4 projects awarded Discovery Transformation Grant funding by Minnesota Partnership

Public release date: 12-Aug-2013
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Contact: Bob Nellis
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic

Awardees focused on transformational change in diabetes

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.--The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics announced four research projects selected for funding from the 2013 Discovery Transformation Grant Program. Together, the selected researchers were awarded a total of $2 million to support their work in diabetes research. Minnesota Partnership funding comes from money appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature

With an eye on funding projects with the highest potential for transformative results, the selection process for the Discovery Transformation Grant Program was extremely rigorous, say Partnership leaders. It involved both a review of proposed projects' scientific rationale and feasibility as well as an assessment of their intellectual property and commercialization potential. While the process was led by the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic, each project was also reviewed by external experts as well as a scientific advisory panel made up of globally-prominent experts in diabetes research. The comprehensive review process is aimed at developing a portfolio of projects that will contribute meaningfully to the development of new therapies for diabetes management and prevention.

The projects selected for funding are:

Insulin Gene Therapy for Diabetes: Insulin gene therapy is a conceptually simple and feasible approach to diabetes management that, if successful, could replace long-acting insulin injections both in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The investigators have created gene therapy vectors coding for insulin and a stop signal that can be activated by giving a drug, so production can be controlled. Based upon encouraging preclinical results, the current project is designed to rapidly advance the new vector to clinical testing in insulin-dependent patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

The principal investigators of this research project are Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Mayo Clinic and R. Scott McIvor, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota.

A Revolutionary Sensor Platform for Realizing the Artificial Pancreas: New technologies are making it possible to develop a system to automate insulin delivery by continually monitoring blood glucose. The investigators aim to develop a graphene-based wireless sensor that can be placed in blood vessels for accurate and continual monitoring of blood glucose levels. This level of data is key to achieving optimal glucose control with an artificial pancreas.

The principal investigators are Yogish Kudva, M.D., professor in the Department of Endocrinology at Mayo Clinic and Steven Koester, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota.

SERCA Activators for Advanced Diabetes Therapy: This project seeks a major advance in treatment for Type 2 diabetes, based on development of drugs that regulate movement of calcium within cells by targeting a naturally occurring pump abbreviated as SERCA. The investigators have already discovered several promising drug candidates that activate SERCA and alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction related to diabetes. The researchers will use high-throughput drug screening technology to find new drug candidates, and then chemically optimize their medicinal properties, paving the way for safety testing and clinical trials.

The principal investigators are David Thomas, Ph.D. and David Bernlohr, Ph.D., who are both professors in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota.

A Novel Method for Detecting and Targeting Diabetes Specific CD4+ T Cells: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic T cell-mediated autoimmune disease that results in the destruction of the insulin secreting beta cells. Advances in biomarker technology have allowed the investigator and his team to identify, track and study individual CD4+ T lymphocytes present in Type 1 diabetes. In this study, the investigator will evaluate the potential of novel biomarkers to permit diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes before irreparable destruction of beta cell mass has occurred and to track auto-reactive cells during ongoing disease.

The principal investigator is Brian Fife, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

###

About the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics

The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, formed in 2003, is a unique collaborative venture among Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota and State of Minnesota with the goal of positioning MN as a world leader in biotechnology and biomedical research that improves health and saves lives while offering economic advantages to the state. Minnesota Partnership funding comes from money appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature. To learn more about the Partnership, visit http://www.minnesotapartnership.info.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.

---

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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: 12-Aug-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Bob Nellis
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic

Awardees focused on transformational change in diabetes

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.--The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics announced four research projects selected for funding from the 2013 Discovery Transformation Grant Program. Together, the selected researchers were awarded a total of $2 million to support their work in diabetes research. Minnesota Partnership funding comes from money appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature

With an eye on funding projects with the highest potential for transformative results, the selection process for the Discovery Transformation Grant Program was extremely rigorous, say Partnership leaders. It involved both a review of proposed projects' scientific rationale and feasibility as well as an assessment of their intellectual property and commercialization potential. While the process was led by the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic, each project was also reviewed by external experts as well as a scientific advisory panel made up of globally-prominent experts in diabetes research. The comprehensive review process is aimed at developing a portfolio of projects that will contribute meaningfully to the development of new therapies for diabetes management and prevention.

The projects selected for funding are:

Insulin Gene Therapy for Diabetes: Insulin gene therapy is a conceptually simple and feasible approach to diabetes management that, if successful, could replace long-acting insulin injections both in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The investigators have created gene therapy vectors coding for insulin and a stop signal that can be activated by giving a drug, so production can be controlled. Based upon encouraging preclinical results, the current project is designed to rapidly advance the new vector to clinical testing in insulin-dependent patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

The principal investigators of this research project are Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Mayo Clinic and R. Scott McIvor, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota.

A Revolutionary Sensor Platform for Realizing the Artificial Pancreas: New technologies are making it possible to develop a system to automate insulin delivery by continually monitoring blood glucose. The investigators aim to develop a graphene-based wireless sensor that can be placed in blood vessels for accurate and continual monitoring of blood glucose levels. This level of data is key to achieving optimal glucose control with an artificial pancreas.

The principal investigators are Yogish Kudva, M.D., professor in the Department of Endocrinology at Mayo Clinic and Steven Koester, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota.

SERCA Activators for Advanced Diabetes Therapy: This project seeks a major advance in treatment for Type 2 diabetes, based on development of drugs that regulate movement of calcium within cells by targeting a naturally occurring pump abbreviated as SERCA. The investigators have already discovered several promising drug candidates that activate SERCA and alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction related to diabetes. The researchers will use high-throughput drug screening technology to find new drug candidates, and then chemically optimize their medicinal properties, paving the way for safety testing and clinical trials.

