Bacterial spare parts filter antibiotic residue from groundwater

May 21, 2013 ? Researchers at University of Cincinnati have developed and tested a solar-powered nano filter that is able to remove harmful carcinogens and antibiotics from water sources -- lakes and rivers -- at a significantly higher rate than the currently used filtering technology made of activated carbon.

They report their results today at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

Vikram Kapoor, environmental engineering doctoral student, and David Wendell, assistant professor of environmental engineering, report on their development and testing of the new filter made of two bacterial proteins that was able to absorb 64 percent of antibiotics in surface waters vs. about 40 percent absorbed by the currently used filtering technology made of activated carbon. One of the more exciting aspects of this filter is the ability to reuse the antibiotics that are captured.

"The presence of antibiotics in surface waters is harmful in that it breeds resistant bacteria and kills helpful microorganisms, which can degrade aquatic environments and food chains. In other words, infectious agents like viruses and illness-causing bacteria become more numerous while the health of streams and lakes degrades," says Kapoor.

The newly developed nano filters, each much smaller in diameter than a human hair, could potentially have a big impact on both human health and on the health of the aquatic environment (since the presence of antibiotics in surface waters can also affect the endocrine systems of fish, birds and other wildlife).

The filter employs one of the very elements that enable drug-resistant bacteria to be so harmful, a protein pump called AcrB.

"These pumps are an amazing product of evolution. They are essentially selective garbage disposals for the bacteria. Our innovation was turning the disposal system around. So, instead of pumping out, we pump the compounds into the proteovesicles," says Kapoor

The operation of the new filtering technology is powered by direct sunlight vs. the energy-intensive needs for the operation of the standard activated carbon filter.

The filtering technology also allows for antibiotic recycling.

"After these new nano filters have absorbed antibiotics from surface waters, the filters could be extracted from the water and processed to release the drugs, allowing them to be reused. On the other hand, carbon filters are regenerated by heating to several hundred degrees, which burns off the antibiotics," says Kapoor.

The new protein filters are highly selective. Currently used activated carbon filters serve as "catch alls," filtering a wide variety of contaminants. That means that they become clogged more quickly with natural organic matter found in rivers and lakes.

"So far, our innovation promises to be an environmentally friendly means for extracting antibiotics from the surface waters that we all rely on. It also has potential to provide for cost-effective antibiotic recovery and reuse," says Kapoor.

The researchers have tested the solar-powered nano filter against activated carbon, the present treatment technology standard outside the lab, in water collected from the Little Miami River. Using only sunlight as the power source, they were able to selectively remove the antibiotics ampicillin and vancomycin, commonly used human and veterinary antibiotics, and the nucleic acid stain, ethidium bromide, which is a potent carcinogen to humans and aquatic animals.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/63s9OA1mO5c/130521194001.htm

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Source: Treasury told WH of IRS disclosure plan

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A Treasury official says the department told the White House twice that the IRS was preparing to make public its targeting of conservative political groups.

The official said Monday that Treasury told the White House in late April about a possible speech in which IRS official Lois Lerner would make a public apology and that outgoing Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller expected to be asked about the issue during congressional testimony. However, the official said Treasury did not give the White House advance warning that Lerner planned to address the issue during a May 10 conference, which she ultimately did.

White House advisers have said President Barack Obama was not told about the IRS targeting before it became public.

The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and insisted on anonymity.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-source-treasury-told-wh-irs-disclosure-plan-014154611.html

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Does France have right plan to revive its economy?

PARIS (AP) ? The man charged with reviving France's shrinking economy and attracting businesses to invest there is gaining a reputation for doing the opposite.

As the country's first-ever minister for industrial renewal, Arnaud Montebourg has told the world's largest steelmaker it is not welcome in France; exchanged angry letters with the head of an American tire company he was supposedly wooing; and scuttled Yahoo's offer to buy the majority of a video-sharing website.

Montebourg, a 50-year-old lawyer from Burgundy, is the public face of President Francois Hollande's plan to revitalize Europe's second-largest economy, which is in recession and grappling with 11 percent unemployment. The plan is to make the French economy more competitive globally ? especially for manufacturers ? by making it easier to fire workers, offering a payroll tax credit and investing in small businesses.

Economists have praised the labor reforms as a step in the right direction. But mostly they say France's economic plan is all wrong: It is too complicated; it favors a top-down approach to innovation; and it ignores some of the most serious problems plaguing France's economy, such as high labor costs.

And then there is Montebourg, whose public spats with international companies and efforts to block layoffs are making France look like an unappealing place to do business.

In fairness to Montebourg, he's not so much the problem as he is the symbol of it, analysts say. Even if Hollande were to replace him ? and that's looking increasingly likely ? it's unclear whether the substance of the industrial renewal strategy would change.

The sheer size of France's economy has cushioned it somewhat from the worst of Europe's debt crisis, which has brought depression-level unemployment to countries like Spain and Greece. It is home to many huge industrial companies, like EADS, parent company to plane-maker Airbus; Total, the world's fifth-largest investor-owned oil company; and Sanofi, the world's fourth-largest pharmaceutical company. France is also a cradle for design, high fashion and fine wine, embodied by world leaders like LVMH and L'Oreal.

But make no mistake, analysts warn: The French economy, which had no growth in 2012 and shrank at an annualized rate of 0.8 percent in the first three months of 2013, is in slow-motion free fall.

Profit margins at French companies are the lowest they have been in 30 years. In the past decade, one in six industrial jobs has been lost. And economists forecast unemployment will rise to 11.6 percent next year.

Hollande says the decline in French manufacturing ? from 16 percent of gross domestic product in 1999 to 10.7 percent a decade later ? is at the heart of his country's stagnation. Many European economies have seen a similar trend, but France's slide has been more pronounced than most. Reverse the decline, Hollande believes, and you reverse the stagnation.

