Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/193954914?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Isolated Peru tribe makes uncomfortable contact (AP)
LIMA, Peru ? Peruvian authorities say they are struggling to keep outsiders away from a clan of previously isolated Amazon Indians who began appearing on the banks of a jungle river popular with environmental tourists last year.
The behavior of the small group of Mashco-Piro Indians has puzzled scientists, who say it may be related to the encroachment of loggers and by low-flying aircraft from nearby natural gas and oil exploration in the southeastern region of the country.
Clan members have been blamed for two bow-and-arrow attacks on people near the riverbank in Madre de Dios state where officials say the Indians were first seen last May.
One badly wounded a forest ranger in October. The following month, another fatally pierced the heart of a local Matsiguenka Indian, Nicolas "Shaco" Flores, who had long maintained a relationship with the Mashco-Piro.
The advocacy group Survival International released photos Tuesday showing clan members on the riverbank, describing the pictures as the "most detailed sightings of uncontacted Indians ever recorded on camera."
The British-based group provided the photos exactly a year after releasing aerial photos from Brazil of another tribe classified as uncontacted, one of about 100 such groups it says exist around the world.
One of the Mashco-Piro photos was taken by a bird watcher in August, Survival International said. The other two were shot by Spanish archaeologist Diego Cortijo on Nov. 16, six days before Flores was killed.
Cortijo, a member of the Spanish Geographical Society, was visiting Flores while on an expedition in search of petroglyphs and said clan members appeared across the river from Flores' house, calling for him by name.
Flores could communicate with the Mashco-Piro because he spoke two related dialects, said Cortijo, who added that Flores had previously provided clan members with machetes and cooking pots.
The Mashco-Piro tribe is believed to number in the hundreds and lives in the Manu National Park that borders Diamante, a community of more than 200 people where Flores lived.
Although it's not known what provoked the Mashco-Piro clan to leave the relative safety of their tribe's jungle home, Beatriz Huerta, an anthropologist who works with Peru's INDEPA agency for indigenous affairs, speculated their habitat is becoming increasingly less isolated.
The upper Madre de Dios region where the tribe lives has been affected by logging, she said. "They are removing wood very close."
Meanwhile, Huerta said, naturalists in the area and Manu National Park officials told her during a recent visit that a rise in air traffic related to natural gas and oil exploration in the region is adversely affecting native hunting grounds, forcing increasing migration by nomadic tribes.
The clan that showed up at the river is believed to number about 60, including some 25 adults, said Carlos Soria, a professor at Lima's Catholic University who ran Peru's park protection agency last year.
"It seemed like they wanted to draw a bit of attention, which is a bit strange because I know that on other occasions they had attacked people," Cortijo said by phone from Spain. "It seemed they didn't want us to go near them, but I also know that the only thing that they wanted was machetes and cooking pots."
Cortijo said the group lingered by the river a few minutes, apparently to see if a boat would pass by so they could ask for some tools, something authorities say they had done in the past.
"The place where they are seen is one of heavy transit" of river cargo and tourist passage, and so the potential for more violent encounters remains high, Soria said.
That is compounded by culture clash. The Mashco-Piro live by their own social code, which Soria said includes the practice of kidnapping other tribes' women and children.
He said the Mashco-Piro are one of about 15 "uncontacted" tribes in Peru that together are estimated to number between 12,000 and 15,000 people living in jungles east of the Andes.
"The situation is incredibly delicate," said Huerta, the government anthropologist.
"It's very clear that they don't want people there," she said of the area where the clan has been loitering, noting that it had ransacked a jungle ranger's post that authorities later removed.
One of the clan's likely fears is being decimated by disease borne by outsiders, as has occurred with other uncontacted peoples, Huerta said.
But its also a mystery why they have appeared in an area so heavily trafficked, she added.
After the first sightings, and after tourists left clothing for the Mashco-Piro, state authorities issued a directive in August barring all boats from going ashore in the area. But enforcing it has been difficult as there are few trained and willing local officials.
In response to the Flores killing, authorities sent a team into Diamante to explain to inhabitants that it would be wrong to try to retaliate. Diamante's residents include ethnic Matsiguenka, traditionally a rival tribe, complicating matters.
Cortijo, the Spanish archaeologist, said Flores' death makes reaching any understanding with the Mashco-Piro very complicated.
"The problem is that 'Shaco' was the only person who could talk to them," he said. "Now that he's dead it's impossible to make contact."
___
Frank Bajak on Twitter: http://twitter.com/fbajak
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Giggle Launches All-in-One Baby Registry App
Giggle launches new, easy-to-use baby registry app.
Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/mbkttCslGh4/
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Who Won Big at the SAG Awards?
The cast of The Help had much reason to celebrate at the 2012 SAG Awards. The Civil Rights drama swept in all of its categories, winning outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role, outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role and the night's highest honor, outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.
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Sunday, January 29, 2012
Okla. lawmakers file state insurance opt-out bill | Washington ...
Two Oklahoma lawmakers have filed legislation to increase the number of state employees who could opt out of state insurance coverage.
The measure expands a 2011 law that allowed state employees and lawmakers to refuse state-funded coverage if they are already covered by another policy.
The law now applies to individuals currently covered by a separate policy. The proposal by Reps. Dustin Roberts and Emily Virgin of Oklahoma City would expand the opt-out option to include those who will be covered by a separate group health insurance plan on or before the beginning of the next plan year.
The current law has already saved an estimated half-million dollars and could ultimately save $1.5 million to $3.5 million annually. Roberts and Virgin say their measure could lead to more savings.
Source: http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2012/01/okla-lawmakers-file-state-insurance-opt-out-bill/2144781
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South Korea allows group to deliver aid to NKorea (AP)
PAJU, South Korea ? South Korea allowed members of a private group to accompany aid to North Korea for the first time Friday since leader Kim Jong Il died last month.
Associated Press video from the border city of Paju showed a column of trucks transporting 180 tons of flour across the border.
Seoul's Unification Ministry said members of a private group were traveling with the aid, which is intended for children. Seoul allowed a shipment of aid earlier this month but no civilians accompanied it.
South Koreans are not allowed to visit the North without government permission.
The aid comes as North Korea unites around Kim Jong Un after his father died of a heart attack. North Korea has said since Kim Jong Il's death that it will not deal with South Korea's current government.
South Korea has cut off large-scale official food aid to North Korea since conservative President Lee Myung-bak took office in 2008. Lee says North Korea should first take steps toward nuclear disarmament.
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Saturday, January 28, 2012
British police arrest 4 in tabloid bribery probe
LONDON (AP) ? British police searched the offices of Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers Saturday after arresting a police officer and three other men as part of an investigation into police bribery by journalists.
London's Metropolitan Police said two men aged 48 and one aged 56 were arrested on suspicion of corruption early in the morning at homes in and around London.
