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Saturday, 29 October 2011
Friday, 28 October 2011
(AP)
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Thursday, 27 October 2011
Obama taking on student loan relief Wednesday
President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Obama is on a three-day trip to the West Coast. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Obama is on a three-day trip to the West Coast. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
In this Oct. 6, 2011 photo, Gan Golan, of Los Angeles, dressed as the "Master of Degrees," holds a ball and chain representing his college loan debt, during Occupy DC activities in Washington. As President Obama prepared to announce new measures Wednesday to help ease the burden of student loan debt, new figures painted a demoralizing picture of college costs for students and parents: Average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose an additional $631 this fall, or 8.3 percent, compared with a year ago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is outlining a plan Wednesday to allow millions of student loan recipients to lower their payments and consolidate their loans, in hopes of easing the burden of the No. 2 source of household debt.
The move to assist struggling graduates and students could help Obama shore up re-election support among young voters, an important voting bloc in his 2008 campaign, and appeal to their parents, too. Student loan debt also is a common concern voiced by Occupy Wall Street protesters.
The loans have become particularly painful for many amid the nation's economic woes, high unemployment and soaring tuition costs. They are second only to mortgages as a portion of Americans' debt, coming in ahead of credit cards.
Obama's planned announcement in Denver comes the same day as a new report on tuition costs from the College Board. It shows average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose $631 this fall, or 8.3 percent, compared with a year ago. Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high.
The White House said Obama will use his executive authority to provide student loan relief in two ways.
First, he will accelerate a measure passed by Congress that reduces the maximum required payment on student loans from 15 percent of discretionary income annually to 10 percent. The White House wants it to go into effect in 2012, instead of 2014. In addition, the White House says the remaining debt would be forgiven after 20 years, instead of 25. About 1.6 million borrowers could be affected.
Second, he will allow borrowers who have a loan from the Federal Family Education Loan Program and a direct loan from the government to consolidate them into one. The consolidated loan would carry an interest rate of up to a half percentage point less than before. This could affect 5.8 million borrowers.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan told reporters on a conference call that the changes could save some borrowers hundreds of dollars a month.
"These are real savings that will help these graduates get started in their careers and help them make ends meet," Duncan said.
The White House said the changes will carry no additional costs to taxpayers.
Last year, Congress passed a law that lowered the repayment cap and moved all student loans to direct lending by eliminating banks as the middlemen. Before that, borrowers could get loans directly from the government or from the Federal Family Education Loan Program; the latter were issued by private lenders but basically insured by the government. The law was passed along with the health care overhaul with the anticipation that it could save about $60 billion over a decade.
The law change was opposed by many Republicans. At a hearing Tuesday, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs a subcommittee with oversight over higher education, said it had resulted in poorer customer service for borrowers. And Senate Republicans issued a news release with a compilation of headlines that showed thousands of workers in student lending, including those from Sallie Mae Inc., had been laid off because of the change.
Today, there are 23 million borrowers with $490 billion in loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Last year, the Education Department made $102.2 billion in direct loans to 11.5 million recipients.
Increases in federal aid have helped ease the burden on students dealing with tuition increases, the White House Council of Economic Advisers said in a report Wednesday.
"Despite large increases in the published price of college over the past four years, the average student has not seen commensurate increases in the net price of college, defined as the published price minus grants, scholarships and tax benefits," the report said.
Meanwhile, the Education Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a project Tuesday to simplify the financial aid award letters that colleges mail to students each spring. A common complaint is that colleges obscure the inclusion of student loans in financial aid packages to make their school appear more affordable, and the agencies hope families will more easily be able to compare the costs of colleges.
Separately, James Runcie, the Education Department's federal student aid chief operating officer, told Foxx's congressional panel that the personal financial details of as many 5,000 college students were temporarily viewable on the department's direct loan website earlier this month.
Runcie said site was shut down while the matter was resolved, and the affected students have been notified and offered credit monitoring.
___
Kimberly Hefling can be followed at http://twitter.com/khefling
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Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Insurance firm agrees to pay Joplin survivor | The Associated Press ...
AP Photo/The Joplin Globe, T. Rob Brown, File
FILE - In this Oct. 3, 2011 file photo, Mark Lindquist, of Joplin, Mo., reacts after being released from the Missouri Rehabilitation Center in Mount Vernon, Mo. Lindquist, an underpaid social worker who nearly gave his life trying to save three developmentally disabled adults from the Joplin tornado, has been honored by both houses of the Missouri legislature, the Senate resolution calling him "a true hero and inspiration to others."
Mark Lindquist, whose against-the-odds story of survival and heroism in the Joplin tornado touched people around the world, got some good news Monday: The insurance company that initially denied his medical claim agreed to pay.
Lindquist, 51, was hurt while trying to protect group home residents during the May 22 twister. Lindquist and a co-worker placed mattresses on top of three middle-aged men with Down syndrome in an effort to protect them from the tornado, even climbed atop the mattresses for added weight.
The group home residents died and Lindquist was in a coma for nearly two months, broke every rib, lost most of his teeth and suffered other catastrophic injuries.
Lindquist's job paid barely above minimum wage and he couldn't afford medical insurance.
He sought workers' compensation, claiming he was injured on the job. His company's workers' compensation provider, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, denied the claim in June "based on the fact that there was no greater risk than the general public at the time you were involved in the Joplin tornado," according to a letter from a claims adjuster.
The decision was devastating because Lindquist's medical bills already are more than $2.5 million, and rising, his sister, Linda Lindquist Baldwin said last week.
But on Monday, a day after an Associated Press story, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America announced it was changing course.
"Upon further review of the case, and receiving additional information on the facts involved in this situation, Accident Fund believes the appropriate decision is to honor Mr. Mark Lindquist's claim for worker's compensation benefits," Mike Britt, president of the Lansing, Mich.-based insurance company, said. "We are committed to working with Mr. Lindquist to ensure he receives all the benefits to which he is entitled and helping him to recover from his injuries."
