operating leases are usually given without detailed credit checks. The term of an operating lease is short compared to the useful life of the asset, and so the asset might be used by multiple lessees in its lifetime. Businesses can, therefore, avoid obsolesce risks by this means.

Sale and lease back:
Businesses can raise funds by leasing their unused assets to a financial institution.

Debt factoring:
Debt collection can be outsourced to specialist subcontractors. This can increase cash assets by providing savings in credit management and certainty in cash flows. Stakeholder opinion should be considered before opting for this financing option, as the use of outside agents could be viewed as an indication of financial difficulties.

Invoice discounting:
This is a loan based on the value of a business?s outstanding credit sales. This is used as a short term alternative to debt factoring. It is more widely used based on its low service charges and the autonomy it gives to the business to collect payment for its own credit sales. However, repayment of the advance not dependent on trade receivables being collected, so a business must have confidence they can raise finance within the term of the loan.

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Source: http://henleybusinessreview.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/financing-a-business-internal-and-external-financing-options/

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Frequently used biologic agents might cause acute liver injury

Apr. 29, 2013 ? A commonly used class of biologic response modifying drugs can cause acute liver injury with elevated liver enzymes, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Patients with inflammatory diseases such as Chron's disease or ulcerative colitis often are prescribed tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?) antagonists, which modify the body's response to infection. Patients with inflammatory arthropathies and selected dermatological diseases are also candidates to receive such compounds.

"TNF-? antagonists are extremely beneficial as therapies for several bowel, joint and skin inflammatory conditions," said Maurizio Bonacini, MD, AGAF, study author and associate clinical professor, University of California, San Francisco. "However, gastroenterologists, internists, rheumatologists and dermatologists all need to be aware of this potential complication and know how to diagnose it. They should conduct tests for autoimmunity early upon diagnosis of abnormalities to determine the proper path of care."

Researchers searched the U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network database and identified six well-characterized cases of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in the setting of TNF-? antagonist therapy. Additionally, they reviewed 28 additional cases identified in PubMed. The researchers found acute liver injury in all cases, most frequently autoimmunity and hepatocellular injury, but mixed non-autoimmune patterns and cholestasis (blocked flow of bile from the liver) also occurred. No deaths were attributed to the liver injury; one patient required a liver transplant, which was attributed to pre-existing cirrhosis with superimposed DILI.

Of the TNF-? antagonists, infliximab-associated liver injury has been the best documented, most likely because of its earlier approval and more wide-spread clinical use. Etanercept and adalimumab have also been linked to drug-induced liver injury. So far, there are no published cases found to be linked to natalizumab, golimumab or certolizumab.

The researchers found that liver damage was typically resolved following drug discontinuation, although some patients did benefit from a course of corticosteroids. Importantly, patients treated with an alternative TNF-? after resolution of their liver injury appeared to tolerate the drugs without recurrence.

"If patients who are taking these biologic agents experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea and fatigue, physicians should check liver enzyme levels to determine if the symptoms are a result of these drugs," added Dr. Bonacini.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Gastroenterological Association, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Marwan Ghabril, Herbert L. Bonkovsky, Clarissa Kum, Tim Davern, Paul H. Hayashi, David E. Kleiner, Jose Serrano, Jim Rochon, Robert J. Fontana, Maurizio Bonacini. Liver Injury From Tumor Necrosis Factor-? Antagonists: Analysis of Thirty-four Cases. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2013; 11 (5): 558 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2012.12.025

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/ZXJuWf8KuwY/130429164926.htm

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Malaysia's opposition banks on new economic deal

Motorists drive underneath flags of Malaysia's ruling party National Front, opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party and People's Justice Party ahead of the upcoming general elections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, April 29, 2013. With less than a week to general elections, Malaysia's opposition alliance is banking on the promise of bold change to end the governing coalition's 56-year rule. It says a new economic playing field will strip away decades of race-based policies that it believes bred corruption and hampered growth. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

Motorists drive underneath flags of Malaysia's ruling party National Front, opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party and People's Justice Party ahead of the upcoming general elections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, April 29, 2013. With less than a week to general elections, Malaysia's opposition alliance is banking on the promise of bold change to end the governing coalition's 56-year rule. It says a new economic playing field will strip away decades of race-based policies that it believes bred corruption and hampered growth. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

A worker cleans up a roadside in front of election campaign posters and flags of Malaysia's ruling National Front coalition ahead of the upcoming general elections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, April 29, 2013. With less than a week to general elections, Malaysia's opposition alliance is banking on the promise of bold change to end the governing coalition's 56-year rule. It says a new economic playing field will strip away decades of race-based policies that it believes bred corruption and hampered growth. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

In this Tuesday, April 23, 2013 photo, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim speaks during an election campaign rally in Lubok China, Melaka state, Malaysia. With less than a week to general elections, Malaysia's opposition alliance is banking on the promise of bold change to end the governing coalition's 56-year rule. It says a new economic playing field will strip away decades of race-based policies that it believes bred corruption and hampered growth. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

In this Saturday, April 6, 2013 photo, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, speaks during the launch of his ruling National Front coalition's manifesto for the upcoming general elections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With less than a week to general elections, Malaysia's opposition alliance is banking on the promise of bold change to end the governing coalition's 56-year rule. It says a new economic playing field will strip away decades of race-based policies that it believes bred corruption and hampered growth. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

A flag of Malaysia's ruling National Front coalition flies against the background of landmark Petronas Twin Towers ahead of the upcoming general elections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, April 29, 2013. With less than a week to general elections, Malaysia's opposition alliance is banking on the promise of bold change to end the governing coalition's 56-year rule. It says a new economic playing field will strip away decades of race-based policies that it believes bred corruption and hampered growth. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) ? With less than a week to general elections, Malaysia's opposition alliance is banking on the promise of bold change to end the governing coalition's 56-year rule. It says a new economic playing field will strip away decades of race-based policies that it believes bred corruption and hampered growth

The three-party opposition alliance led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says it cannot be business as usual in Malaysia, where affirmative action policies that favor majority ethnic Malays in business, jobs and education have polarized the country and suppressed its economic competitiveness.