The principal investigators are David Thomas, Ph.D. and David Bernlohr, Ph.D., who are both professors in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota.

A Novel Method for Detecting and Targeting Diabetes Specific CD4+ T Cells: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic T cell-mediated autoimmune disease that results in the destruction of the insulin secreting beta cells. Advances in biomarker technology have allowed the investigator and his team to identify, track and study individual CD4+ T lymphocytes present in Type 1 diabetes. In this study, the investigator will evaluate the potential of novel biomarkers to permit diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes before irreparable destruction of beta cell mass has occurred and to track auto-reactive cells during ongoing disease.

The principal investigator is Brian Fife, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

###

About the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics

The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, formed in 2003, is a unique collaborative venture among Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota and State of Minnesota with the goal of positioning MN as a world leader in biotechnology and biomedical research that improves health and saves lives while offering economic advantages to the state. Minnesota Partnership funding comes from money appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature. To learn more about the Partnership, visit http://www.minnesotapartnership.info.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-08/mc-fpa081213.php

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Vin Diesel Groot Talks Confirmed

Deadline has confirmed that action star Vin Diesel is in talks with Marvel to provide the voice for Groot, the sentient, talking tree in James Gunn?s forthcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy.

Whether the story would remain true to the character?s comic book persona is difficult to say; ?it would seem a waste to use a big name like Diesel to do voice-only work for a character who says only one thing (?I am Groot!?).

Earlier today, Diesel posted an image of Groot from the comics to his timeline on Facebook; it was removed shortly thereafter, something that?s likely to keep rumors alive right up until the official announcement comes along of Groot?s casting. That?s not all, though; Deadline claims to have been told by their own reliable sources that it?s the Groot role that Diesel has been in the running for.

Source: http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/08/12/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vin-diesel-groot-talks-confirmed/

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Amid probe, car company's plans haven't panned out

TUNICA, Miss. (AP) ? Four years ago, a startup car company announced with great fanfare big plans for the Mississippi Delta: Using money from foreign investors and other sources, it would build a massive auto plant to churn out a new line of energy-efficient cars and bring thousands of jobs to the area.

It seemed like a win for everyone involved. The foreign investors who plunked down at least $500,000 for the venture would get the opportunity to stay in the United States and a path to citizenship, an impoverished area of Mississippi would get some desperately needed jobs, the state would generate tax revenues, and the political leaders involved would be able to tout job-creation prowess.

Today, the place where the plant was to be remains mostly vacant except for a temporary construction trailer. The company ? GreenTech Automotive Inc. ? is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the probe is reverberating well beyond Mississippi's borders, bringing scrutiny to a Virginia gubernatorial candidate and the company run by the brother of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"Back in 2009, it was a big deal," said 21-year-old casino employee Perry Turner, who lives across the highway from GreenTech's mostly empty site in rural Tunica County. "I haven't heard much else about it."

Some analysts say it was a risky business plan and foreign investors may have been more interested in an easy way to get a visa and a chance at citizenship than trying to support a venture that had a good chance to turn a profit or create jobs.

In October 2009, GreenTech's owner, Chinese businessman Xiaolin "Charles" Wang, unveiled four prototype cars during a flashy ceremony and promised to build a $2 billon plant in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.

Besides backing from foreign investors, some 100 acres were donated by Tunica County's economic development foundation, at a cost of $1.8 million, and in 2011 the state gave a $3 million loan toward site preparation. For a time, the company's chairman was politically connected heavyweight Terry McAuliffe, a close adviser to both former President Bill Clinton and his wife, a former Democratic national chairman. McAuliffe is now a contender for Virginia governor.

The cars were supposed to start rolling off the assembly line in 2012. The company now hopes to start producing cars next year. And while they say they still plan to build a plant in Tunica County, all that was on the land on a recent afternoon was a construction trailer, a few pieces of equipment and a few workers strolling around.

The company instead now uses a former elevator factory 30 miles away in Horn Lake. A McAuliffe spokesman said about 100 small electric vehicles were built by the time McAuliffe resigned from the company in December. The thousands of promised jobs have yet to materialize.

"It takes time to build a brand new company in a capital-intensive industry like electric vehicles, and we will not cut corners on quality or safety as we progress. We have a plan. The plan is working. We're sticking to it," GreenTech said in a statement.

The company said it has more than 100 workers and "once production is ramped up" should employ at least 350 ? the same number of jobs required under the state loan agreement.

Jeff Rent, a spokesman for the Mississippi Development Authority, said the company has assured the agency they're on track to meet hiring goals.

Industry analysts say the company faces hurdles to succeed.

"A brand-new electric car company without an established U.S. partner, or global partner, is a lofty goal," said Joe McCabe, president of AutomotiveCompass, which forecasts global vehicle and power train production. "They're one of several other electric manufacturing startups entering a tough market. They have to come with something better to the game, not just an also-ran."

Other analysts say GreenTech exposes problems with a program used to attract foreign investors ? known as the EB-5 visa program.

David North, a fellow with the Center for Immigration Studies, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that examines immigration policies, said the foreign investors in the EB-5 program are primarily motivated by a desire to get green cards for them and their families, not to find lucrative propositions.

"So this EB-5 program by its very nature is often linked to second- and third-class investments," he said.

Under the EB-5 visa program, foreigners can invest $500,000 or $1 million in American business ventures depending on the location of the project. In GreenTech's case, the program called for $500,000 investments.

