Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/mtv-cancels-buckwild-producer-rips-network/
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Paramore Are Looking Back, 'Moving Forward' With New Album
'I get it by a subway train, at least we made this record,' Hayley Williams says of Paramore's latest.
By James Montgomery
Paramore
Photo: MTV News
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705306/paramore-moving-forward-new-album.jhtml
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Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Mr. Kerry, how do you ask a woman to be the last to die in Afghanistan? (+video)
A familiar question for the US secretary of State following the death of US diplomat Anne?Smedinghoff.
Anne Smedinghoff, 25, was killed Saturday, in southern Afghanistan, the first American diplomat to die on the job since last year's attack on the U.S. diplomatic installation in Benghazi, Libya.
Courtesy of Tom Smedinghoff/AP
EnlargeOnce again, history thrust John Kerry today in front of microphones to speak about American youths who are cut down in the waning days of an unpopular war.
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Ben Arnoldy is the Deputy International Editor at The Christian Science Monitor. He has served as the Monitor's bureau chief in India and Northern California.?
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Mr. Kerry, now US secretary of State, urged Americans to ?forge on? against terrorism in the wake of yesterday?s killing of Anne Smedinghoff, a 25-year-old US diplomat serving in Afghanistan. In 1971, a younger Kerry challenged Congress to stop elongating a fruitless war. He asked, ?How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam??
Kerry?s famous question, posed?in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,?came on behalf of fellow soldiers he had recently served with in Vietnam. Today?s remarks also came from a personal place: He had just met Ms. Smedinghoff when she assisted him on his visit to Afghanistan two weeks ago.
An explosion killed the Chicago native while on a mission to deliver textbooks to students in a wartorn part of southeastern Afghanistan. ?Three US soldiers, a civilian Defense Department employee, and an Afghan doctor also died in the attack, which may have been aimed at the governor of the province. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Associated Press. ?
Kerry, speaking in Turkey, described Anne as ?a selfless, idealistic young woman who woke up yesterday morning and set out to bring textbooks to schoolchildren, to bring them knowledge, children she had never met, to help them to be able to build a future.?
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Kerri Walsh Jennings: Why We Chose the Name Scout Margery
"Scout is my favorite character in all of literature ... and Margery is after my mother," the Olympian explains
Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/ED4NDU_nGA8/
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Martini Madness
Is Sophie Dahl's dirty martini too dirty?Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Borked Up (3) vs. The Martinez (10)
In his 2005 letter to the Wall Street Journal?a brief manifesto he once impishly called, to the palpable discomfort of a C-SPAN host, "crucial to Western Civilization"?Robert Bork teased cocktail writer Eric Felten for his use of the term "original intent": "What counts in mixology is the 'original understanding' of the martini?s essence by those who first consumed it." The progress of the Borked Up ends here, most fittingly, with its defeat by The Martinez, the original martini whose existence he repeatedly failed to acknowledge. As Dwight Garner once put it on Twitter, "Robert Bork claimed the dry martini for conservatism ... #veto."
Plus, Bork drinking buddy Roger Kimball has, at my instigation, informed the world of the time ?Bob was presented with a drink containing two olives?: ?He sent it back. ?If I had wanted a salad,? he told the waiter, ?I would have ordered one.?? Though it was perfectly acceptable for Bork to send the drink back, I must reprimand him for his rudeness to the server?and caution you not to make too many wisecracks in the direction of people who handle your food.
The Martinez advances to the Elite Eight in the Midwest Regional.
M.F.K. Fisher's Gibson (9) vs. Martinez Redux (13)
The Martinez Redux is sweet, and I hope to see her again, but this Gibson, which I first tried with silky Plymouth and two barspoons of thoroughly ambrosial vermouth-based onion brine, is sweet and savory, achieving smooth succulence and earning high honors.
Plus, I echo one passionate opinion recorded at the intern tasting: ?Can?t stop snacking!?
M.F.K. Fisher?s Gibson advances to the Elite Eight in the West Regional.
The FDR (3) vs. The Martini de Luxe (7)
The de Luxe recipe is in some respects delovely, but it yields results too dry for my taste. This is a common dynamic with Embury: His writing and reasoning are very strong?and so are the cocktails, too much so. (For instance, his Sidecar is 8:2:1?eights parts brandy, 2 parts Cointreau, 1 part lemon juice. Man, am I dying for a Sidecar. Three months on the martini beat have left me psyched to get Sidecars back in rotation.)
Plus, Embury's sherry variation is dullsville.
The FDR advances to the Elite Eight in the West Regional.
The Contemporary Standard (2) vs. The BFG (6)
The editrix went for drinks at The Standard, which is one of the few acceptable places to enjoy oneself in the designer hellhole that is the Meatpacking District. She made some notes and sent them to me. I contrived two or three inappropriate Michael Fassbender jokes and, stifling these, present those notes to you.
I had never been to the bar at the Standard Hotel before Tuesday night. I had to ask the concierge for directions to the elevator, which I rode to the 18th floor, unprepared for the panoramic views and the superlatively opulent vibe.
The bar matched my imaginings of the Mad Men era, or the dot-com boom. The men wore suits, the women mini-dresses; I?d put the median age gap between those two groups at 17.5 years. At the table next to ours, a group of trim, handsome businessmen spoke in spirited Russian. In a corner on the north side of the bar, a blues singer with bright red lips and a slinky white dress fronted a small band. The musicians played at a perfect volume?exactly not-too-loud.
First I told my server (who was a dead ringer for Mila Kunis) to bring me a gin martini in whatever style the bartender preferred. It was delicious and came with a perfectly coiled lemon twist.
After I'd finished it, I felt fortified, and I approached the bar to interrogate one of the three bartenders about his methods. He was a tallish white man wearing a white jacket with brass buttons; his brown hair was pulled back in a tight, folded-under ponytail. His face was angular, his eyes dark blue, and his manners very polite.
I asked him the formula for his house martini; he told me it was 2? ounces Bombay Original Dry and ? ounce Dolin vermouth. This he pronounced "DOH-lin," rather than the French "doh-LANH." Perhaps that's normal among Americans; I don't know, not being a vermouth expert. I asked him to make me the same, only with a few dashes of citrus-y bitters?i.e., The Contemporary Standard. He obliged, stirring the ingredients together in a frosted glass, and then painstakingly winding a long, thick lemon twist around his slim forefinger. I inquired about his bitters of choice; he said he used a house blend containing Regan's orange bitters.