"The goal of reindustrialization is a perfectly legitimate goal. The only question to ask for France is ... whether it's too late," says Elie Cohen, an economist at Sciences Po university in Paris. "It's probably too late."

Serge Lelard, who started a plastics company called Microplast in 1984, feels the same way. Montebourg, who buzzes around France touring businesses on a near-weekly basis, recently visited Microplast's factory outside Paris. He held it up as an example of the kind of small manufacturing businesses that France needs to keep and attract.

But Lelard is dismissive of the government's reindustrialization plan. He says there is too much talk and not enough action that addresses the competitive disadvantages French companies face in the global marketplace.

Microplast, which sells plastic bits that connect the wires in cars, has struggled along with the French auto industry. Lelard is pessimistic about the company's chances of survival.

France's economic challenges are rooted in government policies that protect workers at the expense of their employers. It has the highest payroll taxes in the European Union to fund generous health and retirement benefits. It has the highest tax on capital, which discourages investment. It aggressively fights companies that try to outsource jobs. And it makes firing an employee expensive and difficult.

These problems have existed for decades, but a growing global economy and France's control over its own currency and spending policies masked them. Slowly, however, those masks have been removed.

First, the euro was introduced at the turn of the millennium. Europe's strongest economies, like Germany, gained a competitive advantage: The value of the euro, held down by the weaker nations that used it, made German exports more affordable overseas. By contrast, countries like France suffered because the euro was valued more highly than their own currency, making French exports more expensive for buyers outside the eurozone.

Then the global recession dried up demand for French products at home and around the world. Finally, Europe's debt crisis prompted the government to cut spending and raise some taxes to reduce its budget deficit.

With these crutches pulled away, France's industry was pushed to its breaking point.

But Hollande, a Socialist, came to power last year by promising more of the same: He vowed to spark growth without cutting generous benefits.

There are three main planks to Hollande's reindustrialization plan: up to a 6 percent rebate for companies on some payroll taxes, labor reforms that make it easier to fire employees or cut their salaries during hard times, and a public investment bank with 42 billion euros ($55 billion) to invest in small businesses.

But new programs are announced frequently. Millions in grants and other incentives have been promised for everything from spurring the construction of electric cars to bringing robots to factory floors.

"That's exactly what you should not do. They're ... complicating instead of simplifying," says Anders Aslund, an economist with the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. Aslund says the government should avoid giving grants for specific industries and instead help all industries ? with permanent tax breaks, for example.

Last year, Montebourg unveiled a plan to give several hundred million euros in grants and tax credits to car companies and subcontractors in an effort to encourage the development of electric cars and batteries.

But economists say the French government should not try to invent successful sectors. Never mind that France is an unlikely place to incubate an auto revolution. Its car industry can't compete with global rivals like Volkswagen and Hyundai that have lower labor costs and stronger cultures of innovation. For example, French research institutions lack the strong links to industry that allow entrepreneurs in other countries to quickly convert lab discoveries into products.

The flip side of France's efforts to create booming new industries is its aversion to letting struggling ones die out.

"A saved job is always a victory," Montebourg, who is on the far left of the Socialist party, said at a recent lunch with journalists. He declined to be interviewed for this story.

But that's not how many economists see it. Part of Germany's success is its willingness to let some lower-level manufacturing jobs move to other countries, says Christian Ketels, a researcher at Harvard Business School. That allows German companies to stay competitive and keep high-skilled, higher-paid jobs at home.

"To my knowledge, France is really the only country in Europe that is upset about outsourcing," says Aslund.

One of the most glaring examples of this no-job-left-behind policy has been France's campaign to block steelmaker ArcelorMittal from shuttering the two blast furnaces its plant in Lorraine, in eastern France ? in spite of the fact that local mines are used up, it's far from ports and its furnaces are out of date.

That plant is "a perfect example of what you should close down," says Aslund.

Instead, Montebourg took up the cause, threatening to nationalize the plant and declaring that the company wasn't welcome in France. It's unclear how much of this rhetoric was in line with government policy ? the suggestions of nationalization were quickly struck down by the prime minister ? but the affair deeply bruised France's reputation as a serious place for business. In the end, the company will shutter the furnaces but other operations at the plant will continue.

Montebourg also tried to save a Goodyear plant in northern France by asking American tire manufacturer Titan if it was willing to invest. The answer from Titan's CEO mocked France's work practices in an embarrassing public letter ? and Montebourg took the bait, shooting back an equally chest-thumping missive.

There looks to be little hope of saving the Goodyear plant, but litigation could drag on for months if not years.

Just this month, Montebourg vetoed Yahoo's attempt to take a 75 percent stake in video-sharing website, Dailymotion. Citing concerns about Yahoo's health as a company, Montebourg said the government, which owns a stake in Dailymotion's owner, France Telecom, would only approve a 50-50 deal. Yahoo walked away.

Business owners say that the government remains more of a hindrance than a help. There are too many regulations and too much paperwork even for mundane tasks.

But the fundamental problem French manufacturers face is simple: Workers get paid too much to make products that cost too little.

The French government argues that its hourly labor costs are not much higher than Germany's ? 34.20 euros per hour on average in 2012 versus 30.40 euros per hour, according to Eurostat. But France's range of products ? with some notable exceptions, like Chanel handbags or Moet & Chandon champagne ? is generally of a lower quality than Germany's.

In other words, if it costs the same to make a Peugeot as it does a BMW, guess which company is going to have more left over to reinvest in innovation? And investing in innovation is how you make a Peugeot more like a BMW.

And it's not even that France pays top dollar to attract the best workers. Its wages are above average, though not spectacularly so. But its payroll taxes are the highest in Europe.

The government's new "competitiveness tax credit," which will eventually give companies up to 6 percent back on some workers' salaries, is a step toward lessening this burden for a time. Early surveys, however, show few companies are taking advantage of it, according to study by consultancy Lowendalmasai.

How come? The paperwork is too complex.

