Media outlets refuse off-the-record meeting with Holder

Attorney General Eric Holder (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Several news organizations invited to meet this week with Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss the Justice Department's guidelines governing security leak investigations that involve reporters are refusing the invitation citing the meeting's off-the-record status.

A Justice Department official said on Wednesday that the meeting with select bureau chiefs will be off the record to "best facilitate the candid, free-flowing discussions we hope to have in order to bring about meaningful engagement."

But by Thursday afternoon, representatives from Reuters, CNN and Huffington Post had joined the Associated Press and The New York Times in deciding to boycott the meeting due to its off-the-record status.

Holder called the meetings this week as part of a department review directed by President Barack Obama after controversy over the secret seizure of Associated Press reporters' and editors' phone records and secret monitoring of Fox News reporter James Rosen.

"We would welcome the opportunity to hear the attorney general's explanation for the Department of Justice's handling of subpoenas to journalists, and his thoughts about improving the protections afforded to media organizations in responding to government investigations, but believe firmly that his comments should be for publication," Reuters spokesperson Barb Burg said on Thursday.

"CNN will decline the invitation for an off-the-record meeting," the cable news outlet noted in its coverage of the meeting on Thursday. "A CNN spokesperson says if the meeting with the attorney general is on the record, CNN would plan to participate."

Erin Madigan White, the AP's media relations manager, said in a widely circulated statement on Wednesday that "if it is not on the record, AP will not attend and instead will offer our views on how the regulations should be updated in an open letter."

"It isn't appropriate for us to attend an off-the-record meeting with the attorney general," New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson said in a statement.

So, who's going?

ABC News, a partner of Yahoo News, has confirmed its decision to send a representative but said it will "press for that conversation to be put on the record." Yahoo News was not invited to participate.

Representatives for the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post have told news outlets they will attend.

And Politico is also rejecting the boycott. "As editor in chief, I routinely have off-the-record conversations with people who have questions or grievances about our coverage or our news gathering practices," John Harris wrote in an email. "I feel anyone?whether an official or ordinary reader?should be able to have an unguarded conversation with someone in a position of accountability for a news organization when there is good reason."

The Justice Department did not respond to Yahoo News' request for comment on Thursday on the boycott.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/select-media-outlets-turn-down-eric-holder-meeting-162920717.html

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Ways to Make Life Easier for Your Heirs - New Jersey Estate Planning

While the process of dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy, there are certain estate planning steps that people can take to ease the process of estate administration for their heirs. A recent article discusses some of these steps.

The first step is to create a file and label it, ?My Estate Plan.? This file should include copies of all of your estate planning documents. Be sure to keep this file someplace where your heirs can find and access it after your death. When compiling this document, remember to include information on your digital assets. This information should include usernames and passwords for online accounts.

Second, select who you would like to be your executor and add them as a co-signer of your financial accounts. This step will make it much easier for your executor to access and distribute your assets after your death. It is important, however, to be sure that the person you select as executor for your estate plan is a person that you trust.

Finally, it is a good idea to rent a safety deposit from a bank. Although unlikely, your home may be destroyed by a fire or natural disaster. In this event, it is important that there is a safe copy of your estate planning documents where your heirs can locate it.

This entry was posted in Estate Planning, Executors. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.jerseyestateplanning.com/blog/estate-planning/ways-to-make-life-easier-for-your-heirs/

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Controversies add to Obama's 2nd term frustrations

WASHINGTON (AP) ? For President Barack Obama, the opening months of his second term have been a frustrating reminder of the limits of presidential power and the durability of the Washington political apparatus he disdains.

Obama has yet to achieve a significant second term legislative victory, a task that will only get harder as the calendar inches closer to next year's midterm elections. A trio of controversies roiling Washington have emboldened Republicans eager to gain an advantage over the president and revealed a Democratic establishment willing to publicly second-guess the White House. And Obama, who ran for office as an outsider pledging to overcome Washington's bitter partisan divide, acknowledges he's made little progress on that front.

"What's blocking us right now is the sort of hyper-partisanship in Washington that, frankly, I was hoping to overcome in 2008," Obama told donors at a Democratic fundraiser last week.

Obama's frustration with the ways of Washington has become increasingly evident as the White House grapples with separate controversies: a resurgent GOP investigation into the attacks on Americans in Benghazi, Libya, the targeting of conservative political groups by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department's seizure of phone records from journalists at The Associated Press and, in another case, reading the emails of Fox News reporter James Rosen.

The typically even-keeled Obama became visibly angry recently when discussing the Benghazi investigations, casting the Republican effort as a "sideshow" and a "political circus." White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer took to Sunday talk shows to accuse Republicans of trying to drag Washington into "a swamp of partisan fishing expeditions." And White House press secretary Jay Carney mockingly suggested a reporter was being "petulant" while pressing for details about when the president's team knew about the IRS targeting, though Carney later acknowledged that some criticism of the White House's response to the matter were "legitimate."

Driving at least part of the White House's response to the controversies is its well-known contempt for "establishment" Washington, including the cadre of political strategists in both parties that are quick to offer up analysis or a provocative quote and a fast-moving media culture that can quickly turn a problem into a scandal.

"It's clear to him and everyone at the White House the difference between a legitimate issue and something that's ginned up for political purposes," said former Obama aide Ben LaBolt, noting the White House's particular displeasure for those "who want to come up with explosive quotes that get them in the news cycle."