I gratefully handed him my debit card and tried to pretend I fit in with the stylish aristocrats seated next to me while he was swiping it. My heart leapt as I caught a glimpse of Terry Gross sitting 10 feet away, but upon further discrete inspection, she was only a Terry Gross lookalike.
My heart sank quickly as I inspected the bill. The Contemporary Standard martini cost $24.78; I tipped $4.22, which I later feared was not enough. I liked the Contemporary Standard even better than the martini without bitters?that smoldering hint of orange accomplished quite a bit. Then again, I was somewhat tipsy and vertiginous by the time I started in on it.
I am glad to see that the editrix quit after two, lest she suffer the experience described in a Roald Dahl story titled ?The Last Act?: "Give her a third martini and within seconds her body would become completely weightless and she would go floating around the room like a wisp of hydrogen gas."
Dahl comes to mind because the Contemporary Standard is matched against The BFG, my name for a dirty-martini recipe written by his granddaughter. It is the dirtiest martini in the bracket, and at this point, I think that makes it too dirty for the bracket. Postulating that a martini made with more olive brine than vermouth is no longer a martini, I send the BFG on its saline way.
Plus, frankly, I put The BFG in here to construct a pretense to try to go drinking with Sophie Dahl, who?s a fun interview. But I never even pulled it together to email her rep. And now I see that there has been what Winchell would call a blessed event: She?s probably nursing anyway. Happily, the swank of the night at The Standard?a Terry Gross lookalike!?satisfies my desire to get some glamour in this series.
The Contemporary Standard advances to the Elite Eight in the South Regional.
The Vesper (2) vs. The Hoffman House (11)
Here we encounter a categorical philosophical problem. The Vesper isn't just another martini variation. It's the world's best-respected martini variation. Being a variation on the martini?not a legitimate martini?is central to its identity, and if it were to advance against the crisp and fragrant and venerable Hoffman House, then this martini tournament would lose all its hard-fought credibility.
The Hoffman House advances to the Elite Eight in the East Regional.
Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=dd36d1938098e000ee4a26995e259b41
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Monday, April 8, 2013
Catching Up with Watsi: The First YC Non-Profit
This is the story of?Watsi?a non-profit that found itself in the care of a startup accelerator called?Y Combinator?(YC). YC normally works with for-profit companies focused on technology innovation, and has generated successful businesses worth?billions of dollars. A startup accelerator backing a non-profit can be compared to the unlikely scenario of a tiger raising a bunny.
Watsi is a crowd-funding health care platform, a non-profit that has been hailed as the missing link between charity and the online social generation. TNW covered?YC?s?announcement?to fund Watsi earlier.?Watsi allows donors to pay for medical treatment needed by a person in a developing country. The website has a limited number of patient profiles. Each profile has a photo and a compelling, concise story describing the medical treatment that the person needs.
It is hard not to donate to a patient on Watsi. A picture of a real person, with a genuine and often life-threatening medical need, is presented to you. The person is looking into your eyes and asking you to save their life. That one-to-one connection is overwhelming. Try it yourself?here.?Although Watsi is a crowd-funded health care platform, this is very much about the individual.
Adam walks into the caf?, after a busy morning of meetings. Earlier this week he presented at Y Cominator?s 16th Demo Day. YC is perhaps the most prestigious startup accelerator in the world. He is excited about the earlier meetings. Whilst other YC companies are closing rounds of funding from investors, Adam?s is closing donations for Watsi. ?He says he will tell me the outcomes soon with a cheeky smile.
YC has played a large role in the life of Watsi. Adam credits?Hacker News?(the Reddit-like forum run by YC) in having a large role in bringing Watsi to life.
?My co-founder, Jesse (Jesse Cooke) and I launched Watsi in August last year to our Facebook friends. We got about ten donations,? ?said Adam laughing. Although happy about those donations, Adam wanted to publicize Watsi to more potential donors and posted information on Hacker News (HN).
According to Adam, he didn?t tell Jesse when he posted to HN asking readers for feedback since ?it?s risky posting on HN, you could be received well or badly. Luckily for us it was the former. We hit the top spot and, due to the large number of people visiting the site, it went down within 20 minutes.? Throughout the day, Cooke worked hard to keep up with the increased loads and by the end of that day enough donations were raised to fund the treatments needed by all the patients listed on Watsi.
Adam told me that, to this day, he uses the comments from that?HN thread?as the ?roadmap for the future of Watsi. When I get confused about Watsi I go back to that post on HN and remind myself that this is what people care about.?
Following the overwhelming positive response from the readers on HN, Adam decided to solicit some donations for funding the business side of Watsi. When people donate to fund a treatment for a patient on Watsi, Watsi doesn?t take a cut. All donations for patients go towards the treatments. Watsi accepts separate donations as funds to cover business expenses.
Adam quickly found that although investors were excited about the idea, that excitement did not transfer into donating towards Watsi?s overhead and administrative funds. ?When I asked him why he didn?t choose to apply for government grants and pursue other traditional sources of non-profit funding he explained that
?we are trying to pioneer a lean non-profit model which is in itself unique. ?The normal route is to raise money first and get a grant. I didn?t want to ask money from people until I had proven that Watsi worked. I wanted to get proof of concept and with the awesome response in HN I thought we had proved that. I went out after that to get money and there was no money. It was very difficult. Everyone thought the model was very cool but no one was writing checks. We stumbled for a few months. I quit my job we had no money, we were broke.?
In a bid to raise funds for Watsi, Adam and Cooke entered a competition which had a prize of ten thousand dollars. The competition was judged on public votes and Adam went back to the one place he knew would give him the winning votes, HN. Not only did this second popular post on HN help them to win the competition, but it also got the attention of?Paul Graham, the founder of YC.
Adam?s leans in towards me, begins to speak then stops and waves his hands in the air. He is trying to decide if he should tell me. I finally put my finger on what it is about his personality that is so endearing. It is his innocence. Adam tells me that he hasn?t told anyone yet, and is grinning ear to ear. I lean in to hear his story. ?I was flying home to Palm Springs and as I got off the airplane I did what everyone else does. I checked my email on my phone. All my new messages started to load up in my inbox. I then noticed that I had one email from Paul Graham.?
