COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Republican hopes to unseat liberal Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio next year are riding on Josh Mandel, a boyish-looking, 33-year-old Marine veteran whose fledgling campaign has been shaken by allegations of questionable campaign cash and ethical lapses ? and a broken promise.
Touted as a rising GOP star after knocking off an incumbent by 14 points to take the state treasurer's seat last fall in his first statewide race, Mandel has emerged as a prime target for Democrats in a key swing state.
A July 21 Quinnipiac University poll showed Brown beating Mandel 49-34 percent. Even though Mandel faces a difficult race against Brown, Democrats have already hit the challenger on several fronts:
7/8_Mandel told Ohioans that he would serve at least four years as treasurer, but launched his U.S. Senate bid just three months after he took office. Democrats are circulating a video of him making the promise, hoping to embarrass Mandel.
_Ohio Democrats have filed a complaint with federal election officials alleging Mandel improperly used taxpayer resources to help his Senate campaign, citing his treasurer's office Web postings and emails that closely matched Mandel's solicitations to potential donors.
And there are other concerns about his campaign:
_A TV ad Mandel aired during last year's treasurer's race falsely implied that his opponent was Muslim, followed by photos of Mandel in fatigues in a combat zone. It was panned at the time as a political low blow.
_He's three months late filing his required personal financial disclosure statement with Senate officials.
_An Ohio newspaper recently highlighted $100,000 in contributions to Mandel's campaign from a Canton businessman who is a major GOP donor, his employees and their spouses. The paper said many of the employee-donors had never given to a federal candidate before and probably couldn't afford $5,000 donations, raising questions.
And Mandel is facing trouble from his own party because of a video showing him cheering former Democratic Vice President Al Gore at a 2000 rally.
Yet Mandel, a fiscal conservative, has shown himself to be a prolific fundraiser. He collected $2.3 million in the second quarter, eclipsing Brown by a wide margin. Brown reported raising $1.5 million for the quarter.
That money, coupled with a string of high-profile GOP endorsements, has helped Mandel gain early credibility as a challenger, despite only serving in statewide office since January.
Mandel has won endorsements from leading Republicans, including Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, Rep. Jim Jordan and Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, a kingmaker promoting conservative Senate candidates and the tea party movement. Club for Growth, a leading conservative group, also backs him.
Mandel says he's done nothing wrong. He said he knows of no fundraising irregularities, he regrets his anti-Muslim ad and he'll file his financial disclosure form after he finishes consulting with Senate officials about some compliance issues.
Mandel, who served two tours in Iraq as an intelligence specialist, said he felt a call to duty to run for the Senate, despite his pledge to serve his treasurer's term.
"I was drafted into this race by a good mix of Republicans, Democrats and independents throughout Ohio who feel that our state cannot survive with six more years of Sherrod Brown, and our country cannot survive four more years of Barack Obama," said Mandel. "As a city councilman, state legislator and U.S. Marine, I have never said `no' to answering a call."
Gerald Austin, a veteran Democratic consultant from Ohio, sees Mandel as brash and untested.
"He's a wise guy," Austin said. "He's young and he thinks he can conquer the world. Everything he's done so far suggests maybe he can. But he's stepping up to the big time, prime time on the national stage."
Ohio Republicans surged back into power last year in a key swing state, seizing control of every statewide office and both chambers of the state legislature. Against that backdrop, the vocal Brown has been the state's highest-profile defender of Obama's policies and agenda, including a health insurance overhaul that Republicans are trying to reject through a November ballot initiative.
The Senate race's timing posed problems for many of the Ohio GOP's stars. Statewide officeholders who might have been interested_ such as Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor ? just took new offices in January and are reluctant to bail on their new jobs so soon.
The Ohio GOP's best known national names ? House Speaker John Boehner and Jordan, for example ? are in enviable roles at the national level. Mandel's early fundraising prowess is helping fend off other challengers.
Democrats pounced on a recent newspaper report that the owner of an Ohio direct marketing firm, his employees and their spouses gave $100,000 to Mandel's campaign. Some donors listed their occupation as "writer," "copywriter" or merely "marketing," according to the report in the Toledo Blade.
A spokesman for the marketing company told the Blade the firm did not reimburse employees or provide money for the contributions.
Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonpartisan watchdog group, said the contributions raise questions.
"Those contributions don't make sense," she said. "They don't seem likely. When you have a campaign, you are under some responsibility to be clear that the money you are raising is not illegal. You can't willfully turn a blind eye."
No incumbent president or governor has won re-election in Ohio when unemployment has been higher than 7.2 percent, and the voter sentiment behind that pattern tends to carry to the Senate contest. Ohio's unemployment rate in July was 9 percent.
ABUJA (Reuters) ? United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro visited the wounded on Sunday from a bomb blast at the U.N. headquarters in Nigeria that killed at least 23 people and injured dozens.
There has been no confirmed claim of responsibility for Friday's car bomb at the U.N. Abuja office, which blew out windows, gutted a lower floor and set the building alight in one of the most lethal attacks on the world body in its history.
A U.N. spokesman accompanying Migiro at the hospital where the victims were being treated said the death toll had risen.
"I can confirm to you that the casualty figure is now 23. This figure was given to us by the hospital authorities when they briefed us," he told Reuters.
President Goodluck Jonathan declined on Saturday, when visiting the site, to say who could be behind the blast, but security sources suspect the violent Islamist sect Boko Haram, which has been blamed for almost daily bomb and gun attacks on security forces and civilians in the remote northeast.
(Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Tim Cocks; editing by Tim Pearce)
On Friday, The Lede tracked preparations for the expected landfall of Hurricane Irene, a powerful storm heading for the northeastern United States.
1:17 A.M.|Amtrak Service Cut and Plane Arrivals Canceled
All New York City-area airports will be closed to incoming flights after noon on Saturday, and Amtrak has canceled all Northeast Corridor trains that would have run on Sunday.
Amtrak will also reduce service on Saturday on its Northeast Corridor, Keystone Corridor, Springfield Line, Empire Service, Vermonter, Piedmont Service and Northeast Regional routes and for many of its long-distance trains, according to a statement posted on Amtrak?s Web site.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced at 9:30 p.m. that it would close all five of its airports ? Kennedy and La Guardia in New York City, Newark Liberty, Stewart in Orange County, N.Y., and Teterboro in New Jersey ? to arriving flights.
