Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/1Pd9XcSiENI/
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion Gets Nasty
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion is already nasty and we are only in part one. of course Brandi is dishing the dirt so we have plenty to look forward to. I know I will be tuning in to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion as soon as I am done working. Thank god for DVR’s. Yet, as I sit here working, juicy bits are falling out! The show isn’t even half over and we already know it is getting down and dirty! Brandi Glanville is already smack talking, just the way Bravo likes it. She claims that the reunion “was like Survivor, they meet up to go after one or the other and so you?ll hear me say, ?I?m sorry I couldn?t make the meeting? they planned it all beforehand. They all decided to have a go at Lisa and it?s all silly, petty stuff!? Brandi went on to say that she defended Lisa because “it just seemed so unfair because it was senseless.” Brandi also said that Dana Wilkey is such a fame whore, she’s asked her questions like “When do you think people will start to recognize us?” Tell us something we didn’t know. That [...]
Apartments in works for Abbott Hospital site - Finance & Commerce
Posted: 7:40 am Mon, January 30, 2012
By Burl?Gilyard
Tags: John Hareland, Steven Gallagher, Stevens Square, Stevens Square Community Organization, Wesley Butler, William Dunwoody
Plans call for converting the former Abbott Hospital building in south Minneapolis into the 123-unit Dunwoody Apartments. (Submitted graphic)
The former Abbott Hospital in the Stevens Square neighborhood of south Minneapolis has been standing empty for years. A condo plan fizzled at the site a few years ago; the building has been a neighborhood eyesore and a draw for vandalism.
?It?s been probably the subject of the most complaints since I?ve been here,? said Steven Gallagher, executive director of the Stevens Square Community Organization, a neighborhood group.
But now redevelopment of the site appears close at hand. Plans call for converting the building into the 123-unit Dunwoody Apartments. The total project cost is about $24.6 million, according to city documents. The original 1910 building was known as the Dunwoody Building, named for William Dunwoody, a wealthy local businessman who supported the construction of the hospital.
?We hope to start the abatement in February and start construction in March,? said John Hareland, the owner?s construction representative for Dunwoody Apartments. Hareland said the goal is to have the project complete in March 2013.
The property is owned by New Hope-based Gateway Commons LLC, an entity connected to Swami Palanisami of New Hope-based Palanisami & Associates Inc., a parking ramp consulting, design and construction company.
The Community Development committee of the Minneapolis City Council is set to consider a request for about $1.26 million in tax increment financing (TIF) for the project on Tuesday. The city?s development staff is recommending approval of the TIF contribution. The City Council previously approved an $875,000 loan to the project from the city?s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The financing package includes several elements including a mortgage insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as well as federal and state historic tax credits. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places last year.
Hareland said he thinks the financing climate is improving for multifamily projects.
?Actually it?s loosening up a little bit ? that?s a plus,? Hareland said. ?A few years ago, it wasn?t doable at all. They were pretty tight with the money.?
The project calls for 25 units to be affordable for households making ?at or below 50 percent of the area median income.? The other 98 units will be market-rate.
The building is located at 110 18th St. E., not far from downtown Minneapolis. Hareland said the site is appealing because of its proximity to downtown and the historic nature of the building. The original building dates to 1910; various additions continued through the 1950s.
?Structurally it?s very good condition. It?s absolutely solid as a rock,? Hareland said.
The property had most recently operated as a transitional care facility, which closed in 2004.
Vandalism has plagued the former Abbott Hospital building at 110 18th St. E. in Minneapolis, which has been vacant since 2004. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)
A city report on the property notes: ?There have been over 100 police incidents on the property since 2005, including trespassing, burglaries, damage to property, suspicious persons, intoxicated persons and other disturbances.?
Hareland acknowledged the challenges of the large, vacant building: ?The vandalism has been by far the biggest problem so far.?
Wesley Butler, manager of Multifamily Housing Development for the city?s Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) department, said that as it stands, the building is blight on the area.
?It will create some really good high-quality rental units,? Butler said. ?It?s a really good sound project. It will be really neat space.?
City documents outline approximately $3.7 million of developer equity in the deal, including a deferred developer?s fee.
?The developer is actually putting a significant amount of equity into the project. He?s got a significant investment of his own capital into the project,? Butler said.
Finance & Commerce is tracking more than 10,000 apartment units that are under construction or proposed across the metro area. The latest market study from Minneapolis-based Marquette Advisors reported a vacancy rate of 2.3 percent across the metro area, but an even lower rate of 1.5 percent in the city of Minneapolis.
Gallagher said neighbors know that the redevelopment of the project, like many others, stalled during the sluggish economy of recent years.
?We understand the economy just tanked. We understand that piece,? Gallagher said.
But he said residents are eager to see the project finally get rolling.
?We are supportive of the project. The neighborhood is excited about it being completed,? Gallagher said. ?It sounds like they?re getting close. It?s got a lot of history so people are proud of the building itself, and they don?t like having it empty.?
Source: http://finance-commerce.com/2012/01/apartments-in-works-for-abbott-hospital-site/
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Peru: 27 killed in fire at rehab center
LIMA, Peru?? A fire swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts in a poor part of Peru's capital Saturday, killing 27 people and critically injuring five as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents locked inside.
The "Christ is Love" center for drug and alcohol addicts was unlicensed and overcrowded and its residents were apparently kept inside "like prisoners," Health Minister Alberto Tejada told The Associated Press.
Authorities said 26 people died at the scene, and prosecutors spokesman Raul Sanchez said Saturday night that one of six men hospitalized in critical condition died later.
Peru's fire chief, Antonio Zavala, said most of the victims died of asphyxiation. All the victims appeared to be male.
The local police chief, Clever Zegarra, said the cause of the 9 a.m. fire was under investigation.
"There has been talk of the burning of an object, of a mattress, but also of a fight that resulted in a fire. All of this is speculation," he told the AP. "I've been here at the scene from morning to evening but for the moment the exact cause of the fire is not known."
One resident of the center on a narrow dead-end street in Lima's teeming San Juan de Lurigancho district said he was eating breakfast on the second floor of the center when he saw flames coming from the first floor, where the blaze apparently began.
Gianfranco Huerta told local RPP news radio station that he leaped from a window to safety.
"The doors were locked; there was no way to get out," he told the station.
AP journalists at scene said all the windows of the building they were able to see were barred. Journalists were not allowed inside as police cordoned off the block. By early afternoon, all the dead had been removed from the center.
Most of the bodies seen by reporters were shirtless, their faces blackened. Many were also shoeless.