Lindquist said he was thrilled with the news ? not just for himself but for the doctors who saved him. He had planned to sell his house to try to pay off some of his bills. Now, he said, he may not have to.
"I'm happy ? it's a big worry off my mind," Lindquist said. "I'm glad the doctors are going to get paid because they did such an awesome job with me."
Baldwin said the family, which had planned to meet with an attorney when the claim was denied, still plans to weigh legal options before accepting the payment. But she said the family was overwhelmed by the turnaround.
"What it's going to mean for Mark is long-term help and medical care for him," Baldwin said, adding that Accident Fund has agreed to pay all past and future medical bills related to his injuries. "My only concern is that Mark's cared for. He's younger than I am and will probably outlive me, and I want to make sure he is cared for his entire life."
Britt cited Missouri law in the initial decision to deny Lindquist's claim. He said state laws "limit recovery for injuries received during a tornado to situations where the employee was not subjected to a greater harm than that of the general public."
But Britt said additional review indicated that paying the claim was appropriate.
The Joplin Globe first reported Lindquist's story earlier this month. The AP story published Sunday prompted interest from people, organizations and media nationwide, Baldwin said. Several well-wishers offered donations. An organization for trial attorneys offered up lawyers to work on Lindquist's behalf at no charge.
In an earlier interview with AP, Lindquist and Baldwin said the insurance company's decision to deny the claim never made sense. The EF-5 twister killed 162 people and destroyed more than 7,000 homes, making it among the most deadly single tornadoes in U.S. history.
But Lindquist's own home was not in the path of the tornado and was undamaged. And Lindquist said he never even considered trying to get away from the tornado and leaving behind the three men under his care.
"I loved them almost as much as I love my own kid," said Lindquist, the father of a 12-year-old boy, Creed.
Lindquist's employer, Community Support Services, also had asked the insurance firm to reconsider. Both houses of the Missouri legislature passed resolutions honoring Lindquist for his efforts to save the group home residents, the Senate resolution calling him "a true hero and inspiration to others."
The storm tossed Lindquist more than half a block. Two men out searching for survivors found him buried in rubble, impaled by a piece of metal. Large chunks of flesh were torn off, and pieces of his shoulder crumbled to the ground as the rescuers lifted him to safety.
Things got even worse when Lindquist developed a fungal infection from debris that got into open sores, an infection that killed five other Joplin tornado victims.
Lindquist wasn't expected to survive and was in a coma for nearly two months, first at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, then at a hospital in Columbia and finally at a rehabilitation center in Mount Vernon. It was there that he awoke.
"I'm a walking miracle," he said.
Doctors were stunned by his recovery. He moves slowly but walks. He is regaining use of his right arm and of an eye that was badly damaged. He suffers short-term memory loss but speaks clearly. And he is engaged to a woman he first met three decades ago in Montana ? they rekindled the romance on Facebook and she came to be with him after the tornado.
Amy Susan, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation, said that 132 workers' compensation claims were filed after the Joplin tornado. Only eight were denied by insurance companies.
Source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/news/2011/10/insurance-firm-agrees-pay-joplin-survivor
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Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Prosecution rests case against Jackson physician (AP)
LOS ANGELES ? Prosecutors have concluded their case against the doctor charged with Michael Jackson's death after questioning 33 witnesses.
Prosecutor David Walgren said Monday that he had no further witnesses to call at this point against Dr. Conrad Murray.
Defense attorneys were expected to begin their case later in the day and call 15 witnesses over the next few days.
The final prosecution witness was Dr. Steven Shafer, an expert on the anesthetic propofol that authorities say killed Jackson.
Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, has acknowledged giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid in the singer's bedroom.
Shafer told jurors that Murray committed 17 violations of the standard of care that each could have led to Jackson's injury or death.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
An expert on the powerful anesthetic blamed for Michael Jackson's death told jurors Monday that it's difficult to know the precise effects of the drug on the singer because he had been given so much of it in the months before he died.
Dr. Steven Shafer made the statement while being cross-examined by lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff, who noted the risk that Jackson would stop breathing should have been low after the first few minutes the drug was administered on the day he died.
Chernoff based that conclusion on models and research done by Shafer.
"In Mr. Jackson's case, it's harder to have that certainty," Shafer replied. "There's very little, almost no precedent for this level of propofol exposure."
Shafer, a Columbia University researcher and professor, said Jackson had been receiving propofol almost every night for more than two months, according to a police statement by Dr. Conrad Murray. The Houston-based cardiologist has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Shafer previously testified that he thinks a propofol overdose killed Jackson. But he said Murray kept no records about how much of the drug he gave the singer.
Shafer has said the only possible explanation for Jackson's death based on the evidence was that Murray put the singer on an IV drip of propofol then left the room after the singer appeared to be asleep.
Shafer is the final prosecution witness, and defense attorneys are expected to begin presenting their case later in the day. Murray's attorneys will likely ask a judge to dismiss the case after the prosecution rests.
The defense will have its chance to counter four weeks of damaging testimony from 33 prosecution witnesses who have cast Murray as an inept, distracted and opportunistic doctor who repeatedly broke legal, ethical and professional guidelines.
The defense case is expected to include 15 witnesses. Murray's attorneys have not publicly revealed whether they will call him to testify.
Jurors have heard from the doctor through a more than two-hour interview with police, and it seems unlikely his attorneys would subject their client to what would be blistering questioning from prosecutors.
Shafer has not retreated from his position that Murray is solely responsible for Jackson's death and that the cardiologist committed 17 egregious violations of medical practices that each could have either led to Jackson's serious injury or death.
Defense attorneys expect their case will last through at least Thursday.
