Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/334755841?client_source=feed&format=rss
Related Topics: will smith Kendrick Lamar Verse
Friday, October 18, 2013
Kristen Bell & Dax Shepard Got Hitched!
Surprise!
Congratulations are in order for actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard because today we learn that the couple got themselves hitched! As you may recall, Kristen and Dax have been together for years now (they even have a baby girl together) but have famously made clear that they had no intention of marrying until same-sex marriage was legalized in the state of California. When the US Supreme Court invalidated the anti-gay Proposition 8 back in June, Kristen publicly proposed marriage to Dax. Clearly the couple didn’t want to make a huge deal out of their nuptials cuz they simply went down to the city clerk’s office and had a civil ceremony. Yay!
Bad news, men everywhere … Kristen Bell is officially off the market — TMZ has learned, she and longtime boyfriend Dax Shepard have finally tied the knot. The couple had a no-frills ceremony at the Beverly Hills County Clerk Office. We’re told there was a photographer present, and Kristen was crying. According to eye witnesses, Kristen and Dax went to the clerk office just to get their marriage license — but when a court employee offered to marry them on the spot, they agreed … and conducted the ceremony in a nearby courtroom. Not a huge surprise … Kristen has talked about wanting a courthouse marriage in the past, saying, “I feel like we get enough attention in our daily lives and we just want something sort of private that involves pen and paper.” Kristen famously proposed to Dax after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the gay marriage ban in June … kind of a solidarity thing. Mazel tov!
This is great. Firstly, I love these two together. They make such a great couple. Second, I’m not surprised in the least that they decided to have a simple, quiet civil ceremony. Their approach to their relationship has been low key from the start … you can tell that they just like being together, period. I wish them nothing but all the happiness in the world for their little family. Let’s send our love and congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Bell-Shepard today :)
[Source]
Category: mrsa WWE TSLA Spring High School British Open
U.S. Senate fiscal deal could come late Tuesday: Senate aide
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate could announce a deal late on Tuesday to extend the government's borrowing authority until February 7 and quickly re-open federal agencies that have been closed since October 1, a Senate aide said.
The aide described a deal in line with provisions that were being negotiated in the Senate before a failed House of Representatives proposal suspended those talks. The provisions include a temporary government spending bill running through January 15.
The aide said discussions were also underway in which the Republican-controlled House, if it cooperated, could help speed up passage of any deal before a Thursday deadline when the Treasury Department says it will bump up against its borrowing limit.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by David Brunnstrom)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-senate-fiscal-deal-could-come-tuesday-senate-000926209--business.html
Similar Articles: Ronan Farrow politico courtney stodden Namaste bruno mars
Could a stand-alone DM app let Twitter take on BBM, WhatsApp, and Facebook?
Twitter appears to be planning a revamp of its direct messaging feature, possibly including the launch of a standalone application for the feature. Recently, the company began allowing people to receive direct messages from all users, should they choose, including those that they do not follow. But Twitter may also preparing a standalone app for direct messages, which could arrive later this year, according to All Things D:
But Twitter’s new vision for direct messages will go further. It has kicked around the idea of launching a standalone direct-messaging application separate from the Twitter app, according to three people familiar with the matter. It is unclear, however, what form the final revamp of direct messages will take.
Twitter is also preparing a major refresh of its mobile app for later this year, and its possible that direct messages will have a more prominent place then. It's quite a change from just a couple of years ago, when Twitter's app was redesigned, and direct messages moved, almost hidden away. Completely discontinuing direct messages was discussed at one point as well.
But Twitter seems to have caught on to the fact that users often want a way to message their friends privately. Messaging apps like WhatsApp are increasing in popularity, and Facebook has its own standalone messaging app. Twitter may be hoping that a renewed focus on direct messages will help solve its growth issues ahead of their upcoming IPO.
How do you use Twitter's direct messages? Would you want a standalone app for them? Let us know in the comments.
Source: All Things D
     |
Category: NBA 2K14 nbc news Amanda Rosenberg Antoinette Tuff Erwin Schrödinger
'Scandal' Case Study: Columbus Short Talks Harrison's Helping Hand and Mysterious Backstory
[Warning: This story contains spoilers from the "Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington" episode of Scandal.]
Harrison's (Columbus Short) job duties are expanding at OPA.
After the Gladiator served as the ringleader in helping to "fix" Olivia's (Kerry Washington) public image after she was outed as the president's mistress, Harrison stepped up to help keep the lights on at Olivia Pope & Associates by bringing in a new client. After taking on a client they don't know much about, Harrison steps up again to help Olivia out of a risky situation, as Mary sought answers in a bid to clear her son's name and mysterious death. After an hour filled with tension, it turns out her son was an American hero and CIA agent who recruited 57 people into a ring of undercover agents posing as terrorists working for the agency. Olivia, meanwhile, protects the undercover agents and tells Mary that her son was indeed a terrorist, vowing to protect her. Her efforts, however, aren't enough, and Mary winds up shoving Olivia out of the office and blowing herself up.
PHOTOS: Nudity, Slapping, Pranks! 'Scandal' Cast Share Their Most Scandalous Moments
After everything, it was Harrison's eagle eye that helped OPA crack the case and reveal that the FBI agent was a fraud, helping Olivia get the real answers she was looking for. It ultimately helps save Olivia's life, much to Mellie's amusement. (Oh, how we love drunken Mellie's "Saint Olivia Pope" speech!)
The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Short to preview how Harrison's role with OPA will evolve going forward and get the details on his character's mysterious backstory.
Harrison has really become Olivia's right-hand man in this episode, middling between her and the FBI. How will we see Harrison's role evolve going forward?
It's going to continue to grow on the fertilizer that's been set with what you've seen so far. You've begun to see his evolution with those big office talk moments last season to now, and really fitting into this right-hand man position and owning it. When he says, "Let's get to work," and the rest of OPA just looks at him, now they know that Harrison is a force to be reckoned with. If Olivia isn't there, they trust Harrison to handle it and get it done. That's what you're going to start to see a lot more of as the season progresses.
'Scandal': Everything to Know About ABC's Buzzy Drama From A-Z
Does Harrison's work in this episode assisting Olivia with the bomb situation help repair the damage that OPA created in fixing her status with the public as Fitz's mistress?