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"This rehabilitation center wasn't authorized. It was a house that they had taken over ... for patients with addictions and they had the habit of leaving people locked up with no medical supervision," Tejada, the health minister, said.
Authorities said they did not know how many people were inside the center at the time of the fire. They said they were looking for the center's owners and staff, some of whom apparently fled the scene.
The local police chief, Zegarra, identified the owner as Raul Garcia.
'Dantesque proportions'
Zoila Chea, an aunt of one victim, said families paid Garcia $37 to treat an addicted relative and $15 a week thereafter.
She said that neighbors had constantly complained about the center and that it had been closed twice by authorities.
Chea, 45, said relatives were prohibited from seeing interned patients during the first three months of treatment, which she added consisted mainly of reading the Bible.
Her nephew, Luis Chea, was at the center for a month, she said.
Zavala, the national fire chief, said the blaze was of "Dantesque proportions." Firefighters had to punch a hole through a wall with an adjoining building to help people trapped inside the rehabilitation center.
"We've had to use electric saws to cut through the metal bars of the doors to be able to work," Zavala said.
Relatives of residents of the center gathered near the building weeping and seeking word of their loved ones. As the day wore on, nearby sidewalks filled with relatives mourning and trying to console one another.
One of them was Maria Benitez, aunt of 18-year-old Carlos Benitez, who she said was being treated at the center.
"I want to know if he is OK or not," she told ATV television.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46174608/ns/world_news-americas/
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Obama's targeted Latino appeal (Politico)
President Barack Obama?s got a version of his ?We can?t wait? drive customized for the Latino audience.
Never heard of it? Unless you?re a Latino voter, that?s no surprise.
Continue ReadingOver the past few months, the Obama administration has rolled out a series of executive actions that often garner little attention from the English-language press but get huge coverage in the Spanish-language media and other outlets favored by Hispanics.
As Obama?s GOP rivals face the primaries? first sizable group of Latino voters, in Florida, the president?s use of executive power to court the potentially pivotal demographic group already is well under way. And Obama?s team is heavily promoting his actions to their target audience.
When Obama sat down with Spanish-language network Univision on Wednesday, one of the first things he did was boast about the immigration policies he?s altered.
?Some of the changes that we?re making on immigration, we?re trying to make sure that we?re prioritizing criminals [for deportation],? the president said, without really being asked.
Latino advocates say they?ve noticed a new level of engagement from the White House.
?They want to tell Latinos what they?re doing. That?s clear,? said Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), an outspoken immigration reform advocate who has pushed the administration to take unilateral steps to ease and refocus immigration enforcement.
Gutierrez said the proposals initially got a chilly reception from Obama and his aides, but the administration seems to be coming around.
?Before they weren?t worried about communicating with anyone in terms of the immigration sphere, except the very restrictionist community which they spoke to in very clear terms for three years. Every time they had a press conference on how many deportations, they weren?t shy about telling us,? Gutierrez said. ?So, there is a difference [now], and I?m happy. Does it take a campaign to bring that out? Maybe. But there are more families being kept together as a result of the changes.?
The steady stream of under-the-radar moves to tweak the immigration system are aimed at re-energizing Latino voters disappointed by Obama?s failure to win ? or even make a serious push on ? a comprehensive immigration overhaul, and by the record-setting number of deportations carried out since Obama took office, Democrats say.
Gutierrez dates the administration?s new focus on immigration issues to Obama?s appearance last July before the National Council of La Raza. As Obama explained to the Latino activists that he had little ability to change the immigration process without help from Congress, the crowd broke into a variation of his 2008 campaign slogan.
?Yes, you can. Yes, you can,? they chanted.
?I think at that point [Obama aides] said, ?You know what? We can,?? Gutierrez said.
Since that visit, the administration has discovered new flexibility to change a variety of immigration-related policies without the approval of Congress.
In August, the federal government promised to refocus deportations on criminals and launched an unprecedented review of all pending deportation cases, including those in which a final deportation order has been issued. In December, the Department of Homeland Security announced a toll-free hot line for citizens mistakenly detained as foreigners.
Earlier this month, Obama?s appointees began the process of tweaking the green-card policy, curtailing potentially dangerous trips to consulates in violence-plagued Mexico ? another change the president highlighted in his Univision interview. A few days later, DHS released a policy enhancing the rights of lawyers representing immigrants in deportation proceedings.
?In the mainstream press, I don?t see a lot of news about the waiver [process for green cards] and the deportation review, but you can see that in the Spanish media all the time,? said Antonieta Cadiz, White House correspondent for La Opini?n, a Spanish-language paper in Los Angeles. ?The administrative relief measures: That?s something important.?
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Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friend says on 911 call Demi Moore was convulsing (AP)
LOS ANGELES ? Demi Moore smoked something before she was rushed to the hospital on Monday night and was convulsing and "semi-conscious, barely," according to a caller on a frantic 911 recording released Friday by Los Angeles fire officials.
The woman tells emergency operators that Moore, 49, had been "having issues lately."
"Is she breathing normal?" the operator asks.
"No, not so normal. More kind of shaking, convulsing, burning up," the friend says as she hurries to Moore's side, on the edge of panic.
The recording captures the 10 minutes it took paramedics to arrive as friends gather around the collapsed star and try to comfort her as she trembles and shakes.
Another woman is next to Moore as the dispatcher asks if she's responsive.
"Demi, can you hear me?" she asks. "Yes, she's squeezing hands. ... She can't speak."
When the operator asks what Moore ingested or smoked, the friend replies, but the answer was redacted.
"Some form of ... and then she smoked something. I didn't really see. She's been having some issues lately with some other stuff. So I don't know what she's been taking or not," the friend says.
The city attorney's office advised the fire department to redact details about medical conditions and substances to comply with federal medical privacy rules.
"She smoked something. It's not marijuana. It's similar to incense," the friend says to the 911 operator.
While Moore's friends don't say exactly what she smoked, an increasingly popular drug known as Spice is sometimes labeled as "herbal incense."
Spice is a synthetic cannabis drug and also called K2. It's sold in small packets over the Internet, in smoke shops and at convenience stores. The packaging sometimes reads "not for human consumption" to conceal its purpose.
In 2011, there were twice as many spice-related calls to Poison Control Centers nationwide as in the previous year, according to the National Office of Drug Control Policy.
The adverse health effects associated with synthetic marijuana include anxiety, vomiting, racing heartbeat, seizures, hallucinations, and paranoid behavior.
Asked if Moore took the substance intentionally or not, the woman says Moore ingested it on purpose but the reaction was accidental.