Out of sight of the jury, the defense's theory has shifted in recent months from arguing that Jackson swallowed propofol and gave himself the fatal dose and more recently that the singer had swallowed several pills of the sedative lorazepam, which led to his death.
They may also argue that Jackson somehow gave himself a shot of propofol after Murray left the room, killing him quickly.
___
AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.
___
McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
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Deal of the Day ? A Pair of 24? Dell 1080p LED-backlit HDMI LCD Monitors
Today?s LogicBUY Deal is a bundle of two 24? Dell ST2420L 1080p LED-backlit HDMI LCD monitors for $359.99.? Features:? full HD 1920 X 1080 resolution, 5ms response time, 250nit brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, tilt-adjustment stand, glossy front bezel, DVI-D (HDCP), VGA, and HDMI connectors. $519.98 ? $159.99 coupon code = ?$359.99 with free shipping.? At [...]
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Monday, 24 October 2011
Arduino-powered glove brings real sound effects to your make believe gun show (video)
The days of air-punching invisible Daleks and making your own sound effects are over: a team from Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction course have built a glove that does it all for you. The Augmented Hyper-Reality Glove can identify upper-cuts and karate chops using flex and tilt sensors and play the accompanying sound effect using an Arduino-powered Adafruit wave shield. We can see some potential downsides -- flirtatious finger-gun fusillades accompanied by the sound of cannon fire might just ruin your date. If you're undaunted by such social faux pas, see the toy your inner-child always wanted in action after the break.
Arduino-powered glove brings real sound effects to your make believe gun show (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Obama touts foreign policy successes in Iraq, Libya (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama sought on Saturday to cast himself as a strong leader on foreign policy, highlighting a pullout from Iraq and the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as success stories.
In a message Obama is likely to push in his 2012 re-election campaign, he said his leadership had made it possible to turn the page on a decade of war and refocus on bolstering the economy and paying down the national debt.
Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address that Gaddafi's death and the announcement that all U.S. troops would be removed from Iraq this year were "powerful reminders of how we've renewed American leadership in the world."
The emphasis on foreign policy comes as confidence in Obama's stewardship of the economy has fallen sharply, causing his overall approval ratings to slide to around 42 percent, the lowest of his presidency.
With the economy's woes weighing heavily on Americans' minds, Obama may have trouble gaining political traction from his message on foreign policy.
The killing in May of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by a U.S. Navy Seal team in Pakistan brought only a temporary boost to Obama's poll numbers.
Obama mentioned bin Laden in the radio speech and said victories against al Qaeda -- along with the policies toward Iraq and Libya -- were "part of a larger story" of success.
"In Libya, the death of Muammar Gaddafi showed that our role in protecting the Libyan people, and helping them break free from a tyrant, was the right thing to do," he said.
"In Iraq, we've succeeded in our strategy to end the war," Obama added.
Obama said on Friday all troops would leave Iraq as scheduled by the end of this year, after the two governments failed to reach an agreement over giving American soldiers legal immunity.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Saturday that Iraq would continue talks with Washington on how U.S. trainers could work with Iraqi forces after the withdrawal.
Prominent Republicans have criticized the decision to fully withdraw troops from Iraq, saying it would embolden neighboring Iran.
Republicans also contend Obama has hurt America's image by pursuing a "leading from behind" strategy on the "Arab Spring" uprisings.
Mitt Romney, a front-runner in the Republican race to challenge Obama in 2012, accused the president earlier this month of pulling back from the view that America should be the "strongest nation on Earth."
Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman was also critical of the move to withdraw from Iraq.
"The announcement by President Obama and Prime Minister Maliki yesterday was a statement of failure, not success," the former Democratic vice presidential nominee said in a statement.
"This failure puts at greater risk all that so many Americans and Iraqis fought, sacrificed, and, in thousands of cases, gave their lives to achieve: an Iraq that is self-governing, self-defending, and aligned with the responsible nations of the world in the fight against Islamist extremism and terrorism."
(Writing by Caren Bohan; Additional reporting by Waleed Ibrahim in Baghdad and Thomas Ferraro in Washington; Editing by Paul Simao and Peter Cooney)
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Sunday, 23 October 2011
Spain's Basque region holds separatist rally (AP)
BILBAO, Spain ? Tens of thousands of Basque separatists held a rally in the region's largest city Saturday, two days after armed militant group ETA declared it was abandoning violence.
Many Basque political leaders were present at the march in Bilbao, carrying banners saying "The Basque region wants solutions," a reference to a long espoused yearning for greater regional autonomy.
Some demonstrators could be heard shouting for a return of ETA prisoners to jails in the Basque region.
Among speakers at the rally was Pello Urizar, secretary general of party Eusko Alkatasuna, who called on Spanish leaders to commit themselves to a political solution to regional tensions like the British did to end separatist violence in Northern Ireland.
Although ETA, classified as a terrorist organization by Spain, the U.S. and the European Union, has declared two previous "permanent" cease-fires, many participants and observers said they thought this time they meant it.
"It's final, this is it, there is not going to be any more violence or terrorist attacks. ETA is finished," said Manuel Escudero, 63, head of the Basque region's Deusto university business school.
ETA's political supporters renounced violence last year in a much-debated rift with the past and called for the whole pro-independence movement to shift to a strictly peaceful agenda.
ETA attacks have left 829 people dead after four decades of shootings and bombings.
Now ETA has called for talks with Spain and France ? the homeland ETA wants to create includes parts of southwest France ? on the "consequences" of the conflict, a reference to an estimated 700 ETA prisoners held in jails dotted around Spanish and in France.
Many demonstrators Saturday clearly sympathized with ETA's request for some sort of concession which might move prisoners to the Basque region, allowing them to be closer to their families.
Dani Maeztu, a leader of Basque Socialist party Alalar, said it was also time to begin to think about "reparations toward the victims of terrorism," almost certainly the first time this thorny subject has been aired at a separatist rally.