___

Follow Sarah DiLorenzo at http://twitter.com/sdilorenzo.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/does-france-plan-revive-economy-092441481.html

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The tea party and the politics of paranoia

Public release date: 21-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Peter Kelley
kellep@uw.edu
206-616-5903
University of Washington

Members of tea party claim the movement springs from and promotes basic American conservative principles such as limited government and fiscal responsibility.

But new research by University of Washington political scientist Christopher Parker argues that the tea party ideology owes more to the paranoid politics associated with the John Birch Society and even the infamous Ku Klux Klan than to traditional American conservatism.

Parker is the author, with fellow UW political scientist Matt Barreto, of a new book titled "Change They Can't Believe In: The Tea Party and Reactionary Politics in America," published this spring by Princeton University Press.

At the heart of their book is a nationwide telephone survey overseen by Parker in early 2011 of 1,500 adults equal numbers of men and women across 13 geographically diverse states. The results starkly illustrate where tea partyers and true conservatives part ideological ways.

Responses place tea party members far to the right of the mainstream Republican conservatism of Nelson Rockefeller, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and even George W. Bush viewing President Obama as a faux citizen, a Muslim and socialist agitator, bent on America's demise.

"Tea party conservatives believe in some conservative principles, to be sure, but they are different from more mainstream conservatives in at least one important respect," Parker said. "True conservatives aren't paranoid; tea party conservatives are."

Asked flat-out if they think President Obama is "destroying the country," only 6 percent of non-tea party conservatives agreed, a number that rose to 36 percent among all conservatives regardless of tea party affiliations. By contrast, 71 percent of self-identified tea party supporters thought this extreme statement true.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg," said Parker, a UW associate professor of political science. "It's no secret that tea party conservatives view President Obama with such contempt, but I am the first to document it empirically."

Other survey results include:

• Three-quarters of tea party conservatives said they think President Obama's policies are politically socialist while only 40 percent of non-tea party conservatives held that view.
• Twenty-seven percent of tea party conservatives said they think President Obama is a practicing Muslim, while 18 percent of non-tea party conservatives took that view.
• Similarly, 46 percent of non-tea party conservatives allowed that President Obama is a practicing Christian, while only 27 percent of tea party conservatives believed it so.
• Was President Obama born in the United States? A majority 55 percent of conservatives allowed that this was true, but of tea party conservatives, only 40 percent agreed.

And perhaps not surprisingly, fully three-quarters 75 percent of tea partyers said they wish President Obama's policies to fail, compared with 32 percent of conservatives.

Parker called the tea party a continuation of what political scientist Richard Hofstadter in the 1960s described as "the paranoid style in American politics," characterized by exaggeration, suspicion and conspiratorial fantasy.

Parker said, "Consider me a skeptic when tea party supporters call upon a conservative tradition to which they have but a slight claim."

###

For information or interviews, contact Parker at 510-285-7770 or csparker@uw.edu, or Barreto at 206-569-4259 or mbarreto@uw.edu.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 21-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Peter Kelley
kellep@uw.edu
206-616-5903
University of Washington

Members of tea party claim the movement springs from and promotes basic American conservative principles such as limited government and fiscal responsibility.

But new research by University of Washington political scientist Christopher Parker argues that the tea party ideology owes more to the paranoid politics associated with the John Birch Society and even the infamous Ku Klux Klan than to traditional American conservatism.

Parker is the author, with fellow UW political scientist Matt Barreto, of a new book titled "Change They Can't Believe In: The Tea Party and Reactionary Politics in America," published this spring by Princeton University Press.

At the heart of their book is a nationwide telephone survey overseen by Parker in early 2011 of 1,500 adults equal numbers of men and women across 13 geographically diverse states. The results starkly illustrate where tea partyers and true conservatives part ideological ways.

Responses place tea party members far to the right of the mainstream Republican conservatism of Nelson Rockefeller, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and even George W. Bush viewing President Obama as a faux citizen, a Muslim and socialist agitator, bent on America's demise.

"Tea party conservatives believe in some conservative principles, to be sure, but they are different from more mainstream conservatives in at least one important respect," Parker said. "True conservatives aren't paranoid; tea party conservatives are."

Asked flat-out if they think President Obama is "destroying the country," only 6 percent of non-tea party conservatives agreed, a number that rose to 36 percent among all conservatives regardless of tea party affiliations. By contrast, 71 percent of self-identified tea party supporters thought this extreme statement true.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg," said Parker, a UW associate professor of political science. "It's no secret that tea party conservatives view President Obama with such contempt, but I am the first to document it empirically."

Other survey results include:

• Three-quarters of tea party conservatives said they think President Obama's policies are politically socialist while only 40 percent of non-tea party conservatives held that view.
• Twenty-seven percent of tea party conservatives said they think President Obama is a practicing Muslim, while 18 percent of non-tea party conservatives took that view.
• Similarly, 46 percent of non-tea party conservatives allowed that President Obama is a practicing Christian, while only 27 percent of tea party conservatives believed it so.
• Was President Obama born in the United States? A majority 55 percent of conservatives allowed that this was true, but of tea party conservatives, only 40 percent agreed.

And perhaps not surprisingly, fully three-quarters 75 percent of tea partyers said they wish President Obama's policies to fail, compared with 32 percent of conservatives.

Parker called the tea party a continuation of what political scientist Richard Hofstadter in the 1960s described as "the paranoid style in American politics," characterized by exaggeration, suspicion and conspiratorial fantasy.

Parker said, "Consider me a skeptic when tea party supporters call upon a conservative tradition to which they have but a slight claim."

###

For information or interviews, contact Parker at 510-285-7770 or csparker@uw.edu, or Barreto at 206-569-4259 or mbarreto@uw.edu.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/uow-tt052113.php

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The Weekly Roundup for 05.13.2013

You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/19/the-weekly-roundup-for-05-13-2013/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Giant Boner Space Hotel? No Thanks, Says Barcelona

Pop quiz: what does a country on the brink of economic collapse, with dozens of unfinished buildings dotting its countryside, really need? A monstrous, phallic space hotel, of course!

