Hopes of Greek progress shores up markets (AP)

LONDON ? Markets clawed back lost ground Tuesday on hopes that Greece is heading toward a conclusion of debt-reduction talks with private creditors and that it may secure its second bailout package this week.

Late Monday, following the agreement by a large majority of countries in the European Union to sign a new treaty designed to stop overspending in the eurozone, Greece's Prime Minister Lucas Papademos indicated that progress was being made.

"It is likely that the market will initially cheer an agreement should it be reached reflecting reduced concerns that Greece will default disorderly in March," said Lee Hardman, an analyst at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

Though Greece remains the epicenter of Europe's debt crisis, leaders are pushing ahead with other plans to tie economies together. The new treaty, commonly known as the fiscal compact, was agreed at a summit. Only Britain and the Czech Republic opted out of the deal that is meant to make it more difficult for countries to run up massive debts, like the ones that are currently roiling the 17-nation eurozone.

The hope among participants is that the tighter rules will restore confidence in their joint currency and convince investors that all of them will get their debts under control. For now, investors appear to be giving European policymakers the benefit of the doubt especially as there are hopes a second bailout of Greece will agreed alongside a debt-reduction deal between the country and its private creditors, possibly as soon as this week.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.9 percent at 5,719 while Germany's DAX rose 1 percent to 6,508. The CAC-40 in France was 1.2 percent higher at 3,305.

Wall Street was poised for a solid opening ? Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures were both up 0.5 percent.

The improvement in sentiment was evident in the currency markets too where the euro was up 0.4 percent at $1.3193. The euro often garners support when investors look to take on more risk.

Despite the more optimistic backdrop Tuesday, Europe's debt woes remain the main worry in the markets. A growing fear is that Portugal may also need to get private creditors to reduce their debts, even though Europe's leaders say Greece's debt-reduction deal is a one-off. Portugal's borrowing costs have been rising consistently to record highs over recent days as the economy shows few signs of improving

"The market also has Portugal in its spotlight as regards the potential default risk, and the Portuguese 10-year yield opened just above the 18 percent level this morning," said Neil MacKinnon, global macro strategist at VTB Capital.

Earlier in Asia, solid Japanese industrial data helped stocks rally.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 0.1 percent to 8,802.51 after data showed December industrial activity rose 4 percent over the previous month. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.1 percent to 20,383.3 and Seoul's Kospi was up 0.8 percent at 1,955.79.

China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.3 percent at 2,292.61 ahead of Wednesday's release of a key manufacturing index. Investors are hoping for a loosening of credit curbs if it shows activity is slowing amid lackluster global demand.

Oil prices tracked equities higher ? benchmark oil for March delivery was up 98 cents to $99.76 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

____

Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

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Twitter CEO says blocking policy over-distilled

DANA POINT, California (AP) ? Twitter CEO Dick Costolo sought to calm the global outrage over the company's new country-by-country censorship policy, complaining in part that the issue is being treated with the same kind of shorthand that has made Twitter popular.

Speaking at the All Things D conference on Monday, Costolo repeated the company's justification for the policy change it announced last week: By taking down tweets only in the country where Twitter believes they may have violated local laws, it is making sure the maximum 140-character-long messages are still available to the rest of the world.

Twitter's reasoning has been mostly lost in a barrage of comments ? many from Twitter users themselves ? that the company is caving into attacks on free speech, especially in countries with repressive regimes.

"It's a super complex issue," Costolo said. "When the news came out, people tried to distill it down to, 'What did they just say?' It's easy to distill it down to 'Twitter is endorsing XYZ.'"

"It takes a while for the scholars and the people who study these matters to weigh in and start to say, 'Wait, this is actually a thoughtful and honest approach to doing this and it's in fact being done in a way that's forward-looking.' So we wait for that to happen," he added.

The complaint about knee-jerk responses to complex issues is somewhat ironic given that the company's meteoric growth has been fueled often by buzz-worthy but flippant comments.

Costolo also emphasized that if Twitter reacts to take-down requests, it will make public the reasons a tweet is being removed. The company already has 45 people who respond to such requests, including those from copyright holders of music or movies in the United States.

He said the policy wouldn't affect its stance toward China or Iran, where the service is already blocked completely.

"I don't think the current environment in China is one in which we think we could operate," he said.

Costolo spoke just days before Facebook is expected to file the paperwork necessary for an initial public offering of stock, a move that is likely to make initial investors and employees in the company rich.

San Francisco-based Twitter also faces the same securities regulations that are forcing Facebook to go public ? a rule that says companies with more than $10 million in assets and more than 500 shareholders of a certain class of stock must disclose their financial results and other details.

Twitter, which was founded in 2006, will bump up against the rule "at some point," Costolo said. But he added he would rather spend time building value at the company than dealing with such issues.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-31-Twitter-Censorship/id-08750a5ce8694333a7a1a857741bde84

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Democrats spend big in Ore. special election (AP)

PORTLAND, Ore. ? Determined not to lose another friendly district because of a sex scandal, Democrats and their allies have pumped more than $1 million into an Oregon special election race that has turned into a vicious exchange of attacks over the airwaves.

Voters are deciding who should replace former Rep. David Wu, a seven-term Democrat who resigned last year following a string of bizarre news stories that began with photos of the congressman wearing a tiger costume and ended with a young woman's accusation that he made an unwanted sexual advance.

Voters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to return their ballots in the all-mail election.

Republican Rob Cornilles, a sports business consultant, has tried hard to extend the scandal that brought down Wu to the Democrat who wants to take his place, former state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici. She says the race is about the future, not about Wu.

Bonamici and independent groups that support her have gone after Cornilles for missing tax payments for his business and for inconsistent statements about the number of jobs his company has created.

Oregon's 1st Congressional District is the state's economic engine, encompassing downtown Portland and the fast-growing western suburbs that are home to the Silicon Forest high-tech hub and the global headquarters for athletic-wear giants Nike Inc. and Columbia Sportswear Company. It stretches across agricultural communities to the Pacific coast. Democrats have represented the district since 1975, and its voters overwhelmingly supported President Barack Obama.

But Democrats do not want to see a repeat of what happened last year in a heavily Democratic New York district, when a Republican won a special election after Rep. Anthony Weiner acknowledged sending provocative text messages and resigned.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent $1.3 million to boost Bonamici. Political committees for a union, abortion-rights groups and a super PAC allied with Democrats have also chipped in with their own mail or television ads.

Democrats insist they're not scared. They've likened their investment to an insurance policy to avoid any doubts about the party's strength that would inevitably follow a loss in a liberal state like Oregon. The National Republican Congressional Committee has spent just $85,000 on the race.