"Whatever she took, make sure you have it out for the paramedics," the operator says.
The operator asks the friend if this has happened before.
"I don't know," she says. "There's been some stuff recently that we're all just finding out."
Moore's publicist, Carrie Gordon, said previously that the actress sought professional help to treat her exhaustion and improve her health. She would not comment further on the emergency call or provide details about the nature or location of Moore's treatment.
The past few months have been rocky for Moore.
She released a statement in November announcing she had decided to end her marriage to fellow actor Ashton Kutcher, 33, following news of alleged infidelity. The two were known to publicly share their affection for one another via Twitter.
Moore still has a Twitter account under the name mrskutcher but has not posted any messages since Jan. 7.
Meanwhile, Millennium Films announced Friday that Sarah Jessica Parker will replace Moore in the role of feminist Gloria Steinem in its production of "Lovelace," a biopic about the late porn star Linda Lovelace. A statement gave no reason for the change. The production, starring Amanda Seyfried, has been shooting in Los Angeles since Dec. 20.
During the call, the woman caller says the group of friends had turned Moore's head to the side and was holding her down. The dispatcher tells her not to hold her down but to wipe her mouth and nose and watch her closely until paramedics arrive.
"Make sure that we keep an airway open," the dispatcher says. "Even if she passes out completely, that's OK. Stay right with her."
The phone is passed around by four people, including a woman who gives directions to the gate and another who recounts details about what Moore smoked or ingested. Finally, the phone is given to a man named James, so one of the women can hold Moore's head.
There was some confusion at the beginning of the call. The emergency response was delayed by nearly two minutes as Los Angeles and Beverly Hills dispatchers sorted out which city had jurisdiction over the street where Moore lives.
As the call is transferred to Beverly Hills, the frantic woman at Moore's house raises her voice and said, "Why is an ambulance not on its way right now?"
"Ma'am, instead of arguing with me why an ambulance is not on the way, can you spell (the street name) for me?" the Beverly Hills dispatcher says.
Although the estate is located in the 90210 ZIP code above Benedict Canyon, the response was eventually handled by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
By the end of the call, Moore has improved.
"She seems to have calmed down now. She's speaking," the male caller told the operator.
Moore and Kutcher were wed in September 2005.
Kutcher became a stepfather to Moore's three daughters ? Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Belle ? from her 13-year marriage to actor Bruce Willis. Moore and Willis divorced in 2000 but remained friendly.
Moore and Kutcher created the DNA Foundation, also known as the Demi and Ashton Foundation, in 2010 to combat the organized sexual exploitation of girls around the globe. They later lent their support to the United Nations' efforts to fight human trafficking, a scourge the international organization estimates affects about 2.5 million people worldwide.
Moore can be seen on screen in the recent films "Margin Call" and "Another Happy Day." Kutcher replaced Charlie Sheen on TV's "Two and a Half Men" and is part of the ensemble film "New Year's Eve."
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95% Pariah
"Pariah," from first-time writer/director Dee Rees, doesn't break much artistic ground. It tells the same gay/lesbian coming-out story that we've seen a million times. But it's told particularly well and from within a black urban context, which I don't believe has been done before. It also goes a bit deeper into the hearts and minds of the homophobic parents than typically is done, which was great. Unfortunately, it only scratches those surfaces. Kim Wayans, who of course has a long history in comedy, shows she has major dramatic talent, playing the homophobic mother of the main character. The cast is universally good, but Wayans is the stand-out. The main character is a black teenage girl in Brooklyn going through the coming-out process. She has fully come out to herself as a lesbian, and she has even found her way into a lesbian circle of friends. She even frequents a women's night club. But she hasn't told Mom or Dad about any of this, both of whom are homophobic. Mom is particularly venomous in her hatred of gays and lesbians. You can see that Dad, a detective in the NYPD, in his heart of hearts is not a bigot. Thrown into the mix to complicate things a little bit is a bisexual girl eager to have lesbian experiences to explore herself. But she tosses lesbians aside like useless candy wrappers after she's had her fun. If I were going to give Dee Rees advice, I would say this: Ms. Rees, in "Pariah" you started digging into the parent characters with some real psychological and artistic depth. I encourage you to go more deeply in that direction. I think your true gifts as an artist lie there. I would give anything to see a sequel where you explore what happened to that mother and what she's really fighting. You hint that her husband is beginning to stray, but I think there's more in there. Help us see it. Remember when that great schoolteacher tells Alike that she could "go deeper" with her poetry? You could go deeper with your films. I know you could.
January 1, 2012Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pariah_2011/
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Saturday, January 28, 2012
Sarah Jessica Parker Takes Over for Demi Moore in Lovelace
While Demi Moore works to overcome her recent personal problems, we have an update on her professional life:
Sarah Jessica Parker has signed on to replace Moore as Gloria Steinem in Lovelace, the upcoming biopic centered around the life of 1970s porn star Linda Lovelace. Demi dropped out of the film almost immediately after being hospitalized earlier this week.
Parker joins a cast that includes Amanda Seyfried in the title role, along Peter Sarsgaard, Adam Brody, Juno Temple and Wes Bentley.
Moore, meanwhile, is out of the hospital. Her next move is unknown, but the 911 call placed on her behalf was released to the public today.
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Monday, January 23, 2012
Fictional finance on the rise | Abnormal Returns
- abnormalreturns
- January 23rd, 2012
What if anything should we make of the surge of finance in fictional forms?? Clearly the financial crisis and its aftermath has made finance a more interesting topic for writers.? One could even argue in a contrarian fashion that when finance is worthy of a fictional treatment the market is set for a turn.? (See the short-lived nature of the TNT-show, Bull, launched and cancelled in 2000 in the aftermath of the Internet bubble.)
The movie Margin Call
For let me first say that I recommend the movie unreservedly, not only to professionals within the investment banking industry but also to outsiders still in possession of their moral compass. The lighting, cinematography, casting, and dialogue is, for the most part, pitch perfect, and the movie conveys exceptionally well the mood and atmosphere of the sales and trading end of a big investment bank.
Now it sounds like another movie, Arbitrage starring Richard Gere as a desperate hedge fund manger is set to emerge from the Sundance Film Festival as well.? In addition two new books are also set in the world of finance as well.? Felix Salmon recently reviewed the forthcoming novel The Fear Index
I tend to find fictionalizations of high finance disappointing?Robert Harris?s?The Fear Index, however, is very different. For one thing, it?s not boring: it doesn?t allow financial exegesis to slow it down, and it?s as addictive as any thriller written. Pick this up on an airplane, and you won?t want to land. On top of that, it?s well written, to boot.
