diaz pervade: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Texas district attorney, wife found dead after prosecutor killed

DALLAS (Reuters) - A Texas district attorney and his wife were shot dead in the same county where an assistant prosecutor was gunned down outside a courthouse in January, the sheriff of Kaufman County, said on Sunday.

Security has been tightened for other officials after the shooting deaths of Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, Sheriff David Byrnes said.

Byrnes said it was not clear if there was a link between the shootings and the January slaying of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse. Hasse was shot and killed as he walked from his car to the county courthouse.

"It's unnerving to the law enforcement community, it's unnerving to the community at large," Byrnes told a news conference. "And that's why we're striving to assure the community that we are still providing public safety and will be able to do that."

Byrne's office reported the shooting deaths late on Saturday. The Dallas Morning News, citing unnamed sources, said McLelland and his wife were found shot at their home.

The sheriff said there would be "increased security at the courthouse tomorrow, visible security." He declined to elaborate.

Numerous state and federal officials, including the FBI and the Texas Rangers, are involved in the investigation, Bryrne said. He added that it was too early to discuss whether there were any suspects.

McLelland, a 23-year U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, had five children including a son who is an officer with the Dallas police department, according to a biography on the county website.

Authorities have made no arrests in Hasse's killing. McLelland had vowed to bring his killer to justice.

Hasse was shot to death the same day the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement saying the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office was involved in a racketeering case against the Aryan Brotherhood white supremacist group.

Earlier this month, the Hasse slaying case took a new turn when the Kaufman police chief said the FBI was looking for any link between Hasse's death and the March 19 shooting death of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements.

Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, a Colorado prison parolee suspected of killing Clements, died in a shootout with police in Decatur, Texas, on March 21. Ebel was a member of a white supremacist prison gang called the 211 Crew and had a swastika tattoo, prison records indicate.

Kaufman County is east of the metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth area.

(Reporting by Marice Richter in Dallas. additional reporting by Jon Nielsen in Waxahachie, Texas, and Corrie MacLaggan in Austin, Texas; writing by Tim Gaynor; editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-county-district-attorney-wife-found-dead-032732367.html

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Nextdoor Hits 10K Neighborhoods, Gets Me To Stop Running At Night

After I had been running at night for more than a decade, a relatively under-the-radar startup called Nextdoor got me to start running during the day. Almost nobody likes to exercise, and for many, overcoming the motivational hump of putting on your shoes and gym clothes can be trying on even the best of days. One evening late in January I had finally overcome this initial barrier to entry, and was just about to stop blogging to do my usual 30-minute nightly sprint when I got the email. “Woman robbed at gunpoint in Dogpatch, San Francisco” the subject line screamed. Unlike many of the emails I constantly receive, this was highly relevant to me, especially because, upon further inspection, the robbery had happened one block from my house. Until this email, I hadn’t given too much thought to Nextdoor , a service that I signed up for at the Allen & Co conference last summer, where co-founder Nirav Tolia had given a talk about the local social network. The company started out as Fanbase in 2009, and was an attempt to create a user-generated content version of ESPN. Founders Tolia and Sarah Leary decided to pivot around May of 2010, and spent the next four to five months testing out different ideas. Fanbase officially pivoted to Nextdoor in September of 2010, starting out its pilot in Lorelei, a neighborhood in Menlo Park. Now a Facebook for your neighborhood, about half the Fanbase funding ended up carrying over, and Tolia and Leary ended up raising an additional $40.2 million for the new Nextdoor product. Initially enthusiastic, I had also invited my neighbors to use the platform, which had resulted in a de facto neighborhood support group (including the services of a pet psychic) when their adventurous cat Kiki went missing. I wrote a post about it for TechCrunch and then sort of forgot about it, rarely logging on to peruse the listings of free stuff and garage sales. Well I was certainly giving the service some thought now: “What if I had been that woman who was robbed?”"What if I had ventured out of my house just 15 minutes earlier?” I was still in my gym clothes, after so much effort, and feeling antsy from my day of work. Worse, I was now worried about a random stranger I had only heard about through the Internet, and I still needed a

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Xv9XgjwdzKs/

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S.Africa's Mandela "comfortable", treated for pneumonia

By Ed Stoddard

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela is comfortable and able to breathe without problems as he continues to respond to treatment in hospital for a recurrence of pneumonia, President Jacob Zuma's office said on Saturday.

After the revered 94-year-old statesman and former South African president spent a third night in hospital, the presidency said doctors had drained excess fluid from his lungs to tackle the infection.

"This has resulted in him now being able to breathe without difficulty. He continues to respond to treatment and is comfortable," the statement added.

In the first detailed mention of his medical condition since his latest hospitalisation, the third in four months, the presidency said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate had "developed a pleural effusion which was tapped".

Previous bulletins since he was taken to hospital late on Wednesday have reported him responding well, in "good spirits".

They have appeared to indicate that the recurrence of the lung infection afflicting Mandela is being successfully treated.

Mandela, who became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and stepped down five years later, has been mostly absent from the political scene for the past decade. But he remains an enduring and beloved symbol of the struggle against racism.

Global figures such as U.S. President Barack Obama have sent get well messages and South Africans have included Mandela in their prayers on the Easter weekend, one of the most important dates of the Christian calendar.

Mandela is revered at home and abroad for leading the struggle against white minority rule, then promoting the cause of racial reconciliation when in power.

His fragile health has been a concern for years as he has withdrawn from the public eye and mostly stayed at his affluent homes in Johannesburg and in Qunu, the rural village in the destitute Eastern Cape province near where he was born.

"FATHER OF THE NATION"

South Africans of all ages and walks of life have been following the official medical bulletins closely.