The fourth, a 29-year-old police officer, was arrested at the London station where he works.
The investigation into whether reporters illegally paid police for information is running parallel to a police inquiry into phone hacking by Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World.
Police said Saturday's arrests were made as a result of information provided by the Management and Standards Committee of Murdoch's News Corp.
Officers were searching the homes of the four men and the east London headquarters of the media mogul's British newspapers for evidence.
The company had no immediate comment.
A dozen people have now been arrested in the bribery probe, though none has yet been charged.
They include former Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of Murdoch's News International, ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson ? who is also Prime Minister David Cameron's former communications chief ? and journalists from the News of the World and its sister paper, The Sun.
Two of the London police force's top officers resigned in the wake of the revelation last July that the News of the World had eavesdropped on the cell phone voicemail messages of celebrities, athletes, politicians and even an abducted teenager in its quest for stories.
Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old tabloid, and the scandal has triggered a continuing public inquiry into media ethics and the relationship between the press, police and politicians.
An earlier police investigation failed to find evidence hacking went beyond one reporter and a private investigator, but News Corp. has now acknowledged it was much more widespread.
Last week the company agreed to pay damages to 37 hacking victims, including actor Jude Law, soccer star Ashley Cole and British politician John Prescott.
___
Jill Lawless can be reached at: http://twitter.com/JillLawless
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Friday, January 27, 2012
American Idol judge behaving badly: Steven Tyler puckers up in Aspen
American Idol judge Steven Tyler is engaged, but isn't ready to let go of his lover-boy image just yet. Keep your eyes on American Idol contestant Haley Smith.
Wednesday night's American Idol began with overexcited, 24-year-old, Jenni Schick, a writhing, coquettish, ball of energy who freely discussed her desire to kiss various celebrities.? And though Idol host Ryan Seacrest did not join the ranks of smooch-worthy Adam Levine, Lady Gaga, and Steven Tyler on Jenni's list; he did make the list of people Jenni's boyfriend would like to kiss. Hmmm.
Skip to next paragraphSo, Jenni bounds into her audition and immediately expresses her desire to lock lips with Steven Tyler.? Steven shows an amazing amount of restraint for an over 60 man whose days of young girls throwing themselves at him must have an expiry, and makes her sing for him first. There was a lot riding on Jenni's audition: The affections of both Ryan Seacrest and Steven Tyler, and its also safe to say that after this performance, Jenni is no longer going to have her job as Virginia elementary school music teacher.
Her cover of Pat Benatar's, "Heartbreaker", manages to (just) earn her not a ticket to Hollywood and a full-on-the-lips smooch from Steven.? Being engaged (to model Erin Brady), Steven really should have played a little harder to get.? Perhaps Ryan could offer some lessons on boundaries.
Despite Steven Tyler and his loose lips, there was something special about American Idol's auditions in Aspen.? Not only were the contestants entertaining and some even talented, but the entire judging panel seemed more likeable.? Maybe, it's the altitude?? Maybe JLo, Steven, and Randy are best served chilled?? Whatever the reason, there was faint glimmer of promise in the judge's on this episode ? and it was a sight for sore eyes.
Richie Law was certainly happy to see the judges in his neck of the woods.? He's obviously been practicing his best Scotty McCreery (Season 10 Idol winner) impression for the past year.? And while he has a good (deep) voice, he should have been denied a ticket to Hollywood on the grounds that Idol 't doesn't need a Scotty 2.0 this year.? Idol should be holding out for the truly original contestants.
I'm talking about vegetarian, sausage-maker Haley Smith.? Haley breezed into the audition with the relaxed mellow air of a true flower child, which did her so much more justice than the slightly maniacal pre-audition clip of her professing her love for nature, complete with unstable laugh.? The judges were digging her 60's vibe, man.? The free love continued, especially after Haley's performance of Rufus's, "Tell Me Something Good."? And that they did. Not only did the judges give her a ticket to Hollywood but Steven Tyler expressed his honor at being able to hear her sing.
The judges weren't so unanimous when it came to self-proclaimed Vintage Glitter Queen, Angie Zeiderman's cabaret performance.? Jennifer respected Angie's show tune's chutzpah but Randy scoffed, claiming it was an instant turn off.? Both Angie and Jennifer were determined to prove Randy wrong, so Angie offered a beautiful rendition of "Blue Bayou," instead.? Thankfully, this was enough to change Randy's mind and Angie earned her golden ticket to Hollywood and was one step closer to opening for her own idol, Lady Gaga.
Of course, she'll have to get in line behind Jenni.
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
TheFunded Calls Ben Horowitz The Most Disruptive VC
TheFunded, the site where entrepreneurs can anonymously review venture capitalists, sometimes a reputation for being anti-VC (especially in its early days), but it's not above showing investors a little love. Today it's the announcing the winners of its awards for Top Investors 0f 2011. Adeo Ressi, founding member at TheFunded, says these awards were determined?by user ratings, though a five-person committee, including Ressi, made the final choices. The site has given out these awards for the past four years, usually in private ceremonies (this year's ceremony happened last week), but Ressi says he's trying to make the awards "more public" this year because of "the massive amount of transformation going on in the investment industry."Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/FWUxsPgpJ_4/
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Obama State Of The Union Speech Calls For Job Training ...
WASHINGTON -- In a State of the Union speech focused tightly on jobs and the economy, President Barack Obama outlined his ideas for getting long-term unemployed workers back to work and closing the "skills gap" separating jobless Americans from employers who have positions to fill.
In a speech setting his presidential agenda for 2012 -- as well his burgeoning re-election campaign -- Obama put forth policies that he said would "restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot," calling for more job training for young or unemployed workers as well as reforms to the unemployment insurance system.
"We will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt and phony financial profits," the president said. "I want to speak about how we move forward and lay out a blueprint for an economy that's built to last -- an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers and a renewal of American values."
To aid the unemployed, Obama proposed a new initiative to train and place 2 million workers in jobs through partnerships with businesses and community colleges, based on existing programs in cities like Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Orlando and Louisville, Ky. Senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told HuffPost that Steve Jobs, the legendary and recently deceased figurehead of Apple, urged Obama to put forth such proposals in a past meeting of the two men. Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, was a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at the speech.
In his speech, Obama cited the experience of Jackie Bray, a single mom in North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. "Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College," Obama said. "The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie's tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant. I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did."
Additionally, Obama said he'd simplify government-sponsored training programs -- something that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has also proposed. "I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website and one place to go for all the information and help they need," the president said. "It's time to turn our unemployment system into a re-employment system that puts people to work."
The president also proposed "eligibility assessments" for long-jobless workers applying for emergency federal unemployment insurance. He did not mention the Bridge to Work program he had proposed during an address to a joint session of Congress last September.