___
Harold Heckle in Madrid contributed to this report.
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Win or lose, Cardinals' Rhodes gets World Series ring (Reuters)
ST. LOUIS (Reuters) ? Whether the St. Louis Cardinals or Texas Rangers win the World Series, Arthur Rhodes is in the unique position of knowing he will receive a championship ring.
The crafty, 41-year-old relief pitcher was released by the Rangers in August but quickly snatched up by the Cardinals for the stretch drive.
While many older players would have called it a career after getting cut during the year, Rhodes knew he still had some gas in the tank.
"When they let me go, I didn't think my career was over," Rhodes, whose first big-league gig was with the Baltimore Orioles in 1991, told reporters on Thursday. "I knew there were some teams I could have signed with.
"Then I decided to sign with St. Louis, and look where we're at now. We're in the World Series. And I'm just going to help this team win the World Series."
Rhodes made his first All-Star appearance at the age of 40 in 2010 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. The Texas-born left-hander has played for nine Major League Baseball teams in his career but never reached the Fall Classic until this year.
"It's a real feel good story for a lot of us because we competed against him so many years, and several times our organization talked about adding him in," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.
"It just never worked and you'd see him go someplace else and you know his reputation, so you finally got him on your team. What a pro. I didn't know when we got him that he hadn't been to the World Series.
"That really has added to the enjoyment of this postseason push."
Rhodes played in 19 games for St. Louis and was a key reason the Cardinals were able to erase a 10-1/2 game deficit over the final month and reach the postseason.
He has been flawless in the playoffs and was one of five relievers that preserved the Cardinals' 3-2 victory in the World Series opener.
Rhodes said playing in the Fall Classic was a thrill.
"I took it in when the national anthem was going on," he said. "And once I went in the game, it started to hit me more. That's why I threw two straight balls to Josh Hamilton instead of throwing strikes.
"But after the first couple pitches, then I settled down, and it was all over."
Although Rhodes will finally get his championship ring, he makes no secret of where his allegiance lies.
"I'd rather get a ring with St. Louis," he said. "I'd get a ring with Texas, too, but I'd love to get one with St. Louis. And I'd love to sign with them again."
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
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Is gruesome no longer taboo?
PARIS?? The threshold for publishing gruesome images like those of Muammar Gadhafi's death is falling as the Internet and social media make many of the editorial decisions that used to be left to a small group of professional journalists.
The shaky video footage of Gadhafi's last moments was such a dramatic end to Libya's months-long struggle against its former dictator that many television stations around the world rushed to broadcast much of what they received.
Newspapers followed up on Friday morning, some splashing graphic photos of the bloodied former Libyan leader across their front pages while others opted for pictures of victorious anti-Gadhafi troops or file shots of Gadhafi in his heyday.
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Showing images of a person in the throes of death used to be a newsroom taboo, but even this is now giving way under the pressure of instant Internet publishing and ? thanks to camera phones ? the increasing availability of strong news footage.
"Over the past 10 years, whatever your society's standards were, they're notching toward more gruesome images," said Kelly McBride, ethics expert at the Poynter Institute journalism training center in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Story: Battle over body delays Gadhafi's burial
In many cases, she said, news organizations now deal mostly with the question of how to publish a graphic but newsworthy picture rather than whether they should run it at all.
"News editors are very aware that these images are available anyway," said Ivor Gaber, professor of political journalism at City University in London.
Historic images
Steven Barrett, professor of communications at London's Westminster University, said there was no doubt the images would be used. "This was a momentous event in world history," he said. Showing it was "not just to boost ratings."
Showing the footage was especially important in Libya and the Middle East, since the lack of such photographic proof of Osama bin Laden's death prompted many people in the region to ask whether the al Qaeda leader had really been killed.
"I doubt the vast majority of Libyans, and possibly the populace in the region, will raise any objections to the images," said Hayat Alvi, professor of Middle East studies at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
Many television stations in Europe and the United States prefaced their broadcast of the Gadhafi death videos with a clear warning that disturbing images were about to be shown.
The main stations in Spain and Belgium gave no warnings, while the German channel ZDF showed a few images in its main evening news broadcast and then said: "There are others we don't want to show ? it's a question of human dignity."
European and United States newspaper front pages on Friday morning showed even wider differences in the way the print media handled those images.
No major U.S. newspapers ran pictures of the dying Gadhafi on their front pages. Of the 424 newspapers surveyed by Newseum, a Washington journalism museum, only about two dozen had page one images of him near or after death.
By contrast, London's Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Sun splashed grim photos across their front pages. The Guardian website balanced that with an op-ed piece entitled "Even Muammar Gaddafi deserved a private death."
Milan's Corriere della Sera printed a photo of the dead Gadhafi, blood trickling down his bare chest. De Morgen in Brussels covered its tabloid front page with a shot of him in agony, near death, with the quote "the people love me."
German newspapers were more discreet than ZDF television, showing few bloody images of the former dictator. French front pages seemed evenly divided between discretion and disrespect.
Le Monde in Paris printed a small black-and-white photo on its second page of Gadhafi's half-naked corpse displayed in Misrata, while Madrid's El Pais displayed the same shot large and in full color on its front page.
Rising tolerance for gruesome images
"Tolerance for gruesome images is going up because more people search for them on the Internet than we would have expected," McBride said. "So when it's delivered to them by a publication, they don't have the same righteous indignation."
Still, she said, the main check on media from publishing shocking pictures is the backlash from their audiences.
"U.S. audiences have the least tolerance for graphic images," she said, despite the high level of violence they accept in entertainment films. "It's a weird paradox."
While all the media experts said editors had to consider a mix of factors when deciding whether to run an explicitly violent image, Barnett stressed the key factor in any ethical assessment was the editor's intent in publishing it.
"If it's just to gratify, to maximize shock and horror, it's unacceptable," he said.