Under the rules of the program, each EB-5 investment must create at least 10 jobs. In exchange, the foreign investors get to stay in the United States for up to two years and can then apply for full citizenship, a speedier process than afforded to most other immigrants who must wait five years after establishing residency before being eligible for citizenship.

The federal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Immigrant Investor Program also designates so-called "regional centers," companies that have authorization to handle the company's EB-5 investments ? and can collect thousands of dollars in fees from foreign investors to process their visa applications.

In this case, Gulf Coast Funds Management ? a company headed by Tony Rodham, Hillary Clinton's brother ? is the designated "regional center" and has raised 45.5 million from foreign investors for GreenTech, according to an internal immigration services document obtained by The Associated Press that outlines background information about the firm. Rodham has not responded to phone messages at Gulf Coast Funds or a message sent to an email address listed in government reports submitted to the government.

Hybrid Kinetic Motors, a predecessor to GreenTech, paid Gulf Coast $250,000 for assistance in setting up the EB-5 program, according to a lawsuit between Wang and his former partner. Regional centers collect additional fees for processing the investments.

Of GreenTech's 91 foreign investors, only one has received permanent residency status, according to an internal immigration services document obtained by the AP that outlines background information about the firm; the name of the investor was not disclosed.

Simone Williams of GreenTech said "every one of our first two rounds of EB-5 investors was approved and their investment was released to GreenTech Automotive." But she did not provide the number of investors.

She said the government's pace in approving foreign investors has slowed down plans to start construction at its Tunica County facility.

Christopher Bentley, spokesman for immigration services, said in an email he couldn't comment on details on the plans by GreenTech and Gulf Coast Funds.

In May, the SEC subpoenaed unspecified documents from GreenTech and banking records from Gulf Coast, according to nearly 100 pages of documents recently released by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

The documents indicate GreenTech allegedly improperly guaranteed investors returns on their money. GreenTech has acknowledged receiving the subpoenas and said the company is cooperating with investigators.

The Department of Homeland Security inspector general also is investigating allegations that USCIS director Alejandro Mayorkas? President Barack Obama's pick for the No. 2 slot at DHS ? used his influence to help Gulf Coast obtain a foreign investor visa for a Chinese executive.

Since the 2009 groundbreaking, GreenTech has changed its business plan. Instead of producing versions of the four prototypes it showcased then, including hybrid cars, it now says its plant, when built, will have the capacity to make 30,000 electric vehicles each year, including a sedan and small electric vehicles known as MyCars. It now aims to have the first ones rolling off the line in Tunica by April.

In the meantime, GreenTech has been using space at an old elevator factory in Horn Lake, Miss., where the company says it's building MyCars, neighborhood electric cars that are a cross between a golf cart and a full-sized vehicle. It's not clear how many of the MyCars ? which are not legal to drive on U.S. highways ? have been sold.

GreenTech recently declined an AP request to tour the Horn Lake facility. The company won't say how many MyCars it has produced or sold, but says it has "international distribution agreements for 30,000 vehicles over the next three years."

Local officials haven't lost hope it will all still happen as advertised.

"I still look at this as an ongoing economic development project," said Lyn Arnold, president and CEO of the Tunica County Chamber of Commerce.

Some residents are ready to see results, like 33-year-old waitress Shaquita Pickett, who said a car plant would be a big boost for the county.

"We really do need one here because we need better jobs," she said.

___

Weiss reported from Charlotte, N.C. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Jackson, Miss.; Bob Lewis in Richmond, Va.; Alicia A. Caldwell in Washington D.C.; Michael Kunzelman in New Orleans; and AP researchers Judy Ausuebel and Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report.

___

Follow Holbrook Mohr on Twitter at http://twitter.com/holbrookmohr

Follow Mitch Weiss on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mitchsweiss

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amid-probe-car-companys-plans-havent-panned-205930368.html

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Family In Crisis! Kim Kardashian A No Show For Kylie Jenner's ...

Camera-shy Kim Kardashian skipped her little sister, Kylie Jenner?s? Sweet 16 birthday dinner Saturday night.

She and her baby daddy, Kanye West, stayed home with daughter North, while the rest of her reality TV family tried to put their growing number of scandals aside to celebrate its youngest member?s big day at Nobu Malibu.

PHOTOS:? Kylie Jenner Has Sweet 16 Party

Kourtney Kardashian?and HER baby daddy, Scott Disick , put their paternity suit scandal aside ? a model is claiming he?s the real dad of her son.? The couple showed up with little Mason, and their daughter, Penelope.

Mom and dad Kris Jenner and Bruce Jenner arrived and left the bash separately, with Bruce looking particularly glum except when he was spotted playing with Penelope.

Khloe Kardashian? was accompanied by two bodyguards.? Husband Lamar Odom was nowhere to be seen, not surprising now that he?s been accused of cheating on his wife with at least two women.

PHOTOS: Celebs Who Have Slammed The Kardashians

But back to the birthday girl.

Kendall Jenner? woke her little sister up, screaming ?Happy birthday!? Saturday morning, and Kim did send best wishes via Twitter.

?Happy Birthday to my baby sis @kyliejenner !!!! Can?t believe your 16! I love you so much!? Kim wrote.

As the party wound down, Kylie blew out the candles on her cake, and received gifts from ? can you believe it? ? DASH!

That?s what we call Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

PHOTOS: The 15 Most Shocking Divorces Of Reality Television Couples

Source: http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/08/kim-kardashian-no-show-sister-kylie-jenner-birthday-party/

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Obama tees off Vineyard vacation at golf course

OAK BLUFFS, Mass. (AP) ? President Barack Obama teed off his Martha's Vineyard vacation Sunday with his favorite pastime ? golfing.