Behind the scenes, the White House has signaled an awareness that it needs to strengthen its alliances within Washington. New chief of staff Denis McDonough has been a driving force behind Obama's recent dinners with Republican and Democratic lawmakers, outings that were unheard of during his first term. And McDonough has also been inviting Democratic strategists to the White House for brainstorming sessions and to ask for their support of Obama's policies.

But perhaps most important to the White House are polls suggesting the controversies have done little damage to the president's standing with the public. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showed 53 percent of Americans approve of the job Obama is doing ? virtually the same as his approval rating before the controversies erupted.

However, Obama has had mixed results turning public support into legislative victories. He failed in his efforts earlier this year to tighten background checks for gun purchasers, a policy backed by roughly 90 percent of Americans. He's also made little progress toward getting Republicans to sign on to a "grand bargain" for reducing the deficit despite polls showing the public backs plans similar to the president's, which would include both tax increases and spending cuts.

Republican strategist Kevin Madden said it does Obama little good if all he does is win fights "over who is going to come out of one of these skirmishes with a higher approval rating."

"He's very good and very interested in the pageantry of politics, but he's very bad at the hard work it takes in order to govern," said Madden, who advised last year's GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

The White House, when asked for examples of Obama's ability to turn public support into legislative success, points to the president's successful efforts last year to get young people to urge Congress to stop an increase in student loan interest rates. With the same issue now back on the table, Obama's team will try to replicate last year's efforts, with the president scheduled to appear with college students at a White House event Friday.

Obama advisers also hope that Congress will pass a White House-backed immigration bill later this year, which would be a big victory for the president. The Republican Party's willingness to consider overhauling the nation's immigration laws is a direct result of the overwhelming support Obama received from Hispanic voters in the November election. But the president has been limited in his ability to publicly campaign for the bill, given the fear among its bipartisan architects that his connection with the legislation could scare away Republican votes.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/controversies-add-obamas-2nd-term-frustrations-211821481.html

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The Magazine switches owners from Marco Arment to Glenn Fleishman, gets all-star support team

Marco Arment's The Magazine is now Glenn Fleishman's. That's right, the former executive editor is the new owner, and he's assembled an all-star team to help him continue The Magazine's mission going forward. From the press release:

"Marco gave me an incredible amount of freedom in editing The Magazine, and I'm happy to add the role of publisher as it develops further," Fleishman said. Writer and editor Brittany Shoot has been retained as The Magazine's managing editor.

Aperiodical has already contracted several firms to update and extend the Web site's and app's design and programming. Design and interaction company Pacific Helm worked with Arment to design the app, worked on previous iterations of the Web site, and created each of the issue covers. They will continue in those roles.

Guy English and Chris Parrish of Aged & Distilled will handle iOS app development. They recently released the Napkin app for Mac OS X. Jessica Simmons of Simmons Ardell, formerly of sister design firms Milton Glaser Inc and WBMG, has signed on to design an upcoming print collection drawn from both the first 100 articles appearing in The Magazine and newly commissioned work. Dean Putney, one of the main developers behind top blog BoingBoing, will manage improvements on the Web site.

Fleishman plans to add a regular podcast of interviews with authors and their subjects. The podcast will include sponsorships handled by Lex Friedman, of the podcast-advertising network Podlexing. A revision of the Web site will launch June 1, followed in the near future by an update to the iOS app with user-requested features.

That's a hell of a lot of amazing talent, and the caliber of writers has been just as phenomenal since launch. The Magazine is already great, and I can't wait to see how they make it even better.

Arment also sold a majority interest in Instapaper to Betaworks a few weeks ago, and while no longer with the company, he was also the original developer behind Tumblr, which just sold to Yahoo! Since Arment isn't someone to suffer boredom easily or for long, it'll be interesting to see what he creates next. For now, you can find his blog at Marco.org and his podcast at ATP.fm.

In the meantime, congrats to all involved!

Source: Press release

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/iMNAMUdjFT4/story01.htm

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Lawsuit cites "barbaric" conditions at Miss. prison

By Emily Le Coz

JACKSON, Mississippi (Reuters) - A Mississippi prison for severely mentally ill inmates is infested with rats that prisoners sell to one another as pets, two civil liberties groups claimed in a federal lawsuit filed on Thursday.

Inmates at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility near Meridian live under "barbaric" conditions, in filthy quarters without working lights or toilets, forcing them to defecate on Styrofoam trays or into trash bags, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center claimed in the lawsuit.

Beatings, rape, robbery and riots are commonplace, and inmates are denied access to medication and psychiatric care, the 83-page complaint stated.

The privately run prison "is an extremely dangerous facility operating in a perpetual state of crisis" and inmates' human rights are violated daily, according to the groups. Some prisoners set fires in a desperate attempt to get medical attention in emergencies, the lawsuit said.

"I've been in prisons all around the country, and this is the worst I've ever seen," said Gabriel B. Eber, staff counsel for the ACLU's National Prison Project.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections, whose top officials were named as defendants, declined to comment on the allegations in the lawsuit, said department spokeswoman Grace Fisher.

The class action lawsuit says state prison officials have been aware of the conditions at the facility for years but have not remedied the problems.

In one instance, according to the lawsuit, an otherwise healthy inmate had to have a testicle removed after prison officials repeatedly denied his request for medical help when it swelled to the size of a softball from cancer.

The abundance of rats has resulted in some prisoners using them as currency, trading the captured animals for cigarettes or selling them as pets with makeshift leashes, the lawsuit said.