Cornilles, 47, is making his second bid for the seat after losing to Wu in 2010. He's centered his pitch on his experience running a sports-marketing firm, hoping to swing an upset with a relentless focus on jobs and a run toward the center. Unemployment in the Portland area dropped to 7.8 percent in November 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Bonamici, 57, is mixing traditional Democratic themes of protecting Social Security and Medicare with a pledge to tackle the national debt by getting Washington's priorities in order.

Without reliable public polling it's anyone's guess how close the race will be.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_el_ho/us_oregon_congressional_election

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Signs point to strong Jan. finsh for stocks

NEW YORK?? January has turned out strong for equities with just two trading days to go. If you're afraid to miss the ride, there's still time to jump in. You just might want to wear a neck brace.

The new year lured buyers into growth-related sectors, the ones that were more beaten down last year. The economy is getting better, but not dramatically. Earnings are beating expectations, but at a lower rate than in recent quarters. Nothing too bad is coming out of Europe's debt crisis ? and nothing good, either ? at least not yet.

"No one item is a major positive, but collectively, it's been enough to tilt it towards net buying," said John Schlitz, chief market technician at Instinet in New York.

Still, relatively weak volume and a six-month high hit this week make some doubt that the gains are sustainable.

But then there's the golden cross.

Many market skeptics take notice when this technical indicator, a holy grail of sorts for many technicians, shows up on the horizon.

As early as Monday, the rising 50-day moving average of the S&P 500 could tick above its rising 200-day moving average. This occurrence ? known as a golden cross ? means the medium-term momentum is increasingly bullish. You have a good chance of making money in the next six months if you put it to work in large-cap stocks.

In the last 50 years, according to data compiled by Birinyi Associates, a golden cross on the S&P 500 has augured further gains six months ahead in eight out of 10 times. The average gain has been 6.6 percent.

That means the benchmark is on solid footing to not only hold onto the 14 percent advance over the last nine weeks, but to flirt with 1,400, a level it hasn't hit since mid-2008.

The gains, as expected, would not be in a straight line. But any weakness could be used by long-term investors as buying opportunities.

"The cross is an intermediate bullish event," Schlitz said. "You have to interpret it as constructive, but I caution people to take a bullish stance, if they have a short-term horizon ."

Less than halfway into the earnings season and with Greek debt talks over the weekend, payrolls data next week and the S&P 500 near its highest since July, there's plenty of room for something to go wrong. If that happens, the market could easily give back some of its recent advance.

But the benchmark's recent rally and momentum shift allow for a pullback before the technical picture deteriorates.

"We bounced off 1,325, which is resistance. We're testing 1,310, which should be support. We are stuck in that range," said Ken Polcari, managing director at ICAP Equities in New York.

"If over the weekend, Greece comes out with another big nothing, then you will see further weakness next week," he said. "A 1 (percent) or 2 percent pullback isn't out of the question or out of line."

On Friday, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite closed their fourth consecutive week of gains, while the Dow Jones industrial average dipped and capped three weeks of gains. For the day, the Dow dropped 74.17 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 12,660.46. The S&P 500 fell 2.10 points, or 0.16 percent, to 1,316.33. But the Nasdaq gained 11.27 points, or 0.40 percent, to end at 2,816.55.

For the week, the Dow slipped 0.47 percent, while the S&P 500 inched up 0.07 percent and the Nasdaq jumped 1.07 percent.

Next week is filled with heavy-hitting data on the housing, manufacturing and employment sectors.

Personal income and consumption on Monday will be followed by the S&P/Case-Shiller home prices index, consumer confidence and the Chicago PMI ? all on Tuesday.

Wednesday will bring the Institute for Supply Management index on U.S. manufacturing and the first of three key readings on the labor market ? namely, the ADP private-sector employment report. Jobless claims on Thursday will give way on Friday to the U.S. government's non-farm payrolls report. The forecast calls for a net gain of 150,000 jobs in January, according to economists polled by Reuters.

Another hectic earnings week will kick into gear with almost a fifth of the S&P 500 components posting quarterly results. Exxon Mobil, Amazon, UPS, Pfizer, Kellogg and MasterCard are among the names most likely to grab the headlines.

With almost 200 companies' reports in so far, about 59 percent have beaten earnings expectations ? down from about 70 percent in recent quarters.

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46181761/ns/business-us_business/

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College presidents wary of Obama cost-control plan (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Fuzzy math, Illinois State University's president called it. "Political theater of the worst sort," said the University of Washington's head.

President Barack Obama's new plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition or face losing federal dollars is raising alarm among education leaders who worry about the threat of government overreach. Particularly sharp words came from the presidents of public universities; they're already frustrated by increasing state budget cuts.

The reality, said Illinois State's Al Bowman, is that simple changes cannot easily overcome deficits at many public schools. He said he was happy to hear Obama, in a speech Friday at the University of Michigan, urge state-level support of public universities. But, Bowman said, given the decreases in state aid, tying federal support to tuition prices is a product of fuzzy math.

Illinois has lowered public support for higher education by about one-third over the past decade when adjusted for inflation. Illinois State, with 21,000 students, has raised tuition almost 47 percent since 2007, from $6,150 a year for an in-state undergraduate student to $9,030.

"Most people, including the president, assume if universities were simply more efficient they would be able to operate with much smaller state subsidies, and I believe there are certainly efficiency gains that can be realized," Bowman said. "But they pale in comparison to the loss in state support."

Bowman said the undergraduate experience can be made cheaper, but there are trade-offs.

"You could hire mostly part-time, adjunct faculty. You could teach in much larger lecture halls, but the things that would allow you achieve the greatest levels of efficiency would dilute the product and would make it something I wouldn't be willing to be part of," he said.

At Washington, President Mike Young said Obama showed he did not understand how the budgets of public universities work.

Young said the total cost to educate college students in his state, which is paid for by both tuition and state government dollars, has gone down because of efficiencies on campus. While universities are tightening costs, the state is cutting their subsidies and authorizing tuition increases to make up for the loss.

"They really should know better," Young said. "This really is political theater of the worst sort."

Obama's plan would need approval by Congress, a hard sell in an atmosphere of partisan gridlock.

In his State of the Union address Tuesday, Obama described meeting with university presidents who explained how some schools curtailed costs through technology and redesigning courses to help students finish more quickly. He said more schools need to take such steps.

Obama said at Michigan that higher education has become an imperative for success in America, but the cost has grown unrealistic for too many families and the debt burden unbearable. He said states should properly fund colleges and universities.

"We are putting colleges on notice," Obama told an arena packed with cheering students. "You can't assume that you'll just jack up tuition every single year. If you can't stop tuition from going up, then the funding you get from taxpayers each year will go down."

