Ohio St president jabs Notre Dame, Catholics, SEC

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? The president of Ohio State University said Notre Dame was never invited to join the Big Ten conference because the university's priests are not good partners, joking that "those damn Catholics" can't be trusted, according to a recording of a meeting he attended late last year.

Gordon Gee also took shots at schools in the Southeastern Conference and the University of Louisville, according to the recording of the December meeting of the school's Athletic Council that The Associated Press obtained under a public records request.

The university called the statements inappropriate and said Gee is undergoing a "remediation plan" because of the remarks.

Gee was on a long-planned family vacation and unavailable for comment, Ohio State spokeswoman Gayle Saunders said. He apologized in a statement released to the AP.

"The comments I made were just plain wrong, and in no way do they reflect what the university stands for," he said in the statement. "They were a poor attempt at humor and entirely inappropriate. There is no excuse for this and I am deeply sorry."

Gee, who has taken heat before for uncouth remarks, told members of the council that he negotiated with Notre Dame officials during his first term at Ohio State, which began more than two decades ago.

"The fathers are holy on Sunday, and they're holy hell on the rest of the week," Gee said to laughter at the Dec. 5 meeting attended by Athletic Director Gene Smith, several other athletic department members, professors and students.

"You just can't trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or a Friday, and so, literally, I can say that," said Gee, a Mormon.

The Big Ten had for years courted Notre Dame, but the school resisted as it sought to retain its independent status in college football. In September, the school announced that it would join the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports except football and hockey but would play five football games each year against ACC teams.

In the recording, Gee referred specifically to dealing with the Rev. Ned Joyce, Notre Dame's longtime executive vice president, who died in 2004.

"Father Joyce was one of those people who ran the university for many, many years," Gee said.

Gee said the Atlantic Coast Conference added Notre Dame at a time when it was feeling vulnerable.

"Notre Dame wanted to have its cake and eat it, too," Gee said, according to the recording and a copy of the meeting's minutes.

Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown called the remarks regrettable, especially the reference to Joyce, "who served Notre Dame and collegiate athletics so well and for so long." Gee contacted Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins, to offer an apology, which was accepted, Brown said Thursday in an email, declining to say when the apology was made.

Notre Dame has a storied collegiate football history and is perhaps the nation's pre-eminent Roman Catholic university. Ohio State, with about 56,000 students on its main campus, is among the country's biggest universities, and it has its own long football tradition.

A message was left with Smith, the Ohio State athletic director who attended the December meeting and who also is a 1977 Notre Dame graduate. NCAA President Mark Emmert declined to comment, saying he hadn't heard the remarks.

Ohio State's Athletic Council meets monthly during the fall, winter and spring and makes recommendations on athletic policy including ticket prices. December's meeting was at Ohio Stadium.

Gee was introduced by Athletic Council then-chairman Charlie Wilson, and Gee's name and introduction are included in written minutes of the meeting. His comments drew laughter, at times loud, occasionally nervous, but no rebukes, according to the audio.

Ohio State trustees learned of Gee's "offensive statements" in January, met with the president at length and created the remediation plan for Gee to "address his behavior," board president Robert Schottenstein said in a statement.

Comments by a university leader about "particular groups, classes of people or individuals are wholly unacceptable," Schottenstein said. "These statements were inappropriate, were not presidential in nature and do not comport with the core values of the university."

Gee has gotten in trouble before for offhand remarks, most recently during a memorabilia-for-cash and tattoos scandal under football coach Jim Tressel's watch.

Gee was asked in March 2011 whether he had considered firing Tressel. He responded: "No, are you kidding? Let me just be very clear: I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me." Tressel stepped down three months later.

In November 2010, Gee boasted that Ohio State's football schedule didn't include teams on par with the "Little Sisters of the Poor." An apologetic Gee later sent a personal check to the real Little Sisters of the Poor in northwest Ohio and followed up with a visit to the nuns months later.

Last year, Gee apologized for comparing the problem of coordinating the school's many divisions to the Polish army, a remark that a Polish-American group called bigoted and ignorant.

In 1992, in a moment of frustration over higher-education funding, Gee told a student newspaper reporter, "the governor's a damn dummy." Then-Gov. George Voinovich laughed it off, and the two became allies.

Gee was named the country's best college president in 2010 by Time magazine, and he has one of the highest-profile resumes of any college leader in recent history. He has held the top job at West Virginia University, the University of Colorado, Brown University and Vanderbilt University. He was Ohio State president from 1990 to 1997 and returned in 2007.

Gee earns about $1.9 million annually in base pay, deferred and performance compensation and retirement benefits.

He is a prolific fundraiser and is leading a $2.5 billion campaign at Ohio State. He is omnipresent on campus, attending everything from faculty awards events to dormitory pizza parties. He is known for his bow ties ? he has hundreds ? and his horn-rimmed glasses.

During his comments to the Athletic Council, Gee also questioned the academic integrity of schools in the Southeastern Conference and the University of Louisville.

The top goal of Big Ten presidents is to "make certain that we have institutions of like-minded academic integrity," Gee said. "So you won't see us adding Louisville," which is also joining the ACC.

After a pause followed by laughter from the audience, Gee added that the Big Ten wouldn't add the University of Kentucky, either.

Louisville spokesman Mark Hebert said the university accepted Gee's apology but planned to forward Gee information about the upward trajectory of its academic and athletic programs. Kentucky president Eli Capilouto declined to comment.

During the meeting, Gee also said he thought it was a mistake not to include Missouri and Kansas in earlier Big Ten expansion plans. Missouri has since joined the SEC.