East Mississippi Correctional Facility houses some 1,500 inmates, almost all of whom are mentally ill, Fisher said. It is operated by Utah-based Management & Training Corporation, a private contractor that took over management of the prison last year.

The company was not named in the lawsuit, but its spokesman Issa Arnita said it has been "working very hard to improve the conditions and (has) made a lot of progress over these past 10 months."

Prisoners' family members gathered on Thursday outside the state's Department of Corrections building in Jackson, where the ACLU and SPLC announced the lawsuit. The family members spoke out against what they call inhumane treatment and the oversight of prisons by private contractors.

"Please, please don't put a price tag on our loved ones," said Katie Autry, whose 28-year-old mentally ill son is serving time at the prison for manslaughter. "Make sure they get the help they desperately need."

(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Richard Chang)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawsuit-alleges-barbaric-conditions-mississippi-prison-233859661.html

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Wit, grit and a supercomputer yield chemical structure of HIV capsid

May 29, 2013 ? A team led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has described for the first time the 4-million-atom structure of the HIV's capsid, or protein shell. The findings, highlighted on the cover of the May 30 issue of Nature, could lead to new ways of fending off an often-changing virus that has been very hard to conquer.

Scientists have long struggled to decipher how the HIV capsid shell is chemically put together, said senior author Peijun Zhang, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

"The capsid is critically important for HIV replication, so knowing its structure in detail could lead us to new drugs that can treat or prevent the infection," she said. "This approach has the potential to be a powerful alternative to our current HIV therapies, which work by targeting certain enzymes, but drug resistance is an enormous challenge due to the virus' high mutation rate."

Previous research has shown that the cone-shaped shell is composed of identical capsid proteins linked together in a complex lattice of about 200 hexamers and 12 pentamers, Dr. Zhang said. But the shell is non-uniform and asymmetrical; uncertainty remained about the exact number of proteins involved and how the hexagons of six protein subunits and pentagons of five subunits are joined. Standard structural biology methods to decipher the molecular architecture were insufficient because they rely on averaged data, collected on samples of pieces of the highly variable capsid to identify how these pieces tend to go together.

Instead, the team used a hybrid approach, taking data from cryo-electron microscopy at an 8-angstrom resolution (a hydrogen atom measures 0.25 angstrom) to uncover how the hexamers are connected, and cryo-electron tomography of native HIV-1 cores, isolated from virions, to join the pieces of the puzzle. Collaborators at the University of Illinois then used their new Blue Waters supercomputer to run simulations at the petascale, involving 1 quadrillion operations per second, that positioned 1,300 proteins into a whole that reflected the capsid's known physical and structural characteristics.

The process revealed a three-helix bundle with critical molecular interactions at the seams of the capsid, areas that are necessary for the shell's assembly and stability, which represent vulnerabilities in the protective coat of the viral genome.

"The capsid is very sensitive to mutation, so if we can disrupt those interfaces, we could interfere with capsid function," Dr. Zhang said. "The capsid has to remain intact to protect the HIV genome and get it into the human cell, but once inside it has to come apart to release its content so that the virus can replicate. Developing drugs that cause capsid dysfunction by preventing its assembly or disassembly might stop the virus from reproducing."

The project was funded by National Institutes of Health grants GM082251, GM085043 and GM104601 and the National Science Foundation.

"By using a combination of experimental and computational approaches, this team of investigators has produced a clearer picture of the structure of HIV's protective covering," said the National Institutes of Health's Michael Sakalian, Ph.D., who oversees this and other grants funded through an AIDS-related structural biology program. "The new structural details may reveal vulnerabilities that could be exploited by future therapeutics."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/tMgcKXARwnE/130529133403.htm

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Conversocial CRM Social Media Tool Raises $4.4M Led By Octopus Investments

Conversocial has been around since 2009, but only recently has the team decided to infiltrate the U.S. market with its social customer service software, which brings the social media response team into the call center. The company has just secured a $4.4 million A2 round led by Octopus Investments, including a $3.2 million investment alongside a previous $1.2 million convertible note. The investment is aimed toward powering the UK-based company's expansion into the U.S., as well as further product development and hiring. This latest A2 round comes on the heels of a $2.4 million Series A round in May of 2011, bringing the company's total funding to just under $7 million.

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

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APNewsBreak: Religious unrest in northeast Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Sectarian violence spread to a new region of Myanmar, with a mob burning shops in a northeastern town after unconfirmed rumors spread that a Muslim man had set fire to a Buddhist woman.

The spread beyond the western and central towns where deadly mob attacks and arsons have occurred since last year will reinforce doubts that President Thein Sein's government can or will act to contain the violence.

The extent of Tuesday night's violence was unclear, as the area is remote and officials were difficult to reach at a late hour. Unconfirmed reports on Muslim news websites said a large mosque and a Muslim orphanage had been burned down.

A politician in Lashio in Shan state, Sai Myint Maung, said authorities banned gatherings of more than five people after about 150 massed outside a police station demanding that the alleged culprit in the unconfirmed immolation be handed over. The mob also burned some stores, he said.

According to the rumors, the man doused the woman with gasoline and set her alight. The attack could not be confirmed, but a Muslim-oriented news website that described it said the attacker was not Muslim.

A resident who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals confirmed by phone that some shops were burned near the police station and the hospital where the victim was said to have been taken. A Lashio resident, Than Htay, said he could see smoke and had heard about the ban on gatherings. He said calm had been restored.