From the Port Authority?s Web site:
Due to Hurricane Irene, all Port Authority Airports will close to arriving domestic and international flights at noon tomorrow. The five airports will remain open for departing flights pending further updates. Please check with your carrier before coming to JFK. There will be limited mass transit access to the airport. The MTA will begin to shut down all train, bus, and subway services throughout the city and on Long Island starting at 12:00 p.m. At the same time, NJ Transit will suspend all rail operations and at 6:00 p.m., all bus operations will be suspended. Visit the transit agencies websites for more up to date news on their operations. You can also visit www.panynj.com for updated info and weather for all Port Authority facilities.
Refunds are available for Amtrak riders whose trains were canceled. Passengers who want updated information should call 800-USA-RAIL or go to Amtrak.com.
1:16 A.M.|Live From Nags Head, N.C.
Brian Stelter is reporting from Nags Head, N.C., about 240 miles from the center of the storm:
Bands of severe thunderstorms are now whipping eastern North Carolina, announcing the arrival of Hurricane Irene. As expected, flooding is becoming a serious concern.
While the center of the storm is still well offshore and is not expected to reach the coast until Saturday morning, these outer storm bands are dangerous because they contain torrential rains and can spawn tornadoes. About two hours after night fell, much of the coast was placed under a flood warning.
Local forecasters said that the eastern part of the state had already received two to three inches of rain, with at least that much or more on the way before dawn.
A drive through Nags Head on Friday night showed that no stores were open, and the last gas station was closed at 8 p.m. A sign there read, ?Be safe.? There were few cars on the main roads, indicating that people were respecting the authorities? requests to evacuate or, barring that, to stay home.
12:36 A.M.|Photographs From Your Hometown as the Storm Moves In
Readers of The New York Times have been sending in their photographs as Hurricane Irene moved closer to shore. Submit your own.
11:41 P.M.|Follow the Hurricane in Real Time
The New York Times has developed an interactive hurricane tracking map that allows you to follow the storm?s progress in real time.
11:39 P.M.|New York Evacuation Now Estimated at 370,000 People
The Office of Emergency Management has raised the city?s estimate of the number of people required to evacuate to 370,000. Previous estimates has put the figure at 250,000.
10:31|How Hurricanes Get Their Names
In theory, a butterfly flapping its wings halfway across the world could have caused the eddies that gave birth to Hurricane Irene, but the origin of the storm?s name is not nearly so fanciful.
Hurricanes are named by the World Meteorological Organization, an agency of the United Nations. The group was established in 1950, right around the time that, in the Southern Hemisphere at least, such storms began to be given both men?s and women?s names.
Storms have long been given names for simplicity?s sake ? rather than using? numbers or descriptions ? in messages of warning, but there were often arbitrary: a hurricane could be named after a ship it wrecked, for example, according to information on the meteorological group?s Web site.
Starting in the 1900s, proper names were used in alphabetical order. For North Atlantic storms, all of them were female, but they were randomly chosen, not, the organization stresses, selected to name the storm after a real person.
Now a multinational committee keeps lists of names for North Atlantic storms that it has maintained since 1953 (male names were added in 1979). The six lists are used in a rotation, except when a storm has been ?so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity.? Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused such devastation in New Orleans, and Hurricane Mitch, which struck Honduras in 1998, are among the names that have been retired.
8:45 P.M.|Hurricane Center Says Storm Is Staying on Track
In its 8 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Irene continued to barrel up the East Coast at 14 miles per hour. It continued:
The core of the hurricane will approach the coast of North Carolina tonight and pass near or over the North Carolina coast on Saturday. The hurricane is forecast to move near or over the mid-Atlantic coast Saturday night and move over southern New England on Sunday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 100 miles per hour with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast before Irene reaches the coast of North Carolina. Some weakening is expected after that, but Irene is forecast to remain a hurricane as it moves along the mid-Atlantic coast on Sunday.
Irene is a large tropical cyclone. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles from the center and tropical-force winds extend outward of up to 290 miles. During the past hour, a sustained wind of 52 miles per hour and a gust to 62 miles per hour were reported at the Johnny Mercer Pier in Wrightsville Beach North Carolina.
In addition, tropical storm conditions are expected to reach southern New England on Saturday night, with hurricane conditions predicted for Sunday, according to the report.
Water levels could rise by 6 to 11 feet above ground level in parts of North Carolina, the hurricane center said. Isolated tornadoes are possible in eastern North Carolina.
As the storm moves north, New England will experience tropical storm conditions on Saturday and feel the force of a full-blown hurricane on Sunday. Farther south, water levels may rise by four and six feet in the southern portion of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
A maximum of 15 inches of rainfall could accumulate in some places, the hurricane center said, causing flash floods, swells and rip currents that could be life-threatening.
8:30 P.M.|Obama Declares State of Emergency for New York
President Obama declared a state of emergency for New York State about 5 p.m. on Friday in anticipation of Hurricane Irene, a Category 2 storm, making landfall on the East Coast, The Times?s Sarah Maslin Nir reports.
Our colleague Brian Stelter, who is reporting on the storm in North Carolina ? and posting a steady stream of updates on his @BrianStelter Twitter feed ? reports:
For some store owners on the Outer Banks, Irene is a ?hurri-cation.? That?s what Jerry Slayton, the manager of the Cavalier Surf Shop, called it on Friday, right after the last sandbag was put in place at the front door.
Mr. Slayton and his parents, Ken and Marty, said the summer tourism season had been busy ? noticeably busier than last year ? so the economic impact of Irene is less severe than it otherwise would have been. ?We?ve worked a lot of hours all summer so this is kind of like a little day off,? Mrs. Slayton said.
What does a ?hurri-cation? consist of? ?We go home, play games and wait the storm out,? Ken Slayton said.
While most tourists have headed home by now, many of the people who call Nags Head home are staying, the Slaytons said. ?They know how to prepare,? Mrs. Slayton said. Evidently she is prepared: she then offered this reporter a beer.
Kim Severson, the Atlanta bureau chief for The New York Times, is also filing updates on the storm on on her @kimseverson Twitter feed.
6:17 P.M.|Chart Explains Possible Damage From Hurricane Winds
Predictions that the storm could weaken to a Category 1 hurricane by the time it reaches population centers might spark some relief, but it is important to keep in mind what kind of damage hurricane-force winds can cause. This useful chart from the National Hurricane Center explains in great detail exactly what sort of damage hurricanes of various categories are likely to cause.
Here is a summary of what to expect from a Category 1 storm, which comes with ?very dangerous winds? of 74-95 m.p.h that ?will produce some damage.?
People, livestock, and pets struck by flying or falling debris could be injured or killed.
Older (mainly pre-1994 construction) mobile homes could be destroyed, especially if they are not anchored properly as they tend to shift or roll off their foundations. Newer mobile homes that are anchored properly can sustain damage involving the removal of shingle or metal roof coverings, and loss of vinyl siding, as well as damage to carports, sunrooms, or lanais.