In other cases writers may simply be reflecting the world in which they live.? Erin Duffy, author of Bond Girl: A Novel
Bond Girl?is a sparkling debut, smart and snappy but never weighed down by financial terminology. Who knew Wall Street could be this much fun?
The one common denominator among these works is that market volatility helps drive the plot.? In a world where the fate of countries hinges on the collective judgements of markets maybe finance really is a world worthy of more fictional depictions.
This is obviously not a comprehensive list of recent finance fiction.? Have we missed any recent works of fiction that are set in the world of finance?? If so, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Items mentioned:
Margin Call review round-up.? (Abnormal Returns)
Fat Cats and Starving Dogs; Happy Foxes and Sad Sacks (Big Picture)
A Certain Moral Flexibility.? (The Epicurean Dealmaker)
Is Arbitrage this year?s Margin Call?? (LA Times)
Q&A for Arbitrage.? (Sundance)
The Fear Index.? (Felix Salmon)
Bond Girl:? review.? (Entertainment Weekly)
Abnormal Returns is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you click on my Amazon.com links and buy anything, even something other than the product advertised, I earn a small commission, yet you don't pay any extra. Thank you for your support.
The information in this blog post represents my own opinions and does not contain a recommendation for any particular security or investment. I or my affiliates may hold positions or other interests in securities mentioned in the Blog, please see my Disclaimer page for my full disclaimer.
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Maldives asks UN help to resolve "judicial crisis" (AP)
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka ? The Maldives asked the United Nations on Sunday to send a group of international jurists to resolve what it calls a judicial system failure that has resulted in the military's detention of a senior judge.
A government statement said Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem made the request in a letter to the office of the U.N High Commissioner for Human Rights.
President Mohamed Nasheed's government is under heavy pressure. Street protests have broken out in the capital Male following last week's arrest of Criminal Court Chief Justice Abdulla Mohamed after he ordered the release of a government critic.
Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan has also joined calls for the release of the judge, saying that he is ashamed by his government's action.
The government has accused Mohamed of corruption and political bias.
On Sunday, hundreds of protesters gathered in Male to demand the resignation of Nasheed and the release of the judge. Police used tear gas to break up the gathering, but protesters through the capital and demonstrated outside the homes of the president, home minister and police commissioner.
Naseem in his letter explained that the dispute with the criminal court judge was not an isolated incident but "represents a systemic failure of the judicial checks and balances foreseen in the constitution."
"This system failure led directly to the president's decision, as the ultimate guarantor of the constitution and of rule of law in the Maldives, to detain Justice Abdulla Mohamed," the statement said.
The Judicial Service Commission mandated by the constitution to examine the conduct of judges has failed in its responsibilities by not taking action on any of the 143 complaints it received in 2010 alone, the statement said.
Judge Mohamed remains in custody on an island the military uses for training in the Indian Ocean archipelago despite calls for his release by the country's Supreme Court and the prosecutor general. The Maldives human rights commission has also called the arrest unlawful.
Nasheed's critics say that his government is using the military and police to crack down on dissidents and intimidates the media from reporting on the dispute.
Both Nasheed and his deputy Waheed were leading pro-democracy campaigners before being elected to office in the country's first multiparty election in 2008.
Maldives is known for its idyllic resorts for upmarket tourists.
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Sunday, January 22, 2012
A 3D Printer That Works With Chocolate? Now You've Got My Attention [3D Printers]
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Saturday, January 21, 2012
BP seen agreeing $20-25 billion oil spill settlement (Reuters)
LONDON (Reuters) ? BP is likely to agree to pay the U.S. Department of Justice $20-$25 billion to settle all charges around the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, according to a leading analyst, a prediction that is at least twice what the company has set aside.
Martijn Rats, head of European oil research at Morgan Stanley, said he saw a 70-80 percent chance that the two sides would agree a deal on civil and criminal charges surrounding the 2010 disaster sometime between BP's full year results on February 7, and the scheduled start of legal hearings in New Orleans on February 27.
BP sources have told Reuters that talks are ongoing with the Department of Justice about a possible settlement and that the London-based company's board has shifted to weekly meetings to discuss progress.
Chief Executive Bob Dudley has said BP would like to settle, although not at any price. When asked about the matter by reporters on Wednesday, he declined to make any comment, saying it was a sensitive time to be discussing it.
When contacted by Reuters, BP had no comment to make over the likelihood or size of a settlement of the charges surrounding the blast on the Deepwater Horizon and subsequent spill.
BP senses the U.S. administration would like to settle the matter, not least because it is a U.S. presidential election year, the sources said but any outcome is still seen as uncertain.
The estimated level of settlement in the Morgan Stanley note - the most detailed analysis Reuters has seen on the potential cost of the spill - is much higher than other analysts have predicted, and around double the amount BP has taken a provision for.
Senior company sources last year told Reuters that the company was prepared for a massive payout. One source predicted BP would offer "the mother of all settlements".
Another said the settlement would likely be the second-largest in U.S. legal history, putting it between the $206 billion the tobacco industry agreed to pay U.S. states for treating smoking-related illnesses and the $7.2 billion banks agreed to pay to settle litigation related to Enron's collapse.
SHARES LAG
BP has the money to pay a $20-25 billion settlement - it is sitting on cash pile of more than $20 billion and has billions of dollars worth of assets on the block as part of its restructuring.
Nonetheless, Morgan Stanley predicts the larger-than- expected size of the payout will weigh on BP's shares. It rates the shares "underweight" and has a target price of 435 pence, against a Wednesday close of 481 pence.
The shares traded down 0.6 percent at 0905 GMT, against a flat STOXX Europe 600 Oil and Gas index.
BP investors are expecting the company to announce a dividend hike at its full year results, after Dudley said late last year that it had reached a turning point after the oil spill and was now returning to growth mode.
A big settlement would limit BP's ability to lift the shareholder payout.
Morgan Stanley believes the DoJ deal will cover all criminal and civil proceedings being pursued by the government against BP under the Clean Water Act, Alternative Fines Act, other laws and BP's obligation to make good any natural resources damages.
(Reporting by Tom Bergin; Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters and Mike Nesbit)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/ts_nm/us_bp
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Microsoft 2Q beats Street despite soft PC market (AP)
LOS ANGELES ? Microsoft Corp. battled through a weak PC market to post flat earnings in the final quarter of 2011, boosting sales of servers, Xbox games and its Office productivity software while trimming losses at its Bing search engine.