"You tell the SEC when they can learn to read and write, then they can figure out what we're doing," Gee said when asked by a questioner how to respond to SEC fans who say the Big Ten can't count because it now has 14 members.

Gee noted he was chairman of the SEC during his time as Vanderbilt University chancellor. He also told the audience that speculation about the SEC "remains right here," according to the recording.

Gee took a swipe at Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany, one of the most powerful leaders in college athletics, when he answered a question about preserving Ohio State's financial interests in light of Big Ten revenue-sharing plans.

"No one admires Jim Delany more than I do. I chaired the committee that brought him here," Gee said. "Jim is very aggressive, and we need to make certain he keeps his hands out of our pockets while we support him."

Gee's comments "were inappropriate and in no way represent the opinions of the conference," Delany said in a statement, adding he had apologized to Notre Dame and the SEC.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said Gee called to apologize for the comments about a week ago, saying they might become public. Delany called after that, also to apologize. Both apologies were accepted, Slive said.

"Our focus is on the SEC," he said Thursday. "Our goal is to make us better, and we've been very successful and we're comfortable here. There really isn't much more to add to that."

___

Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Tom Coyne in South Bend, Ind., Janet Cappiello in Louisville, Ky., Stephen Hawkins in Irving, Texas, and Mark Long in Destin, Fla., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-st-president-jabs-notre-dame-catholics-sec-203656702.html

Aj Mccarron Girlfriend CES 2013 joe budden notre dame notre dame football Bcs Bowl Chuck Hagel

Ireland rejects U.S. senator claims as tax spat rumbles on

By Padraic Halpin

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland has rejected claims by two U.S. senators that Ireland is a tax haven and had handed Apple Inc a special tax deal, a charge the pair stood by on Friday.

Ireland's ambassador to the United States Michael Collins has written to the two senators, Carl Levin and John McCain, arguing Ireland's tax system is transparent, according to the text released by the finance ministry.

But Levin and former U.S. presidential candidate McCain said records obtained by their committee showed Apple paid a nominal rate far below Ireland's statutory rate of 12.5 percent.

"Testimony by key Apple executives, including CEO Tim Cook and Head of Tax Operations Phillip Bullock, corroborates that Apple had a special arrangement with the Irish government that, since 2003, resulted in an effective tax rate of 2 percent or less," the senators said in a statement.

"Most reasonable people would agree that negotiating special tax arrangements that allow companies to pay little or no income tax meets a common-sense definition of a tax haven."

Ireland has been forced to defend its low corporate tax rate after the Senate heard last week that the iPhone and iPad maker paid little or no tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits channeled through Irish subsidiaries and had effectively negotiated a special rate of less than 2 percent. {ID:nL2N0E20Y1]

NOT A HAVEN

"Ireland's tax system is set out in statute, so there is no possibility of an individual special tax rate being negotiated for companies," Collins wrote in the letter dated May 29 which was also sent to other members of Levin's Senate subcommittee.

"The memorandum to the Permanent Subcommittee refers to Ireland as a 'tax haven'. As you will be aware, the OECD has identified four key indicators of a tax haven. None of these criteria applies to Ireland."

Dublin has begun a diplomatic offensive to repair the damage done to its reputation from the allegations. Finance Minister Michael Noonan said last week Ireland would not be the "whipping boy" for the U.S. Senate.

Ireland has said that if Apple paid tax at such low rates, it was down to tax planning where it had found a gap to exploit between two different tax jurisdictions. Dublin has called for international efforts to curb such large scale tax avoidance.

Apple's Cook told a conference this week that the company did not have a special deal with the Irish government giving it a 2 percent flat tax rate.

Yet the Senate's investigation showed the iPhone maker had paid tax worth just 2 percent of $74 billion in overseas income, largely helped by Irish tax law, which allows companies to be incorporated in the country without declaring taxes there.

The Senate subcommittee identified three Irish-registered Apple subsidiaries that have no tax residency in Ireland. One of these, a holding company that includes Apple's retail stores throughout Europe, paid no tax at all in the last five years.

(Editing by Stephen Nisbet and David Holmes)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ireland-writes-u-senators-reject-tax-claims-151915289.html

jfk airport faith hill metro north taco bell taco bell Breezy Point Seaside Heights

GPS 'Junk' Data Reveals Dangerous Volcanic Plumes

Volcanic ash plume covers the sky outside of Reykjav?k, Iceland after Gr?msv?tn erupted in 2011. Image: Flickr/Kris Olin

• 

  Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

  Read More??

This story was originally published by Inside Science News Service.

(ISNS) ? Scientists may be able to track dangerous ash-filled clouds by using information similar to the bars showing signal strength on a cell phone.

The new technique analyzes the GPS's "signal strength" -- the intensity of a GPS signal ? as it attempts to cut through a volcanic plume. The research was published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

The dangerous particles within these plumes can clog an airplane's engines and send it plummeting from the sky.

Two years ago this month, Gr?msv?tn, a volcano in Iceland, erupted, leaving behind a thick column of ash that led to canceled flights all over Europe for days.?

The new research uses GPS data to detect these hazardous clouds as they fill the sky. Such early hazard detection could help pilots to avoid areas loaded with deadly ash.

Signal-strength data is logged in the inner workings of the GPS machines. ?But since it has never been useful to scientists studying how the earth moves during volcanic eruptions, the data has been ignored. In fact, most scientists don't even upload the information to their computers.

"When I learned GPS, you were supposed to use it to measure where you are," said Kristine Larson, professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of the study. ?"These days, I look for weird things to do with GPS."?

Larson was working with colleagues from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who set up GPS antennae at Alaska's Mount Redoubt to measure how terrain shifted during an eruption. Those measurements come from an array of satellites beaming down signals that indicate the exact position of a GPS antenna on earth.