The thing about Harrison and Olivia's relationship is it's a lot different than everyone else's. Olivia knows exactly why Harrison did what he did. I don't think there's more damage than what he did with Abby and breaking her and David up. That's not even close to what it is between Liv and Harrison because she knows why he did what he did. She knows that that's her right-hand man, even though at the end of the day he did what he did. Olivia is the most forgiving, and she's the meaning of a Gladiator. Gladiators don't have feelings and that action, behavior, and choice by Harrison has no dictation on their relationship that they have.
Why does he go to the ends of the earth to help pull her out of the media circus?
Hopefully, what we'll discover later in the season is in Harrison's past. Harrison will for the rest of his life be loyal to Olivia. It's like The Count of Monte Cristo, where that pirate pledged his life to him no matter what, like a knight pledging his allegiance to a queen or a king. Harrison is that Gladiator and he based that on her being there for him when the people he thought he loved and hoped would have been there for him weren't.
Shonda Rhimes has described Harrison's backstory as the gun on the wall. We've learned more about Quinn, Huck, and Olivia's history. What can you share about what we'll learn about Harrison?
I can't share anything, but I think it's going to be so special for the audience to watch this unfold. It's something that will be seen for sure. I haven't seen it yet; we've had a few little talks. It's going to be good, and it's going to be as scandalous as anything we've seen and as exciting.
Our theory is that Harrison is somehow related to Olivia.
I've had that theory. That's the easy theory, and because people have hit that theory on the head, I think, in normal Shonda fashion, that she's definitely not going to go that way. (Laughs.) I think there are some other awesome things that people really wouldn't expect for their relationship to go that we're in store for.
PHOTOS: On-Set With the Gladiators: Inside the Fast-Paced World of ABC's 'Scandal'
Harrison was central in discrediting the reporter who broke Olivia as Fitz's mistress. Considering that didn't go over well with Olivia, how will we see them work together in the future? Will there be any fallout for him?
I don't think there's going to be fallout per se. I think it's one of those things that as it progresses, we'll understand why he made those choices. Olivia made choices, and one thing Olivia knows about Harrison is that, regardless, he's loyal and she trusts his decisions.
OPA is struggling to land clients because of the bad press, and they take on someone unstable in this episode. How will Harrison work to bring new clients in?
The thing about OPA is at the end of the day, when you're having the worst day of your life, you want the best, no matter what. Sometimes when you're in the worst situation, you abandon your judgment or your stance on somebody else's actions and just go with the best. More than Harrison setting it up to have clients coming in, I think clients will always remain coming in because she's Olivia.
How will Olivia use Harrison going forward?
His role at OPA and relationship with everybody there is only going to evolve more as the season progresses.
How will OPA learn from the bomber experience going forward?
Basically, they need to keep the lights on. They're going to take on clients that they normally wouldn't have, or Olivia may bend her normal criteria, and maybe Harrison will take on clients without even talking to her about it. It's headed in a great direction, and I'm really excited for the Gladiators to go on that ride with us.
What did you think of Scandal? How do you think Harrison will play a role going forward? Scandal airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
Category: Jamie Dornan charlie hunnam how i met your mother olinguito Chucho Benitez
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Obama Will Nominate Jeh Johnson To Head Homeland Security
Jeh Johnson in June of 2012.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Jeh Johnson in June of 2012.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Obama will nominate attorney Jeh Johnson to be the next Homeland Security secretary.
Johnson recently served as the Pentagon's top lawyer.
Obama will announce his pick at 2 p.m. Friday, NPR's Scott Horsley tells us.
The Department of Homeland Security is currently without a leader. Former Secretary Janet Napolitano ended her stint six weeks ago. She left to become the president of the University of California system.
ABC News has a bit on Johnson's background:
"For most of Obama's first term, Johnson served as the Defense Department's general counsel, reviewing and approving military operations before they were sent to the Defense Secretary and president for final decisions.
"Johnson has called working for the Obama administration 'the highlight of [his] professional life.'
"'I have been on an incredible journey with Barack Obama ... going back to November 2006 when he recruited me to the presidential campaign he was about to launch,' Johnson said in a speech at Yale Law School last year. 'I remember thinking then, 'This is a long-shot, but it will be exciting, historic, and how many times in my life will someone personally ask me to help him become president.""
On this blog, we covered Johnson back in 2012, when he delivered a legal defense of the administration's targeted killing program.
Johnson argued that the use of lethal force against the enemy is a "long-standing and long-legal practice."
Related Topics: Kerry Washington constitution day friday the 13th Nexus 4 Katy Perry Roar
Canada not doing enough to tackle problems of aboriginal people: U.N.
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is not doing enough to tackle the social and economic ills facing its large aboriginal population, which is beset by poverty, poor housing and high unemployment, a United Nations official said on Tuesday.
In a rare international rebuke to Canada, James Anaya, the U.N. special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, said Ottawa was taking some measures to address problems that have bedeviled the native population for many decades.
"It is equally clear that these steps are insufficient, and have yet to fully respond to aboriginal peoples' urgent needs," he told a news conference in Ottawa at the end of a nine-day visit.
"Canada consistently ranks near the top among countries with respect to human development standards, and yet ... aboriginal people live in conditions akin to those in countries that rank much lower and in which poverty abounds."
Anaya said indigenous people suffered from high levels of violence, crime, unemployment, suicide and "woefully inadequate" housing which has led to a range of health problems.
A 2011 census showed Canada has 1.4 million aboriginals, or about 4.3 percent of the overall population.
The office of Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some Canadian aboriginal bands briefly blockaded roads and rail lines in January - as well as the Ottawa building where Prime Minister Stephen Harper has an office as part of a national protest called "Idle No More" against the poor living conditions of many native people.
In March, an alliance of Canadian and U.S. aboriginal groups vowed to block three proposed pipelines that are planned to transport oil from tar sands in Alberta through the United States.
Aboriginals complain that various levels of government in Canada have not properly consulted them before approving exploitation of natural resources on lands that native people consider to be theirs.
"I've seen enough to know there needs to be further dialogue with regards to the pipeline(s)," said Anaya.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Christopher Wilson)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-not-doing-enough-tackle-problems-aboriginal-people-204254315.html
Category: cnn jimmy kimmel taylor swift meteor shower phil mickelson
UnitedHealth's 3Q profit edged up 1 percent
UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s third-quarter earnings inched up 1 percent in a rare performance that failed to trump Wall Street expectations.