Obama spent more than five hours at the Farm Neck Golf Club on his first outing of a weeklong stay on the exclusive Massachusetts island, where he arrived Saturday afternoon. The course is open to the public and overlooks Nantucket Sound.

The president golfed with aide Marvin Nicholson, White House chef Sam Kass and Robert Wolf, a Wall Street consultant who has advised him on financial matters. Later, Obama and his wife, Michelle, joined friends for dinner at the French seafood restaurant Sweet Life Cafe.

Obama regularly vacations on the island, but he's staying for the first time at the Chilmark home of Chicago pal David Schulte.

The White House says Obama plans no official public appearances but will receive daily briefings on national security and domestic issues.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-tees-off-vineyard-vacation-golf-course-164524861.html

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Leaked Sony 'lens camera' range is literally a camera for your phone

Sony looks set to bring high-end imaging as a smartphone accessory

Last month we reported on rumors that Sony was preparing a new type of camera accessory for smartphones, which incorporated full camera hardware into a lens-shaped add-on. Today the source of that leak, SonyAlphaRumors, has published detailed leaked renders and photos of the add-on, which looks just as crazy as was described.

Dubbed DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100, the two lenses are said to incorporate almost all the camera hardware into the lens body itself -- so sensor, image processor, Wifi and NFC connectivity and an SD card slot. As previously reported, the accessory attaches to the back of smartphones and connects over Wifi (after being paired through NFC), allowing you to use your phone as an oversized viewfinder. Significantly, today's report says the lenses will support both Android and iOS, meaning you won't necessarily need a Sony phone to use these camera add-ons.

In terms of optics, the high-end model will feature the sensor from Sony's latest RX100 Mk. II top-level compact, along with a Zeiss lens. The entry-level version (pictured) is said to feature a 1/2.3-inch 18-megapixel sensor behind an f/3.3-5.9 Sony G lens with 10X optical zoom.

As we said last month, this kind of product could be significant for Sony, which has identified cameras and smartphones as two of its main areas of focus. Certainly nothing like these "lens cameras" exists on the market today, and if they support the two largest mobile platforms at launch, then Sony could have a niche hit on its lands. There'll be the question of pricing to address first, though.

Any takers? Shout out in the comments. More pics after the break.

Source: SonyAlphaRumors

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/e1V6ZXGAiFo/story01.htm

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08/20/2013 - SLA Election: Meet the Candidates for President-Elect

[ All | None ]

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Source: http://calendar.sla.org/index.php?com=detail&eID=161

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Surveillance debate intrudes into Obama's agenda

President Barack Obama pauses during his news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The president said he'll work with Congress to change the oversight of some of the National Security Agency's controversial surveillance programs and name a new panel of outside experts to review technologies.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama pauses during his news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The president said he'll work with Congress to change the oversight of some of the National Security Agency's controversial surveillance programs and name a new panel of outside experts to review technologies.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama answers questions during his news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The president said he'll work with Congress to change the oversight of some of the National Security Agency's controversial surveillance programs and name a new panel of outside experts to review technologies. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama gestures during his news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The president said he'll work with Congress to change the oversight of some of the National Security Agency's controversial surveillance programs and name a new panel of outside experts to review technologies. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? For President Barack Obama, August was supposed to be the time when a major immigration bill landed on his desk.

There was hope for movement on a deficit deal with Republicans, and in the optimistic early days of his second term, even a belief that he would have achieved stricter gun laws.

Instead, Obama finds his fifth year in office beset by distractions, perhaps none with broader implications than the revelation of secret government surveillance programs.

That matter dominated Obama's hourlong news conference Friday. The issues that the White House had hoped to be promoting this summer? They played a diminished role, if at all.

The president set the tone, opening the session by announcing that he would work with Congress to make "appropriate reforms" to the National Security Agency surveillance programs. He also made clear that he had no intention of stopping the daily collection of Americans' phone records.

"Given the history of abuse by governments, it's right to ask questions about surveillance, particularly as technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives," he said, one day before leaving for a weeklong vacation on Martha's Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast.

Even without the NSA disclosures, Obama still would face the same political dynamic with congressional Republicans that stalled progress on immigration, vanquished hope of a long-term budget bargain and defeated gun control and other administration priorities.

It's a reality of any administration that unexpected challenges can arise and shake up the carefully laid plans.

But the scope of the surveillance programs, leaked by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden, makes this an issue that's probably will be more than a temporary distraction.

Obama's poll numbers have dropped since the programs became public, and that could hamper his political leverage. Advisers say privately that the revelations are particularly problematic because the issue strikes a chord with Obama's base and can't simply be dismissed as partisan-driven.

Seeking to address critics of the secret programs, the president acknowledged at the news conference that he may have underestimated the public's concerns. He outlined steps that he said he hopes will increase public confidence in the programs.

One step is the creation of an independent attorney to argue against the government during secret hearings of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which reviews requests for surveillance inside the U.S.

Obama also is forming an outside advisory panel to review U.S. surveillance powers.

The president says he welcomes the debate over government surveillance, though his national security team has said it never intended to tell Americans about the highly classified programs.

"There's no doubt that Mr. Snowden's leaks triggered a much more rapid and passionate response than would have been the case," Obama said.

The NSA revelations have more than intruded on Obama's second-term domestic agenda; they are entangled with some of his foreign policy priorities.

Snowden fled the U.S. first for Hong Kong, a semiautonomous region of China, and then Russia. Both China and Russia have complex and sometimes prickly relationships with the United States.

Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum, leading Obama to cancel plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in September.

While relations with the U.S. and Russia were deteriorating, the Kremlin's decision on Snowden pushed them to a new low and underscored Russia's willingness to thwart the White House's demands.