Equipment on the ground automatically stores GPS data on the strength of the signals coming from those orbiting satellites. But Larson is the first to use the information to measure volcanic plumes.

Think of your cell phone, said Larson. "I always hear people talking about how many bars they have," she said. "That's basically what I'm using."

She found that the plume, which was loaded with bits of volcanic ash, somehow blocked the GPS signal coming from satellites in space.

Knowing this, Larson could then track the plume in real time by observing the strength of the GPS signal in a certain area. Once the plume passed, the signal bumped back up to its normal level.

This once-overlooked information may help track plumes when other methods like radar or pictures taken from satellites fall short.

Images taken from space can monitor plumes but "if it's cloudy you can't see anything," said Larson.

Since the GPS signal strength beamed down from orbiting satellites is largely unaffected by clouds and water vapor, Larson can detect only the dangerous ash within a plume.

Radar can spot plumes but the equipment is expensive. "We have many more volcanoes in the world than we have resources to monitor them," said Larson. "The beauty of GPS is it's so inexpensive."

Many scientists already have GPS antennae dispatched at volcanoes all over the world that automatically collect signal strength data.?

More research is needed to determine how dense a plume must be to cause a drop in signal strength, said Michael Lisowski, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory, in Vancouver, Wash.?

Signal strength can only be measured if satellites are actively sending signals to the antennae on the ground. Since only about a couple of dozen GPS satellites are in orbit over the earth, there may be times when there is no satellite overhead to connect with an antenna on the ground and no data can be collected on signal strength.

But many countries already have plans to send new GPS satellites into space. "As more satellites systems get launched, it will become a better tool," said Lisowski.

Larson's study looked only at two volcanic plumes in Alaska. Plans are in place to test the technique on more volcanoes, she said. "GPS is not the only instrument that is helpful but it's a new thing that we could add to the list of tools we're using to make air travel safer."?

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gps-junk-data-reveals-dangerous-volcanic-plumes

Scandal denver broncos new england patriots Zayn Malik miss america 2013 Oscar Nominations ABC Family

AT&T HTC One gets fix for Media Link HD connectivity

A quick heads up for those of you rocking the HTC One on AT&T. A software update is available (and has been for a while, actually) that fixes a few things in regards to the Media Link HD, which AT&T gave out to those who preordered HTC's latest and greatest. Specifically, some folks hadn't been able to connect to HTC's high-def streamer because of a software glitch. That glitch has been fixed and is now ready to download. It's a small, 269KB update, takes just a minute or so to do, and basically makes your life seem a little brighter. And fixes the Media Link HD connection. 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/xRuL6SRlPgc/story01.htm

atlanta falcons voting hours election results Doug Martin Barack Obama & Joe Biden Am I registered to vote Voter registration

9 Places Where No Woman Has Ever Been

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (4th L) participates in a meet-and-greet with the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Upworthy:

So, this whole glass ceiling thing is tricky. We tend to focus on the most glaring sources of gender inequality (White House and Congress, I'm looking at you!) but sometimes forget just how depressingly common the disparity is. The following is a (sadly by no means exhaustive) list of places where no woman has ever tread. Share this puppy, and maybe we can change that.

Read the whole story at Upworthy

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Filed by Braden Goyette ?|?

? "; var coords = [-5, -78]; if( HPConfig.current_vertical_name == 'homepage' ) { coords = [-5, -70]; } else if( HPConfig.current_vertical_name == 'mapquest' ) { coords = [-5, -68]; } FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

1. HuffPost
2. Women

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/29/places-no-woman-has-ever-been_n_3356569.html

chris harrison girl scouts printable bracket game change own stacy francis tournament brackets

Closings expected in Iran satellite trial

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) -- Closing arguments are expected Wednesday in the trial of an Iranian-American man living in Maryland who allegedly helped Iran launch a satellite from Russia, a violation of a trade embargo the United States has against the Middle Eastern country.

Nader Modanlo's trial began in late April in federal court in Greenbelt, Md.

Prosecutors say Modanlo brokered an agreement between the Russian government and Iran that resulted in the 2005 launch from Russia of an Iranian satellite, the country's first.

But a defense attorney for Modanlo have said the allegations are baseless and have been a nightmare for a man who came to the United States to study and stayed to pursue the American dream.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/closings-expected-iran-satellite-trial-125244919.html

Feliz Navidad Netflix down Ryan Freel Melissa Nelson foot locker champs champs

Nike cutting ties to Livestrong

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Nike, which helped build Lance Armstrong's Livestrong cancer charity into a global brand and introduced its familiar yellow wristband, is cutting ties with the foundation in the latest fallout from the former cyclist's doping scandal.

The move by the sports shoe and clothing company ends a relationship that began in 2004 and helped the foundation raise more than $100 million, making the charity's bracelet an international symbol for cancer survivors.

But the relationship soured with revelations of performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong and members of his U.S. Postal Service team.

Nike said Tuesday it will stop making its Livestrong line of apparel after the 2013 holiday season. Foundation and company officials said Nike will honor the financial terms of its contract until it expires in 2014.

Those terms were not disclosed.

Nike dropped its personal sponsorship of Armstrong last October after U.S. Anti-Doping Agency exposed the team doping program and portrayed Armstrong as its ringleader. And after years of denials, Armstrong admitted earlier this year he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France seven times.

Officials at Livestrong, which announced the split on Tuesday, said the foundation remains strong and committed to helping cancer patients worldwide through its survivorship programs.

Armstrong, who started the charity in 1997 as the Lance Armstrong Foundation, was pushed off the board of directors in October and the organization later changed its formal name to Livestrong.