It was one of Paul Graham?s famous one-liners, which read: ?are you in the Bay Area??
?I was so excited I left my carry-on baggage on the plane. Can you believe it? I left without my luggage, I was so happy, I just walked out the gate. Yeah, it took about three hours to find my bags afterwards?
I?ve heard founders describe the feeling of getting into YC as being better than winning the lottery, so I tell him I can believe it.
Soon thereafter, the founders met Paul Graham (PG).
?We met PG right after the interviews for the current batch had happened. We had a great talk. The best advice we have received for Watsi came out of that meeting. He then invited Jesse and myself for dinner. PG made a personal contribution and he said, ?beyond this I would love to support you guys. I would like to do that by inviting ?you to do YC.??
The decision to participate in YC was an easy one. Adam can?t stop commenting on what a positive experience YC and the Valley has been for him. ?The access to advice was amazing. The high quality advice from advisors was really appreciated. We were really excited to be part of that network.?
It appears that YC alumni have really rallied support for Watsi. Adam tells me that?Stripe?(payments service) will soon be processing all donations at cost, removing those hefty Paypal fees.?Teespring?( personalized?shirts seller) sold t-shirts on behalf of Watsi and donated the profits to them. These are just a few examples he can think of from the top of his head. YC companies make deals with each other continuously and states Watsi is doing the same.
Having attended all the YC lectures and talks, Adam found that new non-profit faced many of the same problems as statup for-profit companies. ?We faced identical challenges. Like how to get users and understand the best way to re-engage them. Our build up to?Demo Day?(pitching to investors) was just as intense as the other companies.?
Adam tells me about the challenges involved in closing funding. His story sounds familiar to those I?ve heard from non-YC companies that often struggle for funding in the open market. ?Fundraising is tough? he says as he drags his fingers through his hair. I imagine it must appear tougher when comparing it to the ease of others in his YC class.
Like most founders he is eager to grow his team and build his product. The slow speed at which major donations, needed to fund the company?s operation, are coming in frustrates him. ?The investors do not have the same sense of urgency when it comes to us.? Watsi has a lot of momentum and Adam doesn?t want to be slowed down. He sees his company as an equal to the others for-profits in his YC Class.
Although venture capitalists (VCs) are not allowed to donate money from their funds, Adam says many from Demo Day have offered to donate money personally. He thinks that all VC funds should allocate a set-aside for donating to charities. ?Perhaps in five years accerlator-supported non-profits will be in the same position as current YC companies when it comes to the relative ease and speed of fundraising.
?Our current retention rate of donors (individuals that have donated more than once) is thirty-percent, which is great for a new non-profit. This is only going to grow because right now we have zero re-engagement features other than email.?
Adam has a list of other new features he wants to add to Watsi, including the creation of a Global Fund (donating without choosing a patient) and gifted donations (donating on behalf of someone). They recently launched Tips, where donors can tip Watsi to support building the product. They are currently working on automatic repeat donations.
Adam is however particularly excited about another additional feature: ?We?re going to have integrated one click payments/donations. One-click donations like Amazon, I?ve never seen a non-profit to do this, but I?m so excited about this.?
Adam long-term visions for Watsi are as revolutionary as his current work.
?Watsi is the first opportunity to provide healthcare for everyone. Every single person on this planet. I think the model is going to evolve a lot. Our goal is to become the largest crowdfunding medical treatment platform. This is way down the line, but we could move into providing social medical insurance. As soon as we have large enough dollars coming through the platform, we could even treat patients in the USA.?
I asked him if he would recommend that other non-profits apply to YC, and without missing a beat he replied, ?yes. For three months we were able to focus on our mission and our products alone. We didn?t have to worry about fundraising or entering competitions or getting grants. We focused on our product and solving a problem. We grew like crazy in the last three months. We went from getting $2,000 of donations a week to $12,000. That?s a crazy growth?.Every non-profit should have this opportunity for focus.?
As our chat draws to an end Adam leans in towards me again. He says perhaps it?s too early to share this, he looks around and smiles, then says, ?our [medical] partners have said to us that patients who are part of Watsi receive better care.?
He explains that ?Watsi has introduced accountability to the hospitals? to which they are affiliated because of their extreme transparency. ?The outcome of the treatments are public,? Adam explains. ?It is not uncommon in the developing world for patients to just disappear after receiving care. Now, because Watsi requires an update of the outcome of the treatment, hospitals are more regularly doing post-op check-ups.?
?Better hospital care is a huge unintended benefit of the Watsi model.? I tell him that this unintended benefit makes the Watsi?movement?more powerful.
Paul Graham?has?proclaimed that Watsi is ?one of the more revolutionary things? being done online. With such strong recommendations, I am sure that it?s only a matter of time before Adam raises all the donations Watsi needs to grow and help more people.
Adam?s ideas are indeed visionary. The non-profit space is constrained by an inherent slow moving nature, filled with red-tape and forms. Perhaps the application of startup thinking to the charities will help disrupt the non-profit sector. We are a generation where instant and real-time is the way we live our life. Adam would like to empower us to save a person?s life in real-time, instantly with one click.
This bunny?defiantly?belongs in the tiger family.
You can help Watsi in three ways:?donate,?volunteer, and share.
Source: http://thenextweb.com/2013/04/06/catching-up-with-watsi-y-combinators-first-non-profit-graduate/
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Saturday, April 6, 2013
Breakthrough in neuroscience could help re-wire appetite control
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vLfgy360gMiFVqvpk3030fb551Lr8OZSegpWjQWSzIr5EfiK3HU0QGZRiNbIQCDyAGRUgwb-yiZd5TS_mFOK_T0Z7N9afW2BOXmH5JeWg=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 5-Apr-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Lisa Horton
l.horton@uea.ac.uk
44-016-035-92764
University of East Anglia
Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have made a discovery in neuroscience that could offer a long-lasting solution to eating disorders such as obesity.
It was previously thought that the nerve cells in the brain associated with appetite regulation were generated entirely during an embryo's development in the womb and therefore their numbers were fixed for life.
But research published today in the Journal of Neuroscience has identified a population of stem cells capable of generating new appetite-regulating neurons in the brains of young and adult rodents.
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. More than 1.4 billion adults worldwide are overweight and more than half a billion are obese. Associated health problems include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer. And at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.