Meet the 984-foot tall hotel proposed US-based firm Mobilona for an artificial island off the coast of Dubai Barcelona. Reachable by a walkway from the mainland, the hotel would feature things no one would ever need or want unless that person was a sheik with limitless funds: a zero-gravity spa (the world's first!), a vertical wind tunnel, and an "other worldly [sic] experience for guests wishing to travel to distant galaxies." It'll also be home to a 24-hour mall and a marina that can house your yacht as long as it's under 656 feet long.

Want to stay one night at the 2,000-room hotel? You'll spend anywhere from 300 to 1,500 Euro for a room. Want to stay for a week? You can pay 20,000 Euro a year for a timeshare. Want to own six-story penthouse mansion? Seventy million Euro will make the garish place, with its infinity pool, superyacht mooring, and optional helipad, yours.

So what's the problem here? One, this place is unnecessarily phallic. Two, Spain's economy is already massively screwed, and its construction industry is in an especially dire state. Dubai has similar versions of this real estate project, and they're pretty much falling into the sea.

Sure, Barcelona is known for crazy architecture, but not of this magnitude. But the good news? Barcelona's mayor, who saw the plans last week, is not on board with the 1.5 billion Euro lodgings. And neither is most, if not all, of the city council. Plus, Mobilona has proposed space hotels all over the world?and so far not one has come to fruition. [The Telegraph]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/giant-boner-space-hotel-no-thanks-says-barcelona-509032531

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What Convinced Jeremy Renner To Take 'Hansel & Gretel' Without Seeing A Script?

Picking a project for Holllywood actors can come down to a single aspect, whether it's an acclaimed director or the location of the shoot. For Jeremy Renner and "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters," all he needed was simple piece of concept art. As Renner explains in this exclusive from the Blu-ray and DVD release of [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/05/20/jeremy-renner-hansel-gretel/

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Netanyahu: Israel will take action to prevent Syrian 'weapons leakage' to Hezbollah

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel would prevent the movement of weapons from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. He made no mention of past or future air strikes.

By Jeffrey Heller,?Reuters / May 19, 2013

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, (l.), speaks as he sits next to Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit during a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Israel, Sunday.

Ronen Zvulun/AP

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held out the prospect on Sunday of further Israeli strikes inside?Syria, pledging to act to prevent advanced weapons from reaching Hezbollah and other militant groups.

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Although?Israel?has not publicly taken sides in the civil war between Syrian President?Bashar al-Assad?and rebels trying to topple him, Western and Israeli sources say it has launched air strikes in?Syria?to destroy weapons it believed were destined for?Lebanon's Hezbollah.

In public remarks at the weekly meeting of his cabinet, Netanyahu made no direct mention of those attacks, but said?Israel?was prepared to take action in the future and was "preparing for every scenario" in the Syrian conflict.

Israel?had a policy "to prevent, as much as possible, the leakage of advanced weapons to Hezbollah and terror elements," he said.?"We will act to ensure the security interest of?Israel's citizens in the future as well."

Tzipi Livni, a member of?Netanyahu's security cabinet?and a former foreign minister, said: "I don't think there is anyone in?Israel?eager to take action" in?Syria, hinting at concerns that any strike could provoke a wider conflict.

In an interview with?Israel's?Army Radio, Livni also said Israeli politicians ought to avoid taking sides.

"Israel?isn't popular in?Syria. Therefore any such statement could only be used as ammunition by one of the sides to try and divert the debate or the violence toward?Israel?and that's the last thing we need," Livni said.

Israel?has neither confirmed nor denied reports that it attacked Iranian-supplied missiles stored near?Damascusthis month that it believed were awaiting delivery to Hezbollah, which fought a war with?Israel?in 2006 and is allied with Assad.

SUPERSONIC MISSILE

A Russian shipment of Yakhont anti-ship missiles to?Syria?was condemned by the?United States?on Friday, andIsrael?is also alarmed by the prospect of?Moscow?supplying S-300 advanced air defence missile systems toDamascus.

Netanyahu held talks in?Russia?on Tuesday with President?Vladimir Putin?on the Syrian crisis but gave no public indication whether?Israel's concerns over the Russian weaponry had been eased.

Amos Gilad, a senior?Israeli Defence Ministry?official, said on Saturday the S-300 and the Yakhont, weapons that could complicate any plans for foreign military intervention in?Syria, would likely end up with Hezbollah and threaten both?Israel?and U.S. forces in the Gulf.

"Yakhont is a cruise missile that can hit targets at sea and strategic targets. (It is) a supersonic missile, (with) a range of 300 km, very sophisticated," Gilad said on?Israel's Channel Two television on Saturday.

"The Russians sent it to?Syria, beside the strategic defence system called the S-300. There are a number of versions, and they are sending them one of the good versions," he said.

General?Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday?Russia's delivery of anti-ship missiles to Assad was "ill-timed and very unfortunate" and risked prolonging a war that has already killed more than 80,000 Syrians.

A spokesman for Putin, while not responding directly to assertions?Russia?had sent the anti-ship missiles, saidMoscow?would honour contracts to supply?Syria, a long-time weapons customer.

Additional reporting by Allyn Fisher-Ilan

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/VvB4UQbMoJo/Netanyahu-Israel-will-take-action-to-prevent-Syrian-weapons-leakage-to-Hezbollah

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Jamie Dimon under pressure ahead of investor vote

NEW YORK (AP) ? Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of the country's biggest bank, faces a key test this week: His shareholders are voting on whether to let him keep both jobs.

It's been just more than a year since his bank, JPMorgan Chase, revealed a surprise trading loss that tarnished its usually stellar reputation in Washington and on Wall Street, and what a difference it has made. Shareholder groups are calling for the bank to strip him of his chairman job, a move that would be a bruising referendum against a man who's normally chieftain even among other big-bank CEOs. They're also lobbying to kick out multiple long-time board members, saying they should have done more to detect or prevent the trading loss.