Obama is targeting only a small part of the financial aid picture: the $3 billion known as campus-based aid that flows through college administrators to students. He is proposing to increase that amount to $10 billion and change how it is distributed to reward schools that hold down costs and ensure that more poor students complete their education.

The bulk of the more than $140 billion in federal grants and loans goes directly to students and would not be affected.

The average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges this school year rose 8.3 percent and with room and board now exceed $17,000 a year, according to the College Board.

Rising tuition costs have been attributed to a variety of factors, among them a decline in state dollars and competition for the best facilities and professors. Critics say some higher education institutions are attempting to wait out the economic downturn and have been too reluctant to make large-scale changes that would cut costs such as offering three-year degree programs.

The federal government's leverage to take on the rising cost of college is limited because higher education is decentralized, with most student aid following the student.

The response to Obama's plan wasn't all negative. Many university presidents said they welcome a conversation about making college more affordable and efficient.

In Missouri, where Gov. Jay Nixon has proposed a 12.5 percent funding cut for higher education in the coming fiscal year, Obama's proposal could put even more pressure on public colleges and universities to limit tuition increases. By state law, schools must limit such increases to the annual inflation rate unless they receive permission for larger ones. Nixon has warned schools that he doesn't want to see a tuition increase of more than 3 percent, the latest Consumer Price Index increase.

"The president's message isn't inconsistent with the agenda that we've been pursuing here in Missouri," said Paul Wagner, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Higher Education. "It's good to see him put the focus on the same things."

Obama also wants to create a "Race to the Top" competition in higher education similar to the one his administration used on lower grades. He wants to encourage states to make better use of higher education dollars in exchange for $1 billion in prize money.

Obama is also pushing for more tools to help students determine which colleges and universities have the best value.

___

Online:

White House: http://tinyurl.com/75yrqyh

___

Associated Press writers Ben Feller and Julie Pace in Washington, Jim Kuhnhenn and David Runk in Ann Arbor, Mich., David Mercer in Champaign, Ill., Alan Zagier in Columbia, Mo., Alex Dominguez in Baltimore, Dorie Turner in Atlanta, and Donna Gordon Blankinship in Seattle contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_college_costs

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How cholera bacterium gains a foothold in the gut

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2012) ? A team of biologists at the University of York has made an important advance in our understanding of the way cholera attacks the body. The discovery could help scientists target treatments for the globally significant intestinal disease which kills more than 100,000 people every year.

The disease is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which is able to colonise the intestine usually after consumption of contaminated water or food. Once infection is established, the bacterium secretes a toxin that causes watery diarrhea and ultimately death if not treated rapidly. Colonisation of the intestine is difficult for incoming bacteria as they have to be highly competitive to gain a foothold among the trillions of other bacteria already in situ.

Scientists at York, led by Dr. Gavin Thomas in the University's Department of Biology, have investigated one of the important routes that V. cholera uses to gain this foothold. To be able to grow in the intestine the bacterium harvests and then eats a sugar, called sialic acid, that is present on the surface of our gut cells.

Collaborators of the York group at the University of Delaware, USA, led by Professor Fidelma Boyd, had shown previously that eating sialic acid was important for the survival of V. cholerae in animal models, but the mechanism by which the bacteria recognise and take up the sialic was unknown.

The York research, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), demonstrates that the pathogen uses a particular kind of transporter called a TRAP transporter to recognise sialic acid and take it up into the cell. The transporter has particular properties that are suited to scavenging the small amount of available sialic acid. The research also provided some important basic information about how TRAP transporters work in general.

The leader of the research in York, Dr. Gavin Thomas, said: "This work continues our discoveries of how bacteria that grow in our body exploit sialic acid for their survival and help us to take forward our efforts to design chemicals to inhibit these processes in different bacterial pathogens."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of York, via AlphaGalileo.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Christopher Mulligan, Andrew P. Leech, David J. Kelly and Gavin H. Thomas. The Membrane Proteins SiaQ and SiaM Form an Essential Stoichiometric Complex in the Sialic Acid Tripartite ATP-independent Periplasmic (TRAP) Transporter SiaPQM (VC1777?1779) from Vibrio cholera. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 287, Issue 5, 3598-3608 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M111.281030 jbc.M111.281030

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

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

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127135940.htm

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Coach honed debating skills of young Newt Gingrich (AP)

ATLANTA ? As a young college professor running for Congress, Newt Gingrich wanted to sharpen his debating skills.

Admirers say the Republican was always a dynamic speaker, but with flaws. He frowned. He titled his head oddly and fell back repeatedly on the same words. He went for the rhetorical jugular. Supporters worried that TV cameras magnified those delivery problems.

Gingrich didn't need to look far for help. In the building next to the one where Gingrich taught history at West Georgia College, professor Chester Gibson coached students whose ranks now include a former Georgia governor, high-powered Atlanta attorneys, judges and preachers. He gave Gingrich free help as a new candidate.

Strong debate performances have kept alive Gingrich's candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination after a bleak period last summer when his staff quit and his campaign fell into debt.

Now retired, Gibson said he still sees Gingrich's old habits ? good and bad ? in the presidential debates.

"Gingrich is clearly the best debater in the final four," said Gibson, who communicates by email because doctors removed his voice box in 2010 during cancer treatment. "No contest. A Gingrich-Obama debate would be one of the great moments in American political history."

The pair met in 1970 when they started teaching at West Georgia College, now called the University of West Georgia. Gibson coached Gingrich before his first unsuccessful run for the House in 1974 and kept working with him until Gingrich won four years later. Gibson said the coaching continued into Gingrich's early years in office. A Gingrich spokesman did not respond to requests for information for this report.

Gibson, 70, said Gingrich's problem was delivery, not substance.

"He was poised, confident, quick on his feet and well versed in both U.S. and world history," Gibson said. "He read everything that he could get his hands on. His greatest asset was his incredible memory."

In their coaching sessions, Gibson said he filmed Gingrich speaking so he could see his mistakes. The students on Gibson's debate team ? one was Randy Evans, now Gingrich's longtime attorney ? listened and critiqued Gingrich's speeches. They researched the positions of his political opponents and constructed arguments. Gibson traveled with Gingrich to debates so they could practice in the car.

Gibson pushed his students to win.

"He just worked endlessly and worked us very hard because he was as competitive as all get-out," said trial lawyer Paul Weathington, one of Gibson's debaters and a nationally ranked debater in college.

Gibson told Gingrich to work on his body language. When listening intently to another speaker, he tended to frown ? a bad habit that Gibson said the Republican candidate has not fully stopped. In fact, Gingrich recently told reporters that his granddaughter told him to smile more and that she counts his grins during debates.

