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Page last updated at 13:13 GMT, Thursday, 14 January 2010

Delhi's homeless fight bitter cold and apathy

By Gayathri Sreedharan
BBC News, Delhi

Homeless in Delhi
It's a struggle to remain warm in the winter nights

Shetty Chauhan, 60, died on the night of 12 January near a busy traffic roundabout in central Delhi.

He had been ill with a heavy cold for eight days.

Sitting on rubble next to his body just hours after he died, his wife Kamla explained that he had stopped eating and drinking tea prior to his death.

When an ambulance took Shetty away, he was dressed in a light sweater and a pair of cotton pyjamas and wrapped in a thin blanket - hardly enough to beat temperatures plummeting at night to as low as 5C.

Kamla, homeless in Delhi
Kamla's husband died from cold

This is the second death at Delhi's Pusa Road since 22 December when the civic authorities razed to the ground a temporary shelter for the homeless.

The first casualty was Bheema, 36, a balloon seller who lived with his mother at the roundabout, on the night of 31 December.

There are about 50 homeless people living here - they include families with children, some with infants barely a year old.

'No warning'

For the last three years, the Delhi government has built temporary shelters for the homeless at Pusa road.

But a few weeks later the tents were brought down forcibly and, this group of homeless people alleges, without warning.

And the deaths have made them angry, with many of them spilling out on to the road to block traffic.

The protesters begin to wail loudly and chant: "Down with the Delhi government, down with the police."

Their voices are hoarse, noses running. And their screams are short lived, as it gets tougher to shout as the night gets colder.

Both the day and night time temperatures across northern India have plummeted several degrees below what is normal for this time of year.

While the cold in Delhi can hardly compare to that in northern Europe or America, Indian homes are unprepared for the winter without central heating - a regular feature in buildings in the West.

For the homeless, the situation is worse - media reports say this winter more than 350 people have died of the cold in north India.

Add to this Delhi's drive to spruce itself up before the Commonwealth Games in October.

Assistant Commissioner with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Rakesh Mehta, is in charge of demolitions in central Delhi.

Delhi fog
North India has been unusually cold and foggy this winter

He says he is helpless over the plight of the homeless at Pusa Road.

"We tried to rehabilitate them. We asked them to move to a shelter that is just 500 yards away from where they live now, but they refused to budge.

"On the other hand, we have orders from the Delhi government to "clean up" before the Games. What could we do? We had no other option [than to demolish their shelter]."

Both Bheema and Shetty have left behind ageing women who are hardly capable of fending for themselves - they do not work and were dependent on the men of the family.

Nearly all the adults and some of the children here sell balloons and trinkets at the traffic lights, work in roadside tea stalls or beg to earn a living.

Their average wages per day are around 50 rupees (about $1).

'In shock'

"Bheema took very good care of his mother. He would ensure she got a hot meal, had a cup of tea. He would bring firewood to burn at night in order to keep her warm.

"Now she is in shock. She won't talk to anyone, she doesn't eat or drink. There is nobody else left to take care of her. She is 75 and we are worried she'll fall ill too," says 36-year-old Dashrath.

He had known Bheema since the time they left their native Karnataka state to find work in Delhi after their village was struck by famine.

Homeless in Delhi
Among the homeless are many young children

Dashrath himself has tuberculosis - he is too weak to travel for treatment, so he waits for a weekly mobile hospital to drive by and give him free medication.

A little distance away, the homeless have gathered around a large fire, built with old clothes.

A young man explains: "None of us had enough money for firewood tonight."

A day after Shetty's death, the Delhi high court asked the civic authorities to explain why shelters for the homeless had been demolished.

The court asked for a formal reply by 18 January.

The homeless, however, say they are the last on the list of priorities for the government.

For them, it's as much a struggle to keep warm on a cold winter night as it is to fight the government apathy.

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In pictures: India cold snap
04 Jan 10 |  In Pictures
'Dozens die' in India cold wave
04 Jan 10 |  South Asia
Nearly 150 die in India cold wave
30 Dec 03 |  South Asia
A bleak winter for India's homeless
30 Dec 03 |  South Asia

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BBC News
watch One-Minute World News
Last Updated: Sunday, 2 April 2006, 05:03 GMT 06:03 UK
MoD denies Iran military meeting
Iranian technicians
Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful means
Reports that military officers will meet government officials on Monday to discuss possible US-led military action against Iran have been denied.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said there was no truth whatsoever in the claims, made in the Sunday Telegraph.

BBC Defence Correspondent Paul Wood said US plans for a possible strike are thought to be at an advanced stage.

But US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US was "committed" to dealing with Iran diplomatically.

She told ITV1's Jonathan Dimbleby programme: "We believe that diplomacy has a chance to work but we are going to work with whomever we can, in whatever form we can, diplomatically, to try and bring the Iranians around.

There is well sourced and persistent speculation that American covert activities aimed at Iran are already underway
Paul Wood

"Iran is not Iraq. I know that's what's on people's minds. The circumstances are different."

She added: "However, the president of the United States doesn't take his options off the table."

UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who was also interviewed on the programme, said: "We are working very hard to resolve this by diplomatic means."

He conceded UN Security Council member Russia was "anxious" about Iran.

"They are worried about the possibility of the Iranians stirring up trouble for them, but they also share our high suspicions that Iran may be using its civil nuclear capability to develop a nuclear weapon and they do not want that," he said.

'No briefing'

The BBC's Paul Wood pointed out that many defence analysts expected that British military officials would have a wide range of contingency plans available including one for a possible US air strike on Iran.

"There is no sense that such a strike is imminent, however there is well sourced and persistent speculation that American covert activities aimed at Iran are already underway," he said.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that "a high-level meeting will take place on Monday in the Ministry of Defence at which senior defence chiefs and government officials will consider the consequences of an attack on Iran."

The newspaper stated that senior military officials would attend the meeting, along with officials from the Foreign Office and Downing Street.

In addition to denying that there would be any such meeting, the MoD said: "There will be no briefing of the prime minister and the Cabinet office in this regard, nor are there any plans for such a briefing."

Last week the five permanent members of the UN Security Council gave Iran 30 days to suspend uranium enrichment or face isolation.

According to the newspaper report, "an American-led attack, designed to destroy Iran's ability to develop a nuclear bomb, is 'inevitable' if Tehran's leaders fail to comply with United Nations demands".

Tehran insists its nuclear activities are peaceful and has rejected the council's demand.

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Page last updated at 17:16 GMT, Tuesday, 16 June 2009 18:16 UK

Light sensors cause religious row

A couple have taken legal action after claiming motion sensors installed at their holiday flat in Dorset breached their rights as Orthodox Jews.

Gordon and Dena Coleman said they cannot leave or enter their Bournemouth flat on the Sabbath because the hallway sensors automatically switch on lights.

The couple's religious code bans lights and other electrical equipment being switched on during Jewish holidays.

They have now issued a county court writ claiming religious discrimination.

They also claim breach of their rights under the Equality Act 2006 and Human Rights Act 1998 and the case is due to be heard at Bournemouth County Court next month.

It has gone further than it should have done, I think they have jumped the gun

The light sensors were installed at Embassy Court in Gervis Road to save money and energy but the couple, who live in Hertfordshire, felt they breached their religious rules.

Dr Coleman and her husband offered to pay for an override switch as a compromise but Embassy Court Management Company rejected this and the couple took legal advice.

They have said they will drop the legal action if an override switch is installed and their legal costs and compensation are paid.

The firm said almost all residents supported the installation of the sensors and taking legal action was the Colemans' "prerogative".

Other residents in the block of 35 flats, who could end up having to pay legal costs, are upset.

Neighbours meeting

One of them, who did not wish to be named but attended a management meeting last week with the couple, said: "For some time there has been discussions around here about the lights being on all day, which is crazy.

"Light sensors mean the lights only come on when you require them to be on, which is common sense.

"This couple are observant Jews. They have a religious problem with this.

"It has gone further than it should have done, I think they have jumped the gun.

"They did come to a meeting and put their point of view forward.

"The general view was that despite any differences the matter should be resolved as quickly as we can.

"It just seems to have been blown out of all proportion."

In a letter to the other residents, the couple said they sought legal help because the sensor lights meant they would never again have full use of their flat.

They also said that their solicitors told them they had a strong claim.

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Page last updated at 16:08 GMT, Wednesday, 25 November 2009

New Holyrood powers planned after Calman review

composit of pictures, drinking, speeding, money and airgun
Powers over drink-drive limits and speeding could be handed over

Plans to give new tax-raising powers to the Scottish Parliament have been outlined by the UK government, as part of a radical shake-up of devolution.

Scottish secretary Jim Murphy said the 10-year-old parliament had been a success, but it was now time to make it more financially accountable.

He told the Commons powers in other areas would be devolved - but that may not happen for another six years.

The Scottish government said Scotland's real future lay with independence.

The Scottish secretary's statement came after a commitment in the Queen's Speech to respond to the findings of the Calman Commission review of devolution.

The proposals, set out in a white paper, would also see powers to control airguns and set drink-drive and speed limits devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Jim Murphy Calman statement: From BBC Democracy Live

Mr Murphy said a new Scotland Bill would be published after the General Election if Labour was returned to power, and would become law before the Holyrood elections in 2015.

He told MPs: "Scotland has two parliaments - this parliament, which remains an important symbol of the UK and which continues to have vital daily relevance in Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, which has firmly established itself over the last decade in Scottish hearts and minds.