However, the website of the Muslim-oriented M-media Group said Lashio's biggest mosque had been torched by a mob while firefighters stood by, and a Muslim school and orphanage was also burned down. It did not say if there were any casualties. Its report acknowledged the burning of the woman but said the perpetrator was not a Muslim.

While the account could not immediately be confirmed, the website's accounts of past violence against Muslims in Myanmar were subsequently reported in other media. Several photos circulating on Facebook also showed what was purported to be the mosque in flames.

The sectarian violence began in western Rakhine state last year, when hundreds died in clashes between Buddhist and Muslims that drove about 140,000 people, mostly Muslims, from their homes. The violence had seemed confined to that region, but in late March, similar Buddhist-led violence swept the town of Meikthila in central Myanmar, killing at least 43 people.

Several other towns in central Myanmar experienced less deadly violence, mostly involving the torching of Muslim businesses and mosques.

Muslims account for about 4 percent of the nation's roughly 60 million people. Anti-Muslim sentiment is closely tied to nationalism and the dominant Buddhist religion, so leaders have been reluctant to speak up for the unpopular minority.

Thein Sein's administration, which came to power in 2011 after half a century of military rule, has been heavily criticized for not doing enough to protect Muslims.

He vowed last week during a U.S. trip that all perpetrators of the sectarian violence would be brought to justice, but so far, only Muslims have been arrested and sentenced for crimes connected to the attacks.

Muslims, however, have accounted for far more of the victims of the violence, and rights groups have accused certain authorities of fomenting a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-28-Myanmar-Sectarian%20Violence/id-b22904d2e3aa45a1b189992e23cf3fc5

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5 teens identified as victims of fiery Calif crash

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) ? Five Southern California high school students who died in a fiery car wreck on their way to the beach included a pair of sisters and best friends who bonded over their immigrant experiences, friends said Tuesday.

The victims ? three girls and two boys ? were students at two high schools in the Irvine Unified School District, said Orange County Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.

"There are simply no words to convey the sorrow felt by our students and staff, nor are there sufficient answers to explain the loss of five vibrant teenagers from our schools and this community," Irvine Unified School District Superintendent Terry Walker said in a statement.

The driver was identified as 17-year-old Abdulrahman Alyahyan, a senior at University High School.

The passengers included 17-year-old Robin Cabrera, a senior at Irvine High School, and her 16-year-old sister Aurora, a sophomore at the same school.

Also killed in the Monday crash were Cecilia Zamora and Nozad Al Hamawendi, both 17-year-old juniors at Irvine High School.

Friends who gathered Tuesday outside Irvine High said the five were headed to the beach for a fun Memorial Day when the accident happened.

The Infiniti sedan veered off a road about 5:20 p.m. and hit a tree, said Kathy Lowe, Newport Beach police spokeswoman. The impact split the car and it caught fire, she said.

The tree the car hit was stripped of its bark on Tuesday and bore huge gouge marks along the trunk.

"It was a horrific accident," Lowe said, adding that investigators were on scene for nearly 12 hours overnight.

Speed was believed to be a factor in the wreck, she said.

The posted speed limit on Jamboree Road, a major, six-lane street in south Orange County, is 55 mph. Lowe declined to say how fast the Infiniti was going, citing the ongoing investigation.

Four of the teens were thrown from the car and died immediately. The other was declared dead at a hospital.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

The coroner had to use fingerprints to identify two of the bodies in what officials were calling one of the worst car accidents in Newport Beach in recent memory.

There were no classes at the high schools on Tuesday because of a teacher development day, but students gathered at Irvine High late in the afternoon to console each other and remember their friends.

The Cabrera sisters were their parents' only two children and were both accomplished dancers in the school's dance program, friends said. They had performed in a three-day recital over Memorial Day weekend, said Brie Martinez, 15.

"(Aurora Cabrera) was kind of nervous for her dance but I heard she did really good," said Martinez, as she began to cry.

"I saw something about the crash on the news last night, but I never would have guessed it was them," she added.

Zamora was also in the dance program and performed over the weekend, said her friend, Paloma Douglas, a junior at the school.

Douglas last saw Zamora on Friday afternoon, when the two attended the same history class ? the last course of their day.

"She was sitting next to me, so it's going to be tough seeing that empty seat," said Douglas.

Alyahyan, the driver, was obsessed with his car and spent hours working on it and driving it around with his best friend, Al Hamawendi, said Zach Darwish, an 18-year-old senior at University High who was also close friends with both boys.

"Abdul loved cars. He took care of his car as if it was a human being," said Ibrahim Razzak, a junior.

The two were inseparable and were part of a larger group of about 10 close friends who were either first- or second-generation immigrants from various Middle Eastern countries, Darwish said. The teens all spoke Arabic together when they hung out, which was constantly, he said.

Alyahyan came to the Irvine from Saudi Arabia about three years ago, said Mohamad Abdul Razzak, a 16-year-old junior and close friend who also arrived in the U.S. last year from Lebanon.

He played excellent soccer, but wasn't on the school team, and planned to attend community college next fall.

Al Hamawendi came to Irvine two years ago with his family from Iraq, Abdul Razzak said.

He was obsessed with weight-lifting, worked out every day and had been on the wrestling team.

"We're all like one big group of friends. We all love each other, we're all like brothers. It seems like the circle has just broken apart," Darwish said.

"I still can't believe this actually happened to good friends of mine," he said. "It's the worst news you can possibly get."