The nation's largest health insurer also gave a less-than-reassuring vibe to investors by narrowing its 2013 forecast instead of raising it.
The Minnetonka, Minn.,-based company on Thursday raised the bottom end of its previous forecast for 2013 earnings by a nickel to $5.40 to $5.50 per share. UnitedHealth hasn't changed the top end of that forecast since it made its first prediction last November. It normally raises the range a few times during the course of a year.
Analysts polled by FactSet expect $5.52 per share for 2013.
Shares of UnitedHealth, which investors sent to a record high last month, dropped nearly 3 percent, or $2.19, to $73 about 45 minutes before the market opening.
UnitedHealth earned $1.57 billion, or $1.53 per share, in the quarter that ended Sept. 30. That's up from $1.56 billion, or $1.50 per share, a year ago. Revenue jumped 12 percent to $30.62 billion.
Analysts expected earnings of $1.53 per share on $30.86 billion in revenue.
The insurer's largest expense, medical costs, rose 13 percent to $22 billion in the quarter, due in part to cuts in Medicare Advantage funding.
UnitedHealth is the nation's largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, which offer government-subsidized coverage for elderly and disabled people. The insurer has nearly 2.9 million people enrolled in the plans, and they brought in about 20 percent of its revenue last year.
UnitedHealth executives have been warning for several quarters now that that funding cuts to this program will pressure their business. Medicare Advantage plans took a hit earlier this year when federal budget cuts took away money after insurers had set rates for the year.
These plans also face more cuts to help fund the federal health care overhaul, which aims to provide insurance coverage for millions of uninsured people.
UnitedHealth also took a balance sheet hit in this year's quarter because it recorded a lower gain of $290 million when leftover insurance claims came in lower than it expected. That allowed the insurer to release money held in reserve, and it compares to a $390 million gain recorded last year.
The lower total basically means actual claims came in closer to what the insurer projected.
Health insurance is UnitedHealth's largest business, but it also provides information technology services and pharmacy benefits management through it its Optum segment. Total revenue from that segment jumped 33 percent in the third quarter to $9.6 billion.
UnitedHealth is the largest health insurer based on revenue and enrollment and the first health insurer to report earnings every quarter. Many see it as a bellwether for other insurers.
Its stock had climbed more than 38 percent so far this year as of Wednesday, and the shares reached a new, all-time high price of $75.88 on Sept. 16.
Strong quarterly performances and dividend payouts have drawn investors to UnitedHealth and other insurers that also have done well this year. Analysts say investors also have steadily gained more confidence in the sector as they realized that the health care overhaul won't hurt the industry as much as some originally worried.
Citi analyst Carl McDonald said in a Thursday morning research note that UnitedHealth "didn't have a terrible quarter by any means." But the high stock price means the bar for a good performance has risen the past couple of years.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unitedhealths-3q-profit-edged-1-percent-104340763--finance.html
Category: jimmy kimmel Colorado flooding abigail breslin Katy Perry Vma 2013 tony stewart
Albuquerque Trolley Will Take You Past Walter White's Home
Around the Nation
Pa. Caterpillars Predict Wet, Cold Winter
Around the Nation
Albuquerque Trolley Will Take You Past Walter White's Home
Music
Before Church Songbooks There Was 'Lined-Out' Singing
Around the Nation
Harvest Brings Farm Families Together, Redefines Commitment
Category: LC Greenwood FedEx Cup standings clemson Farmers Almanac kate middleton
Hillary Clinton Accepts First Founder's Award at Elton John AIDS Benefit
Carlo Allegri/Invision/AP
Hillary Clinton at Tuesday night's event
Hillary Clinton accepted the Elton John AIDS Foundation's first-ever Founder's Award at the organization's annual benefit in New York on Tuesday night.
Although she was honored by the accolade, Clinton echoed a theme expressed by many of the stars in attendance: that there's much more work to be done to combat the disease.
PHOTOS: Hillary Clinton, Ron Perelman Honored at 2013 Elton John AIDS Foundation Benefit
"We still have so far to go," the former secretary of state said in her acceptance speech. "There are so many challenges that confront us. If we are to continue to build on the progress, and yes, there has been progress, then we have to continue to advocate and demand for governments, international organizations, foundations, all of us, to be persistent…and ensure that we don't falter."
"If we're going to beat AIDS, we have to reach out to everyone," she added.
Elton John also received an award at Tuesday's gala, from the Harvard AIDS Initiative.
"I really hope that all of you will join me in being equally stubborn when it comes to ending AIDS because that is what will be required to end this epidemic," he told the well-heeled crowd at Cipriani Wall Street in lower Manhattan. "We're going to have to stubbornly insist on full funding for all proven methods of preventing HIV infection…Treatment for everyone. Treatment for all…We're going to have to keep yelling and screaming about the way our country treats racial and sexual minorities and, of course, the poor. We're going to have to be downright stubborn, not just this year, not next year, not the next, but for many years to come."
Indeed, John vowed to be stubborn about AIDS for the next 20 years if necessary, but he said he doesn't think it will take that long to achieve an AIDS-free generation and world.
Nevertheless, John added, "We have so much more work to do and we'll be there until the bitter end."
STORY: Hillary Clinton to Get Elton John Foundation Honor
Other honorees at the event, which raised $3.45 million, included Food Network star Sandra Lee, John's longtime agent Howard Rose and mogul Ron Perelman, who prompted cheers from the crowd when he referred to Clinton as "the next president of the United States." Clinton looked nonchalant when the camera cut to her, but after Perelman continued to sing her praises and said the highly rumored candidate has his vote, Clinton could be seen mouthing "Oh my God," as if she couldn't believe all of the attention.
Matt Lauer was a last-minute substitute host at the event after Anderson Cooper had to go to Washington to cover the debt-ceiling crisis, which Lauer joked "sounded like a lame-ass excuse."
Earlier, The Hollywood Reporter asked Lauer what the entertainment industry could do to continue to raise awareness of AIDS and combat the disease.
"Talk, talk, talk, spread the word, get out there, come to events like this and raise money," Lauer said. "I mean, when you stop and think about what Elton has done in 20 years…a lot of it is something you can't put a price tag on, it's just a discussion and getting out there and putting his reputation on line and spreading the word that way."