"Since the first day of devolution, the Scottish government has been accountable for how it spends taxpayers' money - under today's proposals, they will also be held to account for how they raise it."

Under the plans outlined by the Scottish secretary, Westminster would cut income tax by 10p in Scotland and reduce the Treasury block grant, leaving it to Holyrood to make up the difference.

In addition, three other taxes - stamp duty, aggregates levy and landfill - would also be devolved, with a corresponding £500m cut in the block grant.

'Flimsy' paper

The UK government would give new powers to Holyrood on capital borrowing, with Scotland having to repay the cash through increasing tax.

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said the powers could be devolved now, and accused UK ministers of delay.

He asked Mr Murphy: "What explanation will you give to a mother or father, to a family of a victim, who could have been saved from harm but wasn't because the UK government didn't act for a year?"

Shadow Scottish Secretary David Mundell backed the principal of devolving tax powers if the Tories won the next UK election, adding: "But we will do this through our own white paper, not with the government's proposals launched in the dying days of this parliament."

Jim Murphy
Jim Murphy announced the planned changes in the House of Commons

The Liberal Democrats' Scottish affairs spokesman, Alistair Carmichael, supported the UK government's position.

But he added: "What does the government's white paper really add to the process, apart from further delay in the implementation, where there is a consensus, and giving the Conservatives an opportunity for the sort of backsliding we have seen today."

The UK government proposals also pledged to look at the running of Scottish Parliament elections, currently reserved to Westminster.

The plans came just before the Scottish government sets out its white paper on independence, due on St Andrew's Day.

Scottish Constitution Minister Mike Russell told BBC Scotland it would be more substantial than the "very flimsy" paper outlined by the Scottish secretary.

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BBC Sport football

Related BBC sites

Page last updated at 22:13 GMT, Thursday, 8 May 2008 23:13 UK

Adams takes over as Brighton boss

Micky Adams
Adams left Brighton for Leicester City in 2001

Brighton have re-appointed Micky Adams as manager with Dean Wilkins offered the role of first-team coach.

Adams led Albion to the old Third Division title during his first spell in charge from 1999 to 2001.

He takes over with the Seagulls just outside the play-off positions in seventh in League One this season.

"The board feel we need a manager with the wealth of experience to help us make the leap into the Championship," said chairman Dick Knight.

"Dean's strengths lie in coaching and the development of players and that is why we have offered him the role of senior coach under Micky."

Adams has also worked at Fulham and Leicester and was most recently assistant boss at Colchester.

Adams said: "Having worked at the club previously, which was a fantastic and rewarding experience, to get the chance to manage a super football club like Brighton & Hove Albion again was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.

"I look forward to working alongside Dean Wilkins, the players and the rest of the coaching staff - and working together with the Albion supporters - to try and get this club back into the Championship as we move towards our new home."

see also
Adams stakes claim for Saints job
28 Jan 08 |  Southampton
Adams leaves job with Colchester
07 Jan 08 |  Colchester
Adams given Colchester position
14 Jul 07 |  Colchester
Adams sacked as Coventry manager
17 Jan 07 |  Coventry
Adams quits Brighton
10 Oct 01 |  Brighton

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related internet links:
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Martin and Viss Elected Board Chair and Vice Chair at YCCD

Press Release         No. 13-07

Modesto Junior College & Columbia College

Date:  December 11, 2013

Contact: Nick Stavrianoudakis, Director of Public Affairs: (209) 575-6959,

MODESTO, CA – The Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) Board of Trustees elected Trustee Dr. Lynn Martin of Sonora as the new YCCD Board Chair through November 2014 at its annual organizational meeting.  Martin has served on the YCCD Board since 2010, representing YCCD Trustee Area 1, which includes Tuolumne County, eastern Stanislaus County and areas in Calaveras County.  Martin will also remain as the Board’s representative on the Columbia College Foundation.  Martin succeeds outgoing Chair Abe Rojas of Turlock.

The Board also elected Don Viss of Waterford (representing YCCD Trustee Area 2, which includes Oakdale, Riverbank, Waterford and eastern portions of Modesto) to serve as Vice Chair.  In other action, Trustees Abe Rojas and Linda Flores were appointed to serve on the Stanislaus County Committee on School District Organization and the Association of Stanislaus County School Boards as member and alternate, respectively.  In addition, Abe Rojas will represent the Board with the Valley Insurance Program/Joint Powers Agency, Trustee Anne DeMartini with the Great Valley Museum, and Mike Riley with the Modesto Junior College Foundation.

The YCCD covers a 4,500 square mile area and serves a population of over 625,000, encompassing all of two counties (Stanislaus and Tuolumne) and parts of four others (Calaveras, Merced, San Joaquin, Santa Clara).  Board meetings will continue to be held the second Wednesday of each month, with open session generally beginning at 5:30pm.

Don Viss and Dr. Lynn Martin - YCCD -

Don Viss and Dr. Lynn Martin
- YCCD -


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UP County Diverts DHS Narrowbanding Grants

UP County Diverts DHS Narrowbanding Grants
December 26, 2011

Counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are using a $1.2 million Department of Homeland Security grant to help pay for narrowband upgrades mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. The unfunded FCC mandate has presented difficulties for several financially strapped counties and municipalities throughout the United States.

However, on October 28 the Escanaba Daily Press reported the UP’s Delta County, in addition to upgrading radio systems, is using DHS grant money to upgrade “Grab and Go” emergency response bags that contain safety equipment for school classrooms. The funds were also used to purchase ballistic shields for law-enforcement agencies.

“What’s questionable is the county’s use of FCC grant money for emergency response bags in classrooms and ballistic shields for law enforcement,” said Steve Titch, telecom policy analyst at the Reason Foundation, a nonpartisan public policy research institute that promotes individual liberty and free markets. “These have little, if anything, to do with meeting the narrowbanding mandate and suggest that the grant was excessive,” he said.

Equipment Needed Replacing
Announced in 2006, the narrowbanding transition deadline is January 1, 2013. The transition requires traditional public safety entities, schools (including school buses), transportation departments, mass transit agencies, and community watches to replace current 25 kHz technology with 12.5 kHz technology.
The FCC is reducing the size of radio channels in congested bands to allow additional channels to be created within the same spectrum. With public safety and public works departments operating within the congested bands, the FCC is mandating that many departments using older radio systems upgrade them.

The Regional Homeland Security Program is a federal grant that assists counties in meeting narrowband requirements.
“The narrowbanding mandate, which essentially doubles channel capacity, is part of an FCC effort to move toward more efficient use of bandwidth, and is reasonable given the evolution of mobile technologies and the demand for spectrum,” said Titch.

“There is a limited amount of spectrum space available, and every year there are more and more people, organizations, government entities, and companies needing it,” said Mike Arman, a member of the Oak Hill, Florida, grants management and personnel boards. “Much of this equipment really needs to be replaced anyway.”

Arman added, “During the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, the police department discovered that their equipment wouldn’t talk to the fire department or the emergency responders, let alone the military. Multijurisdictional communications are vital in an emergency. These people must be able to talk to each other and coordinate.”

Narrowband Assistance
Michigan is divided into eight congressional districts, with the Upper Peninsula’s 15 counties making up the 8th District. Each county has a representative on the 15-member Homeland Security Planning Board, and Tim McKee, emergency management coordinator for Chippewa County, is the 8th District representative.

McKee says the state distributed the funds to the Homeland Security Planning Board in each of the districts. “We identify projects that fill the gaps of our capability assessment, and one of those gaps is communications. An assessment was conducted of all of the police, fire, and EMS first-responder agencies to identify their communications capability. We utilized our Homeland Security funds to fill those gaps. Some counties do a better job of maintaining their equipment and meeting standards than others,” McKee said.

“We were able to purchase pagers, narrowband-capable mobile radios, and replaced some repeaters at various sites throughout the Upper Peninsula,” he added.

Titch says the DHS grant was irresponsibly managed.

“A better, more fiscally responsible approach would have been to dispense no federal money at all, and simply require police departments to phase in the new radios over a longer period, say three to five years, allowing the cost of new radios to be factored into annual county and municipal budgets,” said Titch.

“As these are rural counties, frequency congestion would not have been as acute a problem as it would be in population centers that are more densely populated,” Titch noted.

Alyssa Carducci (ad.carducci@gmail.com) writes from Tampa, Florida. Phil Britt (spenterprises@wowway.com) writes from South Holland, Illinois.

Internet Info

“Federal Grant Helps Region,” Jenny Lancour, Escanaba Daily Press, October 28, 2011: http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/533106/Federal-grant-helps-region.html?nav=5003


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Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Pink spent some time in Romania last spring, filming a movie called Catacombs. Produced by the sick, rich minds who brought us both Saw and Hostel, the movie is reportedly about "sisters caught in the underground catacombs of Paris." It's unclear where the horror comes in -- I'm assuming that, these days, just being lost isn't quite scary enough -- but there's surely some sort of very angry man with lots of sharp objects down there with them. I'm also going to go way out on a limb here and hazard a guess that, at some point in the movie, one of the girls (the other sister is played by Shannyn Sossamon of Wristcutters: A Love Story) is either raped or threated with sexual assault.

The film was written and directed by Tomm Coker (a comic book artist making his film debut) and David Elliot and is currently in post-production. Billboard, because they're nice, write that "no release date has been set for the film." What they mean is that it doesn't have a distributor, because Lionsgate only picks up horror that will make them piles of money, and no one else seems to want it.