During the lasting jobs crisis, long-term unemployed workers have been hit particularly hard, with many still unable to find jobs even after exhausting their unemployment benefits. More than 13.1 million people were unemployed in December, according to the Labor Department, and an unprecedented 42.5 percent of them had been out of work for six months or longer. Nearly 2 million people have been unemployed longer than 99 weeks, beyond the reach of unemployment insurance. But the president pointed to more positive numbers.
"In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs," Obama said. "Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s."
Economists and worker advocates say people out of work for an extended period have a harder time landing new jobs, and they may ultimately wind up burdening another part of the safety net once their unemployment insurance runs out. "The long-term unemployed are concerned that they're less employable because they've been out of the workplace a couple of years," says Karen Nussbaum, executive director of Working America, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO union federation. "People do need to be trained, and we need to make sure that long-term unemployment doesn't mean never being employed again."
The White House said in a December report that applications for Social Security disability payments increased among people older than 50 who would soon exhaust their unemployment insurance.
Obama mentioned the anxiety of older workers who lose their jobs -- while touting the renewable energy industry. "When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance," Obama said. "But he found work at Energetx, a wind-turbine manufacturer in Michigan. Before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts. Today, it's hiring workers like Bryan, who said, 'I'm proud to be working in the industry of the future.'"
In recent years economists have been debating how best to address the American "skills gap," discussing the idea that many Americans simply don't have the advanced manufacturing and technological skills required for the better-paying working-class jobs that remain in the United States. Although not everyone agrees that this wide gap exists -- economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, notably, has deemed "structural unemployment" a "fake problem" -- some employers and their allies have insisted that they have skilled positions they'd like to fill but simply can't find the right American workers for them. Many of those same employers would surely like to see government step in and provide some of the necessary training.
In his speech, the president said he hears "from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can?t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that -- openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work."
If nothing else, Obama's speech Tuesday could help make job training part of the mainstream dialogue, says Andy Van Kleunen, executive director of the National Skills Coalition, a nonprofit group that advocates for publicly funded job training.
"President Obama has tried several times over the past couple of years to increase our investments and training for workers," says Van Kleunen. "Finally, we're going to get a clear national debate about where the skills gap is, and how to deal with unemployment together with it."
Also on HuffPost:
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
EU says Israel, Palestinians should keep talking (AP)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip ? Visiting EU foreign policy chief has urged Israelis and Palestinians to continue their efforts to resume peace negotiations, even as the Palestinians say the dialogue has run its course.
Catherine Ashton says that "we need to keep talks going and increase the potential of these talks to become genuine negotiations." She is to meet with leaders from both sides on Wednesday.
Through Jordanian mediation, the sides began a low-level dialogue this month hoping to pave the way for full-fledged peace talks.
The Palestinians believe a deadline set by international mediators for submitting border proposals expires Thursday. Israel says meetings should continue.
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Monday, January 23, 2012
Video: Emotions run high after Paterno?s death
>> with an outpouring of emotion on the penn state campus after the death of legendary coach joe paterno who lost his battle to lung cancer . nbc's ron allen is in state college , pennsylvania, with more. good morning.
>> reporter: good morning, natalie. we are outside the football stadium where joe paterno and penn state enjoyed so much glory. his statue is over there and has become a shrine with people stopping by to light candles, leave flowers. everyone is trying to focus on what paterno accomplished rather than the sexual abuse scandal that led to his downfall. thousands from the penn state community gathered in the heart of campus to honor a man who, perhaps more than any other individual, made this university what it is.
>> we are not just athletes. we're not just students. we are a reflection of who joe paterno was.
>> reporter: joe paterno was here for 60 years, with a record 409 victories while putting academics before athletics.
>> people ask me why i stayed here so long. you know what? look around.
>> reporter: the legacy of greatness.
>> joe paterno with the light he was blessed with blessed each of us.
>> reporter: tarnished by the sexual abuse scandal around his long-time assistant jerry sandusky that led to paterno getting fired. with hindsight he said he wished he had done more to intervene.
>> after 61 years he deserved the benefit of the doubt . the circumstances at the end which happened, sad for everybody.
>> reporter: the official cause of death is lung cancer but many people will tell you a contributing factor was that paterno was heartbroken by everything that happened the last few months. we expect to hear from the family and the university about funeral arrangements and the memorial service . natalie?
>> thank you, ron.
Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/46098260/
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Sunday, January 22, 2012
John King Ignores Ron Paul, Gets Booed By Crowd at S.C. Debate
John King did not have a good night Thursday.
At last night's CNN debate in Charleston, S.C., the network's moderator was absolutely eviscerated by Newt Gingrich after King brought up his ex-wife's recent interview in undoubtedly the event's most memorable exchange.
Not only that, he seemed to skip over Ron Paul - a doctor by trade - more than once, most notably during an exchange about the candidates abortion positions:
Following a back-and-forth between Republican presidential candidates Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, King changed the topic, only to be booed by the crowd.
Because he had completely ignored the fourth candidate on stage, Paul.
Paul laughed off the oversight, noting “John, once again, it’s a medical subject and I’m a doctor!” Paul, an obstetrician, went on to weigh in on the subject.
The Texas Congressman voiced concerns about federal funding of institutions providing abortions, saying such decisions should be made on a state-by-state basis.
South Carolina's crucial primary takes place tomorrow.
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Saturday, January 21, 2012
Animal: "Punk is living out my brother's dream"
By declaring outright his intentions of screwing CM Punk out of his WWE Championship at the 25th annual Royal Rumble event, John Laurinaitis revealed himself to be a man of deep resentment. That?s according to the one person who has known the Interim General Manager of Raw and EVP of Talent Relations longer than anybody else: his older brother, WWE Hall of Famer Road Warrior Animal. (Road Warrior PHOTOS | VIDEO)
In an exclusive interview, Animal told WWE.com that his brother?s vendetta against The Second City Saint is relatively easy to explain. Whereas Punk has reached the uppermost echelon in sports entertainment ? the WWE Championship ? Laurinaitis, an accomplished grappler in his own right, was never able to parlay his success overseas into a main event slot in the U.S.
?It?s one thing to be popular in Japan, and it?s another to make it in the U.S.,? Animal said. ?That?s one thing that eats John from the inside, deep in his gut. I think he carries animosity over that, because he never got to be ?the guy? in the U.S. the way that CM Punk is today. I think he?s getting on Punk?s case because Punk is living the dream that John wishes he could have accomplished.?