_____

Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gflaccus

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/5-teens-identified-victims-fiery-calif-crash-235558266.html

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New York Self Insurance: Chicken Stew - Workers Comp Insider

The folks at Murray Bresky Consultants are just trying to scratch out a living by raising chickens - not just any chickens, but free range chickens that are "happy and healthy." Their signature breed is "fed an all-natural and all-vegetable diet that, combined with plenty of exercise, makes our birds the leanest on the market. The leisurely lifestyle eliminates the need for antibiotics to prevent diseases commonly found in chickens as a result of stress and confined living conditions. Minimally processed, without the use of preservatives or other artificial ingredients, Murray's Certified Humane Chicken is truly all chicken."

Unfortunately for the company, they secured workers comp insurance through New York Compensation Managers (NYCM), the now defunct operator of a dozen self-insurance groups in New York. NYCM claimed to offer favorable rates, strict underwriting standards and exemplary claims services. They ended up with egg on their face with their inadequate rates, suspect underwriting and rampant under-reserving of claims. In retrospect, the operation ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. By the time the problems emerged (in 2006), it was too late to shake a feather and correct the problems.

Following the SIG's failure, Murray Bresky Associates was hit with a $1.2 million assessment to make up their share of the SIG's deficit. That ain't chicken feed.

A Game of Chicken
Murray Bresky is not chickening out of a fight. Indeed, the chickens have come home to roost in the form of a lawsuit filed against NYCM and its board of trustees. The lawsuit seeks to recover the $1.2 million and then some, alleging breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. The case worked its way up to the NY Supreme Court, Appellate Division, where the motion by the defendents to dismiss the lawsuit was, for the most part, dismissed.

Now the defendents are walking on egg shells, facing the prospect of personal liability for the failures of the SIG. Where they once feathered their nests with the proceeds of the operation, their financial security has flown the coop. This is a legal mess perhaps best described by the late Lyndon Baines Johnson: "Boys, I may not know much, but I know chicken poop from chicken salad."

Roles and Irresponsibilities
One of the former trustees of the SIG is squawking that he was not aware that he was, in fact, a trustee. He may have signed off on a few trustee documents, he may have performed some of the functions of a trustee, but he insists that he had no memory of being appointed. He insisted that he was not a bad egg and claimed that he had no place in the pecking order. The court, however, ruled otherwise.

As the saying goes, you have to break eggs to make an omelette. Quite a few more eggs will be broken before this particular concoction is served up. Hard-boiled attorneys will parse the details to figure out who, if anyone, owes Murray Bresky Consultants and exactly how much they owe.

Pecking Orders
The courts now rule the roost. They have upheld Murray Bresky's right to sue, with the exception of some actions that are time-barred. There may well be a sunny side up in the chicken company's quest for justice. We look forward to the final resolution of this stew, the chicken scratch of a judge's signature that will put a final number on the liability of an insurance operation that flaps my wattles (ie., annoys me).

Here's a little unsolicited advice to Murray Bresky Consultants: don't count your chickens before they hatch. This one has a long way to go before the company can feather its nest with the proceeds of a complex litigation. In the meantime, their free range chickens have the run of the coop, enjoying their cage-free, stress-free lives right up to the very end. Bon appetite!

Source: http://www.workerscompinsider.com/2013/05/new-york-self-i.html

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Rockets hit Hezbollah stronghold, raising fears of widening war

A rocket attack on Shiite neighborhood in Beirut Lebanon was the first attack of its kind since 1990. The attack appeared to be retaliation for the Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian civil war on the side of Bashar al-Assad.

By Nicholas Blanford,?Correspondent / May 26, 2013

A damaged apartment hit by rockets in Beirut, Lebanon.

Hussein Malla/AP

Enlarge

Two rockets struck a majority Shiite district of southern Beirut early Sunday, the latest indication of rising tensions in Lebanon generated by the war in neighboring Syria. The attack was the first of its kind in Beirut since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

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Five people were wounded in the dawn attack which came a day after the leader of Lebanon?s militant Shiite Hezbollah organization publicly justified the large-scale role his fighters are playing inside Syria to assist the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The rockets smashed into the Shiyah neighborhood where support for Hezbollah runs high. One rocket struck an outdoor car showroom, damaging vehicles and wounding five Syrian workers. The second rocket hit a nearby street, causing some damage but no casualties.

The Lebanese army later discovered two 107mm rocket launchers in a wooded hillside between the villages of Bsaba and Aitit five miles to the south. A third launcher was discovered nearby but the rocket had misfired.

Hezbollah?s stronghold in southern Beirut has been bracing for an attack for months. Many residents fear that supporters of the Syrian opposition will mount a car bomb attack in the densely-populated district. Hezbollah men maintain tight security at night, setting up checkpoints and patrolling the streets with bomb-sniffing dogs.

There was no claim of responsibility for Sunday?s rocket attacks although suspicion has fallen on Sunni militants, possibly connected to armed rebel groups seeking to oust Mr. Assad from power.

Retaliation fear

?The attacks are aimed at creating security tensions and certain retaliations, given the timing of the incident,? said Najib Mikati, Lebanon?s caretaker prime minister. ?We call on all sides to act wisely to prevent those seeking strife to achieve their goals.?

On Saturday evening, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah?s leader, admitted to the large-scale involvement of his fighters in Syria, saying their presence was necessary to protect Lebanon against Sunni radicals.

?We are now in a totally new phase that began a few weeks ago,? he said in a televised speech marking the 13^th anniversary of Israel?s withdrawal from south Lebanon. ?This new phase aims at fortifying the resistance and protecting its backbone. We will assume this responsibility and endure all the sacrifices that come with taking such a stance.?