STORY: Elton John to Pen Book on AIDS Epidemic
Tony-winning actress Judith Light echoed Lauer's call for a continued dialogue on the issue.
"We did and we do so much in terms of the awareness, and I don't think it's just the entertainment industry that has to do something, I think it's about those of us who are committed to this issue and have been committed to this issue for a long time, talking to other people and finding ways, just like Elton has, to make it a prominent issue again, to say to people, 'This is not over,' " she said.
The former Who's the Boss star, who's performed on Broadway for the past few years, told us that she recently starred in a pilot for Amazon, making her just the latest actor to join the Internet revolution.
Meanwhile, fellow Broadway alum Jeremy Jordan, who left his starring role in Newsies after he joined the second-season cast of NBC's now-canceled Smash, said he misses the stage and hopes to "come back as soon as possible." In fact, he's doing a weeklong Stephen Sondheim show in November called A Bed and a Chair.
"It's only a week, and it's not Broadway, but it will be nice to come back to New York for a hot sec," he said.
Other celebs in attendance included Billy Joel, Alec Baldwin, Allison Williams, Courtney Love, Lisa Marie Presley and rock band Heart, who performed at the end of the night.
Tags: nfl scores robin thicke Hannah Davis egypt Only God Forgives
Pittsburgh hosting Prague Writers' Festival
FILE - In this April 27, 2004 file photo, author E.L. Doctorow smiles during an interview in his office at New York University. The Prague Writers' Festival opens in Pittsburgh on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013, the first time the event is being held in the United States. E.L. Doctorow, known for works including "Ragtime" and "Billy Bathgate, is slated to read excerpts of his new novel, "Andrew's Brain," at the festival. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
FILE - In this April 27, 2004 file photo, author E.L. Doctorow smiles during an interview in his office at New York University. The Prague Writers' Festival opens in Pittsburgh on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013, the first time the event is being held in the United States. E.L. Doctorow, known for works including "Ragtime" and "Billy Bathgate, is slated to read excerpts of his new novel, "Andrew's Brain," at the festival. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The decision to hold the world-renowned Prague Writers' Festival in western Pennsylvania isn't as unlikely as it seems, considering the festival's home base was once the capital of a nation born 95 years ago in a Loyal Order of Moose lodge in Pittsburgh.
The festival has given writers a platform to promote their works but, more importantly, to freely express the thoughts behind them. Friday and Saturday mark the first time the festival will be held in the United States — or anywhere outside Europe, for that matter — at Point Park University downtown.
"It's a festival of ideas," said Michael March, the festival's founder — and often a platform for contentious or unpopular ones. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a San Francisco writer who won a U.S. Supreme Court appeal of his arrest on obscenity charges in the 1950s, and Salman Rushdie, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" led to death threats from some who felt it attacked Islam, are past participants.
"Writers' festivals are celebratory expressions of intellectual and artistic freedom," said E.L. Doctorow, who will read excerpts of his new novel, "Andrew's Brain," at the festival.
Doctorow, known for works including "Ragtime" and "Billy Bathgate," said festivals are important because in many countries, writers are "censored, jailed, exiled, attacked, murdered, because they know what governments know: that reality is amenable to any construction placed upon it."
That the festival coincides with the anniversary of the birth of what was originally known as Czecho-Slovakia (the country later dropped the hyphen) only adds to that importance, said professor Channa Newman, director of global cultural studies at Point Park. She's also the international program director for the festival and helped bring it to Pittsburgh.
The Czech Senate is sending a delegation, as is the Czech Chamber of Commerce, while the honorary consul representing Slovakia will also attend, Newman said.
"So there's the historical ties, the cultural ties and the business ties, which is now apparently of interest," Newman said.
March agreed that holding the festival in Pittsburgh underscores its international significance.
March, a poet, was raised in New York City. He moved to Europe after the Helsinki Accords attempted to thaw relations between then-Communist bloc nations and the West, and formed a smaller writers' festival in late-1970s London.
March eventually established the Prague Writers' Festival in May 1991, less than two years before Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The festival was first held in Wallenstein Palace, now home to the Czech Senate.
Celebrating Czecho-Slovakia's birth brings the festival full circle.
The Pittsburgh Agreement, which announced the intention to form Czecho-Slovakia, grew out of a meeting in May 1918 of the Czecho-Slovak National Committee at the Moose lodge in downtown Pittsburgh, said University of Pittsburgh professor Martin Votruba. He leads what is believed to be the nation's only university program offering a minor in Slovak Studies.
Czechs, Slovaks and some smaller ethnic groups foresaw the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and hoped to determine their own future as a nation, instead of having it thrust upon them by the international community, Votruba said.
The resulting Pittsburgh Agreement was essentially a Czecho-Slovak declaration of independence, said Andrew Masich, director of Pittsburgh's Senator John Heinz History Center. The museum, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian, has had a copy of the document since 2007.
The document's author, T. G. Masaryk, declared the nation's independence on Oct. 18, 1918, and became the new nation's first president a month later, after the war.
"People forget, the first Czecho-Slovak flag either flew in Washington, D.C., or in Pittsburgh," March said.
The Pittsburgh Agreement "wasn't a perfect creation, it was an artificial creation during a terrible time of the first World War, a time of absolute devastation for people," March said. But, he said, reflecting on that might help people "appreciate their own environment even more."
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-10-16-US-Prague-Writers'-Festival/id-123378a95f084169b43c68ad8f1d61a6Category: Presidents Cup Mike Wayans once upon a time Amish Mafia Rosy Esparza
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Studdard to drop weight, not back hair on 'Loser'
TV
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/ruben-studdard-vows-lose-weight-not-back-hair-biggest-loser-8C11399684
Tags: rose byrne kim zolciak
10 hours ago
Paul Drinkwater / NBC
Ruben Studdard.
Fans call him The Velvet Teddy Bear, thanks to his smooth vocal stylings, but Ruben Studdard isn't totally smooth. That's what trainer Jillian Michaels learned on the season premiere of "The Biggest Loser."
Ruben, who landed a spot on Dolvett Quince's team after the trio of "Loser" trainers made their casting picks, needed to cool down following his first intense day in the gym. To do so, he stripped off his shirt and got comfortable in an ice bath.
"The ice baths are Jesus in a steel container!" he smiled.