Leaders in Europe, where many countries have stricter privacy laws than in the U.S., have criticized the surveillance problems. Obama has been pressed on the issue in meetings and phone calls with European leaders.

He appeared keenly aware of how other countries are viewing the surveillance and privacy debate in the U.S.

"To others around the world, I want to make clear once again that America is not interested in spying on ordinary people," he said. "Our intelligence is focused above all on finding the information that's necessary to protect our people and, in many cases, protect our allies."

The issue of government surveillance had been largely dormant until June, when stories broke in the Guardian newspaper and The Washington Post detailing secret programs to track U.S. phone and Internet records.

Every day, the NSA sweeps up the phone records of all Americans. The program was authorized under the USA Patriot Act, which Congress hurriedly passed after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The NSA says phone records are the only information it collects in bulk under that law. But officials have left open the possibility that it could create similar databases of people's credit card transactions, hotel records and Internet searches.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-08-10-US-Obama/id-7d0ffe4377f54531b8a9f1a53643cb50

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Four former Vanderbilt football players indicted on aggravated rape charges after assaulting unconscious woman in dorm

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Four former Vanderbilt football players have been indicted on five counts of aggravated rape each of an unconscious 21-year-old student at a campus dormitory in June.

Safety Cory Batey, 19 of Nashville, Tenn.; defensive back Brandon Banks, 19, of Brandywine, Md.; receiver Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie, 19, of Woodville, Miss.; and tight end Brandon Vandenburg, 20, of Indio, Calif. also have been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery for an incident tipped to campus officials by surveillance video. Vandenburg also is charged with one count of tampering with evidence and one count of unlawful photography.

While the players were indicted Friday, the district attorney general pointed out that the investigation isn't over yet.

"Although four people are being charged at this time, the investigation is still on-going into the actions of other individuals and the role(s) they may have played in this incident," District Attorney General Torry Johnson said in a statement.

Former Vanderbilt footballers Brandon Banks (top left), Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie (top right), Brandon Vandenburg (bottom left) and Cory Batey (bottom right)

Vanderbilt dismissed the players June 29 and barred them from the campus pending the investigation. Vice chancellor Beth Fortune said Friday that their first thoughts are for the victim, a Vanderbilt student, and that the university will continue to offer her all of its services and support.

"We are shocked and saddened by the allegations that such an assault has taken place on our campus and that they include members of our football team," Fortune said in a statement.

"The charges brought today against the four former Vanderbilt football players allege conduct which is abhorrent and will never be tolerated. We will review our athletics program to be sure that it, like all other programs at the university, reflects our culture of community and respect for others and that our student athletes are held to the same high standards of conduct as all our students."

According to Nashville police, the four men are charged with raping the unconscious woman inside Vandenburg's room at Gillette House dormitory early on June 23. University officials checking the dorm's surveillance in the hallways on an unrelated matter noticed the four's behavior and notified the Vanderbilt University Police Department the night of June 25. Campus police contacted Nashville's sex crimes unit June 26.

"Their investigation has uncovered compelling, unsettling evidence that was presented to the Davidson County Grand Jury earlier today," chief Steve Anderson said in a statement.

Attorney Worrick Robinson said Batey has been taken into custody at his Nashville home. Police said Batey was taken to a hospital for mandatory blood testing before being taken to the Metro Jail with his bond set at $350,000. Police said they are making arrangements for the other three to be taken into custody as well.

Austyn Carta-Samuels, expected to be Vanderbilt's starting quarterback, is five current Commodores listed in the indictment as witnesses for the prosecution if the case goes to trial. The others include offensive lineman Jake Bernstein, wide receiver DeAndre Woods, tight end Dillon van der Wal and snapper Mack Prioleau.

Vanderbilt did not identify the four players until July 15 before the Commodores headed to Alabama for Southeastern Conference media days. None of the four played a snap for Vanderbilt last season.

Batey came in last season as a receiver and redshirted behind Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd before switching to safety this spring.

Banks also redshirted as a freshman last season. His attorney Grover Collins declined to comment on the indictment but said last month that Banks is innocent and fully cooperating with police.

McKenzie redshirted in 2012, but the 5-foot-8 receiver had four catches for 83 yards in the Commodores' spring game ? the most yards receiving in the game. His attorney, Jodie Bell, did not immediately return a message by the AP. The 6-foot-5 Vandenburg was considered one of the top junior college tight ends nationally coming out of Xavier College Prep, and he became the first junior college transfer at Vanderbilt since Jordan Rodgers in 2010.

The Commodores, who went 9-4 and won the Music City for their best season since 1915 last season, opens the 2013 season Aug. 29 hosting Mississippi.

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/assaulting_former_vanderbilt_football_27EKPo26tg0YVWPcZbbeSL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20National

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Football. Football completes first scrimmage

Aug. 10, 2013

BEAUMONT ? Jordan Edwards and Kade Harrington provided ample firepower for the offense on Saturday, but the defense came up with a number of big plays as well as the Lamar football team wrapped up its first week of practice with its first scrimmage of the fall at Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Harrington, a First Team All-State running back out of Kingwood last season, made an impact immediately. The freshmen took the majority of his snaps with the second team, and scored on his first two touches of the game, beginning with catch off a screen pass from Ryan Mossakowski and running 50 yards for the endzone. He followed up a play later, taking the handoff running 45 yards up the middle to paydirt.

?It was definitely a change of pace from playing in high school, and it was just fun to get out there and compete,? Harrington said. ?We?re still not there yet on offense, but I think we?re getting there. I like the fast pace that we have, and it gives us a chance to do so many different things out there.?