[via TMZ]


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Every time SXSW and Texas come up in conversation, I keep hearing about the a-mazing merging of movies and food at the Alamo Drafthouse, and the chatter never ceases to inspire huge green waves of jealousy. The idea that moviegoers could revel in Hollywood while chowing down on quality menu items -- it's been my dream for years, and sounds like a perfect taste of heaven.

For me, it started as a matter of convenience. I grew up in a town where the only close theater was in an almost-abandoned mall, which then moved to an actually-abandoned K-Mart. Since it wasn't really the backdrop for excellent movie viewing, I'd drive for 40 minutes every week to pick up new CDs and see a movie at a better theater. I'd usually get to the theater quite early, so I would smuggle in Wendy's and have dinner while watching the on-screen trivia -- a much more appealing option than sitting in a food court, eating, then getting to the theater late.

These days, I live in Toronto and don't have to worry about huge movie travel. Nevertheless, the urge remains, and now it might actually come close to becoming legit! The Canadian Press reports that T-dot's Varsity Cinema has gotten a new liquor license to serve alcohol in their smaller VIP theaters, and other areas may soon follow. First step booze, next step: big juicy burgers and fries?

The Varsity is a theater that's inundated with fest-goers during TIFF, and spends the rest of the year screening films in both large theaters and small, full-serve VIP rooms where the seats are more comfortable, spacious, and separated by small side tables. It costs a few extra bucks, but also allows you to order concessions without facing the lines. You peruse a small menu, give the server your order, and it's all brought right to you before the movie begins.

The annoying piece of this puzzle: The Varsity also has a coffee and booze bar, and while you could carry coffee to the theater, all beer and wine could only be consumed in their special lounge. But this new license will allow VIP moviegoers to get two beers per person right in the theater, without the huge markup that drives us all crazy. (A domestic bottle of beer is only $4.50.)

I can only hope that this is the first step to more food-friendly moviegoing. These days, many theaters have fast food counters and sometimes bars a few steps outside of the theater, so why not offer full-service screenings? Theaters could make money on those that pay for the full-service benefit, rather than infuriating customers with $5 cups of watery soda; the wait staff could grab tips; and those of us who live far from the Alamo can still get a small taste of what it's like.


text:
Missing Nazi Diary Recovered

Alfred Rosenberg's diary could shed new light on Nazi command systems.

Alfred Rosenberg (left) stands with Adolf Hitler during the inauguration of a war memorial in 1923.

The diary of Nazi leader Alfred Rosenberg disappeared without a trace after his trial in Nuremberg. Sixty-four years later it's been recovered in upstate New York.

In an early assessment of its contents, the U.S. government and the United States Holocaust Museum say it will shed new light on the inner workings of the Nazi high command. "The diary will be an important source of information to historians that complements and in part contradicts already known documentation," a Holocaust Museum statement said in an assessment of the find. Further details will be revealed today at a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware.

Who was Rosenberg? Charles Fenyvesi reports.

Alfred Rosenberg was a misfit among misfits. He viewed himself as an intellectual, and—measured against Nazi bigwigs like Adolf Hitler, Rudolf Hess, and Hermann Goering—perhaps he was. But that is faint praise. Rosenberg wrote a best-selling book, The Myth of the Twentieth Century, that became the bible of the Nazi movement. Its translations sold well in many European countries, encouraging anti-Semitism. Its elephantine sentences and complex, pseudo-scientific "facts" and semi-mystical tenets were hard to follow, though the text bristled with the hatred of Jews, Russians, Poles, Czechs, and others he condemned as "subhuman." According to the architect Albert Speer, who became the Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich, Hitler called the book "stuff that nobody could understand." William L. Shirer, the great American historian of the Nazi era who knew Rosenberg, called his mind "muddled."

Ironically the architect of the Nazi theory of German racial superiority was considered by many Germans a foreigner, born in Estonia, then part of the Russian empire. He chose to study at Moscow University and was proud of his diploma in architecture. His enemies in the Nazi party spread rumors that he was not a Baltic German, as he claimed, and that he had Russian ancestry—or he was of Estonian stock. The rumors went as far as suggesting that while a student in Russia witnessing the Bolshevik Revolution, he flirted with the notion of joining it. But shortly after he migrated to Germany, he became one of the first members of Hitler's party.

In 1923, following an unsuccessful coup d'etat, Hitler was imprisoned and named Rosenberg the head of the Nazi party until his release. But Hitler told his inner circle that Rosenberg was lazy and unfit to lead. Rosenberg was a poor public speaker who lacked charisma and friends in the Nazi party. Nonetheless, in 1934 Hitler put Rosenberg in charge of the spiritual and philosophical education of the Nazi party. He promoted the idea of the German Reich's eastern expansion and advocated a merciless war on the Slavs. He invented the notion of "Lebensraum"—living space—and argued that it was not only a necessity, but also a moral imperative for Germans, the "master race," to conquer territories where inferior races had failed to create a high culture. After Germany attacked the Soviet Union, Rosenberg became Reich minister for the occupied territories.

In 1946, the international tribunal in Nuremberg found Rosenberg guilty of crimes against humanity due to his shaping of Nazi ideology, and sentenced him to death. He was hanged. According to an American journalist present, he was the only Nazi leader who declined the offer to make a final statement.


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TrendingNational Post Sessions | Snap Judgments | Pop Psychology

McDonald’s commits to using certified sustainable seafood in U.S. restaurants

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: rest assured that in the U.S., the company will be using seafood from certified sustainable fisheries to create their iconic fish sandwich.

Filet-o-sustainable-fish: McDonald's to use blue 'ecolabel' in U.S.

NEW YORK — McDonald’s says it will be the first U.S. restaurant chain to carry a label from a group that certifies sustainable fishing practices.

The blue “ecolabel” from the Marine Stewardship Council certifies that the Alaskan Pollack used in McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches come from suppliers with sustainable fishing practices.

Major retail chains including Wal-Mart and Whole Foods already use the council’s label. The non-profit group is paid a royalty fee from companies that use its label. For McDonald’s, that means the fee would be based on sales of its fish offerings, such as the Filet-O-Fish and the Fish McBites that will be launched as a limited-time offer next month.

‘Damage control 101′: Coca-Cola addresses obesity for first time in new ads

Coca-Cola became one of the world’s most powerful brands by equating its soft drinks with happiness. Now it’s taking to the airwaves for the first time to address a growing cloud over the industry: obesity.

The Atlanta-based company on Monday will begin airing a two-minute spot during the highest-rated shows on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC in hopes of flexing its marketing muscle in the debate over sodas and their impact on public health. The ad lays out Coca-Cola’s record of providing drinks with fewer calories over the years and notes that weight gain is the result of consuming too many calories of any kind — not just soda.

The company declined to say how much it was spending on the commercials, which it started putting together last summer.

The Marine Stewardship Council, based in Seattle, isn’t the only group that offers consumer labelling for seafood. Last year, for example, Whole Foods also stopped carrying wild-caught seafood that’s “red-rated,” which indicates it’s either overfished or caught in a way that harms other species.

The move reflects the growing concerns among consumers about the sources of their seafood. Major supermarket chains, including BJ’s Wholesale Club, have also moved recently to try to make their seafood selections more sustainable.

The Marine Stewardship Council has about 300 fisheries in its program, representing between 12% to 14% of the world’s fisheries, said Kerry Coughlin, the group’s regional director for the Americas. Fisheries can go through a confidential pre-assessment phase to get guidance on whether they’re ready for certification. Coughlin said about 30% to 40% of fisheries aren’t ready when they start the pre-assessment phase, but that more than 90% obtain certification after beginning the full, official assessment process.

McDonald’s gets all its fish in the U.S. from a single Alaskan Pollack fishery

McDonald’s gets all its fish in the U.S. from a single Alaskan Pollack fishery, Coughlin said. The chain’s restaurants in Europe already use the council’s label.

A spokeswoman for McDonald’s, Christina Tyler, said the all U.S. stores should have the labelling by early February. McDonald’s will promote the certification on packaging for other products, including Happy Meals and drinks.

McDonald’s stopped using Eastern Baltic Cod in 2007 because of sustainability concerns

The company, based in Oak Brook, Ill., stopped using Eastern Baltic Cod in 2007 because of sustainability concerns. Since then, Tyler said the company has sourced Alaskan Pollock and New Zealand Hoki exclusively from fisheries with the Marine Stewardship Council’s label. Now the chain uses only Alaskan Pollock for its fish items in the U.S.

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Seniors choose Arboretum boardwalk and overlook as class gift

University Park, Pa. -- Penn State's Senior Class Gift Committee announced Oct. 27 the class of 2010's gift to the University: the Marsh Meadow Boardwalk and Overlook at the Arboretum. Seniors so far have pledged more than $19,000 to the project, which will establish a boardwalk and overlook across the James J. and Lynn D. Ramage Marsh Meadow in The Arboretum at Penn State, a 370-acre living laboratory.

"I am extremely proud to announce that the class of 2010 has chosen to fund the boardwalk and overlook," said Mike Lampariello, senior class gift committee overall chairperson. "The boardwalk will serve as a 'front door' for pedestrians entering the Arboretum and contribute significantly to the Arboretum's mission of 'scholarship, research, and education of the natural landscape.' The boardwalk and overlook will provide students, researchers, and visitors the opportunity to gain valuable insight into various ecological benefits through viewing platforms and connections over the meadow."