Some poorly constructed frame homes can experience major damage, involving loss of the roof covering and damage to gable ends as well as the removal of porch coverings and awnings. Unprotected windows may break if struck by flying debris. Masonry chimneys can be toppled. Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof shingles, vinyl siding, soffit panels, and gutters. Failure of aluminum, screened-in, swimming pool enclosures can occur.
Some apartment building and shopping center roof coverings could be partially removed. Industrial buildings can lose roofing and siding especially from windward corners, rakes, and eaves. Failures to overhead doors and unprotected windows will be common.
Windows in high-rise buildings can be broken by flying debris. Falling and broken glass will pose a significant danger even after the storm. There will be occasional damage to commercial signage, fences, and canopies.
Large branches of trees will snap and shallow rooted trees can be toppled.
Extensive damage to power lines and poles will likely result in power outages that could last a few to several days.
Here is the latest interactive map from the Google Crisis Response team charting Hurricane Irene?s predicted path, based on data from the National Hurricane Center.
5:46 P.M.|Even if Storm Weakens, Flooding Could Be a Problem
Jeff Masters, a founder of the Weather Underground Web site who studied storms from the air for four years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration?s Hurricane Hunters, is tracking Irene?s progress in great detail on his WunderBlog.
In his most recent post, Dr. Masters reports: ?Satellite data and measurements from the Hurricane Hunters show that Irene is weakening.? He explains that an Air Force flight over the storm this morning ?found that Irene?s eyewall had collapsed,? this morning. He adds: ?The winds measured in Irene near the surface support classifying it as a strong Category 1 hurricane or weak Category 2.?
Based on the latest data, Dr. Masters produced a good news/bad news forecast: predicting that the storm could cause dramatic flooding even if it weakens to a Category 1 hurricane as it moves north. He explains:
With its eyewall collapsed and just 18 more hours over water before landfall, Irene does not have time to build a new eyewall and intensify. The storm is too large to weaken quickly, and the best forecast is that Irene will be a strong Category 1 hurricane at landfall in North Carolina on Saturday.
Based on the latest wind analysis from NOAA?s Hurricane Research Division and Irene?s continued weakening trend, I predict that the 80-mile section of North Carolina coast to the right of where Irene makes landfall will receive sustained hurricane-force winds of 75-85 m.p.h. on Saturday at landfall; the 80-mile section of coast to the left will receive 55-75 m.p.h. winds. High wind shear of 30 knots will begin ripping into Irene Sunday morning when it is near Southern New Jersey, and more rapid weakening will occur.
By the time Irene arrives on Long Island Sunday afternoon, it will probably have top sustained winds in the 65-75 m.p.h. range. However, since Irene is such a huge storm ? tropical storm force winds extend out up to 290 miles from the center ? it has set a massive amount of the ocean?s surface in motion, which will cause a much larger storm surge than the winds would suggest. At 3:30 pm EDT this afternoon, a wind analysis from NOAA?s Hurricane Research Division indicated that the potential storm surge damage from Irene still rated a 5.0 on a scale of 0 to 6. This is equivalent to the storm surge a typical Category 4 hurricane would have.
While this damage potential should steadily decline as Irene moves northwards and weakens, we can still expect a storm surge one full Saffir-Simpson Category higher than Irene?s winds when it impacts the coast. Since tides are at their highest levels of the month this weekend due to the new moon, storm surge flooding will be at a maximum during the high tidal cycles that will occur at 8 p.m. Saturday night and 8 a.m. Sunday morning. Wherever Irene happens to be at those times, the storm surge damage potential will be maximized. I continue to give a 20 percent chance that a 3-4 foot storm surge high enough to over-top the Manhattan flood walls and swamp the New York City subway system will occur on Sunday. The latest 11 a.m. probabilistic storm surge map from the National Hurricane Center shows a 20-30 percent chance of a storm surge in excess of 3 feet in New York Harbor. Keep in mind that these maps are calculated for normal tide level, and this weekend?s high tides will be nearly 1 foot above normal.
5:18 P.M.|Looking at Simulations of the Possible Storm Surge
In a new post on his Dot Earth blog, ?New York Surge From Irene Looks Bad, But Not Off Charts,? my colleague Andrew Revkin reports:
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focused on coastal impacts from hurricanes have run fresh simulations of the possible storm surge as Hurricane Irene hits the New York metropolitan region. Simulations using two surge models (known by their acronyms, SLOSH and ADCIRC) found 1.22 and 1.05 meters of surge (4 and 3.44 feet) of surge at the Battery, at the southern tip of Manhattan.
This would pose serious risks to low installations and the subways but is nowhere near a worst case (think 13 feet, as in 1821)?.
The surge model also does not include waves* and the extra tide expected because it?s a new moon. They?re in the process of running a simulation with that factor included.
In an update to the post, he adds:
The Storm Surge Research Group at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, has a great online tool that provides an advance estimate of storm surge at important spots around New York City and Long Island Sound. Click on a buoy to see the current state of sea level and what?s anticipated over the next 24 hours (the models are run twice a day). The group emphasizes that this is a work in progress and should not be used to make evacuation decisions or the like.
4:51 P.M.|NASA Image Shows Scale of Hurricane Off East Coast
The latest in a series of remarkable NASA satellite images of Hurricane Irene tracking up the East Coast shows it heading for land about three and a half hours ago, at 17:02 UTC, or 1:02 p.m. EDT.
3:08 P.M.|Updated Forecast From National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center?s latest advisory notes that Irene has ?weakened slightly,? but still packs winds of 100 miles per hour.
The Google Crisis Response team has produced an interactive map that charts the storm?s predicted path.
2:13 P.M.|New York Orders Mandatory Evacuation of Some Areas
At a news conference minutes ago, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he is ordering a mandatory evacuation of coastal areas in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, along with Battery Park City and the financial district in Lower Manhattan and Governor?s Island. Residents of what the city calls Zone A must be out of their homes by 5 p.m. on Saturday. Zone A is clearly outlined in this interactive map posted online by WNYC. A searchable version of the map is embedded in our 1:17 p.m. update.
Earlier, the city decided to shut down the city?s entire subway and bus system at noon on Saturday.
1:50 P.M.|New York Plans to Shut Transit System on Saturday
My colleague James Barron reports:
With Hurricane Irene pushing relentlessly toward the East Coast, officials made plans to shut down New York City?s sprawling subway and bus system beginning at noon on Saturday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said.
The commuter rail lines that serve Long Island, Westchester County and Connecticut will also be shut down.
New York?s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, plans to decide by Saturday morning whether to order a general evacuation of the low-lying areas.