"I am always pleased when I see a grin because I know that he is ready to launch into a great answer to the question," Gibson said.

Years ago, Gibson encouraged Gingrich to tone down grandiose statements, saying they distract the audience from the message.

Then, as now, Gingrich would occasionally cock his head oddly to the right, Gibson said. When he latched onto a word, he'd use it repeatedly.

"Listen to the number of times that he uses the word `frankly,'" Gibson said. "You will lose count."

Gingrich understands how to exploit TV debates and has avoided any major gaffes, said Mitchell McKinney, a communications professor at the University of Missouri who studies presidential debates. When his campaign was lagging, Gingrich baited the front-runners to engage him during debates, which helped him get airtime. He also picks messages that are sure to be replayed on TV. It adds up to free publicity.

"These moments get captured and played over and over," McKinney said.

One such moment came last week in the South Carolina. CNN debate moderator John King started the broadcast by asking Gingrich to respond to his second ex-wife's accusation that he asked her for an open marriage.

"I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office," said Gingrich, on his way to gaining a standing ovation from the audience. "And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that."

He won the primary two days later.

___

Follow Ray Henry on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rhenryAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_el_pr/us_gingrich_debate_coach

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Courtroom battle splits star's Oklahoma hometown (AP)

YUKON, Okla. ? A water tower proudly proclaims that this is the hometown of country music star Garth Brooks. The main road through town? Garth Brooks Boulevard. So when the singer was awarded $1 million this week after suing the local hospital ? whose logo is on a slightly larger water tower across town ? residents felt torn.

A jury in the Oklahoma county where Brooks now lives agreed that the hospital, which sits along Brooks' namesake street, reneged on a pledge to use his $500,000 donation to build a women's health center in honor of his late mother. Jurors chipped in another $500,000 in punitive damages.

Now, residents in Yukon are stuck in the middle of a spat between their native son and one of the city's largest employers that sponsors dozens of programs, from local school events to the Yukon Senior Olympics. The hospital had argued that Brooks put no restrictions on the 2005 anonymous donation.

"My oldest kids grew up in this town with no medical facility," said Jeannie Benson, a local real estate agent and longtime resident. "If they got hurt, it was a 30-minute drive to the nearest place to get help. The hospital, to me, is a very, very big deal.

"I don't know Garth. I've never met the man. I do know the hospital and the people that work there," Benson said.

Brooks left Yukon as a teenager for Oklahoma State University and eventually a country music career in the 1980s, well before Integris Canadian Valley Hospital opened in 2001. Since then, Integris has become a vital part of this Oklahoma City suburb, which was among the state's fastest growing communities over the last decade.

The hospital employs 350 people and donates to dozens of local events and youth groups, including the high school choir, band and basketball teams and the annual Christmas in the Park. Integris also is Oklahoma's largest health care company and employs about 9,000 people at its 16 hospitals and nearly 100 affiliated clinics across the state.

Yukon and its roughly 24,000 residents are about 140 miles from where the two-week trial was held in Claremore. Brooks and his country music star wife, Trisha Yearwood, live in nearby Owasso, and locals there described the couple as generous philanthropists.

"He's a silent but engaged Owassoan," said Chelsea Harkins, the city's economic development director. "He oftentimes likes to remain anonymous, and we respect that. They're great community citizens and great community partners."

Brooks also has performed concerts to help victims of flooding in Nashville, Tenn., and for people who lost their homes from wildfires in California. In 1999, he founded the Teammates for Kids Foundation that raises money for children's charities by partnering with celebrity athletes.

After the jury announced its verdict Tuesday night, Brooks indicated he wouldn't abandon the idea of honoring his mother in his hometown but made clear he was done with Integris.

"This is how I feel: One day, mom's name is going to go on the women's center right there where the hospital is, but that hospital won't be owned by Integris when it happens, I can tell you that. That's my dream," he said after jurors ? many of whom said they were fans of his music but could be impartial ? awarded him double his original donation.

Hospital officials are looking forward to putting the matter behind them and hope it won't affect future donations, Integris spokesman Hardy Watkins said. During the trial, hospital attorneys noted that Brooks, while questioned during a deposition about conversations he had with the hospital's president, said he couldn't remember what promises had been made.

"I hope that people will come away with an understanding that this is one isolated, granted a high-profile, donor encounter," Watkins said. "There are numerous other examples of successful donations being received and those projects being completed and now serving the public.

"While it is uncomfortable to consider right now, I think and hope people will certainly look at the entire spectrum of our donor history and commitment to the communities we serve."

For now, though, the courtroom drama has been the topic around town, said Tamara Gray, a 19-year-old waitress at a diner near the hospital.

"My thought is, if you donate money, it should go where you expect it to go," Gray said Wednesday.

"I think they both have an important impact on the community," 31-year-old J.T. Chronister said as he sat in a coffee shop across from the hospital. "It seems like there was just a communication failure in there somewhere. That's my guess."

Catrina Steury, who works in a hair shop along Garth Brooks Boulevard, said "it's cool to have a big star from the community" but that the singer isn't usually a topic of conversation.

But most said there were clearly no winners in the case and wished the entire situation could have been avoided.

"It's given everybody a black eye: the city, Garth, the hospital, everybody," said Benson, the local relator. "I think it's very unfortunate."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_en_ot/us_people_garth_brooks

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Ex-US diplomat testifies in Argentine baby thefts (AP)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina ? A former U.S. diplomat testified Thursday that American officials knew Argentina's military regime was taking babies from dead or jailed dissidents during its "dirty war" against leftists in the 1970s, and it appeared to be a systematic effort at the time.

Elliot Abrams testified by videoconference from Washington in the trial of former dictators Jorge Videla and Reynaldo Bignone and other military and police figures accused of organizing the theft of babies from women who were detained and then executed in the 1976-1983 junta's torture centers.

Abrams said U.S. officials were aware that some children had been taken and then illegally adopted by families loyal to the regime.

"We knew that it wasn't just one or two children," Abrams testified. There must have been some sort of directive from a high level official, he suggested: "a plan, because there were many people who were being murdered or jailed."

"It was a very serious problem because these were children who were alive," Abrams added.

He said he suggested to the junta's ambassador to Washington, Lucio Alberto Garcia del Solar, that the dictatorship could improve its image by creating a process sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church to return the children to their rightful families. But he said the ambassador told him Bignone had spurned the idea.

The junta apparently saw the program as a way to prevent children from growing up "communist," Abrams said. Also, enabling loyal families who couldn't conceive to adopt the babies was seen as a blessing by the regime, he said.

The defendants have denied any systematic effort to remove babies from detainees at a time when the junta was fighting armed rebels who were trying to build support for a communist takeover of Argentina.