Although the WWE Universe knows Laurinaitis primarily for his role on Raw SuperShow and, perhaps, for his time as one half of the oft-ridiculed Dynamic Dudes, (WATCH) less familiar to the WWE Universe is Laurinaitis? impressive legacy inside Japanese squared circles. Competing under the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) banner for much of the '90s, Laurinaitis was a legitimate in-ring threat to be taken seriously. Creator of the Ace Crusher ? a jaw-shaking predecessor to Randy Orton?s RKO ? he enjoyed the adulation of the Japanese fans and media alike. He also forged successful teams, some of them world championship-winning, with the likes of Stan Hansen, ?Dr. Death? Steve Williams and AJPW legend Kenta Kobashi.
It was Animal?s ties with AJPW owner Giant Baba that opened the door to the East for Laurinaitis, but the Road Warrior made clear his brother would have never become the star he did had it not been for a strong work ethic and his natural athleticism.
??I?ve got to give it to him, he became one of the top American entities in Japan,? said Animal, who, alongside tag partner Hawk, was also among the most popular U.S.-born talents to ever compete in Japan. ?I might have opened the door, but he walked through it.?
Yet, to the WWE Universe, John Laurinaitis is little more than a front-office suit pushing a decidedly anti-Punk agenda. Conceding that Laurinaitis has overstepped his authority in targeting Punk, Animal nonetheless lauded his brother?s performance since taking over as the Interim GM of Raw.
Leaving behind a career between the ropes for a job in upper management is not always a smooth transition, Animal explained.
?He?s doing a good job of it,? he said. ?It?s a tough position to be in, and it?s a fine line to walk, especially when you?ve spent your entire career in the ring. In making that switch over to the front office, sometimes you forget where you came from, and that might be what?s happening to John now.?
Still, Animal is not one to excuse his brother?s actions, and he refuses to let Laurinaitis off the hook for his barefaced grudge against Punk. Earlier this week, Laurinaitis tersely told WWE.com that he plans to do ?what?s right for business? at the 25th annual Royal Rumble event.
Speaking of the WWE Champion and fellow Chicagoan with the utmost respect, Animal said Punk should be allowed to carry on with his championship affairs unimpeded.
?Let the guy be a champion; let him have his reign, let him do what he?s going to do,? Animal advised his brother, adding, ?Just leave Punk alone.?
However, with Laurinaitis appointing himself special guest referee for the hotly anticipated Punk-Dolph Ziggler match, it appears rather unlikely that Raw?s Interim GM will, in fact, leave Punk alone. The bad blood between Laurinaitis and The Second City Saint shows absolutely no sign of easing, and the WWE Universe anxiously awaits the day when Punk gets his true opportunity to revolt against the oppressive authority figure known as Mr. Laurinaitis.
But how does Mr. Laurinaitis' brother feel about it? Should a Punk-Laurinaitis matchup ever take place, would Animal put his money on the WWE Champion?
?I think Punk would tear him apart,? Animal said, speculating that his brother may have lost his edge since leaving active competition. ?I?m not saying that John can?t handle himself, because he can. He was a world champion over in Japan, and he knows what it takes to get there. But once you spend five, six years in the front office, you?re bound to get soft, and you can?t expect to compete with a thoroughbred like Punk.?
Source: http://www.wwe.com/inside/animal-comments-laurinaitis
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Time is critical when it comes to finding lost pets ? Bangor Daily News
Griffin. Jack. Love. Zig Zag. Loon.
These are just some of the names of lost pets in Maine. Some, like Love and Loon, have been reunited with their owners, but some are still missing.
So what can a pet owner do when their beloved furry family member goes missing? The key is in staying organized, calm, and prepared to enlist your neighbors in the search.
Play hide and seek. As soon as you realize your pet is missing, confer with family members or roommates about where they last saw your pet. Do a thorough check of the home including closets, under beds, in the basement, dark places, and attached buildings. Pour kibble or delicious smelling food into a bowl, or squeak a favorite toy to lure your pet out of hiding.
Once you?re sure that your pet isn?t in or around your home, take a walk or a slow ride around the neighborhood and around your home. Let friends and neighbors know that your pet is missing and find out if they have seen her. Check under porches and shrubs, and ask neighbors to keep an eye on their sheds and garages.
Expand your search. Start calling around to local veterinarians, animal control agencies, public and private animal shelters, and rescue groups. It?s possible your pet is already in custody and is just waiting for someone to pick her up.
Start spreading the word. Still no luck? Now is the time to create a ?lost pet? flyer. Be consistent with the layout so that no matter who sees it, the information is the same.
The flyer should include the following:
- A large, bold headline people can read easily, such as LOST DOG or MISSING CAT
- Under the headline include a color photo of your pet that shows her, especially if she has distinguishing markings and that reproduces well if photocopied. List age, weight, breed, sex, color, distinguishing markings or features, and where and when she was last seen. Be clear that your pet is described accurately.
- Include your name and two phone numbers: yours, and a friend or family member
Hit the streets. Take your newly made flyers and a team of helpers to post the flyers. Distribute to dog parks, pet stores, veterinarian?s offices, grooming shops, kennels, commercial businesses including grocery and convenience stores, gas stations, laundromats, lampposts, trees, telephone poles, and anywhere else people congregate. Always ask permission before hanging the flyers.
Hit the Internet. Once you?ve hit the streets, send emails about your lost pet to friends, colleagues, and family members, as well as on Facebook. Ask them to pass on the information to those who might be able to help.
Don?t give up hope. Despite what some will tell you, it?s important to not give up hope that your pet will come home. It could take a while, but not giving up hope that your pet will return is important.
If you?re fortunate not to have experienced the torture of a missing pet, there are things you can do to keep your pet safe and be prepared.
Tag or microchip them. ID tags are important for all pets regardless of if they go outside. The ID tag should have the pet?s name, your name, and a current phone number. Add even more safety by microchipping your pet. The microchip is a small chip embedded under the skin and contains your pets information, your information, and even your vet. If you choose to microchip your pet, keep the records up-to-date.
Hate the jingle? Consider purchasing for your dog or cat a collar that has their information sewn right into it. Classic Hound, a Portland-based dog-centric company, offers a product called the ?Take Me Home? ID Collar which has an engraved buckle on it that contains the pet?s vital info (pet?s name, owner?s name, phone number and address). Other companies can be found online that offer custom collars that contain the pet?s information on them.
Keep your pet up-to-date on vaccinations. If your pet does get out, she may be exposed to things that can be dangerous to her health. By keeping her up-to-date with vaccinations, you?ll be protecting her at home and elsewhere.
Keep recent photos of your pet on hand. Whether they are taken by you, or a professional photographer, having recent photos of your pet (full body photos and portraits) in a readily accessible place will help if you ever need to get their image out quickly.
Train them. January is national dog training month and it?s the perfect time to renew your connection with your dog while also training some behaviors that will keep her safe. The most basic commands, coupled with a trusting relationship with your dog, will help her respond readily and prevent accidents. For information on choosing a dog trainer, visit the Association for Professional Dog Trainers at http://apdt.com/petowners.