Outside New York City, local governments announced some less dramatic changes:
Some Atlantic City casinos made plans to stop rolling the dice and turn off the slot machines by 8 p.m. Friday. The naval submarine base in Groton, Conn., sent four submarines out to ride out the storm deep in the Atlantic Ocean. And Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said that all lanes of 28-mile stretch of a major highway in Ocean County would go in only one direction ? westward ? beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday to help speed the trip away from Long Beach Island.
1:40 P.M.|Image of Irene From Space Shows Huge Storm
Based on this image of the earth, taken from a NASA satellite on Friday at 10:45 a.m. ET, the space agency estimates that Hurricane Irene now has a diameter of about 510 miles, which is almost one-third the length of the U.S. Atlantic coastline:
1:31 P.M.|Obama Warns Americans to ?Take This Seriously?
Associated Press video of President Barack Obama addressing Americans on the need to prepare for Hurricane Irene.
As my colleague Jackie Calmes reports:
President Obama will cut short his Martha?s Vineyard vacation because of Hurricane Irene and return Friday night, as he urged Americans along the Eastern Seaboard to take precautions against the potentially ?historic hurricane? making its way toward the coast this weekend.
Mr. Obama, his wife and two daughters were to leave Martha?s Vineyard, just off Massachusetts, on Saturday but he decided ?it would be more prudent? for him to get back to the White House to monitor events by returning Friday, said spokesman Josh Earnest. Island authorities had begun their own preparations for the storm, including canceling some ferries to the mainland.
Immediately before directing his aides to prepare to depart, Mr. Obama appeared before cameras at his rental farm property to warn that Hurricane Irene, which on Friday was barreling toward North Carolina on a path that threatened all the way through New England, is ?likely to be an extremely dangerous and costly storm.?
?All indications point to this being a historic hurricane,? he added.
?I cannot stress this highly enough: If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now. Don?t wait. Don?t delay. We all hope for the best, but we have to be prepared for the worst. All of us have to take this storm seriously. You need to listen to your state and local officials, and if you are given an evacuation order, please follow it,? Mr. Obama said.
1:17 P.M.|A Searchable Map of New York?s Evacuation Zones
As my colleague James Barron reports, ?New York City began evacuating hospitals and nursing homes in low-lying areas on Friday morning, and the National Weather Service issued a hurricane watch for the city, Long Island and Connecticut and a hurricane warning for much of New Jersey.?
Readers in New York City who want to get an idea of how they might be affected by a direct hit from Hurricane Irene can download a map prepared by the city?s Office of Emergency Management, which shows exactly which neighborhoods might need to be evacuated. The map divides low-lying areas of the city into three zones from which residents might need to be evacuated. As the office explains:
Residents in Zone A face the highest risk of flooding from a hurricane?s storm surge. Zone A includes all low-lying coastal areas and other areas that could experience storm surge from ANY hurricane making landfall close to New York City.
Residents in Zone B may experience storm surge flooding from a MODERATE (Category 2 and higher) hurricane.
Residents in Zone C may experience storm surge flooding from a MAJOR (Category 3 & 4) hurricane making landfall just south of New York City. A major hurricane is unlikely in New York City, but not impossible.
WNYC, a public radio station, has taken the city?s data and created this interactive version of the map, which allows users to search by address to find out if they are in one of the potential evacuation zones.
12:57 P.M.|Latest Forecast for Path of Hurricane Irene
Here, from the Web site of WNYC, the New York public radio station, is a map showing the latest forecast for the path of Hurricane Irene, which was issued by the National Weather Service at 11 a.m.
12:20 P.M.|Predicted Track of Storm Recalls Hurricane Floyd
On Thursday, my colleague John Schwartz explained the difficulty of evacuating even flood-prone areas, like the North Carolina coastal region:
When it is time to go, it is probably too late.
Evacuations of coastal areas, and especially island communities like those on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, present problems that are geographical, logistical and emotional: many of the vacationers and residents do not want to leave until they are certain they have to. But the longer they wait, the harder it is to get out.
North Carolina has studied its roadways and evacuation routes and developed exquisitely detailed plans that include the placement of checkpoints and the staffing levels at each one. But no one is under any illusion that things will necessarily go smoothly.
?No matter what plan you have in effect, if everybody decides to leave at the last minute, you?re going to have a traffic jam,? said Sgt. Jeff Gordon of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. ?The thing about storms is, they are so unpredictable you don?t want to stay until the last minute to see if the storm is going to turn.?
Today, John, like many people in and around New York, has been thinking more about the possible impact of the storm here. He writes:
It?s hard to say what damage a hurricane will do, but some of us watching Irene think back on a hurricane called Floyd, which followed a track in 1999 that was not too different. Its winds, by the time it got to the Northeast, were not a terrible issue, but it pushed a damaging storm surge in front of it and dropped tremendous amounts of rain on the region.
If Floyd is any guide, expect flooding, and lots of it: Rockland and Westchester Counties saw flooding in Floyd, as well as northern and central New Jersey. Downtown Bound Brook, NJ was under more than 15 feet of water as the Raritan crested some 20 feet above flood levels; two people there died.
More than $100 million has been spent to shore up flood control for Bound Brook since then, as Peter Applebome wrote last year, but the town continues to experience flooding in heavy rains.
The flood damage around the region remains a fresh memory. A Mongolian BBQ restaurant in Millburn, NJ, now closed, had a photo by the door from Floyd. It was a picture of the front of the restaurant, which sat by a park with a gentle stream running through it. Floyd turned the stream into a torrent, and several feet of water flowed through the front door of the restaurant. It was not the sort of image, for homeowners in town, that aids the digestion.
New Jersey?s Star-Ledger has a report on the lessons residents and officials in Bound Brook say they learned from Floyd.
Here, from Wikipedia, is a 1999 National Weather Service graphic on the impact of Hurricane Floyd:
11:49 A.M.|Hurricane Center Expects Storm to Strike I-95 Corridor
My colleague Eric Lipton reports from Washington:
Even with the modest weakening overnight of Hurricane Irene, the nation?s top emergency response officials and weather watchers warned Friday morning that the storm had the capacity to cause major, life-threatening damage along the Eastern seaboard and that those in low-lying coastal areas should heed any warnings to evaluate.
?A lot of trees down, a lot of power lines down, heavy rain,? said Craig Fugate, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, describing the likely impact of the storm, even in in-land areas.
Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center, said that he is highly confident now of the storm?s track, meaning it will be a rare hurricane that travels right along the densely populated Interstate 95 corridor. ?This is not just a coastal event? he said, echoing the warnings from Mr. Fugate.