But Jillian looked on, and she didn't find the sight so heavenly.
"We're going to have to wax that back of yours, I'm telling you right now," she said, clearly put off by the amount of hair on display.
But The Hirsute Teddy Bear wasn't having it.
"Let me tell you something, baby. That's the real man in me," Ruben said. "You understand me?"
She did not. Instead, she deemed it "totally unacceptable.
"Jillian is a hater," the man who won the second season of "American Idol" told the camera. "I don't appreciate that. You know, I think everything about Ruben Studdard is sexy."
He then went on to caution Jillian and some of his female fellow contestants that they've "womanized men" by bullying them into going bare.
But Ruben wasn't really all that worried about it. He was laughing at the ladies while focusing on what he really wanted to lose — pounds.
At 35, he started the competition at 462 pounds, the heaviest person on the ranch by over 50 pounds. But that might not be a distinction he holds for long.
When Ruben stepped on the scale for the red team, he bid farewell to 21 of those pounds. In fact, all of his teammates boasted big losses, like Rachel, who matched Ruben's number, and David, who blew it away with his own almost-unbelievable loss of 38 pounds.
Those numbers made Dolvett's reds unbeatable. But Bob Harper's blues were able to take a comfortable spot in second place, thanks to early standouts such as Matt, who shed 23 pounds in week one.
Jillian's white team wasn't so lucky. And if there's one thing the trainer dislikes more than back hair, it's losing — especially when the player that she'd have to let go happened to be one of her favorites.
When Jillian first worked with Craig, whose week-one total loss was 12 pounds, she said there was just something about his "sad, sweet little eyes" she couldn't get over. So she found a way to get over his ouster all together.
This season, each of the trainers have one save they can use to keep a player in the game — only one each for the whole season. Jillian used hers at the very first weigh-in.
See if Craig proves she made the right call (and if she can convince Ruben to give waxing a chance) when "The Biggest Loser" returns next Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/ruben-studdard-vows-lose-weight-not-back-hair-biggest-loser-8C11399684
Tags: rose byrne kim zolciak
Vikings turn to Josh Freeman at QB for this week
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Your turn, Josh Freeman.
Freeman was named the latest starting quarterback for the scuffling Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday. Freeman's second week with the team will culminate on Monday night with him leading the offense against the New York Giants.
"It really hasn't been that difficult. Any time you step into a situation where you're the new guy, there's always kind of an awkward getting-to-know-you phase," Freeman said. "But I think that goes back to the character of this organization just from top to bottom: a lot of quality people that are dedicated to winning first and foremost but also being quality human beings off the field. So it's been a smooth adjustment."
Coach Leslie Frazier also said that Christian Ponder will be the backup, not Matt Cassel, assuming Freeman makes it through the week without problems.
"I like the things he's done in his career, along with what he's done since he arrived here with our football team, the time he put in, how well he's adapted to our system," Frazier said. "He's done enough for us to say we want to give him this opportunity, which is something we had in mind when we acquired him. I think now is the time."
Freeman will be the third starter in the last four games for the Vikings (1-4) and the 11th since Daunte Culpepper's season-ending knee injury in 2005. Freeman was cut by Tampa Bay on Oct. 3 and signed by Minnesota to a one-year contract five days later.
"We're just going to make plays for whoever's in there and just make it as easy as possible," wide receiver Jerome Simpson said.
Freeman started 59 games over four-plus seasons with the Buccaneers. The 25-year-old former first-round draft pick threw for 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 2010, his first full season as a starter, but has been up and down since. The Vikings were on the wrong end of one of his best games last year, a 36-17 victory at Minnesota when he passed for 262 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
"The underlying questions I've been getting from a lot of people: 'Do I have a chip on my shoulder?' I'm sure I do," Freeman said. "But I think it's more deeply rooted than just the past six months, 12 months."
Frazier said he was impressed by Freeman's first practice with the team.
"From the moment he stepped in the building, he wanted to learn. And the way he handled himself in that practice, it changed my mindset about the possibilities," Frazier said. "We had a timeframe in mind originally but watching what he did from the day he arrived, that cemented it for me that sooner was a possibility."
Frazier said he hasn't considered a scenario in which Ponder wouldn't still be on the roster for the rest of the season. Ponder said he wasn't sure about his future here. The trade deadline is Oct. 29. He's under contract with the Vikings through at least 2014.
"I have to figure out what's best for me and everything and for this team. I don't know if that's staying here and going somewhere else," Ponder said.
Ponder started the first three games until he broke a rib. Cassel took over and led the Vikings to their only victory. Frazier said he preferred to keep the factors in his decision to put Ponder ahead of Cassel on the depth chart private.
The coach also said he had full authority to make Freeman the starter. He acknowledged, though, that owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf and general manager Rick Spielman were consulted.
"When you're talking about the quarterback position, which affects your entire franchise, this is not a decision you make alone," Frazier said.
Running back Adrian Peterson was missing from practice because of a personal matter. Frazier said he expected him back on Thursday. The coach declined to specify whether his absence was related to the situation in South Dakota regarding his 2-year-old son, who died last week by alleged abuse. A man is in custody in South Dakota.
Safety Harrison Smith was also not present for the beginning of practice reporters were allowed to watch. With the game on Monday this week, the Vikings aren't required to produce an injury report until Thursday. Smith suffered a turf toe injury to his left foot on Sunday. Frazier said he'd provide an update on Thursday.
___
Online:
AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org
___
Dave Campbell on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DaveCampbellAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vikings-turn-josh-freeman-qb-week-174650415--spt.html
Related Topics: Miley Cyrus Pregnant luke bryan gucci mane Will Smith Miley Cyrus marc anthony
Participation in cardiac rehab program can result in gains for recovery in stroke patients
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 16-Oct-2013
[
|
Share]
Contact: Jane Diane Fraser
jfraser@hsf.ca
613-569-4361 x273
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Open cardiac outpatient rehabilitation programs for stroke patients across Canada, researchers urge
Montreal Stroke patients who participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program for six months make rapid gains in how far and fast they can walk, the use of weakened limbs and their ability to sit and stand, according to a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.
On average, participants saw a 21-per-cent improvement in the strength and range of motion of weakened limbs; a 19-per-cent improvement in walking speed; and a 16-per-cent improvement in the distance they could walk.