Harrington made even more noise later in the scrimmage with the first team, scampering out to the right for a 12-yard score. He finished the day with three carries for 60 yards and two catches for 59.

?We were very impressed with his speed and athleticism, and we were hoping he could get out and do that,? head coach Ray Woodard said of Harrington. ?We always want to see it happen in a game situation, and it?s good to see because we think he?s going to be a valuable weapon for us over the next four years.?

? ?

Edwards, who boasted of a 200-yard receiving game a year ago, showed off that ability once more, linking up with Caleb Berry for an over the shoulder catch for 27 yards in the opening series and following up with a 13-yard grab on the next play. Berry and Edwards would combine once more on their last series of the day with a 50-yard touchdown pass.

Edwards ended with three catches for 90 yards, and Berry completed four passes for 128.

Kevin Johnson was the only other receiver to catch a touchdown, catching a screen on the right side of the field from Mossakowski and shedding a tackle en route to a 50-yard score.

Mossakowski ended with three completions on four attempts for 153 yards and a pair of TDs.

Gratian Gladney and Reggie Begelton also had long reception apiece with the former getting a 53-yard grab and the latter making an impressive 38-yard catch over a defender.

?We have a lot of different weapons on offense now, and the defense can?t just focus on one guy,? Edwards explained. ?We can spread it out, and we?re all together and focused. I think we?re also a lot more disciplined on offense than we were in the spring and last year.?

Defensively, George Orebe had the game?s biggest play, picking off a deep pass by Rex Dausin and returning it nearly 80 yards for a score. Tyrus McGlothen also had an interception, stealing it off an errant Berry pass.

In all, the Cardinals ran 38 plays from scrimmage over 13 series, and play was disrupted once halfway through due to a lightning delay. Following a day off on Sunday, LU will return to practice on Monday evening at 7 p.m. All practices during preseason are open to the public.

The Cards will begin the fall season on August 31 at home against Oklahoma Panhandle State, the first of six games on the home slate this year. For ticket information, please call 409-880-1715.

#LUFootball

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Source: http://onlyfans.cstv.com/schools/lama/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/081013aaa.html

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Apple's 'iPhone 5S' to boast fingerprint sensor embedded in convex sapphire home button

By Mikey Campbell

When Apple launches its next-generation iPhone, the handset will likely carry a fingerprint sensor embedded into a slightly convex home button made out of sapphire, a major change to current designs.


Cross-section of AuthenTec's unique fingerprint sensor. | Source: AuthenTec
By using a convex home button instead of the familiar concave design, Apple will be able to make room for the much rumored fingerprint sensor without losing precious internal space, according to well-informed KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a research note obtained by AppleInsider, Kuo says Apple is using sapphire because of its resilience to scratches, which will thus protect the fingerprint sensor embedded within.

AuthenTec, the biometric security firm Apple purchased in 2012, uses leading-edge capacitive and RF technologies in its biometric chips, a method that images fingerprints differently than existing optics-based systems. Kuo believes the tech is superior as the sensor is not subject to misreadings due to the build up of detritus or dust.

Further, the analyst sees Apple's current one-button iPhone design as being an optimal fit for a fingerprint reader. With a single home button, consumers are less likely to be confused as to where to place their finger for scanning.

While a convex home button design grants added space for a sensor, the part will become more susceptible to scratches than the concave component Apple has used since the first iPhone debuted in 2007. To protect the sensitive sensor, sapphire glass, a material with a hardness rating second only to diamond, will be used instead of the current plastic composite.

The convex design lends itself nicely to a patent Apple filed for in June describing a method of encapsulating a fingerprint sensor package within a confined space.

Kuo predicts the sensor's inclusion will keep the iPhone well ahead of competing Android and Windows Phone handsets, possible presaging Apple's entry into secure mobile payments. The system could also yield a safer way to access Apple's cloud computing services like iCloud and iTunes.

Earlier on Saturday, a report from AllThingsD cited inside sources as saying the Cupertino, Calif., company will unveil the next-generation iPhone at a Sept. 10 media event.

Source: http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/08/10/apples-iphone-5s-to-boast-convex-sapphire-home-button-with-embedded-fingerprint-sensor

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India Leads $173 Billion in Global Cement Manufacturing Project Development, an Industrial Info News Alert

SOURCE: Industrial Info Resources

SUGAR LAND, TX--(Marketwired - Aug 9, 2013) - ?Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- A tremendous growth in infrastructure and building construction in developing nations is greatly increasing demand for cement and has set off a record number of construction projects for cement-manufacturing plants worldwide. Industrial Info is tracking 2,365 cement-manufacturing plant construction and maintenance projects totaling $173 billion.

For details, view the entire article by subscribing to Industrial Info's Premium Industry News at http://www.industrialinfo.com/news/abstract.jsp?newsitemID=237370&refer=mw, or browse other breaking industrial news stories at www.industrialinfo.com.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle?, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the www.industrialinfo.com "Contact Us" page.

Source: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=1819383&sourceType=3

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Ethiopian military plane crashes at Mogadishu

A military cargo plane crashed at Mogadishu International Airport in Somalia early Friday, airport officials said.

The official Twitter account of the African Union Mission to Somalia identified it as an Ethiopian air force plane.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

FULL STORY

Source: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/09/ethiopian-military-plane-crashes-at-mogadishu/

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InterContinental to give websites more leeway in pricing row

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's InterContinental Hotels Group will give online travel agents Expedia.com and Priceline.Com Inc's Booking.com more leeway to cut room rates in a bid to assuage watchdog charges it was limiting competition.

The Office of Fair Trade last year accused IHG, whose portfolio includes Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, of concluding agreements that effectively set a bottom for prices by getting the websites to agree not to use cuts in their own commission to reduce the prices they offered.