The activist group Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo said Abrams' testimony shows how useful it would be for the United States to declassify all of its documents on the Argentine dictatorship, in particular the secret files of the CIA and the FBI. Doing so might provide information to help identify more of the illegally adopted children, it said.

Abrams had expected to be called to testify after his long-classified memo describing his secret meeting with the ambassador was made public in December at the request of the Grandmothers group, which has spent decades gathering evidence against the 1976-1983 military junta.

At the time of the "dirty war," the junta officially denied any knowledge of systematic baby thefts, let alone responsibility for the disappearances of political prisoners. In public, the U.S. government also was circumspect, even as the junta's death squads kidnapped and killed its opponents, eventually eliminating more than 13,000 purported subversives.

Asked about the case by The Associated Press last month, Abrams said through a spokeswoman that he, too, was "in favor of having relevant U.S. documents declassified" for use by Argentina.

___

Associated Press writer Debora Rey reported this story in Buenos Aires and Michael Warren reported from Santiago, Chile.

___

Michael Warren on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mwarrenap

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_argentina_stolen_babies

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Fed unlikely to raise rates until at least 2014 (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Federal Reserve went further than ever Wednesday to assure consumers and businesses that they'll be able to borrow cheaply well into the future.

The Fed pushed back the date for any likely increase in its benchmark interest rate by at least a year and a half, until late 2014 at the earliest.

Its new timetable showed the Fed is concerned that the economy's recovery remains stubbornly slow. But it also thinks inflation will stay tame enough for rates to remain at record lows without igniting price increases.

Chairman Ben Bernanke cautioned that its late-2014 horizon for any rate increase is merely the Fed's "best guess." It has the flexibility to change its mind if the economic picture changes. But speaking at a news conference later Wednesday, Bernanke said:

"Unless there is a substantial strengthening of the economy in the near term, it's a pretty good guess we will be keeping rates low for some time."

The Fed reduced its outlook for growth this year but is slightly more optimistic about the unemployment rate. It expects the economy to grow between 2.2 percent and 2.7 percent this year. That's down from its November's forecast of between 2.5 percent and 2.9 percent.

But it sees unemployment falling as low as 8.2 percent this year, better than its earlier forecast of 8.5 percent. December's rate was 8.5 percent.

The quarterly updated forecast also shows that some Fed members wanted to extend the period of record-low interest rates beyond late 2014. The Fed also offered a firmer target for inflation ? 2 percent ? in a statement of its long-term policy goals.

Treasury yields fell on the news that the Fed plans no rate increase until late 2014 at the earliest.

The yield on the five-year Treasury hit an all-time low of 0.76 percent. The yield on the 10-year note sank to 1.95 percent. The 10-year yield had been 2.02 percent just before the Fed made its announcement around 12:30 p.m. EST.

Lower yields could help further reduce mortgage rates and possibly boost stock prices as investors shift out of lower-yielding Treasurys.

Stocks, which had traded lower all day, quickly recovered their losses. The Dow Jones industrial average, which had been down about 60 points before the announcement, was up 43 points in mid-afternoon.

The central bank said in a statement after a two-day policy meeting that the economy is growing moderately, despite some slowing in global growth. It held off on any further bond-buying programs to try to increase growth.

The Fed announced no further bond buying efforts. But it held out the possibility of doing so later. It said it was prepared to adjust its "holdings as appropriate to promote a stronger economic recovery in the context of price stability."

Some economists say that means the Fed will take further action soon.

Julie Coronado, an economist at BNP Paribas, said the Fed is signaling it will boost its purchases of bonds and other assets if growth fails to accelerate, even if the economy doesn't slow.

That is a "very low bar indeed," she wrote in a note to clients.

The Fed described inflation as "subdued." That was a more encouraging description than it offered last month. A more positive outlook on prices gives the Fed more room to keep rates low.

"This is a fairly clear-cut signal that inflation is not on their radar at this point," Tom Porcelli, an economist at RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a research note.

The Fed's statement was approved on a 9-1 vote. Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Richmond regional Fed bank, dissented. He objected to the new time frame for a rate increase.

The extended time frame is a shift from the Fed's previous plan to keep the rate low at least until mid-2013. Some economists said the new late-2014 target could lead to further Fed action to try to invigorate the economy.

Chairman Ben Bernanke will discuss the updated economic forecasts and Fed policy at a news conference later.

The central bank has kept its key rate at a record low near zero for about three years. Its new time frame suggests the rate will stay there for roughly an additional three years.

Beyond the adjusted outlook for interest rates, Wednesday's statement closely tracked the Fed's previous comments about economic conditions.

The Fed used the same language as before in describing Europe's debt problems and the impact on the world economy.

The economy is looking a little better, according to recent private and government data. Companies are hiring more, the stock market is rising, factories are busy and more people are buying cars. Even the home market is showing slight gains after three dismal years

Still, the threat of a recession in Europe is likely to drag on the global economy. And another year of weak wage gains in the United States could force consumers to pull back on spending, which would slow growth.

The Fed has taken previous steps to strengthen the economy, including purchases of $2 trillion in government bonds and mortgage-backed securities to try to cut long-term rates and ease borrowing costs.

The idea behind the Fed's two rounds of bond buying was to drive down rates to embolden consumers and businesses to borrow and spend more. Lower yields on bonds also encourage investors to shift money into stocks, which can boost wealth and spur more spending.

Some Fed officials have resisted further bond buying for fear it would raise the risk of high inflation later. And many doubt it would help much since Treasury yields are already near historic lows. But Bernanke and other members have left the door open to further action if they think the economy needs it.

The Fed said it would keep its holdings of Treasury securities and mortgage-backed bonds at record levels and continue a program to further drive long-term rates lower by selling shorter-term securities and buying longer-term bonds.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_bi_ge/us_federal_reserve

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Apple's revenue surges, blows away targets (Reuters)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) ? Apple Inc's fiscal first-quarter results blew past Wall Street expectations, fueled by robust holiday sales of its iPhones and iPads.

The world's most valuable technology corporation sold 37.04 million iPhones - its flagship product - and 15.43 million iPad tablets, outpacing already heightened expectations for a strong holiday season.

Sales of iPhones and iPads more than doubled from a year ago.

The consumer electronics giant said on Tuesday its revenue leapt 73 percent to $46.33 billion, handily beating the average Wall Street analyst estimate of $38.91 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Apple reported a net profit of $13.06 billion, or $13.87 a share. Analysts had expected Apple to earn $10.16 per share.

Average projections for sales of Apple products during the fiscal first quarter, which includes the holiday shopping season and one more week than is typical, were for roughly 31 million iPhones, 13.5 million to 14 million iPads and 5 million Mac computers.