In a statement, Livestrong officials said the foundation is "deeply grateful" to Nike.

"Together, we created new, revolutionary ways of thinking about how non-profits fuel their mission and we're proud of that," the foundation said.

A Nike spokesman did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment.

Armstrong declined comment, noting he no longer has a relationship with Livestrong or Nike.

Livestrong officials say the charity remains on solid financial ground.

"This news will prompt some to jump to negative conclusions about the foundation's future. We see things quite differently. We expected and planned for changes like this and are therefore in a good position to adjust swiftly and move forward with our patient-focused work," the foundation said.

The foundation said it reduced its budget nearly 11 percent in 2013 to $38.4 million, but said Tuesday that revenue is already 2.5 percent ahead of projections. The foundation also noted that last month, it received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities based on financial health, accountability and transparency.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nike-cutting-ties-livestrong-170941202.html

sledge hammer tax day freebies madison bumgarner wnba draft tax day april 17 tu pac hologram

Column: A nation of co-existing, conflicted values

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration kills four U.S. citizens in counterterrorism drone strikes overseas. It helps pay for the New York Police Department's controversial surveillance program against Muslim Americans. It says a journalist seeking national security information may have been a criminal "co-conspirator."

All this as it wages the war on terrorism at certain, perhaps necessary, costs to our rights. This president offers no apologies.

"Americans are deeply ambivalent about war, but having fought for our independence, we know a price must be paid for freedom," Barack Obama said last week. Even so, he added, "Our commitment to constitutional principles has weathered every war, and every war has come to an end."

Every American president has faced the same central questions: What is the appropriate relationship between security and liberty? When should the scales tip one way or the other? We have never found a universal answer, which says as much about the enormous challenge our elected leaders accept as it does about who we are and what we value.

Presidents often do what they insist needs to be done to protect their people ? and gamble that they'll be forgiven for the inevitable erosion of rights. Congress and the public typically fall in line, particularly in the post-9/11 world. And the nation moves on until the next situation flares.

In general, both presidents and their people inherently believe in America's ability to remain true to its identity and not let others define it, as long as it abides by the country's founding principles. The trouble, or perhaps the gift, is that the framers of our Constitution made sure to include leeway in the ability for leaders to tip the security-vs.-liberty scales when the situation demands.

Benjamin Wittes, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, is among those who don't believe in an exact balance even though a lot of political rhetoric suggests each value carries equal weight.

"Presidential actions to ensure the security of the country do have implications in both directions for people's liberty," Wittes says. "Most things that make you more secure, make you more free. And most things that make you less secure, also make you less free."

This debate inevitably intensifies in wartime.

During 1798 and following the French Revolution, John Adams, the second president, signed into law the Alien and Sedition Acts. That move gave him powers to restrict speech critical of the government and, without a hearing, detain or deport immigrants considered dangerous to the U.S.

In 1862, as the Civil War raged, Abraham Lincoln wanted to deter people from helping the Confederacy. So he suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus, which ensures prisoners their rights to appear before a judge. He also said Southern sympathizers disrupting Union activities would be subject to martial law.

Just weeks after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a censoring operation and allowed the government to use private census information to round up Japanese-Americans in internment camps ? authority granted by Congress' passage of the first and second War Powers Acts.

And in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush ? with overwhelmingly bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and throughout the terror-stricken nation ? signed into law the USA Patriot Act. It loosened restrictions on wiretapping, searches and seizures.

It also quickly became controversial. Backers argued that the government needed sweeping powers to root out terrorists; critics claimed civil liberties were needlessly restricted.

Obama inherited the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and many of Bush's policies. Some, like torture and secret prisons, Obama rejected. But he largely kept intact the Patriot Act, signing a four-year extension in 2011.

Both the Bush and Obama administrations have said America is in a war with no foreseeable end. What does that mean for the tension between safety and rights?

Outlining the next phase of America's posture against terrorism, Obama last week said some of the policies "compromised our basic values" while others "raised difficult questions about the balance that we strike between our interests in security and our values of privacy."

A day after his administration acknowledged that it had killed four American citizens abroad in drone strikes since 2009, Obama said, "For the record, I do not believe it would be constitutional for the government to target and kill any U.S. citizen ? with a drone, or with a shotgun ? without due process." Yet, he also said citizenship should not "serve as a shield" when a U.S. citizen goes abroad to actively plot to kill Americans.

Left unsaid: According to the government, three of the four killed were not specific targets.

Obama also talked about the need to review law-enforcement powers to ensure the government can intercept new types of communication while also protecting against privacy abuses.

He didn't mention that large federal anti-terrorism grants have gone to the New York Police Department, and that a White House anti-drug program helped pay for some surveillance equipment used in the controversial ? and, some Muslims say, unconstitutional ? targeting by the NYPD of entire Muslim neighborhoods.

At the same time, the president referenced multiple investigations into the unauthorized disclosure of classified national security information to journalists, saying both that some information must be kept secret and the tenets of a free press should be upheld.

"Journalists should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs," Obama added.

He made those comments as his administration took bipartisan heat over the Justice Department's secret seizure of Associated Press journalists' phone records and following the disclosure by The Washington Post that the FBI, in court documents, said a Fox News journalist, whose records it also took, had broken the law, "at the very least, either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator."

After Obama's speech, Republicans complained that he generally wasn't taking the security challenges seriously enough, while the American Civil Liberties Union suggested that he had much further to go to ensure rights are protected.

Of course, neither complete safety nor absolute freedom is ever truly plausible. Nor would a nation want either; that could produce unforeseen, even more consequential, problems.