More than 2,800 seniors cast their ballots last week, in person and online, to vote for one of three proposals: the Marsh Meadow Boardwalk and Overlook at the Arboretum; the HUB Aquarium Maintenance Endowment; and the Public Sculpture and Class of 2010 Endowed Scholarship. The gift selection committee chose those three from about 60 submitted by members of the University community.

"The idea of an Arboretum for Penn State has been discussed since the early 1900s," said Executive Vice President and Provost Rodney Erickson, who accepted the gift on behalf of the University. "After years of planning and many generous donations, Penn State's Arboretum formally opened to the public this year. The Class of 2010 has chosen a gift that represents its time on campus as well as the future."

The funding for the class gift comes from seniors pledging all or a portion of the general deposit or making cash gifts. The University holds the $100 deposit during a student's time at Penn State and uses it to cover unforeseen expenses, fees, and emergency costs.

The 2010 Senior Class Gift Committee includes Mike Lampariello (overall chairperson), Amanda Estep (student relations chairperson), Emily Hebner (events chairperson), Jenny Lubkin (marketing chairperson), Kyle Lutes (gift development chairperson), and Alyssa Rosenblum (communications chairperson)., a new blog by the Senior Class Gift Committee to help seniors stay informed about senior year events and Penn State traditions, will follow the progress of the class of 2010's gift.

The tradition of class gifts began when the class of 1861, at its reunion in 1890, gave the University a portrait of Penn State's first president, Evan Pugh, which still stands in the lobby of Old Main. For more information about Penn State's senior class gift program, visit online.

View photos from the event at

Last Updated November 18, 2010


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NCP wats even split of seats in Maharashtra

February 14, 2009 20:24 IST

Maharashtra's Nationalist Congress Party leaders decided on Saturday to insist on equal share of 24 of the 48 seats in the state from the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

A meeting was held at NCP supremo Sharad Pawar at his residence in Delhi,where party leaders made it clear that the party would not accept the seat-sharing formula agreed  upon in the 2004 elections, according to a minister who participated.

Pawar had convened the meeting of NCP leaders, which included  his nephew Ajit Pawar, to firm up the party's stand before making a final decision at the NCP's national executive meeting in New Delhi on Monday.

Asked about the seats that the NCP wants to contest, the minister said that would be sorted out only after the Congress agrees to the 50:50 seat-sharing formula. He said the NCP would give one of the seats from its quota to Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athawle.

There was, however, no discussion on sparing some seats for the Samajwadi Party in Maharashtra. That is a matter of the national alliance which will come up for discussion in the national executive meeting, party sources said.

A Correspondent in Delhi


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Scientists Seek Exemptions to LA Research Shutdown

Jon is a staff writer for Science.

Hundreds of scientists are anxiously appealing a government-ordered shutdown on research affiliated with the Veterans Administration (VA) in Los Angeles, California. With more than 1000 projects on hold indefinitely, investigators say they are confused, frustrated, and worried about losing the confidence of their patients and funders like the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The VA Medical Center-West Los Angeles (VAMC-WLA) had long been scrutinized by the NIH's Office for Protection from Research Risks (OPRR), which oversees experiments on human subjects. But last week, NIH clamped down. Citing lax procedures for approving and overseeing the human studies, NIH announced that the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System could no longer conduct human research supported by NIH's parent, the Department of Health and Human Services. The VA itself then shut down animal and test tube studies as well. The crackdown was first reported in the 24 March Los Angeles Times.

A 22 March memo from OPRR faults the VAMC-WLA primarily for repeatedly approving clinical studies without consulting community representatives or adequately briefing members about trial protocols. The VA's undersecretary of health, Kenneth Kizer, stressed in a memo that "there currently is no evidence to suggest any actual harm to either human or animal research subjects." In the same memo, which broadened the suspension, Kizer offered no clear explanation for the blanket shutdown but said that administrators in Los Angeles had failed "to correct deficiencies in fiscal and personnel management" and had been "unresponsive" to probes by the VA's own investigators.

Kizer said researchers could ask for exemptions to the suspension if interrupting a project posed a threat to animal or human health. Administrators were immediately flooded with requests to spare their studies. "We all have put in exemptions," says Alan Lichtenstein, a hematologist-oncologist who has worked at the VAMC-WLA 20 years. But Lichtenstein said none of his colleagues has a clue about the timeline. "We're working with bureaucracies," he says. "Who knows?"

Approval for any of the 400 or so human trials to resume would have to come from OPRR, and director Gary Ellis says he does not anticipate granting many exemptions. "Patients need treatment. But people don't ordinarily need to be research subjects," he says. According to Ellis, OPRR will evaluate research requests on a project-by-project basis as soon as the VA repairs the IRBs. "The timing of getting research up and running again at the VA is largely in their hands," he says.

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Tag Archives: anemone

Three-Sport Dascyllus and clownfish

Creature of the Month is the Threespot Dascyllus

If you have dived in the Red Sea, Indian or Eastern Pacific Ocean, you will probably have seen shoals of these small black fish. They live on coral and rocky reefs at depths of 1 to 55 m.

Do not rely on the name for identification. When young, the threespot dascyllus does indeed have three white spots: one on each side and one on the forehead. Adult fish lose the forehead spot, the side spots become less distinct and the black colour of the fish becoming less intense.

Youngsters often live in large sea anemones, alongside the instantly recognisable Clownfish. Adults, though, leave the anemone to congregate in small groups around prominant rocks or coral outcrops.

The groups of adult Dascyllus trimaculatus comprise around 10 individuals with one male to several females. When approached by an intruder, the male assumes a higher defensive position, while the females rest betwen the tentacles of the anemone. During spawning the male dances to attract females. They deposit eggs on coral branches which are watched and guarded by the male until they hatch.

Dascyllus trimaculatus is part of a complex of four species that vary in geographical ranges and colour patterns. Of these D. trimaculatus is the most widely distributed,

Further Reading:
Coral Reef Fishes Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, Lieske and Myers

Creature of the Month: Burrowing Anemone

burrowing anemoneThis common species – Cerianthus lloydii – is not a true anemone but a tube anemone. Instead of attaching itself to a rock it lives in a soft felt-like tube protruding above sand or mud. The anemone’s tentacles are usually all that is visible. The inner set circle the mouth and are short and stiff. The long, flexible and attractive outer ones, over 100 of them, sweep prey inwards. When disturbed the whole anemone shoots back into its tube, like a tubeworm. The tentacle crown measures up to 10 cm across.

Cerianthus lloydiiThe animals live from the shallows down to 100 m. The tentacles may be white, brown, green or banded.

You can find the burrowing anemone around the British Isles and in North West Europe to the Bay of Biscay.

Further Reading:
Great British Marine Animals, by Paul Naylor, Deltor (2003)

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Creature of the Month: Plumose Anemone

Plumose anemonesPlumose anemones (Metridium senile) occur in large numbers in good diving areas in temperate waters. They comprise a tall, smooth column topped with a crown of feathery tentacles. When they contact they look like swirly blobs, as can be seen in our photograph.

Individuals may be white, orange, green or blue in colour. They grow up to 30 cm tall and 15 cm across at the base. They like areas with currents so tend to live on prominent pieces of wrecks or on rocky pinnacles.

Plumose anemone pictureWith fine, delicate tentacles they are unsuited to capturing large animals like fish. Instead they specialise in smaller prey such as small planktonic crustaceans. The anemone’s columnar body is narrower just below the tentacles. A current will bend the stalk at this point and expose the tentacles broadside to the flow in the best position for feeding on suspended matter.

Plumose anemone photographThe Plumose anemone occurs from the Bay of Biscay (North of Spain) to Scandinavia in the northeast Atlantic, and on the west and east coasts of North America. It is unknown from the western basin of the Mediterranean but has been seen in the Adriatic, where it is believed to have been introduced. It has also been seen in Table Bay Harbour in South Africa where it was probably introduced from Europe.

Great photo of a plumose anemone and jellyfish

Further Reading:
Great British Marine Animals, by Paul Naylor
Ask Nature

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Fifa president Sepp Blatter says he is confident that a push to move the World Cup to winter will be backed by his colleagues.

07:17, UK, Saturday 10 August 2013

Qatar 2022

Fifa's president says the organisation still has enough time to switch the 2022 World Cup to the winter to avoid Qatar's intense summer heat.

Sepp Blatter said he would discuss the plans with his executive committee in October.

The move would cause major disruption to various domestic leagues around the world.

But Mr Blatter insisted: "We still have enough time.

"The executive committee will certainly follow my proposal. Then we will have dealt with the topic for good."

Summer temperatures can reach 50C (122F) in Qatar, and there are currently plans for games to be played in air-conditioned stadiums.

But there is pressure for the tournament to be moved to the winter, when temperatures reach a high of 24C (75F).

Sepp Blatter has 'failed to respond to racism'

Mr Blatter said: "The Fifa World Cup must be a festival of the people. But for it to be such a festival, you can't play football in the summer.

"You can cool down the stadiums, but you can't cool down the whole country - and you can't simply cool down the ambience of a World Cup. The players must be able to play in the best conditions to play a good World Cup."

Hassan al Thawadi, the head of Qatar's organising committee, said the country was open to the move "if it's the wish of the football community".

Mr Blatter said medical information about the effects of the heat on players led to his change of heart.

Greg Dyke on Fifa - Sky News at 11.20am.