Mr. Fugate, a former Florida emergency response official, said the key factor that federal officials can now influence ? by urging residents in vulnerable areas to evacuate ? is the number of deaths or injuries the storm causes. ?The one thing we can change the outcome on is loss of life,? he said. ?People need to leave early, travel a safe distance.?
11:41 A.M.|North Carolina Braces for Impact
As my colleagues Katharine Seelye and Eric Lipton report, Hurricane Irene is ?lumbering toward North Carolina on Friday morning, heading for a destructive march up the East Coast in an unusually broad path that could affect 55 million people.?
Hurricane watches have been issued for North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and New England, putting residents on notice to prepare for the worst and in some cases begin evacuations?.
The storm was circling off the coast of Georgia in the late morning, slowly moving north and east, with an expected landfall of its most intense core in North Carolina on Saturday afternoon.
Brian Stelter, who is reporting for The Times from North Carolina, writes:
Standing on the beach at dawn, Dave Wessel, the mayor of the town of Duck, North Carolina said he anticipated a calm evacuation on Friday. A ?good rush of people? left town on Thursday, he said, adding that most stores had either closed or would do so by mid-day Friday.
Mr. Wessel and his wife had reserved a hotel room two hours inland, but the storm is so wide that they are now planning on driving three hours inland, to Rocky Mount ? a testament to just how wide the hurricane is. ?It just refreshes to wobble back east? out to sea, he said.
Here is an Associated Press video report from Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
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VMA nominee's voice sounds mature, but he tones down the lyrics. By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber Photo: Jesse Grant/ WireImage
Justin Bieber and Drake are certainly besties, and on Sunday (August 28), Bieber dropped his version of Drake's "Trust Issues," just in time for both guys to make appearances at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles.
While he maintains much of the integrity of the song musically, Bieber does clean up the language, swapping some of the more-adult lines for PG-rated versions. Instead of the original's "I'mma sip until I feel it, I'mma smoke it till it's done," Bieber sings, "I'mma sing until I feel it, I'mma go till it's done."
Later, the Biebs sings, "You just need to listen, I'll teach you how to fix it/ But you're the only one, 'cause I don't trust these women/ I don't, I don't trust these women." Drake's original verse? "You know what I'm sippin', I teach you how to mix it/ But you're the only one, 'cause I don't trust these bitches/ I don't, I don't trust these bitches."
The song still does keep some of its lyrical edge when Drake makes an appearance via samples from the original track. While the lyrics might be very different from Drake's original — which will appear on his next album, Take Care, due in October — the aspect of Bieber's track that will stand out to his loyal devotees is the singer's voice: It's much deeper than what fans have heard from him in the past.
Bieber is nominated for one Moonman at the 2011 VMAs: Best Male Video for "U Smile." His competition includes Eminem, Cee-Lo, Bruno Mars and Kanye West.
The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday from Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.
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Cancer is one particular of the most dreaded ailments in the planet. The physique cells start functioning in an irregular way in the particular person struggling from cancer and the tumors are formed in the impacted location of the entire body. Breast, ovarian, cervical and uterine cancers are individuals kinds of cancers that focus on only the women as these are connected to the feminine physique organs.
If we discuss about the uterine cancer, it is in truth associated to the extremely essential organ of the female reproductive technique called the uterus and usually occurs in the girls among the ages of fifty to 70 a long time. This cancer has diverse sorts which includes uterine sarcomas, endometrial cancer and cervical cancer. Each type influences various elements and tissues of the feminine uterus e.g. endometrial cancer also referred to as endometrial carcinoma is connected to the uterus lining or endometrium. The uterine sarcoma also referred to as leiomyosarcomas has an effect on the muscular layer of the uterus and cervical cancer is associated to the reduce part of the uterus.
Between these types, the endometrial cancer is 1 that is generally referred to as the uterine cancer. The endometrial cancer is so lethal that it is considered to be the 3rd most widespread gynecologic cancer following ovarian and cervical cancers that triggers loss of life to the women.
This cancer usually impacts the ladies soon after the incidence of the menopause the phase in a womans existence when menstrual cycle will get stopped. There are some frequent symptoms of this cancer although these might differ to some extent from man or woman to particular person.
The most common symptom of this cancer in a female is the irregular vaginal bleeding even following her menopause. Even so the too much menstrual bleeding in a female in her premenopausal period of time shouldnt be ignored as well. The other symptoms incorporate the unusual non-bloody vaginal discharge, reduced belly pain, irregular excess weight reduction, hard and painful urination and an intense ache during intercourse.
Every single female is essential to know about the simple signs and symptoms of the uterine cancer so that if she finds any of them in herself, she could urgently make contact with her physician. The value of searching for the timely healthcare suggestions right after locating some of these indicators is really large as it may possibly assist to diagnose the uterine cancer at some early stage and you ought to know that this cancer can be dealt with effectively at the early levels. Besides, if the endometrial cancer is diagnosed following the complete health-related verify up of a girl, the appropriate measure can be taken at the proper time in buy to prevent further issues.
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TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) ? Honduras on Friday recognized Palestine as an independent state amid a drive by the Arab League to upgrade it to full membership status in the United Nations.
Honduras took the decision even though it threatened the country's relationship with long-standing ally Israel.
Israel's ambassador in Honduras, Eliahu Lopez, said the move was "a blow to the heart of Israel."
Honduras' foreign ministry said in a statement that "it has supported and continues to support the full rights of the State of Israel to exist within safe borders that are recognized by the international community."
Neighboring El Salvador on Thursday also said it now recognized Palestine as an independent state.
About 120 countries have recognized the state of Palestine to date.
The Palestinians, who currently have U.N. "observer" status, had previously pledged to seek U.N. endorsement in September for their claim of sovereignty in the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The move has gained momentum with the lack of progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. The Arab League formally backed this plan in May.
Full member status would require approval in the U.N. Security Council, where Israel's ally the United States has said it will veto any such resolution.
(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Editing by Paul Simao)
A "traditional burial" in the USA involves the internment of the deceased's body, usually in a deep grave at a cemetery or churchyard. This is the most common type of service, in which a formal funeral service or ceremony is held in a place of worship or funeral home. The service is designed for family and friends to commemorate the life of their loved one. It is followed by a procession to the cemetery for interment (ground burial) or entombment (mausoleum burial) and a graveside service.
Traditional funeral services also include time for the family and friends to gather together before the funeral with the body of the deceased present (the casket may be open or closed). This is commonly known as "wake". It is usually held the day before the funeral service or over a period of two days, either at night or in a combination of day and evening hours.