So, like most presidents, Obama straddled the issues.

"He aligned himself rhetorically with critics of his administration as much as he could while not backing off his administration's ability to do the things it needs to do ? and that is a difficult dance," Wittes says. "He really identifies with the conscientious objectors to his policies even as he pursues those policies and in some senses defends those policies."

That could be precisely what the founders wanted presidents to do ? be mindful of both sides, while tipping toward security when necessary. After all, they set up a system with perpetual tension baked into the responsibilities of government: Keep us safe and keep us free, or ? depending on your philosophy ? keep us free and keep us safe.

Or maybe they were even more calculated. Maybe the framers thought that by ensuring a continual debate between security and freedom, they would ensure that Americans would always need to discuss who we are at our core, and let those principles guide us as we monitor our leaders, regardless of who might be living in the White House at any particular moment.

If that was their intent, it's still working today.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Liz Sidoti is the national politics editor for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lsidoti

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/column-nation-co-existing-conflicted-134724512.html

marlins new stadium arnold palmer augusta national blake griffin pau gasol marlins park marbury v. madison

In Bangladesh factory aftermath, US and European firms take different paths

The wear-and-toss ?fast fashion? craze has swept Europe and the United States in equal measure, but concern about its underpinnings has not.

In the fashion world, the latest styles were once reserved for the haute couture houses of Paris and the collections introduced here or in London; Milan, Italy; and New York. This century has seen democratization in the form of big retailers selling cheap and trendy clothes that turn over at dizzying speed ? thanks to cheap labor in places like Bangladesh ? anywhere from Paris to Pittsburgh.

But when more than a thousand of these laborers sewing clothes for US and European consumers were buried alive April 24 in a Bangladesh building collapse, the transatlantic responses differed dramatically.

RECOMMENDED: Think you know Europe? Take our geography quiz.

Clothing firms quickly came under activist and union pressure to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh: a five-year, legally binding commitment from retailers, whose suppliers will be subject to independent inspections and public reports. A finance mechanism also requires each firm to contribute to safety upgrades, at a maximum of $2.5 million each over the five-year commitment.

Yet while major retailers across Europe, like Britain?s Marks & Spencer, France?s Carrefour, and the Swedish giant H&M, have signed on, US clothing labels, for the most part, have carried on with business as usual. Only two big American firms have joined the pact.

TRAGEDY AT RANA PLAZA

?I think European companies are more aware of a need to be proactive for their reputations,? says Elisabeth Laville, who founded Utopies, a Paris-based consultancy that has helped various organizations in Europe and the US on corporate responsibility strategies. ?American companies are betting on the fact that consumers will not change ... the way they buy.?

So-called fast fashion, a consumer-driven model that offers buyers the latest ?must haves? at low prices, has taken off in the past decade, with stores like H&M and Zara leading the way. This quick-response system employs thousands of workers across Asia: In Bangladesh alone, there are 4.5 million garment workers.

On April 24, like every other day, hundreds of Bangladeshis, the vast majority young rural women, filtered into work for their garment-making jobs at Rana Plaza. They shouldn?t be high-risk jobs, but in Bangladesh they are.

The day before the factory collapsed, cracks appeared on the walls of the eight-story building. But managers were focused on the bottom line, and the employees, toiling for the world?s lowest wages, couldn?t afford to stop working. So production continued until the building collapsed, killing 1,127 people inside ? the deadliest accident in the garment industry?s history. A haunting photo of two workers buried alive, in an embrace, spread across social media, leading to public pressure for the accord.

Sidebar: How Indonesia's clothing industry reforms could prove a model for Bangladesh

The accord agreed upon in the accident?s aftermath draws on an earlier agreement forged by unions and activists in the wake of other deadly, if less publicized, incidents in Bangladesh. Then, only PVH, the owner of the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, and Germany?s Tchibo, signed on.

But after Rana Plaza, Sweden?s H&M, the largest retailer operating in Bangladesh, also came on board: a key move, activists say, that paved the way for others, including Britain?s Primark and Spain?s Inditex, owner of Zara. With some 40 companies on board, the new agreement is singular in scope and covers more than 1,000 of Bangladesh?s 4,500 factories.

There are some doubts about its long-term impact, especially if consumers? penchant for bargains remains strong and corruption rampant in Bangladesh. But others have called it a game changer for the country, the world?s second largest apparel exporter after China. They say the accord will inevitably raise standards and workers? expectations ? potentially causing a ripple effect on the global industry.

WHY EUROPE AND NOT THE US?

?The fact that it?s binding, transparent, and independent, that is what is new,? says Nayla Ajaltouni, the coordinator for the Collectif Ethique sur l??tiquette, the French platform of the Clean Clothes Campaign. ?It?s a big, real step forward.?

But it is an agreement that US companies, at least for now, have apparently been hesitant to sign onto ? despite intense shaming campaigns. Some big European firms have not signed it, and many who did had to be pushed. Likewise, only two US firms have signed onto it, PVH and Abercrombie & Fitch. US retailers Cato and The Children?s Place, both of which had products made at Rana Plaza in the past year, have not signed on.

At first glance, the difference in response appears to be one of numbers. Sixty percent of the clothes sewn in Bangladesh head to Europe. The European Union is the country?s biggest market.

But there are cultural and historical reasons that Europe is forging the way, too. In general, says Ben Vanpeperstraete, a policy officer at World Solidarity in Brussels, there is a tradition of a functional working relationship between governments, unions, nongovernmental organizations, and companies. ?In Europe, people look slightly differently toward a social dialogue,? he says. ?Entering into an agreement with trade unions is more accepted, while a US brand like Wal-Mart is notorious for having a very anti-trade union stance both in rhetoric and actions.?

