Senate Republicans block new Iran sanctions bill - Yahoo! News

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans blocked new economic sanctions on Iran's oil sector on Thursday, saying they needed more time to study revisions, a surprise move that drew anger from Senate Democrats who had expected unanimous approval ahead of Iran talks on May 23. "I feel I've been jerked around," Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor after the Republican objection. But Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said his staff did not receive a draft of the bill until late on Wednesday night, and needed more time to make sure it was as strong as possible. "There is no reason in the world why we can't resolve whatever differences we have and move forward," McConnell said. "We certainly don't want to take a step backward, and there are members on my side of the aisle who are concerned that the way the measure is currently crafted could actually be a step in the wrong direction," McConnell said. The United States says Iran's nuclear program is a cover for developing the capability to build atomic bombs, while Iran says it is for civilian purposes. The sanctions are meant to shut down any financial deals with Iran's powerful state oil and tanker enterprises, stripping Tehran of crucial oil revenues. The new bill would build on penalties signed into law by President Barack Obama in December that threatened sanctions against any foreign institutions trading with Iran's central bank. Democrats wanted to pass the proposed penalties ahead of talks between world powers and Iran next week, and had support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful pro-Israel lobby group. But Republicans sought a stronger statement in the bill that the use of U.S. military force was an option. "These sanctions are great. I hope they will change Iranian behavior. They haven't yet, and I don't think they ever will," said Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. "I want more on the table," Graham said. (Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington and Jonathan Saul in London; Editing by Russell Blinch and Jackie Frank)

Deb Fischer's Nebraska upset: Proof Sarah Palin still has the golden touch? - Yahoo! News

 

A Palin-backed underdog snatches the GOP Senate nomination from the favorite, and the Mama Grizzly's endorsement may very well have put Fischer over the top The Republican establishment was reeling in Nebraska on Wednesday, after a little-known but respected state senator, Deb Fischer, pulled off a stunning upset in the GOP Senate primary. Fischer became the instant favorite in her red state over Democrat Bob Kerrey, a former senator and governor. Until just days before the Tuesday vote, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning was expected to cruise to the GOP nomination, and his only apparent threat was from state Treasurer Don Stenberg, who was backed by conservative groups like Jim DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund. But Fischer had something the others didn't... a late endorsement from Sarah Palin. Did that propel her to victory? Yes, Palin put Fischer over the top: Voters are tired of "politics as usual," says Mike Flynn at Breitbart. Bruning and Stenberg are "standard conservative-ish career politicians." The establishment and even national Tea Party groups, which put their resources behind Stenberg, can't seem to grasp that. "Sarah Palin gets it," and her decision to shake up the race by making everyone take a look at Fischer "made all the difference." "Palin effect: Fischer wins Nebraska primary" Attack ads, not Palin, sank Bruning: By the time Palin made her endorsement, Fischer was already surging in polls, says David Catanese at Politico. Stenberg backers had chipped away at Bruning's favorability with attack ads while Fischer stayed "out of the mud." The real "dagger for Bruning" was a brutal $200,000 TV ad paid for by Chicago Cubs co-owner Joe Ricketts that spotlighted "Bruning's questionable financial interests and cast a cloud over his character" the weekend before the vote. "Deb Fischer wins Nebraska Senate stunner" Palin never had the golden touch — but she might now: Palin didn't have the golden touch before, says Rich Galen at The Daily Beast. She endorsed 33 winners and 31 losers in 2010, and by throwing her weight behind "two wholly unqualified candidates" — Sharron Angle in Nevada and Christine O'Donnell in Delaware — she helped Democrats keep the Senate. If she keeps picking winners like Fischer, a "legitimate, if not terribly well known, contender," she'll really become a GOP kingmaker. "Sarah Palin's latest triumph? Deb Fischer wins Nebraska GOP primary" View this article on TheWeek.com Get 4 Free Issues of The Week

Elin Nordegren Is Single Again | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo! News

 

Tiger Woods' ex Elin Nordegren is single again. Sam Greenwood/WireImage/Getty Images According to People magazine, she broke off her relationship with financier Jamie Dingman in January. "She says Jamie's a great guy - and they're still friends - but I think it was just too early [after the divorce] for her to get serious with anyone," a friend of Nordegren told the magazine. The pair were first linked last summer. Dingman, the son of billionaire Michael Dingman, president of international investments firm Shipston Group Ltd., manages his father's business in China. He and Nordegren's pro-golfer ex-husband reportedly share something in common - a fling with former nightlife hostess Rachel Uchitel. Nordegren lives with her two children in North Palm Beach, Fla., and is a part-time college student working on her psychology degree. Also Read

Third suspect in slaying of U.S. Marine's wife pleads not guilty - Yahoo! News

 