"He is the father of the nation, our Abraham Lincoln, our George Washington," said South African economics student Curtis Richardson, 19, as he visited Nelson Mandela Square in an upscale Johannesburg shopping mall with friends.

Mandela remains an inspirational figure worldwide.

"If he dies, it will be a tragedy, because he's such a symbol," said Kagisho Paterson, 19, a visitor from Britain, snapping photos near a towering statue of Mandela in the square.

English Premiership League soccer team Sunderland AFC designated Saturday "Nelson Mandela Day" to kick off its new deal supporting the ex-president's charitable foundation. The partnership would start with fundraising efforts during the team's home clash with Manchester United, Sunderland added.

Mandela's ruling African National Congress (ANC) is still the dominant force in South African politics, but critics say it has lost the moral compass bequeathed it by the previous generation of anti-apartheid freedom fighters.

Under such leaders as Mandela and the late Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo, the ANC gained wide international respect when it battled white rule.

Once the yoke of apartheid was thrown off in 1994, it began governing South Africa in a blaze of goodwill from world leaders who viewed it as a beacon for a troubled continent and world.

Almost two decades later, this image has dimmed as ANC leaders have been accused of indulging in the spoils of office, squandering mineral resources and engaging in power struggles.

Mandela was in hospital briefly earlier this month for a check-up and spent nearly three weeks in hospital in December with a lung infection and after surgery to remove gallstones.

He has a history of lung problems dating back to when he contracted tuberculosis as a political prisoner.

A Nigerian visitor to Johannesburg, civil engineer Gregory Osugba, 35, called Mandela "an icon of greatness and freedom" for the entire African continent and the world.

"When he goes ... the symbol will remain," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/africas-mandela-comfortable-responding-treatment-113733963.html

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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Russ Kick's staggering "The Graphic Canon" - Entertaining Views ...

?? ? The adaptors and artists do not slavishly illustrate everything that happens in each work.? Instead, here are two approaches, among many imaginative, beautiful, and intellectually engaging versions, that are extremely memorable.? Rick Geary takes on The Book of Revelation and, by being visually realized, it makes complete sense in terms of its system of symbols and the overall narrative.? I remember friends in college saying that St. John must have been on something when writing this book, but it?s very persuasive when seen.? Molly Crabapple crystallizes the sexual politics and the theatricality of the upper crust, decadent world of Choderlos de Laclos? Dangerous Liaisons in just three images ? yes, three.? ?

?? ? It?s not too early to save October 12 for Books by the Banks at the Duke Convention Center this year.? There were many wonderful authors willing to share their expertise and sign their books this past October.? The Kids section was pretty exhaustive so it?s a nice, cheap choice for a family day in downtown Cincinnati.

Source: http://entertainingviewsfromcinti.blogspot.com/2013/03/russ-kicks-staggering-graphic-canon.html

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Friday, March 29, 2013

HP's $169 Slate 7 tablet delayed until June, according to HP's site (update: false alarm)

Maybe it's that $169 price, or maybe it's the inclusion of an honest-to-goodness memory card reader, but we know some of you can't wait to get your mitts on HP's new Slate 7 Android tablet. Back when it was first announced, the company indicated it'd be available by April, but it would seem that plan has changed: the product page on HP's site is now saying the Slate won't arrive until sometime in June. We're not sure why there's a delay (we're asking for comment), but we do know this can't be good news for HP. By June, after all, Google I/O will have come and gone, and the next-gen Nexus 7 might already be on sale.

[Thanks, jmartj]

Update: HP has confirmed that it made a mistake in listing a June 2013 arrival date on the Slate 7's product page. In fact, the tablet is still slated (har) to arrive in April. Carry on.

Filed under: Tablets, HP

Comments

Source: HP

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/29/hp-slate-7-delayed-until-june/

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Robotic ants successfully mimic real colony behavior

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Scientists have successfully replicated the behaviour of a colony of ants on the move with the use of miniature robots, as reported in the journal PLOS Computational Biology. The researchers, based at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark, USA) and at the Research Centre on Animal Cognition (Toulouse, France), aimed to discover how individual ants, when part of a moving colony, orient themselves in the labyrinthine pathways that stretch from their nest to various food sources.

The study focused mainly on how Argentine ants behave and coordinate themselves in both symmetrical and asymmetrical pathways. In nature, ants do this by leaving chemical pheromone trails. This was reproduced by a swarm of sugar cube size robots, called "Alices," leaving light trails that they can detect with two light sensors mimicking the role of the ants' antennae.

In the beginning of the experiment, where branches of the maze had no light trail, the robots adopted an "exploratory behaviour" modelled on the regular insect movement pattern of moving randomly but in the same general direction. This led the robots to choose the path that deviated least from their trajectory at each bifurcation of the network. If the robots detected a light trail, they would turn to follow that path.

One outcome of the robotic model was the discovery that the robots did not need to be programmed to identify and compute the geometry of the network bifurcations. They managed to navigate the maze using only the pheromone light trail and the programmed directional random walk, which directed them to the more direct route between their starting area and a target area on the periphery of the maze. Individual Argentine ants have poor eyesight and move too quickly to make a calculated decision about their direction. Therefore the fact that the robots managed to orient themselves in the maze in a similar fashion than the one observed in real ants suggests that a complex cognitive process is not necessary for colonies of ants to navigate efficiently in their complex network of foraging trails.