Net income in the company's second quarter through December came to $6.62 billion, down slightly from the $6.63 billion a year ago. Earnings per share came to 78 cents, up a penny from a year ago, as the outstanding share count fell.
Revenue rose 5 percent to $20.89 billion.
The earnings reported after the close of trading on Wall Street Thursday beat expectations of analysts polled by FactSet, who were looking for 76 cents per share. But sales were below the $20.92 billion expected.
Microsoft's shares rose 54 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $28.66 in after-hours trading.
Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC, said cost controls and a second-consecutive quarter of reducing losses at Bing helped results. Continuing growth in its Office software division was also encouraging, while the decline in the PC market and its negative impact on the flagship Windows operating system was expected.
"People were afraid it was going to be much, much worse," he said.
Company watchers had been concerned that a shortage of hard disk drives from flood-ravaged Thailand would hit PC sales and hurt sales of the world's most-used operating system, Windows. Microsoft's position as a leading operating system maker is also facing challenges as people use more tablet computers like Apple Inc.'s iPad and mobile devices using Google Inc.'s Android system.
Microsoft is looking ahead to the release of Windows 8, an operating system that should operate similarly over PCs and mobile devices. A beta version is due out next month.
CEO Steve Ballmer, in a statement, called the quarter's results solid even as the company "prepares for a launch year that will accelerate many of our key products and services."
He said that the company has gotten positive reviews of its Metro style design that will unify the way consumers interact with Windows-based phones, computers, tablets and even televisions this year.
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Friday, January 20, 2012
SOPA and PIPA bills: old answers to 21st-century problems, critics say (+video) (The Christian Science Monitor)
In the face of an Internet rebellion, both senators and members of the House of Representatives are backing away from two anti-piracy bills now making their way through Congress.
But the protests of Internet giants such as Google and Wikipedia, with some essentially shutting down for a day, go beyond the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), consumer activists and academics say. The protests are a call for Congress to reconsider the way it fights digital thievery.
In short, critics say, Congress is looking for a 20th-century answer to a 21st-century challenge.
RECOMMENDED: How five websites are protesting SOPA
The intent of the SOPA and PIPA bills is to cut off access to sites that distribute copyrighted material illegally. But critics say it is a heavy-handed solution that won't solve the problem and could quash the sharing and collaboration that fuel innovation on the Internet.
newslook
The deeper problem, they suggest, is that the music and film industries simply haven't adapted quickly enough to the new realities of the online world, and are instead trying to use Congress to prop up outdated practices.
?Consumers want easy access to content and many are willing to pay for it ? so the onus is on businesses to meet these demands,? says Anjelika Petrochenko, general manager at LiveJournal.com, a site that hosts online bloggers, journals, and discussion threads.
While there are exceptions, she says, ?SOPA/PIPA legislation is a poorly written excuse for intellectual-property owners to hide their own inability to adapt.?
Industry leaders disagree. In a statement Wednesday, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said that sites participating in the blackout are "irresponsible" and "resorting to stunts that punish their users." Chief Executive Chris Dodd, a former US senator, said the blackouts are an "abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace.?
The concern among critics of the legislation is that broad-brush strokes by Congress could damage web ventures that seek to find innovative ways of distributing content in the digital realm.
?SOPA will prevent innovation in order to prevent piracy," says Vince Leung, cofounder of the social media site, MentorMob.com.
Napster was shut down for free file-sharing, he points out, ?but Apple/iTunes was an innovative and inexpensive way for consumers to purchase music.?
Rather than shutting down services which provide jobs, efficiency, and value to their users, he adds, ?the SOPA supporters should think how the business model needs to change with the times.?
Faced with the protests, supporters of the bills have begun to respond. Sens. Marco Rubio (R) of Florida, Jon Cornyn (R) of Texas, and Roy Blunt (R) of Missouri have distanced themselves from the Senate bill, PIPA.
While Senator Rubio says he remains committed to fighting piracy, he wrote on his Facebook page that he has "heard legitimate concerns about the impact the bill could have on access to the Internet and about a potentially unreasonable expansion of the federal government's power to impact the Internet."
The statement from the MPAA suggests that finding common ground could be difficult, if not nearly impossible, says Deborah Sweeney, CEO of MyCorporation.com, a business services firm that helps startups launch.
Nevertheless, the reality is that neither party may be wrong, she adds via e-mail. ?They just have to work together (a nearly impossible feat)?. No one likes piracy, but the potential impact of SOPA is far more broad than the legislators likely anticipated.?
The biggest challenge, she notes, is that ?the two sides are not speaking the same language.?
RECOMMENDED: How five websites are protesting SOPA
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A poor year for home building ends on hopeful note (AP)
WASHINGTON ? Builders ended 2011 with a third straight year of dismal home construction and the worst on record for single-family home building. But improvement at the end of the year lifted hopes for an eventual recovery.
In December, builders broke ground on a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 657,000 homes, the Commerce Department said Thursday. A third straight increase in single-family home building was offset by a drop in volatile apartment construction.
The housing market still appears years away from full health.
For the entire year, builders began work on 606,900 homes. That's slightly better than in the previous two years. But it's only about half the number that economists equate with healthy markets.
Construction began on 428,600 single-family homes in 2011. It was the fewest on records dating back a half-century. In a good economy, builders tend to break ground on roughly twice as many. Single-family homes are key to a housing rebound because they account for roughly 70 percent of the market.
Still, analysts said the final months point to improvement.
"We expect further sustained gains in starts and permits over the next few months; a real recovery is getting started," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.
Homebuilders have grown slightly less pessimistic because more people are saying they might be open to buying a home this year. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose in January to its highest level since June 2007.
The number of actual purchases remains weak. Among new homes, sales last year are likely to turn out to be the worst on records dating back half a century. But the rising interest from would-be buyers, along with record-low mortgage rates, is lifting optimism for stronger sales ahead
Builders are struggling to compete with deeply discounted foreclosures and short sales. (Short sales occur when lenders allow homes to be sold for less than what's owed on the mortgage.)
Though new homes represent just 20 percent of the overall home market, they have a big impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
After previous recessions, housing accounted for at least 15 percent of U.S. economic growth. Since the recession officially ended in June 2009, it has contributed just 4 percent.
Another reason new-home sales have fallen is that previously occupied homes have become a better deal. The median price of a new home is about 30 percent higher than the median price for a re-sale. That's nearly twice the markup typical in a healthy housing market.
"The report shows the housing industry is still in a holding pattern," said Mitchell Hochberg, principal of Madden Real Estate Ventures in New York. He said fewer foreclosures and a drop in unemployment would help spur a turnaround.