Despite posting robust economic growth in the past decade, the opposition says the cost of living has surged in Southeast Asia's third largest economy, outpacing rise in wages. The country is lagging behind many of its Asian peers such as Taiwan and South Korea, as its race-based policies fueled a brain drain abroad. Corruption is endemic, and the government ran a budget deficit for the last 15 years, swelling the national debt.

Anwar's People's Alliance promises a more competitive merit-based system and a clean break from what it calls a corrupt past if it wins May 5 national polls.

Its election manifesto says it will end monopolies in sectors such as telecommunications, rice and sugar that kept prices high. It will review suspicious government concessions, abolish highway tolls, cut taxes to lower car prices and free up civil liberties.

"This election offers a possibility of a political transition of power. The campaign will come down to who can deliver more genuine and fundamental reforms and who will give them a better deal," said Bridget Welsh, a political science professor at Singapore Management University.

Anwar's alliance surged into political prominence in 2008 elections when it won more than a third of seats in the federal parliament and gained control of several states. It was the biggest blow for Prime Minister Najib Razak's National Front coalition since independence from Britain in 1957 and was spurred by discontent about corruption and racial and religious discrimination.

The keystone of the opposition policies is reform of preferential treatment started in 1971 to lift Malays, who account for 60 percent of Malaysia's 29 million people, from poverty after race riots. The policies are credited with enlarging the Malay middle class and putting 20 percent of corporate wealth in Malay hands, but the opposition says the system has been abused to enrich the well-connected elite and distorted the economy. Many contracts go to businesses with links to the ruling party, which has created a powerful culture of cronyism and a nexus between politics and business.

Najib, 59, who is seeking his first mandate at the polls since becoming prime minister in 2009, has taken on the reform mantle to counter the opposition.

He has embarked on a series of economic and government transformation efforts to revamp his coalition's image, including abolishing security laws widely considered repressive, wooing investment from abroad and bolstering public welfare including cash handouts for civil servants and the poor.

With his battlecry of "1 Malaysia," Najib also trimmed affirmative action policies but is restrained by hardliners in his ruling Malay party. He has pointed to the National Front's stewardship that turned Malaysia from an agricultural backwater into a modern, stable nation.

Malaysia's focus on heavy industries and manufacturing in the 1980s drew multinational corporations to its shores but it has since lost out to neighboring countries as a low-cost manufacturing base. Government spending in the last decade helped bolster growth as foreign investment ebbed.

A 2011 World Bank report said Malaysia's brain drain was intensifying with more than one million of its citizens, mainly ethnic Chinese, living in Singapore and other countries largely due to higher wages, unhappiness over poor governance and lack of meritocracy. It warned the outflow of skilled people could bog down Malaysia's economy.

Najib insists his government is on a reform path, with Malaysia on track to become a developed nation by 2020. He has warned an opposition win would bring economic ruin and political chaos.

"Certain politicians are talking about change but what is it you want to change? Do you want to change from peace and harmony to a country full of conflict and violence? Do you want to change the economic success that we have achieved?" he said at a mammoth political rally last week.

The concern resonates with some voters, who fear differences among the three parties in the opposition alliance may hinder their ability to govern nationally.

The alliance comprises Anwar's multi-racial People's Justice Party, the Democratic Action Party dominated by ethnic Chinese and the conservative Islamic Party. The three parties first worked together in 2008 by agreeing not to contest the same seats. They have deepened their alliance since then, unveiling a common election manifesto for the first time and setting aside differences over the Islamic Party's ambition to set up an Islamic state.

Unlike the 13-party National Front dominated by Najib's ruling Malay party, the three opposition parties are equals in the alliance.

Anwar, a former deputy premier and finance minister who was sacked in 1998 and subsequently jailed for sodomy and corruption, was credited for bringing the parties together after his release from jail in 2004. Anwar, who says the charges were politically motivated, made a political comeback in a by-election after 2008 polls.

Anwar, 65, says weeding out corruption, fixing economic distortions due to race-based policies and better economic management can save the country billions of dollars a year. His alliance is hoping the momentum in 2008 polls will catapult them into federal power, eyeing support from about a third of new voters among 13.3 million people eligible to vote on Sunday.

The political threat has caused anxiety in Najib's camp, which has embarked on an extensive publicity blitz. Welsh estimated the coalition spent 100 million ringgit ($33 million) on advertisements on websites such as Yahoo, mass media, billboards and sending millions of text messages to voters' mobile phones.

Banners of Najib and his achievements flutter along streets in Malaysia's cities and rural villages. "Who says change is good for you?" declares one of dozens of full-page advertisements in mainstream newspapers, citing turmoil after revolts in Middle East nations.

Most analysts, however, believe Najib's coalition has the upper hand due to deep pockets and support in predominantly rural constituencies that are the key to a large number of Parliament's seats.

Anwar has pointed to his alliance's track record in the last five years in Penang and Selangor, two of the country's most industrialized states. Government contracts have been awarded through open tenders rather than behind closed doors, and state officials have to declare their assets. Fiscal prudence has also reversed state budget deficits while the poor in Penang have received cash handouts and water is subsidized in Selangor.

In northern Penang state, an industrial hub also famed for its beaches and cultural heritage, the opposition has embarked on an ambitious 6.3 billion ringgit ($2.1 billion) project to build Southeast Asia's first seabed tunnel linking Penang island to the mainland part of the state and three highways to alleviate daily traffic snarls.

The record is more mixed in two poorer northern Malay-majority states that are reliant on federal funds, but opposition officials said corruption is minimal in the state government administration. The four opposition states jointly contribute about 36 percent to gross domestic product.

"The last five years, if anything, is an indication of our ability to govern and to do well without corruption, that things will not crumble," said opposition strategist Rafizi Ramli, who helped draw up the election manifesto and is also a candidate.