The economic burden on the NHS in the UK is estimated to be more than 5 billion annually. In the US, the healthcare cost tops $60 billion.
Scientists at UEA investigated the hypothalamus section of the brain which regulates sleep and wake cycles, energy expenditure, appetite, thirst, hormone release and many other critical biological functions. The study looked specifically at the nerve cells that regulate appetite.
The researchers used 'genetic fate mapping' techniques to make their discovery a method that tracks the development of stem cells and cells derived from them, at desired time points during the life of an animal.
They established that a population of brain cells called 'tanycytes' behave like stem cells and add new neurons to the appetite-regulating circuitry of the mouse brain after birth and into adulthood.
Lead researcher Dr Mohammad K. Hajihosseini, from UEA's school of Biological Sciences, said: "Unlike dieting, translation of this discovery could eventually offer a permanent solution for tackling obesity.
"Loss or malfunctioning of neurons in the hypothalamus is the prime cause of eating disorders such as obesity.
"Until recently we thought that all of these nerve cells were generated during the embryonic period and so the circuitry that controls appetite was fixed.
"But this study has shown that the neural circuitry that controls appetite is not fixed in number and could possibly be manipulated numerically to tackle eating disorders.
"The next step is to define the group of genes and cellular processes that regulate the behaviour and activity of tanycytes. This information will further our understanding of brain stem cells and could be exploited to develop drugs that can modulate the number or functioning of appetite-regulating neurons.
"Our long-term goal of course is to translate this work to humans, which could take up to five or 10 years. It could lead to a permanent intervention in infancy for those predisposed to obesity, or later in life as the disease becomes apparent."
###
The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust.
'Fgf10-expressing tanycytes add new neurons to the appetite/energy-balance regulating centres of the postnatal and adult hypothalamus' by Mohammad Hajihosseini, Niels Haan, Timothy Goodman, Alaleh Najdi-Samiei and Christina Stratford (all UEA), Ritva Rice (University of Helsinki), Elie El Agha and Saverio Bellusci (both University of Giessen) is published by the Journal of Neuroscience.
[ | 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: 5-Apr-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Lisa Horton
l.horton@uea.ac.uk
44-016-035-92764
University of East Anglia
Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have made a discovery in neuroscience that could offer a long-lasting solution to eating disorders such as obesity.
It was previously thought that the nerve cells in the brain associated with appetite regulation were generated entirely during an embryo's development in the womb and therefore their numbers were fixed for life.
But research published today in the Journal of Neuroscience has identified a population of stem cells capable of generating new appetite-regulating neurons in the brains of young and adult rodents.
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. More than 1.4 billion adults worldwide are overweight and more than half a billion are obese. Associated health problems include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer. And at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.
The economic burden on the NHS in the UK is estimated to be more than 5 billion annually. In the US, the healthcare cost tops $60 billion.
Scientists at UEA investigated the hypothalamus section of the brain which regulates sleep and wake cycles, energy expenditure, appetite, thirst, hormone release and many other critical biological functions. The study looked specifically at the nerve cells that regulate appetite.
The researchers used 'genetic fate mapping' techniques to make their discovery a method that tracks the development of stem cells and cells derived from them, at desired time points during the life of an animal.
They established that a population of brain cells called 'tanycytes' behave like stem cells and add new neurons to the appetite-regulating circuitry of the mouse brain after birth and into adulthood.
Lead researcher Dr Mohammad K. Hajihosseini, from UEA's school of Biological Sciences, said: "Unlike dieting, translation of this discovery could eventually offer a permanent solution for tackling obesity.
"Loss or malfunctioning of neurons in the hypothalamus is the prime cause of eating disorders such as obesity.
"Until recently we thought that all of these nerve cells were generated during the embryonic period and so the circuitry that controls appetite was fixed.
"But this study has shown that the neural circuitry that controls appetite is not fixed in number and could possibly be manipulated numerically to tackle eating disorders.
"The next step is to define the group of genes and cellular processes that regulate the behaviour and activity of tanycytes. This information will further our understanding of brain stem cells and could be exploited to develop drugs that can modulate the number or functioning of appetite-regulating neurons.
"Our long-term goal of course is to translate this work to humans, which could take up to five or 10 years. It could lead to a permanent intervention in infancy for those predisposed to obesity, or later in life as the disease becomes apparent."
###
The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust.
'Fgf10-expressing tanycytes add new neurons to the appetite/energy-balance regulating centres of the postnatal and adult hypothalamus' by Mohammad Hajihosseini, Niels Haan, Timothy Goodman, Alaleh Najdi-Samiei and Christina Stratford (all UEA), Ritva Rice (University of Helsinki), Elie El Agha and Saverio Bellusci (both University of Giessen) is published by the Journal of Neuroscience.
[ | 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/2013-04/uoea-bin040513.php
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Judge making morning-after pill available to all
This undated image made available by Teva Women's Health shows the packaging for their Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet, one of the brands known as the "morning-after pill." In a scathing rebuke of the Obama administration, a federal judge ruled Friday that age restrictions on over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill are "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable" and must end within 30 days. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York means consumers of any age could buy emergency contraception without a prescription _ instead of women first having to prove they're 17 or older, as they do today. And it could allow Plan B One-Step to move out from behind pharmacy counters to the store counters. (AP Photo/Teva Women's Health)
This undated image made available by Teva Women's Health shows the packaging for their Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet, one of the brands known as the "morning-after pill." In a scathing rebuke of the Obama administration, a federal judge ruled Friday that age restrictions on over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill are "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable" and must end within 30 days. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York means consumers of any age could buy emergency contraception without a prescription _ instead of women first having to prove they're 17 or older, as they do today. And it could allow Plan B One-Step to move out from behind pharmacy counters to the store counters. (AP Photo/Teva Women's Health)
This undated handout photo provided by Judge Edward Korman shows U.S. District Judge Korman of New York. In a scathing rebuke of the Obama administration, a federal judge ruled Friday that age restrictions on over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill are "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable" and must end within 30 days. The ruling by Korman means consumers of any age could buy emergency contraception without a prescription _ instead of women first having to prove they're 17 or older, as they do today. And it could allow Plan B One-Step to move out from behind pharmacy counters to the store counters. (AP Photo/Judge Korman's Office)
PREVIOUSLY OFFERED 021413; chart shows frequency of use of emergency contraception
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The morning-after pill might become as easy to buy as aspirin.