On Tuesday, Apple also forecast results for its fiscal second quarter that were ahead of analyst estimates. It expects revenue of about $32.5 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $8.50.

The December quarterly report marked Apple's first quarter without its legendary co-founder Steve Jobs, who died October 5.

(Reporting By Poornima Gupta; Editing by Gary Hill)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_apple

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Delay in investing could prove costly | Homer Tribune

by Edward Jones

Matthew North
Financial Advisor

You?ve no doubt heard that ?time is money.? While this expression may be applicable in many areas of life, it?s especially relevant for investors ? because the more time you spend not investing, the less money you are likely to have when you really need it, such as during your retirement. That?s why it?s essential that you don?t wait to start saving for your days as a retiree.
Many people think it won?t make much difference if they delay investing for a few years. As you know, time flies, and before you know it, ?a few years? turns into a decade ? and a decade?s postponement in saving for retirement can make an enormous difference in your life.
How big a difference? Suppose you plan to retire at age 65. If at age 25, you began putting $200 a month into a tax-deferred vehicle, such as a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA), and your investments inside that IRA hypothetically earned on average 7 percent a year, you would accumulate about $512,000 after 40 years. However, if you had waited until you were age 30 to start saving for retirement, with all else being equal, you?d end up with only about $355,000 when you reached 65 ? $157,000 less ? due to that five-year delay. And if you waited 10 years, until you were 35, you?d end up with about $243,000 ? far less than half of what you would have accumulated had you started saving at 25. (Keep in mind that you will eventually have to pay taxes on these accumulations, and the actual figures don?t reflect fees, commissions or expenses.)
Clearly, the cost of delay can be considerable ? which is why you should consider taking these steps:
Develop a strategy with your financial advisor. It?s easier to stick to a strategy if you know where you?re going. Your financial advisor can help you determine how much you need to save to reach the type of retirement you?ve envisioned.
If you haven?t started saving, begin now. If you wait until you feel more financially comfortable before you invest for retirement, you may never begin. Even if you can put away only a small amount, such as $50 per month, you?ll have made a start.
To make it easier on yourself, set up your accounts to automatically move a set amount each month into your IRA. As the above examples show, the best way to build substantial savings is to start early, but even if you?re in your 30s or 40s, you can catch up ? although you?ll need to save more to potentially get to the same level.
Increase your investments when your income rises. Every time you get a salary increase, boost your contributions to your IRA and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan.
Don?t take a ?timeout? from investing. Keep on investing, whether the ?news of the day? is positive or negative. The best investors are those who follow a consistent strategy and continue investing, year in and year out.
In short, save early, save often ? and keep investing.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Contact the writer
Posted by Newsroom on Jan 25th, 2012 and filed under Financial Focus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling out the following comment form, or trackback to this entry from your site.

Source: http://homertribune.com/2012/01/delay-in-investing-could-prove-costly/

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Chesapeake to cut natural gas production (AP)

NEW YORK ? Faced with decade-low natural gas prices that have made some drilling operations unprofitable, Chesapeake Energy Corp. says it will drastically cut drilling and production of the fuel in the U.S.

Chesapeake, the nation's second largest natural gas producer, said Monday that it plans to cut production 8 percent. That means the company would produce the same or slightly less natural gas in 2012 than it did in 2011. Chesapeake produces about 9 percent of the nation's natural gas.

That's a change from the dramatic increase in domestic output seen in recent years. Chesapeake and other drillers have learned to tap enormous reserves of natural gas trapped in shale formations under several states using a controversial drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling. The drillers force millions of gallons of water and sand, laced with chemicals, into compact rock to create cracks that serve as escape routes for the gas.

Extreme weather for two winters and two summers kept natural gas prices high by boosting demand for home heating and power generation. But this season's mild winter weather especially in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, has crimped demand and led to a glut.

Natural gas futures slipped to $2.32 per 1,000 cubic feet last week, their lowest levels since 2002, before rising slightly to $2.34 on Friday. Prices have fallen 23 percent since the beginning of the year. Storage levels of the fuel are 21 percent higher than their 5-year average for this time of year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The drop in price has meant lower revenues and profits for drillers. Analysts surveyed by FactSet estimate that Chesapeake's earnings fell to $2.81 per share in 2011, excluding special items, from $2.95 per share in 2010. They say at today's prices only the least expensive, most productive natural gas wells remain profitable for drillers.

In electronic trading Monday morning, natural gas prices were up 3.9 percent to $2.434 per 1,000 cubic feet, getting a boost from the Chesapeake announcement. Chesapeake shares were up 6.6 percent to $22.35.

Drillers had already begun to shift their drilling activity toward shale formations and other regions that produce oil and other liquid hydrocarbons. Strong global demand has kept oil prices high and made these drilling operations extraordinarily profitable.

Chesapeake said it would cut its current activity in so-called dry-gas regions by half, to 24 rigs, by the second quarter. That's 67 percent fewer rigs than an average of 75 rigs the company had in use last year.

Chesapeake increased natural gas production by 13.5% from 2010 to 2011. It now plans to cut spending on natural gas regions to $1 billion in 2012, down from $3.1 billion in 2011.

The plan calls for a cut of 500 million cubic feet of gas per day, about 8 percent of its current production, in two drilling regions in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The move is designed to reduce the glut of natural gas in the country, and therefore increase prices. But analysts caution that drillers historically have reneged on plans to cut output in times of low prices, bowing to pressure from investors to increase production.

Also, even as drillers avoid dry-gas regions, they are aggressively increasing drilling in regions rich in oil and other liquids. Those regions also produce large amounts of natural gas, which will help keep total natural gas production high and will likely keep prices relatively low.

Chesapeake and others are also working to stimulate demand for the fuel, advocating its use as a transportation fuel or exporting it. International natural gas prices are high because they are linked to the price of oil.

Jonathan Fahey can be reached at http://twitter.com/JonathanFahey.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_bi_ge/us_chesapeake_natural_gas_slowdown1st_ld

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Julian Assange says he's launching TV chat show

LONDON (AP) ? You've read his leaks. Now watch his show.

International secret-buster Julian Assange says he's launching his very own television series. The guests haven't been disclosed, but the 40-year-old Australian has promised to give viewers more of what he's been supplying for years: Controversy.

WikiLeaks said in a statement late Monday that the show is intended to "draw together controversial voices from across the political spectrum ? iconoclasts, visionaries and power insiders ? each to offer a window on the world tomorrow."

How the show will be produced and who will carry it remain open questions.

WikiLeaks referred queries about the series to the hitherto obscure Quick Roll Productions, whose website appears to have been created only about two weeks ago.