In all, it's a powerful reminder of how fortunes can quickly shift in the banking industry, and how banks, supposedly chastened by the financial crisis, are still stumbling through regulatory and legal crises.

On Tuesday, at the bank's annual meeting in Tampa, Fla., union group AFSCME, the New York City Comptroller's Office and other fund managers will ask bank shareholders to approve a proposal asking JPMorgan to split the roles of chairman and CEO, and to give the chairman job to someone who isn't a bank employee. The underlying idea is to install stricter checks and balances against Dimon and other top bank executives.

A similar measure got 40 percent approval at last year's meeting, which was held just days after the bank announced the so-called London whale loss. In the previous six annual meetings where Dimon has been both chairman and CEO, shareholders have been asked about separating the roles four times, and last year marked the highest level of votes in favor of the idea. In 2007 and 2008, only about 15 percent of shareholders voted for similar measures.

"Even a Master of the Universe can be swallowed by a London whale," said AFSCME president Lee Saunders. The loss is nicknamed for the location of the trader who made the outsized bets on complex debt securities that went wrong, eventually losing the bank $6 billion.

Both Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services, two influential firms that give advice to big shareholders, are recommending that the jobs be split. Glass Lewis is also recommending getting rid of six of the 10 independent board members, and ISS recommends booting three.

The board has defended Dimon. It says that keeping him in both jobs is its "most effective leadership model." It's an arrangement that they are used to: Six of the 10 independent board members are or have been the simultaneous chairman and CEO of other businesses. Lee Raymond, who is No. 2 on the board behind Dimon, is the retired chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil.

The board also points out that JPMorgan has done well under Dimon, who guided it through the financial crisis and nursed it to emerge as one of the strongest banks in the country. It says it meets regularly without him and has taken steps to clean up the practices that caused the trading loss, including cutting Dimon's 2012 pay ? down 19 percent to $18.7 million, according to Associated Press formulas for executive compensation, though the bank calculates that it cut his pay by half.

At an investor conference in February, Dimon dismissed the groups lobbying to separate the jobs as "all the union investors," and called the debate "a sideshow." He also said that he wouldn't have gone to Bank One, a troubled Chicago bank that he took over and turned around in the early 2000s, if the bank hadn't given him the leeway to be both chairman and CEO. "Troubled company, big turnaround, divided board?" he said. "Not me. Life is too short."

It's not clear what would happen if shareholders vote to take away Dimon's chairman job. The proposal is non-binding, so technically the bank doesn't have to follow it. In 2009, shareholders at Bank of America voted to split the jobs, and the bank took away the chairman title from chairman and CEO Ken Lewis. Later that year, he resigned from the bank entirely.

Last year, shareholders at just four U.S. companies voted to split chairman and CEO roles, according to ISS. So far this year, shareholders at only one company, department store chain Kohl's, have voted to separate the jobs.

At a public company, the board is essentially supposed to be the boss of the CEO, hiring and firing him and reining him in from risky practices that could hurt shareholders. Shareholder activists say that if the CEO is also running the board, then the board can hardly police him. Many companies argue that the CEO knows the company better than anyone and is best equipped to run the board as well.

Dimon, 57, a native of Queens and grandson of a Greek immigrant, is an essential player in banking's world order. During a time of increased public anger against the industry, and as some of his peers tried to fly under the radar, he was outspoken, defending big paydays for bankers and criticizing some of the government's proposed new rules for the industry. He was President Obama's confidante in the banking industry, and then the banking leader with the guts and credibility to challenge him.

"He's obviously a brilliant executive," said Brandon Rees, acting director of the investment office at the AFL-CIO, a union group that supports splitting the roles. "But it's a rare quality for brilliance to be accompanied by lack of hubris."

Not everyone thinks that getting rid of Dimon would be best for shareholders. CLSA analyst Mike Mayo predicts that the stock would plunge 10 percent, noting there's no obvious successor. Nomura analyst Glenn Schorr, writing to clients last week after a meeting with Dimon, said he found it "fascinating" that investors were considering "shrinking the role of one of the best managers there's ever been in the business."

What everyone agrees on is this: From a public relations perspective, it's been a tough year at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Many of Dimon's highest-level executives have departed, including co-chief operating officer Frank Bisignano, who left in April to become CEO of payment processor First Data. The bank is also under extra scrutiny from regulators who are examining not only the trading loss but also the bank's foreclosure practices, its controls for preventing money laundering and other areas.

"Let me be perfectly clear: These problems were our fault, and it is our job to fix them," Dimon wrote in the annual letter to shareholders this year. "In fact, I feel terrible that we let our regulators down."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jamie-dimon-under-pressure-ahead-investor-vote-193125233.html

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Jury gets first glimpse of defense in Jackson case

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A look at key moments this past week in the wrongful death trial in Los Angeles between Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and concert giant AEG Live LLC, and what is expected at court in the week ahead:

THE CASE

Jackson's mother wants a jury to determine that the promoter of Jackson's planned comeback concerts didn't properly investigate Dr. Conrad Murray, who a criminal jury convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Jackson's June 2009 death. AEG's attorney says the case is about personal choice, namely Jackson's decision to have Murray serve as his doctor and give him doses of a powerful anesthetic as a sleep aid. Millions, possibly billions, of dollars are at stake.

WHAT HAPPENED

? Jurors heard from AEG Live's first two witnesses, a pair of choreographers who worked on Jackson's ill-fated "This Is It" shows. Stacy Walker told the panel she never saw any signs Jackson was impaired or ill during rehearsals. Her colleague Travis Payne, who rehearsed one-on-one with Jackson, acknowledged he couldn't say how many times the pair actually rehearsed and said he was concerned the singer was under the influence of prescription medications in the weeks before his death.