"Our biggest achievement is to give hope to the people that there can be a credible alternative to the National Front, that there can be a better Malaysia," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-29-Malaysia-Elections-Economy/id-bbacc31ca7f3479d83930cc40f59a717

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Two Meteorites Discovered In Antarctica May Be From The Same Supernova

There's nothing more fascinating or TV special-worthy than twins separated at birth. Whether they're reunited at 15 or 50 it's safe to say that there'll be some eerily similar food preferences and a whole lot of crying. But what about two chemically identical grains of silica that haven't seen each other for more than 4.6 billion years? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bzvphgpRnU0/two-meteorites-discovered-in-antarctica-may-be-from-the-same-supernova

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Live Extra: Montreal faces Chicago

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Source: http://mlsstream.nbcsports.com/

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Taliban vow suicide and "insider" attacks in new spring offensive

KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban in Afghanistan vowed on Saturday to start a new campaign of mass suicide attacks on foreign military bases and diplomatic areas, as well as damaging "insider attacks", as part of a new spring offensive this year.

The offensive was announced via emails from Taliban spokesmen. The Islamist group has made similar announcements in recent years, which have sometimes been followed by spikes in violence after Afghanistan's harsh winter months.

The announcement of more mass suicide and insider attacks will likely be greeted with concern by the NATO-led military coalition, which is in the final stages of a fight against the Taliban-led insurgency that began in late 2001.

However, there was no immediate reaction to the Taliban's statement from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

After announcing their spring offensive last year, the Taliban launched a large attack in Kabul involving suicide bombers and an 18-hour firefight targeting Western embassies, ISAF headquarters and the Afghan parliament.

The start of the traditional "fighting season" is particularly important this year, with ISAF increasing the rate at which it hands security responsibility to Afghan forces before the withdrawal of most foreign troops by the end of 2014.

The Taliban statement said this year's offensive, named after Khalid bin Waleed, one of the companions of the Islamic prophet Mohammad, will involve "special military tactics" similar to those carried out previously.

"Collective martyrdom operations on bases of foreign invaders, their diplomatic centers and military airbases will be even further structured while every possible tactic will be utilized in order to detain or inflict heavy casualties on the foreign transgressors," the statement said.

Insider attacks, also known as "green on blue" attacks, involve Afghan police or soldiers turning their guns on their ISAF trainers and counterparts. They have grown considerably since last year and have strained relations between Kabul and foreign forces.

However, there is considerable debate over how many can be attributed to infiltration by insurgents and how many are by disgruntled members of the Afghan security forces.

Last August, then ISAF commander, U.S. General John Allen, said about a quarter of such attacks involved the Taliban.

The spring offensive was coordinated to begin on May 28 - or the 8th of the Islamic month of Thaur - to coincide with a national holiday to mark the overthrow of the Soviet-backed government of Mohammad Najibullah in 1992, the statement said.

(Reporting by Dylan Welch and Mirwais Harooni; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-vow-suicide-insider-attacks-spring-offensive-071938216.html

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NBA owner Michael Jordan marries over the weekend

Michael Jordan got married over the weekend in front of a few hundred of his family and closest friends.

The Charlotte Bobcats owner exchanged vows with 35-year-old former model Yvette Prieto on Saturday in Palm Beach, Fla., Jordan's manager Estee Portnoy told The Associated Press Sunday

The wedding took place at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with nearly 300 guests in attendance, including Tiger Woods, Patrick Ewing, Spike Lee and Ahmad Rashad.

The ceremony was followed by a reception at the Bear's Club in Jupiter, Fla., a luxurious private golf club designed by Jack Nicklaus. Jordan, 50, owns a home near the course.

There were fireworks at night as part of the celebration.

In lieu of wedding gifts, donations were made to the James R. Jordan Foundation. The wedding flowers were donated to the Jupiter Medical Center.

The six-time NBA champion and Prieto met five years ago and were engaged last December.

Prieto wore a French silk voile corseted sheer sheath gown by J'Aton Couture, in an ecru palette with accents of flesh tones, with handmade silk lace created especially for her, and enhanced with Swarovski crystals. The gown featured French seamed crinoline borders, which cascaded into a dramatic cathedral train finished in the lace, with accents of a peacock-feathered design.

The couple and their guests were entertained by DJ MC Lyte, singers K'Jon, Robin Thicke and Grammy-Award winner Usher and The Source, an 18-piece band.

Everyone enjoyed an all-white, seven-layer white rum wedding cake that was covered in white fondant and sugar crystals, and adorned with crystal brooches and the couples' monogram on the top layer.

Guests sat at tables that were a continuous candle-lit landscape with a myriad of crystal candelabras and mercury glass vessels, each filled with one variety of white flower, including roses, peonies and tulips, and one accent of purple.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nba-owner-michael-jordan-marries-over-weekend-202151649.html

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Congress ready to fix FAA's sequester delays

By Doug Palmer and Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to act quickly on Friday to finalize a Senate plan to ease nationwide air-traffic delays caused by last month's automatic federal spending cuts.

The Senate plan, passed unanimously late Thursday, will give the Department of Transportation flexibility to use unspent funds to cover the costs of air traffic controllers and other essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration who had been furloughed.

Lawmakers were eager to act quickly since many would be scrambling to catch flights home and to other destinations at the start of a weeklong recess.

They also sought to avoid the growing wrath of the traveling public, which had dealt with significant take-off and landing delays since the furloughs started on Sunday.

The legislative action marks a surprising bipartisan effort, especially after many Republicans had blamed the Obama administration for manipulating funds to maximize the impact of the budget cuts, in a perceived bid to damage Republicans.

It does come with the risk, though, of unleashing furious lobbying campaigns to ease other program cuts triggered by the controversial "sequestration" that took effect on March 1, requiring across-the-board spending cuts among most federal agencies.

The White House on Friday welcomed Congress' move, but said it falls short of broader action needed to address sequestration.

"It will be good news for America's traveling public if Congress spares them these unnecessary delays," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.

Carney said lawmakers need to take additional steps to alleviate the impact felt beyond the airline industry from the cuts, such as among poorer elderly people, defense industry workers and others brought on by sequestration.

"Ultimately, this is no more than a temporary Band-Aid that fails to address the overarching threat to our economy posed by the sequester's mindless across-the-board cuts," he said.