"This research suggests that efficient navigation and foraging can be achieved with minimal cognitive abilities in ants," says lead author Simon Garnier. "It also shows that the geometry of transport networks plays a critical role in the flow of information and material in ant as well as in human societies."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Simon Garnier, Maud Combe, Christian Jost, Guy Theraulaz. Do Ants Need to Estimate the Geometrical Properties of Trail Bifurcations to Find an Efficient Route? A Swarm Robotics Test Bed. PLoS Computational Biology, 2013; 9 (3): e1002903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002903

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/tNBJskzfrCY/130329090614.htm

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Afrojack Drops Trippy 'As Your Friend' Video

DJ/Producer practices mind control in trippy video with vocals by Chris Brown.
By Gil Kaufman

Afrojack
Photo: David Cohen de Lara

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704586/afrojack-as-your-friend-video.jhtml

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Chrome Web Store search overhaul puts top category results on one page

If you've frequently been sifting through the Chrome Web Store for content, you've probably been stymied once or twice by search results that didn't initially show the content type you were looking for. At least some of us shouldn't face that problem following a quiet update from Google. Searches now show the top hits for apps, extensions and themes on one page, and a click of a category header is all that's needed for more detail. Just fire up Chrome (or a Chromebook) to see the remade results page.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Comments

Via: Joe Marini (Google+)

Source: Chrome Web Store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/google-overhauls-chrome-web-store-search-to-unify-results/

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Swarming robots could be the servants of the future

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Swarms of robots acting together to carry out jobs could provide new opportunities for humans to harness the power of machines.

Researchers in the Sheffield Centre for Robotics, jointly established by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, have been working to program a group of 40 robots, and say the ability to control robot swarms could prove hugely beneficial in a range of contexts, from military to medical.

The researchers have demonstrated that the swarm can carry out simple fetching and carrying tasks, by grouping around an object and working together to push it across a surface.

The robots can also group themselves together into a single cluster after being scattered across a room, and organize themselves by order of priority.

Dr Roderich Gross, head of the Natural Robotics Lab, in the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield, says swarming robots could have important roles to play in the future of micromedicine, as 'nanobots' are developed for non-invasive treatment of humans. On a larger scale, they could play a part in military, or search and rescue operations, acting together in areas where it would be too dangerous or impractical for humans to go. In industry too, robot swarms could be put to use, improving manufacturing processes and workplace safety.

The programming that the University of Sheffield team has developed to control the robots is deceptively simple. For example, if the robots are being asked to group together, each robot only needs to be able to work out if there is another robot in front of it. If there is, it turns on the spot; if there isn't, it moves in a wider circle until it finds one.

Dr Gross said: "We are developing Artificial Intelligence to control robots in a variety of ways. The key is to work out what is the minimum amount of information needed by the robot to accomplish its task. That's important because it means the robot may not need any memory, and possibly not even a processing unit, so this technology could work for nanoscale robots, for example in medical applications."

This research is funded by a Marie Curie European Reintegration Grant within the 7th European Community Framework Programme. Additional support has been provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e12RicAy1Q

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Sheffield, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/t0u6bm1TWas/130328125325.htm

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Uncovering Africa's oldest known penguins

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Africa isn't the kind of place you might expect to find penguins. But one species lives along Africa's southern coast today, and newly found fossils confirm that as many as four penguin species coexisted on the continent in the past. Exactly why African penguin diversity plummeted to the one species that lives there today is still a mystery, but changing sea levels may be to blame, the researchers say.

The fossil findings, described in the March 26 issue of the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, represent the oldest evidence of these iconic tuxedo-clad seabirds in Africa, predating previously described fossils by 5 to 7 million years.

Co-authors Daniel Thomas of the National Museum of Natural History and Dan Ksepka of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center happened upon the 10-12 million year old specimens in late 2010, while sifting through rock and sediment excavated from an industrial steel plant near Cape Town, South Africa.

Jumbled together with shark teeth and other fossils were 17 bone fragments that the researchers recognized as pieces of backbones, breastbones, wings and legs from several extinct species of penguins.

Based on their bones, these species spanned nearly the full size spectrum for penguins living today, ranging from a runty pint-sized penguin that stood just about a foot tall (0.3 m), to a towering species closer to three feet (0.9 m).

Only one penguin species lives in Africa today ? the black-footed penguin, or Spheniscus demersus, also known as the jackass penguin for its loud donkey-like braying call. Exactly when penguin diversity in Africa started to plummet, and why, is still unclear.

Gaps in the fossil record make it difficult to determine whether the extinctions were sudden or gradual. "[Because we have fossils from only two time periods,] it's like seeing two frames of a movie," said co-author Daniel Ksepka. "We have a frame at five million years ago, and a frame at 10-12 million years ago, but there's missing footage in between."

Humans probably aren't to blame, the researchers say, because by the time early modern humans arrived in South Africa, all but one of the continent's penguins had already died out.

A more likely possibility is that rising and falling sea levels did them in by wiping out safe nesting sites.

Although penguins spend most of their lives swimming in the ocean, they rely on offshore islands near the coast to build their nests and raise their young. Land surface reconstructions suggest that five million years ago ? when at least four penguin species still called Africa home ? sea level on the South African coast was as much as 90 meters higher than it is today, swamping low-lying areas and turning the region into a network of islands. More islands meant more beaches where penguins could breed while staying safe from mainland predators.

But sea levels in the region are lower today. Once-isolated islands have been reconnected to the continent by newly exposed land bridges, which may have wiped out beach nesting sites and provided access to predators.

Although humans didn't do previous penguins in Africa in, we'll play a key role in shaping the fate of the one species that remains, the researchers add.

Numbers of black-footed penguins have declined by 80% in the last 50 years, and in 2010 the species was classified as endangered. The drop is largely due to oil spills and overfishing of sardines and anchovies ? the black-footed penguin's favorite food.

"There's only one species left today, and it's up to us to keep it safe," Thomas said.

###

National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent): http://www.nescent.org

Thanks to National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127480/Uncovering_Africa_s_oldest_known_penguins

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Griner has 3 dunks, Baylor women rout Florida St.