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Thursday, January 19, 2012
The Engadget Show returns Friday, January 20th!
Sleep? Ha! We may have spent the past 10 days or so rocking the Las Vegas Convention Center, but that doesn't mean it's time to rest on our over overtired laurels. Nope, we're back this Friday with the first Engadget Show of 2012, and it's going to be a fun one -- we'll be taking a look at the biggest gadgets, interviews and stories to come out of this year's CES and offering up all sorts of surprises.
Best of all, if you're in New York City, you can be a part of the live show -- just fire off an email to engadgetshow [at] engadget.com.
Here are the deets:
o. The event is all ages.
o. We'll open doors and begin seating at 5:15pm on December 20th, and the taping begins at 6:00PM. We'll be closing the doors at 5:50PM.
o. Winners must confirm and print tickets 24 hours before taping begins or risk forfeiting their seat.
o. Please bring a photo ID with you to the taping.
o. The show length is around an hour.
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.
Subscribe to the Show:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
Best of all, if you're in New York City, you can be a part of the live show -- just fire off an email to engadgetshow [at] engadget.com.
Here are the deets:
o. The event is all ages.
o. We'll open doors and begin seating at 5:15pm on December 20th, and the taping begins at 6:00PM. We'll be closing the doors at 5:50PM.
o. Winners must confirm and print tickets 24 hours before taping begins or risk forfeiting their seat.
o. Please bring a photo ID with you to the taping.
o. The show length is around an hour.
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.
Subscribe to the Show:
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[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
The Engadget Show returns Friday, January 20th! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/17/the-engadget-show-returns-friday-january-20th/
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BB Cream: What It Is And Why You Need It For Your Wedding Day
BB Cream: What It Is And Why You Need It For Your Wedding Day
There?s a new secret beauty weapon in town you may have heard the buzz about: BB Cream. What is it? BBs have actually been on the market for a while?they are wildly popular in Asia?but have now started making headlines in North America where you may have noticed an explosion happening at the cosmetic counter. Known as ?Blemish Balm,? ?Beauty Balm,? or ?Beauty Benefit? cream (depending on the manufacturer), these lightweight liquid formulas are to be applied after moisturizer, before foundation or powder. The benefits are multi-purpose: hydration, lightening and brightening. They also even out skin tone and provide SPF protection. Here are five fantastic BBs to check out.
Tags: bb cream, beauty, wedding day skincare
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Parents say disabled NJ girl was denied transplant
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? The parents of a 3-year-old girl say she's being denied a kidney transplant because of her mental disabilities, but experts caution the situation may be much more complex.
Chrissy Rivera, who lives in New Jersey, last week posted a blog entry that described an encounter she claimed happened at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She said she was there to discuss treatment for her daughter, Amelia, who was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic defect that can cause physical and mental disabilities.
Rivera wrote that a doctor, whom she did not name, told her and her husband, Joe Rivera, that Amelia wouldn't be eligible for a transplant because of her quality of life and her mental condition.
"I put my hand up. 'Stop talking for a minute. Did you just say that Amelia shouldn't have the transplant done because she is mentally retarded. I am confused. Did you really just say that?'" she wrote. "I begin to shake. My whole body trembles and he begins to tell me how she will never be able to get on the waiting list because she is mentally retarded."
Rivera's story was seen by Sunday Stilwell, the mother of two severely autistic boys, and she began an online petition last Friday, demanding that the hospital give a transplant to the girl. By Tuesday night, more than 22,500 people had signed Stilwell's petition, and the hospital's website was being swamped with complaints.
"I read Chrissy's original blog post, and I just cried. I couldn't believe it," Stilwell, whose boys are 6 and 9, told The Associated Press. "I shared it on Twitter with all my followers and on Facebook."
Stilwell has been in contact with Rivera daily over the events.
"There's a lot of camaraderie" between parents of special-needs kids, Stilwell said. "Almost all of us, across the board, have experienced some discrimination. I've certainly had some bad run-ins with some certainly ignorant doctors, but nothing like this. That's part of the reason I did it. I couldn't actually believe this was happening."
Messages seeking comment from the Riveras through Facebook and to their home were left Tuesday but were not immediately returned.
The issue the Riveras face is not simple, said Arthur Caplan, director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics.
For example, the blog notes that Rivera told the hospital that "we plan on donating" the kidney, since they come from a large family.
"Most adults can't donate an organ, because it won't fit" a child, Caplan said. "You're starting to say you're going to use another child as a living donor, and that's ethically really trouble."
The supply of organs for child transplants is "extremely limited," Caplan added.
"So you have hard choices to make," he said. "Dialysis may be a better option."
Other symptoms of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome include heart defects and seizures, and it generally results in a shorter lifespan.
According to the National Institutes of Health, 87,820 people were awaiting kidney transplants as of last February. The National Kidney Foundation, which seeks to enhance the lives of people affected by kidney disease, said 4,573 patients died in 2008 while waiting for kidney transplants.
A 2006 study from Ohio State University on kidney transplants for patients with mental disabilities found that the one- and three-year survival rates for 34 people were 100 percent and 90 percent, respectively.
"The studies reported good compliance with post-transplant medications due to consistent support from family members or caregivers," the paper noted.
The researchers added that previous controversies over mental disabilities and transplants led the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to express concern that many people with disabilities are "denied evaluation and referral for transplantation."
Rivera's blog noted that doctors said Amelia won't need a transplant for six months to a year.
Children's Hospital said in a statement that it "does not disqualify potential transplant candidates on the basis of intellectual abilities."
"We have transplanted many children with a wide range of disabilities, including physical and intellectual disabilities," it said, adding that it is "deeply committed" to providing the best possible medical care for all children, including those with disabilities.
It said on its Facebook page that it was listening to people's concerns and was taking seriously their posts, emails and phone calls. It did not comment further, citing patient confidentiality laws.
Other experts said that if Rivera's claims are accurate, the hospital's actions are very disturbing.
"Everyone deserves an equal chance to these organs, regardless of your mental capacity," said Charles Camosy, a professor of Christian Ethics at Fordham University.
Camosy said that while it's true that there are shortages of kidneys and other organs, the criteria used to make transplant decisions "should not ever devalue those that are mentally disabled."
"This is a growing movement that transcends liberal or conservative that says this kind of life, because it's so vulnerable, it deserves special protection," he said.
Whatever the medical details of Amelia's situation, her mother's blog captured the anger of parents with disabled children who don't want outsiders to decide life and death issues.