McBride, who often gets urgent calls from editors on deadline asking for ethical advice, said she gives them a rough checklist of the issues to consider before publishing.
They should ask what the news value of the picture is, whether it will in any way harm to the publication's audience and whether the publication can find alternative material to publish with fewer ethical concerns.
"There is so much that changes from one story to the next that it's hard to write rules for how to treat these images," she said. "Newsrooms have to go through this questioning process and figure it out for themselves."
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44993860/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/
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Saturday, 22 October 2011
Chavez plans "thanksgiving" after Cuba cancer tests (Reuters)
CARACAS (Reuters) ? Venezuela's convalescing President Hugo Chavez said he would be home on Thursday for a thanksgiving ceremony at a religious shrine after checks in Cuba following cancer treatment.
"Tomorrow we will be in Venezuela! We will go and fulfill our vow to the Christ of La Grita! We will overcome!" Chavez said via Twitter, referring to a Catholic religious shrine in the west of the South American nation.
The 57-year-old socialist leader went to Cuba on the weekend, saying "final" checks would declare him cancer-free.
But doctors say it is impossible to determine any patient's complete recovery until at least two years after treatment.
Chavez's tweeted message, which he then repeated in a brief phone call to state TV, implied he felt the checks had gone well.
In events that have stunned Venezuelans, unsettled politics a year before a presidential election, and sparked a torrent of rumors and speculation, Chavez had a malignant tumor removed in June and then underwent four cycles of chemotherapy.
Chavez ally and Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said ministers would wait for him on Thursday in Tachira state.
"We are going on a journey of faith and of hope, to give thanks and pay promises to the Christ of La Grita," Ramirez said, adding that Chavez would make "important announcements" to the nation on his homecoming.
Chavez hopes to run for re-election in the OPEC member nation in October 2012.
"I am very happy and very optimistic," Chavez said in the phone call to state TV. "We will live, we will conquer!"
So far, he has benefited from a sympathy bounce in polls, taking him to an approval rating near 60 percent. But analysts say that may fall if he is seen as not well enough to run a re-election campaign or rule for another six years.
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Report: Food labels need Energy Star-like ratings
Graphic shows concept for updated food labels
Graphic shows concept for updated food labels
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Just as that Energy Star tag helps you choose your appliances, a new report says a rating symbol on the front of every soup can, cereal box and yogurt container could help hurried shoppers go home with the healthiest foods.
Thursday's report urges the Food and Drug Administration to adopt new food labeling to clear the confusing clutter off today's packages and give consumers a fast way to compare choices.
It wouldn't replace the in-depth Nutrition Facts panel that's now on the back or side of food packages. But few shoppers stop to read or heed that fine print in the middle of the grocery aisle.
The Institute of Medicine says it's time to put right upfront the most important information for health: how many calories per serving ? and just how big that serving is ? along with stars or some other symbol to show at a glance how the food rates for certain fats, sodium and added sugars.
"American shoppers are busy shoppers," said Ellen Wartella, a psychology professor at Northwestern University. Wartella chaired the IOM committee that studied the issue at the request of federal health officials.
"We want a really simple system that says if you have three marks, that product is healthier than one with two marks."
How to get Americans to eat more wisely is a huge problem as obesity and diet-related diseases are skyrocketing. The FDA already was working to change the food-labeling system to make it more user-friendly, and has promised to crack down on inaccurate labeling that has confused consumers.
But ranking a food's healthfulness, rather than just providing consumers information to try to judge that for themselves, would mark a major shift in government food policy. The agency didn't say if it was interested in that kind of ratings approach, or how soon it would make labeling changes but called Thursday's report a thoughtful analysis that would help it decide next steps.
"FDA agrees consumers can benefit from a front-of-pack labeling system that conveys nutrition information in a manner that is simple and consistent with the Nutrition Facts panel," said spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey.
The Institute of Medicine recommendation would face an uphill battle with food manufacturers who are pushing their own version of on-the-front food labels but don't like the idea of ranking one food as healthier than a competitor's.
"We believe the most effective programs are those that trust consumers and not ones that tell consumers what they should and should not eat," said Scott Faber, a lobbyist for the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
Changing dietary behavior is very difficult, and how much of a role nutritional disclosure plays isn't clear. Some studies show that food-label readers do eat much more healthfully, the IOM found.
Moreover, sales did change a bit when the Hannaford grocery chain introduced its own storewide food-rating system in 2006, said Lori Kaley, a registered dietitian at the University of Southern Maine and a scientific adviser to the Guiding Stars Licensing Company that markets the ratings system to additional stores today. Sales of high-fat whole milk dropped as some shoppers switched to three-star skim milk or two-star 1 percent milk, for example, and some manufacturers reformulated their store brands to be rated more favorably, she said.
But other studies have found little effect from food labeling, questioning how many people read the labels. Certainly waistlines still are growing despite a proliferation of nutrition information on food packages and, more recently, calorie counts on restaurant menus.
The IOM panel said part of the problem may be consumer confusion. Highlighting "good source of fiber" or "low-fat" or "high in calcium" on the front of a package doesn't override bad news lurking in the FDA-mandated nutrition label on the back. A food with reduced fat might have made up for the change in taste with a lot of extra sugar. Or a breakfast bar with lots of fiber might also contain too much heart-harming trans fat.
"If they have a health claim, consumers view that product overall as a healthy product," said Tracy Fox, a Washington, D.C., nutrition consultant and member of the IOM committee. "At least half of them that have a nutrient content claim are higher in one of those (other ingredients) we think consumers should reduce."
Under the IOM's proposed system, foods would earn up to three points for meeting certain nutritional standards ? one each for keeping sodium, added sugars or a bad-fat duo, saturated fat and trans fat, below designated levels.
On the cereal aisle, plain oatmeal might get three points while the flavored kind would get just two because of added sugar, for example.