"There has been a fresh medical investigation into what it would be like to play football there in the summer and we have to take into account the health, not of the spectators, but of the players," he explained.

Qatar defeated bids from South Korea, Japan, Australia and the US for the right to host the 2022 World Cup.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Mr Blatter also said Brazil might have been the wrong choice to host the 2014 World Cup if the tournament is affected by the wave of protests seen at the Confederations Cup last month.

Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets expressing their anger over the costs to stage the World Cup and demanding better public services.

"If this happens again we have to question whether we made the wrong decision awarding the hosting rights," Mr Blatter added.

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Hackers Attack Capital One and BB&T Banks, Send Message to Defense Secretary

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters continue to disrupt the sites of US banks

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters continue their operations against the websites of financial institutions from the United States. However, this time, they haven’t revealed the names of their targets before attacking them.

Last week they launched attacks against the websites of Capital One, SunTrust and Regions Bank in an effort to convince US authorities to order the removal of the controversial Innocence of Muslims movie. Since their protest hasn’t worked, they continue to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks.

“We know that banks officials are concerned and waiting to see this time it is the turn of which banks. For making variation in operation, this time we give them the opportunity to understand whether they are listed or not,” they stated.

According to the Wall Street Journal, this week the hackers targeted the website of Capital One once again, and the one of BB&T. The institutions’ representatives admitted that their websites experienced intermittent outages during the attacks, but emphasized the fact that their customers’ accounts were not harmed.

In his last speech, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta highlighted the fact that Iran posed a serious threat to the country’s critical infrastructures. His statement came shortly after anonymous US officials pointed the finger at the Middle Eastern country as being responsible for the cyberattacks against banks.

In response to these allegations, the hackers have a suggestion for the Defense Secretary.

“Instead of concerning and spending several billions that won't be good for you, tell your henchmen on YouTube to run remove command on their computers otherwise try to solve the following equation (see screenshot) while your banks are howling under pressure from the attacks,” the hackers wrote.

“Attacks will continue until insults last. Do you want attacks to be stopped? Stop the insults and eliminate their traces!” they concluded.

The hackers’ statement reveals that the attacks will be launched between October 16 and October 18. This means that there will most likely be another target besides Capital One and BT&T.

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Stanford maintains aid, raises undergraduate tuition 3.5%

Mindful of economic circumstances, trustees approve modest tuition increases for 2010-11. University maintains its robust financial aid program.

The Stanford University Board of Trustees has approved a 3.5 percent increase in total undergraduate charges – tuition, room and board – for next year.

Total undergraduate charges will increase to $50,576 for the 2010-11 academic year, including $38,700 for tuition and $11,876 for room and board.

Leslie Hume, chair of the Board of Trustees, said the national recession was a factor in the board's deliberations and its decision to limit the increase in total undergraduate charges to 3.5 percent for the second year in a row.

"In approving the tuition increase for 2010-2011, the Board of Trustees was mindful of the economic hardships facing many Stanford students and their families. We have tried both to moderate tuition increases and to ensure generous financial aid for those most in need," she said following the board's Feb. 8-9 meeting.

Trustees also approved tuition hikes for graduate students, ranging from 3.5 percent – for general graduate students, engineers, entering MBAs and continuing medical students – to 5.8 percent for Law School students.

Charges for undergraduate education

Next year, undergraduate tuition will rise 3.5 percent to $38,700, compared with $37,380 this year.

Stanford is raising tuition to help cover the rising costs of providing a world-class education for its students and to maintain the highest quality academic programs.

Next year, room and board charges will rise 3.6 percent to $11,876, including $6,700 for dorm rooms and $5,176 for meal plans. Currently, undergraduates pay $11,463 for room and board, including $6,411 for rooms and $5,052 for meals.

The room and board rate increase is due to higher costs in providing quality housing and food services.

The university said that the Campus Health Service Fee, which is not included in tuition, will remain at $167 per quarter next year. In future years, the campus health fee is expected to increase at a rate close to that of tuition.

The mandatory fee covers a variety of services at Vaden Health Center, including primary care medical visits, psychological evaluation and short-term therapy, and access to health and wellness programs. It applies to undergraduates, graduate students and visiting researchers who are enrolled on the main campus.

Starting next year, students enrolled in the university's Cardinal Care Plan, a comprehensive health insurance plan specifically designed for Stanford students, will be required to carry coverage for the 12-month calendar year. In 2010-11, the premium cost of Cardinal Care will decrease 4 percent to $3,072 annually. More information will be available on the Vaden Health Center website.

Stanford remains committed to need-based financial aid

The university's need-based financial aid program for undergraduates is designed to ensure that a family's economic circumstances will not prevent a student from attending Stanford.

This year, Stanford will provide about $112 million in need-based aid from university sources. About 50 percent of undergraduates receive a direct need-based financial aid grant from Stanford. Next year, it expects to provide an equal amount. Since the amount of need-based financial aid is determined by a family's ability to pay, the state of the economy will continue to have a significant effect on the university's total aid budget.

Next year, the total estimated annual student budget is expected to reach $55,500, compared with $53,800 this year. In addition to tuition, room and board, this estimate includes the cost of books, travel and incidentals.

Under an enhanced financial aid program Stanford established in 2008, parents making less than $60,000 a year are not expected to pay tuition or contribute to the costs of room and board and other expenses. Families making less than $100,000 a year do not pay tuition. Many families earning over $100,000 per year also receive generous aid packages, in amounts that vary depending on income and assets. The program also eliminated the need for student loans. The financial aid program is reviewed each year, and adjustments may affect families at higher income levels. Families and students are encouraged to work with the financial aid office to review their individual circumstances.

Student expectation up

All Stanford students are expected to pay a portion of their college costs, typically from summer and part-time campus jobs during the school year and/or outside scholarships. During the 2010-11 school year, undergraduates will be expected to contribute $4,750 to the cost of their education, up from $4,500 this year.

Graduate tuition

Standard graduate tuition will rise 3.5 percent to $38,700 next year, compared with $37,380 this year.

The standard tuition rate for graduate students taking 8 to 10 units will rise 3.5 percent to $25,170, compared with $24,300 this year.

For the fourth consecutive year, terminal graduate registration will remain at $11,040 for the entire year – four quarters – for graduate students who have completed their course work and are working on their dissertations.

Tuition for students in the Graduate Division in Engineering will also increase 3.5 percent to $41,220 next year, compared with $39,840 this year. The tuition rate for graduate students in Engineering taking eight to 10 units will rise 3.5 percent to $26,790, compared with $25,890 this year.

Tuition at Stanford Law School will rise 5.8 percent to $44,880 next year, compared with $42,420 this year.

At the Graduate School of Business, current MBA students will pay $51,321 in tuition next year, the same amount they paid this year, under a program in which MBA students pay the same tuition during each of their two years of study.

Tuition for entering MBA students will rise 3.5 percent to $53,118 next year, compared with $51,321 this year. (Students enrolled in PhD programs at the Business School pay the same rate as general graduate students.)

New tuition structure for Stanford Medical School

At Stanford Medical School, tuition for current MD students will rise 3.5 percent to $46,593 next year, compared with $45,018 this year (or $15,531 per quarter next year, compared with $15,006 this year). Terminal Medical Registration also will increase 3.5 percent to $2,330 next year, compared with $2,251 this year. (Students enrolled in Ph.D. programs at the School of Medicine pay the general graduate student tuition rate.)

Terminal Medical Registration is a category of reduced tuition for advanced students. MD students who have already paid the equivalent of 13 quarters of full tuition and who wish to register for additional quarters prior to receiving the MD degree are eligible for the Terminal Medical Registration rate, which is 15 percent of full tuition.

Under a new tuition structure that will go into effect next year, the Medical School is eliminating the Terminal Medical Registration rate for incoming first-year students. Instead, they will be charged a lower tuition rate across all quarters, except during the quarters when they pursue full-time supervised research. During those quarters, a "research rate" of 20 percent of the regular rate will be applied.

Next year, tuition for incoming medical students will decrease nearly 2 percent to $44,196, or $14,732 per quarter. The research rate will be $2,946 per quarter.

Lisa Lapin, University Communications: (650) 725-8396,


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Stanford University

News Service

CONTACT: Stanford University News Service (650) 723-2558

Phase One of work on new quad to begin in mid-May

STANFORD -- Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-May on the first phase of the new Science and Engineering Quad, the conversion of the western part of Serra Street, between Lomita and Campus Drive, to a landscaped mall.

Also included in the first phase of the massive four-year project is the construction of utilities -- electrical, gas, water, chilled water and steam lines, as well as sewer lines -- to support the new quadrangle; an increase in the size and scope of existing utilities; and the replacement of outdated utilities.

The Phase One construction period is scheduled to last until January 1996. Serra Street will be closed from Lomita west to Campus Drive, including the section that has been closed for more than a year during construction of the Gates Information Sciences Building. In addition, Campus Drive between Roth Way and Via Ortega will be reduced from two barrels to one. The barrel closest to the main campus will be closed, with two-way traffic on the barrel closest to the Medical Center.

The installation of fencing around the affected areas should begin the week of May 15, said Michael Kuntz, civil engineer with Facilities Operations.

The work on the new quad will continue in three additional main phases through the end of 1998. The $108 million project was announced last October, when a record donation of $77.4 million by Stanford alumni William Hewlett and David Packard made the project possible.