"There should be a seamless referral of patients with mild to moderate effects of stroke to the network of established outpatient cardiac rehab programs in Canada," says lead researcher Dr. Susan Marzolini of Toronto Rehabilitation Institute/University Health Network. "Early referral is also important. In our study, those who started the cardiac rehab program earlier had the strongest results."
Cardiac rehabilitation incorporates exercise training (aerobic and resistance/strength training), nutrition counseling, risk factor counseling and management (lipids, blood pressure, diabetes, weight management, smoking cessation and psychosocial management,) delivered by an interprofessional health care team.
All of the 120 patients who participated in the study saw improved recovery.
The largest gains in walking function were among those who were referred to the program the earliest. Participants were, on average, two years post-stroke but the study included people who had experienced a stroke from three months to five years previously.
In most cases, rehabilitation ends at three months post-stroke, when it has been assumed that spontaneous recovery is over and people reach a plateau, Dr. Marzolini says.
For those who entered the six-month cardiac rehab program after standard care, "we didn't see a plateau, we saw a huge improvement in the group. We're finding even more benefits from exercise alone than we ever thought."
"We have manufactured these three-month plateaus with our biases about how the brain works," says Dr. Dale Corbett, Scientific Director of the Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery (CPSR), a joint initiative of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canada's leading stroke research centres, which funded the study. "Recovery continues for months and years after stroke."
A 2011 audit of stroke services in Canada found that only 37 per cent of stroke patients with moderate to severe impairments receive standard rehabilitation in the weeks after stroke, despite overwhelming evidence of its benefits.
"The results of this study are exciting because this exercise program is a very cost-effective intervention for improving the quality of life for those living with the effects of stroke," says Canadian Stroke Congress Co-Chair Dr. Mark Bayley, noting that there are 50,000 strokes in Canada every year.
Although standardized outpatient rehabilitation programs have been in place for cardiac patients across Canada for more than 40 years and are usually associated with a hospital or community facility structured programs are not widely available or accessible for stroke patients.
Participants in the study attended one 90-minute session a week and received an "exercise prescription" for personalized walking and strength training exercises to complete four times a week at home.
Besides physical improvements, the study found stroke patients reported big social gains and began to attend more activities in their communities, partly because they could walk better and get in and out of cars more easily. An earlier study by the research team found increased fitness led to improvements in cognition and mental health.
"The key message here is to open up existing outpatient cardiac rehab programs, which are already in place, to stroke patients," says Ian Joiner, director of stroke for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. "Stroke recovery is a journey that continues throughout life. And programs such as this can be an integral part of that journey."
The next phase of the study will identify the barriers to referral for stroke patients. Other CPSR researchers involved in the study include Dr. Ada Tang of McMaster University, Dr. William McIlroy of the University of Waterloo, Dr. Paul Oh of Toronto Rehab/UHN and senior author Dr. Dina Brooks of the University of Toronto.
The value of exercise on the brain is a key research focus of the Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery. An award-winning CPSR study presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress by Dr. Walter Swardfager of Sunnybrook Research Institute uses new imaging technology to measure the impact of exercise on blood flow to the brain following stroke. Preliminary results indicate that fitness has a protective effect and primes the brain for recovery.
###
The Canadian Stroke Congress is a joint initiative of the Canadian Stroke Network, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Canadian Stroke Consortium.
Statements and conclusions of study authors are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect Vascular 2013 host organizations' policy or position. They make no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.
The Canadian Stroke Network, canadianstrokenetwork.ca, is a national research network headquartered at the University of Ottawa. It includes scientists, clinicians and health-policy experts committed to reducing the impact of stroke.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation's mission is to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery. A volunteer-based health charity, we strive to tangibly improve the health of every Canadian family, every day. 'Healthy lives free of heart disease and stroke. Together we will make it happen.' Heartandstroke.ca
Vascular 2013 is a unique, one-time Canadian event bringing four separate scientific meetings together under one roof: the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, the Canadian Diabetes Association/Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism Professional Conference, the Canadian Stroke Congress and the Canadian Hypertension Congress. vascular2013.ca
It is a joint initiative of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, Canadian Diabetes Association/Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, the Canadian Stroke Network, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Hypertension Canada.
For more information and/or interviews, contact the
VASCULAR 2013 MEDIA OFFICE AT 514-789-3402 (Oct 17-20)
OR
Massy Forget Langlois Public Relations
Christian Ahuet, Consultant
514-842-2455, ext. 29 / Cell. 514-994-7496
Congress information and media registration is at http://www.vascular2013.ca
After October 20, 2013 contact:
Jane-Diane Fraser
Heart and Stroke Foundation
jfraser@hsf.ca
613-569-4361x273
[
|
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: 16-Oct-2013
[
|
Share]
Contact: Jane Diane Fraser
jfraser@hsf.ca
613-569-4361 x273
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Open cardiac outpatient rehabilitation programs for stroke patients across Canada, researchers urge
Montreal Stroke patients who participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program for six months make rapid gains in how far and fast they can walk, the use of weakened limbs and their ability to sit and stand, according to a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.
On average, participants saw a 21-per-cent improvement in the strength and range of motion of weakened limbs; a 19-per-cent improvement in walking speed; and a 16-per-cent improvement in the distance they could walk.
"There should be a seamless referral of patients with mild to moderate effects of stroke to the network of established outpatient cardiac rehab programs in Canada," says lead researcher Dr. Susan Marzolini of Toronto Rehabilitation Institute/University Health Network. "Early referral is also important. In our study, those who started the cardiac rehab program earlier had the strongest results."
Cardiac rehabilitation incorporates exercise training (aerobic and resistance/strength training), nutrition counseling, risk factor counseling and management (lipids, blood pressure, diabetes, weight management, smoking cessation and psychosocial management,) delivered by an interprofessional health care team.
All of the 120 patients who participated in the study saw improved recovery.
The largest gains in walking function were among those who were referred to the program the earliest. Participants were, on average, two years post-stroke but the study included people who had experienced a stroke from three months to five years previously.
In most cases, rehabilitation ends at three months post-stroke, when it has been assumed that spontaneous recovery is over and people reach a plateau, Dr. Marzolini says.
For those who entered the six-month cardiac rehab program after standard care, "we didn't see a plateau, we saw a huge improvement in the group. We're finding even more benefits from exercise alone than we ever thought."