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Friday, January 20, 2012
APNewsBreak: Fuel transfer done in Nome, Alaska
In a photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, two hose lines run from the Russian tanker Renda as they prepare for pressure tests Monday Jan. 16, 2012 in Nome, Alaska. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy has been escorting and breaking ice for the Renda since Jan. 3, 2012, to help deliver approximately 1.3 million gallons of gasoline and diesel to Nome, Alaska. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.)
In a photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, two hose lines run from the Russian tanker Renda as they prepare for pressure tests Monday Jan. 16, 2012 in Nome, Alaska. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy has been escorting and breaking ice for the Renda since Jan. 3, 2012, to help deliver approximately 1.3 million gallons of gasoline and diesel to Nome, Alaska. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.)
En esta foto proporcionada por la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos, el buque cisterna ruso Renda se encuentra justo frente a la costa de Nome, con dos mangueras de trasiego de combustible que dan a una calzada en el puerto de Nome, el lunes 16 de enero de 2012. Despu?s de ser escoltados a trav?s del hielo por el rompehielo Healy de la Guardia Costera, el Renda comenz? a entregar m?s de 1,3 millones de galones de combustible el lunes. (AP foto/U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 3rd Class Grant DeVuyst)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? A massive effort to pump fuel from a Russian tanker to the iced-in Alaska city of Nome is complete, moving an estimated 1.3 million gallons into the city that faced a shortage after missing its last delivery.
Stacey Smith, manager of Vitus Marine LLC ? the company that arranged for the tanker to deliver gas and diesel to the city ? said the operation finished up Thursday morning.
"Fuel is delivered to Nome," she said.
The pumping operation finished up at about 7 a.m., said Jason Evans, board chairman of Sitnasuak Native Corp., which arranged for the tanker delivery to Nome. But he said the mission was far from over.
"Now on to getting them out of Nome and back out of the ice there," Evans said of the tanker and Coast Guard icebreaker frozen into the ice near the Nome harbor.
The plan is for the icebreaker to help get the tanker back through the ice and to open water where the tanker will head back to Russia. The icebreaker will go to Dutch Harbor, Alaska to drop off supplies and then to its home port in Seattle, Evans said.
The two lines that pumped both gasoline and diesel fuel from the ship will have to be cleared of any residual fuel, which could mean up to 7,000 more gallons of fuel.
The city of 3,500 didn't get its last pre-winter barge fuel delivery because of a massive November storm. Without the Russian tanker's delivery, Nome would run out of fuel by March or April, long before the next barge delivery is possible.
Alaska has had one of the most severe winters in decades. Snow has piled up 10 feet or higher against the wood-sided buildings in Nome, a former gold rush town that is the final stop on the 1,150-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Smith said the pumping operation finished up with temperatures finally reaching above zero. Nome for weeks has been experiencing record cold temperatures, dipping to more than 30 below zero.
This is the first time petroleum products have been delivered to a western Alaska community by sea in winter.
The exact amount of fuel transferred to the tanks won't be known for a day or two. However, the amount will be enough to get Nome through the winter and to the next barge delivery in late spring, Evans said.
The Russian tanker Renda began its journey from Russia in mid-December, picking up diesel fuel in South Korea before heading to Dutch Harbor, where it took on unleaded gasoline. It arrived last week off Nome on Alaska's west coast, more than 500 miles from Anchorage.
A Coast Guard icebreaker cleared a path for the 370-foot tanker through hundreds of miles of a slow journey stalled by thick ice and strong ocean currents. In total, the tanker traveled an estimated 5,000 miles.
Two parallel hoses, 700 yards long each, stretched between the Renda and a pipeline that delivered the estimated 1.3 million gallons of fuel to storage tanks near the harbor of the iced-in city. The transfer was made without a spill, Evans said.
He said he had the opportunity to go aboard the Russian tanker where he was served a lunch of borscht soup, spaghetti, fried chicken and freshly-made bread while thanking the captain and crew for getting the fuel to Nome.
"I told him he was one of the most famous captains of the world and he told me not in Russia," Evans said. "He told me, 'We do this all the time.'"
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Thursday, January 19, 2012
Fallon, Morgan link brains to mock candidates
By Chiderah Monde
Monday night on?"The Daily Show," a?tiara-clad Jon Stewart attempted to understand his role as head of Stephen Colbert's Super PAC, and what to do with?its funds.?Since?he and?Colbert?can't coordinate with each other, Stewart enlisted the help of chef Mario Battali. Somehow, they came to the conclusion that they need to bird-feed an egg frittata. (Caution: the last few seconds of the "Daily Show" footage is pretty gross.)
Much to his chagrin, Colbert found out that he's not allowed to be a write-in candidate for the South Carolina primary. But, there's still a man in the running, he announced Monday night on?"Colbert Report," that stands for true "Americanimity": former candidate Herman Cain. ? ?
And in case you missed it,?over the?weekend the?Super PAC released?its first attack ad -- one that portrays current frontrunner Romney as "Mitt the Ripper," serial?killer of corporations. ? ?
On "Late Show," host David Letterman dedicated his Top 10 list to now?former GOP candidate Jon Huntsman, entitled "Top 10 things people said when they heard Huntsman was dropping out of the race." Among the best ones: "Does this mean we can bring back Herman Cain?" and, my personal favorite, "He should have Tebowed more." ?
Sticking it with Huntsman,?Jimmy Fallon didn't think the candidate's departure would make much of a difference. Not having Huntsman on the campaign trail ... will be like having Huntsman on the campaign trail, he said.? ?
Then, in a?game of "Brainstorm," Fallon and?special guest Piers Morgan laughed at the expense of a few other GOPers. The rules required "Jeopardy!"-style questions and answers?from the two players, so Morgan threw out the phrase "warning, may cause drowsiness," and Fallon responded with "What does it say on the back of Mitt Romney."? ?
In the next round?the phrase was?"American Horror Story," and?Fallon answered,?"What is Rick Perry's presidential campaign." ?
Even Piers Morgan had to laugh at that one.
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TWC Digital Communications Program Enters Third Year ...
Time Warner Cable (TWC) have announced the launch of its third year of the innovative TWC Research Program on Digital Communications, which awards $20,000 stipends designed to foster research dedicated to ?increasing understanding of the benefits and challenges facing the future of digital technologies in the home, office, classroom and community?.
The 2012 Research Announcement outlines the program?s guidelines and list of research questions that eligible applicants, affiliated with universities and not-for-profits, are able to use when applying for the stipends.
The Research Program was launched in 2010 as way to ?tap into the best minds in the academic and public policy communities and stimulate research into challenges facing the telecommunications industry?.