The quad includes new buildings for the departments of Statistics and Electrical Engineering, a materials research laboratory complex and a regional teaching facility to replace Bloch Hall (the Physics Tank), which is among the buildings scheduled to be demolished. McCullough and Varian will be renovated, and a landscaped courtyard will be installed.

The conversion of Serra to a mall is part of university efforts to redesign the campus along the original plan of Frederick Law Olmsted. The Planning Office says part of the master plan for the west campus, which incorporates the Science and Engineering Quad, is the introduction of a north/south axis connecting the residences around Lagunita with the Stanford Museum, and the strengthening of an east/west axis connecting the humanities (in the Main Quad) to the sciences (in the new quad and beyond).

In addition, the design is intended to increase safety for bicyclists, pedestrians and riders of the Marguerite shuttle system. The new mall will feature hydraulic bollards that can be raised and lowered to permit access for Marguerite shuttle buses and emergency vehicles.

The mall will have broad pedestrian sidewalks and a separate right of way for bicycles, an idea contained in the original Olmsted plan. A number of trees will be planted as part of the project. A new grove will be created on the west side of the Main Quad to complement Dohrman Grove near the Art Gallery.

The closure of this portion of Serra Street will result in the loss of about 35 parking spaces. Over the years, more parking spaces will be lost because of construction of the quad, which will be designated a primarily pedestrian zone.

To help make up for the reduction in parking spaces, the office of Transportation Programs plans to increase Marguerite service in and around the area, starting in the fall. They will adjust the routes and frequency as needed during and after construction.

More detailed information on the new quad's impact on parking and transportation will be made available as the project progresses.

Besides expansion of the Marguerite service, bicycle parking in the area of the new quad will be improved, Jeffrey Tumlin of Transportation Programs said. A survey by the office found that 70 percent of the regular occupants of the buildings in the area keep a bicycle in their office or lab. When the new Science and Engineering Quad buildings open, they will be served by more than 1,000 bicycle rack spaces, in addition to the 660 rack spaces being installed around the new Gates building, which will open later this year.

This is an archived release.

This release is not available in any other form. Images mentioned in this release are not available online.
Stanford News Service has an extensive library of images, some of which may be available to you online. Direct your request by EMail to

© Stanford University. All Rights Reserved. Stanford, CA 94305. (650) 723-2300. Terms of Use | Copyright Complaints


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Regulators Approve $260M Rate Increase For Ameren

Dec 12, 2012

Updated 4:11 p.m. with approximate breakdown of increase for consumers.

Missouri utility regulators have approved a $260 million rate increase for electric customers of Ameren Missouri.

The rate increase approved Wednesday is intended to cover such things as the utility's rising fuel costs, infrastructure improvements, vegetation trimming and storm repairs.

About $90 million of the rate increase goes toward energy efficiency programs that could ultimately save money for residents and businesses.

The increase is about two-thirds of the $376 million hike that Ameren originally sought in February. That proposed increase was expected to raise the average electric customer's bill by about $14.

Warren Wood, Ameren's vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs said that the average increase for consumers at the levels approved today is approximately 34 cents per day, or, roughly, $10.20 per month.

This marks the fifth rate increase for Ameren in the past six years.

Follow St. Louis Public Radio on Twitter: @stlpublicradio


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‘Buddhism and Modern Science’ at Thursday’s Philosophers Café

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The next Philosophers Café takes place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. this Thursday (Oct. 10) at the Harmony Café, 1660 W. Mason Street. John Holder, professor of philosophy at St. Norbert College, will lead discussion of “Buddhism and Modern Science.” Holder promises to critically assess the notion that individuals looking for a religious or spiritual life compatible with modern science can find consistent parallels in Buddhism. All Philosophers Café gatherings are open to the general public. The monthly talks are a joint project of philosophy faculty and students at UW-Green Bay and SNC.

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Vanderbilt University Medical Center Reporter

UCSF’s King to deliver annual Levi Watkins Jr. Lecture

by | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, 10:41 AM

Talmadge King Jr., M.D., chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, will deliver Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s 12th annual Levi Watkins Jr. Lecture at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in 208 Light Hall.

Talmadge King Jr., M.D.

King is a renowned expert in inflammatory lung diseases who has co-authored eight books, including the acclaimed reference book “Interstitial Lung Disease,” now in its fourth edition.

As chair of Medicine at UCSF, he oversees a department of more than 550 full-time faculty, 500 volunteer clinical faculty, 180 residents, 238 fellows and more than 1,000 support staff.

The title of King’s talk at Vanderbilt is “A career in academic medicine: A personal journey.”
The lecture honors Levi Watkins Jr., M.D., a prominent cardiac surgeon and the first African-American student to be admitted to and graduate from VUSM.

Carole Bartoo, (615) 322-4747

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Author Insights: Treatment of Acute Sinusitis With Antibiotics Often Futile

Jane M. Garbutt, MBChB, of Washington University in St. Louis and colleagues found that for most cases of acute sinusitis, antibiotics do not relieve symptoms. (Image: Richard Fair)

About 1 in 5 antibiotic prescriptions given to US adults is for treatment of sinusitis, but in most cases, the medication does not provide symptom relief for the condition, suggests study findings appearing today in JAMA.

In the study, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis randomly assigned 85 adults with uncomplicated acute sinusitis to receive a 10-day course of amoxicillin (1500 mg per day) and 81 adults to receive a placebo. At days 3 and 10, the researchers found no difference between the groups in improved disease-specific quality of life or symptom relief. The researchers note that their findings support recommendations to avoid routinely prescribing antibiotics for patients with uncomplicated acute sinusitis, as such treatment does not improve their condition and may add to the public health threat of antibiotic resistance.

Lead author Jane M. Garbutt, MBChB, of the division of general medical sciences at Washington University, discusses her team’s findings:

Sinusitis, infection of the paranasal sinuses, usually occurs as a result of a viral infection and can cause nasal obstruction, pain in the face, nasal discharge, cough, sore throat, and fatigue. (Image: JAMA, ©AMA)

“In most cases, sinusitis develops after a cold, and this viral infection will be complicated by a bacterial infection—which can respond to antibiotic therapy—in less than 5% of cases. For primary care physicians, it’s important to identify which patients have a bacterial infection versus a viral infection.

“The expectations that antibiotics will benefit sinusitis is something we [in the medical profession] need to tackle overall and preferably not when seeing a sick patient. A lot of the time, patients call in and say they have a sinus infection and need an antibiotic, and the physician will call in the prescription without even having a conversation with the patient. Also, almost 90% of patients who go to the physician’s office with sinusitis will walk out with a prescription for antibiotics.

“Delayed prescription might help this situation: After the physician sees or has a conversation with the patient and makes the diagnosis of acute sinusitis, the physician [can] explain the condition is most likely viral and that in 10 days the patient will be better. Then the physician should say, ‘I will give you the prescription, but I don’t think an antibiotic will help today. If things don’t improve after 5 or 7 days, then fill the prescription because the chances of [the infection] being bacterial are increased.’”

Categories: Bacterial Infections, Drug Therapy, Primary Care/Family Medicine, Viral Infections

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Joe Kennedy Uses Latest Citgo Commercial to Slam U.S. Government and 'Big Oil'

Although former U.S. Congressman, Joseph Kennedy III has been criticized for his Citgo commercial last year promoting discount heating oil provided by the Hugo Chavez Venezuelan government as a PR ploy, his latest commercial goes way beyond mere syrupy praise. Kennedy is now using the most recent Citgo commercial as a launchpad to blast the U.S. government and "Big Oil" as you can see in this video. After an introduction similar to the previous commercial showing poor people suffering from the cold, Kennedy goes on the attack:

...Yet our own government cut fuel assistance. And the Big Oil companies with oil and money to burn all said "no" when we asked for help. All but one. Citgo. Owned by the Venezuelan people, is donating millions of gallons to non-profit Citizens Energy...

Actually Citgo is owned by the Chavez run Venezuelan government, not the "people." As for the Venezuelan people themselves, it turns out their plight is getting even worse under the corruption ridden Chavez government. This widespread corruption has even been recognized in the the latest issue of the liberal New Republic. Alvaro Vargas Llosa has this to say about life under Chavez in Slum Lord:

After an extensive visit to the slums of this capital, I am convinced that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost the recent referendum that would have extended the time he could remain in office not because his countrymen value democracy so much, but because his social programs are crumbling. In the barrios of Petare, Catia, Baruta and other places, the nationalist/populist model is collapsing.

Through a network of "missions," the government has been using oil revenue to provide food, housing, cars, education and health care for millions of Venezuelans. In theory, Venezuelans are enjoying the "social justice" denied to them during decades of rule by the country's elites. In real life, the missions are plagued with corruption and inefficiency, and are severely hampered by the insecurity and the shortages that have become the hallmark of Venezuelan society.

...Corruption has eroded the prestige of the Habitat mission through which the government supposedly dishes out checks to poor Venezuelans so they can buy a house. It is not unusual for an aspiring homeowner to find out that a mystery person has cashed the check using his or her name. "The same people who hand out the checks cash them for the benefit of their relatives," explains Eladio, who told me a nephew recently suffered such an experience.

..."The government led Venezuelans to believe that they could become a consumer society without producing anything," says Luis Ugalde, the president of Andres Bello University, "and the results are now speaking for themselves."

When I asked Beatriz, a social worker who spends her time in Catia, to talk to me about Chavez's missions, she responded, "One cannot speak about that which doesn't exist." That strikes me as an appropriate way to sum up Venezuela's nationalist/populist model.

