Report: NSA Plays Crucial Role In Drone Attacks

Basing its reporting on documents obtained by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, The Washington Post moved a story last night that details a close collaboration between the spy agency and the Central Intelligence Agency, when it conducts drone attacks against suspected terrorists.

As the Post reports this revelation may bolster the NSA's assertion that its controversial practice of collecting vast Internet data is used for the purpose of protecting the country. The documents, however, do not make specific mention of any of the surveillance programs revealed by the Snowden leaks.

The Post story details the 2012 targeted killing of Hassan Ghul, a close associate of Osama bin Laden, who outlined the courier network that eventually led to his capture.

The paper reports that an intercepted email from Ghul's wife gave enough detail that the CIA was able to order a drone strike against the suspected terrorist:

"In the search for targets, the NSA has draped a surveillance blanket over dozens of square miles of northwest Pakistan. In Ghul's case, the agency deployed an arsenal of cyber-espionage tools, secretly seizing control of laptops, siphoning audio files and other messages, and tracking radio transmissions to determine where Ghul might "bed down."

"The e-mail from Ghul's wife 'about her current living conditions' contained enough detail to confirm the coordinates of that household, according to a document summarizing the mission. 'This information enabled a capture/kill operation against an individual believed to be Hassan Ghul on October 1,' it said.

"The file is part of a collection of records in the Snowden trove that make clear that the drone campaign — often depicted as the CIA's exclusive domain — relies heavily on the NSA's ability to vacuum up enormous quantities of e-mail, phone calls and other fragments of signals intelligence, or SIGINT.

"To handle the expanding workload, the NSA created a secret unit known as the Counter-Terrorism Mission Aligned Cell, or CT MAC, to concentrate the agency's vast resources on hard-to-find terrorism targets. The unit spent a year tracking Ghul and his courier network, tunneling into an array of systems and devices, before he was killed. Without those penetrations, the document concluded, 'this opportunity would not have been possible.'"

The whole piece is worth a read; it's one of the most detailed looks at the controversial and mostly secret U.S. program of targeting and killing terror suspects.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/17/236372860/report-nsa-plays-crucial-role-in-drone-attacks?ft=1&f=
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US regions exhibit distinct personalities, research reveals

Public release date: 17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Lisa Bowen
lbowen@apa.org
202-336-5707
American Psychological Association

Some parts of country are conventional and friendly; others relaxed and creative

WASHINGTON Americans with similar temperaments are so likely to live in the same areas that a map of the country can be divided into regions with distinct personalities, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

People in the north-central Great Plains and the South tend to be conventional and friendly, those in the Western and Eastern seaboards lean toward being mostly relaxed and creative, while New Englanders and Mid-Atlantic residents are prone to being more temperamental and uninhibited, according to a study published online by APA's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

"This analysis challenges the standard methods of dividing up the country on the basis of economic factors, voting patterns, cultural stereotypes or geography that appear to have become ingrained in the way people think about the United States," said lead author Peter J. Rentfrow, PhD, of the University of Cambridge. "At the same time, it reinforces some of the traditional beliefs that some areas of the country are friendlier than others, while some are more creative."

The researchers analyzed the personality traits of more than 1.5 million people. Through various online forums/media (e.g., Facebook and survey panels), participants answered questions about their psychological traits and demographics, including their state of residence. The researchers identified three psychological profiles based on five broad dimensions of personality openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism also known as the "Big Five" personality traits. When the researchers overlaid the findings on a national map, they found certain psychological profiles were predominant in three distinct geographic areas. The data were collected over 12 years in five samples with participants from the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Overall, the samples were nationally representative in terms of gender and ethnicity, with the exception of a larger proportion of young people.

"These national clusters of personalities also relate to a region's politics, economy, social attitudes and health," Rentfrow said. The study found that people in the friendly and conventional regions are typically less affluent, less educated, more politically conservative, more likely to be Protestant and less healthy compared to people in the other regions. The relaxed and creative states' residents are more culturally and ethnically diverse, more liberal, wealthier, more educated, comparatively healthy and less likely to be Protestant than those living in other regions. The temperamental and uninhibited region has a larger proportion of women and older adults who are more affluent, politically liberal and unlikely to be Protestant.