Transportation officials have made other cuts to their budget but furloughs of air traffic controllers began this week, prompting traveler backlash at major hubs like those in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

On Friday morning, departing flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed more than an hour and 15 minutes, and Boston's Logan Airport had departure delays of more than 30 minutes, both due to staffing, the FAA said. Teterboro airport in New Jersey, which handles many corporate jets, also was experiencing delays of more than 90 minutes due to staffing.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Doug Palmer, Susan Heavey and Alwyn Scott; Writing by Karey Van Hall; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-calls-effort-end-airport-delays-good-140534158.html

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Afghan troops hold their ground at high cost

FORWARD OPERATING BASE CONNOLLY, Afghanistan (AP) ? The Americans could be spotted waiting for the Chinooks in the 2 a.m. darkness only by the shape of their night-vision goggles, as they shared a cigarette with glowing embers in quick drags among the kneeling assaulters in the chilled dark.

They would be on the first two helicopters to drop into the villages of the Khogyani district in the shadows of the Tora Bora mountains, kicking off a four-day operation against the Taliban by roughly 175 Americans and 1,250 Afghan troops, in a teeth-clenching test of U.S. mentoring and training.

The Afghans were lined up behind the Americans, leaning back on their 130-pound backpacks, saving their strength to carry the loads onto the Chinooks for their first air assault, and without the Americans' high-tech goggles, letting their eyes adjust to the dark for the assault to come.

They didn't talk much.

A Predator drone feed showed the groups landing in the darkened district ? dark spots trudging slowly up hills and sometimes falling into ditches ? U.S. and Afghan alike. They set up a post to oversee the insurgent-ridden villages they would be guarding for the next four days as Afghan police cleared them out house by house.

Intelligence intercepts showed most of the insurgents already had fled to the farthest village just beneath Tora Bora, where Osama bin Laden escaped his American pursuers, after watching the Afghan troops and police mass the day before.

The Afghans and their American security advisers from the U.S. Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, were less interested in pursuing them than in making sure they could not return, making way for the Afghan local police who would take their place.

In the daylight, village elders were invited to meet with the Afghan general who led the attack, and they said they welcomed the troops because they were Afghans, not foreigners.

The U.S. brigade's commander, Col. Joseph "J.P." McGee, sat quietly in a corner, making the briefest of comments. This was an Afghan-to-Afghan conversation.

Overall in the operation, there were tactical missteps that Americans pointed out privately to the Afghan commanders, tactfully out of earshot of their subordinates. There were shortfalls in supplies, and requests were sometimes denied for U.S. air support for nighttime bombing runs or medical assistance.

But in The Associated Press' visits to Khogyani district and some of the country's most contested southern and eastern provinces ? Helmand, Nuristan, Kunar and Nangarhar ? multiple operations were led or carried out mostly by Afghans. Their officers were doing the bulk of the planning and execution, responding without U.S. aid to large-scale Taliban attacks or choosing targets the Americans sometimes disagreed with, if the U.S. advisers were consulted at all.

The uneven but steady progress is encouraging for the U.S. commanders trying to hand off responsibility ahead of the December 2014 drawdown of most U.S. forces, from roughly 66,000 Americans at the start of this year, to an as-yet-undetermined residual force of NATO troops that have been estimated will be around 8,000 to 10,000.

The Afghans are paying heavily for that lead role, with casualty figures rising steadily, more than doubling from 550 Afghan soldiers and police killed in 2011 to more than 1,200 last year, according to data compiled by the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

This year is bloodier still, with 300 security personnel, mostly police, killed in March alone, according to a top Afghan security official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to discuss the unpublished figure. That monthly average is roughly equivalent to the total number of U.S. forces lost in 2012, according to AP's own count of 297 U.S. troops killed, out of a total of 394 coalition forces.

About 660 militants were reported to have been killed by coalition and Afghan forces so far this year, compared with close to 3,000 militants last year. The NATO command does not issue reports on the number of insurgents its troops have killed, and Afghan military figures, from which the AP compiles its data, cannot be independently verified.

Still, there is little public outcry over the Afghan losses.

While the Afghan army's attrition rate spiked to 4.1 percent in January, it has dropped back closer to the annual average of 2.6 percent. The combined Afghan army and police roster remains in excess of 332,753, according to figures provided by NATO's training mission, and the combined forces are clawing back some new ground from the Taliban, U.S. and Afghan officials say.

Arrayed against the green Afghan forces is a still-formidable force of Taliban and other militants. Their numbers are small, at an estimated 20,000 to 30,000, compared with the Afghan security forces' strength.

But they are knitted into the rural fabric of much of Afghanistan, well-versed in guerrilla tactics and local terrain, well-supplied with explosives and ammunition and plugged into enough local tipsters to ambush Afghan security forces when they are at their most vulnerable.

By summer's end, the U.S., the Afghans and the Taliban should know whether Afghan forces have what it takes to hold their ground, Gen. Joseph Dunford, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told the AP.

"If the Afghans perform in a manner that we expect them to, that's going to have a demoralizing effect on the Taliban," he said in his headquarters office in Kabul, the Afghan capital.

"It's going to reduce the capabilities of the Taliban psychologically, and as importantly, it's going to cause the Afghan people to be more confident" in their forces and less likely to support or join the Taliban, he added.

Senior administration and coalition officials said the goal is to reach a sort of bloody equilibrium, where the Afghan security forces hold the populated areas and major trade routes to allow commerce to grow, and thereby slowly diminish the ranks of the Taliban by providing other employment opportunities for would-be fighters.

"What they need to be able to do is to secure key areas ... and eventually wait out and let the insurgency wither away," said McGee, at his headquarters in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangahar province.

"It would be folly to try to roll up into every valley and fight these guys. It is what we used to do," McGee said. "I think (the Afghans) will pursue a very different approach than we did .... more patient, more focused on endurance as opposed to attrition of the enemy, and I think eventually the Taliban will lose relevance and support over time," he said.

The Taliban know this is a make-or-break season for the Afghan forces and are targeting accordingly.

From November 2012 through the end of January, 75 percent of attacks were against coalition forces and only 25 percent were targeted at Afghans, according to a senior coalition intelligence official, who spoke anonymously as a condition of discussing the confidential statistics.

This past winter, the numbers were reversed, with 75 percent of the attacks now striking Afghans and 25 percent targeting coalition or coalition and Afghan joint patrols.