Fernando Laguarda, Vice President for External Affairs and Policy Counselor, and director of the program, said:
?We?ve seen two very active years with the Research Program. With a revised set of topics, our third year will add even more to the public debate about major issues now confronting industry, policymakers, and stakeholders.?
Individuals and teams of researchers who want to apply for the $20,000 stipends are asked to write a three page summary outlining their approach to one of the topics and to submit a brief resume for each author.
?The Research Program has awarded sixteen stipends to twenty three leading scholars since its first year,? said Laguarda.
?We believe we continue to make a real contribution to intelligent debate on the future of digital communications.?
The 2012 deadlines for submission of applications are April 1, 2012 and November 1, 2012.
Source: http://www.educationnews.org/technology/twc-digital-communications-program-enters-third-year/
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
DA seeks maximum in NY serial killer's sentencing (AP)
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. ? New York prosecutors are asking a judge to send a serial killer to prison for the rest of his life.
Sentencing is scheduled Tuesday for 43-year-old Francisco Acevedo. He was found guilty in November of killing three women in Yonkers between 1989 and 1996.
The district attorney is asking for the maximum sentence, 75 years to life.
Acevedo was not suspected in the murders until 2009, when he was in jail on a drunken driving charge and submitted an application for parole. One condition of the application was a DNA sample.
When his DNA hit the state database, investigators saw that it matched DNA found on all three women.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (KWOH'-moh) has proposed expanding the state's DNA database to include profiles from more criminals, including drunken drivers.
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Russia asks if US radar ruined space probe
FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 file photo, the Zenit-2SB rocket with the Phobos-Ground probe blasts off from its launch pad at the Cosmodrome Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Some of the recent failures of Russian spacecraft may have been caused by hostile interference, Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin said. Popovkin made the comment when asked about the failure of the unmanned Phobos-Ground probe, which was to explore one of the Mars twin moons, Phobos, but became stranded while orbiting Earth after its Nov. 9 launch. The spacecraft is expected to fall to Earth around Jan. 15. ( (AP Photo, File)
FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 file photo, the Zenit-2SB rocket with the Phobos-Ground probe blasts off from its launch pad at the Cosmodrome Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Some of the recent failures of Russian spacecraft may have been caused by hostile interference, Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin said. Popovkin made the comment when asked about the failure of the unmanned Phobos-Ground probe, which was to explore one of the Mars twin moons, Phobos, but became stranded while orbiting Earth after its Nov. 9 launch. The spacecraft is expected to fall to Earth around Jan. 15. ( (AP Photo, File)
MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia will look into the possibility that a U.S. radar station could have inadvertently interfered with the failed Mars moon probe that plummeted to Earth, Russian media reported Tuesday, but experts argued that any such claims were far-fetched.
NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs also said the U.S. space agency was not using the military radar equipment in question at the time of the Russian equipment failure, but instead was using radar in the Mojave desert in the western United States and in Puerto Rico.
Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Yury Koptev, former head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, as saying investigators will conduct tests to check if U.S. radar emissions could have impacted the Phobos-Ground space probe, which was stuck in Earth's orbit for two months before crashing down near Chile and Brazil.
"The results of the experiment will allow us to prove or dismiss the possibility of the radar's impact," said Koptev, who is heading the government commission charged with investigating causes of the probe's failure.
U.S. experts suggested that the Russians should look for causes of the failure at home.
"The Russian Space Agency would do themselves and the future of Russian planetary exploration some good to look inside the project and the agency to find the cause of the Phobos-Ground mishap," said Alan Stern, former associate administrator for science at NASA and now director of the Florida Space Institute at the University of Central Florida.
The current Roscosmos head, Vladimir Popovkin, has said the craft's malfunction could have been caused by foreign interference. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin acknowledged U.S. radar interference as a possible cause but said it was too early to make any conclusions and suggested the problem could be the spacecraft itself.
"Practially all disruptions are due to flaws in the technologies manufactured 12 to 13 years ago," he said.
Other space experts said the possibility of U.S. interference should be considered only after investigating all other possible causes.
Alexander Zakharov, a specialist at the Space Research Institute, which developed the Phobos-Ground, called the suggestion "contrived" and doubted the United States has radar powerful enough to interfere with a spacecraft at an altitude of around 200 kilometers (124 miles).
"You can come up with a lot of exotic reasons," Zakharov told RIA Novosti. "But first you need to look at the apparatus itself, and there is a problem there."
The Phobos-Ground fell to Earth on Sunday in the vicinity of Chile and Brazil, but no confirmed impact sites have been reported.
The $170 million craft was one of the heaviest and most toxic pieces of space junk ever to crash to Earth, but space officials and experts said the risks posed by its crash were minimal because the toxic rocket fuel on board and most of the craft's structure would burn up in the atmosphere high above the ground anyway.
The Phobos-Ground probe was designed to travel to one of Mars' twin moons, Phobos, land on it, collect soil samples and fly them back to Earth in 2014 in one of the most daunting interplanetary missions ever. It got stranded in Earth's orbit after its Nov. 9 launch, and efforts by Russian and European Space Agency experts to bring it back to life failed.
Phobos-Ground was Russia's most expensive and the most ambitious space mission since Soviet times. Its mission to the crater-dented, potato-shaped Martian moon was to give scientists precious materials that could shed more light on the genesis of the solar system.
Russia's space chief has acknowledged the Phobos-Ground mission was ill-prepared, but said that Roscosmos had to give it the go-ahead so as not to miss the limited Earth-to-Mars launch window.
___
Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.
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Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Large and in charge: Powerful people overestimate their own height
ScienceDaily (Jan. 16, 2012) ? The psychological experience of power makes people feel taller than they are, according to research by ILR School associate professor of organizational behavior Jack Goncalo and a Washington University colleague.
"Although a great deal of research has shown that physically imposing individuals are more likely to acquire power, this work is the first to show that the powerful may actually feel taller than they are," Goncalo and Michelle Duguid write in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science.
So a 5-foot-4-inch woman might actually sprout an inch or two in her own mind when she's having an empowered moment. In other words, there is actually a physical experience that goes along with feeling powerful.
Three experiments with 266 American men and women confirmed for Goncalo and Duguid that there is a relationship between feelings of power and one's self-perception of height.
"Using different manipulations of power and measures of perceived height, we found that people literally perceived themselves as taller when they occupied a more powerful position," they write.
Is that perhaps why, Goncalo and Duguid wonder, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg referred to Gulf of Mexico oil spill victims as "small people?"
Research -- included assigning one's height to a video game avatar --established a starting point for exploring reciprocity between the psychological and physical experiences of power, Goncalo said.