As for what might have shaped the regional personalities, theories plus research on migration and social influence offer clues, the authors said. For instance, research has shown agreeableness is a trait often found in people who stay in their hometowns, and the analysis indicated that a large proportion of residents in the friendly and conventional region lived in the same state the year before. The relaxed and creative region may have been influenced by a frontier mentality that endures with lots of young people, professionals and immigrants moving to the region for educational and employment opportunities. In the temperamental and uninhibited region, significant numbers of people have moved away, and research has shown that people who move to another part of the country are typically high in openness and conscientiousness and low in neuroticism almost entirely the opposite of the temperamental and uninhibited profile. "Considering that the temperamental and uninhibited profile is marked by high neuroticism, it's reasonable to speculate that social influence might facilitate the spread of anxiety and irritability across the region," the study said.

The researchers analyzed personality data from people who voluntarily participated in website personality tests, the "My Personality" Facebook application and from an online survey that recruited participants using a design that mimics random digit dialing. To determine regional political, economic, social and health factors, they examined data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, state board of elections offices and the Association of Religion Data Archives.

###

Article: "Divided We Stand: Three Psychological Regions of the United States and Their Political, Economic, Social, and Health Correlates;" Peter J. Rentfrow, PhD, Michal Kosinski, MSc, and David J. Stillwell, PhD, Cambridge University; Samuel D. Gosling, PhD, University of Texas at Austin; Markus Jokela, PhD, University of Helsinski; and Jeff Potter, Atof Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, online Oct. 14, 2013.

Contact: Peter J. Rentfrow, PhD, at pjr39@cam.ac.uk or 011-44-1223-767-805

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 134,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.

http://www.apa.org

If you do not want to receive APA news releases, please let us know at public.affairs@apa.org or 202-336-5700.

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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: 17-Oct-2013
[


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Contact: Lisa Bowen
lbowen@apa.org
202-336-5707
American Psychological Association

Some parts of country are conventional and friendly; others relaxed and creative

WASHINGTON Americans with similar temperaments are so likely to live in the same areas that a map of the country can be divided into regions with distinct personalities, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

People in the north-central Great Plains and the South tend to be conventional and friendly, those in the Western and Eastern seaboards lean toward being mostly relaxed and creative, while New Englanders and Mid-Atlantic residents are prone to being more temperamental and uninhibited, according to a study published online by APA's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

"This analysis challenges the standard methods of dividing up the country on the basis of economic factors, voting patterns, cultural stereotypes or geography that appear to have become ingrained in the way people think about the United States," said lead author Peter J. Rentfrow, PhD, of the University of Cambridge. "At the same time, it reinforces some of the traditional beliefs that some areas of the country are friendlier than others, while some are more creative."

The researchers analyzed the personality traits of more than 1.5 million people. Through various online forums/media (e.g., Facebook and survey panels), participants answered questions about their psychological traits and demographics, including their state of residence. The researchers identified three psychological profiles based on five broad dimensions of personality openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism also known as the "Big Five" personality traits. When the researchers overlaid the findings on a national map, they found certain psychological profiles were predominant in three distinct geographic areas. The data were collected over 12 years in five samples with participants from the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Overall, the samples were nationally representative in terms of gender and ethnicity, with the exception of a larger proportion of young people.

"These national clusters of personalities also relate to a region's politics, economy, social attitudes and health," Rentfrow said. The study found that people in the friendly and conventional regions are typically less affluent, less educated, more politically conservative, more likely to be Protestant and less healthy compared to people in the other regions. The relaxed and creative states' residents are more culturally and ethnically diverse, more liberal, wealthier, more educated, comparatively healthy and less likely to be Protestant than those living in other regions. The temperamental and uninhibited region has a larger proportion of women and older adults who are more affluent, politically liberal and unlikely to be Protestant.

As for what might have shaped the regional personalities, theories plus research on migration and social influence offer clues, the authors said. For instance, research has shown agreeableness is a trait often found in people who stay in their hometowns, and the analysis indicated that a large proportion of residents in the friendly and conventional region lived in the same state the year before. The relaxed and creative region may have been influenced by a frontier mentality that endures with lots of young people, professionals and immigrants moving to the region for educational and employment opportunities. In the temperamental and uninhibited region, significant numbers of people have moved away, and research has shown that people who move to another part of the country are typically high in openness and conscientiousness and low in neuroticism almost entirely the opposite of the temperamental and uninhibited profile. "Considering that the temperamental and uninhibited profile is marked by high neuroticism, it's reasonable to speculate that social influence might facilitate the spread of anxiety and irritability across the region," the study said.

The researchers analyzed personality data from people who voluntarily participated in website personality tests, the "My Personality" Facebook application and from an online survey that recruited participants using a design that mimics random digit dialing. To determine regional political, economic, social and health factors, they examined data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, state board of elections offices and the Association of Religion Data Archives.