___

Online:

WikiLeaks: http://wikileaks.org/

Quick Roll Productions: http://www.quickrollproductions.com/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-24-EU-WikiLeaks-The-Show/id-05639f9347ef4dfdabf519b8756b0ef0

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Raspberry Pi budget computer board now capable of handling Airplay

The Raspberry Pi budget computer main board can now handle AirPlay content from an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The Raspberry Pi, for those that do not know, is a

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

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Italian islanders ache for cruise victims (AP)

GIGLIO, Italy ? Natives of the tiny Italian island of Giglio come from hardy stock whose distant ancestors were accustomed to surviving ruthless raids by pirates and where today many eke out a living from often perilous seas.

But when islanders gaze out on the capsized wreck of the Costa Concordia, lying lifelessly on its side just outside their port like some giant beached creature from the sea, they pray and sigh in sorrow.

"Mamma mia, please excuse me, it makes me so emotional. Mamma mia," said Ornella Monti, whose house on Giglio, near the customs police station at the port, looks squarely out at the shipwreck.

"I had it all in front of my house," a weeping Monti said Sunday, as she lit electric candles in San Lorenzo church. "Dear God, help us."

"Let's give a lot of light for this girl," said Monti, lighting another candle and referring to a 5-year-old Dayana Arlotti, an Italian girl, who along with her father, is among the missing in the Jan. 13 accident.

Many of the 1,500 islanders, a tough breed of fishermen and their families who repair fishing nets by hand in the winter and take tourists out in painted wooden boats after a night of fishing at sea, were still shaken by the tragedy which unfolded in front of their eyes.

Women rushed out with blankets when shivering survivors stepped off lifeboats or staggered up rocks after swimming ashore when the evacuation of the 4,200 passengers and crew turned chaotic. Islanders offered children milk and biscuits, and invited stunned families into their homes to warm and calm themselves.

On a table in the church where Mass was celebrated Sunday were an array of items that surviving passengers had brought into San Lorenzo the night of the shipwreck ? life vests, helmets, pieces of rope ? reminders of the precarious nature of life at sea that islanders, 15 kilometers (11 miles) across from the mainland, know well.

Monti's apology for her tears contrasted sharply with the unabashed gawking of hundreds of mainlanders who hopped ferries in Porto Santo Stefano on the Tuscan coast to visit Giglio, renowned for its crystal clear waters and beauty as far back as ancient Roman times, over the weekend. Clambering over portside rocks, they snapped photos and made videos of the wreck to bring back home with them macabre mementos.

"They called us jackals," said Silvana Pasqualetti, of the islanders after she and her family set foot on the dock to view the wreckage. With her husband, adult son, and the son's girlfriend and niece, the family set out before daybreak from their home in Viterbo north of Rome on the mainland for Giglio.

"It's something you don't see every day," said her son, Massimo Menghini, 29, as the family caught an evening ferry back to the mainland. "Your jaw drops open when you see it in person, because it's history," he said

Pasqualetti added that she didn't "feel like a jackal" because "this macabre tourism brings tourist revenue to the islanders," whom she described as "exquisite" people.

From atop Giglio's highest peak, nearly 500 meters (1,650 feet) above sea level, and aided by binoculars, spectators to the tragedy can spy stacks of lounge chairs, chained together on the deck near the ship's swimming pool and kiddie pool, emptied of their water when the Concordia pitched over some 90 degrees.

On the other side of the Concordia, visible only from those approaching on boats is the gaping, 70-meter (230-foot) long gash, sliced into the hull of the ship when it sailed too close to a reef well known to scuba divers and sailors and near an isolated stretch of coast a few kilometers south of the bustling port.

___

Frances D'Emilio reported from Rome.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_re_eu/eu_italy_cruise_aground_islanders

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Many teen moms surprised they got pregnant

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Bad Teacher is just a bunch of things that all of us go through and we think the teacher is an evil asshole/bitch given the fact that some of them are very dick moves on behalf of the teacher

Source: http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/3209855/Pets/

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Ill. man in joking mood despite nail in brain

Gail Glaenzer, speaks about her fiance, Dante Autullo's injury in the lobby of Advocate Christ Medical Center Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 in Oak Lawn, Ill., a day after he underwent surgery to remove a 3 1/4 inch nail lodged in his brain after accidentally shooting himself with a nail gun. Autullo is listed in fair condition, and Glaenzer is still trying to process just how lucky the father of her four children was. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Gail Glaenzer, speaks about her fiance, Dante Autullo's injury in the lobby of Advocate Christ Medical Center Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 in Oak Lawn, Ill., a day after he underwent surgery to remove a 3 1/4 inch nail lodged in his brain after accidentally shooting himself with a nail gun. Autullo is listed in fair condition, and Glaenzer is still trying to process just how lucky the father of her four children was. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

OAK LAWN, Ill. (AP) ? Gail Glaenzer still can't believe that her fiance unknowingly shot a nail into his skull, let alone that he posted a picture of the X-ray on Facebook during his ambulance ride between hospitals for surgery.

But she was joking about the circumstances Friday, a day after doctors successfully removed the 3 ?-inch nail from Dante Autullo's brain.

"Dante says, 'I want it to make a necklace out of it,'" Glaenzer said.

Glaenzer sat Friday in the lobby of Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. where Autullo, 32, of Orland Park, was listed in fair condition in the hospital's intensive care unit. She was still trying to process just how lucky the father of her four children was.

"He feels good. He moved all his limbs, he's talking normal, he remembers everything," said Glaenzer, 33. "It's amazing, a miracle."

Autullo was in his workshop using the nail gun Tuesday when it recoiled near his head, Glaenzer said.

He felt what he thought was the point of the gun hit his head. But what really happened was that when the gun came in contact with his head, the sensor recognized a flat surface and fired, she said.

"I looked at it when he got home, and it just looked like (his head) was cut open," she said.

With nothing to indicate that a nail had not simply "whizzed by his ear," as Autullo explained to her, she cleaned it with peroxide.

While there are pain-sensitive nerves on a person's skull, there aren't any within the brain itself. That's why he would have felt the nail strike the skull, but he wouldn't have felt it penetrate the brain.

Neither thought much about it, and Autullo went on with his day, even plowing a bit of snow. But the next day when he awoke from a nap, feeling nauseated, Glaenzer sensed something was wrong and suggested they go to the hospital.

At first Autullo refused, but he relented after the two picked up their son at school Wednesday evening.

A couple hours later an X-ray was taken, and there in the middle of his brain was a nail. Doctors told Autullo and Glaenzer that the nail came within millimeters from the part of the brain that controls motor function. He was rushed by ambulance to the other hospital for more specialized care.

Hospital spokesman Mike Maggio said the surgery took two hours, and the part of the skull that was removed for surgery was replaced with a titanium mesh. The surgeon didn't want to put that part of the skull back in place, fearing it might have been contaminated by the nail, he said.