He added that the research begs a number of questions: Do short people attempt to capture power by physically elevating themselves above others? Would it be possible to psychologically empower people by giving them an office on the top floor? Can feeling powerful make leaders less able to feel empathy and relate to the "little people" because they literally feel bigger? Is it possible that BP's CEO gave us an insider's view on the experience of power?
Maybe the powerful really do feel bigger than the rest of us.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cornell University. The original article was written by Mary Catt.
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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116154024.htm
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Monday, January 16, 2012
North Korea transition "smooth," economy the real test (Reuters)
SEOUL (Reuters) ? North Korea's new leadership under the inexperienced Kim Jong-un appears to be functioning "relatively smoothly," but he has to look beyond key ally China to rebuild its shattered economy, South Korea's senior most official on the North said on Monday.
Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik told Reuters that despite Kim Jong-il's sudden death last month, the secretive North had clearly been well prepared for the handover to a third generation of the Kim family.
"The succession of power has been stable and well prepared," Yu said in an interview.
"It's difficult to predict the future, but for the time being it is likely they will focus on consolidating power internally and to appear stable to the outside world."
Rumors swirled in markets this month about a possible coup in North Korea, but the South dismissed them as groundless. Yu said on Monday the new leadership appeared to be stable.
He, however, said that given Kim's age -- he is believed to be in his late 20s -- and inexperience there remained questions about whether he could do "the job right."
"But having lived as a successor in a regime like North Korea itself is a significant experience. He may be young, but age should not be a big problem," said Yu, although he conceded South Korea knows little about the man the North dubs the "supreme commander."
He said the North would seek to build a cult of personality around the young Kim, similar to that which made Kim Jong-il and the state founder's Kim Il-sung into god-like figures.
Yu said the young Kim did not yet appear to have the kind of absolute control that his father and grandfather wielded, saying a small band of trusted minders were playing an important role in supporting and influencing his leadership.
He did not elaborate on the makeup of the inner group of leaders, believed to include Jong-un's uncle and aunt and the military chief. A source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing told Reuters last month the North will shift to collective rule from a strongman dictatorship.
"It's difficult to predict what form their role will take," said Yu. "What's important is to think about what sort of help we can offer to encourage them to make changes to stabilize itself."
SEOUL, NOT BEIJING, KEY TO ECONOMY
Yu said Kim's policy choices to stabilize the economy were more important than personal factors in cementing his grip.
Some 30 years ago, the North's centrally planned economy was more vibrant than that of the South, but since the disintegration of the North's then-ally and benefactor, the Soviet Union, the economy has all but collapsed.
North Korea's nominal gross national income (GNI) amounted to 30 trillion won (US$26.5 billion) in 2010 - only 2.56 percent of South Korea's GNI of 1,173 trillion won, South Korea's central bank says.
Yu questioned China's role in rebuilding the economy, saying its influence was limited to the political sphere. Only Seoul, he said, could help save the impoverished state from ruin.
Beijing, the North's main ally and benefactor, has encouraged the North to follow its model of economic reform.
"China obviously wants the North Korean regime to be stable ... To ensure the North's economy does not fall apart, China will invest in the border region and encourage trade, but it is difficult to believe that that will revive the economy."
Beijing provides more than 80 percent of the North's food and oil and has invested heavily as Pyongyang has been subject to international sanctions for nuclear and missile tests.
Over the past year, China has also backed Pyongyang's plans to open special economic zones on its border.
Yu said the North was well aware that only Seoul can offer substantive help, even though the Koreas remain technically at war, having signed only a truce to end the 1950-53 Korean War.
"It is South Korea that has the experience of rebuilding a shattered economy. It is South Korea that understands the risks of rebuilding, and is prepared to take that risk.
"There will be considerable political help from China, but I believe economic assistance will be limited."
HOSTILITIES OR DIALOGUE?
Yu said the North's new "great successor," appeared focused for now on building a militaristic image, and may stage a hostile act to firm up his power base.
"I think a military provocation is a possibility as a way to deflect responsibility if its failure to revive the economy is revealed," he said.
The North has stepped up its rhetoric against the South and Kim has been shown touring military sites in what analysts say is likely aimed at burnishing a hardline image with the army.
On Monday, the North's state media ridiculed South Korean officials, including Yu, as "confrontational fanatics" and "moral imbeciles" who missed the chance of engaging in dialogue when Pyongyang reached out last year for talks.
Yu dismissed the rhetoric and held out an olive branch to the North's leadership, saying Seoul would consider a resumption of food aid if Pyongyang returned to the negotiating table.
"We can discuss the matter of large-scale food aid, including rice, if North-South talks reopen," said Yu, adding no "meaningful" contact had occurred since Kim Jong-il's death.
The South's President Lee Myung-bak cut off all economic aid to the North upon winning office in 2008, demanding Pyongyang's complete denuclearization for the resumption of aid, which amounted to around $4.5 billion the preceding decade.
"The world is changing fast, and it's inconceivable that North Korea will do nothing to solve its problems by waiting," said Yu. "And I expect the North will make the right choice for our common future."
(Writing by Jeremy Laurence; Editing by Ron Popeski)
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Inquest opens into death of Zimbabwe general (AP)
HARARE, Zimbabwe ? Forensic investigations have found no evidence that explosives or inflammable liquids were used in the house-fire death of a powerful general whose family believes he may have been murdered, Zimbabwean state attorneys said Monday.
Retired Gen. Solomon Mujuru, the husband of Vice President Joice Mujuru, was burned beyond recognition in a bedroom fire at his farmhouse outside Harare last year.
Opening the inquest in Harare, state attorney Clemence Chimbari said DNA tests had proved the remains were Mujuru's. Other samples from the scene were tested by forensic experts in South Africa.
For the first time at a state funeral, the general's coffin was sealed and mourners could not participate in the traditional viewing of the remains.
Mujuru's death intensified infighting in the party of President Robert Mugabe, where the general was a powerful figure who used his military, political and business connections to promote his wife's battle for supremacy.
Chimbari said the state power utility will testify that an electrical fault did not cause the fire.
First reports said a candle may have tilted over accidentally during a power outage, a common event in Zimbabwe. But the intensity of the blaze that virtually cremated the general's body led to accusations that gasoline, chemicals or explosive devices may have been used.
Joice Mujuru attended the opening of the inquest dressed in black. She has hired private attorneys to question witnesses called by the state and to examine forensic reports. Soon after Mujuru's death at age 66, she told mourners she could not understand why the former army commander and veteran guerrilla leader did not escape from the fire which left parts of the house and some furniture intact.
The farmhouse of brick and stone has a fire-resistant roof and large windows and exit doors.
A security guard at the property, Clement Runhare, said Monday he heard what sounded like gunfire two hours before he was alerted that a fire had broken out. He said he thought poachers nearby were responsible.
He said the general drove through the entrance gate to the farm with a passenger in his car who he could not identify. No other human remains were found after farm workers and neighbors converged on the house to try and put out the flames.