###

Article: "Divided We Stand: Three Psychological Regions of the United States and Their Political, Economic, Social, and Health Correlates;" Peter J. Rentfrow, PhD, Michal Kosinski, MSc, and David J. Stillwell, PhD, Cambridge University; Samuel D. Gosling, PhD, University of Texas at Austin; Markus Jokela, PhD, University of Helsinski; and Jeff Potter, Atof Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, online Oct. 14, 2013.

Contact: Peter J. Rentfrow, PhD, at pjr39@cam.ac.uk or 011-44-1223-767-805

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 134,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.

http://www.apa.org

If you do not want to receive APA news releases, please let us know at public.affairs@apa.org or 202-336-5700.

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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/2013-10/apa-ure101613.php
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Samsung's curved Galaxy Round phone reportedly won't be available to the rest of the world anytime soon

Last week, Samsung broke ahead of the curved AMOLED pack with the introduction of its potato chip shaped Galaxy Round phone. Spec-wise, the phone is basically a Galaxy Note 3, but with a slight length-wise bend that users can push on for a new level of UI.

Unfortunately for those harboring dreams of getting their hands on a warped and wobbly handset, SamMobile is reporting that an unnamed "insider" says that the Round is only a prototype with a strictly limited run for the Korean market.

We have reached out to Samsung for comment.

Still, not all hope is lost for those in the market for a phone doing a sit-up! LG's all-but-official curved G-Flex is widely expected to make its debut next week.

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Source: http://www.techhive.com/article/2055584/samsungs-curved-galaxy-round-phone-reportedly-wont-be-available-to-the-rest-of-the-world-anytime-so.html#tk.rss_all
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Safety violations by site at US nuclear plants

Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, in Londenderry Township near Middletown, Pa., is shown from across the Susquehanna River near York Haven, Pa., Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. On March 28, 1979 TMI Unit 2, left set of cooling towers, suffered a partial meltdown. (AP Photo/John Zeedick)

Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, in Londenderry Township near Middletown, Pa., is shown from across the Susquehanna River near York Haven, Pa., Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. On March 28, 1979 TMI Unit 2, left set of cooling towers, suffered a partial meltdown. (AP Photo/John Zeedick)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 file photo, a replacement reactor head and assembly is displayed in a storage building at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio. According to an unreleased Government Accountability Office report obtained by The Associated Press, the facility had 14 higher-level violations and 201 lower-level violations between 2000-2012. The Midwest region as a whole, with 24 reactors, had 3,148 lower-level violations, for a rate of 131.2 per reactor. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

      The number of lower-level safety violations per reactor at U.S. commercial nuclear power plants shows extraordinary differences among U.S. regions, pointing to inconsistent enforcement, according to an unreleased Government Accountability Office report obtained by The Associated Press. Higher-level violations are more uniform across the regions.

Here are violations between 2000 and the end of 2012 by plant site and region:

NORTHEAST REGION

BEAVER VALLEY, Shippingport, Pa.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 113

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 116

___

CALVERT CLIFFS, Lusby, Md.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 140

Higher-level violations: 7

Total violations: 147

___

HOPE CREEK, Hancocks Bridge, N.J.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 176

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 178

___

INDIAN POINT, Buchanan, N.Y.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 380

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 384

___

FITZPATRICK, Lycoming, N.Y.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 115

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 116

___

LIMERICK, Philadelphia

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 110

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 114

___

MILLSTONE, Waterford, Conn.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 173

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 175

___

NINE MILE POINT, Lycoming, N.Y.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 140

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 143

___

OYSTER CREEK, Forked River, N.J.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 153

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 156

___

PEACH BOTTOM, Philadelphia

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 131

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 135

___

PILGRIM, Plymouth, Mass.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 108

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 110

___

GINNA, Ontario, N.Y.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 111

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 115

___

SALEM, Hancocks Bridge, N.J.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 179

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 181

___

SEABROOK, Seabrook, N.H.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 85

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 88

___

SUSQUEHANNA, Allentown, Pa.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 175

Higher-level violations: 5

Total violations: 180

___

THREE MILE ISLAND, Middletown, Pa.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 126

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 128

___

VERMONT YANKEE, Vernon, Vt.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 103

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 106

___

NORTHEAST REGION TOTALS

Lower-level violations: 2,518

Higher-level violations: 54

Total violations: 2,572

___

SOUTHEAST REGION

BROWNS FERRY, Decatur, Ala.

Reactors: 3

Lower-level violations: 135

Higher-level violations: 6

Total violations: 141

___

BRUNSWICK, Southport, N.C.