? An AEG accounting executive testified about the budget for "This Is It," which was planning on paying Murray up to $1.5 million for the first few months of the shows. The former cardiologist was never paid because Jackson died before signing his contract.

WHAT THE JURY SAW

? Payne shift from a composed, sometimes-smiling witness to one who fought back tears toward the end of his day-and-a-half of testimony. His devotion to Jackson was evident from his wardrobe, which included a black blazer with an emblem stitched onto each sleeve containing the letters "MJ" and golden wings.

? Lots of courthouse hallways and downtown Los Angeles. Friday's session featured a four-hour lunch break due to witness availability issues. The trial's third week featured only three days of live testimony and the jury was kept waiting or sent out of the room numerous times while attorneys argued legal issues.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

? "Sometimes in rehearsal, Michael would appear just a little loopy," Payne said of Jackson's demeanor after visiting his longtime dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein, who is not a party to the case.

? "I just never in a million years thought he would leave us, or pass away," choreographer Stacy Walker said of Jackson. Walker testified for AEG and said she never saw signs Jackson was under the influence of medications or was ill.

OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM

? A state attorney urged a court to reject an appeal by Jackson's former doctor, Conrad Murray, stating there were no legal errors by a trial judge and the physician's own attorneys failed to raise issues at the appropriate time. Murray has shown no remorse for playing "Russian roulette" with Jackson's life.

WHAT'S NEXT

? A corporate attorney for AEG Live will testify, reflecting a shift in the trial focus away from Jackson and toward a central issue in the case ? whether Murray was hired by the concert promoter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jury-gets-first-glimpse-defense-jackson-case-161342821.html

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Sing us the song of the century, that?s louder than violent mortality (Unqualified Offerings)

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

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ENTER TO WIN: WiiU, Game, and $100 Snapfish Card From Bravo's ...

ENTER TO WIN: WiiU, Game, and $100 Snapfish Card From Bravo?s #RHONJFam Photo Contest

Posted on May 17, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Source: http://imnotobsessed.com/2013/05/17/enter-win-wiiu-game-100-snapfish-card-bravos-rhonjfam-photo-contest-2/

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Tracy Morgan and Megan Wollover Celebrate Baby Shower

With their baby - his fourth, her first - on the way in July, Tracy Morgan and Megan Wollover celebrated recently with a shower.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/pCgMin-1mdc/

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Teresa on her first AMA River Cruise - WhirlAway Travel & Cruises

I just came off AMA Waterways Romantic Danube Cruise. I stayed in Budapest instead of Prague because of office scheduling.? I met some people who did the Prague extension. They did all the included excursions, including the Nazi camp, Terezin.? They said it was very, very moving.? It was in-depth and they saw where people were shot; if they survived that, they saw where they were hung.? Just so you know.

When I arrived in Munich, there was an AMA representative in baggage claim waiting.? We had a large coach bus so we could see the countryside on the way to Vilshofen (this was about an hour and a half).? When you check-in, they will give you phone contacts for the ship.? Carry them with you all the time (some lady got separated from her sister and was lost), and make your specialty dinner reservations as soon as you can.? Every time you get off and on the ship, you need to pick up boarding passes from the front desk.? They don?t care when you do it; I always did it early to avoid the congestion at the desk.? You return them when you get back on.? They also color code excursions, especially the walking tours.? You go by color on how fast you want to walk.? The active walkers really get on it; they do see the most, though.? They give you a color card and then when you get off the ship, you go to the tour guide with the matching color stick.? Please return the color cards upon return as well.

On the first night they set up an Oktoberfest tent a few steps from the gangway.? They give you German beer and pretzels as well as having a local ?Oom Pa Pa ? band and the guys who snap whips.? I have seen this before as I was in Germany years ago, but it still cracks me up and I loved it! I am a creature of love for foreign culture, you know?.

AMA offers three times for breakfast, early in the lounge, main dining and late in the lounge.? There is much more offered in the main lounge as there is an omelet chef and you can also order from the menu.? I am an early riser and I just loved the coffee machines that were available 24/7.? You can get coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, hot chocolate and teas.? I grabbed my latte every day and went up top to look around.? Lunch is served in the main dining and the lounge as well.? The lounge is a buffet and main dining has buffet as well as a menu.? Dinner is always in the main dining room at a set time.? Keep in mind that the food, wine and beer is regional, however, there are staples such as steak and salmon that you can order instead.? I am an adventurous foodie, so I always had the chef?s recommendations (never disappointed).? I made reservations for the specialty restaurant for the last night on ship.? It only sat 20, so make sure and get your reservations in quick!? You either sat looking out over the water (beautiful) or facing the chef.? I faced the chef and watched him prepare dinner; I thoroughly enjoyed it!? They do offer late night snacks in the lounge as well as cookies all day (I was all up in those cookies).? At breakfast they had complimentary champagne (too early for me), regional wine and beer at both lunch and dinner.? They continually keep your glass full unless you tell them not to, and are happy to fill you up on your way out.? I emailed the office during the journey and told them free wine was bad; they thought I meant quality but what I meant was quantity; so watch out!

You are just a few steps from Vilshofen so you have the option to walk around the same day you get there.? It is very charming.? I walked it the next morning before heading to Passau.? As it was Sunday morning, the town was mostly closed but had a lot of interesting architecture and statues.

Just so you know, you will travel through ten locks on this itinerary.? I had never done that before and the first and second was very exciting to me and I went up and watched.? Then, not so much.? I rode on the top of the ship to see Passau before we docked.? In Passau, I took the walking tour (pre-booked of the three you can) that did the cathedral, wine tasting and marzipan candy making. Just so you know, the candy making becomes a competition where they give you a block of marzipan and a picture of a head.? Then you have to create the head from your block.? Guess who one?? Yep, that was me!? Our guide was great and I had a lot of fun.? Then I just walked around and took it in.? That is beautiful as well; more so than Vilshofen.? That evening they brought in local musicians to play some classical pieces.? We all fit comfortably into the lounge, and the entertainment was top notch.