Florida State's Chasity Clayton (00) and Chelsea Davis (34) watch as Baylor center Brittney Griner (42) dunks in the first half of a second-round game in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Baylor center Brittney Griner (42) celebrates after dunking against Florida State in the first half of a second-round game in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Baylor guard Odyssey Sims (0) celebrates after sinking a 3-pointer in the first half of a second-round game against Florida State in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Baylor center Brittney Griner (42) blocks a shot attempt by Florida State's Leonor Rodriguez (10) in the first half of a second-round game in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Florida State forward Natasha Howard (33) has her shot blocked by Baylor's Brittney Griner, right rear, as Alexis Prince, bottom, watches in the first half of a second-round game in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

WACO, Texas (AP) ? Brittney Griner certainly knows how to provide a farewell to remember ? and an embrace Baylor coach Kim Mulkey will likely never forget.

There were three impressive dunks on a night Griner almost could have had more in her final home game.

"Tonight felt like senior night. Tonight was better," Griner said. " The three dunks. Just going out the way we did. Not everybody's lucky, and we were. We gave the crowd a good game."

Griner had 33 points and a career-high 22 rebounds, becoming the first woman to make three dunks in a game, as the defending national champion Lady Bears rolled past Florida State 85-47 Tuesday night in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

With former President George W. Bush part of the crowd packed into the Ferrell Center for the final home game of Griner's impressive career and four other seniors, the 6-foot-8 two-time All-American delivered in spectacular fashion ? with one dunk before halftime and two more in a 79-second span right before coming out of the game for good.

"It's always exciting to see when Brittney dunks. I always get excited. We always get excited," junior point guard Odyssey Sims said. "Everyone gets pumped. It's nothing we've never seen. She's just phenomenal."

Brooklyn Pope had 12 points for Baylor, which has won a nation's-best 57 games in a row at home. Sims had 11 points and Kimetria Hayden 10.

The Lady Bears (34-1) are in the NCAA round of 16 for the fourth year in a row. They play Louisville (26-8) on Sunday night in Oklahoma City.

Griner's opening slam came on a break after a Florida State basket. Freshman guard Niya Johnson passed ahead to Griner, who took one step without a dribble before slamming it home with 4 minutes left in the first half for a 43-18 lead ? sending the partisan crowd of 9,652 into a frenzy as she ran down the court with her mouth open and clearly enjoying the moment.

But she wasn't finished.

Bush had already left his front-row seats behind the Baylor bench when Griner had the last two dunks. She dunked again on another pass from Johnson with 7:46 left in the game, then had an assist on the next possession before her last dunk with 6:27 left ? when she grabbed the rebound of a missed 3-pointer, and went back up with a reverse slam.

During a timeout less than a half-minute later, Griner came out of her final home game for the Lady Bears.

While the crowd gave her a loud and lengthy ovation, Griner shared an extended embrace with Mulkey ? and picked her coach up off the ground. After putting Mulkey down and going down to the end of the bench, Griner thrust both arms into the air to acknowledge the cheers.

"I've had lots of those from Brittney. You just hope she doesn't squeeze the air out of you so you don't pass out," said Mulkey, describing the shared moment as "just joy."

Mulkey fought back tears as the ovation continued for Griner.

And to imagine Griner might have had more dunks.

Griner looked like she was going for another slam when she was fouled by 5-foot-2 Yashira Delgado. There was later the pass from Pope that sailed over Griner's head when she was open and headed toward the basket.

When the game was over, Griner again held both arms in the air. She took a couple of laps around the arena floor, with Baylor cheerleaders following her, then jumped onto the back of Shanay Washington for a piggy-back ride before then returning the favor to her close friend and former teammate whose career ended early because of multiple knee injuries.

Since the senior trio of Griner, Kimetria Hayden and Jordan Madden got to Waco as freshmen together, Baylor is 71-2 at home. Griner has played in only one loss since she didn't participate in the last home loss, against Texas in the 2009-10 regular-season finale.

The Lady Bears have won every home game the past three seasons ? since Sims arrived and when transfers Destiny Williams and Pope, the other seniors, started playing.

Leonor Rodriguez had 11 points and was the only player in double figures for Florida State (23-10), which at the end of the regular season was the only of the 343 Division I teams with five players averaging in double figures.

"Certainly, it's not an easy task to come into this environment and ask your kids to be able to block it all out," Seminoles coach Sue Semrau said.

As for Semrau's impression of Griner: "She is better in person. You've got to credit her development and growth."

The first one-handed slam for Griner came late in the first half of a game that got lopsided in a hurry. The Lady Bears scored the game's first 11 points, even without a field goal from Griner in that opening 3?-minute onslaught.

Only six other women have ever dunked in a college game. That group had 15 dunks combined, three less than Griner's career total. The most dunks by anyone else was the seven by Tennessee's Candace Parker. Griner has six in NCAA tournament games the last two seasons, and 11 overall as a senior.

Griner relished her few minutes on the court after the game ended.

"Happy for the win. How the game went. Happy just seeing the crowd. They've been great since I've stepped on the court," Griner said. "They've always come out to support us. Seeing the crowd pack the Ferrell out, stand up and cheer for all the seniors. It was just a great feeling. I'm definitely going to miss it. "

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-27-BKW-NCAA-Florida-St-Baylor/id-9ac69e1d35c3432b854206cd67c87b86

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Uncovering Africa's oldest known penguins

Mar. 26, 2013 ? Africa isn't the kind of place you might expect to find penguins. But one species lives along Africa's southern coast today, and newly found fossils confirm that as many as four penguin species coexisted on the continent in the past. Exactly why African penguin diversity plummeted to the one species that lives there today is still a mystery, but changing sea levels may be to blame, the researchers say.

Only one penguin species lives in Africa today -- the black-footed penguin, or Spheniscus demersus, also known as the jackass penguin for its loud donkey-like braying call. Exactly when penguin diversity in Africa started to plummet, and why, is still unclear.