Reactor: 2

Lower-level violations: 93

Higher-level violations: 5

Total violations: 98

___

CATAWBA, York, S.C.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 98

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 100

___

CRYSTAL RIVER, Crystal River, Fla., closed in 2013

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 60

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 62

___

FARLEY, Ashford, Ala.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 96

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 100

___

HATCH, Baxley, Ga.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 87

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 90

___

MCGUIRE, Cornelius, N.C.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 119

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 120

___

NORTH ANNA, Mineral, Va.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 115

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 116

___

OCONEE, Seneca, S.C.

Reactors: 3

Lower-level violations: 163

Higher-level violations: 14

Total violations: 177

___

ROBINSON, Hartsville, S.C.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 72

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 75

___

ST. LUCIE, Jensen Beach, Fla.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 117

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 118

___

SEQUOYAH, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 123

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 125

___

HARRIS, Raleigh, N.C.

Reactor: 1

Lower-level violations: 90

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 94

___

SURRY, Surry, Va.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 92

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 95

___

TURKEY POINT, Miami

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 106

Higher-level violations: 5

Total violations: 111

___

SUMMER, Jenkinsville, S.C.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 114

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 118

___

VOGTLE, Waynesboro, Ga.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 75

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 76

___

WATTS BAR, Spring City, Tenn.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 130

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 133

___

SOUTHEAST REGION TOTALS

Lower-level violations: 1,885

Higher-level violations: 64

Total violations: 1,949

___

MIDWEST REGION

BRAIDWOOD, Braceville, Ill.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 178

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations:181

___

BYRON, Byron, Ill.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 182

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 185

___

CLINTON, Clinton, Ill.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 149

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 152

___

DAVIS-BESSE, Oak Harbor, Ohio

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 201

Higher-level violations: 14

Total violations: 215

___

COOK, Bridgman, Mich.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 168

Higher-level violations: 11

Total violations: 179

___

DRESDEN, Morris, Ill.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 241

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 245

___

DUANE ARNOLD, Palo, Iowa.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 162

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 166

___

FERMI, Newport, Mich.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 160

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 161

___

KEWAUNEE, Kewaunee, Wis., closed in 2013

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 256

Higher-level violations: 9

Total violations: 265

___

LASALLE, Marseilles, Ill.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 136

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 138

___

MONTICELLO, Monticello, Minn.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 154

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 155

___

PALISADES, Covert, Mich.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 226

Higher-level violations: 8

Total violations: 234

___

PERRY, Perry, Ohio

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 256

Higher-level violations: 8

Total violations: 264

___

POINT BEACH, Two Rivers, Wis.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 276

Higher-level violations: 13

Total violations: 289

___

PRAIRIE ISLAND, Welch, Minn.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 186

Higher-level violations: 7

Total violations: 193

___

QUAD CITIES, Cordova, Ill.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 217

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 219

___

MIDWEST REGION TOTALS

Lower-level violations: 3,148

Higher-level violations: 93

Total violations: 3,241

___

WEST REGION

ARKANSAS ONE, Russellville, Ark.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 234

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 235

___

CALLAWAY, Fulton, Mo.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 225

Higher-level violations: 7

Total violations: 232

___

COLUMBIA, Richland, Wash.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 183

Higher-level violations: 4

Total violations: 187

___

COMANCHE PEAK, Glen Rose, Texas

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 157

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 159

___

COOPER, Brownville, Neb.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 363

Higher-level violations: 11

Total violations: 374

___

DIABLO CANYON, Avila Beach, Calif.

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 228

Higher-level violations: 0

Total violations: 228

___

FORT CALHOUN, Fort Calhoun, Neb.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 219

Higher-level violations: 8

Total violations: 227

___

GRAND GULF, Port Gibson, Miss.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 219

Higher-level violations: 0

Total violations: 219

___

PALO VERDE, Wintersburg, Ariz.

Reactors: 3

Lower-level violations: 299

Higher-level violations: 5

Total violations: 304

___

RIVER BEND, St. Francisville, La.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 240

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 242

___

SAN ONOFRE, San Clemente, Calif., closed in 2013

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 255

Higher-level violations: 2

Total violations: 257

___

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, Wadsworth, Texas

Reactors: 2

Lower-level violations: 151

Higher-level violations: 0

Total violations: 151

___

WATERFORD, Killona, La.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 186

Higher-level violations: 3

Total violations: 189

___

WOLF CREEK, Burlington, Kan.