VISTA, California (Reuters) - An expectant mother has become the third suspect to plead not guilty to murder charges in the mysterious slaying of a young woman killed in California while her husband, a U.S. Marine from Camp Pendleton, was away in Afghanistan. Dorothy Grace Maraglino, who is several months pregnant, is one of three friends, including another Camp Pendleton Marine, who shared a San Diego-area home where the victim, Brittany Killgore, 22, was slain on April 13, prosecutors said. Maraglino, 36, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Killgore's death at an arraignment in Vista, California, on Tuesday, after which prosecutors outlined for reporters new details about how detectives believe the victim met her killers. San Diego Superior Court Judge Tamila Ipema ordered Maraglino, who stood holding her rounded belly during the hearing, to remain jailed on $3 million bail. Her two roommates and co-defendants -- Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Ray Perez, 45, and Jessica Lynn Lopez, 22 -- previously entered not-guilty pleas to the same charges. They, too, were each ordered held in lieu of $3 million bond. Killgore's nude body was found on April 17 in a remote area of Riverside County, north of San Diego, but authorities have not publicly disclosed how she was murdered. The victim was last seen alive wearing a purple gown on Friday, April 13, before heading out on what was supposed to be a dinner date, according to the sheriff's department investigators. She had filed for divorce from her husband days earlier, court records showed. Killgore first met Perez and the two others charged with her murder when she accompanied a friend to the suspects' home to buy something her friend had seen advertised online, Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza told reporters following Tuesday's hearing. Police detectives have learned that after their first meeting, Maraglino agreed to go out with Perez for a supper cruise, despite misgivings she had about "ill will" she felt was directed at her by Maraglino, Espinoza said. Investigators have concluded that Perez picked Killgore up on April 13 and instead of going on the cruise brought her back to his house, and sent Maraglino a text message asking her to come home right away, Espinoza said. The prosecutor refused to discuss what happened next that led to Killgore's death. Maraglino is charged with murder for her role in aiding and abetting the slaying, according to Espinoza. "She was involved before, during and after the murder," he said. The victim's husband, Lance Corporal Cory Killgore, has since returned from deployment to bury his wife. "Her murder has left me devastated, he said in a sheriff's department website message posted on April 24. "My duty to her memory is to ensure her good reputation remains intact and help law enforcement and prosecutors secure justice for the persons who took her away from me." (Editing by Steve Gorman and Lisa Shumaker)

 

 

 

More minority babies than whites in U.S.: Census Bureau - Yahoo! News

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the first time, there are more black, Hispanic and other minority babies being born in the United States than white babies, according to government data released on Thursday that officially confirm what has been a long-growing trend. U.S. Census Bureau data show the United States is on its way to becoming "majority minority," with almost half of all young children currently from minority groups, including Hispanic, black and Asian. As of July 1, 2011, 50.4 percent of babies younger than age 1 were minorities or of more than one race, up from 49.5 percent in 2010, the data showed. For children younger than age 5, 49.7 percent were a minority or mixed race last year, up from 49.0 percent in 2010, according to the agency, which tracks the U.S. population. While the country has long been on course to see whites lose their majority, the latest figures make it clear that the next generations of Americans will look far different than today. The figures are also likely to reignite debate over what it means to be an American in an election year where race, poverty and immigration are hot-button campaign issues. More than half of all residents in Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas and Washington, D.C. were minorities as of last year, the agency found. Overall, 36.6 percent of the U.S. population were minorities in 2011 compared to 36.1 percent in 2010. The 197.5 million whites still made up nearly two-thirds of the nation, the Census Bureau said. The largest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States last year remained Hispanics at 52 million, or nearly 17 percent of the nation's population. The black population was 43.9 million. Asians were the second-fastest growing population, growing 3 percent to 18 million. There were 6.3 million American Indian and Alaska Native residents and 1.4 million Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Some experts on race and ethnicity say current immigrants are far less likely to "melt" into U.S. culture, while others say today's minorities may soon see their heritage blend as whites did. Generations ago there were not "whites" but European groups that were identified as Irish, German, Italian and Greek, among others. The growing Hispanic population and related immigration concerns, particularly in southern states that border Mexico, are expected to be major issues in November's presidential and congressional elections. (Reporting By Susan Heavey; Editing by Vicki Allen)

 

 

 

Key witness in Clemens' trial faces more questioning - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The former trainer to Roger Clemens will undergo more key cross-examination in the baseball star's perjury trial on Thursday, with the defense expected to attack inconsistencies in the trainer's story. Clemens' former trainer Brian McNamee underwent sharp questioning from the pitching great's defense lawyer on Wednesday as he probed for holes in McNamee's testimony about Clemens' alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. McNamee's cross-examination is perhaps the core part of the trial in U.S. District Court. He is the only person with first-hand knowledge about the former pitcher's alleged use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. Under cross-examination from defense attorney Rusty Hardin on Wednesday, McNamee, 45, said he had made mistakes, been forgetful or lied about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. McNamee will be in his third day of cross-examination after being questioned about 10 hours by prosecutors. Clemens' lawyers also are expected to explore McNamee's alleged problems with alcohol and scrapes with law enforcement. Clemens, 49, is being tried for a second time on federal charges of lying in 2008 to the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which was investigating drug use in Major League Baseball. His first trial ended in a mistrial last year. McNamee worked with Clemens when the right-hander pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and later with the New York Yankees. He also was employed as Clemens' personal trainer. McNamee has testified he injected Clemens with anabolic steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001 and with human growth hormone in 2000. Clemens was known as "The Rocket" during a career that ran from 1984 to 2007. He won the Cy Young Award seven times and is among the biggest names implicated in drug use in baseball. (Reporting By Ian Simpson; Editing by Vicki Allen)

 

 

Big Ten surrenders fight to bring college football playoff to the Midwest, just to help the Rose Bowl - Yahoo! Sports

 