Humans probably aren't to blame, the researchers say, because by the time early modern humans arrived in South Africa, all but one of the continent's penguins had already died out.

A more likely possibility is that rising and falling sea levels did them in by wiping out safe nesting sites.

Although penguins spend most of their lives swimming in the ocean, they rely on offshore islands near the coast to build their nests and raise their young. Land surface reconstructions suggest that five million years ago -- when at least four penguin species still called Africa home -- sea level on the South African coast was as much as 90 meters higher than it is today, swamping low-lying areas and turning the region into a network of islands. More islands meant more beaches where penguins could breed while staying safe from mainland predators.

Although humans didn't do previous penguins in Africa in, we'll play a key role in shaping the fate of the one species that remains, the researchers add.

"There's only one species left today, and it's up to us to keep it safe," Thomas said.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Daniel B. Thomas, Daniel T. Ksepka. A history of shifting fortunes for African penguins. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013; DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12024

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/sBXiGc1qknY/130326101606.htm

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Neighbors thrilled by N.J. man's $338M Powerball win

PASSAIC, N.J. (AP) ? Pedro Quezada's neighbors see a lot of themselves in the winner of the $338 million Powerball jackpot: hardworking, a family man, an immigrant, and someone who has known hard times.

That's why they're so thrilled that one of their own has finally struck it rich.

Quezada, 44, entered Eagle Liquors store, where his ticket was sold, late Monday afternoon. The Passaic store's owner ran Quezada's ticket through the lottery machine and, as a newspaper and television outlets recorded the moment, validated that it was a winner.

"This is super for all of us on this block," said Eladia Vazquez, who has lived across the street from Quezada's building for the past 25 years. Quezada and his family "deserve it because they are hardworking people."

Quezada told reporters in Spanish that he was "very happy" and that he intends to help his family.

"I still can't believe it," his wife, Ines Sanchez, told The Record in Bergen County. "We never expected it, but thank God."

The New Jersey Lottery confirmed that the winning ticket was validated at Eagle Liquors at 4:30 p.m. Monday, but officials said they didn't yet know the winner's name.

The numbers drawn Saturday were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31. A lump sum payout would be $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes. It's the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

The Quezada family's apartment sits at the end of a short dead end block that abuts a highway in Passaic, 15 miles northwest of New York City.

The block has a half-dozen three-story brick apartment buildings on each side, and Vazquez says it's a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, including what car they drive and what parking space they use.

Alberto Liranzo, who lives two floors below Quezada, said the lottery winner has five children and owns a bodega in Passaic.

Dominican immigrant Jose Gonzalez said he barbecues and plays dominoes with Quezada in the summers in a backyard on their street.

"He sometimes would work from six in the morning to 11 at night, so I did not see him much," Gonzalez said in Spanish Monday night. "I am happy for him. ... I don't know where he is now but I imagine he will drop by to say hi to his friends."

Neighbors told The Record that the Quezada family has suffered bad luck in recent years. Two years, ago, thieves broke into their apartment and stole everything from clothing to jewelry. The year before, a fire destroyed much of their bodega, they said.

Now, the family's luck has changed with their Powerball success.

"It's a blessing for the neighborhood," resident Daphne Robinson told The Record. "It gives people hope that there is a blessing somewhere, for somebody."

Richard Delgado, who lives down the block from Quezada's building, also described Quezada as "a hard worker, like all of us here. We all get up in the morning and go to work."

Delgado said he got up Sunday morning and was going to take his dog for a walk when he heard the radio announce the Powerball results.

"When I heard there was one winner and it was in New Jersey, I immediately went and checked my tickets," Delgado said. "I wanted to be that guy."

When asked what it would be like to suddenly win such a large amount, Delgado said a person would have to set priorities.

"No. 1 is your health, because if you don't have that, the rest doesn't matter," he said. "No. 2 is your family. You take care of your own and live the rest of your life in peace. That's all anyone can do."

No one had won the Powerball jackpot since early February, when Dave Honeywell in Virginia bought the winning ticket and elected a cash lump sum for his $217 million jackpot.

The largest Powerball jackpot ever came in at $587.5 million in November. The winning numbers were picked on two different tickets ? one by a couple in Missouri and the other by an Arizona man ? and the jackpot was split.

Nebraska still holds the record for the largest Powerball jackpot won on a single ticket ? $365 million ? by eight workers at a Lincoln meatpacking plant in February 2006.

Powerball is played in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chance of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is about 1 in 175 million.

___

Associated Press writers Claudia Torrens in Passaic and Angela Delli Santi in Lawrenceville, N.J., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/neighbors-thrilled-nj-mans-338m-powerball-win-063218162.html

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Video: Cyprus Concerns Weigh on Stocks

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Heavy fighting in C. African Republic capital

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) ? Witnesses report heavy fighting and gunfire in the heart of Central African Republic's capital the morning after rebels attacked the city.

Rebel fighters had entered Bangui on Saturday evening, posing the gravest threat to President Francois Bozize during his decade in power.

An Associated Press reporter said by Sunday morning the rebels had made their way from the outskirts to the heart of the city where the presidential palace is located.

Bozize's whereabouts were not immediately known. Rebel spokesman Eric Massi said he believed the president was being sheltered by South Africans.

The rebels began seizing towns back in December but stopped their advance and signed a peace accord with the government. That deal was to allow Bozize to remain in power until 2016 although it quickly unraveled.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/heavy-fighting-c-african-republic-capital-093109050.html

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Monday, March 25, 2013

Mental Giants Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic Notch Wins at Sony Open Tennis

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Novak Djokovic in press at Sony Open Tennis on Sunday.