Reactors: 1

Lower-level violations: 266

Higher-level violations: 1

Total violations: 267

___

WEST REGION TOTALS

Lower-level violations: 3,225

Higher-level violations: 46

Total violations: 3,271

___

NATIONAL TOTALS

Lower-level violations: 10,776

Higher-level violations: 257

Total violations: 11,033

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-15-Nuclear%20Safety-Plant%20Sites/id-63825e635bc0493180b2ea4df54b12c8
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A Lightweight Backpack Made From Fabric That's 10X Stronger Than Steel

If you're not the type to take care of your belongings, you might want to check out Outlier's new Minimal Backpack when you're on the hunt for a new bag. You can think of it as the Tonka truck of carry-alls, except that instead of metal it's actually made from a lightweight fabric called Dyneema that has a strength-to-weight ratio that's about ten to fifteen times stronger than steel.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/-AUpdlF-FJM/a-lightweight-backpack-made-from-fabric-thats-10x-stro-1446382929
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Short-term debt deal won't mask big barriers ahead

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hold the champagne.

Even after lawmakers complete their pending deal to avert a federal default and fully reopen the government, they are likely to return to their grinding brand of brinkmanship — perhaps repeatedly.

Wednesday's self-congratulations notwithstanding, congressional talks are barely touching the underlying causes of debt-and-spending stalemates that pushed the country close to economic crises in 2011, last December and again this month.

At best, lawmakers and the White House will agree to fund the government and raise the debt limit for only a few months. They also will call for yet another bipartisan effort to address the federal debt's major causes, including restricted revenue growth and entitlement benefits that rise automatically.

And yet, top advocates say they've seen virtually no change in the political dynamics that stymied past efforts for a compromise to end the cycle of brinksmanship and threats to harm the economy.

Republicans still adamantly oppose tax increases. Powerful interest groups and many Democrats still fiercely oppose cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits. And congressional rules still tempt lawmakers to threaten economic havoc — by sending the nation into default — if the opposing party doesn't yield to their demands.

"We're probably going to have to go through this a few more times," said Bob Bixby of the bipartisan Concord Coalition, which advocates budget reforms. Even if a compromise plan this month wins House, Senate and White House approval, Bixby said, it will leave fundamental problems that "they haven't done anything to address."

Henry J. Aaron, a Brookings Institution scholar who supports unprecedented legal action to avert future debt showdowns, agreed that three or four months of breathing room is a small victory. "If all we achieve is a repetition of this charade," Aaron said, "we will not have achieved much."

The political landscape is littered with once-hopeful bipartisan efforts to reach a "grand bargain" — or even a modest bargain — to slow the growth of the nation's $16.7 trillion debt and to make spending and revenue trends more sustainable.

There was the Simpson-Bowles plan, first issued in 2010, and revised early this year. The revised version called for about $1.3 trillion in new revenues over 10 years, from various sources (about half the original plan's target). It would slow the growth rate of Social Security benefits and raise the eligibility age. It would limit popular tax deductions such as those for charitable gifts and mortgage interest.

The Simpson-Bowles plan remains widely praised nationwide, and largely ignored in Congress.

Then there were the 2011 secret talks between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Boehner suggested $800 billion in new revenues over 10 years — less than Obama wanted — in exchange for widespread spending cuts, including curbs on Medicare and Social Security.

It was never clear whether Obama could have pushed the plan through the Democratic-controlled Senate. It didn't matter, because Boehner's GOP colleagues vehemently objected when details leaked, and the talks collapsed. Efforts last year to revive negotiations also failed.

A bipartisan congressional "supercommittee" fared no better. Both parties had agreed to supposedly unbearable "sequester" spending cuts to goad each other into big compromises to find a better way. But negotiations faltered and the clumsy-by-design sequester cuts — automatic and across the board — became law this year.

All these efforts failed for the same basic reasons. Liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, would have had to swallow painful concessions that they don't believe are warranted. The lure of the "common good" couldn't match the power of sharply partisan regions and districts whose voters vow to punish lawmakers who compromise.

Republicans oppose higher taxes, even though today's taxation levels are relatively low, historically. Democrats oppose curbs in the growth of Medicare and Social Security, even though analysts for years have said the automatic growth of these "entitlement" programs is unsustainable long-term.

Americans are accustomed to relatively high levels of government service at relatively low levels of taxation. Millions are unwilling to undo that arrangement in pursuit of deficit reduction.

That makes it easier for powerful, well-financed groups to resist almost any change in government programs or taxes that favor them.

"We've been extremely adamant that Social Security shouldn't be part of this discussion at all," said David Certner, legislative counsel for AARP, the big lobbying group for seniors. Social Security has its own funding source — a payroll tax — Certner said, and it must not "become a piggybank for other programs."

As for Medicare, Certner said, he has never seen so many AARP members loudly declaring, "these are my benefits, I've paid into them over the years," and they must not be reduced.