Of all the love stories ever told, there may be none purer than the Big Ten's undying devotion, commitment and pure heart-throbbing lust to the Rose Bowl. True love always. Best friends forever. A Romeo and Juliet for the modern ages, complete with suicidal second-guessing because a rose by any other name apparently wouldn't smell as sweet. Big Ten players and fans can forget seeing a playoff game in their stadium, or even in the Midwest (Getty Imag … It's wrong to criticize someone for who they choose to love. Instead, just marvel at the depth of the relationship. The Big Ten has abandoned its smart, savvy push for a playoff that featured on-campus semifinal sites and a title game open to bid by cities across the country, including the Midwest, because it just couldn't bear the thought of cheating on a bowl game. There are still details to be hashed out on how college football is going to stage its postseason. There are still plenty of sober voices out there who think outsourcing hundreds of millions in postseason games is at best illogical and at worst corrupt. Many more think playoff games on campus would be glorious. But forget it. If the Big Ten, which has the most to gain on the issue yet is trying to lose, then campus playoff games aren't happening. In an effort to help the Rose Bowl, the conference is willing for a playoff to also be staged in Miami Gardens and Glendale, and so on, rather than Columbus and Ann Arbor. A playoff will be great no matter where the games are played. It'd just be better on campus. But the bowl lobby has won, and a select few of them are about to become even more fabulously wealthy off the labors of student-athletes. Leave it to the inevitable congressional investigation to sort out how the no-bid deals were reached. At this point, it's still a romance novel because the Big Ten really, really loves the Rose Bowl … no, I love you more … text me when you wake up … no, you hang up first. "For us it's critical to keep the Rose Bowl in the equation," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis told reporters Tuesday after Big Ten meetings hashed out the conference's likely preferred plan. How critical? Well, so critical that they're willing to make business decisions based on emotion, willing to give up on competitive advantages, logistical ease and monetary benefits. Possible home-field advantage for Big Ten teams? We love the Rose Bowl. Making the elements, which Big Ten teams are presumably better equipped to handle, a factor in the playoffs? We love the Rose Bowl. Showcasing the incredible game-day environment of Camp Randall, Happy Valley or the Big House? We love the Rose Bowl. Mark Hollis and his fellow ADs remain steadfast in their support for a broken bowl system. (AP) Not requiring fans, students and players' families to continue to make lengthy postseason trips? We love the Rose Bowl. Creating economic impact in the league's hometowns? We love the Rose Bowl. Not taking discretionary spending out of the region and into California or Florida? We love the Rose Bowl. Not playing games in opponents' home regions, states, cities or even stadiums? We love the Rose Bowl. If you hate campus so much, how about compromising and staging neutral-site semifinal games in Indianapolis or Detroit, where the money would be so welcome? Sorry, we love the Rose Bowl. Other than loving the Rose Bowl there isn't a single reason for the Big Ten to support this plan. Of course, what they love is what the Rose Bowl was (Big Ten champ vs. Pac-10 champ), which is not what it is or certainly will be. This is a playoff blueprint in sepia tones. It's lunacy. But then again, love's crazy, right? Somewhere Mike Slive of the SEC and Larry Scott of the Pac-12 are kicking back with a cackle of delight. These guys are angling for every possible edge while the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl sit in adjacent bathtubs, holding hands and waiting for the moment to be right. Wait, the rest of college football has to be asking, you're not even going to fight and try to make us look like wimps for arguing against football in the cold? Wait, you seriously are going to ask the same fan base to travel three times in a month – Big Ten title game, semifinals and championship game, the last two at least via airplane? And you think we won't end up with the majority of the crowd? [Related: Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany doesn't think much of Alabama] The Rose Bowl's power over the Big Ten is something to behold. It makes normally intelligent men say ridiculous things. "It would be a competitive advantage to have semifinal games at home fields … but the bowls have been good to us," Nebraska AD Tom Osborne said. If rampant profiteering, indictments charging corruption and millions in unnecessary expenses passed onto the schools counts as "been good to us" than the Big Ten may be the battered spouse here. Even so, exactly how good would a bowl have to have been to be better than a Nebraska playoff game in Memorial Stadium? "If you took them out of the playoff, it would pretty much destroy the bowl system," Osborne said. Ah, no, it wouldn't pretty much destroy the bowl system. In fact, it wouldn't destroy it at all. But, hey, love is blind. So blind apparently that no one can be bothered to actually look at the financial statements and business models of how bowl games operate and realize that line is complete garbage. "From kids' perspective, the bowl experience is the one thing they want to keep," Hollis argued. The Big Ten is so committed to the Rose Bowl it ceded playoff venues to the SEC and Pac-12. (Getty Images) Yes, the vaunted bowl experience must be protected for the players. It's cool. Bowls are fun. Except in the same meeting the Big Ten proposed moving bowl eligibility from 6-6 to 7-5, which means maybe half a dozen smaller bowls will, indeed, be destroyed and the experience of those players apparently isn't worth protecting. If only those games were as loveable as the Rose Bowl. [Wetzel podcast: Hammering out the playoff details] The athletic directors talk about trying to maintain or improve the meaning of the regular season, but then they want to take out the incentive of home-field advantage so it really doesn't matter whether you finish first or fourth. And do players really value the chance to engage in some pie-eating contest more than potentially getting any edge on winning the biggest game of their life, getting one more chance to run on the field of their own stadium or, even playing on the road in one of the nation's other spectacular campuses? Playing at Bryant-Denny, even as the road team, is also a pretty sweet experience. And what about the chance for the Big Ten to finally stop playing games in SEC/Pac 12 country, maybe see if one of those sunshine programs can handle a few flakes of Midwest snow? Yes, it sure sounds good, but did they mention they love the Rose Bowl? "There's a part of me that wants to play a team from the Southwest or the Southeast in five-degree weather," Ohio State's Gene Smith told the Sporting News. "But is it really right for the game?" The NFL thinks all weather is football weather and adheres to the crazy idea of playing games in places like Lambeau and Solider Fields. If only they had something like a Rose Bowl to love. Then Roger Goodell would immediately get smart and try to move the NFC title game to the Alamodome or something. There's no question Big Ten fans love the Rose Bowl, although not as much as they once did. They also like to win, also would like to shut the SEC up and also really like showing off their legendary stadiums and great cities, fighting against the idea that they live in some inhospitable, rusted-out region. Plenty of them could use the economic impact of staging these massive events in the Midwest too. But you can't put a price on love. And all these years later, that old Rose Bowl sure can cause the Big Ten's heart to flutter. Kind of like Juliet once did.