In a scathing rebuke accusing the Obama administration of letting election-year politics trump science, a federal judge ruled Friday that there should be no age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraception without a doctor's prescription.
Today, buyers must prove at the pharmacy that they're 17 or older; everyone else must see a doctor first. U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York blasted the government's decision on age limits as "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable," and ordered an end to the restrictions within 30 days.
The Justice Department was evaluating whether to appeal, and spokeswoman Allison Price said there would be a prompt decision.
President Barack Obama had supported the 2011 decision setting age limits, and White House spokesman Jay Carney said Friday the president hasn't changed his position. "He believes it was the right common-sense approach to this issue," Carney said.
If the court order stands, Plan B One-Step and its generic versions could move from behind pharmacy counters out to drugstore shelves ? ending a decade-plus struggle by women's groups for easier access to these pills, which can prevent pregnancy if taken soon enough after unprotected sex.
Saying the sales restrictions can make it hard for women of any age to buy the pills, Korman described the administration's decision, in the year before the 2012 presidential and congressional elections, as "politically motivated, scientifically unjustified and contrary to agency precedent."
Women's health specialists hailed the ruling.
"It has been clear for a long time that the medical and scientific community think this should be fully over the counter and is safe for women of all ages to use," said Dr. Susan Wood, who resigned as FDA's women's health chief in 2005 to protest Bush administration foot-dragging over Plan B.
Half the nation's pregnancies every year are unintended. Doctors' groups say more access to morning-after pills ? by putting them near the condoms and spermicides so people can learn about them and buy them quickly ? could cut those numbers. They see little risk in overuse, as the pills cost $40 to $50 apiece.
"The fact that it's over the counter does not make people have sex," said Dr. Angela Diaz, director of New York's Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. "Sixty percent of young people are sexually active by 12th grade, and the more tools we have to help them be responsible, the better."
Social conservatives criticized the ruling.
"There is a real danger that Plan B may be given to young girls, under coercion or without their consent," said Anna Higgins of the Family Research Council. "The involvement of parents and medical professionals acts as a safeguard for these young girls. However, today's ruling removes these common-sense protections."
Deirdre McQuade, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said: "Plan B does not prevent or treat any disease, but makes young adolescent girls more available to sexual predators. The court's action undermines parents' ability to protect their daughters from such exploitation and from the adverse effects of the drug itself."
Absent an appeal or a government request for more time to prepare one, the ruling would take effect in 30 days, meaning that over-the-counter sales could start then.
The Food and Drug Administration actually was preparing to allow over-the-counter sale of Plan B One-Step with no age limits in late 2011 when Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in an unprecedented move, overruled her own scientists. Sebelius said some girls as young as 11 are physically capable of bearing children but shouldn't be able to buy the pregnancy-preventing pill on their own.
The federal judge dismissed that argument.
"This case is not about the potential misuse of Plan B by 11-year-olds," said Korman, who called the pills safe for girls but said the number using them "is likely to be minuscule" as less than 3 percent of girls under age 13 are sexually active.
He cited the Administrative Procedure Act as granting a judge the authority to set aside an agency's rulings "if they are 'arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with law.'"
Korman said regulation requires that when the FDA allows nonprescription drug sales, "the standards are the same for aspirin and for contraceptives" ? and he ultimately determined that the government violated those standards in the case of Plan B.
"The decision that the agency was forced to make, contrary to its own policies and judgment, is not entitled to any deference," Korman concluded. "Indeed, it is hardly clear that the secretary had the power to issue the order, and if she did have that authority, her decision was arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable."
It was the judge's latest ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights and dating back to 2005 that pushed for unfettered over-the-counter access to Plan B.
Korman didn't spare the FDA from criticism, citing "a strong showing of bad faith and improper political influence" going back to the Bush administration, when the center filed a citizen's petition to try to get the agency to act. That was followed by the lawsuit.
"More than twelve years have passed since the citizen petition was filed and eight years since this lawsuit commenced," Korman wrote in a decision dated Thursday and released Friday. "The FDA has engaged in intolerable delays in processing the petition. Indeed, it could accurately be described as an administrative agency filibuster."
The judge said the FDA decided after 11 months, 47,000 public comments and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars spent, that it did not need rulemaking on the subject.
"The plaintiffs should not be forced to endure, nor should the agency's misconduct be rewarded by, an exercise that permits the FDA to engage in further delay and obstruction," he wrote.
Four years ago, Korman was highly critical of the Bush administration's initial handling of the issue when he ordered the FDA to let 17-year-olds obtain the medication, instead of setting the age at 18. At the time, he accused the government of letting "political considerations, delays and implausible justifications for decision-making" cloud the approval process.
The morning-after pill contains a higher dose of the female progestin hormone than is in regular birth control pills. Taking it within 72 hours of rape, condom failure or just forgetting regular contraception can cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent. But it works best within the first 24 hours.
If a woman already is pregnant, the pill has no effect. It prevents ovulation or fertilization of an egg. According to the medical definition, pregnancy doesn't begin until a fertilized egg implants itself into the wall of the uterus. Still, some critics say Plan B is the equivalent of an abortion pill because it may also be able to prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus, a contention that many scientists ? and Korman, in his ruling ? said has been discredited.
__
Neumeister reported from New York. Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.
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Could Ireland's press regulation system work in Britain?
Ireland's press regulations, which include an ombudsman and a council of publishers, public citizens, and journalists, are less restrictive than the proposed British version.
A man collects a copy of a newspaper at a newsstand in London, Oct. 2010. Could Ireland's model of an official Press Council and ombudsman work in Britain?
Ian West/AP/File
EnlargeWith the British government moving ahead on a new media regulator and the UK press in revolt against, some in the country wonder if their neighbors to the west could offer a solution. Could Ireland's model of an official Press Council and ombudsman work in Britain?
Skip to next paragraph Jason WalshIreland Correspondent
Jason Walsh has been the Monitor's Ireland correspondent since 2009, dividing his time primarily between Belfast, Northern Ireland and?Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. During that time he has reported on stumbling blocks in the peace process, the dissident republican threat,?pro-British unionist riots, demands for abortion legislation and Ireland's economic crash.