"Do not talk about her quality of life," Rivera wrote of her exchange with the doctor last week. "You have no idea what she is like. We have crossed many, many road blocks with Amelia and this is just one more. So, you don't agree she should have it done? Fine. But tell me who I talk to next."
Mary Beth Happ, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center whose research focuses on communication with non-vocal patients, said that the issue of severe mental disability and kidney transplants has been a source of contention for nearly two decades.
"Co-existing health problems such as weakened immune system and/or heart disease, which are prevalent in (Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome), are an additional risk that transplant centers and parents must consider," Happ wrote in an email.
But Happ and Caplan noted that it's virtually impossible to have a full discussion of Amelia's case because of medical privacy laws.
"We're seeing this more and more where very private, difficult medical decisions are debated in the media without the full facts," Happ said, adding that while the general discussion can be good, the risks of one side or another inflating the situation is "really problematic."
Caplan said he has heard of cases in which other transplant programs considered severe mental disability as a factor in transplants.
"With scarcity, social factors do count, with every transplant," he said.
___
Begos reported from Pittsburgh.
___
Online:
Rivera's Blog: http://bit.ly/xAmRaV
Associated PressTuesday, January 17, 2012
Euro zone faces lower EFSF lending power or higher guarantees (Reuters)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? The euro zone's bailout fund EFSF can retain its AAA rating with Standard & Poor's through higher guarantees from the euro zone's remaining triple A countries or lower lending capacity, a senior euro zone official said.
The choice follows a downgrade by S&P on Friday of France and Austria's credit rating by one notch to AA+, which reduced the number of AAA rated countries guaranteeing the issuance of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to four.
The EFSF has an effective lending capacity of 440 billion euros thanks to guarantees from euro zone governments.
Because only six of the 17 countries sharing the euro had the highest AAA rating when the EFSF was set up, rating agencies demanded that the guarantees be much higher than the EFSF's actual lending power and equal 780 billion euros.
The loss of S&P's top rating by France and Austria means that without any changes, the EFSF's lending capacity will fall by 180 billion euros - the share of guarantees by Vienna and Paris for the fund, the senior official said.
Since the EFSF has now committed 43.7 billion euros to a financing programme for Ireland and Portugal, the loss of 180 billion would leave it 216.3 billion to finance a second programme for Greece and any other future euro zone needs.
Euro zone countries can also decide that a downgrade by just one of three major rating agencies is not a reason for great concern because the EFSF still has top ratings from the other two - Moody's and Fitch, euro zone officials said.
But euro zone finance ministers said in a statement on Friday they were determined to "explore the options for maintaining the EFSF's AAA rating".
"If there is a decision by EFSF shareholders (euro zone countries) to keep the AAA rating for the EFSF it could be done in two ways," the senior euro zone official with insight into EFSF said.
The first one would entail changes to the EFSF framework agreement to increase the amount of guarantees from the remaining four AAA countries - Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Luxembourg - to compensate for Austria and France.
Such changes would have to be approved by parliaments in these countries, which would be highly problematic given public opposition in Germany and Finland.
"Definitely we can anticipate that this would be politically the most difficult choice," the official said.
The second option would be to increase the cash buffer the EFSF keeps from interest on the loans it makes and allow the lending capacity to fall by 180 billion, the official said.
But the impact of the S&P downgrade of several euro zone countries on Friday on the EFSF's operations and its relations with investors was likely to be limited, the official said.
"What is important, is that there are still two rating agencies which keep the EFSF at AAA and for investors that is what will matter," the official said, as many investors now relied more on internal ratings rather than external ones.
The official also said the lower ratings of most EFSF guarantors were unlikely to directly affect its ability for leverage.
The EFSF can, for example, seek to attract private or public investors to buy euro zone bonds alongside the EFSF, in a co-investment fund the first losses of which would be borne by the EFSF.
"The EFSF would fund its own junior tranche in the co-investment fund from the start, so there is no dependence on any rating of the EFSF - I don't think the rating would have a strong impact on the instrument," the official said.
The EFSF will auction 1.5 billion euros worth of six-month bills in the coming week, but the official did not expect the auction to run into any problems because it was short-term paper.
(Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Vitor Belfort overcomes Anthony Johnson?s size to get UFC 142 submission
Fighting in front of his hometown crowd, Vitor Belfort submitted Anthony Johnson in the first round at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.
Johnson wanted to use his wrestling skills caught a kick for a takedown early in the first round. Belfort looked for submissions from his back, but couldn't find any, and they were stood up by referee Dan Miragliotta. Belfort landed a knee and stuffed Johnson's takedowns, while Johnson was still able to land several big strikes.
As the crowd chanted, "Ole Ole Ole! Vitor, Vitor!" Belfort took Johnson's back and cinched it with a body triangle. Belfort methodically worked his arms under Johnson's chin, and secured the rear naked choke for the submission at 4:49 in the first round.
The fight was in question after Johnson weighed in at 197 lbs. for the 185-lb. division. Johnson had to weigh in again at 2 p.m. on Saturday and weigh less than 205 lbs. for the fight to go on. Johnson fought for years at welterweight and had trouble with the weight cut then.
"I fought big guys. I'm not afraid of size. I'm ready to fight whatever, but I cut 20 lbs. in four days. I've got to be a professional. I cannot control the outcome, but I can control my attitude," Belfort said after the bout.
Belfort lost to Anderson Silva in a title bout last February, but has two first-round wins since then. Next, he is slated to coach the first Brazilian edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" against fellow Brazilian MMA legend Wanderlei Silva.
Johnson is in a precarious position. Not making weight will draw the ire of UFC president Dana White, and it does not help to lose a fight the next day.
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Monday, January 16, 2012
Gingrich: nominee must withstand 'Obama onslaught' (AP)
WASHINGTON ? Newt Gingrich is defending his aggressive attacks on GOP front-runner Mitt Romney, saying the tough questions about his record need to be raised during the Republican primaries.
Speaking Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation," Gingrich said Republicans must make sure they don't nominate a candidate who collapses in September "under the weight of Barack Obama."
He says the president is expected to spend a billion dollars on his re-election campaign and the GOP has to be able to withstand what he calls the "Obama onslaught."
Gingrich says Romney's record as a former governor of Massachusetts is more moderate than Romney advertises and he needs to "get straight" with voters.
Gingrich says Republicans in South Carolina, which holds its presidential primary next Saturday, would be uncomfortable with Romney as the nominee.
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
ElBaradei quits race, says no real democracy in Egypt
Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei announced Saturday that he would not run in Egypt's presidential elections and criticized the military's grip on power.?