Asteroid Survey: NASA Says 4,700 Space Rocks 'Possibly Hazardous

 

Know that space rock that wreaked havoc on the world in the 1998 action movie Armageddon? Well, that might have been fiction--but a new NASA study identifies about 4,700 “potentially hazardous” asteroids near Earth. Deja vu? The asteroids are on astronomers’ radar because they are headed dangerously close to Earth—within five million miles—and are big enough to pass through our planet’s atmosphere and cause major damage. In the image above, the bright space rocks have diameters of more than about 330 feet (100 meters). The study of potentially hazardous asteroids is part of NASA’s wide-field infrared survey explorer mission, or WISE for short. "We've made a good start at finding those objects that truly represent an impact hazard to Earth," Lindley Johnson, program executive for NASA's near-Earth object observation program, said in a written statement. "But we've many more to find, and it will take a concerted effort during the next couple of decades to find all of them that could do serious damage or be a mission destination in the future."

JPMorgan's trading debacle: why $2 billion is just the start - The Term Sheet: Fortune's deals blog Term Sheet

The bank's bad bet could curtail profits for years to come. FORTUNE -- For years, JPMorgan Chase (JPM), perhaps the riskiest bank in the world, got a pass. Sure there were minor hiccups along the way. But basically investors had the attitude with the bank run by Jamie Dimon that they were going to be hands off. Sub-prime mortgage loans: You've proved you can handle them. Foreclosure problems: We're sure you've got your best people on it. A derivative portfolio roughly the size of the GDP of India: We trust that you have covered your bets. In fact, despite its huge size and complexity and risk, investors have allowed Dimon and JPMorgan to skate by on one of the smallest capital cushions, which is how much equity you have to protect against losses, on Wall Street. When you sort JPMorgan's loans and investments by riskiness, a dubious calculation, but used by Wall Street nonetheless, the bank holds an equivalent of just 10% of that as capital. That compares to 13% at Citigroup (C) and 15% at Goldman Sachs (GS). That shortfall, though, didn't seem to bother investors. JPMorgan's shares were rewarded with one of the richest valuations on Wall Street. Until recently, it was one of the few big banks to trade above book value, meaning Wall Street believed it was worth what it said. Citigroup's shares trade at a price-to-book of 0.5.

Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen under investigation by Internet child pornography unit

Chris Andersen exchanges words with Rex Chapman (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On Thursday night, the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 to tie their first-round playoff series, and did so without Chris "Birdman" Andersen, who is dealing with an issue greater than basketball. Thursday afternoon, Douglas County sheriff's deputies entered and searched Andersen's home in an investigation related to their Internet Crimes Against Children unit. The Nuggets, in turn, have excused Andersen indefinitely from all team functions. P. Solomon Banda of the Associated Press has more details:

The Nuggets will not necessarily miss Andersen on the court — he had yet to play a minute in the Lakers series and has seen his role diminished as JaVale McGee, Kenneth Faried, Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos have earned more minutes in Denver's big-man rotation. Nevertheless, this incident could be a distraction for the entire franchise.

Andersen has been a controversial figure before and was suspended from the NBA for two seasons due to several failed drug tests for unspecified "drugs of abuse," but this investigation is an entirely different kind of serious. We'll continue to update you as more details emerge, but for now we're going to look at what's known and not draw too many conclusions in either direction.

The Boston Celtics missed an opportunity to close out the Atlanta Hawks

 

The Boston Celtics missed an opportunity to close out the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, dropping an 87-86 road affair that gives Atlanta the chance to knot their first-round series in Boston on Thursday night. Near misses like the one Boston had at Philips Arena tend to stick in a player's craw, especially when the player singlehandedly got his flagging team back into the game and conjured a chance to win it out of thin air, only to see it end in a trap, a turnover and a loss, extending a series that player felt his team already had won. So, yeah, Rajon Rondo — whom NBA fans know to be a quiet, reserved and occasionally volatile sort as it is — was a little bit salty when he spotted a cameraman filming him after Boston's Tuesday night

Lamont Peterson's failed drug test demonstrates the costly balancing act event promoters face

There is no person with any decency or sense of fairness who would knowingly advocate allowing a fighter who is using performance-enhancing drugs to compete. The risks are too great. That's why the movement begun by Floyd Mayweather Jr. to implement random Olympic-style drug testing into combat sports is good. Lamont Peterson failed a drug test, putting his fight against Amir Khan in jeopardy. (Getty Images) Even that doesn't come without risks, though, as Richard Schaefer, the chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, sadly found out this week. Schaefer can be thankful it was Lamont Peterson who flunked a drug test for an HBO-televised fight against Amir Khan that was supposed to be held on May 19 in Las Vegas, as opposed to Mayweather or Miguel Cotto, who met on May 5 in a wildly successful pay-per-view bout. The cost to Golden Boy after the expected cancellation of the Khan-Peterson card is going to be around $250,000, perhaps higher. The total cost, to HBO and to fighters who now won't be paid, will likely exceed $1 million.

Move over MLB, 6-year-old Little Leaguer turns unassisted triple play

 

And just think: He had to pull off those feats even quicker than they do in the bigs since he was playing on a diamond with basepaths significantly closer to each other. Of course, those teammates hardly seemed to register what was going on. In fact, Bernath himself seemed to be confused about everything that was going on. For a guy who had just achieved a feat which is practically the unicorn or blue bear of baseball statistics, he had an awfully puzzled look on his face. Then again, it's not every day that anyone, at any level, pulls off an unassisted triple play. Maybe Bernath just forgot there were only three outs in a half inning, or he lost track of how many outs he earned on the play. No matter what the reason, thanks to YouTube, this youngster will never get to forget the day that he turned a triple play by himself. Bernath may never land another one-man triple play again, but that only makes his achievement -- and the adorable puzzlement it left the entire field of players in -- even more special.