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Set up by the newspaper industry in response to a government threat to introduce privacy legislation, the 13-member Press Council includes representatives of publishers, members of the public (the appointments are publicly advertised), and one from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the leading journalists' union in Britain and Ireland.
Publications that are members, including all of the national newspapers, agree to be bound by its code of conduct, and to recognize the decisions of the council and ombudsman. Membership in the council is not mandatory, but publications that are members are generally subject to lesser damages in the event of successful court actions against them, as a result of the council and ombudsman being "recognized in statute."
The ombudsman, currently?John Horgan, a former Labor party politician and journalism professor, adjudicates on complaints from subjects of newspaper stories, and if agreement cannot be found between all parties involved, he can make a ruling or refer the complaint to the Press Council for a final decision.
Seamus Dooley, the Irish secretary of the NUJ, says regulation has not been proscriptive.
The Press Council's code of conduct is more carrot than stick, and starts with a full-throated defense of a free press, saying: "The freedom to publish is vital to the right of the people to be informed. This freedom includes the right of a newspaper to publish what it?considers to be news, without fear or favour, and the right to comment upon it."
It goes on, however, to detail what the Press Council sees as the correct way for publications to operate, although the tone is more aspirational than condemnatory. For example, retractions must be printed in a prominent place and ordinary members of the public are entitled to privacy.
"We're quite happy with the way it's going," says retired business journalist Martin Fitzpatrick, NUJ's appointee to the Irish Press Council. "We've never had a hugely contentious press. There is a degree of timidity, and you could fault them for not foreseeing the onset of the financial crisis, but that's not down to regulation."
The high opinion of press regulation is not universally held, however, even in the NUJ's Irish ranks.
"[British] newspapers did horrible things, but they also uncovered horrible things that were done. The effect of regulation will not be the protection of people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves at the center of press attention, it will be the protection of the rich and powerful," says Gerard Cunningham, chairman of the NUJ's freelance branch in Ireland.
(Could Ireland's regulation work in Britain? British papers rebel as UK press regulation moves closer to reality)
Mr. Cunningham, who formerly worked in the US, says the culture of the British press is, for demonstrable reasons, comparable to other countries only in very general terms.
"This is about all about competition," he says. "Maybe The New York Times and, to a lesser extent, The Christian Science Monitor have a national reach, but they're not really competing against a regional metro daily," he says.
This situation with each US metro market having a dominant player is in stark contrast with Britain, where 11 national dailies, a clutch of regional newspapers, a few specialist titles, and an independent national Scottish press all slug it out for the same pound.
"The British market is intensely competitive and they try to break every story. They really do publish and be damned," says Cunningham.
In contrast, a staggering 19 daily papers are available on the newsstands nationwide in Ireland, though nine of these are rarely read imports from the US and UK and three more are regional titles from Northern Ireland. Of the seven popular national newspapers in Ireland, two tabloids are "Celtified" editions of British newspapers and two more are hybrids of British and Irish material. All four are members of the Press Council, though their British equivalents object to press regulation.
Having a regulated press hasn't stopped the Irish government from indicating it may seek further powers, though. In February 2012, the publication by the Irish Daily Star of candid photographs of Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, prompted Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter to consider enacting new, stricter privacy legislation. The government has yet to do so, however.
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Friday, April 5, 2013
'Hunger Games: Catching Fire' Trailer Will Light Up MTV Movie Awards
Blast the horns, the victors of the 74th annual Hunger Games will be taking the 2013 MTV Movie Awards by storm. That's because the very first trailer for "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" will debut at the award show on April 14 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. As you can see in [...]
Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/04/03/hunger-games-catching-fire-trailer/
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Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Particulars Of Payday Cash Loans | Banking finance jobs
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Have you been caught up in the financial jam? Do you require money very quickly? If you have, then this payday loan might be beneficial to you. A payday loan can make sure that you have enough money when you really need it and then for no matter what goal. Before you apply for a payday loan, you need to almost certainly read the pursuing write-up for a couple of ideas that can help you.
Understand what a payday loan is. A payday loan is really a substantial-interest personal loan for a short time period. These are generally generally completed with one escape to the payday loan business office. In return for almost immediate income, you have to write out a examine towards the pay day lender for value of the financing, as well as the interest cost, as well as any costs. The financial institution cashes this examine at some arranged-upon potential day, typically one, or fourteen days.
If you have a decent credit rating, get a lower cost payday loan. This sort of personal loan typically has lower rates of interest, without any hidden costs. The financial institution will need to examine your credit track record. This will not get a lot more than round the clock and should be your best choice, if your credit ranking is just not way too lower.
If you are during this process of getting a payday loan, make sure you read the commitment very carefully, trying to find any hidden costs or crucial shell out-back information and facts. Tend not to indication the contract until you fully understand every little thing. Seek out warning signs, like large costs in the event you go every day or even more within the loan?s thanks day. You can wind up paying out way over the first amount borrowed.
Shell out your loans back promptly. Debt can snowball for you, but none will bring you in a financial opening a lot more than pay day loans. The rates of interest are eye-popping. If you have an exceptional payday loan at the moment, pay it back swiftly. Every week or bi-each week payday loan costs can encounter a large number and in many cases 1000s of dollars.
If you are thinking about obtaining a payday loan, be sure that you are performing it for the appropriate reason. A payday loan ought to only be used in complete emergency situations, that you know that you will be capable of paying off the debt swiftly. There is no reason for taking out financing, if it will not assist your circumstances.
Be sure it is possible to get to an individual at the payday loan organization you need to pick. Some companies with this kind are sprouting up online, so it might seem the one you are looking at is a superb one. Nonetheless, if you cannot get to an individual quickly, that might be a warning sign as well as a indication something is wrong with this organization.
If you are thinking about obtaining a payday loan, make certain you have got a plan to have it paid back without delay. The loan organization will provide to ?allow you to? and lengthen your loan, in the event you can?t pay it back without delay. This extension expenses you a cost, as well as further interest, so that it does practically nothing beneficial for you personally. Nonetheless, it earns the financing organization a nice revenue.
Try not to depend upon pay day loans to fund how you live. Payday loans can be very expensive, hence they ought to only be useful for emergency situations. Payday loans are just made to assist you to to pay for unexpected medical bills, rent payments payments or grocery shopping, as you wait around for your monthly income from the boss.