Countless other interest groups take similarly unyielding stands, say lawmakers and advocates on all sides of the debate. Bixby said such groups "will never be part of a solution."

The bipartisan budget conferees envisioned in the tentative congressional agreement may start with fairly small ambitions, such as looking for ways to replace some of the more painful "sequester" cuts with spending reductions elsewhere. It's not clear whether that would avert another government shutdown and default threat in a few months.

The best hope, Bixby said, is to somehow find "a centrist coalition to pass something" that includes new revenues and curbs to entitlements. But so far, he said, "the consensus has been to shut down rather than compromise."

With a bipartisan accord so hard to reach, some advocates say the president and the courts must find a way to stop congressional factions from extracting concessions from the president's party by threatening a default on U.S. obligations. Aaron said it's legally contradictory to empower Congress to enact spending laws and then threaten to block the higher borrowing cap needed to pay the bills lawmakers incurred.

Aaron wrote in The New York Times, "Failure to raise the debt will force the president to break a law — the only question is which one." The Constitution, he said, requires the president to spend what Congress tells him to spend, collect only those taxes Congress approves "and to borrow no more than Congress authorizes."

Aaron says Obama should ignore the debt ceiling if Congress refuses to lift it in time. The White House rejects that idea, and even Aaron concedes it probably would trigger an impeachment and massive court challenge.

Rep. John Fleming, R-La., summed up the challenge any new bipartisan conferees will face. Asked how the two parties might reach an accord, Fleming suggested Democrats must cave.

"America is catching on to the fact that we have a president who seems unlikely to solve America's problems," he said. "We have two totally different visions of America."

___

Follow Charles Babington on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cbabington

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/short-term-debt-deal-wont-mask-big-barriers-070315966--finance.html
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Ariana Grande Shows Off Her FABOOSH Vocals In Performances For Jimmy Kimmel Live! Watch Them HERE!!!

Ariana Grande performed on the Sony Outdoor Stage for Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and was absolutely stunning!!!

Gurlfriend is like a mini Mariah Carey!

Well, no one will ever be able to be as divalicious as MC, but Ariana is pretty darn close!!

Seriously though, her vocals are FLAWLESS!! Color us impressed!

The cutie crooner performed her hit song The Way and her next single Right Here.

We wonder if her beyond cay-ute boyfriend Nathan Sykes of The Wanted was on-stage somewhere watching her! The two have been inseparable since they announced that they were dating.

It's ADORBSIES!

We're also SUPER happy that the pair haven't let a fame monger affect their relationship!

Keep up the cuteness, you two!!

Ch-ch-check out Ariana's performance of Right Here…AFTER THE JUMP!!!

Tags: ariana grande, boyfriend, cuteness, cutie, dating, flawless, happy, impressed, jimmy kimmel, jimmy kimmel live, mariah carey, music minute, nathan sykes, performance, relationship, sony, stage, the wanted, tv news, vocals

Source: http://perezhilton.com/2013-10-16-ariana-grande-performs-the-way-right-here-jimmy-kimmel-live
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House Republicans to pass own debt limit plan on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the House of Representatives on Tuesday hope to pass their own version of legislation to reopen the federal government that would differ from a plan now emerging from Senate negotiations, Republican lawmakers and aides said.

The Republican version would be similar to the Senate plan but would include two key concessions on "Obamacare" health reforms, said Republican Representative Darrell Issa. These include a two-year delay of a tax on medical devices that helps fund insurance subsidies as well as a requirement that Congress and top Obama administration cabinet officials obtain health coverage under the program.

Aides said the House plan calls for an extension of government funding at current levels through January 15 and an extension of borrowing authority through February 7. Issa said the House version would not allow the U.S. Treasury to renew its extraordinary cash management measures, which could stretch borrowing capacity for months.

(Reporting By David Lawder; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-republicans-pass-own-debt-limit-plan-tuesday-141056011--business.html
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'Fifty Shades': Charlie Hunnam's Script Showdown and the Chaotic Final Days

In the wake of Charlie Hunnam's abrupt departure from "Fifty Shades of Grey," the studio is left to scramble desperately for another actor to star opposite Dakota Johnson.

This story first appeared in the Oct. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

Universal Pictures and Focus Features haven't yet resorted to posting a woman-seeking-man personal ad on Craigslist. But in the wake of Charlie Hunnam's abrupt departure from Fifty Shades of Grey -- after what sources say was increasing conflict with the high-profile film's creative team -- the studio is left to scramble desperately for another actor to star opposite Dakota Johnson in the role of billionaire S&M fan Christian Grey so the project can meet a looming Nov. 1 start date.