Bank of Canada Unveils New $20 Note Design -

 

OTTAWA , May 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty and Governor Mark Carney today unveiled the new and more secure $20 polymer bank note at the Bank of Canada's head office, on Wellington Street in Ottawa . To raise public awareness about the new note, the building's north-east corner now features seven-storey high images of both sides of the polymer $20 . As with the previously issued $50 and $100 polymer bank notes, the main reason for issuing a new $20 is to stay ahead of counterfeiting threats.  The new polymer notes are also more economical and have a smaller environmental footprint. "The Bank's goal is to maintain Canadians' confidence in our money as a secure means of payment," said Governor Carney after the unveiling ceremony. "This new $20 note fits the bill." The front of the polymer $20 features a new portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this year. The back of the note pays tribute to the contributions and sacrifices of Canadian men and women in all military conflicts, and features the Canadian National Vimy Memorial - an iconic monument located in Vimy, France that commemorates the Battle of Vimy Ridge and honours those who fought and gave their lives in the First World War in France and have no known grave. On 9 April 1917 , all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force united for the first time to take Vimy Ridge in France - a strategically important position that had eluded previous attempts by allied forces between 1914 and 1916. "The Canadian Corps' victory at Vimy is often described as Canada's 'coming of age' as a nation," said Minister Flaherty, "This third note in the Frontier series commemorates the combination of technical innovation, tactical planning and meticulous execution with which Canada breached more than just a military frontier at Vimy Ridge." "The Bank is proud to memorialize this pivotal moment in Canadian history and to feature the inspiring Canadian National Vimy Memorial on the new $20 bank note," said Governor Carney. The $20 bill, which accounts for over 50 per cent of all bank notes in circulation and is the main note dispensed by automated banking machines (ABMs), will begin circulating in November of this year. To prepare for the new notes, the Bank is working closely with financial institutions and manufacturers of bank note equipment to ensure a smooth transition to polymer. The Bank is also providing authentication training and support materials to law enforcement officers and to cash handlers in retail and financial institutions. The remaining bank notes in the series - the $5 and $10 - will be issued by the end of 2013. The specific designs and detailed images of these notes will not be released until their official unveiling dates. The themes of all the polymer denominations are:

 Yahoo! Finance

 

In a controversial decision that is already sparking debate around the country, the New York Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that viewing child pornography online is not a crime. "The purposeful viewing of child pornography on the internet is now legal in New York," Senior Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick wrote in a majority decision for the court. The decision came after Marist College professor James D. Kent was sentenced to prison in August 2009 after more than 100 images of child pornography were found on his computer's cache. Whenever someone views an image online, a copy of the image's data is saved in the computer's memory cache. The ruling attempts to distinguish between individuals who see an image of child pornography online versus those who actively download and store such images, MSNBC reports. And in this case, it was ruled that a computer's image cache is not the same as actively choosing to download and save an image. "Merely viewing Web images of child pornography does not, absent other proof, constitute either possession or procurement within the meaning of our Penal Law," Ciparick wrote in the decision. See a copy of the court's full ruling on the child pornography decision. The court said it must be up to the legislature, not the courts, to determine what the appropriate response should be to those viewing images of child pornography without actually storing them. Currently, New York's legislature has no laws deeming such action criminal. As The Atlantic Wire notes, under current New York law, "it is illegal to create, possess, distribute, promote or facilitate child pornography." But that leaves out one critical distinction, as Judge Ciparick stated in the court's decision. "[S]ome affirmative act is required (printing, saving, downloading, etc.) to show that defendant in fact exercised dominion and control over the images that were on his screen," Ciparick wrote. "To hold otherwise, would extend the reach of (state law) to conduct—viewing—that our Legislature has not deemed criminal." The case originated when Kent brought his computer in to be checked for viruses, complaining that it was running slowly. He has subsequently denied downloading the images himself. More popular Yahoo! News stories: • 12 sets of twins graduating from just one high-school class • Maurice Sendak's 'Where The Wild Things Are,' as read by Christopher Walken (VIDEO) • Star Wars attraction creates personalized figurine 'frozen in carbonite'

Viewing child pornography online not a crime: New York court ruling | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News

In a controversial decision that is already sparking debate around the country, the New York Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that viewing child pornography online is not a crime. "The purposeful viewing of child pornography on the internet is now legal in New York," Senior Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick wrote in a majority decision for the court. The decision came after Marist College professor James D. Kent was sentenced to prison in August 2009 after more than 100 images of child pornography were found on his computer's cache. Whenever someone views an image online, a copy of the image's data is saved in the computer's memory cache. The ruling attempts to distinguish between individuals who see an image of child pornography online versus those who actively download and store such images, MSNBC reports. And in this case, it was ruled that a computer's image cache is not the same as actively choosing to download and save an image. "Merely viewing Web images of child pornography does not, absent other proof, constitute either possession or procurement within the meaning of our Penal Law," Ciparick wrote in the decision. See a copy of the court's full ruling on the child pornography decision. The court said it must be up to the legislature, not the courts, to determine what the appropriate response should be to those viewing images of child pornography without actually storing them. Currently, New York's legislature has no laws deeming such action criminal. As The Atlantic Wire notes, under current New York law, "it is illegal to create, possess, distribute, promote or facilitate child pornography." But that leaves out one critical distinction, as Judge Ciparick stated in the court's decision. "[S]ome affirmative act is required (printing, saving, downloading, etc.) to show that defendant in fact exercised dominion and control over the images that were on his screen," Ciparick wrote. "To hold otherwise, would extend the reach of (state law) to conduct—viewing—that our Legislature has not deemed criminal." The case originated when Kent brought his computer in to be checked for viruses, complaining that it was running slowly. He has subsequently denied downloading the images himself. More popular Yahoo! News stories: • 12 sets of twins graduating from just one high-school class • Maurice Sendak's 'Where The Wild Things Are,' as read by Christopher Walken (VIDEO) • Star Wars attraction creates personalized figurine 'frozen in carbonite'