He said a police protection detail did not have mobile phones to call the fire department and their police radio was broken.
On his way home to the farm 60 kilometers (35 miles) southwest of Harare on Aug. 15, Mujuru stopped at a local hotel bar and drank at least two double whiskies, hotel patron Tongai Chimuka told presiding magistrate Walter Chikwanha. Widely known as a heavy drinker, the general was "in a jovial mood and was not drunk," Chimuka said.
More than 40 witnesses have been summoned to testify at the hearing expected to last at least a week and rule later on whether Mujuru's death was accidental.
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
Tensions high, US warns Iran not to block shipping (AP)
WASHINGTON ? Tensions rising by the day, the Obama administration said Friday it is warning Iran through public and private channels against any action that threatens the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. The Navy revealed that two U.S. ships in and near the Gulf were harassed by Iranian speedboats last week.
Spokesmen were vague on what the United States would do about Iran's threat to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but military officials have been clear that the U.S. is readying for a possible naval clash.
That prospect is the latest flashpoint with Iran, and one of the most serious. Although it currently overshadows the threat of war over Iran's disputed nuclear program, perhaps beginning with an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear structure, both simmering crises raise the possibility of a shooting war this year.
"We have to make sure we are ready for any situation and have all options on the table," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said, addressing a soldier's question Thursday about the overall risk of war with Iran.
Navy officials said that in separate incidents Jan. 6, three Iranian speedboats ? each armed with a mounted gun ? briefly chased after a U.S. Navy ship just outside the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz and a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the northern Gulf. No shots were fired and the speedboats backed off.
For several reasons, the risk of open conflict with Tehran appears higher in this election year than at any point since President Barack Obama took office with a pledge to try to bridge 30 years of enmity. A clash would represent a failure of U.S. policy on several fronts and vault now-dormant national security concerns into the presidential election contest.
The U.S. still hopes that international pressure will persuade Iran to back down on its disputed nuclear program, but the Islamic regime shows no sign it would willingly give up a project has become a point of national pride. A nuclear bomb, or the ability to quickly make one, could also be worth much more to Iran as a bargaining chip down the road.
Time is short, with Iran making several leaps toward the ability to manufacture a nuclear weapon if it chooses to do so. Iran claims its nuclear development is intended for the peaceful production of energy. Meanwhile, several longstanding assumptions about U.S. influence and the value of a targeted strike to stymie Iran's progress toward a nuclear weapon have changed. For one, the White House is no longer confident it could prevail on Israel not to launch such a strike.
An escalating covert campaign of sabotage and targeted assassinations highlighted by this week's killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist may not be enough to head off a larger shooting war and could prod Iran to strike first.
The brazen killing of a young scientist by motorcycle-riding bombers is seen as almost surely the work of Israel, according to U.S. and other officials speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. The killing on a Tehran street followed the deaths of several other Iranians involved in the nuclear program, a mysterious explosion at an Iranian nuclear site that may have been sabotage and the apparent targeting of the program with an efficient computer virus.
Iranian officials accuse both Israel and the U.S. of carrying out the assassination as part of a secret operation to stop Iran's nuclear program. The killing came a day after Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz was quoted as telling a parliamentary panel that 2012 would be a "critical year" for Iran ? in part because of "things that happen to it unnaturally."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Panetta made a point of publicly denying any U.S. involvement, but the administration tied itself in knots this week over how far to go in condemning an action that could further the U.S. goal of stalling Iranian nuclear progress.
The U.S. position remains that a military strike on Iran's known nuclear facilities is undesirable because it would have unintended consequences and would probably only stall, not end, the Iranian nuclear drive. That has been the consensus view among military leaders and policy makers for roughly five years, spanning a Republican and Democratic administration.
But during that time Iran has gotten ever closer to a potential bomb, Israel has gotten more brazen in its threats to stop an Iranian bomb by nearly any means, and the U.S. administration's influence over Israel has declined.
Israel considers Iran its mortal enemy and takes seriously the Iranian threat to wipe the Jewish state from the map. The United States is Israel's strongest ally and international defender, but the allies differ over how imminent the Iranian threat has become and how to stop it.
The strained relationship between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plays a role, as does the rise in influence of conservative political parties in Israel. U.S. officials have concluded that Israel will go its own way on Iran, despite U.S. objections, and may not give the U.S. much notice if it decides to launch a strike, U.S. and other officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.
The Obama administration is concerned that Iran's claim this week that it is expanding nuclear operations with more advanced equipment may push Israel closer to a strike.
Obama last month approved new sanctions against Iran that would target its central bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad. The U.S. has delayed implementing the sanctions for at least six months, worried about sending the price of oil higher at a time when the global economy is struggling.
A senior commander of the Revolutionary Guard force was recently quoted as saying Tehran's leadership has decided to order the closure of the Strait of Hormuz if the country's petroleum exports are blocked due to sanctions.
Panetta linked the two crises Thursday, saying an Iranian nuclear weapon is one "red line" the U.S. will not allow Iran to cross and a closure of the strait is another.
"We must keep all capabilities ready in the event those lines are crossed," Panetta told soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas.
He did not elaborate, but the nation's top military officer, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey, has said the U.S. would take action to reopen the strategic waterway. That could only mean military action, and there are U.S. warships stationed nearby.
"The United States and the international community have a strong interest in the free flow of commerce and freedom of navigation in all national waterways," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Friday, adding that Iran is well aware of that position. "Our views are clear, we're expressing them publicly and privately, and I'll leave it at that."
International talks to barter Iran out of building a nuclear weapon are nearly collapsed, the United States and several partners are on the verge of applying the toughest sanctions yet on Iran's lifeblood oil sector, an increasingly cornered Iranian leadership is lashing out in unpredictable ways and faces additional internal pressures with a parliamentary election approaching.
All that adds up to a new equation, U.S. and Western diplomats said. A unilateral U.S. military strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure remains unlikely but no longer unthinkable, while the likelihood of an Israeli military strike has increased.
Immediate consequences would probably include an unpredictable spike in oil prices, ripple effects in troubled European economies and a setback for the fragile U.S. economic recovery. Longer term, a strike or a full-on war would almost surely ignite anti-American sentiment in the Middle East and beyond and empower hardline political movements in newly democratic Egypt and elsewhere.
Although the Obama administration wants to avoid conflict, it is locked in a cycle of provocation and reaction that feeds Iranian fears and may make war more likely, said Suzanne Maloney, a former State Department Iran expert now at the Brookings Institution.
"The tactics the administration has been taking means conflict becomes more likely because of the potential for miscalculation and the level of tensions and frustrations on both sides," she said.
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AP National Security Writer Robert Burns contributed to this report.
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