By Yeshayahu Ginsburg

March 24, 2013 ? Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic each got through their third round matches on Sunday while dropping only six games each, showcasing their mental prowess and vigor. Djokovic was untroubled in his dominating match of Somdev Devvarman, strolling through a second set that was nowhere near as close as the 64 scoreline indicated. Meanwhile, Sharapova was seemingly forced to work much harder in her own 6-4, 6-2 win over Elena Vesnina.

Novak Djokovic

Djokovic, a clear favorite, will next face Tommy Haas in the fourth round, while Sharapova will go up against Klara Zakopalova, who ousted last week?s BNP Paribas Open semifinalist Maria Kirilenko in straight sets.

Though it may not initially come to mind, Sharapova and Djokovic can probably each be described as the most laid-back top players on their respective tours. Both are fiery competitors on the court, but once they step off court, each is easygoing and willing to joke around with their team and other top players. Djokovic and Sharapova, in particular, did several commercial spots together for HEAD Tennis previously, and it gives a good insight into their personalities.

But having an easygoing personality doesn?t hold these players back from being fierce competitors on court.

Djokovic, today, gave two important insights into what drives him on court. He spoke of the inspiration that he receives from his fans, saying, ?It?s incredible just to see the amount of passion that the people have who support me and who feel that what I do inspires them.? That?s a strong quote and really helps the fans feel involved in the game itself.

The Serb also explained that there was a mental component that wasn?t quite there yet in his game a few years back. He was a consistent top 3 player, but he couldn?t consistently beat Federer and Nadal until 2011.

?It was a process of learning, understanding who I am, what I need to do on and off of the court, maturing. I was patient. I did have my doubts definitely through this period, but (my team) and great friends always believed in my abilities and convinced me that I could do it. I also believed very much that I could be No. 1 of the world.?

Maria Sharapova

Sharapova also gave a lot of insights into her own mental state on court today. She spoke about taking everything one match at a time, even though she can take world No. 1 at the end of this tournament if Serena loses early. She showed a personal side in her tennis too, talking about memories of coming to this tournament with her parents when she was younger.

It?s important to realize that there is a great deal that goes into these players? games. It is so much more than just talent and executing on the court. It?s the little things that can add a mental edge or a boost in confidence.

It is wanting to inspire fans, or memories as a child, or even an intense desire to be just a tiny bit better than ever before. And for some players, that means being serious and totally zoned-in all the time. But for others, it?s about being relaxed or able to take a joke. Or, as Sharapova easily deflected when asked if her screaming has evolved over the years, ?That?s not for me to judge. It?s more for you.?

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Source: http://www.tennisgrandstand.com/2013/03/24/mental-giants-maria-sharapova-and-novak-djokovic-notch-wins-at-sony-open-tennis/

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Israel Fires Missile Into Syria After Israeli Soldiers Come Under Attack

A picture taken from the Israeli side in the Golan Heights shows smoke after shells exploded in the Syrian village of al-Jamlah, close to the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria, on March 7, 2013. (Getty Images)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel?s army said it fired a guided missile into Syria on Sunday, destroying a military post after gunfire flew across the border and struck an Israeli vehicle.

The shooting along the frontier in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was one of the most serious incidents between the countries since Syria?s civil war erupted two years ago. Israel has carefully watched the violence from the sidelines, but has returned fire on several occasions.

It was not immediately clear whether the Syrian troops had fired into the Golan intentionally or whether the vehicle had been hit by stray gunfire. In either case, Israel said it held Syrian President Bashar Assad?s government responsible.

?The Syrian regime is responsible for every breach of sovereignty. We will not allow the Syrian army or any other groups to violate Israel?s sovereignty in any way,? Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said.

Israel?s military said soldiers were on routine patrol in the Golan when they were fired upon early Sunday, hours after a military vehicle driving along the frontier between the two countries was hit and lightly damaged Saturday evening. It said Israel responded early Sunday with a Tamuz guided missile.

?We were forced to act in a targeted way and to attack and destroy the post from which this (gunfire) took place,? Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz said Sunday. ?We will continue to operate in the Golan Heights with reason and caution, but where determination and assertive and offensive action is needed, that will also take place.?

Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and subsequently annexed the territory in a move that has not been internationally recognized.

Since Syria?s civil war broke out in March 2011, errant mortar shells or machine gun fire have landed in the Golan a number of times. Israel believes most of the cases have been accidental, but it has responded on several occasions.

Israel is worried that the embattled Assad regime may try to draw the Jewish state into the fighting in an attempt to divert attention from the civil war. Gantz has also warned that Syrian rebels, who have captured a number of villages on the Syrian side of the Golan, could turn their attention to Israel if they defeat Assad.

Sunday?s violence comes days after Israel restored ties with Turkey. Relations between the countries, once close allies, had steadily deteriorated following a 2010 Israeli naval raid on a Turkish ship trying to break Israel?s blockade on Gaza. Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists in the operation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that concerns over the crisis in Syria, which borders both Israel and Turkey, led to the reconciliation.

He said Israel and Turkey would need to communicate over the worsening situation, noting fears that Syria?s stockpile of chemical weapons could reach militant groups bordering the two countries.

Israel has expressed concern that Syria?s chemical arsenal could fall into the hands of militants like Lebanon?s Hezbollah, an Assad ally, or Islamic extremists fighting among the rebels battling Assad.

Earlier this year, the U.S. said Israel carried out an airstrike in Syria on a convoy believed to be transporting sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah. Israel has all but admitted to carrying out the airstrike, but never formally confirmed it.

Source: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/24/israel-fires-missile-into-syria-after-israeli-soldiers-come-under-attack/

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Reports about East Coast meteor flood in, setting off a media scramble

An East Coast meteor put on a spectacular show on Friday. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

A Friday night flash of light in the skies over the East Coast sparked a rash of meteor sighting reports, followed by a mad dash to track down photos and videos of the event.