The duration of the visitation hours is scheduled to accommodate the needs of the family. Floral tributes are often displayed, as well as photographs and other personal items that reflect the life of the deceased loved one. Special music may be played too.
A traditional funeral service usually includes:
A viewing or visitation period for family and friends to pay their last respects. The casket may be open or closed according to your preferences.
A formal funeral service in a church, chapel or synagogue. The service may be contemporary or religious, and it may include readings, a eulogy, music, a funeral procession, and military honors.
A hearse to transport the deceased to a final resting place.
Earth burial, entombment or cremation.
The majority of cemeteries are non-denominational, and so most types of funeral service or ceremony can be conducted there.
Advice will also be available from the ministers of the religion or religious organization that the deceased may have belonged to. Obviously if you choose to be buried in a churchyard, then the type of funeral/ceremony will be dictated by the particular faith practiced there.
Grave plots in cemeteries can be pre-purchased. The person who has died may already have arranged a grave space in a churchyard or cemetery which may be included in the will or papers.
People should be aware of pressure of space, particularly in bigger cities, most burial plots are sold on a system of leasehold of usually 50 - 75 years with 100 years being the maximum. When a lease is coming to its end, the relatives of the deceased are usually sort, to consider extending it for a fee. However, with families moving around a lot these days, contact can be very difficult if not impossible to achieve.
Consecrated churchyards are slightly different. In UK every parishioner has a right of burial in their local churchyard, provided there is space available and the churchyard has not been closed for burials. In addition, any person whose name is on the electoral roll of the parish at the time of their death also has a right to burial, as does any person dying in the parish, whoever that person is. Any exceptions to this must have the consent of the church authority who's decision is final, and some churches and parishes have their own slight variations (especially when it comes to memorial types), so best to check with the local priest or minister first.
SOSNOVY BOR, Russia (Reuters) ? North Korean leader Kim Jong-il promised on Wednesday to consider suspending nuclear arms tests and production if international talks on Pyongyang's atomic program resume, a Kremlin spokeswoman said.
The pledge, made at talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, was intended to improve the chances of reviving the six-nation aid-for-disarmament talks that collapsed when North Korea walked out of them in 2008.
Diplomats, however, may treat it with caution as they say Pyongyang has flouted past agreements over its nuclear weapons ambitions and is unlikely to give up efforts to build an atomic arsenal it sees as a bargaining tool with the outside world.
"Kim Jong-il expressed readiness to return to six-party talks without preconditions," Medvedev's spokeswoman, Natalya Timakova, said after the president met Kim at a military base in the Siberian town of Sosnovy Bor near Lake Baikal.
"In the course of the talks the North Koreans will be ready to resolve the issue of imposing a moratorium on testing and production of missile and nuclear weaponry."
The reclusive North Korean leader, who arrived in nearby Ulan-Ude on Tuesday in an armored train and wore a khaki military uniform, did not speak to reporters after the talks, held 4,420 km (2,750 miles) east of Moscow.
Timakova's comments made clear North Korea wanted to discuss a moratorium only after six-nation talks resume with Russia, China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Washington and Seoul say it must agree to a moratorium before talks reconvene.
The talks are intended to provide impoverished and secretive North Korea with economic aid as an incentive for giving up its nuclear weapons program.
Moscow and Beijing have called for a quick resumption of talks. Seoul, Washington and Tokyo say they are willing to resume the talks where they left off, but that Pyongyang must first show it is serious about denuclearizing.
In Washington, the U.S. State Department said Kim's reported offer was "insufficient" to warrant a resumption of the nuclear talks.
"If it's true, a welcome first step, but far from enough," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said. "We will not go back to six-party talks until North Koreans are prepared to meet all of the commitments that we've all laid out."
GAS COOPERATION
Medvedev said after meeting Kim that progress had been made on a long-discussed proposal to build a natural gas pipeline to South Korea that would pass through the North.
"As for gas cooperation -- there are results," he told reporters. "I understand that North Korea is interested in implementing this kind of trilateral project."
Medvedev gave few details but said a commission was being formed to develop the proposal and a South Korean delegation had recently visited Russian natural gas company Gazprom.
The time and day of Wednesday's meeting were not announced until the last minute although Kim, 69, had been traveling across Russia since arriving near the Pacific coast on Saturday. He traveled by train because of his fear of flying.
Kim was driven to the military base in a black Mercedes car. He had spent the previous day boating on Lake Baikal, North Korea's state news agency said.
"Thanks to special attention and care on your part, Mr. President, we are having a happy trip," he told Medvedev.
During Communist times, Moscow picked Kim Jong-il's father to lead North Korea but Russian influence waned after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Kim has left North Korea to visit China, which now has more influence on Pyongyang than Russia, three times in less than two years and has been seeking help from regional powers for his isolated nation, which is struggling with floods and economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons program.
Citing a "severe deficit" of food products, Russia said on Friday it would send 50,000 tonnes of grain to North Korea by the end of September. The North has also been seeking foreign investment to improve infrastructure.
(Additional reporting by Alexei Anishchuk and Andrew Quinn in Washington, Writing by Timothy Heritage; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Vicki Allen)
In 2008, the real estate short sale (also referred to as the ?short sale foreclosure?) will become one of the hottest topics in real estate.
But it doesn?t take a crystal ball to make such a prediction. After all, the numbers speak for themselves. We are now seeing an unusually high number of people going into foreclosure in the U.S. This is partly the result of the subprime mortgage meltdown that came to a head in 2007, and the trend will probably continue for another couple of years at least.
So what is a real estate short sale, and how can the savvy real estate investor use it to his or her advantage? The answer to this question lies within the series of events leading up to a home foreclosure (bearing in mind that the process varies a bit from state to state).
Three Choices for Homeowners
In general, a homeowner who is facing foreclosure can take one of three paths. The homeowner can either?
Get back on track making the mortgage payments in order to keep the home Sell the home before the bank forecloses on them Allow the bank to foreclose on the home
Clearly, the first option is the most desirable. If at all possible, the homeowner should try to get caught up on mortgage payments in order to keep the home. Many lending institutions even have programs in place (such as reinstatement and repayment plans) to help homeowners do exactly that.
On the contrary, the last option listed above is the least desirable of the three. Nobody wants a foreclosure to go on their credit history, because it will make future mortgage approvals / home purchases more difficult. So option #3 should be avoided at all costs.
That leaves us with option #2, selling the home before the bank forecloses on it. And that?s where the real estate short sale comes into the picture.
Taking the Short Sale Option
In the middle of the road, we have the real estate short sale. This is a way for the homeowner to sell the home quickly in order to avoid a complete foreclosure of the home. With this approach, the lender gets some of their money back, the homeowner avoids foreclosure, and somebody gets a good deal on a home. In most cases, it?s the closest thing to a ?win-win? you?re going to find under these circumstances.