The easiest method to take care of pay day loans is not to have to consider them. Do your best in order to save a little money weekly, allowing you to have a something to drop back on in an emergency. When you can preserve the money for the crisis, you will eliminate the need for utilizing a payday loan support.
Payday loans are not federally licensed. As a result, the rules, costs and rates of interest change among states. New York City, State of arizona as well as other states have banned pay day loans so you need to make sure one of these simple loans is even an alternative for you personally. You also have to compute the quantity you need to reimburse well before agreeing to a payday loan.
Generally read the fine print for a payday loan. Some firms fee costs or perhaps a penalty in the event you pay for the personal loan back very early. Other individuals impose a fee if you must roll the financing up to the next shell out period. These are the basic most frequent, nevertheless they may possibly fee other hidden costs or even improve the interest if you do not shell out promptly.
Try having your meals from your own home. You will be astonished at just how much you can preserve by preparing clean meals in the home. In the event you make a lot and refrigerate, you might have ample to eat for many days. Despite the fact that eating at restaurants is a lot easier, you will wind up spending additional money. This will likely really assist when it comes to repaying your payday loan.
Understanding the details about pay day loans can help you make your right judgements about them. Utilize the ideas outlined in the following paragraphs, and you may make selections that aid you in getting out of your financial rut. Stay relaxed through the entire approach, and it will be possible to acquire yourself way back in very good financial standing.
Source: http://www.nuncnow.org/the-particulars-of-payday-cash-loans
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Monday, April 1, 2013
Harper's homers, Newtown salute mark opening day
Basebal fans came equipped to Target Field with warm clothes and some with blankets as temperatures in the upper 20's welcomed the season opener between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins before a baseball game Monday, April 1, 2013 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Basebal fans came equipped to Target Field with warm clothes and some with blankets as temperatures in the upper 20's welcomed the season opener between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins before a baseball game Monday, April 1, 2013 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
The Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins stand for a moment of silence honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting before the opening day baseball game in Washington, on Monday, April 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
New York Yankees bow their heads during a moment of silence in honor of those killed in Newtown, Conn. before an opening day baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Monday, April 1, 2013 in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
A United States flag is unfurled during the national anthem before an opening day baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins in Washington on Monday, April 1, 2013. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
Washington Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper (34) hits his second home run of the game in the fourth inning of the opening day baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Washington, on Monday, April 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Josh Hamilton jumped into a cab, headed to Great American Ball Park and got all nostalgic.
The Los Angeles Angels newcomer saw Cincinnati fans packed downtown and remembered making his big league debut in the same spot a while ago.
"People are lined up in the streets, there's the parade," he said. "It's just an awesome feeling. It never gets old ? opening day ? especially when you're where you started."
All across the majors, baseball was in full swing Monday.
Bryce Harper put on quite a show in Washington. The 20-year-old star hit home runs his first two times up and earned a few "M-V-P!" chants during a 2-0 win over Miami.
At Target Field in Minnesota, players and fans bundled up. It was 35 degrees with 17 mph winds as the Twins took on ace Justin Verlander and the AL champion Detroit Tigers.
"It's whoever whines about it the least, I think, who'll have the best chance of winning today," Twins first baseman Justin Morneau said.
The slugger's remedy for the cold?
"Put hot sauce all over and throw some long sleeves on and some long johns and go out there and run around and enjoy it," he joked.
The hot chocolate line was 12 to 15 people deep at the ballpark while the beer vendors were generally talking among themselves.
"It's opening Day. You can't not come," said fan Ripley Peterson, dressed in six layers for the chill. "I love baseball, I love the Twins. Opening day is a special thing. Unless it's like a blizzard I'm going to be here."
The 2013 season officially opened Sunday night when the Houston Astros beat Texas.
Most every other team was in action Monday. From old rivalries on the coasts ? Red Sox-Yankees in New York, Giants-Dodgers in Los Angeles ? there was plenty to celebrate with a dozen games.
"The three big holidays ? Thanksgiving, Christmas and opening day," LA co-owner Stan Kasten said, watching the stands at Dodger Stadium fill up before the game against World Series champion San Francisco.
A few minutes later, a stadium camera swung to Vin Scully's booth, where he's starting his 64th season, and the revered broadcaster pronounced: "It's time for Dodger baseball."
Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson was standing on the mound before the game when manager Don Mattingly came out and signaled for a reliever. In came Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax wearing his No. 32 vintage jersey, and the ol' left-hander threw out the first ball to former Dodgers ace Orel Hershiser.
There was a lot more to remember and honor, too.
Players, managers, coaches, umpires and everyone else in uniform wore patches in tribute to those killed last December in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
At Yankee Stadium, the names of the 20 children and six educators who died scrolled on the video board in center field during a moment of silence. The honor guard included members of Newtown police and firefighters.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo had a patch attached to a lapel on his pinstriped charcoal suit. It has the seal of Newtown, a picture of a black ribbon and 26 little black stars, each representing a victim of that shooting.
"It's so we don't forget about the people in Newtown," Rizzo said, tapping the patch with his hand. "It honors them and keeps them in our thoughts."
At Citi Field in New York, the Mets honored hundreds of Hurricane Sandy responders and volunteers in a pregame ceremony. A large orange heart with a blue NY logo was placed in center field and storm volunteers wearing white shirts lined up around it in the shape of home plate.
The team donated 1,000 opening day tickets to storm responders and those affected by the destruction.
First responders from several organizations, including the NYPD and FDNY, lined up in uniform behind the infield dirt, facing the stands. They remained there as players from the Mets and San Diego Padres lined up along the baselines for pregame introductions
Singer and actress Emmy Rossum sang the national anthem backed by 50 choir members from the Scholars' Academy School Chorus from the Rockaways, an area hit hard by Sandy.
Opening day prompted Hamilton to recall his first game in the majors, in Cincinnati in 2007 after he overcame years of drug abuse. The All-Star outfielder who joined the Angels in the offseason returned to Cincinnati for an unusual interleague opener.
"I enjoyed my year here," he said. "It was the beginning of everything that's happened so far in my career, so it's always going to hold a special place in my heart. It's always fun to come back to the places where you began."
In Washington, there is an abundance of optimism. Good reason for it, as the Nationals come off a season in which they led the majors with 98 wins.