Viewing child pornography online not a crime: New York court ruling | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News

 

 

 

Whenever someone views an image online, a copy of the image's data is saved in the computer's memory cache. The ruling attempts to distinguish between individuals who see an image of child pornography online versus those who actively download and store such images, MSNBC reports. And in this case, it was ruled that a computer's image cache is not the same as actively choosing to download and save an image. "Merely viewing Web images of child pornography does not, absent other proof, constitute either possession or procurement within the meaning of our Penal Law," Ciparick wrote in the decision.

 

Even now, during the closing months of his first term, Barack Obama remains a curiously elusive political leader. That is why the abrupt conclusion to his evolution on gay marriage, announced Wednesday in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, is one of the most fascinating moments in his presidency. Glib theories about Obama’s often-cautious approach to the presidency, especially in an election year, have to be revamped in light of his sudden endorsement of gay marriage. There is a temptation to view the turnabout solely in electoral terms. Obama himself said that the politics of same-sex marriage “may hurt me.” But perhaps the president made the calculation that he was willing to risk the loss of a fraction of socially conservative swing voters in states like Ohio in order to guarantee the enthusiasm of his top fundraisers. (A Washington Post analysis found that almost 20 percent of Obama’s bundlers have publicly revealed that they are gay). Maybe there is even private Obama polling indicating that November turnout among voters in the millennial generation is apt to be higher if the president took a firm position on gay marriage.

Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen under investigation by Internet child pornography unit | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports

 

On Thursday night, the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 to tie their first-round playoff series, and did so without Chris "Birdman" Andersen, who is dealing with an issue greater than basketball. Thursday afternoon, Douglas County sheriff's deputies entered and searched Andersen's home in an investigation related to their Internet Crimes Against Children unit. The Nuggets, in turn, have excused Andersen indefinitely from all team functions. P. Solomon Banda of the Associated Press has more details:

New Canadian $20 Bill Too Provocative for Some | The Exchange - Yahoo! Finance

Photo taken of the Mother Canada mourning in 2004, in colour (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If there was ever a need to confirm how badly U.S. currency needs a makeover, this is it. Our neighbors to the north just introduced a new $20 bill in Ottawa, and the redesign has garnered a bit of controversy. The bill features Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this year, on the front of the note. The back pays tribute to the sacrifices of Canadian men and women in military conflicts with an image of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. (Watch the Bank of Canada's video introducing the new bill and the significance of Vimy here.) However, some people have called elements of the bill "pornographic," while others have noted a resemblance to the Twin Towers that used to stand in lower Manhattan. The main reason for issuing a new $20 is to prevent counterfeiting threats, said the bank. The new polymer notes are also cheaper and have a smaller environmental footprint. (An image of the back of the $20 note is below.)

Anna Paquin

Actress Anna Paquin - "True Blood" 25th Annual Paley Television Festival - ArcLight Cinemas, Los Angeles. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anna Helene Paquin (pronounced /ˈpækwɪn/; born 24 July 1982) is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1993 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history.[1] Her acting career took off almost half a decade later when she appeared in a string of successful films including She's All That, Almost Famous and the X-Men franchise.
Paquin has received critical acclaim for her role as Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series True Blood, for which she won the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama.
Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Child actress
2.2 X-Men and beyond
2.3 Theatrical career
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
5 Theatre credits
6 References
7 External links
[edit]Early life

Paquin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of Mary Paquin (née Brophy), an English teacher and native of Wellington, New Zealand, and Brian Paquin, a high school physical education teacher, native Canadian. Paquin is the youngest of three children; she has two older siblings: a brother, Andrew, a director, born in 1977, and a sister, Katya, born in 1980,[2][3] who is the partner of Green Party co-leader Russel Norman.[4] Paquin's family moved to New Zealand when she was four. She attended the Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School until she was eight or nine.[5] Her musical childhood hobbies in New Zealand included playing the viola, cello and piano. She also participated in gymnastics, ballet, swimming and downhill skiing, though she did not have any hobbies related to acting.[6][7]
While in New Zealand, Paquin attended Hutt Intermediate School from 1994–95. Having begun her secondary education in Wellington at Wellington Girls' College, she completed her high school diploma at Windward School in Los Angeles, where she moved with her mother following her parents' divorce in 1995.[8] She graduated from Windward School in June 2000 and completed the school's community service requirement by working in an LA soup kitchen and at a special education center. She studied at Columbia University for one year, but has since been on a leave of absence to continue her acting career.
[edit]Career