How does the buyer in this process typically get a good deal? Because of the very nature of the short sale. Through this process, the lender agrees to let the homeowner sell the home for less than the amount the homeowner still owes to the lender. Naturally, this often means that the home will be sold for less than market value as well.
Most people ask the next logical question: ?Why would the lender agree to selling the house below market value?? They do it because the foreclosure process can be expensive, adding more costs on top of a nonperforming loan that?s already costing them money. So they want to get that home / loan off their books as quickly as possible. The real estate short sale is a way to achieve these things, without having to go through the extensive (and expensive) process of foreclosure, real estate auction, etc.
This investment potential, combined with the fact that we have record numbers of foreclosure homes available right now, is why you will hear a lot more about the short sale in 2008.
Brandon Cornett is the publisher of Foreclosure City, a website that offers helpful resources for investors across the United States. To learn more about the short sale foreclosure and other related topics, please visit http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com/foreclosures
Tags: Buying, Discount, Estate, Explained, Foreclosure, Short
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PITTSBURGH (Reuters) ? A 6-foot (1.83-meter) long tropical snake that showed up uninvited at a Pennsylvania memorial service in May has been nursed back to health and put up for adoption, an animal rescue official said on Friday.
The red tail boa constrictor was found near a parking area at Hershey Cemetery in central Pennsylvania as guests gathered for a funeral. The snake, which was not aggressive, was later handed over to Forgotten Friend, a reptile sanctuary.
The boa constrictor was suffering from a minor respiratory ailment, likely because it had spent several nights in temperatures much cooler than those of its natural habitat in the rain forests of South America, the organization's president, Jesse Rothacker, said at the time.
On Friday, Rothacker said the snake had returned to health and was ready to be adopted.
"The snake has had a chance to dine on many, many frozen rats and bask in the warmth of the (sanctuary's) reptile room," he said. "She's doing a lot better. She's at the point now that she's listed for adoption."
Rothacker said the sanctuary was seeking an experienced owner and warned current boa constrictor owners against releasing their pets into the wild, an offense he said was tantamount to animal cruelty.
(Reporting by Daniel Lovering; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee says popular uprisings across the Arab world signal "a much brighter day" for people who have never known democracy and freedom.
Sen. John McCain, who unsucessfully ran for president in 2008, says Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi's days are numbered. But he also says, "How long it takes and how long he holds out, I can't tell you exactly."
McCain told CBS televison's "The Early Show" on Tuesday that while the U.S. should play a role in helping Libya in a post-Gadhafi transition, European nations should take the lead. He says, "I think we ought to really be turning our attention to national reconciliation, to not having revenge killings going on."
?(Updated August 23, 7:40 a.m. EDT) Hurricane Irene, the ninth named storm and first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season, is steadily increasing in strength as it swirls toward the southeastern Bahamas. Weather conditions have forced Carnival and Royal Caribbean to alter itineraries for nearly a dozen cruise ships.
According to the National Hurricane Center's 5 a.m. EDT advisory, Irene is some 105 miles southeast of the popular cruise port of Grand Turk. Maximum sustained winds are now 100 mph, and the storm is expected to intensify into a major hurricane with winds in excess of 125 mph as it chugs toward the Bahamas.
Cruise Ship Itinerary Changes
Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Pride, which left Baltimore on Sunday for a week-long Bahamas and Florida cruise, will sail a revised route. The ship will now visit Port Canaveral (Tuesday, instead of Wednesday) and Freeport (Wednesday), after which the line will determine the remainder of the itinerary based on Irene's projected path.
Carnival Triumph, which sailed from New Orleans on Saturday for a week-long Bahamas and Florida cruise, is swapping its Bahamas calls for visits to Western Caribbean ports. The new route includes stops in Key West (Tuesday, as planned), Cozumel (Wednesday) and Progreso (Thursday).
Carnival Destiny, which departed Miami on Monday for a five-night cruise to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau, will instead visit Key West (Tuesday), Cozumel (Wednesday) and Costa Maya (Thursday).
Carnival Conquest, which left Galveston on Sunday for a week-long Bahamas and Florida cruise, will now sail a Western Caribbean itinerary. The new route calls for visits to Costa Maya (Wednesday), Cozumel (Thursday) and Progreso (Friday).
Carnival Victory had to cancel Monday's call at St. Thomas and is proceeding to Barbados for its scheduled call on Wednesday. Spokesman Vance Gulliksen said the line is still evaluating the remainder of the itinerary. Victory is on a seven-night cruise from San Juan.
Carnival Liberty, in the midst of a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami, is stopping at Grand Turk Monday instead of spending the day at sea as originally planned. The line is evaluating the remainder of the itinerary.
Carnival Miracle, which embarked from New York Thursday on an eight-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, is sailing an altered itinerary. Instead of visiting San Juan, St. Thomas and Grand Turk, the ship is now calling on Grand Turk (Monday) and Half Moon Cay (Tuesday).
Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean has reversed the itinerary for Oasis of the Seas, which left Fort Lauderdale on Saturday for a week-long Western Caribbean cruise. The ship is now visiting Cozumel on Monday; spending Tuesday at sea; calling on Falmouth, Jamaica on Wednesday; and visiting Labadee, the line's private peninsula in Haiti, on Thursday. Oasis will spend Friday at sea before returning to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday as scheduled.
Freedom of the Seas, which left Sunday from Port Canaveral on a week-long Western Caribbean cruise, is sailing a reversed itinerary. The ship is now calling on Cozumel (Tuesday), Grand Cayman (Wednesday), Falmouth, Jamaica (Thursday) and Labadee (Friday).
Oasis' sister ship, Allure of the Seas, is visiting all the ports originally scheduled on its week-long Caribbean cruise, but in a slightly different order. The ship will visit Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday (August 27) instead of Monday (August 22). Visits to St. Thomas (Wednesday) and St. Maarten (Thursday) will take place as planned.
Royal Caribbean has scrambled the order for Serenade of the Seas' seven-night Southern Caribbean cruise, which left from San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday. The ship is now visiting Aruba (Tuesday), Curacao (Wednesday), St. Kitts (Friday) and St. Thomas (Saturday).
Weather Outlook: Possible Affected Ships and Ports
The core of the storm will be passing just north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti early Tuesday before reaching Turks and Caicos Tuesday night and the Bahamas early Wednesday. A hurricane warning remains in effect for the Turks and Caicos, the southeastern and central Bahamas and the north coast of the Dominican Republic.