Allyson Stewart-Allen, director of International Marketing Partners in London and co- author of ?Working with Americans,? says she also finds a healthy skepticism in European consumers, which could stem from a history dating back to the exploitative feudal systems of five centuries ago. ?The Europeans are much more scrutinizing. They are more circumspect,? she says. ?There is a suspicion in Europe, which [has] much older economies, over what big corporations get up to.?

PRICE VERSUS RESPONSIBILITY

And that might influence how retailers act. US firms, which have cited legal liabilities, have embraced a lawyer-driven dialogue that favors a corporate instead of consumer response, Ms. Stewart-Allen says. North American re-tailers say they are drawing up their own safety plan.

Liz Leffman, a codirector at Clothesource, a sourcing agency for the apparel industry in Oxfordshire, England, says that Americans appear to be more concerned with the bottom line.

?Price is more important in the US. For companies like Wal-Mart, it?s key, whereas in Europe corporate responsibility is a bigger issue. There is more of an ethical thread,? she says.

The European activist network was particularly successful in connecting the dots between the disaster and stores in Europe, says Dara O?Rourke, who focuses on environmental and social impacts of global production systems at the University of California at Berkeley. ?I think the European activists have been very effective at targeting European brands in public conversation and putting pressure on them,? he says.

Ms. Ajaltouni, the activist in France, says that she does not see a major split between continents ? rather she sees differences between individual companies. But she does say that the organizing power of activists with the Clean Clothes Campaign multiplies pressure on European retailers.

If activists in Spain protest against Mango, for example, that retailer will know that the activist network across Europe will also be protesting in Germany, France, and everywhere they have outlets. ?European countries will feel pressure in every country that they have re- tailers,? she says. Their challenge today, she says, is having that awareness trickle down to the buyer of clothes, and having consumers stop to reflect (?There must be a reason that these clothes are so cheap?).

?YOU DON?T KNOW, DO YOU??

But while data show that US and European consumers say they care about ethical practices, it?s hard for them to know what exactly is ethical. And as opposed to consumer choices on fair-trade eggs, for example, when it comes to clothes, size, fit, color, and personal style are equally considered, says Jeffery Bray, a lecturer in marketing and consumer behavior at Bournemouth University in England.

In the midst of the economic crisis in Europe, so, too, is price.

Walking through Kingston upon Thames shopping center in south London is like visiting any major town center across Britain. Familiar names dot the high street and indoor Bentall Centre, tempting passersby to part with their money in what have been tough retail times.

In Kingston, that means endless sales and bargain hunters like Michelle Jenkins, who was accompanied by her three children on a recent day as she walked out of a Marks & Spencer store. ?I do think about ... what happened in Bangladesh, but to be honest I have to think about house finances first. With three children to buy school uniforms for, I have to buy on cost, and if that means it?s come from Bangladesh or another developing country, then so be it,? she says. ?I can?t afford to be choosy.?

Dodging the afternoon shoppers was student Daniel Jones, who said he wished there was more information for consumers to make ethical choices.

?I try and avoid some stores which sell cheap clothes because you don?t know, do you? I prefer designer labels, and I just assume [that] because they?re a bit more expensive, they?ve been sourced ethically,? he says.

A TEST FOR THE INDUSTRY

It often takes tragedy to drive real reform. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 in New York City, which killed 146 workers who could not escape through locked stairwell and exit doors, led to an overhaul of US labor laws and workers? rights.

In Bangladesh, Rana Plaza was only the latest in a string of accidents due to poor infrastructure and shoddy construction. In the past five months alone, 1,254 people have been killed in collapses, fires, and stampedes, says Charles Kernaghan, director at the Pittsburgh-based Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights.

He sees the accord as crucial to improving standards, but the deeper problem ? government corruption that has led to lax regulations and negligence ? is still there. ?The major problem with Bangladesh is it?s hollowed out. There?s nothing you can?t just buy out,? he says.

He and many others say that even though the accord does have a clause that increases the role of unions, if that part fails, the impact of the accord will be limited. Unions already exist on paper in Bangladesh, but in reality they are stifled. ?If they had a voice, if they could negotiate with management, you wouldn?t have these fires or these collapses,? Mr. Kernaghan says.

?It?s very good that companies signed the agreement,? says Ms. Laville in France. But the social and environmental consequences will remain as long as fast fashion remains the rule, she says, ?as long as people want the cheapest possible clothes changing every month, with people buying more clothes than they can wear.?

RECOMMENDED: Think you know Europe? Take our geography quiz.

Related stories

Read this story at csmonitor.com

Become a part of the Monitor community

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bangladesh-factory-aftermath-us-european-firms-different-paths-162806011.html

honduras prison fire do not call list sports illustrated westminster dog show 2012 words with friends words with friends phlebotomy

Fantasy baseball Pitching Report: Zimmermann dominating in D.C.

Jordan Zimmermann is walking just 1.1 batters per nine innings, which is third-best in the league.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

There are few teams in the majors on which Jordan Zimmermann would somehow get overlooked; however, that's exactly what's happening in Washington, where Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez hog the headlines. While Strasburg has thrown the ball very well this season and has looked like his dominant self in his last two turns, Zimmermann has been the best pitcher on the team through the first two months of the season.

WEEK 9 PREP: Fantasy baseball Weekly Planner | Waiver Wire | Pitching Report | Injury Report

In 10 starts, Zimmerman is 8-2 with a 1.71 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. It's hard for a pitcher with an ERA less than 2.00 to match that with his FIP, so Zimmermann's 2.79 FIP doesn't mean he's pitching worse than his ERA suggests. The reason his FIP is a full run higher than his ERA is likely because FIP puts a premium on strikeouts and Zimmermann's fanning a career low 5.62 batters per nine innings. So how is Zimmermann having the best year of his career even though his strikeouts are way down? Fewer walks and more ground balls have been the two keys.