The police remain the Afghans' most vulnerable target. They're usually in lightly defended posts, in remote areas and still considered far less trained, with incidents of drug use and corruption still common.

But NATO deputy commander Lt. Gen. Nick Carter said five of Afghanistan's 26 army brigades, each with 450 to 600 troops, can operate independently, and an additional 16 are capable of operating with limited advice from the U.S.-led international coalition.

U.S. military officers who monitor performance say they've tracked a marked improvement in Afghan army units during the past 12 months, with 101 units improving and only seven dropping in the ratings.

One of those newly independent Afghan army brigades is in Helmand province, scene of some of the fiercest fighting, and worst losses, for U.S. Marines.

Now the once-bustling Camp Dwyer, a satellite base a 20-minute flight south from the larger Camp Leatherneck, has shrunk from some 5,000 Marines and support staff to roughly 800. About 60 of those Marines are living in a smaller base, next to the Afghan National Army's 1st Brigade, 215th Corps headquarters.

The last time Marines there went on joint patrols with the Afghans was in the fall, said U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Philip Treglia, who leads the security force adviser team.

"We're shrinking from 60 to 24 advisers," this spring, Treglia said. "This summer I'm recommending we go down to five," he added. "The Afghans just aren't going to need us."

Treglia's Afghan counterpart, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ali Sujai, bolstered that prediction only weeks earlier by conducting a four-day, 650-man army and police operation to clear insurgents and opium-producing poppy fields out of Trek Nawa, a known Taliban safe haven.

He only told the Americans about the operation when it was done.

"It was a test," Sujai said. "I wanted to prove we could do it alone."

Treglia described another incident, this one watched by the Americans on aerial surveillance.

About 80 Taliban fighters approached the town of Marjah from the north, stopping at a mosque to let the locals know they were coming back to take over.

By the time they'd reached a second mosque, residents had called the Afghan security forces ? army, police and the militia-like local police, who happened to all be interrelated by marriage. Some of them were even former Taliban, Treglia said. A 400-man force headed north and intercepted the would-be invaders.

The Americans counted at least 30 bodies left on the battlefield, all Taliban, according to Sujai. The rest fled.

Treglia said sometimes the Afghans don't want the Americans there, because they don't want them watching, such as when the police shake down local farmers for bribes, in return for burning only part, instead of all, of their poppy crops.

The police then demand the farmers turn in the Taliban when they visit to collect the drugs, thus both lining their pockets and bumping up their arrest record, Treglia explained.

"We used to try to stop it. Now, we let the Afghan general know ? and he knows ? and it's up to them to sort it out," the American said.

In some cases, the Americans are forcing the Afghans to take charge before they want to, hoping to wean the Afghans of support that soon won't be available as the U.S. forces shrink in southern Afghanistan in the coming months.

If the Afghans are wounded on an operation, the Marines get them to describe the injuries and only send a U.S. aerial medevac crew if the wounds are life-threatening, explained U.S. Marine Maj. Christopher Bourbeau, deputy commander of the mission.

Bourbeau traded flying combat helicopters over southern Afghanistan to join the adviser team and has watched the Afghans develop over a four-year period of rotations through the area.

Bourbeau has enlisted Marine medics and the doctors and nurses at the U.S. medical facility at neighboring Camp Dwyer to teach the Afghans how to transport their less severely wounded troops by road. The troops got a grim reminder to pay closer attention when they were hit a few months ago, however, and failed to tie tourniquets on the wounded men.

"They lost guys because no one did that simple thing," Bourbeau.

He launched a brigade-wide refresher course after the losses and demonstrated the results by staging an impromptu pop quiz of one of the Afghan bomb technicians as he walked around the Afghan base. He tossed a tourniquet at the man, said, "Go," and the Afghan had tied a tourniquet on the American officer's leg in just over 30 seconds.

There was a similar spirit of just-say-no tough love at Forward Operating Base Joyce in Kunar province. When the U.S. refused to supply a remote Afghan guard post in the hills above their side-by-side bases, the Afghans built a road to it themselves.

"They secure the camp better than we do now," said U.S. Army security adviser Lt. Col Bryan Laske.

By the numbers, they are finding 20 percent more improvised explosive devices, or IEDs on average than the Americans did, Laske added.

When Col. Hayatullah, who uses only one name, agreed to clear the Pech Valley, he addressed the villagers before the operation alone.

"I told them I am a fellow Muslim," said the commander of the Afghan army's 2nd Brigade, 201st Corps, gesturing to the Arabic inscription "God is great" on one shoulder of his uniform. "I told them I come with a Quran in one hand and a sword in the other. Your actions determine which one I use."

The troops took the valley and are holding it, something the Americans never could in a decade of battle, Laske said.

In a planning meeting for another clearing operation to come, the Afghan army commanders and a group of police and intelligence chiefs argued over how the operation would unfold, with the Americans sitting silently at the far end of the crowded conference table.

"We're not going to leave the enemy sitting a kilometer away from us and do nothing," shouted Afghan Maj. Mahboob, who also goes by one name, leaping to his feet and straining across the table for emphasis.

"The coalition is going to leave, and we have to be able to do this!" he said. The officer's words were translated by a U.S. military translator, but he later repeated what was said in English when asked.

In the operation McGee oversaw to the south, the 1,250 Afghans took and held the towns, leaving Afghan local police in their stead, McGee said.

"There were no civilian casualties, and the villagers are supporting it and at least 100 local police have started work," said Khogyani district's administration chief, Abdul Wahab Momand.

But even as that operation was going ahead, up to eight suicide bombers hit a police headquarters in nearby Jalalabad, about 75 miles east of Kabul, killing least five officers. On the same day in Helmand province, a car bomb struck a British base, killing one of the coalition troops. Those are grim reminders that militants intend to keep fighting.

"Do we still have challenges? Sure we do," Dunford said. "Literacy, logistics ... technical capabilities. ... But in terms of their ability to provide security to the Afghan people in 2013 and beyond, I'm confident that they'll be able to do that," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and Amir Shah in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.