PHOTOS: Stars Misaligned: Charlie Hunnam Quits 'Fifty Shades' and 15 Other Casting Near-Misses 

Universal chairman Donna Langley, producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and author EL James are said to have drafted a list of four men they want to read for the role. Although the list is being kept under NSA-level secrecy, THR.com revealed Oct. 13 that British TV stars Jamie Dornan, 31, and Christian Cooke, 26, are among the targets. Both actors came close to capturing the part the first time around but lost to Hunnam because the Sons of Anarchy star is a bigger name. (True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard also is being considered.)

Dornan could be emerging as a front-runner. Born in Northern Ireland, he's a former Calvin Klein model, dated Keira Knightley for two years and played Sheriff Graham on the first season of ABC's Once Upon a Time. According to a source, Dornan was contacted by Langley even before Hunnam officially dropped out Oct. 12. But a Dornan confidant says no overtures had been made at press time to the actor, who stars in British series The Fall, on which he plays a killer terrorizing Belfast. The fact that Dornan's wife, actress-singer Amelia Warner, is pregnant also could complicate matters.

PHOTOS: Top 10 Fan Favorites for the Cast of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' 

The last thing Universal wants is another actor to emerge as its Fifty Shades protagonist only to waffle. The studio is reeling over Hunnam's exit less than three weeks before the start of production. Sources say his discomfort with the hoopla around the project had been mounting for at least four weeks before he bailed, which officially was blamed on his Sons schedule not allowing him time to prepare (the FX series wraps production Oct. 21). After signing Sept. 2, Hunnam faced a public frenzy on social media sites, where fans of the book congregated to fawn over and complain about his casting. Universal was forced to hire bodyguards for the actor at a recent Sons premiere, and two appearances to promote the show were canceled -- one at Goulet Motosports in Hawkesbury, Ontario, on Sept. 14, and one at Rocky's Harley-Davidson in London, Ontario, on Oct. 13.

In addition, Hunnam, who also is a writer (he penned the gothic horror screenplay Vlad for Brad Pitt's Plan B and Summit Entertainment), is said to have submitted his own very detailed script notes on Kelly Marcel's adaptation of the runaway best-seller. The notes were well received, according to sources, but that only led to Hunnam seeking further script approval, which was denied. "That's Charlie, that's who he is. He's particular," says one source.

STORY: Charlie Hunnam Drops Out of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Movie 

According to another source, Hunnam, who was to be paid about $125,000 for the film, began butting heads with the creative team, including Taylor-Johnson. The conflict reached a fever pitch in early October, though everyone involved thought the issues had been resolved. But the discord spiked again Oct. 11. Hunnam's team at CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners strongly advised him to stay on the project for fear that his exit would embarrass Langley -- new to the chairman job -- and burn a bridge with one of the major studios. That same day, Universal hired writer Patrick Marber -- no stranger to taboo sex themes with his Oscar-nominated screenplay Notes on a Scandal -- to do a polish and bolster the characters. But by then, Hunnam, whose heart it seems never was in the project, had decided to decamp. The next morning, the studio announced his departure, and James tweeted, "I wish Charlie all the best." Universal and CAA declined comment.

Hunnam isn't the first actor to have doubts about playing the dungeon-loving Christian Grey. James' first choice, Robert Pattinson, never engaged with producers. Garrett Hedlund was heavily courted this summer and even received an informal offer, but the Tron: Legacy star passed in July because he couldn't connect with the character. Now he is in Australia to shoot the Angelina Jolie-directed Unbroken.

EXCLUSIVE: 'Fifty Shades' Movie Hires Writer for Script Work

Fortunately for Universal, its leading lady, Johnson, 24, remains firmly in place, ready to take on the virgin-turned-sexpert Anastasia Steele, a role that has greater dimension than the Grey character. But with the clock ticking, the start of production likely will need to be pushed back at least a week. Still, the studio says it remains committed to making its Aug. 1, 2014, release date.

For her part, the ever-involved James (she has approval rights on cast) is in Los Angeles the week of Oct. 14 as the hunt for a new Christian Grey continues. As the author writes no fewer than 44 times in Fifty Shades: "Oh my."

Borys Kit contributed to this report.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/news/~3/sUPVRc7sw5M/fifty-shades-charlie-hunnams-script-648778
Tags: Gta V Cheats   obama speech   pharrell   Vma Miley Cyrus   Solheim Cup 2013  

Six new Chevy models get support for Siri's Eyes Free mode

Siri's clearly found hitching lifts in Chevy's Spark and Sonic cars comfortable, as it's now planning road trips in several of the company's other rides. Apple's virtual assistant will now partner with MyLink infotainment systems in 2014 editions of the Camaro, Cruze, Equinox, Malibu, SS and Volt, ...