Linz was not pretty from the water to me.? It was pretty angular.? However, there was a lot of bombing there during the war and the reconstruction was hurried and plain.? I took the bus trip into the Alps/Lake District.? They stop for a little bit in a harbor town before going all the way up.? Then you see the Cathedral, St. Wolfgang (I thought it was fascinating ? it was oddly dark ? almost a little creepy).? Then you head back a different way and hit another cathedral and small town.? I found this very informative; they tell you a lot of history of the salt trade as well.? It was overcast when we were there but very beautiful. They also give you a lot of information about the Von Trapp family.? On the bus on the way back, the guide did a sing a long and had made her own lyrics to ?My Favorite Things?.? This all had to do with being old??

Another agent on the trip went to the Czech town of Cesky Krumlov, she enjoyed that as well.? She shopped, had lunch and indulged in the local beer with her daughter.

I pre-booked the bike tour along the Danube in Melk instead of the tour to the Benedictine Abbey.? I wish I had done the Abbey.? Where I did get some fresh air and exercise, it was not as scenic as I had hoped.? I am also sorry I missed the Abbey; it was magnificent!? The town itself was so quaint and charming; this is where I picked up a small painting.? It was my favorite village.

You will then cruise the Wachau Valley to Krems.? They will invite you up top to give you a narrated tour of the valley; it is beautiful. They will also serve local refreshments up there.? The wine was a little sweet and they served a great onion tart.? You pass a great deal of vineyards as well as having a history lesson.? It is quite beautiful (I know I already said that, but the landscape is breathtaking).? You will pass the castle ruins where King Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom.? I took the bus into Durnstein (had the option to climb up to the ruins but was too lazy).? The town is really cute but no so much shopping except for apricot products and some souvenirs.? The ice cream shop was great!? That evening, they invited all the passengers to load up on buses and head to a winery and museum.? The winery was a museum; I was hoping for an old school winery, but it is very high tech.? We did tastings in different rooms and saw a 3D movie about wine.? It was interesting; but not what I was looking for (I had been in a winery in Germany years back that had oak barrels as big as me in the basement and sat at a long table for tasting).? You can buy as much wine as you like and the guide is dressed in native garb.

Vienna was just lovely!? I paid for the optional tour to the Schonbrunn Palace, as well as the optional Mozart & Strauss concert.? The concert was only for the AMA passengers. They were both wonderful and very informative; the bus ride also goes through what is to me a beautiful city.? The concert was in an old concert hall which is just magnificent as well.

The ride to Bratislava was scenic as well.? This is where I took the communist tour; I wish I had taken the walking tour instead.? It highlights some buildings (from the bus) and stops at a cemetery and a castle.? I walked into town from the castle (I let the guide know).? I was hoping for more history but I didn?t get much.? The town is pretty when you walk the historic district.? There are many shops as well.? There was a lot of damage from the war, so you will see a great deal of communist block buildings.? They are as dismal as any picture you have ever seen; interesting none the less.

In Budapest, I pre-booked the goulash making class at the Sofitel. That was pretty funny.? We all had to sign waivers because we were handling sharp objects.? Then we all got chef?s hats and aprons and started to chop.? They had the hotel?s top chef with us.? After it was all together, we toured both kitchens and sat down to eat (he had pre-maid a batch as it simmers for several hours).? Then they surprised us with the recipe and paprika; not a bad way to spend the morning!? They then go to the indoor market for a few minutes; it is a ten minute walk to the ship so I stayed there.? The market has fresh food, paprika and local crafts.? I had a great time, but I also knew I was staying and could walk on my own.? The walking tour is comprehensive and there really is a lot to see.? It is quite beautiful and the locals are very friendly.?? They did bring on local musicians and Hungarian folk dancers.? I know I keep saying this, but, I loved it!? You have the option to stay in town or get back on the boat for a special ?Illuminations Cruise?.? You don?t want to miss that; the whole waterfront lights up and it really, really is a thing of beauty!? It is also amazing at just how maneuverable the ships really are, you will note this in the locks and when they go up and down the waterfront as well!

Just so you know, the engines run very quietly.? If I had not heard them start up (still not loud) I would not have noticed them at all.? I am from the south and grew up on the water; the ride the entire way was as smooth as glass.

You can exchange dollars for Euro on the ship.? Euros are not widely accepted in Budapest and you cannot get Fortins on the ship.? There are change places on every block though, so you will be just fine.

Just to touch on the tours; the farthest I had to walk to get on a bus was less than half of a block.? You can see from my photos the shortest?..

Every day you get a newsletter delivered that has the day?s events as well as the weather forecast.? I would suggest a light weight windbreaker as some days it can get windy, especially up top.? Each evening, you come back to a clean room, a towel creature, and chocolate on your pillow.? Don?t forget that most places you where you are touring, you have to pay for the restroom.? I bought sodas in the Burger King in Budapest so I could use the restroom, but no, had to pay.

As far as my opinion on AMA, I definitely would recommend it and would love to do it again in a different region!? The staff is friendly and helpful and it is about as far away from an ocean cruise as you can get.? I loved being able to walk on and off at my leisure instead of worrying about tender schedules and lines, as well as being able to walk right into town.? It is just a huge difference in product ? it really is like being on your own private vessel, docking in smaller, more unusual ports and total destination immersion.

Budapest is interesting and beautiful on both sides of the Danube; easily walkable and a great deal of public transportation.? I stayed an additional two nights at the Sofitel, which is centrally located for walking or taxis (on the Buda side with a river view).

After disembarkation, I went to the hotel early, left my bags and checked with the concierge about a walk.? The architecture is fantastic!? I do like the fact that most of the buildings are built in the keeping with the originals (they are not a fan of the new modern designs or the communist blocks, but you do come upon those as well).? Fish pedicures are all the rage over there?..still on the fence about that one!