The American Meteor Society logged more than 800 reports from a region ranging from ?North Carolina to Washington to New York to New England to Canada. Hundreds more registered their observations on Twitter. ?One Twitter user, known as @Married2TheNite, reported from New Jersey that he saw ? and heard?? the object pass by. "It was making almost a hissing noise as it flew brightly overhead," he wrote. "I saw it around 7:55 p.m. EDT."

That time frame meshed with the many other reports. Some witnesses said they saw flashes of green, red and blue as the object streaked past.

The reports were consistent with a fireball?? similar to the one that flashed over Russia on Feb. 15, but much, much smaller.

"It's not an incredibly rare event, but it is very unusual to have that many people observe it, and also it was unusually bright," Ron Dantowitz, director of the Clay Center Observatory, told NBC station WHDH-TV?in Boston. "These types of meteors happen once or twice a year. The unusual thing is that it was so well observed not so long after sunset."

Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environmental Office told The Associated Press that the flash appeared to be "a fireball that moved roughly toward the southeast, going on visual reports."

"Judging from the brightness, we're dealing with something as bright as the full moon," Cooke said. "The thing is probably a yard across. We basically have (had) a boulder enter the atmosphere over the Northeast."

For a while, Twitter buzzed with tweets and retweets highlighting pictures that falsely purported to show the Friday night light ? but eventually, bona fide views surfaced. The paucity of honest-to-goodness meteor shots contrasted with the wealth of dashboard videos that came to light after last month's Russian meteor blast.

"The meteor has taught us one thing tonight," Cara Lynch tweeted, "the East Coast needs more dash cameras."?

One of the most widely distributed videos of Friday night's flash came from someone who didn't actually see it when it happened. "I wish I would have seen it for real," said Kim Fox, a first-grade teacher from Thurmont, Md.

This security camera footage, from Kim Fox of Thurmont, Md., shows the Friday night flash in the sky.

Fox told NBC News that she checked her security-camera system after hearing about the meteor. At around the time that news reports said the meteor was widely sighted, she saw a bright flash on one of the camera views. She took out her mobile phone, recorded a video of the video, and posted it to her Facebook page. From there, the video went viral on the Web and on TV newscasts.

"The phones have been ringing all night," Fox said.

Did you see the flash? Add your sighting report to the American Meteor Society's log, and tell me about it in the comment space below. Got pictures? Feel free to post them to the Cosmic Log Facebook page.

Update for 3:44 p.m. ET March 23: In one reference, I mistakenly placed Thurmont in New Jersey rather than Maryland. And it's WHDH, not WDHD. Sorry about that! Also, more video views of the flash have come in. Hopkins Automotive Group posted this flashy security camera video on its Facebook page. There's also this dashcam view from WUSA9 photojournalist Kurt Brooks.

More about meteors:

Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

This story was originally published on Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:09 AM EDT

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Snowstorm takes aim at Plains, Midwest

JC Hobbs directs his wife Sarah as they help to pull a van and U-Haul up a hill outside Calhan, Colo. as a storm continued to bring bad weather to the Colorado Springs area Saturday, March 23, 2013. Transportation officials said Interstate 70 was closed from Denver to Colby, Kan., on Saturday. The National Weather Service said the Denver area could see up to 7 inches of snow Saturday. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Michael Ciaglo) MAGS OUT

A tractor-trailer sits on the shoulder of Interstate 70 westbound after sliding off the icy highway near Watkins, Colo., as a spring storm packing high winds and heavy snow sweeps over Colorado's Front Range and on to the eastern plains on Saturday, March 23, 2013. Forecasters predict up to a foot of snow will fall in some locations in Colorado before the storm heads toward the nation's midsection. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Calhan Police Sgt. Josh Morrision stands by his car as he blocks Eastbound traffic on Highway 24 outside of Calhan, Colo. as blowing snow and slick roads closed the highway Saturday, March 23, 2013. Transportation officials said Interstate 70 was closed from Denver to Colby, Kan., on Saturday. The National Weather Service said the Denver area could see up to 7 inches of snow Saturday. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Michael Ciaglo) MAGS OUT

Cars and trucks idle on southbound Interstate 25 just south of Highway 34 at the Loveland, Colo. exit Saturday, March 23, 2013 following a multi car wreck that occurred on the interstate during the snow storm. Forecasters predict up to a foot of snow will fall in some locations in Colorado before the storm heads toward the nation's midsection. (AP Photo/The Coloradoan, Rich Abrahamson)

A long line of tractor trailers sits idle along Interstate 70 eastbound near Watkins, Colo., at a roadblock to close the highway as a spring storm packing high winds and heavy snow sweeps over Colorado's Front Range and on to the eastern plains on Saturday, March 23, 2013. Forecasters predict up to a foot of snow will fall in some locations in Colorado before the storm heads toward the nation's midsection. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ? An early spring snowstorm forced the cancellation of more than 100 flights at Denver International Airport and closed several roads Saturday as it moved eastward, dumping more than a foot of snow in some places.

The snow started falling around midnight in northeast Colorado and then moved into northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska.

Ten to 15 inches of snow had fallen by Saturday afternoon north of Interstate 70 in northwest Kansas and northeast Colorado, with another 1 to 2 inches expected in the area, said Ryan Husted, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Goodland, Kan., where 15 inches of snow had fallen.

The storm also dropped up to 7 inches of snow in southwestern Nebraska before tapering off Saturday afternoon, said David Pearson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service near Omaha, Neb.

"But the wind is really blowing, so visibility in those areas is still going to be pretty low," Pearson said.

Husted said winds gusting at speeds of up to 45 mph were creating snow drifts of 2 to 3 feet in parts of Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska.