Glaenzer said that while Autullo hasn't really talked about how scared he was about what might have happened, he did express a recognition about coming close to death.

"He was joking with me, (after surgery), 'We need to get the Discovery Channel up here to tape this,'" she recalled him saying. "'I'm one of those medical miracles.'"

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2012-01-20-ODD-Nail%20in%20the%20Brain/id-cc4572394f224aba98a9d73cf60ce08e

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US Army burns off final chemical weapons in Utah

The TOCDF (Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility) is seen, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 in Stockton, Utah. (AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Rick Egan) DESERET NEWS OUT; LOCAL TV OUT

The TOCDF (Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility) is seen, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 in Stockton, Utah. (AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Rick Egan) DESERET NEWS OUT; LOCAL TV OUT

Col. Mark B. Pomeroy, commander of Desert Chemical Depot, explains the disposal process of chemical agents, at a news conference, during a live closed circuit broadcast of the processing of the final mustard agent-filled projectiles, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 in Stockton, Utah. The U.S. Army has destroyed about 90 percent of its aging chemical weapons after it wraps up work this week in Utah, where it has kept its largest stockpile _ a witches' brew of toxins, blister and blood agents that accumulated through the Cold War.(AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Rick Egan) DESERET NEWS OUT; LOCAL TV OUT

Igloo storage mounds at the Deseret Depot, that once housed chemical agents, are mostly empty, having been destroyed at the TOCDF (Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility), Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 in Stockton, Utah. (AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Rick Egan) DESERET NEWS OUT; LOCAL TV OUT

URS General Manager, Gary McCloskey, explains the disposal process of chemical agents, at a news conference, during a live closed circuit broadcast of the processing of the final mustard agent-filled projectiles Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 in Stockton, Utah. The U.S. Army has destroyed about 90 percent of its aging chemical weapons after it wraps up work this week in Utah, where it has kept its largest stockpile _ a witches' brew of toxins, blister and blood agents that accumulated through the Cold War.(AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Rick Egan) DESERET NEWS OUT; LOCAL TV OUT

Gary McCloskey, General Manager of The Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, explains what happens when the last pallet of 155mm projectile shells filled with mustard agent are destroyed Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 near Stockton, Utah. The U.S. Army has destroyed about 90 percent of its aging chemical weapons after it wraps up work this week in Utah, where it has kept its largest stockpile ? a witches' brew of toxins, blister and blood agents that accumulated through the Cold War. (AP Photo/George Frey)

STOCKTON, Utah (AP) ? Gary McCloskey may have destroyed more chemical weapons than any man alive, but he barely reacted when the final weapons from the world's largest stockpile of warfare agents came out of an incinerator.

McCloskey, a 63-year-old engineer and manager for URS Corp.'s Federal Services division, was on hand as a U.S. Army depot in Utah finished destroying the last of 1.3 million munitions filled with a witches' brew of toxins, blister and blood agents. He was on a Pacific atoll in 1986 when the Army destruction campaign started, living just 300 yards from an incinerator.

"These things really are detoxified and are safe," McCloskey said Wednesday at the Deseret Chemical Depot, watching a video feed of mustard agent projectiles leave an incinerator on a conveyer belt. "This is the last tray of the last weapons to go through this plant."

The last 23 projectiles were baked for two hours at 1,500 degrees, purging them of mustard agent, which can produce painful skin blisters. The Utah depot ? which at its peak held 13,600 tons of chemical agents, making it the world's largest ? expects to complete the job by the weekend when it incinerates bulk supplies of Lewisite, a powerful skin, eye and lung irritant.

By then, the U.S. Army will have destroyed about 90 percent of its aging chemical weapons that accumulated through the Cold War.

"We can honestly say that the destruction of chemical agents ... has made the world a safer place," said Col. Mark Pomeroy, commander of the Deseret Chemical Depot.

The U.S. is part of an international treaty to rid the world of chemical weapons, a campaign taking place with spotty success around the globe. The goal was supposed to be accomplished by April 29 but will take years longer.

"Clearly, it's still a tremendous example of what the world can do," said Craig Williams, director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group in Berea, Ky., an advocate for safe disposal. "You've got 188 of 194 countries on the planet signing the treaty. It's an impressive effort, a great step forward for the safety of the world."

The U.S. has acknowledged it will take as long as 2021 to finish destroying the final 10 percent of its chemical weapons at depots in Pueblo, Colo., and Richmond, Ky. Russia is farther behind in its effort, having destroyed only about 48 percent of a large cache of chemical weapons, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, Netherlands.

An international tribunal voted last month to waive trade or other sanctions and instead subject the U.S. and Russia to increasing pressure and inspections. Each country must submit plans by April 29 detailing how they will finish the job "in the shortest time possible."

A third country, Libya, also is expected to miss the deadline. The recent uprising in Libya interrupted that country's work and exposed more chemical weapons depots than were thought to exist, Williams said.

In the U.S., the Army has finished destroying chemical weapons at depots in Anniston, Ala.; Pine Bluff, Ark.; Newport, Ind.; Aberdeen. Md.; Umatilla, Ore.; and a Pacific atoll where the work started in 1986, according to the Army's Chemical Materials Agency.

That leaves a stockpile of mustard agent in Pueblo., Colo., and a mixed inventory of mustard and nerve agents at Kentucky's Blue Grass Army Depot.

The Deseret Chemical Depot in Utah once contained 44 percent of the nation's supply of chemical agents. The depot didn't just hold obsolete U.S. weapons. A supply of nerve agent seized from Nazi Germany at the end of World War II was destroyed only months ago.

McCloskey said about 1,100 URS contract workers are being let go with generous severance, sent into early retirement or transferred to other chemical weapons depots. Others took advantage of the company's college benefits to learn a new trade. A small number will remain for cleanup duty. The Deseret Chemical Depot will be turned into an Army storage site for conventional weapons.

The heavily guarded Utah incinerator sits in the middle of a desolate base of nearly 3 square miles, surrounded by barbed wire and chain-link fences in remote Rush Valley. Underground bunkers were used to store the explosive shells, mortars, land mines, projectiles, rockets, spray tanks for use by war planes and bulk storage containers.

The Deseret Chemical Depot logged 14 million man-hours destroying weapons since 1996 without a single serious accident, Pomeroy said.

Chemical weapons were introduced into warfare during World War I, killing 90,000 troops on battlefields, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

As far as is known, the U.S. has never fired a chemical weapon in anger, although some consider the use of the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War a chemical attack, Williams said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-19-Chemical%20Weapons/id-6d1e38d28b5c4beb8798c225c1585415

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