I took an evening? Segway tour (booked this on my own) and I just want to say that they are amazing easy to handle and our guide, Tamas Kajtar, made sure we could not only handle the basics but go up and down the curbs as well before we set off.? Tamas was a terrific guide and a very knowledgeable historian.? For any of you reading this, I am not a young woman anymore and I had absolutely no problem!

We saw a lot of different areas and the ghetto.? I did not realize they had the second biggest synagogue in the world or exactly what happened there.? Inside the courtyard is a remnant of a Nazi firing area with portholes and barbed wire.? They lost so many there that they built a tree out of wire with hundreds of leaves, each on bearing the name of one of the lost. You can also tell which buildings survived the bombings and which were rebuilt (even though they kept the original style).

You learn so many things in school about WWll and communism, but it doesn?t really hit home until you see it.? They were liberated from the Nazis by the Russians, but then lived under communism for many, many years.

On a lighter note, we ended up outside of my hotel in a large square that was once called Roosevelt Terrace (it had a sign with a red line through it) ? it was so funny as our guide was telling us who is was now named after and I asked him about that and he kept shaking his head saying ?I just do not know?.? Guess you had to be there!

Tamas was full of recommendations for dinner and I tried one on the way back.? Ended up having a terrific light dinner and wine under the stars.

The next day, I walked across the bridge over to the Pest side to the Buda Castle.? That was very beautiful and I was there in time to see the changing of the guard.? That was interesting and then along the back they had some local vendors and cross bow shooting.? They have funnel cakes that are shaped like funnels and baked on sticks in little vendor wooden houses.? I will say, it was the best I have ever had anywhere and makes a fine, portable lunch!? Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside ? nothing remotely close to what you get here!

I kept walking and ended up at another cathedral.? Some of them have roofs that look like individual colored tiles and are quite striking.? They also had an outdoor caf? area with a string quartet. Then I walked back to the Pest side for a little shopping.? They certainly have a great deal of what we have, but I loved looking at the local crafts.? There are some beautiful embroidered linens and great leather products.? I got tired out and gave up and had dinner at the Hard Rock Caf?.? It was on a busy corner and you could see all kinds of interesting street performers as well as dining outdoors.? The Sofitel includes a full breakfast daily with your room.? I have to say that it was not only the biggest buffet/omelet station/eggs/meats I have ever seen, but the best.? I enjoyed a huge breakfast before heading to the airport.

I flew Lufthansa on this trip, changing in Frankfurt in each direction.? I had a little over an hour and a half to change gates.? I hoofed it (it is a large airport) but still had about 25 minutes at the gate.? I am a big fan of Lufthansa.? They had monitors on the back of each headrest where you had a nice selection of movies, TV shows and news (everyone has complimentary headphones).? They allowed on checked bag free (up to 50 pounds) and all the meals and all beverages were complimentary as well.? They also brought hot towels up and down the aisles three times during the 7.15 hour flight.? I don?t think you could be any more comfortable in economy class than with Lufthansa.

Source: http://www.whirlawaytravel.com/2013/05/teresa-on-her-first-ama-river-cruise/

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Bea Arthur nude painting sells for $1.9 million

Pop culture

Kurt Schlosser TODAY

10 hours ago

A topless painting of actress Bea Arthur sold for $1.9 million at auction in New York on Wednesday night.

The 1991 painting by artist John Currin, called "Bea Arthur Naked," was expected to fetch as much as $2.5 million in the post-war and contemporary art sale at Christie's. It went to an anonymous bidder.

The actress, famous for her Emmy-winning roles in the 1970s and '80s television series "Maude" and "The Golden Girls," is depicted nude from the waist up with a simple gaze on her face. According to lot notes on the Christie's website, the work was derived from a photograph of the actress with clothes on.

(Editor's note: Keep scrolling down for a full view of the painting.)

"Currin mixes nostalgia with provocation," Christie's noted, and indeed, critics have been provoked by the artist in the past. Kim Levin of The Village Voice urged readers to "boycott this show" before an exhibition of the Currin's work in 1992. Before a one-man show at the Whitney Museum in 2003, Peter Schjeldahl wrote in The New Yorker that the Arthur portrait was part of Currin's "acrid fantasy portraits of menopausal women -- images suspended, in his words, 'between the object of desire and the object of loathing.'"

And the Arthur painting was still generating controversy 22 years after its creation. Editors at The Daily Beast were locked out of their own Facebook page Wednesday after posting the image -- a terms of service mix-up that's not supposed to apply to art.

John Currin/Christie?s

Bea Arthur never sat for John Currin, clothed or unclothed.

Whoever purchased the painting clearly sides with The New York Times, who in a 2011 feature called Currin "arguably the most successful and provocative painter of his generation."

In a prior interview referenced on the Christie's site, Arthur speculated about the portrait. "Maybe [Currin] was attracted to the feminist movement of the 1970s. Because of 'Maude,' I was the Joan of Arc of feminism. He certainly couldn't have done anything with Marlo Thomas of 'That Girl.'"

In the same Christie's notes, Currin says he always considered Arthur "more of a maternal figure than a feminist icon. I watched 'Maude' all the time when I was a kid. She's a genius. She's funny because she's so much smarter than everyone around her."

Arthur died of cancer in 2009 at age 86.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/bea-arthur-nude-painting-sells-1-9-million-1C9948196

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NASA Meteoroid-Spotting Program Captures Brightest-Yet Moon Impact

From a NASA press release published Friday: "For the past 8 years, NASA astronomers have been monitoring the Moon for signs of explosions caused by meteoroids hitting the lunar surface. 'Lunar meteor showers' have turned out to be more common than anyone expected, with hundreds of detectable impacts occurring every year. They've just seen the biggest explosion in the history of the program." Watch the flash for yourself.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/cDKsLPFkd9o/story01.htm

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Tumblr Porn Problem - Business Insider

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