The case is viewed as a test case for the sector as a whole and was in response to a complaint from another website, Skoosh.com, which said that a number of hotel chains were preventing it from offering such discounted prices on room-only accommodation.

Industry watchers say InterContinental, like other hotel groups, is trying to keep some control of the market prices of its rooms so that its own web sales are not sharply undercut by agencies like Booking.com, Expedia or Skoosh.

But the OFT concluded last year after an investigation that such contracts between hoteliers and agents could be limiting consumers' ability to find better deals.

The compromise proposed on Friday effectively allows the agencies again to choose to undercut the hotel group, but only for certain types of customers - those on loyalty schemes or who have made at least one previous booking with the agent.

That will allow InterContinental, the world's largest hotel group, to retain more influence at least over the headline price offered to first time consumers.

The OFT said in its report last month that the practice it was concerned by was widespread in an industry where UK hotel bookings through online agents totaled about 849 million pounds ($1.3 billion) in 2010.

IHG, which has said it believed its previous arrangements did not breach competition laws, on Friday said it had worked closely with the OFT to agree the new commitments, which are designed to bring an end to the investigation without finding it infringed any competition rules or the imposition of any fine.

OFT senior director Ann Pope said: "The OFT is consulting on whether these commitments offer an immediate and effective means of injecting some meaningful price competition into the online offering of room only hotel accommodation bookings where, in our provisional view, none may exist."

The agreement is open to consultation until September 13.

(The story is refiled to correct timing of OFT charge in paras 2, 5)

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Patrick Graham and Keiron Henderson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/intercontinental-websites-more-leeway-pricing-row-101745931.html

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Merkel challenger tries to calm storm over east German jibe

By Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrueck travelled to eastern Germany on Saturday to try to calm a storm over his recent comments suggesting opponent Angela Merkel lacked passion for Europe because she grew up in the former communist East.

The Social Democrat (SPD) trails Merkel's conservatives by some 15 points in opinion polls with just six weeks left until a German election, and has been searching desperately for issues that might help him narrow the gap.

But his campaign has been dogged by gaffes, including the latest remarks, which infuriated some east Germans and drew rebukes from parties across the political spectrum.

At an SPD campaign event in the eastern city of Halle, Steinbrueck told his audience that the comments, made in a newspaper interview earlier this week, had been misconstrued and he praised easterners as "capable and hard-working people".

"I certainly did not mean to suggest that people who grew up in the East have an innate or regionally-determined distance to Europe," he said. "And I ask you to please not understand the remarks this way."

Roughly a fifth of German voters live in the former communist East. The SPD has not done well there in past elections. In 2009, they won roughly 18 percent of the eastern vote, compared to nearly 30 percent each for Merkel's conservatives and the far-left "Linke" party.

During the euro zone debt crisis, some of Germany's partners and domestic critics have accused Merkel of focusing too much on German interests, and lacking the passion for Europe that drove previous chancellors like Helmut Kohl, who pushed Germany into the euro.

Some have suggested it is a generational phenomenon - she is the first German leader to have been born after World War Two. Others point to her upbringing in the communist East, where European integration was not the major topic it was in the West.

In the Tagesspiegel interview, Steinbrueck was asked about comments by another former chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, that Merkel lacked passion for Europe.

"That is right," Steinbrueck said. "The interesting question is whether this is because she grew up in the GDR (German Democratic Republic) and therefore the European project is more distant for her than a politician who grew up in the West."

He added in the interview that he was not accusing Merkel of anything, as she had not chosen which side of the Iron Curtain she grew up on. That has not spared him from criticism.

Members of Merkel's party, keen to score political points before the vote, have accused Steinbrueck of insulting millions of people from East Germany and central Europe.

Even the SPD's allies have weighed in, with the head of the Greens, Juergen Trittin, saying in a weekend interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper: "Frau Merkel's European policies are bad, but not because she comes from the GDR."

(Additional reporting by Holger Hansen; editing by Mike Collett-White)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/merkel-challenger-tries-calm-storm-over-east-german-161537345.html

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Jennifer Aniston Planning Surprise Wedding This Weekend?

Jennifer Aniston has jokingly stated that she and Justin Theroux have not set a date for their wedding because they “already feel married”. But, a new report reveals Jennifer and Justin will tie the knot this Saturday after inviting guests for Theroux’s 42nd birthday bash. Friends have been a little suspicious about the birthday party ...

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/08/jennifer-aniston-planning-surprise-wedding-this-weekend/

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Don't You Just Love Drive-Ins? Then Help Save Some

We've known for a while that drive-in theaters were doomed, but like anything American, they've persevered. by the end of this year, though, they could be out of lifelines, which is why Honda is launching Project Drive-In today, to help save a few.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/1_aY2U0lvhA/dont-you-just-love-drive-ins-then-help-save-some-1079588945

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Chen quiets Red Sox as Royals win 5-1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ? Bruce Chen had the Boston Red Sox popping up and out.

Chen outdueled Jon Lester and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-1 Thursday night.

The Royals won for the 16th time in 20 games since the All-Star break. The Red Sox, who have the best record in the American League, lost for only the third time in 10 games.

Chen retired 15 on fly-ball outs.

"A phenomenal job," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He was ahead in the count most of the night. He commanded the ball down, commanded the ball up, changed speeds. Anytime you see a lot of popups, out-front swings, you know Bruce is on his game and he got an awful lot of them tonight."

Chen, who was making his fifth start since beginning the season in the bullpen, did not allow a runner past first base until the eighth and retired 11 in a row in one stretch. He gave up five singles, walked one and struck out two before leaving with two outs in the eighth inning.