___

Follow Kimberly Dozier on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kimberlydozier

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/afghan-troops-hold-ground-high-cost-072205481.html

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Russian court to rule in Pussy Riot member case

ZUBOVA POLYANA, Russia (AP) ? A Russian court is to consider whether one of the jailed Pussy Riot band members is eligible for early release as she has served half of her two-year sentence.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who has been in custody since her arrest last March, is serving the sentence for the band's irreverent protest against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral.

A court in Zubova Polyana opened the hearings Friday morning as dozens of journalists descended on this small town in the central province of Mordovia, home to a sprawling web of Soviet-era prison camps.

Tolokonnikova and two other female members of the punk band were convicted last year of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for an anti-Putin performance at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral. One of the women, Yekaterina Samutsevich, has had her sentence suspended on appeal.

Tolokonnikova, dressed in a Soviet-style dark prison uniform with a white scarf around her neck, told the court that the prison colony did not support her plea of early release because she "didn't repent." Russia law does not make repentance a condition for an early release.

In their deposition, the prison colony described Tolokonnikova as "decisive, insensitive to ethics and conscience and thinking only about herself."

The court is supposed to take into account the convict's behavior on jail. The prison colony listed a penalty that Tolokonnikova received for failing to say hello to a prison official while she was in hospital and was once reprimanded for her refusal to go out for a walk while she was held in a Moscow jail.

Imprisoned oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was denied parole in 2008 by a judge who among other things cited a failure to hold his hands behind his back during a prison walk.

Tolokonnikova's defense team is led by Irina Khrunova who secured Samutsevich's release.

Defense lawyers urged the court to release Tolokonnikov so that she can take care of her 5-year-old daughter. Attorney Dmitry Dinze also complained that prison officials seem unable to provide proper conditions to treat her persistent headaches.

___

Nataliya Vasilyeva contributed to this report from Moscow.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-court-rule-pussy-riot-member-case-070946596.html

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SV Angel Says Health Informatics Is One Of Its New ?Megatrends?

SV Angel, one of the Valley’s best-known early-stage firms, says it’s starting to look heavily at health startups that take a “software-first approach” towards human biology, medical research and patient care. The firm has always had a list of six to eight “megatrends” that it invests prolifically in. Right now, those are big data, social commerce, online-to-offline commerce, education tech, the sharing economy and the “Internet of things.” Now they’re adding “health informatics” to that list. By that, SV Angel is looking for startups that “use software, IT and data science to help diagnose, treat, reduce and cure disease – at the physical, mental and emotional levels.” It’s a broader definition than just bioinformatics, because it encompasses medical records and other types of patient data. Managing director David Lee, who is a cancer survivor, said that the firm finally feels comfortable with the idea that software is about to eat?healthcare. “I’m not a biologist. I don’t invest in biotech companies. We’re software investors first and foremost,” he said. “But the more I learned about bioinformatics and health records, the more I felt that the timing was ripe.” A couple things are feeding into this. For one, the costs of genome sequencing are falling dramatically. The cost of sequencing a full human genome has gone from $100 million in 2001 to $8,000 today — even faster than Moore’s Law. Secondly, there are meaningful governmental and financial incentives to move toward electronic medical records. (It’s also just common sense to move away from paper records.) He pointed to investments in companies like Counsyl (which I profiled earlier this week), Benchling and medical records startups like Elation EMR and Practice Fusion. There are also younger startups like Medisas, which is building software to help with patient hand-offs and transfers. A few other firms like Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures and Felicis Ventures have carved out reputations over the past few years for aggressively investing in health tech. Note that no one here is backing companies that require an expensive, 10-year drug testing cycle overseen by the FDA. All of these firms tend to look for companies that have less regulatory risk, like in the medical devices space or with diagnostics and bioinformatics. SV Angel has been one of the most prolific backers of social networking, real-time, mobile (and yes, even SoLoMo) startups over the past few years. So are they eating their words? “People

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0OtA5G2Wfv4/

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Clipr sends pasted text to your phone via SMS with a press of a button

If you've ever wanted to send some text from your computer to your phone, you usually have to go with a dedicated app like Evernote, with a mobile app required at the other end. With the new version of Clipr for Mac, however, all you need to do is enter your phone number in the settings and the info will magically appear on your mobile device via SMS -- just press the command key when selecting a clip and away it'll go. Right now all major US carriers are supported, with the promise of more to come. For the uninitiated, Clipr is a clipboard manager that works with your computer's existing copy and paste system without any special key combos. Bear in mind that while the app itself is free, the aforementioned SMS feature costs $0.99 extra. Still, at least this particular clip-inspired helper looks to be a lot better than, you know, that other one.

Filed under: Software, Mobile, Apple

Comments

Source: Clipr (Mac App Store)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/gPtU3t3mcHE/

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Mississippi men's feud looms over ricin probe

Federal authorities in hazmat suits stand outside a small retail space where neighboring business owners said Everett Dutschke used to operate a martial arts studio, Wednesday, April 24, 2013 in Tupelo, Miss., in connection with the recent ricin attacks. No charges have been filed against Dutschke and he hasn?t been arrested. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Federal authorities in hazmat suits stand outside a small retail space where neighboring business owners said Everett Dutschke used to operate a martial arts studio, Wednesday, April 24, 2013 in Tupelo, Miss., in connection with the recent ricin attacks. No charges have been filed against Dutschke and he hasn?t been arrested. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Federal authorities, some in hazmat suits, gather outside a staging area as they search at a small retail space where neighboring business owners said Everett Dutschke used to operate a martial arts studio, Wednesday, April 24, 2013 in Tupelo, Miss., in connection with the recent ricin attacks. No charges have been filed against Dutschke and he hasn?t been arrested. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Federal authorities, some in hazmat suits search at a small retail space where neighboring business owners said Everett Dutschke used to operate a martial arts studio. Wednesday, April 24, 2013 in Tupelo, Miss., in connection with the recent ricin attacks. No charges have been filed against Dutschke and he hasn?t been arrested. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Federal authorities, some in hazmat suits, walk outside the staging area as they search at a small retail space where neighboring business owners said Everett Dutschke used to operate a martial arts studio, in connection with the recent ricin attacks, Wednesday, April 24, 2013 in Tupelo, Miss. No charges have been filed against Dutschke and he hasn?t been arrested. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Federal authorities, some in hazmat suits, walk outside the staging area as they search at a small retail space where neighboring business owners said Everett Dutschke used to operate a martial arts studio, in connection with the recent ricin attacks, Wednesday, April 24, 2013 in Tupelo, Miss. No charges have been filed against Dutschke and he hasn?t been arrested. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) ? The investigation into poisoned letters mailed to President Barack Obama and others has shifted from an Elvis impersonator to his longtime foe, and authorities must now figure out if an online feud between the two men might have escalated into something more sinister.

Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was released from a north Mississippi jail on Tuesday and charges against him were dropped, nearly a week after authorities charged him with sending ricin-laced letters to the president, Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and an 80-year-old Lee County, Miss., Justice Court judge, Sadie Holland.

Before Curtis left jail, authorities had already descended on the home of 41-year-old Everett Dutschke in Tupelo, a northeast Mississippi town best known as the birthplace of the King himself. On Wednesday, they searched the site of a Tupelo martial arts studio once operated by Dutschke, who hasn't been arrested or charged.

Wednesday evening, hazmat teams packed up and left Dutschke's business. He was at the scene at times during the day. A woman drove off in a green Dodge Caravan parked on the street that had been searched. Daniel McMullen, FBI special agent in charge in Mississippi, declined to speak with reporters afterward.

Dutschke's attorney, Lori Nail Basham, said he is "cooperating fully" with investigators and that no arrest warrant had been issued.

After being released from jail Tuesday, Curtis, who performs as Elvis and other celebrities, described a bizarre, yearslong feud between the two, but Dutschke insisted he had nothing to do with the letters. They contained language identical to that found on Curtis' Facebook page and other websites, making him an early suspect.

Federal authorities have not said what led them to drop the charges against Curtis, and his lawyers say they're not sure what new evidence the FBI has found.

Curtis said he's not sure exactly what led to the bad blood. It involves the men's time working together, a broken promise to help with a book by Curtis and an acrimonious exchange of emails, according to Curtis.

The two worked together at Curtis' brother's insurance office years ago, Curtis said. He said Dutschke told him he owned a newspaper and showed interest in publishing his book called "Missing Pieces," about what Curtis considers an underground market to sell body parts.

But Dutschke decided not to publish the material, Curtis alleged, and later began stalking Curtis on the Internet.

For his part, Dutschke said he didn't even know Curtis that well.

"He almost had my sympathy until I found out that he was trying to blame somebody else," Dutschke said Monday. "I've known he was disturbed for a long time. Last time we had any contact with each other was at some point in 2010 when I threatened to sue him for fraud for posting a Mensa certificate that is a lie. He is not a Mensa member. That certificate is a lie."

Curtis acknowledges posting a fake Mensa certificate on Facebook, but says it was an online trap set up for Dutschke because he believed Dutschke was stalking him online. He knew Dutschke also claimed to be a member of the organization for people with high IQs. Dutschke had a Mensa email address during a legislative campaign he mounted in 2007.

Dutschke started a campaign to prove him a liar, Curtis said, and allegedly harassed him through emails and social networking.

Curtis said the two agreed to meet at one point to face off in person, but Dutschke didn't show up.

"The last email I got from him, was, 'Come back tomorrow at 7 and the results of you being splattered all over the pavement will be public for the world to see what a blank, blank, blank you are.' And then at that point, I knew I was dealing with a coward," Curtis said.

Hal Neilson, one of the attorneys for Curtis, has said the defense gave authorities a list of people who may have had a reason to hurt Curtis, and that Dutschke's name came up. Efforts to reach Curtis, his lawyers and his brother were unsuccessful on Wednesday.

Both men say they have met Wicker, and they each have a connection to Holland.

Authorities say the letters were mailed April 8, but the one sent to Holland was the only one to make it into the hands of an intended target. Her son, Democratic state Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville, said his mother did a "smell test" of the envelope and a substance in it irritated her nose. The judge was not sickened by what authorities say was a crude form of the poison, which is derived from castor beans.

Judge Holland has declined to comment on the case.

She was presiding judge in a case in which Curtis was accused of assaulting a Tupelo attorney in 2003. Holland sentenced Curtis to six months in the county jail. He served only part of the sentence, according to his brother.

Running as a Republican, Dutschke lost a lopsided election to Steve Holland in 2007, and observers say the judge publicly chastised Dutschke at a political rally that year.

Brandon Presley, Mississippi's northern district public service commissioner and a distant cousin of Elvis Presley, attended the 2007 political rally in Verona. He told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he remembers Dutschke giving a "militant" speech with personal and professional attacks on Steve Holland.

Presley, also a Democrat, said he doesn't recall details of the speech ? just the tone of it, and the crowd's reaction.

"I just remember everybody's jaw dropping," Presley said.

Dutschke said his speech included sharp criticism of Steve Holland's record in public office.

Steve Holland said earlier this week that his mother made Dutschke get down on his knees at the 2007 rally and apologize. On Wednesday, he said he was mistaken about her telling Dutschke to kneel.

"She just got up and said 'Sir, you will apologize," Steve Holland said.

Dutschke said Steve Holland exaggerated the incident. Presley said he remembers Judge Holland chastising Dutschke.

Presley said of the judge: "I don't believe the woman has an enemy in the world.... I don't know anybody who doesn't love Ms. Sadie Holland, except whoever this fool is who sent the letter. Whoever it is, they ought to be ashamed of themselves, picking on Ms. Sadie."

Dutschke ? who unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for Lee County election commissioner in 2008 ? told AP on Tuesday that he has no problem with Sadie Holland. "Everybody loves Sadie, including me," he said.

On Wednesday, dozens of investigators were searching at a small retail space where neighboring business owners said Dutschke used to operate a martial arts studio. Officers at the scene wouldn't comment on what they were doing.

Investigators in gas masks, gloves and plastic suits emerged from the business carrying five-gallon buckets full of items covered in large plastic bags. Once outside, others started spraying their protective suits with some sort of mist.

Dutschke told the AP on Wednesday morning that he and his wife had gone to a friend's house because they didn't feel safe at their home. He didn't immediately respond to messages Wednesday afternoon.

"They ripped everything out of the house," he said, adding: "I haven't slept at all."