[edit]Child actress
It was in New Zealand in 1991 that Paquin became an actress by chance. Director Jane Campion was looking for a little girl to play a key role in The Piano, set to film in New Zealand, and a newspaper advertisement was run announcing an open audition. Paquin's sister read the ad and went to try out with a friend; Paquin herself tagged along because she had nothing better to do. When Campion met Paquin—whose only acting experience had been as a skunk in a school play—she was very impressed with the nine-year-old's performance of the monologue about Flora's father, and she was chosen from among the 5000 candidates.[7]
When The Piano was released in 1993 it was lauded by critics, won prizes at a number of film festivals, and eventually became a popular movie among a wide audience. Paquin's debut performance in the film earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the age of eleven, making her the second-youngest Oscar winner in history after Tatum O'Neal.[7] The Piano was made as a small independent movie and wasn't expected to be widely known, and Paquin and her family did not plan to continue in the acting circles.[6] However, she was invited to the William Morris Agency, and she kept receiving offers for new roles. She systematically refused them, but she did appear in three commercials for the phone company MCI (now Verizon) in 1994.[9] She later made a series of television commercials for Manitoba Telecom Systems in her birth city of Winnipeg.[10] She also appeared as a voice in an audio book entitled The Magnificent Nose in 1994.
In 1996, she appeared in two movies. The first role was as young Jane in Jane Eyre. The other was a lead part in Fly Away Home playing a young girl who, after her mother dies, moves in with her father and finds solace in taking care of orphaned goslings.[11]
As a teenager, she had roles in films including A Walk on the Moon, Amistad, Hurlyburly, She's All That and Almost Famous.
[edit]X-Men and beyond
Paquin returned to worldwide prominence with her role as the mutant superheroine Rogue in the Marvel Comics movie X-Men in 2000,[1] its sequel X2 in 2003, and its third instalment, X-Men: The Last Stand, in 2006.


Paquin in 2006
In the fall of 2006, she completed filming Blue State. She was the executive-producer of the film, the film having been made by Paquin Films, a production company formed by both her and her brother, Andrew Paquin.[12] In November 2006, she completed the film Margaret, which was released in 2011.
In 2007, Paquin received an Emmy Award[13] nomination for Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie for her role as Elaine Goodale in HBO's made-for-TV movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, based on Dee Brown's best-seller. She also received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations in similar categories.
In 2008, Paquin appeared as waitress Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series True Blood, her first role in a TV series. The show is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, LA.[14] Paquin won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series for her role in the show, and also won a Satellite Award in a similar category. She was also nominated for the same category in the 2009 Golden Globe Awards. The second season of True Blood premiered in the US in June 2009. Season three premiered in June 2010, and season 4 in June 2011.
In 2009, Paquin played Irena Sendler, a Polish woman hailed as a heroine of the Holocaust, in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, a CBS TV film biographical film based on the book Mother of the Children of the Holocaust: The Irena Sendler Story, by Anna Mieszkowska. The film was made in Latvia, and was a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation for the network.[15] Paquin's performance earned her a 2010 nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Film.
Paquin's film The Romantics, a romantic comedy with Josh Duhamel and Katie Holmes, was released in the US at selected theatres in September 2010.
Paquin was cast in a cameo role in Scream 4, which was released on April 15, 2011.[16]
Her next film is Straight A's, co-starring Ryan Phillippe, due for release in 2012.
[edit]Theatrical career
Paquin made her stage debut in 2001 in a production of The Glory of Living at the MCC Theater. She won a 2001–2002 Theatre World Award for her performance.[17] She has since appeared in a number of other plays, but only once outside the USA, when she appeared on the West End stage in London in a production of This is Our Youth in 2002.
[edit]Personal life



Paquin with husband and True Blood costar Stephen Moyer, 2009
On 5 August 2009, it was announced that Paquin was engaged to her True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer, whom she had been dating since filming the series pilot in 2007.[18][19][20] On 21 August 2010, Paquin and Moyer married at a private residence in Malibu, California.[21] Through her marriage to Moyer, Paquin has a step-son, Billy, born in 2000, and a step-daughter, Lilac, born in 2002.[22] Paquin and Moyer reside in Venice, Los Angeles.[23] On 17 April 2012, it was announced they are expecting their first child together, due in the fall.[24]
On 1 April 2010, Paquin came out as bisexual in a public service announcement for the Give a Damn campaign as part of the True Colors Fund, an advocacy group organised by Cyndi Lauper dedicated to LGBT equality.[25] The True Colors Fund was created to “inspire and engage everyone, especially straight people, to become active participants in the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality” [26]. The video features Anna Paquin stating, "I'm Anna Paquin. I'm bisexual, and I give a damn". [27] When asked about her participation in the video, Paquin responded by saying, "It wasn't like it was a big secret, it was just a cause I cared about and privately supported, but not one that I had ever had an opportunity to speak out about in a way that would be useful. Obviously I know that one person's voice doesn't necessarily do that much, but I just wanted to do my bit." [28] Anna also supports other charities and foundations such as the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. [29]

Google News: Osama Bin Laden, One Year Later: The Man and the Movement

Osama Bin Laden, One Year Later: The Man and the Movement ABC News - ‎25 minutes ago‎ President Barack Obama took to a White House podium a year ago Tuesday to tell the world that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed in a US Navy SEAL raid. Huffington: President's bin Laden ad "despicable" CBS News Crowley: Playing politics with bin Laden CNN See all 1,100 sources »

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Alicia Silverstone

Alicia Silverstone at the Sanctury Gala 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Silverstone was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of Deirdre "Didi" (née Radford), a Scottish-born former Pan Am flight attendant and Monty Silverstone, a real estate agent born in England.[2][3] She has two older siblings, a half-sister from her father's previous marriage named Kezi Silverstone and a brother named David Silverstone. She grew up in an upper-middle class home in the San Francisco suburb of Redwood City, California.[citation needed] Her father is Jewish and her mother converted to Conservative Judaism before marriage.[4] She began modeling when she was six years old,[5] and was subsequently cast in television commercials, the first being for Domino's Pizza.[6] She attended Crocker Middle School and then San Mateo High School.[7]



Silverstone won several awards for her film performances. She received multiple MTV Movie Awards and a Young Artist Award for The Crush. For Clueless she received multiple MTV Movie Awards and a Young Artist Award once again, plus awards from Blockbuster Entertainment Award, Kids' Choice Awards, National Board of Review, and an American Comedy Award.