Hezbollah combatants have been operating in Syria since at least early 2012, mainly in a training capacity teaching Syrian troops and loyalist paramilitaries urban warfare skills. But since late last summer, Hezbollah?s role has become more pronounced and harder to hide amid a rising number of funerals for its fighters killed in Syria. Sheikh Nasrallah said last October that some Hezbollah men were fighting of their own volition to defend a string of villages close to the border with north Lebanon that were inhabited by Lebanese Shiites. Last month, he admitted that Hezbollah combatants were also helping defend a prominent Shiite shrine in southern Damascus.

Recently the Syrian army, backed by Hezbollah, has launched a major offensive against the strategic town of Qusayr, five miles north of the Lebanese border and close to the main highway linking Damascus to the coastal port of Tartous. The town has been subjected to heavy artillery bombardments and air raids as Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters have inched their way through the ruined streets against a determined defense.

New crop of 'martyrs'

The fighting in Qusayr has claimed significant combat casualties. Hezbollah has not given a tally, but other sources estimate that between 70 to over 100 members of the Shiite group have died. In the past week, funerals for slain militants have been held across Lebanon in Shiite-populated areas with pictures of the new ?martyrs? strung across the streets of their natal villages and towns.

Hezbollah?s presence in Syria has drawn bitter denunciations from the rebel leadership. Ammar al-Wawi, an official in the Free Syrian Army, told Lebanon?s MTV television Sunday that if the Lebanese government failed to stop Hezbollah ?there will be repercussions against Beirut, Tripoli and Rafik Hariri International Airport." He claimed that the airport in Beirut ?has become a corridor for Iranian planes that are shipping weapons to Syria."

However, another FSA official rejected as ?irresponsible? Mr Wawi?s threats against Lebanon and condemned the rocket attack against southern Beirut.

Syria is a vital ally for Hezbollah and its patron Iran. It represents a conduit for the transfer of weapons into Lebanon and provides Hezbollah with strategic depth.

?Syria is the backbone and supporter of the resistance,? Sheikh Nasrallah said in his speech. ?The resistance cannot stand idly by when its backbone is exposed. We would be foolish to do so.?

He justified Hezbollah?s combat role in Syria on the premise that the rebel forces were predominantly composed of ?takfiris," Sunni jihadis who treat as apostates anyone who does not share their austere interpretation of Islam. Sheikh Nasrallah added that Israel and the United States were sponsoring the takfiri groups to oust the Assad regime as a precursor to attacking Hezbollah inside Lebanon.

?Since the outset of the unrest, some in the opposition addressed us saying: the regime will fall and we are coming to target you in Lebanon,? he said.

But Hezbollah?s evident role in Syria has drawn strong condemnation from its opponents in Lebanon.

?The resistance has announced its political and military suicide in Qusayr,? said Saad Hariri, a former Lebanese prime minister, in a statement.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/L788povk4fc/Rockets-hit-Hezbollah-stronghold-raising-fears-of-widening-war

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Obama to nation: Don't take US troops for granted

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) ? Reflecting on the personal toll of war, President Barack Obama on Monday implored a nation in which few volunteer for the armed forces to "always remember and to be worthy of the sacrifice" of its fallen heroes.

Addressing a Memorial Day service at Arlington National Cemetery, Obama said he worries that U.S. servicemen and women ? including thousands he sent to war in more than four years as commander in chief ? aren't being fully appreciated in an era in which "most Americans are not directly touched by war."

Less than 1 percent of the population of more than 313 million people serves in the military, officials have said.

Obama said he couldn't explain why few are touched by war, but he allowed that it could be because of the bravery and skill of the all-volunteer force, along with new technologies that make it possible to carry out missions while endangering fewer personnel. Contrast that with generations past, when Obama said millions of Americans contributed during World War II, including his grandparents, and when "just about everybody knew somebody" who served in the Vietnam War.

"As a consequence, not all Americans may always see or fully grasp the depth of sacrifice, the profound costs that are made in our name ? right now, as we speak, every day," Obama said.

He cited fears of loved ones being forgotten that he said were expressed in letters he had received from a Naval reservist recently returned from Afghanistan and from a Charlotte, N.C., woman whose two sons are Marines who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama noted that his address here last year was the first time in nine years that Americans were no longer fighting and dying in Iraq, where the war has ended. The U.S. also is ending its mission in Afghanistan, with most of the more than 60,000 troops stationed there due to come home by the end of next year.

"But even as we turn the page on a decade of conflict," Obama said, "our nation is still at war."

He urged Americans, as they go about their daily lives, to remember that their fellow countrymen are still serving, still fighting and still putting their lives on the line every day.

"Let it be our task, every single one of us, to honor the strength and the resolve and the love these brave Americans felt for each other and for our country," the president said. "Let us never forget to always remember and to be worthy of the sacrifice they make in our name."

Obama spoke at the nation's hallowed burial ground four days after declaring in a major national security address that the U.S. has taken down the al-Qaida terrorist organization, particularly after the killing of its leader, Osama bin Laden. But terrorist threats remain, he said, cautioning the U.S. against letting its vigilance slide.

The president spoke at the amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery on a sun-splashed morning after he placed a wreath of red, white and blue flowers at the Tomb of the Unknowns and observed a moment of silence.