I-70 had been shut down Saturday from Denver to Colby, Kan., because of poor visibility. The northbound lanes of Interstate 25 also were closed south of Fort Collins, Colo., because of multiple accidents.

"It's a mess here," said Jerry Killingsworth, a National Weather Service meteorologist also based in Goodland, Kan. "Heavy, wet snow, tree limbs down."

At the Goodland 24/7 truck stop, truckers milled around. With roads in the area closed, they are "just waiting," said Samantha Lamb, the truck stop's assistant manager.

"Our hotel across the street from us is pretty full," Lamb said. "Our parking lot has a good 35, 40 trucks in it."

As the system moved eastward, it threatened to inconvenience fans attending the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Kansas City.

Scott Blair, a meteorologist in Pleasant Hill, Mo., said light showers and drizzle began switching over to snow Saturday afternoon in Kansas City and western Missouri. The heaviest snowfall was expected overnight, with up to 6 inches forecast for the Kansas City metropolitan area.

"If people don't need to be out driving tomorrow that would certainly be recommended," he said.

Dan Gavitt, vice president of the NCAA men's basketball championships, said teams and officials already are onsite and that no game delays are anticipated.

"This region routinely has winter snow and has the appropriate equipment and procedures to manage these winter conditions," Gavitt said in a written statement. "We encourage fans planning to attend games to pay attention to the weather, use good judgment and follow any directions from local authorities regarding travel and weather."

North Carolina coach Roy Williams was nonplussed.

"It's no distraction, unless the roof goes off, we'll still be able to play and the whole bit like that," Williams said.

Elsewhere, some churches and other organizations were calling off events. Among them, the final game of the Emporia State baseball series with Southwest Baptist was canceled.

Denver International Airport spokesman Heath Montgomery said about 106 flights have been canceled, many of which involved commuter jets headed to nearby destinations or to mountain towns.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said up to a foot of new snow in the mountains could create dangerous avalanche conditions.

Colorado State Patrol troopers also spent part of Saturday working a crash near Johnstown involving a tractor-trailer that burst into flames. An estimated 20 to 50 vehicles, including four tractor-trailers, crashed or slid off the roadway in the area. The patrol said several people were hospitalized, but no fatalities have been reported.

The system will move into Illinois and Indiana overnight and into Sunday.

Meteorologist Dan Smith with the National Weather Service in Lincoln, Ill., said snowstorms aren't uncommon in early spring. The latest the area has seen snow, he said, was April 23, in 1910.

"One good thing about (the snowstorms) is it doesn't matter how much you get, it usually doesn't stick around too long because temperatures start to warm up pretty good," he said.

Farther south, tornadoes were possible in Louisiana and Mississippi, while strong winds and low humidity could lead to forest fires and wildfires in parts of New Mexico and West Texas.

___

Associated Press writers Jason Keyser in Chicago, Thomas Peipert in Denver, David Skretta in Kansas City, Mo., and Margery A. Beck in Omaha, Neb., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-23-Midwest%20Storm/id-52b108815f47411ea9cb4a8de1965926

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China growing strongly, risks manageable : OECD report

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's economy should expand by 8.5 percent in 2013 and more in 2014, with inflation and export demand the biggest near term risks to growth that should average 8 percent in this decade at current rates of investment and reform, the OECD said on Friday.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) offered one of the most upbeat assessments of China's prospects of any of the major multilateral institutions in its new Economic Survey of China, which was unveiled in Beijing.

The 161-page survey, the first such report from the Paris-based OECD since 2010, was particularly optimistic about the outlook for investment spending in the world's No.2 economy.

It pointed to substantial deficits in rail and road capacity relative to other major economies at similar stages of development, as well as to sub-standard housing as offering scope for more profitable spending on infrastructure.

"The level of investment in the private sector is well-founded by the rates of return, and in infrastructure, we still think there are tremendous needs," Richard Herd, the head of the OECD's China desk, told a media conference.

"We're positive on investment in the sense that we see rates of return remaining quite high," he added.

Many private sector economists believe China's GDP growth by the end of this decade will be nearer 5 percent than the 10 percent average annual rate it has hit for the last 30 years.

China's official growth target for 2013 is 7.5 percent and 7 percent on average in the five-year plan that runs to 2015.

Growth slowed to a 13-year low of 7.8 percent in 2012, with weak demand in the European Union and the United States -- the two biggest export customers -- the main drag on growth.

"Recent OECD simulations suggest that China could maintain high, though gradually easing, growth during the current decade, averaging 8 percent in per capita terms," the report said, adding that the country was on course to become the world's largest economy by 2016, adjusted for price differences.

The OECD said soggy export demand was the biggest potential external risk to its 2013 growth forecast and a pick-up in inflation was the biggest domestic risk factor to maintaining a policy mix that has underpinned an economic recovery in China that took hold in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Herd said official economic data so far in the first quarter of 2013 supported the OECD's above-consensus growth call, with domestic consumption -- key to Beijing's economic rebalancing strategy to wean the economy off of exports and investment -- faring well with wages ticking higher and inflation subdued.

He played down the concerns about heavily-indebted local governments, saying that in the overall context of a central government with big cash reserves, large fiscal flexibility and the potential for Beijing to take direct ownership of troubled local government assets, China's financial system was strong enough to easily absorb potential trouble.

The report, which focused on the growth prospects and risks offered by China's renewed urbanization drive as well as relations between local and central governments and pollution, said that further economic reform was crucial to ensure growth was sustained longer term.

"To sustain vigorous and socially inclusive growth over the longer run, renewed reform momentum is required," it said, pointing to financial market liberalization and increased competition in the services sector as key areas of focus.

(Reporting by Nick Edwards; editing by Jonathan Standing)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-growing-strongly-risks-manageable-oecd-report-070547709--sector.html

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