____

Wagster Pettus contributed from Jackson, Miss., and Associated Press writers Jeff Amy and Jay Reeves contributed from Tupelo, Miss.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-24-Suspicious%20Letters/id-ae14491badde46089a55d2129a50026c

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International study finds new genetic links to juvenile arthritis

Public release date: 24-Apr-2013
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Contact: Nick Miller
nicholas.miller@cchmc.org
513-803-6035
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

CINCINNATI Researchers report in Nature Genetics they have increased the number of confirmed genes linked to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) from three to 17 a finding that will clarify how JIA fits into the spectrum of autoimmune disorders and help identify potential treatment targets.

Published April 21, the study involves an international research team that analyzed 2,816 JIA cases recruited from more than 40 pediatric rheumatology clinics. It was the largest collaborative patient population of JIA to date, including patient DNA samples from across the United States, Germany and United Kingdom, according to Susan Thompson, PhD, a researcher in the Division of Rheumatology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who was a leader for the study.

"These findings will help us understand how the long suspected genetic contributions to JIA are driving the disease process, with the ultimate goal being earlier and improved diagnosis and treatment," Thompson said.

JIA is the most common rheumatic disease of childhood that involves several different but related forms. Affecting some 50,000 children in the US, the actual cause of the disease remains unknown. JIA is considered an autoimmune disorder, in which the body's immune system mounts an attack against its own healthy tissues. JIA can be treated with medications and physical therapy, but the disease can persist for many patients into adulthood.

Prior to the current study only three genes were associated with known JIA risk, although scientists have suspected the likelihood that more genes are involved. The research team used what is known as the Immunochip array to measure variation in the genes (DNA) coding for components of the immune system for 2,816 JIA patients in the study. Those findings were compared to the DNA of 13,000 healthy controls to look for genetic differences.

The analyses re-confirmed JIA's connection to the original three genes, identified a link to the 14 new genes and pointed to the possibility that another 11 genetic regions may be implicated. The scientists stressed that their work continues in order to identify additional genetic links and also begin conducting functional studies to pinpoint disease processes.

Although the current study substantially increases the number of confirmed susceptibility genes for JIA, the researchers said their data indicate that additional genetic risk factors still remain to be discovered.

###

Other researchers helping lead the study included Carl Langefeld, PhD, and Miranda Marion, MA, at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, Drs. Wendy Thomson, Anne Hinks and Joanna Cobb at the University of Manchester in the UK, and Sampath Prahalad, MD, at the Emory University School of Medicine.

Funding support for the research came, in part, from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (RC1-AR-058587, U01-AI-067 150S1, N01-AR-42272, P01-AR-048929, P30-AR-473639, K23-AR-50177, R01-AR-060893, R01-AR-057106, N01-AR-62277, P30-GM-103510, U19-AI-082714, P30-AR-053483, RP-PG-0310-1002, RC2AR059092, DK062431, DK62422, DK062432, DK06423, DK062429) from the Arthritis Foundation, The Val A. Browning Charitable Trust and the Marcus Foundation.

About Cincinnati Children's

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News and World Report's 2012 Best Children's Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for neonatology and in the top 10 for all pediatric specialties. Cincinnati Children's is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health and a research affiliate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. It is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional information can be found at http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org.

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Public release date: 24-Apr-2013
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Contact: Nick Miller
nicholas.miller@cchmc.org
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Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

CINCINNATI Researchers report in Nature Genetics they have increased the number of confirmed genes linked to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) from three to 17 a finding that will clarify how JIA fits into the spectrum of autoimmune disorders and help identify potential treatment targets.

Published April 21, the study involves an international research team that analyzed 2,816 JIA cases recruited from more than 40 pediatric rheumatology clinics. It was the largest collaborative patient population of JIA to date, including patient DNA samples from across the United States, Germany and United Kingdom, according to Susan Thompson, PhD, a researcher in the Division of Rheumatology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who was a leader for the study.

"These findings will help us understand how the long suspected genetic contributions to JIA are driving the disease process, with the ultimate goal being earlier and improved diagnosis and treatment," Thompson said.

JIA is the most common rheumatic disease of childhood that involves several different but related forms. Affecting some 50,000 children in the US, the actual cause of the disease remains unknown. JIA is considered an autoimmune disorder, in which the body's immune system mounts an attack against its own healthy tissues. JIA can be treated with medications and physical therapy, but the disease can persist for many patients into adulthood.

Prior to the current study only three genes were associated with known JIA risk, although scientists have suspected the likelihood that more genes are involved. The research team used what is known as the Immunochip array to measure variation in the genes (DNA) coding for components of the immune system for 2,816 JIA patients in the study. Those findings were compared to the DNA of 13,000 healthy controls to look for genetic differences.

The analyses re-confirmed JIA's connection to the original three genes, identified a link to the 14 new genes and pointed to the possibility that another 11 genetic regions may be implicated. The scientists stressed that their work continues in order to identify additional genetic links and also begin conducting functional studies to pinpoint disease processes.

Although the current study substantially increases the number of confirmed susceptibility genes for JIA, the researchers said their data indicate that additional genetic risk factors still remain to be discovered.

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Other researchers helping lead the study included Carl Langefeld, PhD, and Miranda Marion, MA, at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, Drs. Wendy Thomson, Anne Hinks and Joanna Cobb at the University of Manchester in the UK, and Sampath Prahalad, MD, at the Emory University School of Medicine.

Funding support for the research came, in part, from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (RC1-AR-058587, U01-AI-067 150S1, N01-AR-42272, P01-AR-048929, P30-AR-473639, K23-AR-50177, R01-AR-060893, R01-AR-057106, N01-AR-62277, P30-GM-103510, U19-AI-082714, P30-AR-053483, RP-PG-0310-1002, RC2AR059092, DK062431, DK62422, DK062432, DK06423, DK062429) from the Arthritis Foundation, The Val A. Browning Charitable Trust and the Marcus Foundation.

About Cincinnati Children's

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News and World Report's 2012 Best Children's Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for neonatology and in the top 10 for all pediatric specialties. Cincinnati Children's is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health and a research affiliate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. It is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional information can be found at http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org.

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/cchm-isf042413.php

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