"Movement on the ball," Chen said of the high number of fly outs. "They see it and at the last moment, it cuts or sinks or they're a little bit out in front. I think, also, the combination of different pitches, not repeating the same pitch or same pattern has to help. Brett (Hayes, the catcher) did a really good job of reading the hitters."

Hayes, who was just called up from Triple-A Omaha, had not caught Chen since spring training.

"Bruce was being Bruce," Hayes said. "He kept hitters off balance, throwing all of his pitches for strikes, making them chase and out in front. He's just a veteran who knows how to pitch. Anybody who pitches like that is fun to catch, especially him."

Red Sox manager John Farrell was impressed with Chen.

"He varied his arm angle, varied his speed, stayed out of the middle of the strike zone, then he would elevate to give us a different look," Farrell said.

Luke Hochevar got the final four outs for his second career save.

Lester (10-7), who came into the game with a 6-2 record and 1.64 ERA in nine starts against the Royals, needed 41 pitches in the first inning when Kansas City sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs.

Jonny Gomes' fielding error on Alex Gordon's fly to left made two of the runs unearned. Lorenzo Cain, who opened the inning with a double, scored on Gomes' misplay.

Mike Moustakas' two-out single to right with the bases loaded scored Billy Butler and Gordon to make it 3-0.

"Moustakas had a huge hit to put us by three," Yost said.

Rubby De La Rosa replaced Lester in the eighth and Butler hit his first pitch out to center for his 10th home run. Justin Maxwell homered with two outs to make it 5-0.

"Obviously it was a long first, a lot of pitches," Lester said. "I knew I had to somehow grind my way through it and get seven, save the bullpen. That's something you have to learn to do, to find a way in those outings to go six or seven or maybe eight, and I was able to do that."

Lester, who was roughed up for six runs and 11 hits in 4 1-3 innings by Arizona in his previous start, shut down the Royals after the first, allowing just two more singles in seven innings.

"I thought he righted himself and did a tremendous job to go seven and give us an opportunity to win," Farrell said.

Stephen Drew, who had two hits to extend his hitting streak to a season high nine games, singled home Gomes in the ninth for the only Red Sox run.

"Bruce is the star of the game," Butler said. "He absolutely pitched his game. He held down a pretty good offense."

NOTES: The Royals optioned LHP Danny Duffy to Triple-A Omaha and purchased the contract of LHP Francisley Bueno from their Pacific Coast League affiliate. ... Daniel Nava came off the paternity leave list and started at first base for the Red Sox, who optioned RHP Steven Wright to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... DH David Ortiz, who had started 95 games, was not in the Red Sox lineup. "It's not injury related," Farrell said. "It's just a day. Truth be told, we'd expected more off days overall than he has been." ... Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz, who went on the disabled list June 18 with a neck strain, is scheduled to throw 25-30 pitches off the mound Friday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chen-quiets-red-sox-royals-win-5-1-025806561.html

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Petron sends team to check on reports of oil spill

By Frances Mangosing
INQUIRER.net

Philippine Coast Guard team check and get samples from the oil spill over the waters of Rosario, Cavite on Friday to the fuel tanker that has affected at least seven villages in the province. INQUIRER PHOTO / NI?O JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines?Petron Corporation sent an emergency response team as an oil spill spread a large reddish stain over Manila Bay and in the municipal waters of Cavite province, the giant oil firm said Friday.

?We immediately deployed our oil spill response team to see the extent of the oily sheen and begin containment and recovery operations of what we suspect is diesel,? Petron said in a statement posted in its Facebook page.

?We have also notified the local government of Rosario and the Philippine Coast Guard,? Petron said.

It said the oil spill may have come from M/T Makisig, a vessel owned by a third party contractor, which had earlier unloaded fuel at Petron?s terminal in Rosario, Cavite.

?According to initial information, the leak may have come from the vessel but this will have to be investigated further,? it said.

The fuel tanker is suspected of having dumped half a million litres of diesel into the country?s busiest waterway on Thursday, said Philippine Coast Guard environmental protection chief Commodore Joel Garcia.

Petron said it has checked its receiving pipeline for possible leaks but results showed no leaks.

?To ensure safety and product integrity, we always conduct pressure tests for all our pipelines before we receive any fuel product. This is part of Petron?s standard operating procedures,? it said.

Even then, Petron said that they have deployed manpower and equipment to ensure that the oily sheen ?is contained and recovered.?

?We are also conducting our own investigation to see how this happened and to prevent such an occurrence from happening again,? it also said.

The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas on Friday called for the removal of the Petron depot in Rosario.

?The removal of Petron oil depot in Barangay Poblacion is a necessity to avoid such kind of environmental mishap to be repeated again and again with impunity. For the sake of the fisher people and the marine environment, we ask the mayor, the vice-mayor and councilors of Rosario to declare the Petron oil depot,? it said.

An oil spill also affected the waters of Rosario in 2010 after a submarine pipeline of Petron was damaged during the onslaught of Typhoon Basyang.

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Tags: Cavite , corals , environment , M/T Makisig , Manila Bay , maritime disaster , oil spill , Petron Corporation , water pollution

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Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/462089/petron-sends-team-to-check-on-reports-of-oil-spill

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Video: Tesla talk

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Video: Samaras: Eliminating Greece's debt would be European "success story"

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Groundwork Laid, Growers Turn to Hemp in Colorado

[unable to retrieve full-text content]When voters legalized marijuana, they also laid a path for farmers to grow hemp, and Colorado agencies are working to create new rules to regulate cultivation.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/us/groundwork-laid-growers-turn-to-hemp-in-colorado.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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