Egyptian Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei announced Saturday he would not run in Egypt?s presidential elections because the military?s control of the country made fair elections impossible.
Skip to next paragraphThough he was not considered a likely winner of presidential elections to be held this year, the announcement by the former head of the UN?s nuclear watchdog brings attention to the state of Egypt?s transition: Nearly a year after a mass uprising toppled former President Hosni Mubarak, the military rulers who replaced him have not overseen a quick transition to democracy as they promised.?
Instead, the generals repeatedly delayed elections, brutally crushed protests, killing dozens of people, and made clear that they wanted control over the process of writing Egypt?s new constitution to preserve their power and privilege.
Think you know the Middle East? Take our geography quiz.
"I said from the start that my conscience will not allow me to run for president or any official position unless there is a real democratic framework, that upholds the essence of democracy and not only its form," Dr. ElBaradei said in a statement.
He criticized the military?s leadership, comparing the generals to incompetent ship captains, and saying the military was continuing on the same road as Mubarak, ?as if a revolution did not take place, and a regime did not fall.?
ElBaradei, who had a long career outside Egypt working as a diplomat, scholar, and at the UN?s International Atomic Energy Agency, returned to his native country in February 2010 after boldly criticizing then-President Mubarak. Hundreds of supporters jubilantly welcomed him at the airport, urging him to run for president. He quickly became an outspoken critic of the regime and garnered a following of mostly young Egyptians who hoped he could challenge the regime. His international standing gave him protection from the kind of attacks the regime typically launched on critics, though it did launch a media campaign portraying him as out of touch from his years abroad.
Before Egypt?s uprising began, he warned that Egypt was likely to see violence if the government did not change. Many of his supporters were members of the youth groups that were the vanguard of Egypt?s uprising.
But since the uprising, some have criticized ElBaradei for not showing leadership in times of crisis, appearing more comfortable writing messages on Twitter than on the street. His support base never expanded past its mostly upper-class and liberal base. Polling and the recent parliamentary elections, in which Islamist parties won about two thirds of the seats, made clear that elite liberal candidates have a limited appeal in Egypt.
His announcement is unlikely to have a large impact in fueling protests against the military rulers ahead of the one-year anniversary of the uprising on Jan. 25, as many of his supporters are already opposed to the military council. But Basem Kamel, a newly-elected member of parliament and one of ElBaradei?s early supporters, says the move will help bring the international spotlight to the military?s oppression, much like his international standing brought attention to Mubarak?s oppression before the uprising.
?It?will be clear for all the international media that [the military council] is not leading a transition period toward democracy but they are stealing our regime,? said Mr. Kamel.
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Joshua Komisarjevsky, Seeks New Trial Over Conn. Home Invasion Murders
HARTFORD, Conn. ? Lawyers for convicted murderer Joshua Komisarjevsky are asking a judge for a new trial in the home invasion killings of a woman and her two daughters, saying the case should have been moved out of New Haven County because there was no way he could get a fair trial there.
Komisarjevsky filed a motion for a new trial Wednesday in New Haven Superior Court. A jury sentenced him to death last month for the 2007 killings of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, 11-year-old Michaela and 17-year-old Hayley, at their home in Cheshire, about 20 miles north of New Haven. He joined co-defendant Steven Hayes on Connecticut's death row.
Komisarjevsky's lawyers, Jeremiah Donovan, Walter Bansley III and Todd Bussert, say if ever there was a case that deserved a change of venue, it was their client's. They said a judge was wrong to reject their motion filed before the trial to move the proceedings out of the New Haven area, and said Komisarjevsky's constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury was violated.
"Almost the entire pool of potentially eligible jurors in New Haven County was familiar with the case and that nearly as many had made up their respective minds that Mr. Komisarjevsky was not only guilty but also that he should be executed," the lawyers' motion says.
The defense had presented the testimony of Stephen Penrod, an expert on the effects of pretrial publicity on jury selection. Penrod said surveys showed that Komisarjevsky's case had the highest recognition rate among more than 100 notorious cases for which similar surveys were done. The two cases that ranked below Komisarjevsky's for recognition were the Oklahoma City bombing cases of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
Komisarjevsky's lawyers also said the jury pool was tainted because of the "highly publicized advocacy of the victims," how members of the courtroom audience were positioned and "the emotional effect of a clearly visible Petit posse silently but powerfully advocating that the defendant be put to death."
They said the lone survivor of the attack, Dr. William Petit, was at the trial every day "two arm reaches away" from the nearest juror. They said Petit had become a "media celebrity" and that he and his supporters wore pins honoring the three victims in the courtroom.
New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington declined to comment about the defense's claims Thursday. Judge Jon C. Blue will hear arguments Wednesday on the motion for a new trial.
Komisarjevsky's lawyers also say their client was denied his right to probable cause hearings when the state amended the charges against him. Defendants in murder cases have a right to such hearings to see if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. They say Komisarjevsky was denied his right to confront a "powerful" witness ? a judge who called Komisarjevsky a "predator" while sentencing him for a series of burglaries before the killings and whose comments were used as testimony during the penalty phase of Komisarjevsky's trial.
Hayes raped and strangled Hawke-Petit, while Komisarjevsky sexually assaulted Michaela. Michaela and Hayley were tied to their beds, doused in gas and died of smoke inhalation after the house was set on fire.
Komisarjevsky beat Dr. Petit with a bat and tied him up. Petit escaped to a neighbor's house to get help.
Related on HuffPost:
Joshua Komisarjevsky
1?of?13
This March 14, 2011 file photo, provided by the Connecticut Department of Correction, shows Joshua Komisarjevsky. On Oct. 13, 2011, Komisarjevsky was convicted of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters in a July 2007 home invasion in Cheshire, Conn. A jury sentenced him to death on Dec. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Connecticut Department of Correction, File)
This March 14, 2011 file photo, provided by the Connecticut Department of Correction, shows Joshua Komisarjevsky. On Oct. 13, 2011, Komisarjevsky was convicted of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters in a July 2007 home invasion in Cheshire, Conn. A jury sentenced him to death on Dec. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Connecticut Department of Correction, File)
MORE SLIDESHOWS
Joshua Komisarjevsky
This March 14, 2011 file photo, provided by the Connecticut Department of Correction, shows Joshua Komisarjevsky. On Oct. 13, 2011, Komisarjevsky was convicted of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters in a July 2007 home invasion in Cheshire, Conn. A jury sentenced him to death on Dec. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Connecticut Department of Correction, File)
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