"If I always buy Triscuits, I'm going to buy them again. But if there is a decision that needs to be made, we hope this will help consumers make better decisions," said the IOM committee's Fox.
Some foods are so unhealthy as to be unrated altogether ? a sugary soft drink wouldn't get a point for its lack of fat. Whatever the rating, the IOM proposal says all foods also would need a clear front-of-package calorie count: 150 calories for 16 potato chips, for example.
For now, the Grocery Manufacturers Association says the industry has begun rolling out voluntary labels called "Facts Up Front," which will list calories and the amount of saturated fat, sodium and sugars per serving ? levels, not ratings.
___
Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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Oakland tells protesters to pack up immediately (AP)
OAKLAND, Calif. ? Oakland city officials on Friday evening told hundreds of protesters camping outside City Hall in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement to "immediately" pack up their tents and prepare to vacate the area.
The city gave official notice to the protesters, stating that they do not have permission to camp overnight on the city plaza and that their near two-week encampment is breaking the law, said Karen Boyd, a city spokeswoman.
Many protesters said they have no intentions of leaving even though the city announced Thursday that it can no longer assure public health and safety at the site. Many ripped copies of the notice into shreds.
"I'm not going anywhere. They're going to have to come and take me away," said Christopher Dunlap, 23, who said he has been on the City Hall lawn since the first day of the encampment.
Boyd declined to say what would happen if protesters ignored the order banning tents and overnight camping nor did she comment on what role police may play. While the city will no longer allow protesters to stay overnight at the site, they can demonstrate there from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Boyd added.
"It is our anticipation that they will comply," Boyd said. "Our goal is to have a peaceful and cooperative end to the encampment."
But another protester, Gerry Johnson, 55, who said he has been at the site for more than a week said it's unlikely his fellow demonstrators will leave.
"I'm trying to keep calm," Johnson said. "We're here for a good cause. I think we'll stand our ground."
The encampment has quickly grown from a few dozen tents to more than 150, causing overcrowding and tension. Some protesters moved to another site across town.
Oakland officials repeatedly said the city was committed to allowing free speech, with Mayor Jean Quan proclaiming Wednesday that sometimes "democracy is messy."
However, citing an increasing rat problem, the city made repeated requests for campers to remove fire hazards then cited public urination and acts of violence also as reasons for them to pack up and go.
Several cities around the world have arrested anti-Wall Street protesters who have failed to leave public areas.
Boyd said the group was cooperating in the beginning, but things had changed as they "exceeded their ability to address public health and safety issues."
"We have been very clear about the expectations," Boyd said. "It has gotten to a point where individuals can no longer maintain the plaza. It's deteriorated to the point where we needed to take strong action."
The notice to vacate didn't sit well with protesters. Since their arrival, they have created a 24-hour kitchen, complete with pots, pans and a stove as well as areas for health and child care.
The campsite also has an organizational board filled with meeting times throughout the day and a "Needs" board for requested items.
And despite not having a clear leader, several organizers gather daily for "general assembly" meetings and say they have activities planned outside City Hall through next week.
"We've already curbed two problems in downtown Oakland: we've solved hunger and we've solved homelessness," Shake Anderson, an organizer, said Friday. "No one is here to destroy anything ... We're not breaking any laws."
Earlier Friday, Oakland Interim Deputy Fire Chief Lisa Baker toured the perimeter of the site after she said firefighters were threatened and harassed while responding to three 911 calls Thursday.
"Can I talk to your president? Who's in charge?" Baker asked.
Robin Woods, an Oakland Occupy member, replied, "We don't have one. This is a leaderless movement."
Baker said, "Look, we're not trying to be confrontational, but if someone calls 911, they will get the care and service that we provide."
Baker urged Woods to pass along her thoughts to organizers. The two shook hands.
Anderson said that he hopes the city doesn't try to take down the community built by demonstrators.
"This has no corporate ties. This is all public, all people, that's why this is a threat," Anderson said. "This is a peaceful assembly, so therefore if you want to violently come in here, what does that say about America?"
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UT Southwestern study shows estrogen works in the brain to keep weight in check
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 20-Oct-2011[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Debbie Bolles
debbie.bolles@utsouthwestern.edu
214-648-3404
UT Southwestern Medical Center
DALLAS Oct. 20, 2011 A recent UT Southwestern Medical Center study found that estrogen regulates energy expenditure, appetite and body weight, while insufficient estrogen receptors in specific parts of the brain may lead to obesity.
"Estrogen has a profound effect on metabolism," said Dr. Deborah Clegg, associate professor of internal medicine and senior author of the study published Oct. 5 in Cell Metabolism. "We hadn't previously thought of sex hormones as being critical regulators of food intake and body weight."
The mouse study is the first to show that estrogen, acting through two hypothalamic neural centers in the brain, keeps female body weight in check by regulating hunger and energy expenditure. Female mice lacking estrogen receptor alpha a molecule that sends estrogen signals to neurons in those parts of the brain became obese and developed related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Similar results were not seen in male mice, although researchers suspect other unknown estrogen receptor sites in the brain play a similar role in regulating metabolism for males as well.
Estrogen receptors are located throughout the body, but researchers found two specific populations of estrogen receptors that appear to regulate energy balance for female mice.
The findings are potentially important for millions of postmenopausal women, many of whom have decided against hormonal replacement therapy. The study could lead to new hormonal replacement therapies in which estrogen is delivered to specific parts of the brain that regulate body weight, thereby avoiding the risks associated with full-body estrogen delivery, such as breast cancer and stroke.
Doctors stopped routinely recommending long-term estrogen therapy for menopausal women in 2002 when a Women's Health Initiative study showed the hormone also led to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
"The role of estrogen in postmenopausal women continues to remain uncertain," Dr. Clegg said. "Current research is focused on the timing and the type of estrogen supplementation that would be most beneficial to women. Our findings further support a role for estrogens in regulating body weight and energy expenditure, suggesting a benefit of estrogen supplementation in postmenopausal women."