Zimmermann's 51.1 percent ground-ball rate would easily be a career high if he's able to sustain it for the entire season. (In his two previous full seasons in the majors, his ground-ball rates were 39.4 percent and 43.4 percent.) In 2011, he walked 1.73 batters per nine innings, and last year, the rate jumped to 1.98 batters. This season, he's walking just 1.1 batters every nine innings, the third-best rate among starters, trailing only Bartolo Colon and Adam Wainwright. Hitters are also hitting more ground balls and walking less -- and striking out less, for that matter -- against Zimmerman this season, which make a great formula for pitching deeper into games. He's gone at least seven innings in eight of his 10 starts, including two complete games. In his first two seasons in the league combined, he pitched at least seven innings 14 times. He has been very efficient with his pitches simply by getting a ton of value out of his two best offerings: his fastball and slider.

The slider has always been an important pitch for Zimmermann. This year, it has been one of the best pitches in baseball, as batters are hitting just .173/.228/.250 against Zimmermann's slider, according to Fangraphs. The pitch has a 44.4 percent ground-ball rate and 14.2 percent swinging-strike rate. His fastball averages 93.6 MPH, and hitters have beaten it into the ground 53.5 percent of the time. Essentially, he's owning hitters with pinpoint command of two pitches. His ERA will likely climb a bit as the season goes on, but there's nothing fluky about what he has done this season. He can definitely finish the year as a top-10 fantasy pitcher.

Starting pitcher barometer

Who's up?

? Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals -- Last time we discussed Strasburg in this space, we pointed out that even though he had yet to have a truly Strasburg-ian run of starts, that he was pitching very well and it was just a matter of time. In his last three starts, he has allowed just three earned runs while striking out 20 batters in 23 innings. His ERA for the season is down to 2.49 and his WHIP is at a cool 1.06. If an opportunity existed to buy him low after his seemingly slow start, it no doubt has passed.

? Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh Pirates -- Liriano is another guy we've talked about here recently, but now that he has made three strong starts, he warrants another mention and a bump up the rest-of-season rankings. He has thrown 18 innings in his three starts combined, allowing just two earned runs and striking out 23 batters against six walks. In his last time out against the Cubs, he tossed seven shutout innings, surrendering two hits and striking out nine. It's not a surprise that he has taken to the National League so well. What is a bit of a surprise, even in this small sample, is that he's been able to cut back on his walks to so significant a degree. He should be universally owned.

? Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds -- Bailey hit a tiny rough patch in back-to-back starts against the Cardinals and Braves, two of the best teams in the league. However, after those two combined to tag him for eight runs in 10.1 innings, he has turned in three dominant outings against the Marlins, Phillies and Cubs. In those three starts, he has given up four runs and struck out 21 batters in 22 innings. He makes a good target in trade talks since he can make a major impact for a team that needs help in the rotation, but isn't a guy whose current owner would refuse to part with him.

Who's down?

? CC Sabathia, New York Yankees -- The Rays rocked Sabathia his last time out, getting to him for seven runs on seven hits in seven innings. In his last three starts, Sabathia has surrendered 12 earned runs on an astounding 28 hits across 19.2 innings. At this point, his decreased velocity isn't just a symptom of starting the season slowly. The high-80s are his new normal. Despite his recent struggles, Sabathia could still fetch you a nice return. He has plenty of value on the market, but he's no longer a fantasy ace.

? Jeremy Guthrie, Kansas City Royals -- The honeymoon had to come to an end eventually, and it appears that eventuality has manifested itself in Guthrie's last three outings. In that stretch, he's 0-3 and has been rocked around for 17 earned runs on 24 hits in 19.1 innings. He has just four strikeouts against seven walks after fanning more than two batters for every walk in his first seven starts of the year. This is closer to the Guthrie we've seen in years past, so owners should reassess what they expect from him for the rest of the season.

What a relief

? Chris Perez struggled for his second straight appearance Sunday before leaving the game after a visit from the trainer. The Indians placed him on the DL with shoulder soreness Monday, so he'll be out for at least the next two weeks. They weren't ever in a position to set up their bullpen for a save opportunity in a loss to the Reds Monday, so we're still guessing at who might fill the closer's chair with Perez out. The bet here is that Joe Smith wins out over Vinnie Pestano. The latter has a better track record over the last few seasons, but Smith has been much better this year, posting a 1.06 ERA, 2.77 FIP and 18 strikeouts in 17 innings. If you're in the saves market, Smith makes a strong addition right now

? Joel Peralta remains available in a majority of leagues, while Fernando Rodney continues to struggle. Joe Maddon hasn't shown any hints that would suggest he's ready to make a change, but he might have his hand forced before long. Rodney has been scored on in four of his last five appearances, three of which ended in blown saves. In two of those games, he entered the game with a lead of more than one run. Meanwhile, Peralta has been one of the most effective relievers in the majors this year, compiling a 1.93 ERA, 2.46 FIP and 0.99 WHIP in 23.1 innings, while striking out nearly 10.5 batters per nine innings. Go ahead and get Peralta. He'll be the closer in due time.