Stephen Strasburg threw the first pitch against the Marlins at 1:09 p.m. That was 4 minutes later than scheduled, because all the pregame festivities, which included unveiling a red, white and blue sign atop the outfield scoreboard that read "NL East Division Champions" in all caps.
The Nationals also gave out all manner of individual awards from 2012: a Gold Glove for first baseman Adam LaRoche; Silver Sluggers for LaRoche, shortstop Ian Desmond and Strasburg; NL Manager of the Year for Davey Johnson; and an executive of the year plaque for Rizzo.
"Too much ceremony," the 70-year-old Johnson observed, "but other than that, it's a fun day."
The parking lots at Miller Park were packed hours before Milwaukee hosted Colorado. Fans broke out their grills and passed around beers on an unseasonably cold day.
Inside, former All-Star shortstop Walt Weiss prepared for his first game as a major league manager. A year ago, he was coaching his son's high school team in Colorado; now, he's running the Rockies.
"I slept all right," he said. "I slept better than I thought I would. It's an exciting day for everybody. Everybody that's here today and involved, it's a big day. It should feel a little different."
And, after seven weeks of a spring training that sometimes seemed as if it lasted forever, it was also time to resume those big league routines.
The visitor's clubhouse at Nationals Park was well-stocked for a full season of passing the time, with brand new, still shrink-wrapped games of cribbage, dominoes and chess-checkers on a shelf in a vacant locker.
Mike Dunn and Jon Rauch of the Miami Marlins bypassed the collection and instead settled around the table to play the card game Palace.
"Cards and cribbage," Dunn said. "Cribbage has been big the last couple of years."
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Sunday, March 31, 2013
Egypt issues arrest warrant for TV satirist
CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's state prosecutors ordered the arrest Saturday of a popular television satirist for allegedly insulting Islam and the country's leader, in a move that government opponents say is aimed at silencing critics of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
The arrest warrant for against Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, followed an order earlier this week by the country's top prosecutor to arrest five prominent pro-democracy activists in what the opposition has characterized as a widening campaign against dissent.
The acceleration in legal action targeting protesters, activists and critics comes against a backdrop of continued unrest in the country. Political compromise between the well-organized Islamists in power and their vocal liberal and largely secular critics remains elusive, while the country's economy is in near free fall, which has increasingly fueled popular frustration.
The opposition charges that Morsi, in office for nine months, and the Brotherhood have failed to tackle any of the nation's most pressing problems and are trying to monopolize power, breaking their promises of inclusiveness. Morsi blames the country's woes on nearly three decades of corruption under his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, and accuses the opposition of stoking unrest for political gain.
The warrant against Youssef is the latest in a series of legal actions against the comedian, whose widely-watched weekly show, "ElBernameg" or "The Program," has become a platform for lampooning the government, opposition, media and clerics. He has also used his program to fact-check politicians.
The fast-paced show has attracted a wide viewership, while at the same time earning itself its fair share of detractors. Youssef has been a frequent target of lawsuits, most of them brought by Islamist lawyers who have accused him of "corrupting morals" or violating "religious principles."
Prosecutor Mohammed el-Sayed Khalifa told Al-Ahram online that he has heard 28 plaintiffs accusing Youssef of insulting Islam, mocking prayers, and "belittling" Morsi in the eyes of the world and his own people.
In one episode of the show, Youssef mocks former militants who are now part of the mainstream political scene in Egypt. At a recent rally, some former radicals who were imprisoned for taking part in the assassination of late President Anwar Sadat in 1981, accused the opposition of using violence at anti-Morsi protests.
In the program, Youssef ridicules an Islamist who said the militants had repented by fasting for three months for mistakenly killing others with Sadat.
"What a message," Youssef says. "Anyone can form a group in the name of religion, assassinate in the name of religion, and then oops! Repent and fast for three months, and it will too pass in the name of religion."
The comedian has faced several court cases in the past accusing him of insulting Morsi. One of Youssef's attorneys, Gamal Eid, said however that this is the first time an arrest warrant has been issued for the comedian.
In a post on his official Twitter account, Youssef said he will hand himself in to the prosecutor's office Sunday. He then added, with his typical sarcasm: "Unless they kindly send a police van today and save me the transportation hassle."
Eid said the warrant fits into a widening campaign against government critics, media personalities, and activists, saying "the prosecution has become a tool to go after the regime's opposition and intimidate it."
A call to a top aide to the country's chief prosecutor, Hassan Yassin, for comment went unanswered.
The other recent arrest warrants for five high-profile activists were issued over allegations that they instigated violence last week near the Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo, where nearly 200 people were injured in clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters of the Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails.
Morsi responded by harshly criticizing his opponents, calling them hired thugs out to derail Egypt's democracy. The Brotherhood also blamed privately-owned media for fanning the violence.
The criticism was followed by a two-day protest by dozens of Islamists outside the studios of TV networks critical of Morsi. The protesters pelted police and prevented some talk show hosts and guests from entering or leaving the complex.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called the escalation of anti-press "rhetoric" by Morsi and his supporters and the sit-in outside the media city were "deeply troubling."
The series of prosecutions and arrest warrants come amid a legal challenge to the chief prosecutor, Talaat Abdullah, whose appointment by Morsi last year was declared void by a court ruling earlier this week.
On Saturday, Abdullah said he will appeal the court ruling, saying it is "in violation of the constitution and the law," Egypt's state news agency reported. The decision signals a protracted legal battle is likely to ensue, further confusing the legal scene in Egypt.
In the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, an Egyptian rights group said Saturday that police detained 13 people, including five lawyers, and accused them of assaulting police. The arrests inside the police station mark a rare instance in which lawyers face potential criminal charges.
The Haqanya Center for Rights said the 13 are accused of insulting security officials, attempting to free other detainees at the police station and illegal assembly.
The arrests prompted an angry response from lawyers at Cairo's Bar Association, who demanded an apology from the police.
Those detained include prominent lawyer and pro-democracy activist Mahienour el-Masry. Several dozen Cairo protesters held a rally outside the chief prosecutor's office, dismissing his orders as void, locking up the gates to his office with chains and demanding the release of the lawyers and activists.
Mohammed Abdel-Aziz, an attorney, said the lawyers and activists were beaten and assaulted at the station, where they had been since Friday to represent three opposition members reportedly detained and taken to the police by members of a political party affiliated with the Brotherhood.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-issues-arrest-warrant-tv-satirist-132500262.html
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