###
Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study included lead author Dr. Yong Xu, a former postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Clegg's lab; Dr. Carol Elias, assistant professor of internal medicine; and Dr. Joel Elmquist, professor of internal medicine.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/nutrition to learn more about clinical services in nutrition at UT Southwestern, including treatments for diabetes, kidney disease and obesity.
This news release is available on our World Wide Web home page at www.utsouthwestern.edu/home/news/index.html
To automatically receive news releases from UT Southwestern via email, subscribe at www.utsouthwestern.edu/receivenews
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 20-Oct-2011[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Debbie Bolles
debbie.bolles@utsouthwestern.edu
214-648-3404
UT Southwestern Medical Center
DALLAS Oct. 20, 2011 A recent UT Southwestern Medical Center study found that estrogen regulates energy expenditure, appetite and body weight, while insufficient estrogen receptors in specific parts of the brain may lead to obesity.
"Estrogen has a profound effect on metabolism," said Dr. Deborah Clegg, associate professor of internal medicine and senior author of the study published Oct. 5 in Cell Metabolism. "We hadn't previously thought of sex hormones as being critical regulators of food intake and body weight."
The mouse study is the first to show that estrogen, acting through two hypothalamic neural centers in the brain, keeps female body weight in check by regulating hunger and energy expenditure. Female mice lacking estrogen receptor alpha a molecule that sends estrogen signals to neurons in those parts of the brain became obese and developed related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Similar results were not seen in male mice, although researchers suspect other unknown estrogen receptor sites in the brain play a similar role in regulating metabolism for males as well.
Estrogen receptors are located throughout the body, but researchers found two specific populations of estrogen receptors that appear to regulate energy balance for female mice.
The findings are potentially important for millions of postmenopausal women, many of whom have decided against hormonal replacement therapy. The study could lead to new hormonal replacement therapies in which estrogen is delivered to specific parts of the brain that regulate body weight, thereby avoiding the risks associated with full-body estrogen delivery, such as breast cancer and stroke.
Doctors stopped routinely recommending long-term estrogen therapy for menopausal women in 2002 when a Women's Health Initiative study showed the hormone also led to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
"The role of estrogen in postmenopausal women continues to remain uncertain," Dr. Clegg said. "Current research is focused on the timing and the type of estrogen supplementation that would be most beneficial to women. Our findings further support a role for estrogens in regulating body weight and energy expenditure, suggesting a benefit of estrogen supplementation in postmenopausal women."
###
Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study included lead author Dr. Yong Xu, a former postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Clegg's lab; Dr. Carol Elias, assistant professor of internal medicine; and Dr. Joel Elmquist, professor of internal medicine.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/nutrition to learn more about clinical services in nutrition at UT Southwestern, including treatments for diabetes, kidney disease and obesity.
This news release is available on our World Wide Web home page at www.utsouthwestern.edu/home/news/index.html
To automatically receive news releases from UT Southwestern via email, subscribe at www.utsouthwestern.edu/receivenews
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/usmc-uss101911.php
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Friday, 21 October 2011
Fresh iPhone Apps for Oct. 21: The Weather Channel for iPad, AppAdvice, Mage Gauntlet, Camp Magic (Appolicious)
Get all your weather information with The Weather Channel for iPad, which has received a big design update that adds lots of new HD photos to the app. It leads today?s Fresh Apps list, and is followed by AppAdvice, an app that?s great for finding even more apps. AppAdvice is also on sale for the weekend, cutting its $1.99 asking price down to free. Mage Gauntlet, an action-adventure game that takes its cues from classics like The Legend of Zelda, will keep you busy this weekend, as will Camp Magic, a casual social game that?s a lot like FarmVille for wizards.
The Weather Channel?s iPad app has been around since the first days of the iPad, and now the app has received a big redesign. It includes all the regional and local weather information the app has always cotanined, plus a whole new interface and iOS 5 compatibility, with new backgrounds that show off your local weather conditions.
The app now also includes HD weather photos and full-screen weather maps that can be customized by users. You can also see weather news coverage and user photos, as well as read tweets that come from experts. There?s a ton of useful information available in the app to help you plan for all kinds of weather conditions.
AppAdvice (iPhone, iPad) Free (normally $1.99)
The mobile app bringing all kinds of information, news and stories from AppAdvice.com has gone free for the weekend. It?s a direct pipeline to all the content on AppAdvice, which is great if you?re looking to learn about more apps and the news surrounding them. The app is also excellent for learning about what apps are on sale in the iTunes App Store.
AppAdvice is filled with thousands of app reviews, as well as guides that rank competing apps against one another and lists of apps for various occasions. You can also find out what apps are updated each day, which ones are new and see up-and-coming apps that are great, but still relatively unknown.
A Legend of Zelda-like action role-playing game, Mage Gauntlet puts players into a magical world in which you play a character commanding sword and sorcery as you fight through 84 different levels of dungeon crawling action. You?ll pound through lots of different enemies with various powers and moves, like a dash move and the ability to charge-up powerful sword strikes.
There?s a whole lot of content on offer in Mage Gauntlet, like 110 hats that you can unlock or purchase that offer various bonuses and effects to your wizard character. You can also unlock 19 different pets that also affect your abilities. Mage Gauntlet includes Game Center support that provides 86 achievements for your gameplay enjoyment.
A casual game along the lines of titles like FarmVille, Camp Magic has you constructing your own magic camp, bringing in students, harvesting magic items and creating the best camp operation you can. The bigger and better your academy becomes, the more students you can draw and the better you?ll be able to fight off evil enemies.
You can connect your Camp Magic game to Facebook and Twitter, where you can invite other friends to play and cooperate by visiting one another?s academies and helping each other out. You?ll have to manage all the aspects of your academy, and you can even brew up potions that have various effects.