"We have manufactured these three-month plateaus with our biases about how the brain works," says Dr. Dale Corbett, Scientific Director of the Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery (CPSR), a joint initiative of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canada's leading stroke research centres, which funded the study. "Recovery continues for months and years after stroke."
A 2011 audit of stroke services in Canada found that only 37 per cent of stroke patients with moderate to severe impairments receive standard rehabilitation in the weeks after stroke, despite overwhelming evidence of its benefits.
"The results of this study are exciting because this exercise program is a very cost-effective intervention for improving the quality of life for those living with the effects of stroke," says Canadian Stroke Congress Co-Chair Dr. Mark Bayley, noting that there are 50,000 strokes in Canada every year.
Although standardized outpatient rehabilitation programs have been in place for cardiac patients across Canada for more than 40 years and are usually associated with a hospital or community facility structured programs are not widely available or accessible for stroke patients.
Participants in the study attended one 90-minute session a week and received an "exercise prescription" for personalized walking and strength training exercises to complete four times a week at home.
Besides physical improvements, the study found stroke patients reported big social gains and began to attend more activities in their communities, partly because they could walk better and get in and out of cars more easily. An earlier study by the research team found increased fitness led to improvements in cognition and mental health.
"The key message here is to open up existing outpatient cardiac rehab programs, which are already in place, to stroke patients," says Ian Joiner, director of stroke for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. "Stroke recovery is a journey that continues throughout life. And programs such as this can be an integral part of that journey."
The next phase of the study will identify the barriers to referral for stroke patients. Other CPSR researchers involved in the study include Dr. Ada Tang of McMaster University, Dr. William McIlroy of the University of Waterloo, Dr. Paul Oh of Toronto Rehab/UHN and senior author Dr. Dina Brooks of the University of Toronto.
The value of exercise on the brain is a key research focus of the Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery. An award-winning CPSR study presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress by Dr. Walter Swardfager of Sunnybrook Research Institute uses new imaging technology to measure the impact of exercise on blood flow to the brain following stroke. Preliminary results indicate that fitness has a protective effect and primes the brain for recovery.
###
The Canadian Stroke Congress is a joint initiative of the Canadian Stroke Network, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Canadian Stroke Consortium.
Statements and conclusions of study authors are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect Vascular 2013 host organizations' policy or position. They make no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.
The Canadian Stroke Network, canadianstrokenetwork.ca, is a national research network headquartered at the University of Ottawa. It includes scientists, clinicians and health-policy experts committed to reducing the impact of stroke.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation's mission is to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery. A volunteer-based health charity, we strive to tangibly improve the health of every Canadian family, every day. 'Healthy lives free of heart disease and stroke. Together we will make it happen.' Heartandstroke.ca
Vascular 2013 is a unique, one-time Canadian event bringing four separate scientific meetings together under one roof: the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, the Canadian Diabetes Association/Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism Professional Conference, the Canadian Stroke Congress and the Canadian Hypertension Congress. vascular2013.ca
It is a joint initiative of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, Canadian Diabetes Association/Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, the Canadian Stroke Network, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Hypertension Canada.
For more information and/or interviews, contact the
VASCULAR 2013 MEDIA OFFICE AT 514-789-3402 (Oct 17-20)
OR
Massy Forget Langlois Public Relations
Christian Ahuet, Consultant
514-842-2455, ext. 29 / Cell. 514-994-7496
Congress information and media registration is at http://www.vascular2013.ca
After October 20, 2013 contact:
Jane-Diane Fraser
Heart and Stroke Foundation
jfraser@hsf.ca
613-569-4361x273
[
|
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/2013-10/hasf-pic101613.php
Similar Articles: emily blunt nfl scores us open tennis Linda Ronstadt Desiree And Chris
Soccer-Singapore shock Syria, Iran edge Thailand in Asian Cup
By Patrick Johnston
SINGAPORE, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Singapore produced a huge surprise by upsetting Syria 2-1 for their first victory in 2015 Asian Cup qualifying on Wednesday while Malaysia and Indonesia grabbed unlikely draws on a good night for Southeast Asia.
World Cup qualifiers Iran overcame a stubborn defensive effort by Thailand to claim a 2-1 win in Tehran but Jordan, hoping to join them in Brazil next year, played out a drab goalless draw at home to Oman.
Elsewhere, Ali Mabkhout scored a hat-trick as United Arab Emirates routed Hong Kong 4-0 to maintain their 100 percent record in Group E and Uzbekistan overcame Vietnam 3-1 in Tashkent.
Wednesday marked the halfway stage of the five qualifying groups with 11 places still up for grabs after a number of draws left the identity of the finalists in Australia still undecided.
In Group A, Singapore were expected to offer little resistance to 2011 Asian Cup competitors Syria but Khairul Amri and substitute Gabriel Quak scored second half goals as the hosts grabbed all three points on their plastic pitch.
A brilliant solo effort by forward Reja Rafe proved too little too late for Syria as the home side deservedly held on to move up to third and one place off the qualifying positions for Australia.
"It is not a good result to beat Syria 2-1, it is a very good result. It was a hard fight," Singapore's German coach Bernd Stange told reporters.
However, the much-travelled coach held little hope of overtaking Jordan or Oman to claim one of the two berths from the pool or the best third place position across the five groups.
"We don't care for the next matches we have in this qualification, we have to be realistic. Today we are very proud that we could achieve such a performance and of course the result was very good."
Oman lead the group on seven points after their goalless draw against Jordan, who moved on to five with Singapore on three and Syria last on one.
China have enjoyed a resurgence under caretaker boss Fu Bo following the dismissal of former Spain and Real Madrid coach Jose Antonio Camacho but he could not prevent them throwing away the lead to draw 1-1 in Indonesia.
Wu Xi gave the visitors a deserved lead in the 36th minute of a first half they dominated but in the muggy temperatures the Chinese tired and the hosts made them pay with captain Boaz Solossa smashing home a brilliant volley in the 68th minute.
"I made a game plan for each half. I knew that China would suffer with the hot weather and it worked," Indonesia coach Jacksen Tiago said.
China now have four points in Group C with leaders Saudi Arabia taking on Iraq later on Tuesday.
In Group B, Iran went top after they overcame the Thais, while Lebanon (four points) and Kuwait (five) played out a 1-1 draw in Beirut.