[edit]1990s
Her first credited role was in Fred Savage's The Wonder Years in the episode titled "Road Test", as his high school "dream girl". Silverstone then won a leading part in the 1993 film The Crush, playing a teenaged girl who sets out to ruin an older man after he spurns her affections; she won two awards at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards for the role—Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Villain. Silverstone became legally emancipated at the age of 15 in order to work the hours required for the shooting schedule of the film.[6] Alicia made some television movies in her early career including Torch Song, Cool and the Crazy and Scattered Dreams.

After seeing her in The Crush, Marty Callner decided Silverstone would be perfect for a role in a music video he was directing for the band Aerosmith, called "Cryin'"; she was subsequently cast in two more videos, "Amazing" and "Crazy". These were hugely successful for both the band and Silverstone, making her a household name (and also gaining her the nickname, "the Aerosmith chick").[8] After seeing Silverstone in the three videos, filmmaker Amy Heckerling decided to cast her in Clueless.[9]

Clueless became a sleeper hit and critical darling during the summer of 1995. [10] As a result, she signed a deal with Columbia-TriStar worth $10 million.[11] As part of the package, she got a three-year first look deal for her own production company, First Kiss Productions. Silverstone also won "Best Female Performance" and "Most Desirable Female" at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards for her performance in the film. In the same year Silverstone starred in the erotic thriller, The Babysitter, film adaptation of the novel by Dean Koontz, Hideaway, and the French drama about Americans, New World.

Silverstone's next role was as Batgirl in Batman & Robin, and while it was not a critical success,[12] the film grossed $238,207,122 worldwide.[13] Silverstone's turn as Batgirl was not well received, and won her a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress.[14] She also, however, won a Blimp Award at the Kid's Choice Awards for the role. Also released in 1997 was Excess Baggage, the first movie by Silverstone's production company, First Kiss Production. She starred alongside Benicio del Toro and Christopher Walken. [2]

In 1999 Silverstone starred in the Saturn Award-nominated romance/comedy film Blast from the Past which also stars Brendan Fraser, Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek. In VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of the '90s she was ranked #5.[15]

[edit]2000s
In 2000, Silverstone appeared in Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of the Shakespeare play Love's Labour's Lost, in which she was required to sing and dance. In 2001, Silverstone provided the voice of Sharon Spitz, the lead character in the Canadian animated television Braceface. During this time she also made the films Global Heresy and Scorched. In 2002, she made her Broadway debut alongside Kathleen Turner and Jason Biggs in The Graduate. After removing herself from the public eye for a few years, she resurfaced in the short-lived 2003 NBC television show Miss Match, which was canceled after 11 episodes. Silverstone later acknowledged that she hates the trappings of fame, saying, "Fame is not anything I wish on anyone. You start acting because you love it. Then success arrives, and suddenly you're on show".[16]



Alicia Silverstone in 2005.
After the cancellation of Miss Match in 2003, Silverstone did a pilot with Fox called Queen B, in which she played a former high school prom queen named Beatrice (Bea) who has discovered that the real world is nothing like high school.[17] It was not picked up for production. In 2005, she co-starred with Queen Latifah in Beauty Shop, a spinoff of the BarberShop films, as one of the stylists in the beauty shop. In the same year, she played a reporter alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. in Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, which did well financially, and appeared in the direct-to-video film Silence Becomes You.

In 2006, Silverstone starred in an ABC pilot called Pink Collar, in which her character worked in a law firm. Like Queen B, this pilot was not picked up for syndication. That year she also starred alongside Alex Pettyfer, Ewan McGregor and Mickey Rourke in the film Stormbreaker, and appeared in the Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-TV movie Candles on Bay Street, based on the book by Cathie Pelletier. Silverstone continued her theatre work, next appearing in David Mamet's Boston Marriage and Speed-the-Plow. In 2008, she filmed another ABC pilot alongside Megan Mullally called Bad Mother's Handbook and made a cameo appearance in the comedy film Tropic Thunder.

In early 2009, Silverstone starred in the world premiere of Donald Margulies's Time Stands Still at the Geffen Playhouse LA.[18] The play focuses on a longtime couple and journalistic team who return to New York from an extended stint in the war-torn Middle East. In a review, Silverstone was described as "a formidable stage presence who creates sparks whenever she performs".[19]

Silverstone filmed a small segment in Elektra Luxx, a sequel to Women In Trouble. Director Sebastian Gutierrez cut her segment but will possibly use it for a third installment, tentatively titled Women In Ecstasy.[20] She also starred in the music video for Rob Thomas's 2009 single "Her Diamonds".

[edit]2010s
She reprised her role in Time Stands Still alongside Laura Linney in the New York production of the play on Broadway, which premiered on January 28, 2010, directed by Daniel Sullivan, who described Silverstone as "a breath of fresh air."[21] The play received good reviews with The New York Times praising Silverstone, saying she "brings warmth, actorly intelligence and delicate humour."[22]

Silverstone next appeared in the teen romance The Art of Getting By,[23] which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.[24]

She will appear in Butter as the adoptive mother of a 12-year old African American girl who enters a local butter sculpture competition in a small Iowa town, alongside Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Olivia Wilde and Ashley Greene. The movie is said to be inspired by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's battle to secure the Democratic nomination for president.[25] Rob Corddry, who plays her husband, invited her to appear in an episode of his show Childrens Hospital.[26]

She is also set to appear alongside Sigourney Weaver and Krysten Ritter in director Amy Heckerling's vampire film, Vamps, playing one of two vampires who fall in love and face a choice that could jeopardise their immortality.[27] She was offered the role after Heckerling came to see her in Time Stands Still.[28]

Silverstone will also feature in Gods Behaving Badly[29] and will also be in four episodes of Suburgatory, reuniting with her Clueless castmate Jeremy Sisto.[30]