? Finally, Marlins manager Mike Redmond has seen enough of Steve Cishek in the ninth. Well, more accurately, he's seen enough of only Cishek in the ninth. He'll still get chances, but we've got a full-fledged closer committee in Miami, with Chad Qualls and Mike Dunn joining Cishek in the conversation. This is a nightmare for owners speculating for saves. First of all, the Marlins aren't going to get a ton of save opportunities, so when they do, any of the three are liable to get the call. If you're absolutely desperate for saves, I can see going after Qualls or Dunn. Qualls is a nose ahead of Dunn in my book, simply because Dunn will need to remain available to face lefties in any late-game situations. Add them if you dare -- or if you absolutely must.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/fantasy/news/20130528/fantasy-baseball-pitching-report-jordan-zimmermann/

bobbi kristina brown new edition austerity rihanna and chris brown back together pebble beach cause of whitney houston death keanu reeves

Neighbors accuse Bieber of reckless driving

5 hours ago

Justin Bieber may be living life in the fast lane, but when it comes to his home turf, folks literally want him to slow down.

On Monday evening, police visited the singer's Los Angeles home in response to calls complaining about Biebs' alleged reckless driving.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirms to E! News that cops went to the "Beauty and a Beat" crooner's house, but no other information was disclosed.

A source, meanwhile, tells E! News that police received numerous calls on Monday complaining of Bieber's alleged driving while in the neighborhood.

The complaints stated that the star was reckless and drove too fast while children were outside.

This wouldn't be the first time Bieber's faced off with the folks in his 'hood: In March, the 19-year-old was accused of threatening a neighbor and spitting in his face after the two got into an alleged altercation.

E! News has reached out to Bieber's rep for comment.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-accused-reckless-driving-neighbors-6C10077835

toysrus how to carve a turkey ipad 2 wal mart happy thanksgiving Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012 Turkey Cooking Times

Perhaps there is hope for Great Britain (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/308705350?client_source=feed&format=rss

ibogaine jamie moyer bone cancer hossa the cell dickclark gavin degraw

EU struggles to end deadlock over Syria arms ban

By Adrian Croft and Justyna Pawlak

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain and Austria clashed on Monday over whether the European Union should ease an arms embargo to help Syrian rebels, threatening the unity of the bloc's Syria policy.

Britain and France are pushing hard for the easing of the arms embargo to support rebels ahead of a peace conference sponsored by the United States and Russia expected next month.

Austria leads the camp of five of the EU's 27 governments firmly opposed to sending arms that they believe could deepen the two-year-old Syrian conflict that has cost 80,000 lives.

All EU sanctions on Syria could collapse unless the EU can agree unanimously on what to do about the arms embargo before it expires on June 1.

The debate has gained urgency because of recent military gains by President Bashar al-Assad's troops and because of allegations of chemical weapons use by the government side.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, arriving for crucial EU talks on the issue, signaled that Britain was prepared to see EU sanctions fall apart rather than bow on his demand to give more support to rebels.

"It is important to be doing the right thing for Syria. That is more important than whether the EU is able to stick together on every detail of this," he told reporters.

If the EU could not have a unified sanctions policy, "each country will have to ensure it has its own sanctions," he said.

Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger was equally firm in ruling out arming the rebels.

"We should not let weapons talk in Syria but political representatives," he said. "I think the European Union has to hold the line ... We are a peace community. We would like to remain a peace community."

PEACE TALKS

Opponents say taking a decision now to allow arms to be sent to the rebels could undermine the planned peace conference.

Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said he and German counterpart Guido Westerwelle were leading the search for a compromise.

A paper drawn up by EU diplomats set out a possible compromise under which EU governments would agree to lift the arms embargo, but to suspend the lifting for a year, according to an EU diplomat.

But after two months, the EU would agree to look at the situation again and consider whether to lift the embargo immediately, the diplomat said. That would allow time to see whether the planned peace talks produced any results.

There could be a host of conditions agreed for lifting sanctions to meet the concerns of many governments that the weapons could end up falling into the hands of militants.

Ministers from five EU states opposed to amending the embargo - Austria, Sweden, Finland, Romania and the Czech Republic - met separately and agreed they could accept an extension of the arms ban for a shorter period than the current three months before reviewing it again, an EU diplomat said.

However, extending the arms embargo unchanged is unlikely to be acceptable to Britain.

Many other EU governments, while not keen to deepen the EU's involvement in the Syrian conflict, are open to a compromise to maintain EU unity on Syria.

Britain and France say they have no immediate plan to arm the rebels but argue that easing the EU embargo would strengthen the hand of the West and the opposition in the negotiations.

Austria has warned that it could stop patrolling the U.N. ceasefire line on the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria if the EU arms embargo was lifted.

While the rebels are receiving arms from Arab states through Jordan and Turkey, Western powers are concerned that Islamist militants fighting Assad could also use such weapons against them. The United States has also held back from supplying arms.

(Additional reporting by Claire Davenport, Rex Merrifield, Ilona Wissenbach in Brussels, Yesim Dikmen in Istanbul; editing by Mike Collett-White)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-struggles-end-deadlock-over-syria-arms-ban-115917315.html

joe kennedy iii joseph kennedy iii ghost hunters lightsquared david lee honduras prison fire do not call list

Samsung Galaxy S 4 mini peeks out of official app catalog in UK

Not convinced by leaks, pictures or user agent profiles? Maybe Samsung can convince you: the Galaxy S 4 mini is on the way. The phone still hasn't been officially announced, but UK users browsing the company's Content & Services app page can find the device among the catalog's sorting options. For now, the option is only appearing in the UK, matching rumors that the phone is bound for the same European markets as its predecessor. Check it out for yourself by following the source link below and clicking on the "display apps by device" tool.

Filed under: Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Via: RedmondPie

Source: Samsung

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/zQBuv2FhCZQ/

nba playoffs rosario dawson young jeezy world wildlife fund gsa keith olbermann andrew bynum