Perhaps Joe Kennedy needs to personally speak to the Venezuelan people he loudly touts on his Citgo commercials to find out for himself what life is actually like for them down there. Somehow I don't think they are too happy with the idea that Chavez is wasting their oil on PR gimmicks to ingratiate himself with American leftists like Kennedy while life for the average person in Venezuela continues to deteriorate.

P.J. Gladnick
P.J. Gladnick
P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.


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By Ken Shepherd | July 31, 2012 | 4:24 PM EDT

For the "You didn't build that!" file: Our friends at Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) did some number crunching and calculated that American Olympians who win gold medals this year will face nearly $9,000 in federal income tax per each one earned. Silver medalists would pay just a bit over $5,300.

What's more, in undoubtedly one aspect of American exceptionalism that American liberals love, the U.S. is the only developed country that taxes income earned overseas by its citizens, notes ATR's Hugh Johnson:

By Ken Shepherd | July 30, 2012 | 3:33 PM EDT

The day before two of the U.S. Congress's most liberal, anti-gun legislators introduced a bill to severely restrict the online sales of ammunition, an American Olympic athlete who uses hundreds if not thousands of rounds a day in practice won a gold medal at the London games.

One of the astounding stories to come out of this year's Summer Olympics is the amazing success of American shooter Kim Rhode, who won the gold medal in skeet shooting on Sunday, hitting an amazing 99 targets hit out of 100 possible. "She set a new Olympic record in the morning's qualifying round with 74 hits out of 75," Washington Post sports writer Rick Maese noted in today's paper. As part of her ongoing training, "Rhode averages 500 to 1,000 rounds a day, seven days a week," Maese noted in his positive human-interest story. But as the Scared Monkeys blog notes today:

By NB Staff | July 30, 2012 | 1:08 PM EDT

Not only did NBC's Bob Costas fail to honor the slain 1972 Israeli Olympians with a moment of silence when he had the opportunity as he covered Friday's Opening Ceremonies at the London Olympics, but Costas has offended Britons with his decision to air a Michael Phelps interview rather than televise a tribute to the victims of the July 7, 2005 terrorist attacks in London.

The Daily Mail of London has the story (excerpted below the page break):

By Paul Wilson | July 26, 2012 | 11:57 AM EDT

The Olympic Games, which begin this week, is an exhibition of the sportsmanship, teamwork, and the competitive spirit that make sports so enjoyable. But for many in the media, sports is just another excuse to engage in divisive political commentary. The sports media transform an apolitical past-time into a forum for their own politics.

Progressives have actively attempted to remake the Olympics into a celebration of their own political ideals. From calls to make the summer Games “a forum for the promotion of LGBT rights,” to criticism of the International Olympic Committee as “the 1 percent of the 1 percent,” lefties care less about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat than using the world’s biggest sporting event to pound for their pet causes.

By Ryan Robertson | July 10, 2012 | 3:53 PM EDT

Update (July 13, 15:14 EDT): ESPN Magazine's Twitter profile is using an image of a naked female athlete as its avatar | Is it time for ESPN Magazine to don the “plain brown wrapper” and move to the very top back of the magazine rack where curious youngsters can’t catch a glimpse? It may be, at least for one issue a year.

The fourth annual “Body Issue” of ESPN is scheduled to arrive at newsstands on July 11. Like the Sports Illustrated “Swimsuit Issue,” the magazine takes a break from balls and strikes and receivers’ routes to stop and ogle sexy people. In this case, however, all are famous athletes (of both sexes) and all are photographed naked.

By Tim Graham | June 20, 2012 | 8:34 AM EDT

The Washington Post can’t even keep the liberal politicking out of the Sports section. On Wednesday, sports columnist Sally Jenkins somehow blamed a George W. Bush speech snippet for the Roger Clemens prosecution: "The Clemens case came about because a handful of zealots who are presumably bored by their real jobs were overly empowered by former president George W. Bush’s mention of the performance-enhancing-drug issue in his 2004 State of the Union address."

On Tuesday’s Sports section, blogger Dan Steinberg mocked The Daily Caller for lauding Washington Nationals rookie Bryce Harper as a conservative hero, approvingly quoting hard-left hack Charles Pierce:

By Noel Sheppard | June 16, 2012 | 1:41 AM EDT

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer demonstrated surprising internet and Twitter savvy on PBS's Inside Washington Friday.

In response to a query from host Gordon Peterson, Krauthammer channeled his best Bryce Harper and said, "That’s a clown question, bro" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

By Noel Sheppard | June 15, 2012 | 11:49 AM EDT

Golf's U.S. Open is considered the sport's premier family event as it historically concludes on Father's Day.

To "celebrate" this, the Huffington Post currently has a headline on its front page that reads "Eight Ways For Tiger To Pick Up Girls While He's Here" (photo courtesy AP).

By Matthew Sheffield | June 14, 2012 | 7:49 PM EDT

The double standards operating against outspoken conservatives are legion. Perhaps no one knows this better than talk radio host Rush Limbaugh who has been the target of the left's hatred for decades now. Watching the latest news in the business of sports, he's got to be shaking his head in dismay.

If you're a liberal like Bill Maher, a generous donor to a Super PAC support Barack Obama's re-election efforts, and you invest as much as $20 million to buy a part of the New York Mets, the New York Times gives you favorable coverage. Completely leaving out Maher's recent, and long-running, history of using vile and misogynistic terms to describe conservative women, both on his HBO show and his stand-up comedy shows, the NYT described Maher as "the most celebrated person — at least the only one with a TV show — known to have become a new partner in the team."

By Tim Graham | June 10, 2012 | 3:29 PM EDT

Todd Kaufman at the Sports Page in Dallas notes that Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports writer Randy Galloway sounded bitter when Texas Rangers star Josh Hamilton talked about getting a big new contract after this season ends -- not just for himself, but to help a "hurting world."

It's always hard for a baseball fan to see your team's highest-wattage star headed for the clubhouse door. But the disdain for the God talk ought to seem more impolite in the Texas metroplex, where ABC puts the "GCBs." Kaufman writes:

By Noel Sheppard | June 10, 2012 | 9:51 AM EDT

Exactly one month ago, the Washington Post published a 5,400 word front page hit piece on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's high school years which included a now infamous hair-cutting incident.

On Sunday, the Post devoted 5,500 words, beginning on the front page of the sports section, to an excerpt of David Maraniss's new book with the headline "President Obama’s Love for Basketball Can be Traced Back to His High School Team":

By Michelle Malkin | May 21, 2012 | 5:12 PM EDT

Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is guilty — of being true to his Catholic faith. The gay-marriage mob is guilty — of the very ugly bigotry it claims to abhor. And left-wing media outlets are guilty — of stoking false narratives that shamelessly demonize religion in the name of compassion.

The attempted crucifixion of Pacquiao this week was fueled by an online army of cultural shakedown artists, generously funded by billionaire George Soros and other so-called progressive philanthropists.


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Oklahoma Girl Can Say Anything Backwards

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Do you remember in the movie The Exorcist when Reagan or, more specifically, the demon inside her, was speaking in a strange and mysterious language, but (spoiler alert) the Catholic priests sent to expel the so-called demon weren’t impressed because she wasn’t speaking Latin or Aramaic, but backwards English? Well, when Alyssa speaks backwards English, it is pretty darn impressive.

In the video making its way across the Internet today, Alyssa reveals her special skill to the world: She can say any word backwards in less than three seconds. It sounds like gibberish. When the people who are tasked with fact checking the Internet weighed in and aired the video of Alyssa talking backwards backwards, it still sounded like gibberish. But we are believers nonetheless, no exorcism required. We can only hope that college admission committees accept video applications.

MORE: Top 10 Viral Videos of 2011


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Argentina, fearing Maya-linked suicides, closes mountaintop

06:59 AM December 19th, 2012

December 19th, 2012 06:59 AM

Luz Carmen Gonzalez (L) and Jesus Chacon (R) are blessed by Maya priest Idelfonso Ake Coccom of the Council of Elders and Mayan priests during the last Maya wedding before the end of the Maya Long Count Calendar –Baktun 13– and the beginnig of a new era on December 17, 2012 in Merida, Mexico. AFP/LUIS PEREZ

BUENOS AIRES—As mountaintops go, this one is for meditating. And the odd UFO sighting.

But now it is closing for a few days to avert a mass suicide by folks girding for the world’s end.

That doomsday is indeed upon us — with Christmas just around the corner, heaven forbid — is one gloomy interpretation of a Mayan India calendar.

To wit, December 21 marks the end of a 5,200-year cycle on the Mayan “Long Count” calendar. It’s a cause for celebration for many in Mexico and Central America, but spells doomsday for some believers.

In Argentina’s central Cordova province, fallout will be felt at a mountain called Uritorco, which was sacred for indigenous peoples when their numbers were still large in Argentina.

Authorities will shut down access to it from December 20 to 22 because an appeal has gone out on Facebook for people to climb the hill December 21 and commit “massive spiritual suicide,” said Gustavo Sez, mayor of the nearby town of Capilla del Monte. That name means chapel on a hill.

“It was a decision taken by consensus, to pre-empt any distortion of the Mayan prophecy,” he said.

The peak is about 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) high and located in a touristy area 750 kilometers (470 miles) north of Buenos Aires.