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CArUD4ADiw0/
Category: Avril Lavigne   courtney stodden   Manny Diaz   NFL.com   Nexus 4  

New York Comic Con Cosplay: See The Sexiest And Most Elaborate Costumes

Our friends at Guy Code hit NYCC to find the most amazing costumes on the con floor.


By Alex Zalben, photos by Colin Douglas Ray

Source:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1715601/new-york-comic-con-2013-cosplay-costumes.jhtml

Category: Beyond Two Souls   Voyager 1   james franco   Katy Perry Vma 2013   Win McMurry  

HTC pins hopes on China to avoid becoming the next Nokia

Its fortunes in the West having stumbled, HTC is looking to the massive China smartphone market to keep it in business.

The shift was evident Tuesday when HTC picked Beijing to unveil the HTC One Max, in a departure from major launch events in the past, which were held in the U.S. and Europe.

"This market is so important," Jack Tong, HTC's China president, said on the sidelines of the event. China is "the biggest market in the world," he said. "We are making China our home market."

Based on the island of Taiwan, HTC is right next to the Chinese mainland. But long before China emerged as the world's biggest smartphone market, HTC had decided to focus its efforts on the U.S. The strategy paid off at first, and HTC's Android handsets led the U.S. market as recently as 2011, with about 20 percent of devices sold.

But HTC's business started to decline the next year, pushed out by more popular devices from Apple and Samsung, and HTC now has just 9 percent of the U.S. market. The poor sales have strained its finances, and earlier this month it reported its first net loss in a decade.

The outlook appears bleak for the Taiwanese firm: Nokia and Motorola ran into financial trouble and ended up being bought out, and BlackBerry too is seeking a buyer. There has been speculation and rumors that HTC could face the same fate.

But on Tuesday, HTC put on an optimistic face to unveil its new handset, a 5.9-inch phablet called the HTC One Max.

The device comes with a fingerprint scanner, like Apple's iPhone 5s. But another key selling point for HTC is the device's support for China's upcoming 4G LTE networks, which could be switched on as soon as the end of this year.

"This is the first LTE-enabled big-screen phone for the country," Tong said. "We hope to offer high-end phones that can complement the coming era of 4G."

In targeting China, HTC is aiming for a market that could see 240 million smartphones being sold this year, almost twice as many as in the U.S., according to research firm Canalys.

The growth has been so robust that since last year's second quarter, China became HTC's largest market for smartphones, but still not enough to turn its fortunes around.

HTC has said it's becoming recognized as a high-end brand in China, but its market share is still so small it doesn't make the top 10 rankings for vendors there, according to Nicole Peng, an analyst with the research firm Canalys.

Standing in its way is a small army of entrenched rivals, many of them local. Samsung and Apple are the only foreign vendors to have established a significant share of the market, with the rest dominated by Lenovo, Huawei and smaller domestic companies.

Complicating matters is that demand in the country is being driven by low-end Android phones, some sold for 1000 yuan (US$163) or cheaper. Historically, HTC has gone in the opposite direction and sold high-priced phones. Its other flagship handset, the HTC One, starts at 4488 yuan without subsidies.

HTC has offered some phones for price-conscious buyers since it entered the Chinese market in 2010, and on Tuesday it did so again. Alongside the One Max it unveiled several new midrange phones in its Desire series. The handsets range from 1500 yuan to more than 2000 yuan and will launch soon.

The lower-end phones recall comments by HTC CEO Peter Chou in July, when he said HTC would introduce new midtier and entry-level phones as a way to regain market share.

But selling lower-end handsets can only go so far in supporting a smartphone business. Rivals such as ZTE have conceded that profits in the Chinese market can be hard to generate, when popular low-end phones yield thin margins.

As a result, ZTE is trying to boost its profits selling higher-end phones in the U.S. -- the opposite recovery strategy of HTC. But unlike the Taiwanese company, ZTE has a bigger business in networking that can help bankroll its smartphone efforts. The same is true for Lenovo, a PC vendor, whose smartphone business in China only recently became profitable.

HTC's real challenge might be to achieve visibility in a market that has more than 100 smartphone brands. It's relying on China to sell more handsets but the local competition is strong, said Melissa Chau, an analyst with research firm IDC.

"It faces a very real risk of being lost amongst all the Android players," she said.

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Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2055080/htc-pins-hopes-on-china-to-avoid-becoming-the-next-nokia.html#tk.rss_all
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