In the speech, Obama reflected on the human toll of armed conflict, noting that "every loss is devastating" for the parents who lose a child, the husbands and wives who lose a partner and the children who lose a parent.

As the one who has final say on whether to send troops into combat, Obama said he feels the losses, too.

"I feel it every time I meet a wounded warrior, every time I visit Walter Reed and every time I grieve with a Gold Star family," he said, referring to families whose loved ones were killed during military service.

He last visited wounded troops at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., in March.

Before returning to the White House, Obama stopped at the cemetery's Section 60, the final resting place for U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, including two whose stories the president shared in his remarks.

He and first lady Michelle Obama spent more than a half hour there, walking among the white headstones and greeting and taking pictures with many of those who were at the cemetery to pay their respects.

Before departing the White House, the president and first lady held a private breakfast in the State Dining Room for Gold Star families.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-nation-dont-us-troops-granted-193421780.html

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Curiosity: The cube is opened and the winner becomes a 'gaming God'

Curiosity, the social experiment game from 22 Cans, has come to its conclusion, and the winner has their prize; to become a gaming God. After several months of chipping away at the giant cube, the winner, Bryan Henderson from Edinburgh, will become the God of 22 Cans' forthcoming title, Godus.

The end was teased earlier today on Twitter, with 22 Cans informing players that the cube was down to the final layer. Once verified, the winner was sent the above video, which he has since asked 22 Cans to share with the world. So, all that chipping away rewards with being the God of a new game, wherein Mr Henderson will now "decide on the rules that the game is played by". But, what about the life-changing part that was promised?

Mr Henderson will not just become the overload of Godus, he will also benefit financially from the game. As Peter Molyneux states in the video, every time someone spends money in Godus, the winner will get a small part of that.

I know I've spent some hours participating in Curiosity, as I'm sure many of you have. What do you think of the prize at the end? A giant publicity stunt, or something genuinely unique that captured the imagination of masses of people?

Source: 22 Cans (Twitter)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/_-4H45106Pw/story01.htm

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Tributes To California' War Dead - California's War Dead - Los Angeles Times

projects.latimes.com:

On this Me?mori?al Day, the Los Angeles Times pays trib?ute to the Cali?for?nia ser?vice mem?bers who have died in the wars in Afgh?anistan and Ir?aq by pub?lish?ing a se?lec?tion of com?ments pos?ted over the last year by those who knew and loved them. Hun?dreds more can be read on The Times' data?base, Cali?for?nia's War Dead.

Read the whole story at projects.latimes.com

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Filed by Sasha Bronner ?|?

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1. HuffPost
2. Los Angeles

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/27/tributes-to-california-wa_n_3342703.html

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PFT: Flacco likes Ravens' continuity on O-line

AP

With coach Rob Chudzinski and offensive coordinator Norv Turner installing a new system in Cleveland, Browns receiver Josh Gordon is excited.

Gordon, a speedy receiver who averaged 16.1 yards a catch as a rookie, says he expects to make even more big plays in his second season because the Browns? offense will be perfectly suited for his talents.

?Defenses will be shocked to say the least with how much we?re running down field,? Gordon told the Akron Beacon Journal. ?I?ve never ran this much as a wide receiver ever in my life, and that?s a good thing. And not just me, everyone from the slot guys to running backs, everyone?s got passing plays in the system.?

Last year Gordon didn?t have much time to get ready for the NFL after arriving in July in the supplemental draft, but he still managed to play in all 16 games, starting 13, and catch 50 passes while leading the Browns with 805 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. This year, being with the team from Day One and participating in Organized Team Activities, Gordon believes he?s going to be even better.

?You?re a head up on the game,? he said. ?For guys, veterans and rookies, to have all this leading up until [the fall], I was way behind the 8-ball coming into last year. Now it?s a huge advantage for me to learn the offense, get in shape, get in more of a rhythm with whatever you?re doing out there, so you don?t feel as stressed or as new to everything. It?s definitely slowed down a lot.?

Last year, Gordon had a good year despite missing most of the offseason and playing in a bad offense that wasn?t well suited to his skills. This year, Gordon has every reason to believe he?ll be even better.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/26/joe-flacco-likes-that-ravens-kept-offensive-line-together/related/

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Obama, Hagel tell young officers: You must lead in ridding US military of sexual assault (+video)

Sexual assault is growing in the US military, addressed by President Obama and Defense Secretary Hagel in speeches to young officers. 'This scourge must be stamped out,' Hagel said.

By Brad Knickerbocker,?Staff writer / May 25, 2013

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel presents diplomas to graduating cadets during ceremonies at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, Saturday.

Mike Segar/REUTERS

Enlarge

Speaking to the nation?s future military leaders this Memorial Day weekend, their Commander in Chief and Secretary of Defense made a point of addressing an important issue in today?s armed services: sexual assault.

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"This scourge must be stamped out," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the graduating cadets and newly-minted second lieutenants during his commencement address at the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, Saturday.

"We are all accountable and responsible for ensuring that this happens," Secretary Hagel said. "We cannot fail the Army or America. We cannot fail each other and we cannot fail the men and women that we lead."

A day earlier, President Obama had the same message for Navy ensigns and Marine Corps second lieutenants graduating at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

?Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that make our military strong,? Mr. Obama said. ?That's why we have to be determined to stop these crimes, because they've got no place in the greatest military on Earth.?

?We need your Honor ? that inner compass that guides you, not when the path is easy and obvious, but when it's hard and uncertain; that tells you the difference between that which is right and that which is wrong,? the President told the graduates. ?Live with integrity and speak with honesty and take responsibility and demand accountability.?