Young and not so young people climb up there to meditate and do esoteric stuff. In decades past, UFO sightings from its touchy-feely heights have been reported.

The tourism industry is fuming with the temporary shut down. Hotels and hostels nearby had been expected to house around 15,000 people just before Christmas. Tourism is the main source of revenue in the region.

Forget about all that money now, says Gabriel Schiaffino, head of the Capilla del Monte tourism association, who said he was puzzled by word of the mass suicide.

The hotel occupancy rate is now about 1,000 people “but we don’t think anyone else will come, which is awful news,” he said.

Is there is a silver lining anywhere? Yes.

Associations of people who like to meditate have appealed for a gathering on December 21 in Capilla del Monte itself to mark the beginning of the new era, as per the mainstream, upbeat reading of the Mayan calendar.

“A lot of people mistake the day for the apocalypse,” said Machenka Jacobella, one of the organizers.

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Cotabato City man confesses involvement in trade of high-powered guns, IED

05:34 PM September 1st, 2013

By: Edwin Fernandez, September 1st, 2013 05:34 PM

COTABATO CITY, Philippines –- The man arrested last Friday for possessing high powered guns and improvised explosive devices has admitted to police authorities he was in the bomb and gunrunning business.

Suspect Rahib Pelandoc Guialudin, who was interviewed by a local TV station on Saturday, said he has confessed to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CIDG-ARMM) that he was to deliver the assorted high powered firearms and improvised bomb to a “contact buyer” in Davao Oriental when arrested by lawmen in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao.

Aside from the bomb, Guialudin also yielded three cal. 50 Berretta sniper rifles, an M-16 rifle and cal. 45 pistol when police cornered him Friday in Barangay (village) Madidis.

“Those firearms were not mine. I ventured into gunrunning and bomb selling because I am unemployed, I am an ordinary farmer,” Guialudin told a local TV station in Filipino Saturday.

He said he bought the sniper rifle for P20,000 and would sell it at P25,000 to a contact buyer in Davao Oriental.

On the other hand, he said he bought the IED, which was fashioned from 60 mm mortar, from a certain “Toto” of Barangay Pagatin, Datu Salibo, Maguindanao, known bailiwick of the renegade Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to be delivered to a buyer in Davao Oriental.

Improvised bombs that had cell phones as trigger mechanism were a signature armament of BIFF, a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, against the military in Maguindanao.

Guialudin was arrested while his companion, Nadzir Pakasi Mongkas, was killed when he shot it out with arresting CIDG-ARMM elements.

Both were riding on a multi-cab en route to Davao City when flagged down by government forces in Barangay Madidis.

Days earlier, government agents had received a tip the two would transport explosives from Datu Paglas to Davao City.

Guialudin is currently detained at the CIDG-ARMM headquarters in Cotabato City.

Earlier police reports said Guialudin was a member of “Tamengkog group” engaged in bomb making and gun selling in Maguindanao and nearby provinces.

He refused to talk about the rash of bombings in Cotabato City, Maguindanao and North Cotabato.

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MARION HEIGHTS - An electrical fire at a residence in the 300 block of Clermont Street Tuesday night pressed firefighters from three communities into service, but resulted in minor damage.

Marion Heights Fire Chief Ron Coroniti said a ceiling light in the basement recreation room at the home of Leo and Rose Finlan, of 300 Clermont St., shorted out at 7:05 p.m., causing a minor fire. Coroniti said Leo Finlan was able to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher before fire personnel arrived at the scene.

The fire chief said smoke filled the home, but no injuries occurred. He said the Finlans were able to return to their residence.

Coroniti said borough firefighters were holding a training session at the fire company when the call came in.

"We were there in about a minute because we were so close," Coronti said.

Assisting Coroniti at the scene were Marion Heights Assistant Fire Chief Reno Pupo, firefighters from Kulpmont and Atlas, Mount Carmel Area Rescue Squad and Mount Carmel Township Patrolman Kelly Campbell.

The scene was cleared at about 7:45 p.m.


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Summons wins Humboldt Award

Roger E. Summons, a professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, will receive a Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt-Stifung Foundation in Germany. The award is conferred "in recognition of lifetime achievements in research."

Awardees are invited to carry out research projects of their own choice in cooperation with colleagues in Germany. The idea is to promote international scientific cooperation.

Summons' research interests include the biogeochemistry of geologically significant microbes, microbially dominated ecosystems, and organic and isotopic indicators of climate change, biotic evolution and mass extinction.

A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on June 6, 2007 (download PDF).

Topics: Earth and atmospheric sciences, Awards, honors and fellowships, Faculty, Global

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Actress Tamara Tunie suffered real bruises while filming 'Flight'

Actress Tamara Tunie says filming the crash landing for “Flight” showed her how terrifying an air disaster could be.
BY GENE TRIPLETT Modified: February 7, 2013 at 5:02 pm •  Published: February 8, 2013

Tunie, 53, a film, stage and television actress, director and producer best known for her portrayal of attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns” and medical examiner Melinda Warner on NBC's “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” plays senior flight attendant Margaret Thomason.

So how did Zemeckis and his crew manage to pull off the harrowingly realistic crash landing?

“Basically the crew kind of resurrected an airplane that had been retired to like the airplane graveyard or whatever, and they dragged the thing into a soundstage and they rigged it on hydraulics and a thing we ended up calling the rotisserie,” Tunie said. “It was like a big rotisserie oven that they attached the plane to, so that when it actually flipped upside down we actually turned the entire cabin of the plane and the entire cockpit of the plane completely upside down with this rotisserie.

“And so to simulate the turbulence and everything, they used the hydraulics, so we were really being thrown around that plane. I had the bruises to show for it. And it was as realistic as it could be. And it wasn't difficult for me to imagine how terrifying that would be.”


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State equine trail riding association to host clinic in Chandler

BY TERRI FOLKS, Publicity Co-chair Modified: September 24, 2012 at 11:06 am •  Published: September 24, 2012

CHANDLER -- Oklahoma Equestrian Trail Riders Association Inc. (OETRA) is hosting a clinic on GPS 101 and Horse Camping 101 on Oct. 13-14 at Bell Cow Lake Equestrian Camp in Chandler.

Instructors will be available to assist participants in learning how to use a handheld GPS unit for trail riding during the morning session. The afternoon session will cover what to take on the trail, trail riding etiquette, what to expect on an organized ride, how to condition the horse for trail riding and safety skills.

Attendees will learn how to use portable corral panels, electric fence pens and picket lines to safely contain their horses. Former OETRA Presidents Milt Alexander and David Smith are the instructors.

On Oct. 24, OETRA will sponsor a poker run using the GPS, beginning at 9 a.m. The GPS will be used to locate the various check points on the trail. For those who don’t have a GPS, OETRA will team them with someone who does. Prizes will be awarded for the winning hands.

Clinic fees are $25 per person for OETRA members and $35 for non-members. Registration is 8:30-9 a.m. The classroom portion of the GPS 101 clinic starts promptly at 9 a.m. at the Equestrian Camp pavilion.

At noon, clinic participants will what elements should be in their saddle bags, then at 1 p.m., Horse Camping 101 will continue the clinic and will conclude at 3 p.m.

After 3 p.m., participants can have one-on-one time with the instructors and explore different camping stations that will be set up throughout the campground to demonstrate different types of camp set ups, including how to properly put up a picket line, how to build a portable electric corral and much more.

Dinner will be served at 5:30 for participants. Lunch and dinner are provided in the costs. Camping and trail fees are not and are payable to the City of Chandler who operates the park.

For those not familiar with OETRA, this group has donated more than $12,000 in funds across the state in the last three years at several horse camps and trails. OETRA was established in 1974 as the state’s trail riding association with the goal of promoting good stewardship towards Oklahoma’s trail system.

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Witness: Miami Cops Tried To Destroy Video Of Shooting

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MIAMI – Narces Benoit, a witness to the Miami Memorial day police shooting, which claimed the life of Raymond Herisse says police stomped on his cell phone, pulled guns on him and detained him but he still managed to keep the video of the incident, which he sold to CNN.

“When he noticed me recording, one of the officers jumped in the truck, put a pistol to my head,” he said. “My phone was smashed – he stepped on it, handcuffed me.”

“They handled us like we were criminals,” she said. “The officer came over to the driver’s side, on my left, and just put the gun to my head.”

“They took everyone’s phones and smashed them,” she said.

Benoit says the only reason he still has the footage is because it was saved on a tiny memory card, which he removed and hid from the officers, despite being told to hand over his video.

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Holiday Bloodshed! Miami Cops Kill Man After Memorial Day Car Chase

Commissioner Calls For Curfew After “Hip Hop” Holiday Violence

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BREAKING! Man Arrested In Connection With L.A. Arson

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Los Angeles car firesLOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man in connection with dozens of suspected arson fires that have rattled Los Angeles residents since last week.

SEE  ALSO: “Murderabilia” Sales Go Through The Roof

A sheriff’s deputy stopped the driver of a van early Monday in Hollywood. The vehicle matched a description by witnesses, and the driver resembled the person in a surveillance video that police released.

The man’s identity was not immediately released, but fire Capt. Jamie Moore says he will be booked on arson charges.

A total of 53 suspicious blazes, mostly started in parked cars, have raged since Friday night in and around Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley.

In several cases, flames jumped to garages and apartment buildings. The fires have caused $2 million in property damage, but no one has been hurt.

Obama’s New Year’s Resolutions

Age Gap Increases Racial Divide?

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