The current forecast shows the center of Irene making landfall Saturday afternoon somewhere near the South Carolina and North Carolina border. This is, however, an early projection. Meteorologists expect the storm's effects to be widespread along the East Coast.
A new searchable automated appraisal real estate market database has been created for consumers wishing to receive an instant market value for their Las Vegas Homes. This first of its kind system allows Las Vegas homeowners to input information about their home in to this appraisal database to retrieve their homes present fair market value in Las Vegas with a click of a button.
With the rate at which the Las Vegas housing market is changing, the values of Las Vegas Homes are changing rapidly. This new Las Vegas appraisal system allows homeowners in Las Vegas to find their properties value by neighborhood, zip code, square footage, number of bedrooms, baths and garage size. These fields allow our system to pull homes in those areas that match your homes criteria to assign it a fair market value range for Las Vegas. This system also works for condos and townhomes as well.
This Las Vegas appraisal system at MyGoRealty.Net has been dubbed My Neighborhood Values with a trademark pending. We created this home value system for Las Vegas homeowners who wish to receive an instant fair market value for their homes. We understand that home sellers in Las Vegas are tired of having to submit forms to online Las Vegas real estate agents and having to wait days if not weeks to receive a CMA (Current Market Analyst) from these Realtors for their properties fair market value. Another good use for the system is if you are thinking of buying a home in Las Vegas, you can use the system to check home values in different parts of town by neighborhood or zip code where you may be considering purchasing.
With My Neighborhood Values you can find your homes value here in Las Vegas with a click of a button and without ever having to speak with an agent. In today?s fast paced Las Vegas Real Estate market technology plays an important part in offering consumers the service that is now required to meet their home buying and selling needs. We believe that when you are ready to buy or sell if we have provided you with the information you are looking for to purchase or sell your home in Las Vegas, you will contact us when you are ready to do business. We at http://www.MyGoRealty.Net want to make your buying or selling process as easy as possible.
America?s current tax system forces people making $50,000 a year to pay a higher rate than hedge fund managers making $2.4 million an hour. Warren Buffett penned an op-ed last week declaring that America?s super-rich have been ?coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress.? Lamenting the numerous tax loopholes and special breaks afforded to billionaire investors, Buffett noted that in his entire career, even when capital gains rates were as high as 39.9 percent, he never saw anyone ?shy away from a sensible investment because of the tax rate on the potential gain.?
Charles Koch, head of the massive petrochemical, manufacturing, and commodity speculating Koch Industries corporation, has responded to Warren?s call for shared sacrifice: ?No Thanks.? In a statement to right-wing media, Koch states:
Much of what the government spends money on does more harm than good; this is particularly true over the past several years with the massive uncontrolled increase in government spending. I believe my business and non-profit investments are much more beneficial to societal well-being than sending more money to Washington.
Koch?s ?non-profit investments? include the group founded by his brother David, ?Americans for Prosperity? (formerly known as Citizens for a Sound Economy). As ThinkProgress first reported, AFP was one the first and most well-resourced drivers of the anti-Obama so-called ?Tea Party? movement. Koch-funded Tea Party events have featured speakers comparing health reform to the Holocaust, and in some cases have sponsored rallies with leaders of the ?birther? conspiracy theory.
Among the Koch brothers? other non-profit investments include far-right conservative think tanks dedicated to cheerleading the war in Iraq, spreading anti-science propaganda, and smears claiming that the poor do not really suffer. Koch has given money to educational initiatives, but in exchange for control over academic freedom that simply furthered Koch?s political beliefs. These ?investments? at best advance Koch?s political ideology and at worst misinform American voters. Either way, they are hardly a replacement for ?government spend[ing]? on things like food assistance and basic medical service.
According to Forbes, the Koch brothers have seen their wealth rise $11 billion in recent years, making the Koch brother among the richest in the country by being worth around $22.5 billion each. Much of those profits, however, are due to soaring gas prices and the fact Koch Industries has avoided compensating the public for one hundred million tons of carbon pollution the company produces each year. Other Koch companies also receive significant taxpayer subsidies, despite Koch?s supposed opposition to government spending. This company is among the country?s top sources of carcinogenic chemicals and air pollutants.
America has been good to Charles Koch, providing an environment where his family has made billions. But Koch doesn?t want to give back, especially through more taxation. His charitable foundation, which gives largely to right-wing organizations that support his politics and Koch Industries? business interests, still only donates about $12 million a year ? 0.05 percent of Koch?s net worth. If higher rates were imposed on the super-rich, would Koch retreat to the family?s fabulous mansions, like this one in the Hamptons, aboard its fleet of private jets in a John Galt-inspired temper tantrum? Or would they act like any respectable businessman, and continue to make a profit without complaining?
TUESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) ? Long-term use of androgen deprivation therapy to treat prostate cancer may increase older patients? risk of broken bones, according to a new study.
These findings suggest that careful consideration is needed before doctors decide to use this therapy in older men with localized disease, the researchers said.
They analyzed data from more than 46,500 men, aged 66 and older, who survived at least five years after a diagnosis of localized prostate cancer and received long-term androgen deprivation therapy.
Older men with co-existing health problems are usually prescribed androgen deprivation therapy because they are not suitable candidates for radiation therapy or surgery to remove the prostate.
But this study found that men treated with androgen deprivation therapy had a 20 percent increased risk of a first fracture and a 57 percent increased risk of a second fracture after two years of treatment.
Older age, a higher number of co-existing health problems, and a history of fracture and stroke were associated with increased risk of fracture, the researchers said.
?Treating men who have pre-existing conditions with longer duration of androgen deprivation therapy exacerbates their risk of fracture, and becomes more pronounced over time,? Grace Lu-Yao, a professor of medicine at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, said in an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) news release.
?Careful evaluation of the patient?s risk of fracture, while initiating treatment, is important because fracture has a strong impact on quality of life and mortality,? she added.
In addition, treatments involving removal of the testicles to stop testosterone production (which prostate cancer needs in order to grow) and/or long-term gonadotropin-releasing hormone use are also associated with an increased risk of fracture among men with prostate cancer.
The study findings were to be presented at the annual AACR Cancer Prevention Research Conference, Nov. 7 to 10 in Philadelphia.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about androgen deprivation therapy.
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America?s current tax system forces people making $50,000 a year to pay a higher rate than hedge fund managers making $2.4 million an hour. Warren Buffett penned an op-ed last week declaring that America?s super-rich have been ?coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress.? Lamenting the numerous tax loopholes and special breaks afforded to billionaire investors, Buffett noted that in his entire career, even when capital gains rates were as high as 39.9 percent, he never saw anyone ?shy away from a sensible investment because of the tax rate on the potential gain.?