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Will China stake a claim on the moon?
Bigelow Aerospace / msnbc.com
A scale model shows Bigelow Aerospace's proposed lunar colony, made from inflatable modules, with a fleet of lunar landers in the background.
By Alan Boyle
Is China on course to surpass the United States as the world's space superpower and stake?a claim on the moon in the next 15 years? Billionaire space executive Robert Bigelow is deeply worried about that scenario ??and he says Americans need a "kick in the ass" to respond to the challenge.
Live Poll
Will China claim the moon?
Bigelow?delivered that?kick today at the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces, N.M. ? but?the general consensus among experts on China policy?is that?it's a?bit too early to start rattling the sabers.
The founder of the Budget Suites hotel chain and Bigelow Aerospace promised to "cause a stimulation" with his remarks at the ISPCS conference, and delivered on that promise by?laying out an argument for China's growing?space dominance. He said the trend could conceivably lead to?a lunar takeover in the 2022-2026 time frame.
Bigelow characterized China as "the new gunslinger in Dodge" when it came to space exploration.
The way?he sees it, China is progressing along a slow, steady path toward space proficiency. The steps in that path include follow-ups?to the Shenzhou 8 spacewalk mission in 2008, the unmanned Chang'e lunar missions and last month's Tiangong 1 space lab launch. In the coming years, China will have plenty of cash for great leaps forward in space, while the United States will be hamstrung by higher debt and tighter budgets.
Why the moon?
Why would China want to lay claim to the moon? Bigelow referred to some of the long-discussed potential benefits, including the moon's abundance of helium-3, which could someday be used as fuel for nuclear fusion (although that idea has been oversold in the past). The moon's raw material?could also be turned into the water, oxygen, building materials and rocket fuel needed for human exploration. But Bigelow said the biggest payoff would come in the form of international prestige, just as it did for the United States after the moon landings.
AP file
Bigelow Aerospace's Robert Bigelow worries that China will lay claim to the moon in the 2020s.
"This would endure for a very long time,"?he said.?"It?s priceless. ... Nothing else that China could possibly do in the next 15 years could produce as great a benefit."
Bigelow speculated that China could conduct detailed surface-based surveys of the lunar surface in the mid-2020s, setting the stage for the country to withdraw from the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and formally claim possession of the moon.?China could then conceivably insist?on being paid?for?lunar concessions, Bigelow said.
He said the Chinese challenge could serve as a "fear factor" to energize the efforts of NASA and its space partners. "It's the best kick in the ass that you can have," he told reporters after his talk. He also doubted that the Chinese would?be content?with taking on the status of?a partner in the U.S.-led space "family," even if they were invited to join. "They want to have their own family," he said.
Bigelow proposed diverting 10 percent of the U.S. defense budget to the space effort, which he said would provide an annual boost of $60 billion. It may turn out to be "too late"?for a space race to the moon, he said; Bigelow suggested that a U.S.-led consortium should target Mars instead.
What do the experts say?
Bigelow said his analysis was based on two years of observing the space policy landscape, rather than personal?discussions with the Chinese. Generally speaking, experts on Chinese space policy say that it's too early to judge the nation's long-term intentions.
"I think it is a little bit of a stretch to think about whether the Chinese will be laying claim to the moon," Dean Cheng, a research fellow at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, told me today. "I would be very surprised if they had any plans one way or the other."
Cheng said the Chinese were clearly interested in lunar exploration. "They will have all the pieces in place in the 2021-2025 time period to think about putting a man on the moon," he said. But he doubted that China would try to do anything inflammatory ? for example, rolling up the American flag at Tranquility Base and putting a Chinese flag in its place. "Incendiary stuff, not likely," Cheng said.
It's more likely that China would want to see an international body such as the United Nations in charge of lunar exploration and exploitation, Cheng said. He pointed to the example of the Law of the Sea Convention, which governs the use of marine resources but has not yet been ratified by the U.S. Senate.
Cheng said the Chinese would prefer to see lunar resources controlled?by an intergovernmental body rather than private-sector entities. He said they'd definitely oopose an arrangement in which corporations are in charge, such as the system set up by ICANN, the Internet's governing body.
"The prospect of the Chinese having to deal with the space equivalent of ICANN is their worst nightmare," he told me.
Other observations?from Robert Bigelow:
- For years, Bigelow has been working on inflatable space modules based on technology developed by NASA, and two of the modules have been lofted into orbit by Russian rockets. Bigelow said the Genesis 1 and 2 modules were no longer providing useful data, but that they were designed to stay in orbit for 12 years. That suggests that the modules would make their re-entry no earlier than the 2018-2019 time frame.?
- Bigelow had planned to make habitable orbital modules available to international clients starting in late 2014. But today, he told reporters that the schedule has been put on hold, due to the economic downturn as well as questions about the availability of private spaceships capable of servicing the habitats.?Once the decision is made to?resume the project, it would probably take no more than three years to launch the modules, Bigelow said.
- Bigelow said the workforce at Nevada-based Bigelow Aerospace has been reduced from 115 workers to 51, due to the slowdown in work on the inflatable modules.
- Bigelow Aerospace has its own plan to put a colony on the moon. In the ISPCS exhibit hall, the company displayed a scale model of a base made up of inflatable modules that Bigelow said could be assembled in deep space and then transported to the lunar surface. "What was once a station lands as a base," he explained. For now, however, there are no plans to turn the concept into an actual base.
Stay tuned for more reports about the space frontier from the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight on Thursday. We'll also be featuring some of the leaders?of the private-sector space effort, including?Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Mark Sirangelo, SpaceX's Elon Musk and Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson, in an upcoming installment of our "Future of Technology" series.
Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding me to your Google+ circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.
Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/19/8402070-will-china-take-over-the-moon
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