Two goals in three minutes from defender Jalal Hosseini and forward Reza Ghoochannejhad put hosts Iran clear with 20 minutes left only for Teerasil Dangda to pull one back in the 80th minute.
There were no such narrow margins in Group E where the UAE made it three wins from three thanks to Mabkhout's hat-trick with Walid Abbas completing the rout in the final moments.
Uzbekistan moved second in the group on four points, level with Hong Kong, after their 3-1 win over Vietnam.
In Group D, Bahrain lead the way on seven points after they failed to win for the first time following a 1-1 draw in Kuala Lumpur against Malaysia.
Abdullah Ahmed Saleh put the visitors ahead in the first half before Norshahrul Idlan Talaha deservedly equalised 20 minutes before the end as the Malaysians came close to snatching an upset win.
World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar are second in the group on six points after they thrashed bottom side Yemen 6-0 on Sunday. Malaysia have four points.
Defending champions Japan have already qualified for the tournament along with hosts Australia and South Korea courtesy of their top three finishes four years ago in Qatar. North Korea have also booked a spot after winning the 2012 Challenge Cup, a tournament for developing Asian nations. (Editing by Justin Palmer)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soccer-singapore-shock-syria-iran-edge-thailand-asian-181656284--sow.html
Category: dodgers Valerie Harper Merritt Wever K Michelle Frank Castillo
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died of illness as war ravaged nation's support systems, study says
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images file
An Iraqi man pushes a woman in a wheelchair past piles of trash in Baghdad in May, 2003.
By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor
About a half million Iraqi people died during the eight-year war in that country, and among those casualties roughly four in 10 perished due to Iraq's decimated infrastructure — from crippled health-care and power systems to interruptions in water and food supplies, according to a study released Tuesday.
U.S. researchers hired Iraqi physicians to go door-to-door at randomly selected homes in 100 Iraqi neighborhoods to ask families what members died between 2003 and 2011 and how they lost their lives, the report states. Among non-violent deaths tied to the war, the most common cause was heart attacks or cardiovascular conditions, followed by infant or childhood deaths other than injuries, chronic illnesses and cancer.
"In a war situation, people can’t leave their homes to get medical care. When they do leave their homes to get medical care, they arrive at institutions overwhelmed with violent injuries. The water is compromised. Stress is elevated. The power is out. The distribution networks for medical supplies are compromised," said Amy Hagopian, associate professor of Global Health at the University of Washington and lead author of the paper.
Conducted by the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University and two other colleges, the unfunded study is the first population-based analysis of deaths that covers the full span of the Iraq War. It was published in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. The estimated count is in addition to the death rate Iraq would have experienced if not for the war.
Mohammed Hato / AP file
An Iraqi boy studies under an oil lamp, in Baghdad, March 2, 2006 during an electricity outage.
The authors urge that public-health practitioners around the world begin to treat war as a major public-health threat, beyond the obvious concerns over bombs and bullets.
"Everybody’s against polio and car crashes and tobacco smoke. But it’s time we got serious about the direct and indirect threats to public health from war, for both the invaded as well as the invader," Hagopian said.
"We (the U.S. government) should have to file health impact assessments before we decide to invade countries. In the whole discussion of what to do about Iran, have you heard any discussion about what the health effects would be on the whole? Not one," she added. "You look around the United States and you see plenty of health effects from the Iraq War. So this is a public health problem of serious magnitude. But there is not a single National Institutes of Health grant to look into this for researchers. Our entire study was done by academic volunteers."
The researchers believe their calculations carry a 95 percent certainty because they applied a meshed grid system to Google Earth software to ensure a fully random sampling of Iraqi households.
Philippe Desmazes / AFP file
An Iraqi man fills a plastic bottle with drinking water from a leaking pipe as his son drinks in Basra, May 8, 2003.
"We're saying a half million dead, and we think that’s a really conservative number," Hagopian said. "We’re pretty sure that we missed a lot (of other deaths) because of the migration effect out of Iraq, and because some people weren’t really willing to talk with us."
Among U.S. troops that served in Iraq, 4,476 service members died in that conflict, including more than 3,500 killed in action, according to the Department of Defense.
When it comes to tracking civilian casualties, however, some experts warn the past attempts to assess non-combatant fatalities in Iraq produced estimates that critics called wildly inflated — five times higher than more commonly accepted death tolls. A paper by U.S. academics published in 2006 estimated that about 600,000 people had, at that point, been killed in the war's violence.
But the new study and its figures seem rooted in reality, said Michael O'Hanlon, senior fellow with the 21st Century Defense Initiative and director of research for the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution.
"There’s no doubt that infrastructure did decline and that were — like there would be in any war setting — a lot of additional quote-unquote excess deaths from inadequate nutrition or healthcare of stress or what have you," O'Hanlon said. "That point is fair and important and I’m glad they’re making it. The numbers sound more credible" than earlier surveys had claimed.
Muddying the somber tally, however, is the fact that Iraq already was in decline before U.S. forces invaded in 2003. International economic sanctions placed against the country as well as attacks unleashed by Iraq's later-executed leader Saddam Hussein against some of his own people all contributed to a failing state, O'Hanlon said.
Amy Hagopian
Researchers (not named by the study) tally up death-survey counts while in Iraq.
"Some of these declines definitely did get worse during the violence that resulted from the invasion. But other trends in Iraqi excess deaths began sooner, first because of Saddam’s brutality and his mismanagement of the country and then because of the sanctions" O'Hanlon said. "All of these things had a human toll. So disentangling all these pieces is a complicated thing."
Even worse, sectarian violence has continued in Iraq since U.S. forces pulled out. More than 1,000 people there were killed in July, the highest monthly death toll in five years, the United Nations reported in August.
Violence has been on the rise in Iraq throughout 2013. The increased attacks have fueled fears that Iraq is again bound for the widespread chaos that nearly ripped the nation apart in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion that ousted its ruler in 2003.
Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663306/s/327fbe46/sc/20/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C10A0C150C20A97580A60Ehundreds0Eof0Ethousands0Eof0Eiraqis0Edied0Eof0Eillness0Eas0Ewar0Eravaged0Enations0Esupport0Esystems0Estudy0Esays0Dlite/story01.htm
Tags: Kaepernick Rihanna Becky G Jason Dufner Amish Mafia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)