In both speeches, other issues were covered and in some instances emphasized.

?Even as we?ve decimated the al Qaeda leadership, we still face threats from al Qaeda affiliates and from individuals caught up in its ideology,? Obama said, echoing his speech at the National Defense University a day earlier. ?Even as we move beyond deploying large ground armies abroad, we still need to conduct precise, targeted strikes against terrorists before they kill our citizens. And even as we stay vigilant in the face of terrorism and stay true to our Constitution and our values, we need to stay ready for the full range of threats ? from nations seeking weapons of mass destruction to cyber criminals seeking to unleash weapons of mass destruction.?

As a former US Army infantryman twice wounded in Vietnam, Hagel said, ?I learned that combat is a furnace that can consume you, or it can forge you into something better and stronger than you were before.?

But within the US military itself, sexual assault and other sexual misconduct is seen as one of today?s major problems, one just as likely to draw public attention as drone strikes and the Guant?namo Bay military prison.

A study released by the Defense Department earlier this month estimated that reports of unwanted sexual contact in the military, from groping to rape, rose 37 percent in 2012, to about 26,000 cases from 19,000 the previous year. Another recent report found that the number of sexual assaults reported at West Point, Annapolis, and the other service academies soared in recent years, from 25 in the 2008-09 academic year to 65 in 2010-11 and 80 in 2011-12.

In a report Saturday, CNN listed the most recent instances of sexual misconduct by those in positions of authority:

? This week, the Army said it had suspended Brig. Gen. Bryan Roberts, the top general at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, after allegations of adultery and assault.

? Last week, a US Army sergeant first class stationed at West Point was charged with covertly shooting videos of female cadets in showers and latrines.

? This month, an Army sergeant first class assigned to the sexual assault prevention unit at Fort Hood, Texas, came under investigation for alleged sexual assault, pandering, abusive sexual contact, and maltreatment of subordinates. He has been relieved of duty while investigators look into the allegations.

? Also this month, an Air Force officer who managed an assault prevention unit, was charged with sexual battery, accused of grabbing a woman and groping her buttocks and breasts in an Arlington County parking lot near his Washington office.

In his speech to West Point cadets Saturday, Hagel referenced serious challenges to military life and mission today ? alcohol and drug abuse, suicide, mental illness, sexual harassment, and sexual assault ? saying, ?You?ll need to not just deal with these debilitating, insidious and destructive forces, but rather, you must be the generation of leaders that stop it.?

?This will require your complete commitment to building a culture of respect and dignity for every member of the military in society,? he said.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/DihhPjh0q2A/Obama-Hagel-tell-young-officers-You-must-lead-in-ridding-US-military-of-sexual-assault-video

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Home Office Furniture Ideas For Small Spaces | Home Decoration ...

Home ? Furniture ? Home Office Furniture Ideas For Small Spaces

In a home office, this area is the most productive room in your home, as long as you have an efficient furniture arrangement. The small offices interior design is more difficult to arrange than spacious studies. But the small space can be just as attractive and more functional with the proper element.

The first piece of furniture is an office desk. This piece is the centerpiece of any home office. Mostly, the people even I use an office desk to hold the computer. So you should consider the size of your computer when choosing this furniture type, because a large-dual-monitor desktop will command more desk space than the sleek laptop. For a small office, I suggest you use the L-shaped desk, it would more benefit. This desk type able to provides the space both computer and working.

Home Office Furniture Ideas For Small Spaces

Next office furniture pieces are the shelves and the cabinets. They are both functional and decorative pieces for a home office. The classic bookshelves work well for the academic who wants to store their books in an easy-to-reach spot. For the small home office, I suggest the short bookshelves which can store all of your essentials-these shelves take up less room than the traditional shelves. The filing cabinets are also useful storage pieces for the small home offices. Another ideas, you can pick the vertical-based shelves and cabinets, this would save more space but efficient and functional too.

Categories : Furniture Home Office, Home Office Ideas, Office Furniture, Small Home Office

Posts related to Home Office Furniture Ideas For Small Spaces

Source: http://homeidb.com/home-office-furniture-ideas-for-small-spaces

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Trans fighter Fallon Fox wins unimpressively (Video)

Considering Fallon Fox won her first two fights in the first round, it was expected for the first openly trans fighter to walk through her next opponent, Allanna Jones at Championship Fighting Alliance on Friday. In her first nationally televised bout, Fox won with a submission in the third round, but it was not the overwhelming win that oddsmakers were expecting.

You can watch the full fight in the video above. Fox and Jones both made mistakes like keeping their hands too low and holding their chin out too far throughout the bout. They looked like two inexperienced fighters because that's what they are.

Much of the controversy that surrounded Fox was the perception that since she was born a man, she would have clear advantage over her opponents. As Sherdog's Jordan Breen pointed out, "So, did anyone watch that and think, 'Wow, what an insurmountable advantage Fallon Fox has, no one could ever beat her!'?" She beat a 2-1 fighter, but not soundly. When she goes up in level of competition, as she will do in the next round of the CFA tournament, she will have a hard time.

Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Antonio Silva eager to prove he's a cut above in UFC 160 rematch with Cain Velasquez
? Yahoo! writers, readers make their UFC 160 picks
? Four questions that will be answered by UFC 160

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/trans-fighter-fallon-fox-wins-unimpressively-video-142855590.html

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Bergen: Bush's war on terror is over (CNN)

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